Every bird locked in a cage wants to be set free and be able to spread its wings fully on a beautiful bright sky, except for the bird that does not know it lives in a cage. This is the way men live too. We need to learn about life during our entire lives, we are always seeking for answers and we need to understand its essence. According to Hindu belief our lives are an illusion. So for us to be freed from this powerful illusion we need to understand its nature.

It is said that everything around us is Maya (illusion), everything that manifests is Maya, forms are unstable, nothing is constant, the world, universe and all it represents are endless plays. This is a very interesting and confusing thought. It is a thought to be analysed and thought of deeply. As we understand the profoundness of this thought we try and search for a way to be liberated from this illusion and that can be done through mediation.

Meditation requires that we establish a regular practice, practice concentration and breathing meditation techniques. This should be the initial plan of everyone learning meditation. According to our everyday obligations we need to choose the period of time during the day, the location, whether in our homes or not, and begin meditating. With time and improvement the duration of the meditation needs to gradually increase.

Through meditation we can find relaxation. Everyone needs to have an object of meditation; it can be an image, a mantra, a mandala, the flame of a candle and so on. As in any other relaxation technique meditation also begin with breathing. The mind learns how to be mindful or observant. This is the first approach, accepting all types of feelings we have, whether they are positive or negative, not blocking our thoughts or emotions.

Whether we begin with an observant mind or a not, this phase will only lead us to having a focused mind. Some people begin in this stage of meditation. The second option of focusing our mind on a single thing involves deep thinking and reaching intuitive states and revelations.

Reaching this intuitive state will reveal the veil of Maya and show us our true Self. It is believed that the veiling power is created by the Supreme Consciousness called Maya. It is achieved when the mind is in deep calmness.

Raja Yoga also deals with meditation. In this form of meditation the mind is focused on one point and by following the eight steps one can achieve calmness. Is it a combination of religious observance, concentration, physical activity, self restraint and meditation.

It is important to know that the reason why meditation and yoga became popular on American land were the efforts of Swami Vivekenanda, Patanjali. This guru dedicated his life to practicing meditation and he also revitalized Hinduism in India. He was dedicated to spreading the knowledge and techniques of finding awareness and peace and the reason why we can learn how to reach the final state of meditation – blissful awareness. The body and mind are pure.