Although there are many ways to meditate and many different forms of meditation, they all share the characteristic of intentionally training a person's attention and concentration. Meditation practices are used by diverse cultures, are rooted in the traditions of the great religions, and have been practiced for thousands of years to promote healing. Evidence of meditation's health effects has been well documented: the practice offers improvement in the symptoms of various disease conditions in addition to the experience of a deeper spiritual connection.
The outcome of this certificate is for the learner to describe the types and practices of meditation, specific health effects, and the practice of mindfulness meditation.