Meditation is training the mind to focus. All meditation isn’t the same. Just as all vitamins aren’t the same or, say, ice cream — different types, but taste, feel, and look different from one another.
There are three basic approaches to meditation, according to the sciences. They are:
- Focused attention — the concentration form of meditation
- Open monitoring — involves different mindfulness techniques
- Self-transcending — to rise above or beyond a constructed notion of who we are and, also, who we can be
So, is it awkward to struggle with different thoughts during meditation? Think of the mind as a monkey. It wanders just about the whole place until you tame it. Always in a state of disorder on the surface but yearns for some inner calm or clarity.
The different types of meditation have different benefits including improved self-control, reduced stress and anxiety. But, how do you know the best one for you?
The Different Types of Meditation
Many meditation practices lead to this state of calm, but let’s take a look at some types of meditation.
Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness is connecting to your most natural state of being and entering into your most resourceful state. It’s simply connecting thoughts to the present moment. This form of awareness could go with your day-to-day routines like laundry, house cleaning, or dishwashing.
You’re 100% consumed by the activity such that you’ve defeated distractions. Although this may be true, you’ll soon find that it’s almost impossible to eliminate your entire thought during meditation. Then again, you can take time to focus on your breathing to return to the present.
You advisably start with this practice in your early meditation days and redirect thoughts back to breathing when you get distracted. It becomes easier to sustain attention for any activity over time. This type of meditation is beneficial to people without an instructor.
Spiritual meditation
Spiritual meditation connects the mind with something vaster than the subject itself. It engages your spirit and, sometimes, speech with a supernatural being above the depth of the mind.
Spiritual meditation has to be a consistent habit of honest self-reflection, potent and active. It’s practiced in different ways in different religions. The gifts are spiritual awareness and confidence. The path to these benefits takes time and discipline. There’s a common misconception that spiritual meditation leads to the attainment of “superpowers.” Such belief leads to a strong desire for magic and miracles. Rather than an appreciation of the present and a disposition to do good.
What could be more magical and miraculous than the air we breathe, sunshine and rain, and the different kinds of undeserved blessings? It’s suitable for those who seek spiritual growth.
Focused meditation
Focused meditation is concentration through any of the five senses. You can focus on external manifestations to help stabilize your attention, like family history, inheritance, or something internal like your pulse.
It can be hard to retain focus without being distracted. However, you have to come back to the practice when you eventually lose focus. This kind of meditation is ideal for people who can be careless with their thoughts and require extra focus.
Walking meditation
Walking meditation inspires you to focus your awareness on each footstep taken. The movement (each lifting, lowering, feeling of feet on the earth, and fresh air in the lungs) encourages a sense of mind-body awareness. It includes all forms of gentle pacing, gardening, and hiking.
They are a great way to restore your energy just from connecting with nature. Walking meditation can be good for busy minds, people who find peace focusing on the body’s physical sensation. Just like other mindfulness meditation, walking meditation encourages you to focus on one of your senses at a time (usually visual – pick a color and focus on that).
Mantra meditation
This type of meditation encourages you to repeat sounds to clear the mind, like humming the “Om So Hum” mantra repeatedly. Mantra meditation is common in some religious teachings, including Hinduism and Buddhism. It often doesn’t matter if it’s spoken out or rehearsed silently.
People who find it easy to focus on words than their breath or the more prominent senses find this form of meditation more relaxing. It’s also suitable for those who gravitate more easily towards sound than silence.
Transcendental meditation
Transcendental meditation uses a specific mantra or phrase repetitively as the object of awareness. It’s a type of meditation tailored to the practitioner, who picks his mantra carefully, like saying “It’s my day,” “Om,” or “I’m Beautiful” repeatedly.
It’s a simple, effortless, and natural mental technique that helps you transform the illusion of self. It may not be suitable for a beginner at a glance. However, it’s ideal for people who love to have things planned and orderly.
RELATED: Essential Meditation Tips For Beginners
Body scan meditation
Body scan meditation (progressive meditation) promotes relaxation by reducing body tension. It is practiced by slowly contracting and relaxing groups of muscles at a time.
It often encourages you to focus your awareness on how your body feels, sometimes by imagining a soothing flow through the body. This form of relaxation is good for relieving stress or anxiety. It’s particularly effective for those suffering from chronic pain.
Loving-kindness meditation
This type of meditation helps steer feelings of compassion towards self and others. It typically involves an open mind that seeks to find the good in oneself and others, like imagining a positive connection between the human race.
Markedly, building up stories of love, trust, and acceptance releases their negative counterparts like shame, fear, and avarice. It may be ideal for those who easily begrudges or hold feelings of resentment towards themselves or others.
Visualization meditation
Visualization meditation encourages calm, serenity, and relaxation by picturing concrete scenes or images. It employs the five senses to imagine the desired place, position, outcome, situation, and so forth.
The goal of this form of meditation is to enhance focus and motivation towards bridging a gap. It’s suitable for those who constantly combat limitations and boundaries.
Hey Joyfreshers, tell us the types of meditation you practice regularly? How do you know type of meditation that suits you best? Let’s discuss below! #Joyfreshtips
