Meditation enables you to create new attitudes and responses to life, giving you a clear spiritual understanding of yourself. Meditation is the process of re-discovering, enjoying and using the positive qualities sometimes latent within you. Like any skill, it requires practice to achieve positive and satisfying results. By doing a little every day it soon becomes a natural and easy habit, which generously rewards you for the small amount of effort it involves.

Meditation is an effective technique to quiet and calm the mind, as preparation for God's inspiration. Meditation is not an alternative to Christ as a means to salvation, but only a method of spiritual discipline like prayer and fasting. For Christians, meditation can be considered a form of worship, centred in love. Through this method we can recharge ourselves and create positive changes in all aspects of our life.

Meditation involves contemplating something which takes our attention beyond the random thought activity that is usually going on in our minds. Contrary to what many believe, contemplative meditation is not about emptying the mind of all thoughts - that is virtually impossible for most people. Instead it's about consciously slowing the mental process to eliminate negativity and focus on positive thoughts and ideas.

Simple to do, it involves finding a quiet place to be alone to relax and spend time in thoughtful guided meditation. Ensure you are sitting comfortably and wearing comfortable clothing.

In the 'silence' that is created and sustained by meditating on positive thoughts, we start to know ourselves as God knows us. In a gentle and loving way strengths and weaknesses are identified and a process of self-healing and transformation begins. As we transform mentally and emotionally, our relationships with others also improve. We become more tolerant, understanding, co-operative and more of a team player.

At least ten minutes of meditation once or twice a day, preferably first thing in the morning and then in the evening before bed to relax the mind before sleep, is extremely beneficial to maintaining balance and a strong sense of inner peace and connection with the Lord, no matter what is happening around you.