Meditation itself is simply the process of quieting our mind. Gradually, your mind
becomes calmer. The "chatter" that's often there becomes less. And you start to move
mentally to a more tranquil place.
Sometimes meditation is described as reaching a higher state of consciousness. This can
come about because our mind is less cluttered and therefore we start to notice things that
would ordinarily pass us by. For instance, whilst meditating we may tune in more to the
sounds around us, whether they are the urban sounds of traffic and people talking or more
rural sounds such as bird song or the running water of a stream.
Oftentimes by concentrating on these sounds we can go deeper into a meditative state.