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Meditation
About Meditation
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About Meditation
There are many different types of meditation for different purposes. In the past, the word meditation referred to specific practices in various spiritual and religious traditions. The goal was to help a person grow spiritually. This could mean anything from experiencing the presence of the divine to becoming more compassionate to realizing one's true nature as consciousness. The goal and type of meditation would vary according to the tradition.
In current times, the term meditation is used much more broadly to refer to many different practices meant to bring about a variety of results, and meditation is no longer always associated with spirituality. Different meditations have different goals, and people meditate for many different reasons -- relaxation, health, personal growth, spiritual development. Often people meditate simply to become more relaxed, or because their doctor advised them to meditate to lower their blood pressure. Being clear on why you want to meditate will help you in your search.
Meditation vs. a
"meditative state"
Often people use the word meditation to refer to a "meditative
state". For example, someone might say, "I watched the sunset and went
into meditation." Hours of difficult meditation practice may not result in
a significant change in
one's way of being, but suddenly spotting a deer in a sunlit meadow can
instantly shift
our awareness into a place of peace. The best meditation practices help to evoke an experience that is very natural
to the mind, and people often find their own ways to set the stage for the mind
to shift.
Meditation involves a
shift in the focus of the mind
In meditation, we are shifting our awareness from the usual focused,
outer-directed activity of the mind. In activity, the mind is engaged in
observing, discriminating, deciding, analyzing and accomplishing.
Meditation gives us an opportunity to shift gears, let go of this focus and
experience a more peaceful, silent state.
Learning to Meditate
Learning to meditate is a very individual matter. Some people do best
learning from a teacher or structured course, while others discover how to
meditate on their own. You might try several methods and eventually find
your own style. There's no one right way to meditate!
So often people give up on meditation because they tried a method that was totally unsuitable for them. We encourage you to explore until you find a way to meditate that works for you.
We invite you to try the meditations on our website, or use our meditation CDs as an easy way to get started. They may be all you'll ever need!
Enjoy a Meditation Break now in our Listening
Room
Learn some simple meditations on this website
Subscribe to our Meditation Oasis podcasts at iTunes!
Meditation CDs
Silence of Being CD
guides you in effortless meditation
Pure Relaxation CD
voice and music to relax by
Ease of Being CD
for centering and healing
Sleep Easy CD
guided meditation for sleep
Advanced
Chakra Meditation
Chakra Dhyana CD
opens the chakras, raises kundalini energy