It’s 8 AM, my coffee drips through the filter and I’m preparing my lunch for the afternoon. I’m feeling a bit stressed and excited. The feeling most of us experience before an important event. Today my final aviation exam, from 14 written ones, is about to start. Because it is my second to last chance I’m slightly more nervous than usual. Luckily I have 10 minutes left to meditate, I make myself comfortable and close my eyes…

Meditation, the old tradition of Buddhism has become more popular in the West in recent years. Research even shows that 1 in 10 people in the US practice some kind of meditation. An unfortunate effect is that some see meditation as another hype. Others will prejudge it as nonsense, something only for the spiritual.

Nothing could be further from the truth. It is scientifically proven by dozens of studies that meditation provides cognitive as well as psychological benefits. A recent study on a mindfulness meditation found increased gray-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness. Participants even reported reductions in stress and anxiety.

Backing this up with my own experiences I want to share some of my insights about the practice of meditation. My exam that day went better than expected and that wasn’t the only time it helped me through important events.

In this article I will describe a meditation technique that gets you started as well as other advanced techniques. I will also give background information so you can gain a better understanding about what meditation conveys.