Meditation is a collective name for various mental/spiritual techniques for relaxing the restlessness of the mind and freeing it from anxiety and stress. In its higher forms, it aims for spiritual growth and the attaining peace of mind and spiritual awakening.

Meditation is a state of concentrated attention on a thought, idea, an aspect of God or on one’s awareness, and usually involves turning the attention inwards, away from the external world. For a certain amount of time, one tries to focus the mind on the subject of meditation, and when it wanders away, bring it back again and again.

In it higher forms, meditation aims to free the mind from the subconscious compulsive habit to think incessantly. This leads to inner peace, freedom and awareness of the inner Spirit, which is above and beyond the mind.

Meditation is practiced in both the East and the West in its various forms. You don’t need to be a monk or a hermit or live in seclusion to practice it. In fact, you can continue living your life, keeping your job, having a wife and kids and still practice meditation. You don’t need to follow any particular religion, wear certain clothes or lead a certain lifestyle. Meditation is an inner practice, which can be practiced anywhere, and has nothing to do with any external mannerisms.