Simple techniques for meditation can involve repetition of spiritually focused words, thoughts or ideas that help one feel at peace mentally and physically.

Simple techniques for meditation can involve repetition of spiritually focused words, thoughts or ideas that help one feel at peace mentally and physically.

Doing meditation you may need to experiment to discover what kinds of thoughts are best for your own unique interests and situation. For you it might be a repetitive "mantra," or simply an open state of watching your breath, like in the Buddhist tradition.

Meditation has become an ingrained part of my everyday life that helps me feel so much more centered, patient and compassionate. It even gives me great physical energy.

With the high stress of life many people find that their mind is constantly racing. They cannot stop from thinking even during time away from work or school, when they'd like to be relaxing. Subsequently, they may also feel associated physical tension in their bodies. In this case, the mind and the body are very closely connected to the stress response.

In meditation, it is difficult, if not impossible, for most people to become devoid of all mental thoughts, so what we want to do is fill the mind with those thoughts that induce positive feelings of peace, relaxation or happiness.

There is a common misunderstanding that during meditation the mind should never engage in processing thoughts. It is okay in meditation for the mind to move into many different directions, while at the same time attempting to return to a centered, relaxed state of mind.