Meditation is not mystical. Though many religious traditions, especially in the east, encourage regular meditation as part of communion with the divine, there is nothing inherently spiritual about the process of meditation, and people from all spiritual backgrounds and all walks of life can learn to meditate.

Meditation is not pseudoscience. On the same note, the physical benefits of meditation are very real and have been established by psychologists through clinical research. Regular meditation reduces your adaptation level - basically, the level of physical tension that your muscles usually carry as you go about your daily business. Many of us have an unnecessarily high adaptation level which keeps us in readiness for fight-for-flight at any time. By reducing our adaptation level, we reduce the physical strain on our muscles and organs, and make positive changes in our body chemistry.

Meditation is not gymnastics. No complex physical contortions of any kind are necessary for meditation. As a matter of fact, your brain naturally passes through a state very similar to meditation when you are lying in bed on your way to falling asleep. Meditation can be practiced in almost any physical position, but should usually be learned and used when you are as comfortable as possible and can fill your lungs completely while breathing.

Meditation is not a substitute for sleep. Though meditating at regular intervals throughout the day can help you make more effective use of your energy, reduce sleep toxins in the bloodstream and allow you to remain alert for longer periods of time, meditation cannot be used as a replacement for sleep. On the contrary, meditation often allows you to sleep more deeply and get more rest because the body is prepared to submerge into deep sleep without a long period of cooling down from the day beforehand. This can mean less tossing and turning and more REM sleep, which is vital for maintaining health.