Meditation has been growing at leaps and bounds for the last millennium. It is some of the most ancient ways to work with the mind. We are just learning, the Tibetan, Zen, and Hindu forms of yoga and meditation have several thousand years on us in the west. Meditation it seems is ancient basic wisdom and we make it very complex. It is suppose to be simple but because of it's simplicity we look for more in it. Our modern western minds think in comp-lex terms because we make it so. The key and beauty of meditation is that the goal is to be one with all that's aground us, and here now. In scientific outlooks it could be said that when you reach the alpha state, which is measurable, you are meditating .

Now we all know that we all go into alpha with many other activities. Its controlling the ability to go into alpha at will where the challenge is. We know that sports, dancing with your sweetie, having a game of cards with your friends, is enough to put us into alpha. All that natural high that we relieve from life, and it's activities is what it's all about.

Sometimes working at a simple task like farming, walking, or learning can take us there. I find the more I see about meditation is that every human has their own way. That's the way it should be. We can all learn principles or systems that allow us to develop our own way, just because why try and invent the wheel when there are ancient and wonderful tried and tested systems. An easy way to lay the foundation to the systems is by looking at the way they start the meditation and what to look for. Zen for instance if it can be made simple. They have the technique to seek emptiness.

As well as koens that are like puzzles for the mind. The sitting meditation is very rigid, and sometimes difficult for westerners with long knees. They also have a form of walking meditation, and the goal is to be in emptiness. A technique a Roshi ones gave us was to think of a frame with a black velvet canvas, now erase the frame. This is basically the Zen technique. It sounds simple to think of nothing, well for our minds that go a mile a minute, it's challenging. The Hindu form is using mantras, yantras or other forms. They basically feel if you only focus on one thing. All other thoughts will fade away, and then you come to that sport also known as the everything and the nothing. Emptiness, everything ness, it's confusing, what is the difference. It doesn't matter where you start from you end up at the same spot. Right here now, or nowhere sounds like opposites. Its the yin yang, all life is made of positive and negative forces. Its life sort of a push me pull me creature. Like Bucky said for there to be only one, means there is two. You could say the inner universe and the outer universe. Meditation think of nothing or thing of something.

Union and devolving end up basically the same. So it all comes down to your particular style of being. If you are a left brain, analytical/facts person with lots of drive, using a mantra (its a form of chant, or yantra a visual aid to work with. You focus on that one thing to more right brain/ creative/music, sometimes the Zen or going into nothingness is easier. Especially because we are dreamers anyway. By the way daydreaming can put us into alpha. After doing formal meditations for many years I came to the conclusion that the goal was to get into The State as much and as often as possible. So to just sit for a half hour or hours, is great for the benefits meditation is known for.

However there are many more hours in the day, why not use that time as well. I was fortunate that my business allowed me to get into state for 80% of the time. Being a body therapist allowed me to get into State every time I did therapy on anyone. In fact with breathing and connecting with the person and the universe we created a current of energy so that I didn't give any of my personal energy, I just became a channel for it. In fact those of us who have done that, know that when you are in the state, not only does energy flow better, you are guided to do the therapy that other person needs. I had my own reasons as well for being a therapist. It was what my body needed to be healed as well. Getting into yoga, meditation, nutrition, massage and all the components of holistic health was my way to heal myself. Meditation is about creating that energy within yourself as much as you can. Its also about creating relationships with other humans as well when ever we can!

Peace........... Meditation is a state of being.