Meditation is a state of mental silence or rest, where our attention is aware, but not over powered

in thinking. It is known as ‘thoughtless awareness’. It is achieved when the “Kundalini” energy,

“energy believed to lie coiled at the base of the spine, a system of meditation directed toward the
release of kundalini energy.” (Kara-Leah Grant, 2018) awakens and carries your attention
beyond the level of the 6th chakra, into the seventh chakra, known as Sahasrara. “Some of the
earliest written records of meditation, come from the Hindi traditions of Vedantism around 1500
BCE. The Vedas discuss the meditative traditions of ancient India. Around the 6th to 5th
centuries BCE, other forms of meditation developed in Taoist China and Buddhist India. There
are many different types of meditation targeting different parts/things in our bodies which all
have different outcomes and benefits.” (George S. Everly, Jeffrey M. Lating 2002)

6 main types of meditation targeting 6 different things in the body are mindfulness meditation,
spiritual meditation, focused meditation, movement meditation, mantra meditation,
transcendental meditation.

“Meditation reduces stress, it improves concentration, it encourages a healthy lifestyle, the

practice increases self-awareness, it increases happiness, meditation increases acceptance, it
slows aging, the practice benefits cardiovascular and immune health.” (Ian Luebbers, 2017)

“Most people assume that meditation is all about stopping thoughts, getting rid of emotions,
somehow controlling the mind, but actually it’s much different than that,” says Puddicombe.
“It’s more about stepping back, seeing the thought clearly witnessing it coming and going
without judgment, but with a relaxed, focus mind.” (Andy Puddicombe, 2012)

Lead author of the report Nicholas Van Dam, is a clinical psychologist and researches in
psychological sciences at the University of Melbourne, explains potential benefits of mindfulness
are being overshadowed by hyperbole and oversold for financial gain. Mindfulness meditation
and training is now a $1.1-billion industry in the U.S. alone. “Our report does not mean that
mindfulness meditation is not helpful for some things,” Van Dam says. “But the scientific rigor
just isn’t there yet to be making these big claims.” He and his co-authors are also concerned that
as of 2015, less than 25 percent of meditation trials included monitoring for potential negative
effects of the intervention, a number he would like to see grow as the field moves forward. (Bret
StetkA, 2017)
In Andy Puddicombe’s TED talk on why he became a monk he states “Most people assume that
meditation is all about stopping thoughts, getting rid of emotions, somehow controlling the mind,
but actually it’s much different than that,” says Puddicombe. “It’s more about stepping back,
seeing the thought clearly witnessing it coming and going without judgment, but with a relaxed,
focus mind. “ (Andy Puddicombe, 2012)

For years, meditation fans have said that the practice keeps them healthy. But a new study,
published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes in November 2012,
actually tested this. “For the study, 201 people with coronary heart disease were asked to either
(a) take a health education class promoting better diet and exercise or (b) take a class on
transcendental meditation. Researchers followed up with participants for the next five years and
found that those who took the meditation class had a 48% reduction in their overall risk of heart
attack, stroke and death.” (Erica S. Spatz, John A. Spertus, 2012)

Constant brain waves: Whether we are mentally active, resting or asleep, the brain always has
some level of activity. “One study monitored the frequency and location of electrical brain waves
through the use of EEG (electroencephalography). EEG electrodes were placed in standard
locations of the scalp using some kind of hat. Participants were experienced practitioners of
Acem Meditation, a nondirective method developed in Norway. They were asked to rest, eyes
closed, for 20 minutes, and to meditate for another 20 minutes, in random order. The amount and
location of slow to fast electrical brain waves (delta, theta, alpha, beta) provide a good indication
of brain activity.” (The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 2010)

Relaxed attention with theta: During meditation, theta waves were most abundant in the frontal
and middle parts of the brain.

"These types of waves likely are created from a relaxed attention that monitors our inner
experiences. Here lies a significant difference between meditation and relaxing without any
specific technique," (Professor Jim Lagopoulos, 2010)

"Previous studies have shown that theta waves indicate deep relaxation and occur more
frequently in highly experienced meditation practitioners. The source is probably frontal parts of
the brain, which are linked with monitoring of other mental processes." (NTNU, 2010)
"When we measure mental calmness, these regions signal to lower parts of the brain, inducing
the physical relaxation response that occurs during meditation." (The Norwegian University of
Science and Technology, 2010)

Silent experiences with alpha. Alpha waves were more present in the main parts of the brain
during meditation than during simple relaxation. They are characteristic of wakeful rest. (NTNU,
2010)

"This wave type has been used as a universal sign of relaxation during meditation and other
types of rest," comments Professor Oyvind Ellingsen from NTNU. "The amount of alpha waves
increases when the brain relaxes from intentional, goal-oriented tasks. This is a sign of deep
relaxation, but it does not mean that the mind is off." (Oyyind Ellingsen, 2010)

Studies by Malia F. Mason and co-workers at Dartmouth College NH suggest that the normal
resting state of the brain is a silent current of thoughts, images and memories that is not induced
by sensory input or reasoning, but is created "from within." (Malia F. Mason, 2010)

"Spontaneous wandering of the mind is something you become more aware of and familiar with
when you meditate," says Ellingsen, who is an experienced practitioner. "This default activity of
the brain is often underestimated. It probably represents a kind of mental processing that
connects various experiences and emotional things, puts them into perspective and lays them to
rest." (Ellingsen, 2010)

The definition of a monk is a member of a religious community of men typically living under
vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. (English by Oxford Dictionary, 2018) And the part of
their brain that is associated with empathy is much more pronounced than in a new meditator.
Meditation changes your brain waves allowing us to measure these waves. Meditators have
higher levels of alpha waves which have been shown to reduce feelings of negative mood,
tension, sadness, and anger. Meditation physically changes our brains shape and size. Studies
found that after 8 weeks of a meditation program grey matter was more dense in areas associated
with learning, memory processing and emotion regulation. And yet the amygdala in which deals
with stress, blood pressure, and fear had decreased grey matter.