"Meditation is polishing the mirror of awareness."
Rumi

What is Meditation?

Mediation is a state of focussed, objective awareness of the changing state of the mind-body phenomena as it presents itself moment to moment.

What is the need for meditation?

There are many, many benefits of a regular meditation practice. Many of these are documented via scientific research, some of which I will link to below.

But

How do I know that I am meditating?

One can not meditate. The effort has to be there just to sit still, whereby the body and the mind get stilled in spite of the barrage of thoughts and physical disturbances.

At the beginning journey of serious meditation, various disturbances will present themselves - both of the body and mind. But one needs to persevere to go beyond that till both the body and mind settle down. Physical disturbances are typically aches, pains, agitation. Mental disturbances are overwhelming thoughts of various nature - both disturbing and pleasurable.

When eventually the body settles down, the mind becomes quiet.

One of the way markers along the journey into deeper meditation is the state of acceptance of the various mind-body states.

Only then one can reach a point of making an effortless effort in truth observation.

Truthfully, deep meditation cannot be taught. One can be taught how to best sit to observe and can be repeatedly reminded to bring their awareness to their breath or to the bodily sensations, but no one can guide someone to deeper states of the mind.