What is Meditation?

Meditation is a practice of concentration. It is often described as a way to train and focus the mind to bring peace, calm, stillness, and tranquility to our lives. This helps to relieve stress and tension and create the “space” for balance, healing, and well-being. Saints and spiritual Masters define meditation as the highest form of prayer. Most of us go through life unaware that we are spiritual beings born into a physical body. Thus, true meditation is the process by which we awaken to our spiritual nature and connect with God’s love, which then becomes our lifeline in this world.

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation helps in every aspect of the life.

• Mental Clarity: Improves focus, memory, and decision-making by calming mental chatter.
• Emotional Balance: Reduces anxiety, depression, and emotional reactivity.
• Physical Health: Lowers blood pressure, boosts immunity, and improves sleep quality.
• Spiritual Connection: Deepens self-awareness and fosters a sense of unity with the divine.

Can Meditation Help Me?

Meditation can help anyone and everyone. We are each on our own journey. But wherever we are on this journey, meditation offers something for everyone. If you are a student working your way through school, meditation can help you focus better and excel in your studies. If you are a teenager seeking to understand the ever-changing world around you, meditation can help you overcome anxiety and bring you solace and comfort. If you are a working parent, meditation can help you find balance. If you are grieving, feeling lost, or asking life’s deeper questions, meditation can help you find the answers. Let’s have a look at how meditation can help us in every aspect of life.

How Can Meditation Help?

If you are just beginning your journey, you may find yourself asking, “How can meditation help me?” If practiced regularly, meditation can have many mental, emotional, intellectual, and physical benefits. However, its benefits do not end there. In fact, a growing number of people around the world are turning to meditation for much more than the benefits it has to offer our body and mind. They are meditating to nurture the spirit – the third and most important aspect of our being.

Transformation Through Meditation

When we learn to defocus from the turmoil of the world and focus our attention within ourselves, we tap into something divine and not of this physical world – a reservoir of infinite love that we carry within ourselves. Gradually, through daily practice, something shifts in our being. We no longer see ourselves as just the body and mind. We start to become aware of our existence at the level of the spirit. This shift in awareness gives us a deeper understanding of life, and we realize that the physical and mental benefits of meditation that originally brought us to meditation are just happy byproducts of a much bigger transformation taking place in our lives.

So How Do I Meditate?

You can start meditation by following a simple yet effective technique called “SOS Meditation.”

SOS Meditation is the technique of meditation taught at the Science of Spirituality. It focuses on experiencing the inner Light of God. It is taught as a science that anyone can practice, no matter our age, faith, or beliefs. In this form of meditation, we withdraw our attention from the outer world and focus it within to experience the love and Light of God.

Meditation requires us to still the body and mind. In meditation, we withdraw our attention from the noise and distractions of the outer world and focus it on the stillness within. The technique involves sitting in a comfortable pose, one in which we can sit without moving, and that is not conducive to falling asleep. Any movement keeps the attention on the body. No part of our body should touch anyone.

How to Start a Meditation Practice?

Whether you are new to meditation or interested in strengthening your meditation practice, here are some steps you can follow to establish a daily meditation practice:

How Can I Improve My Meditation Practice?

Here are some practical ways to improve your meditation practice.

• Be regular: Pick a time and try sitting at the same time every day. When we do so, we develop a habit. It’s similar to the other routines we’ve developed, such as brushing our teeth soon after we wake or our bedtime regimen.
• Learn to focus on one thing at a time: With the hectic pace of life today, it is not uncommon to be multitasking throughout the day. Attempting to do multiple tasks simultaneously impairs our ability to focus on any one task completely. Research shows that it reduces neuronal activity in regions of the brain that are important for attention and concentration. This means that when we sit down to meditate, it is harder to concentrate. When we learn to do one thing at a time during the day, we boost our ability to focus better, and then bring this enhanced concentration into our meditations.
• Be mindful throughout the day: Our interactions during the day leave imprints that impact our meditations. When we have a good day where our interactions are peaceful and happy, it is easier to still our mind during meditation. However, it might be harder to focus in meditation when we have had a tough day at work and are angry at our coworkers or family members. When we are more peaceful and loving in our interactions with everyone, there will be less turmoil in life, and this will help as we sit to meditate.
• Develop passion and zeal: Experts in any field exhibit an unparalleled level of passion for their work. Meditation is no different. Sit to meditate with an earnest desire to grow spiritually and to experience God’s love. This sincere intention will go a long way.
• Persevere: Meditation is a journey, not a destination. There will be ups and downs along the way. On some days, stilling the mind will come easily, while on other days, we will struggle to still the body. Be steadfast and forgiving, and keep moving steadily toward the goal.

Do I Need a Meditation Teacher?

As with any new subject or skill in life, mastery requires learning from an adept who has themselves mastered the subject. Be it organic chemistry, learning to ride a bike, learning a new art form or a new language, the key is the same: mastery requires learning from an expert.

Though the theory of meditation can be gleaned from a book, meditation is a practical experience, and the novice meditator will have many questions. Progress and success in this practice require a teacher, an adept who has already achieved the goal of meditation, can guide us through the process and show us how to perfect the technique. One who has mastered the subject of spirituality is addressed not just as a teacher or a guide but as a spiritual Master or a meditation Master.

Having once been a student themselves, a meditation Master is keenly aware of the intricacies and challenges that lay before the practitioner. With empathy and compassion, they guide the student step by step through the journey while also helping the student overcome the challenges of daily life.

How Can I Find a Meditation Teacher?

Students of meditation from around the world come to the Science of Spirituality to have the opportunity to learn from world-renowned meditation Master Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji has traveled the world for over thirty-five years, teaching the technique of SOS meditation. He has helped countless thousands unravel the mysteries of life and find the joy and bliss that await us within – through meditation.

Science of Spirituality organizes on-going events and classes on meditation under the guidance of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. All of the programs and workshops organized by Science of Spirituality are free and open to all.