The word meditation, is derived from two Latin words : meditari(to think, to dwell upon, to exercise the mind) and mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit derivation 'medha' means wisdom.Many years ago meditation was considered something just not meant for modern people, but now it has become very popular with all types of people. Published scientific and medical evidence has proved its benefits, but it still needs to be much understood.

The term "meditation" is often used both to denote the process or technique of meditation, as well as the state "elicited" by meditation practice. Usually during meditation we concentrate on a particular object or idea, such as a flower, a candle flame, a sound, a word (mantra), an image of a deity, our breath, or, in its purest form, simply on whatever is. An ordinary person may consider meditation as a worship or prayer. But it is not so. Meditation means awareness. Whatever you do with awareness is meditation. "Watching your breath" is meditation; listening to the birds is meditation.

As long as these activities are free from any other distraction to the mind, it is effective meditation.Meditation is not a technique but a way of life. Meditation means 'a cessation of the thought process' . It describes a state of consciousness, when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns . The observer (one who is doing meditation) realizes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one. A beginner would benefit most from the insight meditation style: simply concentrating on the breath and whatever is. An advanced practitioner would be served best by the style of meditation that requires a concentrated effort, such as focusing his or her mind on complex visualization (of a mandala or a deity) and repeating a specially empowered mantra. Such advanced techniques must be acquired only via the process of initiation and only from a competent teacher/guru.

The method of meditation should correspond to your personality, body type and sam'skara (karma). For this, it is best to place your confidence in a competent teacher. The practice of meditation will gradually reduce the stream of thoughts arising in your mind. The preoccupation with these thoughts, the certainty of their importance, as well as the false sense that we and our thoughts are one and the same, also gradually diminishes. At first it is hard to free ourselves from the whirlpool of thoughts--it sucks us in. But if we can experience the degree to which we've become caught up in it, there is the possibility of making an effort and learning to escape it, rather than drowning in it.Traditionally, the classical yoga texts, describe that to attain true states of meditation one must go through several stages.

After the necessary preparation of personal and social code, physical position, breath control, and relaxation come the more advanced stages of concentration, contemplation, and then ultimately absorption. But that does not mean that one must perfect any one stage before moving onto the next. The Integral yoga approach is simultaneous application of a little of all stages together.Commonly today, people can mean any one of these stages when they refer to the term meditation. Some schools only teach concentration techniques, some relaxation, and others teach free form contemplative activities like just sitting and awaiting absorption. Some call it meditation without giving credence to yoga for fear of being branded 'eastern'. But yoga is not something eastern or western as it is universal in its approach and application.