Skip to Main Content
Library and Tutoring homepage

What is Meditation?

As stated in Meditation: In Depth from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) part of the National Institutes of Health, "Meditation is a mind and body practice that has a long history of use for increasing calmness and physical relaxation, improving psychological balance, coping with illness, and enhancing overall health and well-being. Mind and body practices focus on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior."

There are several kinds of meditation, the Mayo Clinic describes several along with their benefits, in the article, Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stressIn this guide, we will focus primarily on mindfulness meditation. 

Books about Meditation available at the SJR State Library

Tools

Body scan meditation - This exercise "asks you to systematically focus your attention on different parts of your body, from your feet to the muscles in your face. It is designed to help you develop a mindful awareness of your bodily sensations, and to relieve tension wherever it is found. Research suggests that this mindfulness practice can help reduce stress, improve well-being, and decrease aches and pains."

UCLA offers a free app and 8 free, audio guided meditations