Meditation has been around for many years but what is meditation? When most people think about meditation, they think of an elderly person sitting in the middle of a room with legs crossed in the full lotus position in a deep trance. I don’t know about you but I can’t get both of my feet on the tops of my thighs and have no desire to sit on the floor of an empty room.
Actually the word meditation originated from the Latin word meditatio which means contemplation. The reality is that the answer to "what is meditation" is that meditation is just a deep state of concentration on a specific thought or object.
There are many different types of meditation, but at the core they are all basically the same. You do something (this depends on the type) to brings yourself to a relaxed state of concentration. Once you are in this focused state your goal is to remain there as long as possible. There are types where you focus on your body, your breath, pain, a thought, an idea, a concept, etc…
Meditation is used as a way to relieve stress and tension. Research has shown that even ten to fifteen minutes of solid meditation can greatly relieve tension, irritability and stress, leaving you feeling more relaxed and less rushed. There are actually several benefits of meditation but this is the most widely quoted and most tangible.
Meditation is something that needs to be learned and practiced, but once mastered, can help almost anyone. You have to be in a comfortable position and, if sitting, must use good posture. Once you've learned how to meditate, you'll be able to turn your negative thoughts into positive thoughts very quickly.