Meditation
Meditation is the practice of focusing attention on feeling calm and having a clear awareness about life. It can produce a state of relaxation that reduces heart rate, slows breathing, and lowers blood pressure.
Meditation usually involves slow, regular breathing and sitting quietly for 15 to 20 minutes. During meditation, a person may focus on a single image, sound, or mantra (words spoken or sung in a pattern). A person may focus on breathing. Some meditators do not focus on a single purpose but rather try to let all thoughts, feelings, sounds, or images just pass through their minds.
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 25, 2007 |
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Last Updated:
May 25, 2007
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