I sat in my Granny’s backyard, looking up at a neighbor’s towering trees that were as close to a skyscraper as you'd ever see in my hometown. I watched the gentle breeze rustle the leaves in the trees and started to day dream, as I tended to do at some point during our regular family gatherings.

I closed my teenaged eyes with a smile and imagined the feeling of my new boyfriend holding my hand. I replayed the scene over and over in my head and imagined that feeling again and again, until Granny was serving strawberry shortcake or homemade ice cream or maybe even both. Who knows?

I can’t remember what we had for dessert, but looking back, I recognize that this was one of my first experiences meditating.

On the surface, you might think that I was just a starry-eyed teenager buzzing with hormones and daydreaming about new love. And you’d be right.

BUT…

As I continue to learn about meditation through my study of the ancient texts and my own practice, and as I look back to my earliest meditative experiences, I realized there was one thing that made this particular daydream different than others.

I wasn’t just thinking about the boy.

I wasn’t just remembering the scene.

I was concentrating and using my mind to re-experience the feeling I had when he held my hand.

I was altering my state of consciousness and recreating the excitement I felt—from the butterflies in my stomach to the sensation of his hand in mine to the electricity that shot through me.

If you’re wondering, “How is this meditation, Tami?” you might be thinking of the misconception that meditation is about making the mind blank. Despite more and more research studies showing the benefits of meditation, I still come across people who dismiss it or think they can’t do it because of this misconception.

Meditation simply means to focus the mind on one thing continuously, and it can be a lot easier than you think when you choose an object that works for you.

So, what really is meditation?

Though making the mind “blank” is one approach to meditation, the yogic definition of meditation is a little different.

According to BKS Iyengar’s interpretation of line 3.2 in the ancient text known as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, meditation is a steady, uninterrupted flow of attention directed towards a single point or region.

That one thing might be the breath, a candle flame, the sound of a Tibetan singing bowl, a word like peace, a picture of a spiritual figure, a dream, a movement like knitting, or a feeling, like the warmth of the sun on your skin or your first boyfriend’s hand holding yours, among many other things.

In my early meditation days, I too thought the idea was to make the mind blank, so I imagined a dark screen in my mind’s eye. It worked, but not because my mind was blank. The mind actually can’t be blank. It worked because my mind was focused on one thing—what it imagined blank to be.

Uncovering the health benefits of meditation

Through decades of learning and practice since then, I’ve embraced a variety of meditation techniques and have experienced many of the benefits that studies now show meditation has.

According to a 2023 article from the Mayo Clinic, the emotional and physical benefits of meditation can include everything from finding new perspectives about the stressors in your life to diminishing negative feelings, lowering your resting heart rate, reducing blood pressure, improving sleep, and more. [1]

Though researchers still don’t fully understand how meditation and mindfulness work, one of the primary ways it contributes to wellness is by reducing stress. Research suggests meditation can help you manage the symptoms of stress-related illnesses like anxiety, depression, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, headaches, and others.

For example, a literature review in the December 2017 issue of Psychiatric Clinics of North America, found that mindfulness-based interventions worked in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms. [2]

Meditation also boosts emotional well-being by promoting self-awareness, self-compassion, non-judgmental observation, and present moment awareness.

By focusing the mind on one thing, meditation helps divert your mind from negative thought patterns. Even if it only lasts for the time of the meditation, some relief is better than none.

Beyond its mental health benefits, some studies suggest meditation can improve cognitive function and boost concentration by training the mind to stay present and focused on the object of meditation.

According to a 2014 study in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, preliminary evidence suggests meditation can counteract age-related cognitive decline. [3]

Getting started with meditation

With the proliferation of meditation apps, teachers, and classes both online and in-person, beginning to meditate seems simpler than ever.

At the same time, diminishing attention spans and the equal if not greater rise of distractions can make developing a meditation practice more challenging than ever.

I’ll never forget what one of my teachers, Bryan Legere, said during teacher training.

He passed on the wise words of BKS Iyengar, who believed you can’t teach someone to meditate. You can give them the tools to create the conditions for meditation, but only practice teaches them what meditation actually is.

Many people give up before they experience meditation.

The most important step you can take towards meditating is committing to your practice of it.

Simply choose an object of concentration.

Commit to spending a few minutes a day continuing to bring your mind back to your object of concentration no matter how many times it strays during those few minutes.

Let go of expectations of what you think meditation should or shouldn’t be.

Let go of judgment or criticism of yourself.

If after several attempts you find that your object of concentration or your technique isn’t “working,” feel free to try another. It’s ok to experiment.

Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated, and it can be one of THE most valuable and impactful tools ever for feeling more rested, focused, and inspired in just minutes a day.

You get to play with and choose what technique works best for you.

Like my teenaged self (unplucked eyebrows and all), you might have already done it without even realizing it.

Want more guidance in getting started with meditation? Click here for my quick start guide, “4 Simple Secrets to Making Meditation Possible.”

[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5679245/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4024457/

This information is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.