People in Western societies tend to think of meditation as merely some type or form of relaxation.  They remain woefully ignorant of the power, importance and availability of meditation.  Technically, meditation is slowing down the mind.  However, it remains very mysterious.  Even the great sages and gurus of the past would have difficulty accurately explaining meditation.  So, the next question on your mind may be, how then is slowing down one’s thinking therapeutic?  The answer is simple – thought and time are the same thing.  Slowing down the mind puts your consciousness in the present moment, where problems cannot exist.  That’s what Eckhart Tolle’s book, “The Power of Now”, is all about – entering the Now.  Even a physicist will admit that time is illusion.  And, this is something Buddhists have known for 2,500 years.

It takes a creative mind to be able to meditate effectively.  What I recommend most to those new to meditation and spirituality is to start by listening to your thoughts.  Observe your mind.  And eventually you’ll notice yourself taking your thoughts less and less seriously.  They won’t seem to carry so much weight with them.  A very few of you will simply be able to use your creativity to slow down your thinking.  This is the most direct way of meditating, and it is a very very rare ability.

Meditation can be, ironically, a very unpleasant and even painful experience, contrary to the common misconception of it being a relaxation technique.  The goal is, ultimately, to realize inner peace, but getting there can be very unpleasant.  Generally, you can determine if you are progressing in meditation by the degree of peace you feel from within.  Realizing inner peace is a direct sign that you are successfully slowing down your mind because mind is the antithesis of inner peace.