Meditation: A Personal Journey, Ancient Practice and Modern Understanding
- raj9617
- Mar 30
- 6 min read
My First Experience of Meditation
I was born into a Jain religious family, and as a child in the 1970s, meditation ('though I didn’t know it by that name) was already part of my life. By the age of four, I could recite several mantras, simply, because they were woven into the fabric of our lives.
Fast forward a couple of years, my mother gave, my sister and me, small pocket books with tiny squares, where we would record how many times we had chanted the universal Jain Navkar Mantra. Each repetition was marked with a small cross, and I remember the quiet satisfaction, and my mother’s delight, when I completed a full page.
We were encouraged to reach the auspicious number of 108 repetitions a day! At the time, it felt like a game, something to achieve. Only much later did I realise that this was one form of meditation — japa, the repetition of sound to focus the mind.
🪐So What Does to Meditate Actually Mean?
The word meditation comes from the Latin meditatio, meaning to reflect, contemplate, or engage in mental practice. Yet the essence of meditation has been shaped far more deeply by Eastern traditions — particularly the Vedic, Jain, and Buddhist philosophies.
In the classical teachings of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (more than 3000 years old), meditation (Dhyana) is described not as silence, but as a continuous flow of attention toward a single point of focus. It follows Dharana (concentration) and leads toward Samadhi (absorption), together forming a process of deep integration known as Samyama. Within Jain philosophy, such practices were directed toward the lofty aspirations of moksha, a state of self-realisation that frees one from the cycle of birth and death.
The term itself gained wider recognition in the West during the 1960s, notably through the global influence of The Beatles and their public engagement with Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation. Since then, meditation has come to represent a meeting point between Eastern contemplative traditions and Western curiosity, bringing together ancient spiritual practices and modern approaches to wellbeing.
An Innate Human Ability - Awareness is at the Heart of Meditation
At its heart, meditation is the practice of awareness, and, more profoundly, consciousness becoming aware of itself.
It is not about emptying the mind (or silencing it) as often misperceived, but about observing it. Thoughts arise, sensations come and go, yet something remains aware of them. Meditation is the recognition of that awareness. And if peace and silence ensues, then it does so, naturally.
In this sense, meditation is not something we acquire — it is something we return to. Meditation is often presented as a technique to learn, but in truth, it is a natural human state — one we experience instinctively, particularly as children.
Child's Play
As a child, I remember being fascinated by snow. I would watch individual snowflakes drift down, mesmerised by their delicate, lace-like patterns, my eyes following each one as it fell, wondering whether this time the snow might finally settle. I watched as each flake melted on contact with the ground, dissolving into the soft, pulpy mush beneath, before turning my attention to the next, and the next. One by one, I followed them with complete attention, absorbed for long stretches of time — noticing how something so intricate and distinct would quietly vanish.
Was this not a form of meditation in itself — a state of effortless presence?
We all experience such moments: when we are fully engaged, quietly attentive, or simply aware without distraction. What might happen if we brought conscious awareness to these moments, rather than passing through them unconsciously?
As children, this presence comes naturally. Yet over time, life conditions us into constant activity. We become “doers” rather than “being,” and this innate capacity gradually recedes into the background, and so the practice is forgotten.
⁉️Whats all the fuss about?
Looking back now, through the lens of adulthood, I can see something more in that simple act of watching. Each snowflake carried within it the quiet potential to become part of something greater — the settling sheet of snow — dissolving its separateness, yet never losing its essence.
Through the simple act of observation, there is the potential for understanding, of insight, and even of transformation within our own inner worlds. And this is why meditation as a regular practice is so powerful, because it takes us beyond our everyday existence.
And those who practiced meditation in the past knew this. Perhaps this is why so many approaches to meditation have emerged across traditions — each shaped by different philosophies, intentions, and teachers. While this creates a rich and beautiful tapestry of practices and continues to do so in the modern world, it can also leave us uncertain about which path to follow.
In today’s world, meditation is widely used in more practical ways. with many online APPs and methods available and in many different settings including: healthcare, education, and workplaces. This is a strong indication that its benefits are both practical and measurable. Let's remind ourselves of some of those benefits that meditation can support:
Reduced stress and anxiety
Greater mental clarity and focus
Nervous system regulation
Improved emotional resilience
Increased self-awareness
Better sleep and rest
Enhanced compassion and connection
Scientific Evidence
Modern research increasingly supports what ancient traditions have long understood:
Studies from institutions such as Harvard Medical School have shown that regular meditation can physically change brain structure, increasing grey matter in areas associated with learning, memory, and emotional regulation (Hölzel et al., 2011).
Research by Dr. Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin, studying Tibetan monks, found that long-term meditators show enhanced gamma brainwave activity, linked to attention, awareness, and emotional integration.
A widely cited Johns Hopkins meta-analysis (2014) found that meditation can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and pain.
Meditation has also been shown to lower cortisol levels, helping regulate the body’s stress response and support the nervous system.
Beyond the Measurable - The Collective Consciousness
There have also been studies correlating large-scale group meditation with reductions in societal stress indicators, such as crime rates.
While these findings remain debated within scientific fields, the idea of raising the collective human consciousness through meditation has long been a cornerstone of spiritual purpose and practice.
In my own experience, group meditation has a depth of its own — a quiet, collective beauty that brings a profound sense of peace within oneself and resonates throughout the group.
While science can point to changes in the brain, the nervous system, and emotional wellbeing, there are more subtle shifts that are harder to quantify — a deepened sense of presence, a quiet inner steadiness, a different way of relating to life itself. These are often known not through data, but through lived experience. And so perhaps, the true impact of meditation, at a profound level, is perhaps only understand experientially and anecdotally.
✋🏽What Stops Us from turning meditation into a habit?
If meditation is natural, accessible, and beneficial, why do so many of us struggle to maintain a practice? Here are some common barriers that I have come across when working with students and seekers alike:
Uncertainty about what to do
The misconception that the mind must be silent, with a sense of failure ensuing
Not finding a method that resonates
Difficulty making time
Discomfort with sitting still
These may appear as obstacles to meditation, but are actually a natural part of the process and experience.
🛣️My Own Journey
Meditation was part of my cultural and religious background, though it wasn’t named as such, and its deeper purpose was not fully understood at the time. Over the years, I found myself seeking a more direct, experiential path — one that could explain the why — "Meditation" became that bridge.
I explored and practised a range of approaches across different traditions, gradually understanding how different styles of meditation can serve different purposes — from cultivating specific qualities to expanding and deepening awareness.
Now a daily practice for over a decade, it remains my most treasured pause. And there isn't a dull moment because every meditation differs, providing the platform for continual learning and unfolding, deepening clarity, steadiness, and connection in everyday life.
I hope that this blog gives you some clarity and inspiration for your own practice, whether it is something you want to begin or deepen. If you have any questions please do
🌹An Invitation to Pause and Explore Meditation Further
If you feel drawn to explore meditation in a deeper and more practical way, and you wish to explore some of these questions more fully then my two-evening online workshop might just be for you:
The Foundations of Meditation
📅 15 & 22 April⏰ 7:00–9:30pm (UK time)
💻 Live online
🧘🏽♂️A grounded, experiential space to understand, learn different approaches, practise, and reconnect with meditation
🤗 Suitable for both beginners and those wishing to deepen their practice.
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