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Weleda Garden of Wellbeing, Hampton Court 2007.

Inner harmony, search for truth and self–realisation

There is no clear cut or concise definition of the word meditation, but throughout its myriad forms of manifestation across every country and every culture in the world, it holds the meaning of ‘thought’ in its purest form.

Meditation does not necessarily come hand–in–hand with religion, although it forms the basis of a multitude of religious observances, but goes deeper into the psyche to a common plane where believers and non–believers alike can share the same experience.

To Christian monks it is the highest form of prayer [defined by them as the raising of the mind and heart to God], to the Sikhs it is the highest method of promoting love and harmony in domestic life while the Buddhist monks of Tibet see meditation as the route to ultimate self–knowledge and harmony with all creation and the Creator, the final goal in a journey which can occupy many lifetimes.

The common element in this multitude of practices and beliefs can, perhaps, be summed–up in one word: ‘peace’, which in this context means the freedom from stress. It goes a long way to explaining why the benefits of meditation have at long last been recognised by many in the medical profession. This is where the world’s religions and philosophies meet on common ground, so perhaps the word ‘peace’ is not out of place.

The main problem for those considering meditation for the first time is where to start and which system to adopt. There has been much publicity on the practice of Yoga, Zen Buddhism, and other Eastern cultures, but the principles of meditation are identical and can be summed–up by such concepts as ‘inner harmony’, ‘the search for truth’ and ‘self–realisation’.

The techniques vary widely but all have that common theme of the calmness and introspection of inner knowledge. One does not need to renounce the world and live in a mountain cave, or enter a remote monastery. Just a few minutes quiet thought is enough, as in the well known quotation from Housman:

“What is this world if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?”

The medical benefits of this process are claimed to be invaluable in some cases of chronic or terminal illness and in the battle against stress which has now become perhaps the leading cause of many illnesses. The worries of business leaders have long been known to result in gastric ulcers and associated digestive problems; what is only now being realised is the effect of stress on other physical problems, such as epilepsy, asthma and ADHD.

Sources: Wikipedia Encyclopaedia, website: www.wikipedia.org | University of Colorado website: www.colorado.edu | Mind–Body Medical Institute website: www.mbmi.org.

Additional sources of information: Bookshops, on the high street and online, commercial health publishers, manufacturers and providers of health products and services, relevant government departments, NHS organisations and local libraries.

Health advice: Always consult with your GP or healthcare professional.

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