Meditation: What is it and What are the Types?

The art of meditation can be found in the foundation of every religion. The connection and awareness to a deeper part of the self has been reflected in diverse cultures and spiritual traditions across time. The earliest recorded use of meditation comes from the Vedic texts of ancient India, around 1500 BCE. The practice was integral to Hinduism and later influenced the development of Buddhism and Jainism. In these traditions, meditation was used for spiritual insight and achieving moksha, or liberation. Around the same time, Taoist practices in China began incorporating meditative techniques to harmonize with the Tao, the fundamental principle that is the source of all existence.

Meditation spread to the Western world through Buddhist missionaries, especially in the 20th century. The teachings of figures like the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh introduced Western audiences to mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation. In the 1960s, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi popularized Transcendental Meditation in the West, focusing on the use of mantras to achieve a state of restful awareness. TM gained widespread attention and contributed significantly to the meditation movement in modern culture.

Meditation has transformed significantly as it moved from spiritual and religious contexts into mainstream wellness and self-improvement practices. The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw an explosion of scientific research into meditation’s benefits. Studies have demonstrated its effects on reducing stress, improving emotional regulation, and enhancing cognitive function. With the rise of technology, meditation has become more accessible through apps and online platforms. Guided meditations, mindfulness training, and virtual retreats have made it easier for people to incorporate meditation into their daily lives. Meditation has largely shed its religious connotations in the modern world, making it more accessible to people of all backgrounds. Secular forms of meditation, like mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), have gained popularity in both clinical settings and everyday life.