What Is Meditation

My name is Francis Taylor and I have been teaching meditation around the world for over 20 years. Here you will learn all about meditation
Some of the most common questions I receive is, “what is meditation?” Or, “what is meditation and how to do it”, or “what is meditation good for?” Many people think these are easy questions and they may appear to be simple, but depending who you ask, you will probably get a very wide range of answers.

For example, if you were to ask a stress therapist, “What is meditation? Or “What is meditation good for”. They will most likely tell you that meditation is a series of simple techniques that you can use, to greatly reduce the levels of stress and anxiety that you are experiencing in your life and they would be correct. By using certain meditation techniques on a daily basis, you will begin to experience less stress and anxiety in your life.

If you ask a yoga meditation instructor the very same question, “What is meditation?” they may tell you that meditation is a progression of profoundly powerful techniques that you can use to relax your mind, body and emotions. They would tell you that by practicing certain meditation techniques, you will most likely find a place of peace and tranquility within yourself. Again, if you use certain yoga meditation techniques, you will almost always feel physically, mentally and emotionally exhilarated, and in addition you may experience greater peace and tranquility than ever before.

It is almost certain that when you begin a daily habit of meditating, you will see for yourself what the benefits of meditation can do for you.

In my opinion the problems begin when you start asking people with ‘faith’ or ‘religious beliefs’, “What is meditation?” In this case you will often be invited to believe in something such as:

A) Through the practice of certain meditation techniques, that you will one day, in this life or the next, discover enlightenment.
B) Through meditating using specific meditation methods, you will have a ‘spiritual experience’.

C) That by meditating in the manner that is recommended by them, you will make discoveries that will lead you to your deepest nature, etc.

Here, you are being asked to believe in things which in 99% of cases, cannot be proved. You are asked to have ‘faith’.

So it is only my advice and my opinion that I offer you here. If you are genuinely interested to know “What is meditation?”, or “What is meditation good for?” then I advise you to believe nothing.
If you do encounter those that ask you to have faith or believe in a particular thing then you should ask for proof from those that tell you to believe in something. Ask them to allow you to speak to an enlightened person. Ask that person how you will discover enlightenment for yourself – in this lifetime. If they cannot tell you, then you must do yourself a favor and walk away. After all, if you cannot discover something for yourself, ie; first hand, concrete, direct experience, for yourself, then what use is it to you? You are simply being invited to join in a belief system.To take this a step further, there is the problem of ‘meaning’. Depending on whom you talk to, the word enlightenment or spiritual means widely different things to different people. For guidance on figuring this out for yourself what these words could or should mean to you, please look around this web site. You will find answers to the benefits of meditation.

But, in general, when a person asks me, “What is meditation?” I simply say this. Meditation is the process of discovering more and more about you. In general, when you meditate you will experience less stress and anxiety in your life. It is a progressive experience that ultimately reveals to you, your very deepest nature. This deepest nature is called enlightenment.

Enlightenment is not an experience; it is a permanent state of BEING. Unlike every experience you have ever had. Enlightenment has no beginning, it has no middle and it has no end. It is a PERMANENT state of being. This state of being can be discovered by you. I am not asking you to believe me; I am inviting you to find out for yourself.
When you approach it from this frame of mind, you yourself will know for sure, what meditation is, you will know how to do it and you will know for yourself what meditation is good for. What is meditation? It is something that you can discover for yourself and you can achieve enlightenment without have to believe and have any particular faith.