Types Of Meditation
TYPES OF MEDITATION
There are many different types of meditation, each with their own emphasis. I recommend trying a few different types out to see what works best for you.
Different types of meditation
Transcendental meditation: “TM is a passive and relaxing process. While practicing, one uses a mantra (in this case, a monosyllabic sound) to help the mind transcend the process of thought.” (Need a specific trained practitioner for this)
Mindfulness meditation: involves being aware of the mind and its thoughts as you gently redirect and refocus to the present moment. Not controlling thoughts, recognizing them and redirecting them to a specific focus of the present moment (like your breath).
Mantra meditation: Involves picking a mantra of your choice and repeating it. Mala beads can be a useful tool for this.
Zen meditation: Working on thinking about nothing (goal is to reach nirvana-like state)
Guided vs unguided: Guided meditation is led by someone else walking you through one of the types of meditation. This can be a useful tool for beginners. Unguided meditations (also called silent meditation) can be useful for someone who has already developed a practice. It involves the person sitting in silence and observing/redirecting their own thoughts and feelings and sensations. A meditation timer can be useful for this.
Focused attention: Focusing on your breath as an anchor. This is a simple and straightforward way to redirect your wandering mind.
Body scan: Focusing your attention on the sensations of your body -- starting at the top or bottom of your body and noting any of the sensations that arise. You can practice some non-judgment by noting them and not giving them any particular meaning. You can also go through a progressive relaxation of your body through your body scan.
Noting: This can be a useful practice to create space between thoughts and the present moment. This practice involves you observing what thoughts/emotions arise, naming them “thought” or “emotion” and then letting them go as you redirect to the present moment. Sometimes this can shed some light on frequent patterns we fall into.
Visualization: This involves visualizing a person or thing and drawing your attention to that. This technique is similar to focusing your attention on your breath. I will often visualize something that brings me joy, like a special spot in nature or my dogs or a friend or family member
Loving kindness (metta) : The practice of sending positive energy and good vibes to ourselves and others (including those we love dearly but also those we don’t know or don’t necessarily like). This can be helpful to get me out of a bad mood or help me get out of a cycle where I am ruminating about an interaction or situation.
Reflection mediation: This is often where a gratitude meditation would fall. You ask yourself questions and note the answers.
Yoga meditation: Kundalini or the practice of savasana are two examples.
Chakra meditation: Chakra meditation focuses on the energy pathways or chakras in our body. It works on clearing and opening them through breathwork and visualization
Soundbath meditation: This is the use of sound bowls and other vibrational musical instruments to create relaxation and focused energy in the body
Concentration vs mindfulness: You can’t be mindful without having concentration but concentration doesn’t necessarily mean that you are practicing mindfulness.
“To begin practicing concentration in meditation, you can set a timer on your phone and practice counting your breath. Start at 1, count to 10, and then go back to 1 again. Do this in a loop for 10–15 minutes, twice a day, and see how your concentration improves. Mindfulness begins with not judging yourself for where your mind wanders. Remember, be gentle.” - Joshua Schultz, Psy.D.
These are very general breakdowns. Meditation and mindfulness have a deeply rich history intertwined in many different cultures, religious beliefs, and spiritual practices. This is intended to be the tip of the iceberg in your understanding.
I recommend checking out some of these apps/resources to try out some different types of guided meditations:
Headspace
Insight Timer
Calm
Most common workout apps now have some basic meditations (Peloton App, Fitton App etc. )
YouTube
https://positivepsychology.com/differences-between-mindfulness-meditation/
