The True Meaning of Meditation: Beyond Posture and Technique

Jiaoshi Andrea
Nov 1
4 min read

One of my students recently asked me to make a video about the correct meditation posture, and although I could have easily demonstrated the physical aspect, I realized that the question goes much deeper.Meditation is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the modern spiritual landscape.

For many, it has become synonymous with concentration, visualization, or the recitation of mantras. Others associate it with religious imagery or cultural rituals. But real meditation has nothing to do with any of these things.It is not a technique — it is a state of being.

The Simplicity of Posture

When I first began my path, I came from years of Buddhist practice, studying Vajrayana and Dzogchen under a teacher. I would wake up early every morning, sit in the full lotus posture, and dedicate hours to recitation, visualizations, and tantric exercises.Later, when I entered the path of Nei Qi Gong, I discovered something radically different. The meditation posture was simple — one leg in front of the other, the spine naturally straight, the head gently suspended toward the sky. There was no tension, no effort to look “spiritual.”

Through experience, I understood that crossing the legs tightly in full lotus created unnecessary pressure and tension — and tension blocks energy. The internal expansion of Qi, the flow of vital energy within the body, requires openness, not strain.This realization taught me that even in the body, less is more. The simplest posture allows the deepest stillness to emerge.

Meditation as a Natural State

In Nei Qi Gong, meditation is not separate from the practice of energy cultivation. It is, in fact, the most natural and refined state in which Qi can move freely and transform. But to reach that state, we must first stop treating meditation as an exercise to perform.When we sit to meditate, what we are really doing is learning to observe ourselves without interference. We give our full attention to what is happening in that moment — not to control it, but to discover it.

Just like when we first learn to drive a car, our attention is fully engaged with the pedals, the steering, the gears. Later, once the skill becomes natural, we can drive while listening to music or talking with a friend. The same happens with meditation: at first we sit to practice, but eventually that state of awareness extends to our entire life.True meditation is not limited to the cushion. It becomes a shift in perception — a change in where we live from, rather than what we do.

The Misunderstanding of Modern Meditation

Today, meditation has become a commercial product. There are apps, branded techniques, and endless variations promising relaxation or enlightenment. While these may offer some benefit, they often miss the essence.Meditation is not about achieving a result or escaping discomfort — it’s about returning to what is already here, before the mind begins to interpret it.

When we seek it too hard, we lose it. The very act of looking prevents the natural relaxation that allows it to appear. Real meditation cannot be forced. It is discovered when we stop searching and simply rest in the awareness that is already present.

Beyond the Tool

Every meditation method — whether it involves a mantra, a visualization, or breath awareness — is only a tool. The problem begins when we mistake the tool for the destination.If you take a boat to reach the ocean, you must eventually leave the boat behind. But many practitioners keep carrying it on their back, attached to the form, the belief, or the image of the practice itself.

The same applies to Nei Qi Gong. It is a tool — a profound and powerful one — but still a tool. The goal is not the tool itself, but what it reveals. All genuine paths, no matter their cultural background, ultimately lead to the same destination: the rediscovery of our true self, the awareness that has no shape, no name, no boundaries.

Returning to the Source

For me, meditation has become the natural background of life. Whether sitting, walking, or working, there is a silent presence behind all movement — something alive, still, and aware.This, I believe, is the essence of true meditation: not an activity to perform, but the recognition of what is already herewhen the mind becomes quiet and the heart relaxes.

So, to my student who asked about posture — and to anyone seeking to understand meditation — remember this:The posture matters only to the extent that it allows the energy to flow and the awareness to rest. Beyond that, everything else is simplicity.

Meditation is not something you do.It is something you are.