The Tremendous Power of Meditation
Meditation is a natural and rewarding human activity. Scriptures have defined meditation as deep concentration on God or one of His aspects. Practiced daily, it produces astonishing results on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our being. It connects us with our own inner powers of vitality, clarity, and love. When done deeply, it gives us an expanded sense of connection with all life, an experience of profound joy.
Meditation has three aspects: Relaxation, Interiorization, and Expansion
First, relax completely, both physically and mentally; then interiorize your attention and concentrate one-pointedly, usually at the point between the eyebrows; and thirdly, focus your concentrated attention on an aspect of your own deeper self, or on God, love, joy, sound, or light. This will help you naturally expand your consciousness.
Although the process sounds simple, the attainment of deeper states requires faithful practice with dedication and discipline. Even a little practice of meditation gives immediate results. You will find that practicing even a few minutes a day increases your sense of well-being and brings immense joy.
There is an innate yearning in each of us to expand our awareness to what we really are, and to experience union with the endless love and bliss of God. At a certain stage in this eternal quest, we feel drawn to explore inner stillness through the practice of meditation.
Profound perceptions of reality come through intuition rather than logic, from the "superconscious" rather than the conscious mind. When the body is completely relaxed, the five senses become stilled, and the mind becomes deeply focused; a tremendous flow of energy becomes available. That intense energy can lift us into super-consciousness, where our inner powers of intuition are fully awakened.
Deep meditation helps us to become aware of realities we barely dreamed of. And even a little internalization of our consciousness lifts us toward that state and brings great peace in life.
Physiologically, meditation has been found to reduce stress, strengthen our immune system, and helps regulate many of the body's systems. During meditation, our breath slows, blood pressure and metabolic rates decrease, and the circulation and detoxification of the blood increase.
In addition to its Physical and Mental benefits, meditation is first a Spiritual Art. Its purpose is to lead us to the realization that we are one with the Creator. We come from God and are made in His image, and our hearts are restless until we achieve unity (yoga) with Him. Meditation is the direct pathway to this unified state.
It is said that the greatness of a culture can be judged by its heroes. In the East, particularly in India, the greatest heroes have always been people of the highest spiritual attainment.