Concepts of Meditation


Meditation

Meditation is the practice of achieving, and balancing, the mental, physical, and emotional aspects of one's existence. Today, meditation is used to reduce, or eliminate, the symptoms associated with depression, stress, and anxiety.

The "deep rest" that is achieved through the practice of meditation can eliminate stress and, confusion, and uncertainty and allows the individual to make better decisions through clearer and more focused thinking. In addition, in many cases, meditation has been proven to improve self esteem in individuals with low self confidence.

The concepts of meditation are almost identical to those of Yoga as their aims a very similar. Both sects of self healing depend on the participant freeing themselves of any outside distraction or influence and focusing on the development of their mind/body disconnection and self improvement.

While the practice of Yoga is more of a physical route to such a separation, meditation uses the mind (or lack there of in some cases) to achieve Dharma. The following concepts will look similar to those of Yoga but with a few key changes in approach and goal.

Specific Meditation Concepts


Karma

This concept refers to any type of physical or mental action. In addition, this concept deals with the consequences of each action. An easy way to understand this concept lies in the biblical law of "an eye for an eye". You must expect to eventually receive any action that you force onto another person in your future life.

There are actually three types of karma. The first is all acts performed in all lives (reincarnation). The second is the acts of you current life. The third type of karma id the acts that you are performing right now.

Swadharma

Swadhara is the obligation that a spirit has to follow dharma. Where dharma regards the rules and guidelines, swadhara pertains to the need for a spirit to follow those rules. This concept is much related to altruistic principles and instinctive feelings such as maternal and fraternal.

According to the teachings of Meditation, every individual spirit will have a different level of swadhara. This level will determine their dharma and can be raised through meditation or reduced through lack there of.

Dharma

This concept deals with the correct way to live your life and receive good karma. This concept not only concerns itself with physical and mental acts against other spirits, but also with the ability of the practitioner to achieve enlightenment and a union with the supreme being. This may sound familiar to followers of all types of religion that claim that good deeds alone are not enough to achieve immortality.

Manah

This concept is the Sanskrit word for your mind. However, the manah is not the entire mind. The manah is the portion of the mind that receives sensory signals from other portions of the body. This is not only the scientific concept of sensory perception but the metaphysical ability for the mind to receive signals from the spirit.

Buddhi

Meditation Equipment

The Sanskrit term for intelligence. This concept is the conscious ability to be able to understand the concepts that are taught to you. It also concerns itself with the ability to think through situations and to use reason when making important decisions. Your overall intelligence is referred to as your buddhi.

Samskara

This concept is literally translated as your memories. Basically, every action that you perform (whether good or bad) creates an impression stored in your mind. Negative impressions must be cleansed in order to obtain immortality. In addition to being a moral protection device, this concept also deals with maternal and fraternal instincts.

Vasana

When your mind stores impressions of actions, or memories (samskara), they are typically grouped together based on similarities between them. These groups are referred to as vasana. These bundles are unconscious and must be restored through deep focus and meditation.

These bundles are active even if they are held in the unconscious. For example, you may be triggered to perform another "happy" bundle of actions because they left positive impressions in the past. In addition to acting as constantly referenced emotions, these bundles are what govern the development of experience and maturity.

Kriya

This concept refers to the actual practice or exercise of the techniques found in Yoga. It not only pertains to the actual correct physical motions involved but also the correction of incorrect technique and the skill involved in performing each movement.

These motions are intended to have a purifying effect on the body in small amounts. Performing these motions will result in higher levels of metaphysical awareness and a heightened sense of purpose or being.

Viveka

This concept is directly related to the ability to realize the difference between reality and the fantasy or unrealistic portion of life. Not only does it involve knowing the difference between realism and the opposite but also the difference between the temporary aspects of life and the permanent aspects of the current and after life.

When employing this concept, the practitioner must remember to constantly review what is real and what is fake and employ proper reactions based on their discoveries.

Vairagya

Vairagya concerns itself with the disinterest in anything of the current life. This concept requires the participant to distance himself from anything that they enjoy in their mortal life in order to better prepare for the after life. This includes the indifference of possessions, enjoyed feelings and the enjoyment of any emotional action or response.

Sannyasa

This is the concept that attempts to sum up all other concepts that contribute to a well led life. It involves adherence to all other concepts and is the eventual pursuit of perfection in all aspects of life to attain a truly healthy and perfect after life.

Benefits of Meditation


There are many benefits of meditation, including spiritual, physiological, and psychological benefits. Some of the most common benefits include:

Mental

  • Reduces Anxiety Levels
  • Reduces and/or Eliminates Headaches
  • Increases Focus and Concentration
  • Improves Emotional Stability
  • Improves Memory
  • Improves Problem Solving Capability
  • Improves Ability to Learn and Gain Intelligence
  • Reduces Probability of Road Rage
  • Reduces, or Eliminates, Insomnia
  • Increases Probability of Quitting Bad Habits
  • Increases the Release of Serotonin
  • Improves Interactions with Individuals and Relationships
  • Promotes Religious Sentiment
  • Stimulates Contemplation, Thought, and Complex Thinking
  • Promotes Forgiveness
  • Reduces Mental Stress Associated with Death
  • Strengthens Religious Faith
  • Promotes a "Living for the Now" Mentality

Physical

  • Lowers Blood Pressure
  • Assists in Reducing Pain Associated with Arthritis
  • Strengthens Immune System
  • Reduces Muscle and Joint Tension
  • Promotes Safe and Effective Weight Loss
  • Improves Lung Capacity and Function
  • Lowers Cholesterol Levels
  • Strengthens and Improves Central Nervous System

Meditation

Likely the single most important item to remember when beginning a meditation routine is that it will take time to learn to effectively clear your mind and reach a state of calmness. In the beginning, this failure to achieve a state of calmness may create a level of frustration that will only serve to make it more difficult to achieve.

However, always remember that just like it takes time to effectively lose weight or gain lean muscle mass, learning to effectively clear and relax your mind will take time as well. By taking the time to learn how to truly meditate you will be adding an aspect to your overall health and fitness lifestyle that will promote balance, calmness and mental well-being