Meditation is getting more popular and more people are making it a part of their lives. But what is meditation? A lot of people think it is something mystic or vague. But fact is that everyone can do it or probably already have done it without being aware of it.

Meditation is a state of calm awareness. You relax your body, but your mind stays alert. You do not simply block out thoughts like many people think; you are just not actively thinking. When you meditate you are in a passive, but watchful state.

The difference between relaxation and meditation is that with relaxation your mind wanders around while your mind is focused or alert when you meditate. When you meditate you focus your mind on something. You can focus on an object, an image, a sensation or for example your breath.

When your mind starts to wander, just bring it back. Do not give any weight to your thoughts. By focusing your mind on one thing you get into a state in which your mind is quiet, but you are ‘aware’ of the sensations of the moment. You are living in the present; in the moment.

You do not always have to sit with your eyes closed to meditate. A lot of people meditate by consciously doing a simple activity; for example petting their cat. They consciously feel the sensation of the fur on their hand; hear the purring of the cat, etc. They focus on the sensations of that moment.

Personally I like to meditate while I swim laps. I focus on each breath I take, on the rhythm of the strokes and how the water feels on my skin. After an hour of swimming I feel great when I come out of the water.

Another way to meditate is to detach yourself from your thoughts. You do not have to block your thoughts, but you watch them go pass; like clouds in the sky.

Meditation does not always have to be long. You can do a formal meditation of 20 minutes, but sometimes just a few seconds is all it can take. You can meditate at home, in a classroom, at work, in your car at the stoplights, in your garden, etc.

We most likely get into a relaxed but aware state when we do something we enjoy. Because when we enjoy something it attracts us and we focus on it. This can be simple things like:

• Listening to our favorite music
• Doing exercise with awareness
• Eating delicious food
• Watching birds play
• Lying on the beach listening to the waves

Doing the things mentioned above it might bring us in a calm and aware state, but it does not always garantee it. If we are upset we can do the things we enjoy but our thoughts keep us occupied or our mind wanders around and we are not aware of the sensations around us. For example: you are sitting at a beautiful lake with fish and ducks swimming around, but you are not aware of them because your thoughts are the only thing you give your attention to.

So in order to meditate we need to relax consciously whenever we want and under any circumstance. We need to:

• Relax our body
• Focus our mind on one thing
• Shift from thinking to sensing
• Be in the present; in the moment