Meditation can be integrated with "brain storming," as a problem-solving method. In the workplace, a co-worker who is not emotionally involved in the problem, will come up with a solution right away. This is because the co-worker took a "fresh look" at the problem.

The same can happen to you. If you take a break from any problem, and come back to it later, you may also see the solution right away. At night, it is best to write a problem down and leave it on the kitchen table, where you usually sit.

When you wake up the following morning, you may have a solution or discover the problem was not that big after all. This is a great method to avoid non-productive worrying, and find solutions, if your subconscious mind successfully solves the problem while you sleep.

Here is another focusing method, which will cause rapid progress in any direction of life. Keeping track of records, statistics, or goals, is a written progress report.

You can do the same thing for any aspect of life. This can be applied to your mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, or financial well being.

This progress report method measures results and causes people, and organizations, to break records. This same concept is used by elite athletes, who go after long-standing bench marks, with the power of visualization.

You do not have to make yourself crazy with competitive drive. All you have to do is refer to your own bench marks on a daily, weekly, or monthly, basis. By monitoring your progress, you will notice your measured results will improve.

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Meditation is a common term and a common technique used to concentrate mind on studies, work or worship etc. Everybody has an experience on this. But when meditation is used to keep body and mind healthy, it has a deeper meaning. Again when it is used to realize the spiritual truth it has a still more deeper meaning.

Let us understand meditation so far as keeping body and mind healthy or keeping body and mind under one's control. We are living in a competitive world. We are competing with each other for moving upwards in social status and to gain money and power more and more. Mind and body are overworked and remains under constant stress. We gain materially but we loose control over the body and mind. As a result body gets diseased and mind looses sleep, peace and happiness. The right solution to get over all these problems is meditation. Meditation only calms down this overworked body and mind.

Meditation is a method/technique in order to concentrate mind. But the question is on which mind should be concentrated upon? In order to get right answer we should understand meditation in the context of Yoga. Meditation is the seventh limb of Patanjali Yoga. The aim of Yoga is to realise the inner self or true self. Meditation is the method to achieve that. So if we accept meditation as a part of Yoga then its aim should be to realize the true self.

One cannot concentrate mind on true self unless one understands that in meditation - meditator, meditation and meditated(object of meditation0 are one and the same. The process of meditation cannot begin unless we believe that meditator, meditation and meditated are one. One should concentrate on oneself. Only then one shall get the result of meditation. In meditation we move from gross body and mind to subtle body and mind. We move from outer world to inner world. We reach to our inner self or true self. In that state there is none other than you. There is no other object or no other individual.

There is no dualism. One attains one's pure or blissful state. This is the true home of all. In deep sleep one experience it everyday. Deep sleep is the most peaceful, blissful and refreshing state. Everybody experiences it everyday. The joy of food, drink, sex or wealth is very very less than the joy one gets from deep sleep. However in deep sleep we are in a sleeping state. We enter into this state unknowingly. But in meditation we enter into this state knowingly. Naturally we shall get more joy, happiness and bliss.

This method of meditation relies on the control of your breathing. Make yourself comfortable and follow these easy steps, each step can be held for as long as you see fit. (This method is my own personal method adapted from the Buddhist Breath Meditation methods).

1. Start by taking long breaths, whilst thinking "re" on the in-breath and "lax" on the out-breath. Making sure to hold both the "re" and the "lax" for as long as the breath.

2. Whilst taking the same long breaths, become aware of each in and out breath.

3. While breathing in and out, take notice of the comfortableness of the breath. Notice whether the breath feels narrow, free, even, uneven etc. If the breaths don't feel comfortable, then alter your breathing until they do. When you reach a comfortable point of breath, make sure you continue this style of breathing, allowing this sensation to spread to all corners of your body.

For example, inhale whilst focusing on the base of the skull and letting it flow down your spine, down your leg and to the sole of your foot and toes. On the next breath, allow it to travel from the base of your skull down over both your shoulders, past your elbows and wrists and to the tips of your fingers. Feel free to construct your own paths between the corners of your body.

4. This step centers around the adjustment of your breathing. There are four basic ways to alter your breath;

- IN long, OUT long
- IN short, OUT short
- IN short, OUT long
- IN long, OUT short

Alternate between these different breathing techniques till you find the most comfortable for you.

5. Whilst breathing in your most comfortable way, become familiar with the points of your breath, which seem most comfortable. For example, this point could be the tip of your nose, or the base of the throat etc. When you become familiar with this point, center your consciousness on this point. The main point here is to be at ease with your breath.

6. Spread this awareness/sense of consciousness as broadly as possible throughout your body, allowing them to flow together comfortably.

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