There are three numerous forms of meditation, but three elements are common to most of them:

CONCENTRATION: Our minds tend to be scattered during our daily lives, and distraction wastes energy. Concentration gathers all that energy back into yourself.It also helps you to focus on a particular object, and to let go of problems.

AWARENESS: Meditation brings you closer to the actual, living reality of your mind and body.You learn how to connect fully and directly to your experience in the moment.

LOVING KINDNESS: Meditation opens your heart to genuinely loving yourself for who you are, warts and all. Just devoting time to meditate is an act of self-love- a bold move for many people. The calm and openess you develop also enable you to see others more clearly and benignly.

applauds ~

[size=13pt]<sup>MAPPING THE MIND

MIND AND BODY
There`s more to meditation than just closing ones eyes and an understanding of this technique demands an understanding of our mental realm. The subtle state of mind, which is the ultimate stage of meditation, requires a tremendous amount of energy to reach. An absolute harmony between our gross physical realm, sensual realm and our life energy is the prerequisite of a meditative state of mind.

Traditional perceptions of our mental make-up are uncommonly useful in understanding the workings of the mind. According to ayurveda and yoga, both the mind and the body are made up of the `Five Great Elements` (Panchabhutas) of earth (prithvi), water (jal), fire (agni or tej), air (vayu) and ether or space (akash).

But in spite of such composition, they have absolutely opposite elemental structures. While the body is made up of the heavier elements of earth and water (the ayurvedic kapha or phlegmatic humoral type), it functions through the lighter elements of fire (pitta or heat humoral type) and air (vata or vital energy humor). The pitta, fire or heat of the body controls all digestive processes and the vata, air or vital energy lends its spark to the nervous system.

The mind, meanwhile, is composed of air and ether (vata humor)—the lighter elements, which lend mobility and pervasiveness to the mind. And our mental functions proceed through the heavier elements of fire, water and earth (pitta—heat and kapha—phlegm). The element of fire lends reason and perception to the mind, while water and earth lends it emotion and physical identification. But our mental functions proceed through the heavier elements of fire, water and earth. While fire lends reason and perception to the mind, water and earth lends it emotion and physical identification respectively.

Unlike the phlegmatic body, in substance our minds resemble ether—formless and all pervading. And in motion it resembles air—penetrating, constantly in flux, effervescent and unpredictable!

MIND AND SPIRIT
The mind (mana) and the energy spirit (prana, chi or life force) have always had an affinity for each other, being merely the two sides of the same coin. Whatever the mind engages upon is soon infused with life energy, and conversely, whatever the soul hungers for instantly engages our attention. As a result, certain aspects of each are present in the other.

Out of the two, the mind is the finer and more sophisticated version of the cruder life force or prana—it has a storehouse of its own energy and vitality. Some aspects of it naturally spills over, flooding the spirit with thought and intelligence (buddhi). But it is the vital force, which is inherently a conscious power, finding its expression in the mind, which is inherently the active force.

Both prana and mana (mind) are vata (vital force) humoral types, composed of air and ether. But being composed more of the air element rather than the ether, the prana is more active and energetic—like the wind! On the other hand, since the degree of ether is more in the composition of the mind, its nature is receptive and passive—like the wide open spaces.</sup>[/size]

The word “meditation” has Indo-European origins. The old-Indian “samadhi” describes a physical-mental state of relaxed consciousness. The old-greek word “medomai” means to think up and the Latin “meditari” means to prepare and practice.

http://www.lotus-villa.com/lotus-villa/yoga-qigong/meditation/ Meditation in Sri Lanka