Meditation is the safest and simplest way of balancing a person's mental state. It is just not about sitting cross-legged in the Himalayas. But about an approach to cope with the stressful lifestyle that robs us of inner peace. It is a technique of 'mental fasting' to cleanse the mind and restore the spirit's primal powers by withdrawing all distractions and disturbing emotions.

Essentially, the thought on your mind right now; is what you are meditating about. We actually meditate all the time and are affected in this process by body language, brain chemistry, speech patterns, interactions with people, the environ, art, media, childhood training, society, culture, peers, self-image, etc. The human brain never stops working and operates at many levels constantly. Hence, we are aware and meditating whether conscious, subconscious, unconscious or super conscious.

However, we are concerned with Meditation as a controlled process. Concentration of the mind is absolutely necessary for all of us. Just as one would tone the physical body through exercises, one has to train the mind through mental training, mental culture or mental drill. Meditation is a powerful mental and nervine tonic that gives the body soothing waves that exercise a caring influence on the organs of the body as well. It gives peace of mind by teaching you to detach yourself from troubling thoughts.

    

There are several forms / schools of Meditation and they come under 3 diverse methods -
1
 The body is held immobile and attention controlled
2
 The body is let free and emotions expressed
3
 Going about a routine mindfully

 
    They all aim to quieten the busy mind and focus the attention on a healing element - sound, image or breath. They relate to sound, light and frequency - the 3 properties of energy (as theorized by Einstein). Each one of us must choose the path by ourselves to suit our circumstances. It would help if our thoughts were glad and happy ones and if we could surround ourselves with beauty. For that, we need a properly trained mind which is calm, clear, pure, subtle, sharp, steady and one-pointed. The mind must be beyond all anxieties.

Meditation as a science is definitely thousands of years old. All faiths prescribe Meditation in one form or the other. Time and interpretations have broadened the subject to such a wide sphere that classifying it would be a difficult task.

    

Two possible classifications are -
Concentrative
 Focuses the attention on the breath, an image or a sound in order to still the mind.
Mindfulness
 The meditator witnesses whatever goes through the mind in a non-reactive state.
   
Alternatively it could be classified as -
Objective
 Concentration of the mind on an object, light, sky, etc. or on qualities like love, strength, compassion, etc.
Subjective
 With no effort of will, it is an attempt to seek the source of consciousness.
   

Note the thin line that demarcates the classification and the similarity in purpose.