Of everything on this site, meditation has the strongest evidence behind it and asks the least of you. No equipment, no cost, no belief required.
Meditation and mindfulness programmes have been studied in clinical trials more thoroughly than most complementary practices. The evidence is reasonably good for reductions in anxiety, depression and psychological stress, and there is supporting work on pain, sleep and blood pressure. The effects are moderate rather than miraculous, which is a fair description of most things that genuinely work.
Sit upright, on a chair or the floor. Set a timer for ten minutes. Close the eyes. Follow the breath — the feeling of air at the nostrils, or the rise and fall of the belly. When you notice the mind has wandered, return to the breath.
That noticing is the practice. People give up because they think a wandering mind means failure. It does not. The return is the repetition; the wandering is what makes the return possible.
Ten minutes daily for eight weeks is the dose used in most of the research. Same time, same place, every day.
Vipassana — systematic body scanning, taught free in ten-day residential courses across India. Trataka — steady gazing at a candle flame. Mantra — silent repetition of a syllable or phrase. Preksha — the Jain method of perception meditation. Yoga nidra — guided rest, which suits people who find sitting difficult.
The tradition describes seven principal chakras along the spinal axis, from muladhara at the base to sahasrara at the crown, each with an element, a colour and a set of qualities, and an aura surrounding the body.
I would put this honestly: these are not physical structures and no instrument has detected them. They are a map of inner experience, and as a map they are useful — the sensation of a tight throat when you cannot speak freely, or weight in the chest under grief, is real and the tradition names it well. Claims that auras can be photographed or read to diagnose disease do not hold up, and should not be relied on.
Intensive meditation, particularly long silent retreats, can be destabilising for some people. If you have a history of psychosis, bipolar disorder, or severe trauma, please talk to a mental health professional before undertaking one. Meditation is not a replacement for treatment of mental illness.
This site is a personal account and a record of traditional practice, shared for information. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a treatment for any disease. I am not a doctor.
If you are unwell — and especially if you have a serious illness such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease — please stay under the care of a qualified physician. Nothing here should replace or delay that care.