Religious Scholar

A relative told me recently, "I learned how to meditate today! Oprah interviewed a guy who's an expert. I closed my eyes for two minutes, and felt great!"

Hmm. Was that meditation? Or a relaxation technique? Yoga teachers since Patanjali wrote his Sutras have been distinguishing between the two. Relaxation is a way to calm the mind and refresh the body. Relaxation techniques such as closing the eyes, tensing and releasing the muscles in sequence, can accomplish this, and may be all a person needs.

Meditation, on the other hand, is a deepening of awareness, possibly a pathway to communicate with one's own idea of the Deity or the essence of life. Relaxation techniques prepare one for meditation, but are not the same as meditation. In fact, many meditators find their practice the opposite of relaxation! Some meditators sit rigidly on a hard floor, their legs crossed uncomfortably, for hours in a practice that may continue for years without any observable results. On the other hand, meditation may result in what some practitioners call "bliss" or deep communion with the divine. It's very different from lying on the floor and letting your cares float out the window.

Look at it this way: Playing a scale on the piano with one finger can help a person understand music. But it's not the same as conducting Beethoven's Ninth. Meditation is a noble path for those who aspire to a deeper, richer life. But for many people, simple relaxation may be just the ticket.