What is Meditation?

I was asked the question, “What is meditation?” a couple of months ago at a Q&A Session I gave at what is now the Sedona Meditation Center in Sedona, Arizona.

Meditation is something everyone has heard about. But how many people really know what it is?

In one sense, the word “meditation” doesn’t mean anything in and of itself; simply defining the word doesn’t give it value or significance. People make techniques and schools to learn meditation, including myself, but actually everybody in the world already meditates unconsciously in their daily lives. When we are angry, we naturally breathe out, which releases the heat that comes with anger and consequently cools our head and makes our chest more comfortable. When we are confused or have too many thoughts, some of us may shake our heads to clear them, as in Brain Wave Vibration, a form of moving meditation. Even yawning to relieve our tiredness is a form of meditation. As we breathe, everything that we see or hear is meditation.

While meditation is natural, and not anything special, people study and practice meditation for a reason. In fact, it’s not the method you use that’s important. What’s important is focus with intention, and what you use meditation for. It’s something we do both consciously and unconsciously for health, happiness, and peace. Each person’s specific purpose may be different. For some it may be to relieve stress or correct their habits, to clean out negative energy stored in their bodies or improve their personal relationships. You can even attain enlightenment with meditation. So you can say that meditation is a like a cure-all for any disease.

I’ve studied and practiced meditation for about 30 years. I’ve even led people in meditation and written many books and articles about it. From that experience I’ve found that I can solve anything through meditation. There isn’t anything that’s not related to meditation. You can solve everything through meditation because meditation brings you enlightenment. That’s because the true essence of meditation, and the true essence of health, happiness, and peace, runs deeper.

We all have life, right? So you have life . . . where does that life exist? When you have experienced the life inside of you, then you understand the essence of meditation. Then you can realize that all essential core information is already in your brain, waiting for you to ask for it. How do we uncover that information? Through meditation, of course.