Whenever I talk about meditation with people, I often receive the same responses: "Meditation is too difficult." "I can't sit still." "I'm too busy." "I have no time." "I can't clear my mind."

Why is it that many find it so difficult to meditate?

This is because meditation has come to refer to practically any activity — from exercise to relaxation, prayer to contemplative thought, even to sleep. My sister-in-law once told me that drinking coffee is her form of meditation!

Also, some spiritual traditions teach that meditation should be difficult, and that only after devoting many years of arduous study and effort could anyone hope to achieve any success from its practice. All this misinformation detracts from the truth about what meditation really is: a simple, effortless process that's already occurring in our nervous systems each day.

Whether you're aware of it or not, you're meditating naturally every day as your mind transitions from its conscious states of waking, dreaming, and sleeping. As your mind shifts between these states, a brief, hardly noticeable "gap" of silence arises. Vedic wisdom holds the key to understanding the function and purpose of this "gap" as the simplest form of awareness, and the most natural state of consciousness that arises effortlessly in the mind.

The ancient Vedic text, the Mäëòükya Upaniñad, refers to these "gaps" as the fourth state of consciousness, known as turéya. Modern neuro-scientists call it transcendental consciousness, since its physiological characteristics transcend (go beyond) the sensory experience of waking, dreaming and sleeping states of consciousness. And Pataïjali referred to this same state of mind in his Yoga Sütras as that which allows us to "repose effortlessly in the Self (in the fourth state of consciousness, turéya)."

Recognizing that the mind naturally experiences these gaps in consciousness, the ancient seers of the Veda (the Åñis) developed a system of effortless meditation that enabled them to consciously invoke the fourth state and repose there for prolonged periods of time. Through extended periods of effortless meditation the Åñis refined their nervous systems to perfectly reflect the qualities of turéya and to function at peak performance levels that allowed them to enjoy sensitive, perceptive and highly developed lives in-tune with the laws of nature.

Though you may barely recognize these same precious moments in your daily life, the fourth state of consciousness benefits your mind-body system tremendously. Transcendental consciousness refines the nervous system, calming and soothing it with deep rest while simultaneously purifying it through elimination of toxins and stress. It also restores our balance with nature since the whole of creation also participates in these same waking, dreaming, sleeping and transcending states of consciousness.

When I practice Vedic meditation, I feel rejuvenated in body, mind & spirit, and more in-synch with nature. After meditating in the morning, I enjoy a relaxed sense of ease throughout the day. After meditating in the evening, I throw off the stress of the day to enjoy the remaining evening and then sleep soundly through the night. And now, after more than 34 years of daily meditation practice, I've noticed that I live a life more spontaneously supported by nature, where things run smoothly, and seem to naturally go my way. These same benefits are also shared by everyone, to a lesser degree, since everyone automatically experiences the fourth state on a daily basis. But, the benefits are more pronounced when you're intentionally engaged in practicing meditation.

The Blissful Wave Technique™ that allows you to consciously experience the fourth state of turéya and bring its healing effects more powerfully into your daily life. And the best part about learning it is that it doesn't take years to master the experience of settling into the depths of inner silence at the core of your Being. You'll experience transcendental consciousness with your first meditation and you'll begin to witness how much your life improves and positively transforms with its daily practice.

Then you'll no longer believe that meditation is "too difficult" for you!