What Even *Is* Meditation?

What Even Is Meditation? (And No, You Don’t Have to Sit on a Rock in Silence)

Meditation gets a lot of hype—and a lot of weird PR. Somewhere along the way, it became synonymous with sitting cross-legged in total stillness, thinking about nothing, while your inner monologue miraculously stops sounding like a to-do list set on fire. Spoiler: that’s not how it works. Meditation, at its core, is just the practice of paying attention. That’s it. You don’t have to levitate, chant in Sanskrit, or become one with the cosmos (unless you want to, in which case—carry on, cosmic traveler).

In naturopathic terms, meditation is a nervous system balm. It helps regulate cortisol, improves focus, and gives your poor overworked adrenal glands a moment to breathe. You can sit in silence, walk slowly, breathe deeply, or even stir your tea mindfully while pretending you're in a moody indie film. The point is presence, not perfection. So next time your brain feels like 32 browser tabs open at once, try meditating—even if it's just for two minutes. No incense required.