Meditation is a mental exercise, that involves relaxation, focus on your breathing and awareness, to achieve a mentally Clearance and to make emotionally calm and stable mind. Meditation is to the mind what physical exercise is to the body.
Meditation is a technique of mindfulness or focusing for the emptiness in mind on a particular object, thought or activity.
Meditation is used from the Ancient era. It is mentioned in the Hindu Holy Books Vedas and Upanishads. Later from Lord Buddha's era, it's much more important to become as regular practice.
Actually, Meditation is a healing process, by applying the remedy of making Consciousness/self Awareness, to reduce stress, anxiety, depression or prevention of mental agony etc. and at a time by practicing Meditation, our peace, perception, self-concept, and well-being will be enhanced rapidly. Also it'll be effective to better understanding of our health, like:- improvement of working memory, immunity headache relief, to control high/low blood pressure etc. in the different areas of our body, specially it'll be more effective in psychological, neurological, and cardiovascular and other areas.
Meditation will be helpful to make a better life with Awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You'll be able to turn off your junk thoughts or feelings. At the time of doing this, you'll have to observe the thoughts without judgement. And eventually, you may start to better understand as well.
Form of Meditation :-
Meditation can take on many different forms, but there are two main types are much effective, like :-
Concentrative meditation :- It is involved to focus all of your attention on a specific object, while tuning out everything else around you. The goal is to really experience whatever you are focusing on, at the time of breathing, you can think any specific God/Goddess photo, or a mantra in order to reach a higher state of being.
And another is, Mindfulness meditation :- It is includes, among others, both mindfulness-based on stress reduction and mindfulness-based on cognitive therapy. Mindfulness can target different issues, such as depression, which means that its focus may be different from practice to practice. Overall, it involves the state of being aware of and involved in the present moment and making yourself open, aware, and accepting.
How to Practice the Meditation :-
While there are many different forms of meditations and ways to practice, learning a basic meditation for beginners is a great place to begin.
Choose a quiet spot that is free from distractions. Turn off your phone, television, and other distractions. If you choose to play quiet music, like : Chinese fleet music, to select something calm and repetitive. But without paying any music, it'll be more effective.
Start slow and set a time limit :- If you are just getting started, begin by doing short sessions of around 15 mminutes in a day, and then work your way up progressively to longer sessions.
Set a schedule. Try meditating at the same time in each day, for a few minutes first thing in the morning, for example.
Pay attention to your body and get comfortable :- Sitting cross-legged on the floor is one option, but comfort is the real key. You need to be in a position where you can sit for several minutes without getting uncomfortable, stiff, or restless.
At a glance :-
Focus on what you're feeling. At first, choose a lonely place. Then, seat in Lotus shape of your both legs, like : Padmasana (Kamalasan). Next close your eyes, even no sound should be entered in ears. This will be effective more. First your breathing will be natural and notice the feelings and sensations, which you're experiencing as your breathe in and out. Then slowly, try to take deep breaths that expand your belly and then slowly exhale. Pay attention to how each breath feels. If you feel some noise/sound, in the beginning stage, also you can bind/cover your Eyes and Ears, by a lengthy cloth.
Notice your thoughts :-
The purpose of meditation is obviously to clear your mind, by practicing regularly for long days. Then your mind will be changed, then you own will understand and decide, what's right or what's wrong. Your mind is inevitably going to wander. You focus on gently bringing on your attention back to your breath, whenever you notice your thoughts drifting. Don't judge your thoughts or try to analyze them. Just simply direct your mind back to your deep breathing. In this time, you will totally forget about, external views or sound. Only you concentrate on your process of "breathing in and breathing out". And slowly try to see/realize your inner sence, by applying your 'third eye'. Only it can be realized in closing your eyes. For your information that, Open eyes looks, only external colourful world and Close eyes helps to see your internal reality of life. This time your body senses will become like inactive. You start this process from today as your routine work, atleast for 15 minutes in a day, early morning is the best, or in your free time. Before doing this, you should take very light less food, avoid junk foods. And another is, when you'll practice this, atleast for that little time, you don't think about outer incidents, any desire activity. Only you concentrate in your inside body, like : breathing in and breathing out, just look what's happening. Then you'll realize your original life and after doing this, all of your stress, pain or any negative thought will be vanished. Then only you'll gain full Peace and Happiness, with extra satisfaction in your mind. As Meditation is an "Un-premeditated Art", it can't be done forcefully. It happens in a selected moment for a particular person, not for all. This's the self realization of Saint Indranil.