Meditation is described as a practice in which the meditator attempts to achieve a state of mental clarity, emotional calm and relaxation through various techniques. Most people are familiar with the image of the seated Buddhist monk who seems to float in another dimension as if in a state of trance. This is a widespread form of meditation, but by no means the only one. It is not, as is often assumed, simply about emptying the mind completely and shutting down the flow of thoughts. Rather, it is about finding one's inner centre – as the word meditation suggests (Latin "medio" = centre) – and achieving a state of complete balance. If you sit down and try not to think with pure willpower, it won't work. Because that is strenuous. And effort is the opposite of relaxation. That's probably the most common reason why people say they can't meditate. Yet many people don't even realise that they may be in a meditative state for a short while almost every day. Everything we do that brings us into the here and now can be considered a form of meditation. For example, when you work in the garden and give your full attention to your plants, so that the world around you disappears, you are in a state of meditation. The centre is not only between left and right, but also between front and behind. In front is the future, behind is the past. In the centre there is only the one moment, the here and now. If you manage to focus your attention fully on something and to perceive this something in its perfection without judging or evaluating, you will notice that it becomes quieter and quieter in your head and the stream of thoughts will dry up all by itself. This requires no effort.
The sitting, meditating Buddha is probably one of the more difficult variants of meditation for beginners. You have to keep the body still. That requires concentration. Suddenly you start to itch and want to scratch yourself. Your head is bored, so it just chats away senselessly. This posture is not really comfortable either. At some point, the muscles start to hurt and you have to move to counteract it. There are a thousand distractions that can pull you out of meditation. To start with, I would just sit somewhere comfortable outside and listen. Just listen to your surroundings. Give your full attention to nature, the birds, the cars, the voices of people in the distance. Notice everything without naming it or analysing it. Just observe what exists around you. Do this for a while and you will notice that your head has stopped talking and you now perceive more and more sounds and the colours become clearer. Your world is expanding. Your perception expands. As your perception expands, so does your consciousness, because you are now consciously aware of more than you were before. Consciousness and perception go hand in hand. When you expand your perception, you become much more aware of your reality and vice versa. If you expand your consciousness through spiritual practices, you automatically expand your perception. For me, this is by far the most valuable gift of meditation. Expanded awareness gives us clarity and calmness in all situations in life. Everything becomes easier.
When you have practised listening to your surroundings for a while and you reach the state of expanded perception without effort, you can move on to the sitting Buddha. Concentrate on your breathing or play meditation music at a pleasant, rather low volume and concentrate on it. The important thing is that you focus your full attention on something and just observe. Let your thoughts flow. Observe them neutrally as they come and then let them go. Concentrate on your breath. If you don't continue to spin or analyse the thoughts, they will disappear all by themselves and it will become quieter and quieter in your mind. Once you reach the centre, you will feel a sense of lightness. Sometimes it feels like being sucked up by a hoover. A wonderful feeling. No worries weighing us down. No emotions to remind us of past dramas. Time stands still. There is only you and oneness with all that is. :)
Anyone can meditate. All it takes is a bit of training. But you must not put yourself under pressure. There are days when it just doesn't work. It doesn't matter. Tomorrow is another day. You should also not immediately try to spend a full hour sitting in perfect bliss. You will only achieve that with a lot of practice and it is not necessary to feel the positive effects of meditation. Just a few minutes are enough. As I said, we find ourselves in this state much more often than we realise. Gardening, painting, listening to music, generally artistic, creative activities bring us into a meditative state. Observe yourself. You will see. This is a natural state that we knew very well as children. It is innate. We have only forgotten how to consciously come to this wonderful place of inner peace.
Meditation has many health benefits. It reduces stress on all levels. Psychologically, mentally and physically. The energy flow is improved and balanced. Pent-up emotions are released. We see more clearly and are no longer so easily thrown off course by unforeseen situations. The immune system functions better. We sleep better. Interactions with our fellow human beings change for the better. We are more aware of our bodies because we are more aware of ourselves and learn to appreciate creation as a whole. This list can be continued endlessly. The expansion of consciousness has a different effect on each person, depending on what that person needs at that very moment. For some, meditation is a means of coping with stress, for others it is a search for divine oneness with all that is. Meditation costs nothing, you can do it anywhere and the effects are consistently positive. If you have difficulties, try the following video.
This is one of my favourite pieces. You can find more on Mei-lan's YouTube channel and in her Music Sanctuary. It doesn't matter whether you understand what she's saying or not. Her words unfold their effect in any case. On YouTube you can find lots of guided meditations in all kinds of different languages. Mantras are also very good for meditation. Take a look at my playlist if you like.
I recently found an excellent video in which a British monk explains the effects of meditation and also gives an introduction. Watch it. Highly recommended!
David Fontana's book "The Meditator's Handbook" contains detailed descriptions and instructions for many different meditation techniques.
The information published here is based on my current knowledge at the time of publication. This is preceded by years of research and personal experience. I make no claim to the completeness and correctness of the information provided. It is intended for informational purposes only and is meant to show the reader options. What is written does not serve as a diagnosis or therapy and can in no way replace a visit to a qualified medical professional. If you take measures independently, you do so at your own risk. Let the naturopath or doctor of your choice advise and accompany you. Inform yourself further, research, exchange ideas with other affected people. If you find something that you think belongs in this article, please let me know. Thanks!