When it comes to meditation, it can be difficult to find the right approach. There are several different types of meditation from which to choose, ranging from mindfulness and self-compassion to loving-kindness and compassion. Each of these approaches has its own benefits and drawbacks. Sometimes you have to try different types of meditation to find the one that’s right for you.
Meditation is a great way to get out of your head and into the present moment, but if you’re like most people, it can be hard to find time for. If you’ve tried meditating before but didn’t stick with it, give it one more shot. Try a different type of meditation that better suits your personality and lifestyle.
Meditation is a pillar of all religions and spiritual practices. It’s true that there are as many types of meditation as there are religious sects, but each type has its own purpose and desired outcome. While it might seem daunting at first, there are certain steps you can take to find the best type
There are so many different types of meditation. How many? Who knows, but enough so that you can find the one that’s right for you. To get your search started, here are 6 types of meditation you can try.
1. Breath Awareness Meditation
It is Breath watching meditation. Can meditating be as simple as paying attention to your breath for a few minutes? You bet. Relax in whatever position works best for you, close your eyes, and start to pay attention to your breathing. Breathing through your nose gets your diaphragm involved and gets oxygen all the way to the bottom of your lungs. As your mind wanders, just re-focus your attention on the air going in and out of your nose. Just do this for several minutes, or longer as you get used to it.
2. Silent the Mind Meditation
Meditating can create a kind of “awareness without object,” an emptying of all thoughts from your mind. The techniques for doing this involve sitting still, often in a “full lotus” or cross-legged position, and letting the mind go silent on its own. It can be difficult, particularly since any effort seems to just cause more business in the min
3. Walking Meditation
This one gets the body involved. It can be outside or simply as a back and forth pacing in a room. Pay attention to the movement of your legs and breathing and body as you walk and to the feeling of your feet contacting the ground. When your mind wanders, just keep bringing it back to the process of walking and breathing. Meditating outside in this way can be difficult because of the distractions. If you do it outside, find a quiet place with level ground.
4. Mindfulness meditation
A practice Buddhists call vipassana or insight meditation, mindfulness is the art of becoming deeply aware of what is here right now. You focus on what’s happening in and around you at this very moment and become aware of all the thoughts and feelings that are taking your energy from moment to moment. You can start by watching your breath, and then move your attention to the thoughts going through your mind, the feelings in your body, and even the sounds and sights around you. The key is to watch without judging or analyzing.
5. Simple mantra meditation
Many people find it easier to keep their minds from wandering if they concentrate on something specific. A mantra can help. This is a word or phrase you repeat as you sit in meditation, and is chosen for you by an experienced master in some traditions. If you are working on this alone, you can use any word or phrase that works for you and can choose to either repeat it aloud or in your head as you meditate.
6. Meditating on a concept
Some meditative practices involve contemplation of an idea or scenario. An example is the “meditation on impermanence,” in which you focus on the impermanent nature of all things, starting with your thoughts and feelings as they come and go. In the Buddhist “meditation on the corpse,” you think about a body in the ground, as it slowly rots away and is fed on by worms. The technique is used to guide you to an understanding that your rationalizing mind might not bring you to.
What’s Next
There are many other meditations you can try, such as the “meditation on loving-kindness” or “object” meditation, and even meditating using brain wave entrainment products. Each type has its own advantages and effects. For this reason, you may find that at different times and for different purposes, you want to use several different types of meditation.
Although there are many different types of meditation, they all have one thing in common — the goal to help you relax and focus your mind. There are many different ways to go about meditating, but with practice, anyone can learn the skills needed to enter a deep state of spiritual peace.
No matter what type of meditation you choose, there are many advantages to mindfulness meditation. It can help you stop thinking about the past and future, let go of stress, enhance your concentration and focus, become a more loving person, reduce depression and anxiety disorders, improve your immune system function, and much more.
If you are interested in using meditation to help relieve stress, we recommend that you try our 6-week Group Meditation Program. This will guide you through the basics of meditating and give you some ideas for how it can be used to reduce anxiety and other common sources of stress.
It’s important to note that you don’t have to use only one type of meditation. At different times and for different purposes, you may want to use several different types of meditation.