What does meditation actually mean?

What Gurudev says

You know that feeling - after a few days off, or a good conversation, of suddenly being completely yourself again? That resurfacing of your own freshness is exactly what Gurudev describes as the real core of meditation - not something new that first has to be manufactured.

Becoming fresh again, alive again is what mediation is. Getting back to that serenity which is your original nature is meditation. Absolute joy and happiness is meditation. A pleasure minus excitement is meditation. A thrill without anxiety is meditation.

From the official Art of Living website — “Meditation Is Food For The Soul” (Apr 20 2012)

For Gurudev, this return to yourself shows up above all in one particular inner attitude: no longer chasing after every thought, but simply letting it come and go.

This is what happens in meditation. When you come into Sakshi bhaav, i.e., when you simply become a witness to the thoughts. We do not have to attach ourselves to the thoughts. That is foolishness. Whether they are good thoughts, or bad thoughts – they come and go.

From the official Art of Living website — “You Are Not Your Thoughts” (Jun 13 2015)

And how do you notice in everyday life when that witnessing attitude is missing? Gurudev describes it as a constant swinging between past and future - and makes clear what meditation, at its core, sets against that.

The mind keeps oscillating between the past and the future. It is either angry about the past or anxious about the future. Bringing the mind to the present moment is called meditation.If for one hour you just go on talking negative, or go on thinking negative, you will see that after that one hour you feel so drained, and so tired. Many times we don't notice this.If you turn your attitude, and bring change in the heart and in the mind, you will see that life starts changing.

From the official Art of Living website — “Change Is Needed” (May 3 2014)

Freshness instead of effort, witnessing instead of attaching, presence instead of swinging between past and future - that's what meditation, in its true sense, means for Gurudev.

What you can do

1. Become a witness to your thoughts, rather than holding onto them. Whether a thought feels pleasant or unpleasant, just let it pass through without binding yourself to it. It's the attaching that makes it heavy, not the thought itself.
2. Notice when your mind is swinging between past and future. Take a moment to check whether you're angry about something old or worried about something coming - just noticing that already brings you closer to the present moment.
3. Actually rest, instead of just pausing. Gurudev describes deep rest as what meditation really is. For a few minutes, consciously set every task aside, instead of turning the break itself into one more thing to do.
4. Give your mind regular servicing. Just as a tool needs maintenance so it doesn't break down, a mind worn from constant thinking benefits from taking a quiet break, again and again.

Frequently asked questions

What is meditation, really? Gurudev draws a clear line between meditation and concentration: it's a deep relaxation that you've probably already touched in unnoticed moments of real happiness. He also describes it as a fourth state beyond waking, sleeping and dreaming - and calls it a higher form of prayer: while in prayer you ask or give thanks, in meditation you're ready to listen.

Why doesn't money make me happier? Gurudev uses a simple picture to show how we get stuck either way, whether we own something or not: someone with a big car complains about the burden of maintaining it, someone without one complains about not having it. For him, contentment doesn't come from the object itself. He says the mind often loses interest the moment it finally gets something - and falls into frustration when it doesn't. Both are two sides of the same restless craving.

What is the difference between concentration and meditation? For Gurudev, meditation is not concentration - it's more the opposite: a deep relaxation instead of a focused effort. He describes it as a kind of de-concentrating, a letting go of effort - and it's exactly this relaxation that makes real concentration in everyday life possible in the first place.

What to do about constant worrying? Gurudev traces the question of worrying back to its root: at bottom, there's nothing you really need to worry about, since pleasant and unpleasant events unfold according to your own karma and pass through either way. For him, worry arises exactly when you grab hold of a single passing thought and refuse to let it move on - most thoughts aren't really "yours" anyway.

Related questions

• What does meditation do for you inside in the long run?
• How long does it take for meditation to work?
• Why do I sometimes feel restless instead of calm after meditating?
• What is the difference between concentration and meditation?
• Does the mind have to become completely empty during meditation?
• Meditation & Inner Practice — overview

Sources

The quotes on this page come from:

• Official Art of Living website — “Meditation Is Food For The Soul” (Apr 20 2012)
• Official Art of Living website — “You Are Not Your Thoughts” (Jun 13 2015)
• Official Art of Living website — “Change Is Needed” (May 3 2014)