I started meditating about six months after I started practicing Yoga.  I was influenced by a combination of the feeling I enjoyed from brief meditations that are part of some Yoga practices, as well as by fellow Yogis and friends who mediate daily.  The impact has been gradual, but deeply profound and rewarding.  I now meditate at least once per day for about five to twenty minutes at a time.

Meditation is simply quieting the mind to make space for God's energy, or the energy of the Universe if you prefer, to come into your being.  Quieting the mind simply means to stop thinking, or self-talk, about the past and the future.  The goal here is no thought at all.  A very simple concept, but very difficult to do.  It can be frustrating at first but it gets better over time.  I'm not sure I'll ever reach the point where I can mediate without any thoughts at all coming into my mind.  I think the key is to just acknowledge the thought as it comes in and then let it go back out.

For me, the best way to quiet the mind is to focus on my breathing.  To just notice each breath as it comes in and goes out.  Arguably, this is thinking but it feels better to me than thoughts about other issues that I will have a tendency to stay with and follow to another related thought.  I also think having a mantra to silently recite can really help bring the mind back to a place of quiet when it becomes distracted by a thought.  The resources below from Deepak Chopra will help you with mantras.

I know that profound and amazing things can happen during meditation.  I'm have been blessed by a deep sense of connection to God. I have also experienced a complete connection to everyone and every thing that carried on for about 30 minutes after one meditation session.  I have friends who have photographic evidence of bolts of energy descending into the candles they light when they meditate.  Please don't discount these things until you give it a try for yourself! Anything is possible in meditation.

There are now an increasing number of scientific studies that are proving the many physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits of meditation.  The adoption of this practice is growing very, very rapidly.

So, Meditation brings me lots of energy and insight from the Universe, every time I do it.  This energy is limitless and capable of anything, including miracles.  The result is not only more energy for daily living, but a deep sense of spiritual connection to God and all of creation. Very simply, this feeling in meditation is a direct connection to my Soul. 

Below are some resources to help you understand and begin to practice meditation.

RESOURCES: