Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as
mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or
activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear
and emotionally calm and stable state.
Meditation is practiced in numerous religious traditions. The earliest
records of meditation (dhyana) are found in the Upanishads of Hindu
philosophy, and meditation plays a salient role in the contemplative
repertoire of Buddhism and Hinduism.Since the 19th century, Asian
meditative techniques have spread to other cultures where they have also
found application in non-spiritual contexts, such as business and health.