What is Meditation?

Meditation is the intentional practice of bringing ourselves back to the present moment through our focused attention. There are many different forms of meditation — from silent and still to guided and walking — but always the intent is the same: to gently train the mind for compassionate, non-judgemental awareness and inner calm.

Meditation is a skill.

Meditation is a skill and that means it’s something we can all learn. Meditation is for everyone. While it’s possible to learn about meditation techniques from a book, many people find it easier to learn how to meditate with the support and guidance of a teacher. Some people attend local meditation classes and others find it more convenient to use a guided meditation app that includes meditation lessons and mindfulness master classes.

Meditation is a practice.

Sometimes, even when we’ve been meditating for years, meditation can feel hard or awkward. Our minds will resist focusing. They’ll want to go over the grocery list or the latest project tasks at work. That is the nature of the mind. And it’s completely okay. When you notice your mind has drifted, that is meditation. And the practice is the choice to return your focus. Again and again. With consistency, we come to notice the wandering mind sooner.

Meditation is not a completely silent mind.

Meditation is not being without thoughts. It is not total mental blankness. It is not constant serenity. Meditation is awareness, deep awareness. It is noticing the thoughts. It is noticing the sensations of the body. It is noticing any discomfort that arises. And being present with it all.

Meditation can be simple.

One simple meditation is to focus on the breath. 

Here is a basic breath awareness meditation in 5 steps:

1. Find a comfortable position for your body 

2. Close or softly focus your eyes

3. Breathe naturally

4. Pay attention to your breathing — just notice it (all this noticing is the meditation)

5. When your mind wanders — and it will — gently return your attention to your breath

You can find a more detailed breath awareness meditation here.

With practice, we begin to be able to answer for ourselves, “What is meditation?” We come to experience it as a focused state of mind that allows us to bring awareness to the patterns of our thoughts, and this awareness makes it possible to cultivate new ways of being, more positive feelings, more self-approval and peace. For many, meditation, imperfectly done, leads to a deeper sense of calm and meaningful shifts in how we experience ourselves, our relationships, and our world.

Meditation offers many benefits.

The studied benefits of meditation are wide-ranging from improved physical health to improved relationships to improved sleep to improved happiness and beyond. While a regular practice takes dedication, even a few minutes a day can make such a difference in our well-being.

How to start meditating with Calm

Begin meditating today with a 7-session guided meditation series in the Calm app. It’s called 7 Days of Calm, and it’s free. Each session is about 10 minutes and includes a simple mindfulness teaching from our Head of Mindfulness Tamara Levitt, as well as a guided meditation designed to help you feel more calm and to easily make a few minutes of mindfulness a daily habit. 

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