Meditation — Definition

Meditation is an umbrella term for many techniques: focusing on breath, repeating a mantra, observing thoughts without engaging them, generating compassion, resting in open awareness. Different traditions emphasise different goals — concentration in samatha, insight in vipassana, devotion in bhakti, non-dual recognition in dzogchen — but all involve sustained, intentional attention. Regular practice produces measurable changes in attention, mood regulation, and stress response, regardless of metaphysical framing.

Origin

From the Latin meditari, "to think upon." The English word covers a much broader landscape than its etymology suggests.

Example

A simple ten-minute breath meditation done daily for a few months tends to do more than an occasional hour-long session.