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There are many different Buddhist traditions and each tradition teaches meditation in its own way, with its own unique emphasis.

That said, most Buddhist meditation techniques bring the practitioner into awareness of what is actually happening in the mind from moment to moment.

Some traditions ask practitioners to follow or count the breath (inhalations and exhalations). This helps calm the mind so that the practitioner can see thoughts arise and fall away.

Other traditions ask students to label or name the contents of the mind (”thinking of dinner” “back pain” “worrying about email”). Again, this helps the student see how the mind takes us away from attention to the moment.

Other traditions use imagery of people, objects, events, or colors to train the mind. As thoughts and feelings intrude into this imagery, students become more aware of how the mind functions.

No matter which technique is used (and there are many other techniques), students ultimately become familiar with their own minds and can see how the mind produces suffering. This familiarity helps practitioners let go of suffering and move into a state of ease and joy.