If you want to calm your mind and focus your energy, meditation is an effective and time-tested practice dating as far back as 1500BC. Meditation disciplines the mind and gives the person inner peace through mindful concentration and silence.Meditation is the practice of deep concentration and focus within the mind. Meditation does not have to be a religious activity but just as a way to relieve stress and anxiety in our day to day busy lives. Meditation brings our overflowing minds to a silent stop where we don’t think about the outside world but rather just focus on breathing. Meditation can be done in many different ways, sitting or lying down, with an instructor, with background music, the possibilities are endless but the core concept remains the same.The roots of meditation date back to ancient times. Meditation is popular in multiple religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Meditation has spread from the East to the West through the centuries. In the mid-20th century, meditation gained awareness and was popularized in western society after researchers learned about it and its positive effects on the body and mind. Meditation may still be relatively new in the West, but in the East it has been around for centuries, in India it is a 5000 year old ritual. Meditation in the Buddhist community commenced at around 500 B.C and even now Buddha is still a significant face of meditation. The teachings and philosophies of Buddha started to spread fast across Asia and each country developed the idea of the meditation and personalized to make it their own. In the western world, Buddhist and Hindu meditation practices are still used and very well- known.There are hundreds types of meditation in different religions and cultures but also based on what area of the mind you want to be targeted. Concentration meditation is arguably the most common and well-known type of meditation because it captures the fundamentals of meditation like staying still and focusing in on ourselves and our own breathing instead of the busy world around us. Other types of meditation include reflective, mindfulness, chakra, walking and creative. There are so many variations to meditation so there is definitely something that will suit every individual’s needs.Meditation has many benefits if done regularly and well. It positively impacts different areas of your body. Meditation improves your emotional well-being, it lessens anxiety, worry, stress, and sadness whilst increasing self-esteem, awareness and relaxation. Meditation enhances your attitude towards life and your emotional intelligence. It also improves your mind power by increasing your reasoning skills and memory call-back. It has positive effects on your ability to concentrate, information processing and decision making. Another area of your body meditation impacts is your physical health. Meditation can strengthen your immune system, energy levels and heart rate. It also reduces your blood pressure over time whilst increasing your life-span.Hand in hand with the Ayurvedic principles and herbal tea, meditation is an important part of the healthy lifestyle.