All of us are aware of the practice of meditation.
One way or another, we have been witnesses to how it is performed and how it is done.
May it be on television, pictures or in actual live demonstrations, it is almost impossible for a person to not know what meditation is and what it looks like.
However, in spite of this, many people out there are not at all familiar with when and where the practice started.
Most people are disinterested and do not care because they feel that meditation still has value to them even if they do not know where it came from and what it represents.
And while there are many benefits when you meditate, it is important that we know when its origin in order to grasp its concept and fully tap meditation's true potential.
Early Years The early years of meditation is shrouded in mystery as no one can accurately say the date of when this type of practice started and who started it first.
However, there are many varying accounts in ancient texts that suggest that it first happened around 1500 BC when Hindus stared at a fire.
After a while they noticed that staring blankly at the fire brought about good effects such as relaxation.
This then became the start of a practice that is to be known as meditation.
Spiritual Versus Non-spiritual View As meditation gains in prominence, many religions use the practice of meditation as a means to be closer to God or the doctrine that they preach.
However, during the early 1950s many people became aware that the benefits meditation give to people can be also enjoyed physically.
This gave rise to the modern view of meditation as a relaxation technique and not just as a religious practice.
With this, people are free to choose for what reason they want to meditate.