These days meditation is a huge buzzword floating around the Internet but what exactly is meditation? I’m glad you asked! Today I want to share with you the definition and function of meditation, at least how I’ve come to understand the meaning.
Before I share with you the definition and function of meditation, I want to let you know that I’ll discuss the benefits of meditation and how it works, how to get started with meditation, and some next steps to take your meditation practice deeper.
Let’s jump in.
Definition and Function of Meditation?
Meditation is a practice used to train the mind. Imagine the mind as a wild horse that is pulling a chariot; the wild horse runs out of control with no real direction. The horse is the mind; meditation the reins that bring the horse under control. You, my friend, hold the reins.
There are two types of meditation common in many traditions, and they are Analytical meditation, often referred to as contemplation and Placement meditation. Analytical meditation means we contemplate a spiritual instruction or teaching until we come to some conclusion or a virtuous state of mind naturally arises. Placement meditation involves focusing our concentration on that end or good mind, single-pointedly, for as long as we can.
Placement meditation depends upon Analytical meditation, and Analytical meditation depends upon studying spiritual teachings. Both meditations are important; we could even say we hold one rein in the left hand and the other on the right, but both help us control the wild horse and steer our chariot to its final destination.
Quick side note on virtuous objects/states of mind:
A virtuous object is an object that allows us to develop a peaceful mind when we concentrate on it. You can also think peace, compassion, loving-kindness these are examples of virtuous objects or virtuous states of mind.
What are the Benefits of Meditation?
There is a lot of research proving the benefits of meditation practice, including everything from lowering the risk of developing certain diseases to reducing violence in schools. The proof is indisputable. But what does meditation really do for us?
Well, if meditation is a way to train our mind and our mind tends to be an unruly, wild horse than it’s safe to say that the purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. Imagine facing all challenging circumstances with a calm and peaceful mind; it can happen. Inner peace is the source of all happiness, and inner peace only comes from training the mind. Meditation reconnects us to our natural state of being, which is calm and peaceful.
By practicing meditation, we can experience inner peace, all the time. The more we practice meditation, the deeper the peace. We simply have to commit ourselves to practice.
How to Begin Meditating?
So we now know the definition and function of meditation, that it has many benefits and that if left unchecked that our mind can run wild, and that meditation can tighten the reins on our wild mind. But where do we start? A great first step is breathing meditation.
Before trying other meditations, we want to work to eliminate distractions and relax the mind; breathing meditation gives us the opportunity to practice sitting with all those distractions. During breathing meditation, we only focus on the sensation of the breath entering and exiting the nose, nothing more nothing less.
As distractions arise, we give them space to appear and then we simply let them go. Imagine sitting in a field looking up at a clear blue sky. Now imagine that a puff of white clouds drifts into and then out of that clear blue sky. The clear blue sky represents our mind, the puffy clouds our thoughts.
Breathing meditation is considered a preliminary practice, yet it is powerful. It is a meditation that we can practice, easily, daily. Begin with five minutes and gradually work up to fifteen minutes. I can guarantee that if you practice for five minutes a day that you will start to notice changes.
Next Steps:
Again breathing meditation is important. In Buddhism, we use breathing meditation as a preliminary practice before meditation on the Lamrim, or Stages of the Path. The Lamrim is composed of three categories or Scopes of practice and includes meditations on Death and Impermanence, Developing Renunciation from Samsara, Tranquil Abiding and much more; each Scope builds on the previous. Without a clear mind, it can be difficult to practice these meditations.
Obviously, you don’t have to be Buddhist to practice deeper meditations. If you remember meditation is separated into two types: Analytical and Placement, where we contemplate spiritual instructions and then focus our attention on the peaceful mind that arises from those contemplations, respectively. Many spiritual practitioners and those of various religious backgrounds do this sort of meditation – it’s a beautiful practice. We can take scripture, mantras and other spiritual or religious writings and contemplate their meaning.
Quick side note on mindfulness:
One thing I failed to mention earlier was mindfulness, another buzzword. It’s important to remember that mindfulness is not a meditation but a mental factor of the mind, which functions not to forget the object it has realized. With mindfulness, we keep our hold on whatever object or activity we are perceiving or performing firm. We need to practice mindfulness both in meditation and during the meditation break. Developing mindfulness will improve our meditation and bring more meaning to our daily activities.
Originally appeared on CM.
Photo by Pixabay.