When you think of meditation, do you get an image of a yogi in a cross-legged position with his eyes closed, palms in the air? Are you a skeptic? Do you think of meditation as a kind of spiritual hocus-pocus? Well, read on and maybe I can enlighten you.

Meditation is not some kind of spiritual nonsense, as it's been commonly viewed by the western world. It's a method of discipline, not a lot different than exercise in its practice. It involves consistent hard work, which results in meaningful benefits. Rather than developing your muscles, like the case may be with lifting weights, meditation develops your inner self.

How it Works

The rudimentary goal of meditation is to sit quietly and think of nothing at all. Sounds simple enough doesn't it? Well, the practice of meditation will quickly teach you otherwise. The first thing we learn from meditation is just how undisciplined our minds really are.

When we first learn meditation we start with a simple breath counting meditation. This involves concentration where we count each inhale and exhale. When we get to a given number we start the process all over again. We just want to concentrate on those numbers with each breath, but our egoic mind says otherwise. Before we know it we're thinking of everything but the breath counting. Getting lost in thought is a natural occurrence with meditation. When this happens we are to gently return to our breathing. This gets easier with practice, but through our active will we try to quite the constant chatter of our minds. This is what we strive for.

What we learn early is that we have little to no control over our minds. If we had the same control over our limbs as we do our minds, we'd never get down the stairs. It seems silly, but we don't realize this until we get started in meditation, which is often late in life. Meditation seeks to take control back from our minds. This frees it from the chains of our ego, allowing us to realize our full human potential.

It hasn't been until recent years, that the scientific community has taken a serious look at the benefits of meditation. After careful research, what they found astonished even the most skeptical of researchers. Their findings pointed to what many meditation practitioners have benefited from since the dawn of time.

The most basic discovery was that meditation is basically a physiological state of deep relaxation. This state is different from a sleep like state for a number of reasons. First of all, sense meditation is practiced in a wakeful and highly alert state these sleep like benefits are accomplished while the practitioner is wide-awake. Their results concluded that the physiological pattern inherit with meditation is different than sleep, however. Respiration rates, metabolic rates, and heart rates are all lower during meditation. This is a kind of hypometabolic state that is the complete opposite of an adrenaline filled flight or fight reaction.

Lactate concentration levels in the blood have shown to decrease substantially during the practice of meditation. In fact, when compared to the resting state of a person in a quiet, comfortable location, lactate concentration decreased at rates of four times of those in restful states. Since blood lactate levels are typically associated with tension and anxiety, researchers associate these results to the relaxed state of the meditation practitioners.

Some other very interesting results involved brain wave activity. There appears to be an increase of the slowing of alpha brain waves during the practice of meditation. The activity of brain waves during sleep, appear to be quite a bit different than the state of meditation. They also differ from what happens with hypnosis. During hypnosis there is no measurable change of metabolic rates, and sleep metabolic rates are reduced, but only several hours later when deep sleep is achieved. Brain wave patterns during hypnosis tend to resemble a state of mind that has been suggested by the hypnotherapist. Hypnosis related respiration rates, blood pressure and heart rates also seem to relate to what's being suggested.

Given these results, the benefits of meditation are obvious when it comes to the physiology of our bodies. On the subconscious level it will be more difficult to measure scientifically. We do know that practitioners of meditation report life-changing results. These results are seen in their personal and business lives. Unfortunately, we still know very little about why these benefits take place through meditation. Further study, should provide for even more exciting answers.

There are a number of meditation techniques that have been practiced throughout history. Some of these techniques have been utilized for thousands of years, with little change. Many have taken an old way of doing things and developed a hybrid version. Some are newer variations, but they're all essentially the same in there methodology. Below you'll find some of the popular meditation techniques that are practiced today:

Simple Breathing Meditation – The most fundamental mediation of all is the simple breathing meditation. This meditation focuses on the breath and nothing else. This can be done in a variety of ways, but most commonly by counting the breath or focusing on the breath. If you're just getting started with meditation this is where you want to start. But, it's not just for beginners, as spiritual gurus spend a lifetime utilizing this meditation technique.

Guided Meditation – If you're just learning how to meditate a guided meditation is a great way to start. Beginners often have lots of questions. Having a guide ensures that your doing everything correctly. You can sign up for a class where a meditation instructor will guide you from start to finish. You can do this privately or in a group setting. More recently there have been a number of sites that allow you to download guided meditations for free. Audio Dharma has a large selection of talks that you can listen to in the privacy of your own home.

Chakra Meditation – This body mediation is based on the Buddhist idea that the human body is governed by seven energy centers. These energy centers are called chakras. While doing this meditation, you concentrate on each of the bodies chakras, allowing energy to flow through your entire body. The seven charkas are the Crown Chakra, Third Eye Chakra, Throat Chakra, Heart Chakra, Solar Plexus Chakra, Sacral Chakra, and the Root Chakra.

Mantra Meditation - This well-known meditation technique involves the repetition of a specific sound. This sound is known as a mantra. The mantra sound can be chosen by you, or by a guru or teacher. It is thought that vocalizing the mantra emits vibrations that are directed to an individuals chakras. This is said to have a positive affect on the body spiritually, physically, and psychologically.

Concentration Meditation – This valuable meditation involves you focusing your attention on an object. This object can be your breath, a visualized image, or a physical image. Most commonly a candle flame or sacred icon is chosen for concentrating on a physical image. A concentration practice can have a positive impact on your daily life. It builds an incredible level of discipline, which results in improvements in all aspects of life.

Mindfulness Meditation – This meditation is quite a bit different than a concentration meditation. Concentration meditation involves concentrating on one single object, most commonly the breath. Where as, mindfulness welcomes different thoughts and ideas. This meditation is more of an observation than a focus. In mindfulness we're mindful of the present moment and what's going on in it. This meditation can have a number of benefits, such as improved creativity and increased self-awareness. Most notably, we're better able to see things for what they really are.

If you still have some reservation, I'd suggest you'd give it a try and see for yourself. Don't make a haphazard attempt, however. In order to get results you need to be dedicated. To use the exercise analogy again, if you exercised just a few times a month you'd get very little in return. The same goes for meditation. Give it a few months, commit to a daily routine, and you will see the changes in your life. The changes may be minimal, they may be monumental, but don't set expectations. Everyone is different; don't expect a nirvana like experience. You're not going to hallucinate or see beams of light. The best thing you can experience is nothing at all. There is no arrival—enlightenment is only the beginning. Just conduct your meditation exercise as you would any other exercise; consistently for a set period of time. You'll start to see subtle changes trickle into your life. And when you do, I want you to come back here and tell me all about it…