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Our Health Library information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Please be advised that this information is made available to assist our patients to learn more about their health. Our providers may not see and/or treat all topics found herein.

Meditation

Meditation is a practice that involves focusing your attention and becoming more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and what is happening around you. People use meditation to help them relax, manage stress, and feel more present in their daily lives.

Two common types of meditation are concentrative and mindful.

  • Concentrative meditation, such as transcendental meditation (TM), focuses on a single image, sound, or mantra (words spoken or sung in a pattern), or on your own breathing.
  • Mindful meditation, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), does not focus on a single purpose. Rather, you are aware of all thoughts, feelings, sounds, or images that pass through your mind.

Meditation is often practiced while sitting or lying quietly in a comfortable position. You can practice for just a few minutes at a time or for longer periods, depending on what works best for you.

Why It Is Used

People use meditation to help with a wide range of problems, including:

  • Drug, alcohol, tobacco, and nicotine use.
  • Anxiety, stress, and depression.
  • Pain.

Most of these conditions may also require conventional treatment for best results.

People also use meditation to relieve anxieties from long-term (chronic) conditions such as HIV and cancer.

Risks

Since meditation usually involves sitting quietly for a period of time and breathing deeply, anyone who cannot sit comfortably or who has respiratory problems may have difficulty practicing meditation. Some people with certain mental health conditions may find meditation hard to do or may benefit from practicing with help from a mental health professional. And meditation can increase feelings of anxiety for some people.

For most people, meditation is not thought to have any negative side effects or complications alone or when combined with conventional medical treatment. But it is not considered appropriate or safe for acute, life-threatening situations.

Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment. It may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and rely only on an alternative therapy.

Credits

Current as of: February 27, 2026

Author: WebMD Ignite Staff
Clinical Review Board
All WebMD Ignite education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Top of the page

Current as of: February 27, 2026

Author: WebMD Ignite Staff

Clinical Review Board
All WebMD Ignite education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

This content has been reviewed by the experienced ophthalmologists with Pediatric Ophthalmology & strabismus Associates.