Meditation. One of the most powerful techniques of bringing one's mind to rest, of getting tuned to the universe, and of bringing out the complete potential of the great human mind. Meditation is one of the most under-used techniques in the world. It is something that everyone should be doing, and yet but a handful do. What a pity!
Unfortunately it is so commonly related to 'spirituality', that people shy away from it. Of those who don't, many tell me that they don't meditate because they can't clear their mind of thoughts.
You don't have to be spiritual, to meditate. You don't have to have a complete control of your mind to meditate. You just have to be human.
Meditation is the process of eliminating thoughts, not vice versa. Meditation helps you get a better hold over the whims and fancies of your mind. In other words, it helps you control your mind instead of your mind controlling you, as is often the case.
So how can you maditate? There are several techniques. The most effective is to simply stop thinking - or if you aren't able to do that, start 'observing' your thoughts, as if it was someone else's mind and you were just an observer. Eventually you will just stop thinking.
Another very powerful technique is to concentrate completely on your breath. Don't control - just watch your breath. Focus all your senses on it, and think of nothing else. Usually when you do this, you will find that your breath slowly starts getting shorter and eventually comes to a stop. Here you will reach a thoughtless state, which is very, very powerful.
A simpler technique is to imagine some object and think of nothing else. It could be a flame, or your third eye, or anything else, for that matter. A friend I knew, would imagine that she is running towards the sun forever. Yet another method is to light up a candle and stare at it without blinking until your eyes start watering. This is also a form of yoga, and you are so caught up not trying to blink, that you simply cannot think of anything else.
If you are trying these techniques for meditation, I'd prefer that you start from the first method and switch to the next if you find it tough, and so on. Because the first technique is the most powerful, the next a little less, and so on. Start from the first and move downwards, and see which one suits you best.
Everyone who meditates encounters thoughts. So if you find yourself thinking too much when you meditate, relax, it happens. Over a period of months, you'll find it reducing, and eventually you'll be able to reach that thought-less state much more easily.
It is preferable to meditate in a silent environment, and although the best of all times to meditate is around 3am in the morning, meditating just before you sleep is also good enough. Just make sure no body's snoring!
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