Meditation is not an act; it is the art of doing nothing! The rest in meditation is deeper than the deepest sleep that you can ever have.
New Delhi: Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar defines meditation as a medium to take deep rest and be alert and conscious at the same time. It is the skill to calm the mind and get in touch with your inner joy. In ancient India, meditation began as a special practice mentioned in the Vedic texts, coexisting with the comprehensive health system of Ayurveda.
Today, meditation embraces a wide range of practices, from deep contemplation to guided techniques such as yoga and tai chi, highlighting its flexibility and universal appeal. It offers a diverse toolkit, each method uniquely enhancing mental and physical well-being.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is not an act; it is the art of doing nothing! The rest in meditation is deeper than the deepest sleep that you can ever have. When the mind becomes free from agitation, becomes calm and serene and is at peace, meditation happens. When the mind is engaged in some activity, it gets tired.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Explains Benefits of Meditation
Explaining the benefits of meditation, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, “If you look at the benefits that meditation brings into our lives, we feel it is all the more relevant, all the more needed, more desires and ambitions you have, all the more you need to be meditating. The more responsibility you have in your life, the more the need for meditation.”
“It improves your perception. Brings clarity to the mind. Plus, meditation not only relieves you of stress and strain; it enhances your abilities to face challenges. Meditation is the food for the soul. It energizes the mind. It is the lifeline for the body and helps you to express yourself properly. What more you want? You want to be happy and healthy, You got to be meditating,” he added.
Quotes on Meditation from Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Maharishi Patanjali
- “Meditation helps to change your perspective. It improves the way you perceive things. It improves your interaction with people around you –what you say, how you react and act in different situations; you become more aware.
- “Breathing & meditation uplift the spirit and bring clarity and strength to the mind.”
- “If you can control the rising of the mind into ripples, you can experience Yoga”
- “Distractions arise from habitual thought patterns when the practice (of meditation) is irregular.”
- “When there is no regret of the past, no want of the future, that moment is whole & complete. Meditation is living every moment totally with depth”
- “Being silent and knowing that the divinity is taking care of everything – that is the best form of prayer; the best prayer is meditation.”
