Meditation is falling in tune with nature, with Existence. This is your natural state, your true state of bliss. This is connecting with the Ultimate Consciousness.

You see, the universe or the macrocosm is made up of the five elements – earth, water, fire, air and space. In the same way, the body, the microcosm, is also made up of the same five elements. We can relate to the macrocosm, the Whole, the Divine, through any or all of these five elements. The microcosm can experience the macrocosm by relating with these five elements that pervade both.

Relating to the macrocosm through the earth element is worshipping through idols or deities. Deities are made of the earth element, such as clay, brass, copper, etc. So worshipping through them is worshipping through the earth element.

Relating through the water element is offering abhishekas, holy baths to deities, or bathing ourselves in holy rivers. Relating through the fire element is performing homas, fire rituals. Relating through the air element is chanting mantras, divine chants. Relating through the space element is meditation. Through these five ways, we can relate to the macrocosm.

Out of the five elements, space is the only element that can reflect consciousness. The four grosser elements, earth, water, fire and air, cannot relate with or cannot reflect consciousness. Only space can reflect consciousness. And the way to relate with space energy is meditation.

Any technique, any method which raises your consciousness is meditation. Meditation can even be a simple breathing technique. It can be a simple repetition of a word or simply sitting. In the Zen tradition, just sitting is meditation. You may think this is the easiest thing to do but in fact, just sitting is the most difficult meditation. Anything can become meditation if it raises your consciousness.

Meditation is just being blissful in the moment. When you are at complete peace in the present moment, you are already in a state of meditation. 

Recall any moment in your life when you have experienced extreme beauty: the sun rising suddenly from behind a mountain, or the first time you heard a lovely piece of music. Suddenly you became totally still, wordless. In the presence of that beauty you became spellbound, you couldn’t think any more. You were just silent, relaxed, in thoughtless awareness. You were completely dissolved in that beauty. That moment was meditation! After a few moments your inner chatter started again. Your mind said, ‘What a beautiful sunrise!’ The moment the words appeared, you were out of meditation! You can either think or meditate. You can never do both. Meditation is just being. It is experiencing the present moment without resistance.

source: Living Enlightenment