Meditation has so many positive and profound effects on the body, mind, emotions and spirit. It cleanses the mind in the same way taking a calm, relaxing bath cleanses the body. When we meditate, we turn inward, away from the chaos and stimuli of our environment, which can be a very stressful place in this modern-day age, especially if you live in a busy city.
By sitting down to meditate each and every day, you’re calming your nervous system, allowing the mind and body to relax and simply be. (Why meditate daily?) Simply being is one way to connect to your essential human nature, your true essence, your higher Self. In meditation, we gradually become witness to our thoughts–seeing them come and go like clouds passing in the sky. As we develop this witness state, we also learn the art of non-attachment to our thoughts.
Becoming a master of our thoughts as we develop this non-attachment ultimately leads to mastery over our ego. The more we meditate, the more we direct our thoughts inward, toward self-knowledge and liberation, rather than outward toward the impermanent world of the senses. (What can meditation tell me about myself?)
In meditation, we reside more and more in our essential nature, rather than in a restless mental state. This allows us to see reality more clearly, while also helping us get in touch with the world, just as it is in the present moment. Rather than living in the past or future, and missing out on our own lives in the process, we learn how to be present with all we feel, see and experience. The good, the bad and the ugly.
We learn how to love our true Self, what Patanjali calls the Atman. The more we love our own true selves, the more we love everyone else for what they truly are. We are all one. We are all Atman.