What Exactly Is Meditation?

So, what really is meditation?

The Latin root of the word meditation, mederi, means “to heal.”

The word meditation has had different connotations in different parts of the world. For example, in the West, the word meditation means a concentrated state of mind in serious reflection. In the East, however, meditation has been linked more to a spiritual ideal. The Hebrew word for meditation means a very intense spiritual battle. According to Zen, meditation is an awareness of inner silence. In Sanskrit, the word meditation translates to Sadhana. It can be described as spiritual practice or spiritual cultivation.

So, what really is meditation?

To understand this, it might serve well to refer to The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (for a clearer understanding of what the word “Yoga” means, you may refer to our article What is Yoga in our online magazine. In his yoga sutras, Patanjali introduces two different concepts. The first is that of prolonged one-pointedness (which is called Dharana). The second is called prolonged awareness (or Dhyana). Often, Dharana and/or Dhyana are incorrectly referred to as meditation. According to Master Choa, meditation (or Sadhana) is a balance between concentration (or Dharana) and awareness (or Dhyana). While meditating, concentration is essential to prevent the mind from drifting away. On the other hand, awareness is necessary to register and respond to inner and higher stimuli.

Master Choa compared the balance required in playing a musical instrument to the balance needed between concentration and awareness in the practice of meditation. The desired sound will not be achieved if the strings are too tight or loose. Hence, a delicate balance needs to be achieved between prolonged one-pointedness and prolonged awareness in the practice of meditation.

So, what can we meditate on? Technically, you could meditate on a lot of things. You could meditate on a concept or situation to draw more insights. You could meditate on the problems in your life to find a solution. Or you could also choose to meditate as a targeted spiritual practice.

Meditation as Spiritual Practice

Meditation is commonly used in various spiritual schools across the world. However, meditations are based on precise science, so the procedure has a precise set of steps. Consider, for example, the Meditation on Twin Hearts as taught by MCKS. The Meditation on Twin Hearts has a procedure or a series of steps (such as invoking for divine blessings, connecting the tongue to the palate, activating the heart, activating the crown, and others). Each step produces a particular effect on the practitioner. If you were to (for instance) alter the sequence of the steps outlined by the Teacher, it would not produce the desired result.

Meditation is not difficult to learn or do. Unfortunately, there are several misconceptions about the concept – especially among beginners or those who’ve only heard or read about it. Most of these misconceptions are myths with little or no substance. You may read our article Busting Myths About Meditation for elaborated details.

Benefits of Meditation

So, what does meditation really achieve?

Well, that depends on which meditation specifically. Different meditations have different proposes. A partial list of the effects of a few meditations taught under the MCKS Pranic Healing and Arhatic Yoga system is provided as follows:

• The Meditation on Twin Hearts makes the practitioner more loving and helps cultivate a sense of inner peace. This meditation is also an effective tool for reducing stress, given its spiritual flushing effect.
• The Meditation on the Soul enables the practitioner to activate the will aspect and gradually develop a stronger connection with your divine self (or what is technically termed by MCKS as the Higher Soul). This meditation is introduced in the Achieving Oneness with the Higher Soul workshops and Om Mani Padme Hum.
• Arhatic Kundalini Meditation (or Meditation on the Inner Breath) increases the body’s capacity to handle more subtle energies and upgrade the brain and nervous system. The term “kundalini” is mystical and is frequently misunderstood. This has been discussed in more detail in a subsequent article, which you can find here.
• Arhatic Dyhan develops sensitivity and prolonged awareness of spiritual stimuli.
• Meditation on the Lord’s Prayer is a powerful method to ‘wake up’ the chakras.

In general, meditation speeds up evolutionary processes. Regular practice of meditation helps you in more ways than one.

• Meditations may facilitate the maintenance and upkeep of good health. For example, experiments were conducted in Italy on patients with multiple sclerosis. The patients were treated with a combination of medical treatment, ‘Meditation in Twin Hearts’ and ‘Advanced Pranic Healing.’ It was observed that after a span of 6 months, the patients showed remarkable and steady improvement. Many patients who had little movement in their limbs also showed strong improvement.
• Meditations can help centre you emotionally by flushing out stress, negativity, emotional turmoil, and anger amongst other negative qualities. This is something that you can validate for yourself. Try the ‘Meditation on Twin Hearts’ and you would be able to experience inner peace and calmness after just 20 minutes.
• Meditations can help you become smarter and more intelligent.
• Meditations can help you seek answers to the issues in your life. As the saying goes: “Meditation is required given that some questions cannot be answered by Google“.
• Meditations can help a good person become a better person.

There are several other ways in which meditation can benefit you.

We invite you to join us to experience the benefits that meditation can provide to your life.