Meditation is a deliberate suspension of the stream of consciousness that usually occupies the mind. Its primary goal is to induce mental tranquillity and physical relaxation. There are many different approaches to meditation, each with its own specialized techniques. However, all have a few requirements in common:
A quiet environment where you won't be disturbed
A comfortable position, usually sitting in a straight-backed chair
A point of focus for your mind
Most people take lessons in meditation, but it's possible to teach yourself, using books or videos and applying some basic principles. At the outset, whatever the form of meditation, you need to wear comfortable clothes and assume a sitting position. Most people choose to sit in a straight-backed chair, although some find it comfortable to sit in the classic meditating position, cross-legged on the floor. Either way, the spine should be vertical. Slow, rhythmic breathing is a necessity in all forms of meditation, although each approach has a different way of achieving this. As you sit quietly and breathe rhythmically, you must focus on something--it may be your own breathing; or an image such as a religious symbol, a flower, or a candle; or a word or phrase repeated rhythmically. This word or phrase is called a mantra.
Many people prefer to keep their eyes closed during meditation, to avoid visual distractions and enhance concentration. Some people use soothing music. Try to stay as still as possible throughout the meditation period and let your attention, as much as possible, be passive. If you catch your mind wandering, try to refocus on the image or mantra you're using. Most people find that, as they gain practice, their random thoughts diminish, and the meditative state becomes more natural and instinctive.
Approaches to meditation fall into three major categories:
Transcendental Meditation (TM). This is the most common form of meditation in the western world. It involves mental repetition of a mantra, usually a Sanskrit sound provided by the instructor. TM practitioners sit upright in a straight-backed chair with their eyes closed, and meditate for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day, morning and evening. A nonreligious off-shoot of TM has been developed by Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard University, with the sole goal of achieving the relaxation response that TM is known to trigger.
Mindfulness Meditation. An outgrowth of a Buddhist tradition called vipassana, this form of meditation focuses on the present moment. A favored technique in mindfulness meditation (shared with other forms) is the body scan, in which you move your focus through the body, from the tips of the toes to the top of the head, paying particular attention to any areas that cause pain or suffer from a medical problem (for example, the lungs for asthma, the pancreas for diabetes, the heart for heart disease). The body scan is usually done while lying down.
Breath Meditation. This technique calls for concentration on respiration, the process of inhaling and exhaling. In other respects it is similar to TM and other forms of meditation.
No matter which approach you adopt, each session typically takes 15 to 20 minutes, once in the morning and again in the evening. Advocates recommend scheduling your sessions for the same times each day, before rather than after eating.