Meditation Basics

History and Types of Meditation

Meditation is a drug-free and natural method of achieving a heightened sense of relaxation, energy, and focus. It can be used along with other methods of treatment in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) as an adjunct practice, as well. Meditation works in that it helps people train their mind in order to promote relaxation, build energy, or to work on a variety of spiritual pursuits (i.e., spiritual guides, connecting with God, astral projection, or receiving “psychic visions”). The exercises involved allow the practitioner the opportunity to have emotional healing, such as patience, compassion, and forgiveness. It is a moment, a break in the very busy and stressful lives of many patients. Most meditate in a sitting position, and some use prayer beads or other “ritual objects”, as they work as a complementary part of some patients’ meditation. The origins of this relaxation method come from the Old Testament Hebrew phrase that referred to “sigh or murmur”, which translated into the Greek word melete, and eventually the Latin Bible term meditatio (meaning “to think contemplate, devise, ponder”). It has been historically used in Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Taosim, Islam, Judaism, Jainism, New Age, and many other spiritual and religious practices and traditions. With this in mind, meditation is not strictly used by those who follow or have a strong belief in spirituality. Secularly, this therapy is also used in the Western part of civilization, in order to achieve “mindfulness”. It can be used for multiple purposes. For example, prayer and meditation are linked in the Bahá’í Faith, where prayer is for “turning toward God”, while meditation is a “communion with one’s self”. Buddhism focuses on these techniques in order to achieve a state of “serenity or tranquility” as well as “insight”. Certain religions perform meditation as a method of deepening the practitioner’s spiritual connection to God. The New Age practice is to blank out the mind from conscious thinking, often by “chanting a mantra or focusing on an object”. In Taoism, it is incorporated into “internal martial arts” in order to achieve calmness in the “tai chi form”. It can disperse “qi” (life energy) throughout the body. Whether used as a spiritual deepening or a simple method to achieve relaxation, the practice of meditation reaches and works for a wide and diverse variety of people who are looking for something natural and effective.¹

Basic Styles

Mantra meditation uses chanting words that are repeated throughout the session. The sounds become the focus. Focused meditation uses objects (or sounds, mantras, or thought) in order to stay committed to that key object instead of various other thoughts and stressors. Spiritual meditation is about communicating with God, while becoming calm and quiet before focusing on questions or problems. The Movement type involves incorporating flowing movements into the sitting position. The movements are repetitive, and they (with the breathing) become the focus of the session. Mindfulness is the most common form of the practice known. It is when the person does not focus on any particular thought; instead thoughts “flow”. There is an awareness of the surrounding sensory input, but it isn’t dwelled upon.² Walking meditation is one style that is based on focus. This form of meditation is most effective when the patient goes outside to take their walk. While walking, the patient should focus on their feet, taking not of how the heel hits the ground, feeling the roll of the foot and the big toe pushing off to continue the rhythm. Interesting sensations, such as walking over stones should be noticed. The mind, when it wanders, should be brought back to focusing on the feet. This exercise could then later translate to a better control over focusing in a stressful situation. The patient should not look down during this exercise. They should be able to pay attention to their surroundings and avoid improper posture while still focusing on the feelings and sensations of their feet.³

Secular Benefits

“Meditation may…increase calmness and…relaxation, to improve psychological balance, to cope with illness, or to enhance overall health and well-being,” according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s modern form of achieving mindfulness (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program), helped people become aware of daily practices in a way that removed judgmental thoughts. In doing so, depression and anxiety could be reduced, and happiness and emotional balance could be increased. Jacobson’s Progressive Muscle Relaxation assisted people in tensing and releasing muscle groups “in a sequential pattern while concentrating” on their feelings. This could help to reduce anxiety. Today, this treatment is incorporated into therapy and counseling. The relaxation techniques used now include hypnosis, biofeedback, and meditation. Mindfulness Meditation has demonstrated researched benefits including the reduction of depression, headaches, blood pressure, stress, and anxiety. This therapy has also been shown, in research, to improve memory, focus, and attention span.⁴