What is Meditation Anyway?
Talk by Geoff Hunt, 2007

Since the UK (and the West generally) has no long tradition of meditation there is a widespread misunderstanding of what is meant by 'meditation'.

A common idea is that it is relaxation. For example, sitting in silence, perhaps resting in one's breathing, is thought to be 'meditation' by many people. This is the kind of thing that is usefully encouraged in prenatal clinics with pregnant women. It also has a role in 'anger management'. It certainly helps some people as a temporary and quick-fix method to relax and lower blood pressure. It is a very simple technique, and requires no teacher. Just sit in silence and rest yourself in your own breathing. Even 5 or 10 minutes could help. It might be a helpful thing to do before one begins meditation.

There are some 'teachers' or groups (some are even funded organisations) which promote this misunderstanding. Some present themselves as 'meditation teachers' or 'yoga teachers' or even 'Zen teachers'. It does not necessarily do any harm if relaxation is called 'meditation'. The more people relax, in non-harmful ways, the better it is for everyone. But, since it is not meditation in the sense of the two thousand years or more of a spiritual and life-changing practice developed in the East, which we may call 'Dharma meditation', it could occasionally cause harmful confusion.

Consider for yourself whether this 'relaxation meditation' could become harmful if:

1) a person or group presents itself as having some special skill or knowledge as a 'meditation/yoga teacher' or group, without having made any study of what 'meditation' is, particularly if it charges money for this or makes some other material gain.
2) it misleads people who, thinking they know what meditation is, close the door on the possible benefits of the Dharma.
3) sitting in silence, trying to 'be' one's breathing, promotes the emergence of uncontrollable, disturbed thoughts and feelings.

The Dharma involves the sustained practice of concentration and/or insight meditation in the context of ethical and mental re-orientation, preferably in a community of like-minded people. It is not always relaxing. But why should enlightenment be relaxing?

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