Meditation

Overview Meditation is a deliberate mental practice where a person trains attention and awareness to achieve greater clarity, calm, and insight. At its core, it’s about noticing what the mind is doing—without immediately reacting to it. Many traditions (Buddhist, Hindu, Christian contemplative, Sufi, secular mindfulness) have their own flavors, but the throughline is intentional attention.

Common Forms

Mindfulness meditation: Paying attention to the present moment (breath, body, sounds) with a non-judging attitude. Popularized in the West through MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction).
Concentration (focused attention): Resting attention on one object (breath, mantra, candle). When the mind wanders, you bring it back. This builds “mental biceps.”
Loving-kindness (Metta): Repeating phrases of goodwill toward yourself and others to cultivate prosocial emotions.
Open monitoring / choiceless awareness: Observing whatever arises—thoughts, feelings, sensations—without clinging or pushing away.

Why people do it

Regulate stress, anxiety, and reactivity
Improve attention and working memory
Gain insight into how thoughts/emotions are constructed
For some, spiritual development or awakening
For others, just to not snap at people before coffee

Key lesser-known ideas

Not all meditation is relaxation: Some practices surface difficult emotions before they settle.
Posture is a tool, not a religion: Sitting upright helps alertness, but you can meditate walking, standing, or lying down.
Object vs. observer: Many traditions train the shift from “I am the thought” to “I am the one noticing the thought.” That shift is often the point.

Basic practice (1–3 minutes)

Sit comfortably, eyes closed or soft.
Notice the breath at nose or belly.
Mind wanders? Notice → name it (“thinking,” “planning”) → return to breath.
End with one intentional breath before moving on.

See also

Mindfulness
Breathwork
Contemplative prayer
Body scan
Metta (loving-kindness)
Yoga (as meditative movement)