The art of meditation has been around for centuries. This ancient practice has helped individuals of all types and from all backgrounds to find peace, balance, serenity and even clarity in their lives. In modern society, numerous studies have been done on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits of meditation and found that this simple exercise can deliver astonishing results.
While meditation has a long history, much like many things in our world today, in recent years there have been more modern takes on the meditative practice. Now “modern meditation” has become a huge trend in the self-improvement sphere and has helped countless people who may not have normally turned to this practice, find guidance through meditation.
Modern meditation still operates with the same basic principles as traditional meditation, but it unsurprisingly brings technology into the fold and is designed to work with the busier, more fast-paced lifestyles that many people today lead.
Those interested in practicing meditation can find amazing results from both traditional and modern meditative approaches, no matter which way they choose to practice. However, the key to finding success with any type of meditation is determining which approach is best for you, your goals and your lifestyle. The first step in doing this is to understand some of the major differences between traditional and modern meditation.
Lifestyle
Traditional meditation was developed thousands of years ago and it was designed to fit the lifestyles of the individuals who first practiced it. In short, this type o meditation was created with simpler, less noisy and less busy lifestyles in mind. When you look into ancient meditation practices you will see that they typically spent much more time meditating, because they had much more free time on their hands. Many people also meditated outside or didn’t struggle to find a quiet place to practice as they lived in a quieter environment.
Modern meditation is still about finding peace and quiet but it is all about finding that peace amidst the chaos of our world today. Modern meditation was created to work within these busy, noisy, modern lifestyles and to help people find just a few minutes of quiet during their day. This is why you will see many modern meditation practices focuses on finding just 10 minutes during the day, either in a quiet room at work, in the car or somewhere else where the stressors of the outside world can be canceled out.
Spirituality
Traditional meditation was typically associated with structured religions or traditions. When it was first formed, meditation was linked to religious such as Hinduism and Buddhism. With modern meditation, while the practice may be spiritual for the individual, there is typically no set religious association—it is intended to work for anyone regardless of their religious beliefs.
You can make meditation spiritual, or not, and no matter what religion you are, you can always practice this technique.
Intentions
When meditation was first developed it was developed with reaching a higher sense of spirtuality. This is why meditation was so closely tied to religion in its earlier days. Today, modern meditation can be used in so many different aspects, and not only to find mental, emotional and spiritual clarity and balance.
Many people today practice meditation as part of decreasing stress, improving their mood and even to help treat issues like chronic pain, high blood pressure, anxiety and more. There are so many scientific benefits to meditation, which is why more and more people are turning to this practice with the intent to help improve various areas of their lives.
Technique
When meditation was first developed over 3000 years ago, the technique to practicing this artform was much more strict and straightforward. Those who wanted to practice typically sat cross-legged and often had mantras that they introduced into their meditations. This technique can still be used today.
However, with modern meditation, the technique can be much more flexible. The meditation can be practiced standing, sitting or even walking. Practitioners can meditate with a mantra or in complete silence. They can sit in quiet or they can listen to music or even put in headphones that walks them through the meditation process. The key difference with modern meditation is that it can change and adapt to fit the needs and preferences of the person practicing it.
Today, meditation is seen as a much more personal journey. There is no right way or wrong way to practice meditation. What is seen as an effective meditative practice for one person may not seem like meditation at all to another. It is all about the individual. Meditation has evolved in this way, much like most concepts evolve over thousands of years. However, it doesn’t mean that traditional meditation is outdated or ineffective—it is simply a different approach to achieving the same Zenful outcome.
Modern Meditation Vs. Traditional Meditation
The art of meditation has been around for centuries. This ancient practice has helped individuals of all types and from all backgrounds to find peace, balance, serenity and even clarity in their lives. In modern society, numerous studies have been done on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits of meditation and found that this simple exercise can deliver astonishing results.
While meditation has a long history, much like many things in our world today, in recent years there have been more modern takes on the meditative practice. Now “modern meditation” has become a huge trend in the self-improvement sphere and has helped countless people who may not have normally turned to this practice, find guidance through meditation.
Modern meditation still operates with the same basic principles as traditional meditation, but it unsurprisingly brings technology into the fold and is designed to work with the busier, more fast-paced lifestyles that many people today lead.
Those interested in practicing meditation can find amazing results from both traditional and modern meditative approaches, no matter which way they choose to practice. However, the key to finding success with any type of meditation is determining which approach is best for you, your goals and your lifestyle. The first step in doing this is to understand some of the major differences between traditional and modern meditation.
Lifestyle
Traditional meditation was developed thousands of years ago and it was designed to fit the lifestyles of the individuals who first practiced it. In short, this type o meditation was created with simpler, less noisy and less busy lifestyles in mind. When you look into ancient meditation practices you will see that they typically spent much more time meditating, because they had much more free time on their hands. Many people also meditated outside or didn’t struggle to find a quiet place to practice as they lived in a quieter environment.
Modern meditation is still about finding peace and quiet but it is all about finding that peace amidst the chaos of our world today. Modern meditation was created to work within these busy, noisy, modern lifestyles and to help people find just a few minutes of quiet during their day. This is why you will see many modern meditation practices focuses on finding just 10 minutes during the day, either in a quiet room at work, in the car or somewhere else where the stressors of the outside world can be canceled out.
Spirituality
Traditional meditation was typically associated with structured religions or traditions. When it was first formed, meditation was linked to religious such as Hinduism and Buddhism. With modern meditation, while the practice may be spiritual for the individual, there is typically no set religious association—it is intended to work for anyone regardless of their religious beliefs.
You can make meditation spiritual, or not, and no matter what religion you are, you can always practice this technique.
Intentions
When meditation was first developed it was developed with reaching a higher sense of spirtuality. This is why meditation was so closely tied to religion in its earlier days. Today, modern meditation can be used in so many different aspects, and not only to find mental, emotional and spiritual clarity and balance.
Many people today practice meditation as part of decreasing stress, improving their mood and even to help treat issues like chronic pain, high blood pressure, anxiety and more. There are so many scientific benefits to meditation, which is why more and more people are turning to this practice with the intent to help improve various areas of their lives.
Technique
When meditation was first developed over 3000 years ago, the technique to practicing this artform was much more strict and straightforward. Those who wanted to practice typically sat cross-legged and often had mantras that they introduced into their meditations. This technique can still be used today.
However, with modern meditation, the technique can be much more flexible. The meditation can be practiced standing, sitting or even walking. Practitioners can meditate with a mantra or in complete silence. They can sit in quiet or they can listen to music or even put in headphones that walks them through the meditation process. The key difference with modern meditation is that it can change and adapt to fit the needs and preferences of the person practicing it.
Today, meditation is seen as a much more personal journey. There is no right way or wrong way to practice meditation. What is seen as an effective meditative practice for one person may not seem like meditation at all to another. It is all about the individual. Meditation has evolved in this way, much like most concepts evolve over thousands of years. However, it doesn’t mean that traditional meditation is outdated or ineffective—it is simply a different approach to achieving the same Zenful outcome.
Dhaval Patel
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