Meditation is an age-old practice of inner focus. In the past, it was associated with monks and sages who were on a quest for enlightenment. Today, meditation has spread to the masses as more people seek the calm and clarity that only a moment of internal quiet can provide.
One factor helping to popularize meditation is proof. For most of the 20th century, science was skeptical of such subjects. In the last few years, however, several studies have been able to validate and verify some of the benefits of meditation.