Feeling stressed? Take a deep breath. Go on, fill your lungs with oxygen and hold for a few seconds. Now exhale slowly and you will feel the knots in your stomach ease. Congratulations. You just took the first step towards meditation.

What exactly is meditation? Ahmed Shah, a human resource manager who spends his early mornings exercising and meditating in Margalla Hills, Islamabad, puts it ever so poetically. He states, “Meditation is not only to feel but express our inner spirit. It is a refuge from the demands of time and space. It is the oneness of mind, body and soul; the spirit and the being. It is not a destination, rather a journey and an odyssey of the inner self, devoid from the material superficiality of our existence.”

Meditation is an art practiced by saints and spiritual leaders who helped us gain a glimpse into the meaning of life. But you don’t have to be a yoga guru to take the first steps on this journey .

Serious meditation today carries certain theological connotations but many practitioners engage in ‘mindfulness’ which is the most basic and quintessential form of meditation, with historical roots in Buddhism. Mindfulness involves detaching oneself from all thoughts while concentrating on nothingness so as to experience different forms of consciousness. Other popular forms of meditation may involve chanting a mantra, concentrating on breathing, heartbeat or any visual object, relaxing each of our body parts so as to direct energy through them.

In the past scientists were dismissive of the practice but advances in neuroscience today seem to indicate that meditation could play a role in enhancing a person’s wellbeing and maybe even add years to their life. The virtues of meditating are no longer advocated by yogis or monks alone; the practice has now gained ground within mainstream medicine. Scientific evidence strongly suggests that meditation may assist in alleviating many health problems, while decreasing the likelihood of conditions associated with aging, such as senility.

An interesting find is that people who benefit most from meditation are those suffering from acute stress. Dr Zafar Fatmi, associate professor and head, division of environmental health sciences at the department of community health sciences, Aga Khan University, explains this relationship between stress and meditation: “People in Pakistan live in a constant state of social and psychological stress, induced by the social relations and various stigmas in our society, which can be very taxing for an individual. Meditation as a coping mechanism may become imperative due to these circumstances, especially for people who have weaker built-in coping mechanisms. It provides a break from the stimuli of stress.”

By its ability to do so, meditation helps not only those in stress, but it provides an array of physiological and psychological benefits, which help us lead healthier and happier lives. As Mehreen Pervaiz, who has been teaching and practising yoga and meditation in Islamabad for a decade, explains, “Meditation has a lot of benefits to offer and it helps people with stressful jobs and housewives alike, I have witnessed many of my students transforming their lives and relationships.”

“Most of my students are middle-aged people and retirees, who do yoga to lose weight, but once they start meditating consistently they find themselves in a better mood and gain a better ability to concentrate on tasks at hand. It also helps in treating their overeating and weight problems,” adds Pervaiz.

One of Pervaiz’s students, Gul Bano Sharif, a devoted housewife of an army officer who lives in a joint family system, says, “Working full-time as a mother and daughter-in-law, I live under constant pressure to please everyone. When I meditate, I feel that I can finally escape all the labour and indulge in some ‘me’ time.” Indeed, with all the Herculean challenges and wretchedness of modern life, one can truly seek refuge in the bliss of meditation.

Meditation and illness

Meditation also might be useful if you have a medical condition, especially one that may be worsened by stress. On the other hand, it may actually worsen symptoms associated with certain mental health conditions. Meditation is also not a replacement for mainstream medicine and must, when used, be seen as a complementary tool. As always, do consult your doctor before starting any form of therapy no matter how benign it may seem. These are some conditions where meditation may help:

• Anxiety disorders • Allergies • Asthma • Binge eating • Depression • Fatigue • Heart disease • High blood pressure • Pain • Sleep problems • Substance abuse

Meditation for beginners This exercise is an excellent introduction to meditation techniques.

1. You don’t have to sit cross-legged on the floor; sit anywhere you are comfortable and try to relax.

2. Close your eyes and try to concentrate on your breathing.

3. Make no effort to control your breathing; simply breathe naturally.

4. Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation. Notice the movement of your body as you breathe. Observe your chest, shoulders, rib cage and stomach. Make no effort to control your breath; simply focus your attention.

5. If there is a distraction, for example, if the phone bell rings, acknowledge the interruption mentally (say to yourself, ‘the phone is ringing’) but then let it go. Simply trying to ignore the bell will agitate you; acknowledging and then choosing to ignore the distraction will help you focus.

6. Start off with two to three minute sessions then gradually increase the time.