Transcendental Meditation’s origins can be traced back sometime in 1955 when the Indian ascetic Maharishi Mahesh Yogi started teaching a new meditation technique that he said was derived from the Vedas. Maharishi had previously studied with Swami Brahmananda Saraswati. Maharishi even served as his secretary from 1941 until Saraswati’s death in 1953. It was sometime in 1957 that Maharishi began the Spiritual Regeneration Movement in Madras, India, at the conclusion of a festival that was held in remembrance of his deceased teacher. Maharishi then began going on a number of worldwide tours promoting and disseminating his technique sometime in 1958.

Maharishi started to plan on establishing one TM (Transcendental Meditation) teaching center for each million of the world’s population in 1978. During that time, it would mean having to build about 3,600 TM centers throughout the world. Since then, Maharishi has continued the teaching of Transcendental Meditation from the Netherlands through an organization called the Global Country of World Peace. This organization has reported that over six million people all over the world have learned the Transcendental Meditation technique since it was introduced.

The Transcendental Meditation technique is taught in a standardized, seven-step process. The process is composed of two introductory lectures, a personal interview, and a two-hour meditation instruction session given on each for four consecutive days. The instruction starts with a short ceremony that is performed by the teacher. After that, the student is taught and starts practicing the technique. The following sessions are given in order to provide further enhance the correct practice of the meditation technique as well as to provide more information that the student might need to know about.

The goal practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique is, according to Maharishi, to achieve enlightenment. He states that enlightenment comprises of seven major states of consciousness. The first three are commonly known as waking, dreaming, and deep dreamless sleep. The fourth state, Transcendental Consciousness, is said to be achieved and experienced during the practice of the technique.

Maharishi says that a person who practices Transcendental Meditation will eventually learn how to maintain the experience of transcendental consciousness even while living everyday life. This is what he refers to as enlightenment and calls it as the Cosmic Consciousness, the fifth state of consciousness. The sixth and seventh states, the God Consciousness and Unity Consciousness, are further improvements of the Cosmic Consciousness.

Transcendental meditation can be practiced for as short as 1520 minutes in the morning and evening. It is usually done while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. While undergoing Transcendental Meditation, a person’s awareness starts to settle down and begins to experience a unique state of relaxing alertness. As the body further becomes deeply relaxed, the mind begins to transcend all mental activity in order to experience the simplest form of awareness, which is the Transcendental Consciousness. This is the state where the consciousness is open to itself. The meditation technique used is said to involve neither concentration nor contemplation.

Different meditation techniques have been developed since ancient times in the effort to help people experience a higher state of consciousness. This usually makes use of the ability to clear the mind of distractions and focusing mainly on the self. Here are some of the techniques that most people use to get in touch with their spiritual consciousness through meditation.

One of the ancient techniques in meditation used is one that Buddhists practice. This technique is called mindfulness meditation and involves learning how to be aware about the things that one does and the things that is happening around at the very moment. This type of meditation technique can take time to master and involves four steps.

The first step is the abstinence from the five moral rules which is killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and the use of toxic substances. The second step is the practice of Anapana Meditation for three and a half days where a person is taught how to meditate while focusing on one’s breathing. The third step involves purifying the mind which involves self observation for six and half days. The fourth step involves speaking and living an extroverted life. This meditation technique closes with the practice of metta bhavana which involves sharing the purity developed with others.

Another type of meditation technique is Transcendental Meditation, the most debated and researched one among the many meditation types. This type of meditation aims to help one attain enlightenment if practiced on the long term. This meditation technique also can help increase intelligence and creativity. This technique does not require the mastery of difficult breathing techniques or the use of some special postures. A person needs only to learn how to concentrate by sitting in a relaxed and comfortable posture and position.

Another meditation technique is the vibrational meditation which involves the repetition of a mantra, a particular word or a sound that becomes the focal point of the meditation process. The vibrations that are produced by making the word or sound is experienced passing through the body. During meditation, the individual is to concentrate on nothing else but the sound as it is uttered again and again.

The Walking Meditation is one of the many other types of meditation techniques that may help one get in touch with one’s inner self. It involves learning to focus the mind while walking. Although this meditation technique can be difficult to practice it can prove to be very beneficial. This type of meditation involves focusing on the feet while meditating and trying not to let the mind wander away from every step taken.

These different types of spiritual meditation techniques take time to master. It may be hard for some people to get used to focusing on one thing, due most of the time to the influence of the world in general and how it has clouded and cluttered the mind with thoughts of problems, worries and stress. But with regular practice and eventually making a certain type of meditation technique a regular habit, people may be able to look into their inner selves more effectively and then achieve a higher sense of consciousness that may help one attain inner peace.

The one thing students and those work deal with everyday is stress. Meditation for just 15 minutes or even longer allows you to relax and later enables you to make an effective decision. It also lowers the level of stress anxiety in your system thus decreasing the risks of heart disease significantly.

The practice of meditation also makes you self aware of what is happening around you. This enables you to focus on the present rather than events that happened in the past or the future. It teaches you to be in control of your mind and not make you do anything based on your emotions.

Believe it or not, meditation also develops insight into our subconscious. This is because our attitudes, behavior, feelings and perceptions are all connected and if you are able to harness it, you will be able to understand yourself better.

This allows you to have a positive outlook in life and even make changes in yourself. You become content or thankful with what you have instead of harboring feelings of anger, anxiety, greed, hatred and jealousy towards yourself and others.

You will also be able to see the big picture instead of the small one when given a task at work so even if there are a few setbacks a long the way, you are still able to keep your eye on the end game.

Medication can also make you feel younger. This is because in one study, people who have been practicing this for many years were physiologically 12 years younger than their chronological age. The results of the test were based on the test subjects auditory discrimination, blood pressure and eye sight.

So now that you know the benefits of meditation and what it can possibly do, you are probably asking yourself right now how does it work? Well, let us first correct the common misconception about meditation.

A lot of people think that you have to sit in a pretzel position or go off to some far away place to make this work. The truth is that you just have to find a quiet place where you wont be disturbed, sit on the floor or on a chair in whatever position you like best and slowly clear your mind of all thoughts.

You should keep in mind that sitting in a comfortable position may sometimes make you doze off. So concentrate otherwise it defeats the purpose of this exercise.

Next, you should close your eyes, focus on your breathing and let the positive air go in and the negative thoughts go out. You might hear sounds nearby and since you cant do anything about that, just acknowledge that it is there and just concentrate on this exercise.

This can be done at work or at home and how long it will be done depends on you. Some people may start out for 5 minutes and then extend the time in the future. The important thing is that you feel recharged and ready to taken on whatever challenge is out there when you are ready to open your eyes.

The first is called Meditation by Walking which is very popular among monks. This activity is far different from the rest because it combines physical activity with mind conditioning in order to relieve stress immediately.

In order for this to work, you jut have to find a place where you can walk like a circular path or a track. The reason why is because you want to follow a pattern in order to help your mind rest.

Of course, you will still have to breathe and walk at a slow pace. You might get distracted especially if there are other people on the track and when this happens, simply acknowledge it and continue what you are doing.

The next is called prayer meditation which is in fact the most popular form. The nice thing about this is that you do not have to go to Church or sing any hymns. You simply sit down, close your eyes and just relax.

Is meditation only for relaxing? The answer is no. Sometimes, this is used to help an athlete before a big event or by doctors to help cure patients. This is known as visualization meditation and you let your mind focus on an object or that goal which you wish to reach. This is effective when you finally settle in a very comfortable position

Another meditation method is called candle meditation. Here, you basically light a candle and then focus on the flame. For the next few minutes or so, you will block out everything else in the world and put all your concentration on the flickering flame.

Meditation on your own is not for everyone. This is why you can get guided meditation by listening to a prerecorded session. There are CDs that play soothing while there are others that are narrated by a professional.

If you are not happy with your life or need time to reflect on your own, another meditation method is mirror gazing. Here, you simply gaze into your image and think about how your life is like. You can do this standing up or sitting down.

For those of you who cannot sit still, Yoga meditation may be what you are looking for. This is because aside from being an exercise designed to improve your flexibility, it can also provide relief for pain and gives the person a feeling of pleasure.

As you can see, there are many meditation methods to choose from. In fact, doctors now call this an alternative form of therapy and if this has worked for others, it could possibly do some good for you.

Which meditation method should you try? Well, why not try them one week at a time and see how things go. You can write in a journal what you experience and then come to the conclusion as to which has the most effective impact on you. From there, you will know which one among those mentioned may become part of your daily routine.

Sometimes meditation opens a door into the mysteries of creation. If we allow ourselves to pass through this door there is no telling what we may encounter on the other side. Do not become discouraged if you have tried to meditate in the past and not gotten any remarkable results. Meditation is a mystical process and it may take awhile to learn how to quiet your mind and open yourself to all the present moment has to offer you.

My meditation began while sitting on a beach. My hands were sandy. I rubbed my thumb and forefinger together feeling the grains of sand between them slipping away until only a single grain of sand remained.I could feel the shape of the grain of sand distinctly as I rolled it back and forth between my thumb and forefinger.

The longer I rolled the grain of sand about the more defined my awareness of the grain of sand became. The more detailed my experience of the grain of sand became the larger it appeared to be.While I could clearly feel the tiny grain of sand trapped between my thumb and finger roll about across the grooves and ridges of my fingerprints the grain of sand appeared to be growing larger and larger as I contemplated it.

The grain of sand continued to grow, encompassing the beach and then the world. Before long the grain of sand had grown to an infinite size and it now encompassed all of creation; yet I still held the tiny grain of sand between my thumb and forefinger, rolling it about across the grooves and ridges of my fingerprints.

The tiny grain of sand was intimately connected to every part of creation and all of creation existed within it, even as it existed within my grasp. I communed with the grain of sand, aware of its infinite connectedness to everything else; through the medium of the grain of sand I became aware of my own infinite connectedness with all of creation.

The sand spoke to me of eternity. It told me tales about creation and the infinite nature of our existence in creation. From the grain of sand I learned that every tiniest part of creation is a living being experiencing creation and sharing in the process whereby creation makes everything manifest.

My meditation with a grain of sand always produced a feeling of intense bliss. It was an eternal meditation that transcended the time and place where it began to continue throughout all of creation. From time to time I would return to this meditation, engrossed by the wisdom and experience of a single tiny grain of sand.

According to the practice of chakra meditation, there are seven chakras locate din the different parts of the body. Each one governs different bodily functions and may also provide different benefits when awakened through meditation. One of the charka is the Mooldhara or the “root place”. This chakra is located somewhere in the cervix in women and in the perineum in men. It is said to govern the skeletal and the excretory system of the body. The Mooldhara may also affect the sense of smell as well as the legs and the cervix. Attributes to it include the basic life force, material attachment, procreation, and response to stimuli of labor for women.

Another of the seven chakras is the Swadhistana or “place of one’s abode”. It can be located somewhere at the tip of the spinal column. It is said to affect the urinary system such as the kidney and the bladder. Other bodily systems that this chakra may affect include the reproductive system such as the ovaries, fallopian tube and the uterus in women and the testes and prostrate gland in men. Attributes connected to this chakra include the sense of taste, the ability to analyze, a balanced sex drive, high fertility and no fear of water.

The third chakra is the Manipura or the “city of sparkling jewels”. This chakra is located in the spinal column somewhere in the lumbar junction of the L1 and T12 vertebras. It is said to affect the digestive system, the adrenal glands as well as the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems of the body. This chakra is attributed to power, ego, self confidence, strength and good assimilation and digestion.

The fourth chakra is the Anahata or “unstruck”. This chakra is located in the spinal column somewhere in the center of the chest. It is said to affect the cardiovascular, respiratory system as well as the muscular system. This chakra is attributed to a person’s emotions, relationships, love, and ability to express oneself through the arts. If this chakra is afflicted in the body, it is said to lead to respiratory disorders, heart problems, and low immunity. It may also lead to a person having fear of loneliness, experience some form of emotional imbalance and the inability to maintain friends

There is also the Vishudh chakra or “purification”. It is located in the spinal column somewhere at the C7 vertebrae. It is said to affect thethyroid and parathyroid glands, as well as the function of the throat including the voice, ears, sense of hearing. Attributes to this chakra include the transformation of thoughts into speech, better ability to speak or sing, and the acute sense of hearing. If afflicted, this chakra may cause thyroid imbalance, restriction in the voice as well as the inability to comprehend and understand.

The Ajna, or “command” chakra is said to be located in the mid-center of the brain somewhere at the top of the spinal cord. It governs the autonomic nervous system, pineal gland, and the pituitary gland. This chakra is also said to be attributed to the sense of intuition, higher level of mind and wisdom that is beyond normal intellect.

The Sahasrara or the “one thousand” chakra is said to have various positions according to different ancient texts but is usually found at the base of scalp. It is said to control no specific bodily system but has the overall control of the brain. The knowledge of the seven chakras is the basic in better understanding chakra meditation.

But to understand Buddhist Meditation, you have to know the Buddhism itself is centered on the Four Noble Truths. First, we have to realize that there is suffering in the world which happens because of our ignorance and our desires. When we do understand ourselves, we can finally find a way to end this suffering. Those who find the answer have reached a state of Nirvana.

This then leads us to the core of Buddhist meditation which is the practice of the eight fold path. These virtues namely are the right action, right concentration, right effort, right livelihood, right mindfulness, right speech, right thought, and right view.

The proceedings of Buddhist Meditation are based on two things. The first is called Samatha which means tranquility and the second is called Vipassana which means mindfulness.

Lets talk about this a little further. Samatha meditation involves a lot of breathing which is designed to develop concentration, detachment, equanimity and happiness. There are 40 samatha meditations and each teaches the mind to focus on a single object to produce various states of tranquility.

Vipassana meditation on the other hand develops self understanding by being able to comprehend the things that are going inside ones head. By practicing this regularly, you will soon develop wisdom which makes you free from all suffering.

But do you have to be a follower of Buddhism in order to practice this kind of meditation? The answer is no even if this technique is based on the doctrines of this religion and revolves around concentration and mind control.

For those who would like to get into Buddhist meditation, the first thing you have to do is find a quiet place where you can do this without being disturbed. Next, get a nice soft pillow or cushion to sit on if the floor is not that comfortable for you.

Now, let your hands rest on your lap with the palms facing upward. Its hard to stay in this position for 5 minutes or more so dont be afraid to make a few slight adjustments. The important thing is that you are comfortable the way you are.

Then it is time to close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Anybody can do this but there are 4 proper ways of doing it. You can inhale and exhale long, inhale and exhale short, inhale short and exhale long or inhale long and exhale short.

It will take some time before you get the hang of things. Dont forget to relax all your muscles so your mind and body is able to act as one.

Buddhist meditation is just one of the many techniques around that can help relieve you from stress, make you think better to have a better outlook in life and do all sorts of things that will improve your overall physical health.

If you appreciate what Buddhist Meditation can do, you can already invest in cushions, prayer beads, incense and a few other accessories. It is optional so dont think that just because they are not around that your experience is not a fruitful one.