Meditation

Meditation roots in prehistoric times, when civilizations used repetitive, rhythmic chants and offerings to appease the gods/goddesses, meditation was to help them get closer and in contact with them or with spirits and elements. Meditation and concentrate relaxation changes the brain waves and the subconscious dominates. This, if the meditation deep and focused enough, can help and ensure a contact with the higher powers and enlightenment as Buddha had.
Meditation chants and techniques promote relaxation, increasing internal energy (also called ki, chi, prana, etc.) and develop compassion, love, generosity, patience and forgiveness. To its practitioners, meditation enables to enjoy an indomnitable sense of well-being, while engaging in any life-activity.

Meditation often involves an
internal effort from the practitioner to self regulate the mind. It helps to clear the mind, to ease many health-issues, such as high blood-pressure, depression, fatigue, anxiety, high blood sugar level and hostility to name a few.
  Meditation can be done sitting, standing, supine, lotus position; Buddhist monks involve instance meditation in their everyday activities. Naturists and wiccans sometimes do meditation outside in forests or forest glades, or beside lakes, oceans or next to fire. They also chant, or sing sometimes, to the gods, goddesses or to the elements and spirits. Shamans and wiccans can use incense during meditation (prayers or ceremonies) and shamans also use drums and dance to contact with the higher spirits (ecstasy).
As you see meditation and contact to gods can even be done by dancing or singing a song from the heart & soul. 

With meditation you can understand the divine and spiritual forces of life and it helps you to re-unite to the great spirit from which we all came and are all joined together.  It helps you day to day and helps you to find answers. You will gain different perspectives of life in your everyday situations, so you can handle stress better and your self-awareness will increase. :)

Meditation - Buddha

lotus position: it's adopted in meditation to allow the body to hold completely steady for a long time. This allows the mind to calm. Lotus position (asana) applies pressure on lower-spine to facilitate relaxation.

Lotus Photo by Wiki