By definition, Meditation is the process of quieting the mind in pursuit of achieving relaxation and the gathering of all your thoughts and awareness to reach inner peace. Usually, meditation is done through focusing on something in particular like sound, image or feeling. Just like there are many forms of yoga, so too there are various ways to meditate. There are many types of ancient practices known as meditations as well.

Mantra Meditation: whereas the usually breathing technique is utilized to gain focus to meditate, mantra meditation is also more or less similar to this technique. Instead of focusing on breathing, you focus on a mantra. The mantra could be a word, a phrase or even a syllable.

Yoga Meditation: “Focus on the here and the now”- the motto of yoga meditation furthers the idea of amalgamation of yogic motion with a peaceful calm and controlled breathing.

Chakra Meditation: In Sanskrit, Chakra literally means wheel or cycle. This kind of meditation involves keeping the body’s chakras open and aligned. The various main chakras involved are- Root Chakra, Sacral Chakra, Solar Plexus Chakra, Heart Chakra, Throat Chakra, third eye chakra and crown chakra. The main purpose of this form of meditation is to ensure that the channel through which energy flows remains open and without obstruction.

Qigong Meditation: this form of meditation comes from the lands of ancient China. This practice involves harnessing energy or ‘Qi’ in the body. Whereas energy flowing into the body is considered to heal the body and the outward flow of energy is believed to heal another person.

Mindfulness, therapy for the soul:

 In its simplest term, Mindfulness means being aware of the present moment. “Everything is eternally right here right now”. This is a psychological process to gear up attention to live in the present moment. Mindfulness is synonymous with what was previously known as the practices of gestalt therapy. It works as the medium to develop self-knowledge and wisdom leading to Darth Vader’s dark side of relaxation and calmness.

Darth Vader and Mindfulness:

The period of the Dark Lord’s meditation is remarkably distinct in the peculiarities that he followed to reach the absolute state of tranquility. Drawing his strength from the dark side sounds like breaking the conventions and popular notions of meditation. His ways only further the idea that Darth Vader is the embodiment of ‘true evil’.

Meditation in the World of Star Wars:

Where do you go when you meditate?”

“To a state of mind and body, where I reacquaint myself with simplicity.”

―Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi

Intro 

In the world of Star Wars, meditation was used by both the Force-sensitives and non-force sensitives. It was used as a mental technique to transcend into a deeper state of relaxation and awareness.

 Darth Vader, being a dark lord of the Sith Order has one of the most savage and violent roles in the galaxy. It comes with no surprise that even the most prodigious among them like the dark lord himself looks forward to a deserving “me time” meditation. However brief, a respite in the form of Mindfulness Meditation is most welcome in the tiresome, dry and sundry life of a Sith. Vader has a state-of-the-art meditation chamber.

Purpose

The purpose of meditation for the Sith order is very similar to mindfulness meditation. They meditate in order to regain their strength, sharpen their mind and heal themselves. Sith invokes the darkest of thoughts from their memories and negative energies like some traumatic memory and the desire for vengeance to resuscitate themselves through meditation. The Sith were able to anchor on their anger, pain, and fear like an endless ladder to become all the more powerful.

Consequence

Eventually, they start becoming arrogant and foolish as a result of overwhelming power. Many of the ancient Sith lords harness the combat skills of battle meditations. The form of meditation in the Jedi Order is altogether different from the Sith order. The Jedi were primarily aligned to compassion, mercy, honesty, self-sacrifice – in other words, their approach was quite simpler. Jedi idea of meditation was genuinely concerned with the ideas of good like generosity, wisdom as opposed to the evil, harm and hatred like the Sith. In order to achieve harmony with the light-side of the universe, the Jedi will usually sit in meditation.

This will allow them, to purge themselves of emotions, particularly of cynical emotions such as aggression, rage, hatred, and anger since these negative emotive forces have the potential to lead a Jedi to the path of a Sith. Within the Jedi order, meditation is considered to be the leading principle for mastering oneself. This is known as the third pillar of the Jedi path. Mastering the forces without mastering self-discipline will be impossible. The council of first knowledge created a regime consisting of five sessions of meditations a day within the order. Their further goal of self-discipline was met through this concentrated regimen of meditation. They utilized every spare moment to meditate seeking deeper meaning from life.

Retreat

Darth Vader would retreat to his chamber in solitary confinement, take off his mask and helmet to enjoy his well-deserved downtime. He would then contemplate on his life shutting down everything around him to draw his power from the dark side of power. The meditation form of the Sith also comprised many forms of visualization- one of which is practicing one’s skill in the mind, see yourself maneuver through the attacks of the enemy to become more efficient in combat.

So, let me ask you if someday you come upon a magic door and you opened the door only to find that you have crossed the thresholds of your reality and there’s a war in the stars, what emotions would you draw upon? Would you be more like the Jedi and draw your power from the deep-seated calmness of your mind? Will you be more like the Sith and draw upon the power of dark-side by raging through the stillness of mindfulness and arrive at the calmness hitherto unknown?

Conclusion

Mindfulness Meditation – do you feel know, you too can ”feel the force” after some Mindfulness Meditation? Did you enjoy reading our blog?

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MINDFULNESS: A Practical Guide on How Mindfulness Can Stop Anxiety, Cope with Stress, Improve Mental Health and Find Inner Peace

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