Meditation has become a mass term and a common practice. However, we often hear the term used interchangeably with other terms like “mindfulness,” “focus,” or “concentration,” or even “Yoga Nidra” and “Shavasana.” It’s true that all of these activities appear meditative to the observer, and to one participating in any of them, it won’t appear much different.

However, dhyana*, or meditation, is not simply an act of relaxation, a practice of gathering experiences, or a post of absolute stillness. So...what is it? How can one tell the difference?

Did you know that the word "meditation" comes from the latin medi and tara, where medi means “the center or the middle” and tara means “to stay?” To sum it up, meditation means “to stay centered”.

The Sanskrit term for meditation is dhyana* which comes from dhi and ana. Here dhi means “mind,” which includes all its faculties (sensory mind, memory, intellect, ego) and ana means "moving forward or into" a sustained and effortless focus.

Here are Seven ways to discern if it’s really meditation:

1. Object: In meditation, the Self is the ultimate point of focus and object. Eventually, all objects chosen (external or internal, sound or image, seen or visualized) must lead one to Self—the ultimate center of conCENTRAtion. The object becomes the subject and eventually they both cease to exist.
2. Purpose: The purpose of meditation is the realization of truth in the state of Yoga and not feeling some good experiences. Remember, the goal of Yoga is Yoga.
3. Process: Meditation is the consequence of sustained and effortless concentration. Meditation is not equal to concentration.
4. Attachment-Detachment: In meditation, we seek to detach from sensory experiences, limited thoughts, ideas, objects, etc. Building attachment or aversion to experiences is not only counterproductive, it is simply not meditation to start with.
5. Creation of Annihilation: Meditation is about dissolution of this and that, me and otherness, rather than creation of a bigger I, MY, ME, and MINE.
6. Time or Timelessness: Meditation is beyond time and space. It does not matter if we meditate for a minute or an hour, in a quiet space or surrounded by distractions. Moments of meditative state are glimpses of eternity.
7. Act or Becoming: There are no experiences to recount or recall from meditation. It is the state of filled emptiness. Any recollections are either from the process itself or post-meditation. It moves us towards becoming that which the mind is focused upon (Self/truth/Yoga).

Practice the below three to get the idea around Meditation from Tantras:

• Third Eye Meditation
• Kundalini Meditation
• Body Yantra Meditation

* Read Chapter 9: Dhyana: The Sacred Pilgrimage to Self in Yoga: Ancient Heritage, Tomorrow’s Vision.

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