If you want a simple and clear way to destress and, at the same time focus on your mental health and improve overall well-being, then meditation is the solution. However, people’s perceptions towards meditation can vary, they think of it as too complicated, only done by gurus and yogis. It can leave you confused and ignorant of this amazing tool for wellness
So, to make meditation more accessible, we have listed 12 types of meditation and 12 different ways you can practice mindfulness towards your own self. When talking about meditation, we aim to simplify this concept for you, so that sitting down with a meditation technique becomes easier to follow
The 12 Different Types of Meditation Techniques Are:
Meditation is a very generic term. There are 100 different ways in which you can meditate. To keep it simple and clear for you, we have shortened the list to simplest, fastest and easily accessible 12 different types of meditation practices. These are below 12 types of meditation:
- Transcendental Meditation
- Zen Meditation
- Chakra Meditation
- Sound Meditation
- Vipassana Meditation
- Walking Meditation
- Mantra Meditation
- Visualization Meditation
- Body Scan Meditation
- Mindfulness Meditation
- Loving-Kindness Meditation
- Tai Chi Meditation
1. Transcendental Meditation – Achieve Deep Relaxation through Mantra Chanting
In first place is transcendental meditation, which you must have heard about. It is used by famous persons like David Lynch and Jerry Seinfeld.
The aim of transcendental meditation is to reach a state of relaxed awareness, by removing thoughts from your head one by one and attaining clarity in life.
As distracting or intrusive thoughts leave your mind, pure consciousness is reached. It is harder to achieve transcendence, so for this meditation, a guided meditation ritual should be followed as a beginner. You cannot sit at home and try this technique, instead, contact a local meditation classroom or teacher to get some help. To conduct the meditation practice:
- Sit in a comfortable position
- Repeat a mantra, like Om
- Focus on the mantra only and remove all other thoughts from your head
Repeating a Mantra Helps Quiet the Mind
We will delve deeper into mantra meditation later in this article, but transcendental meditation also makes use of mantras. As you chant a mantra, you focus on one word. This increases mindfulness meditation state because intrusive thoughts are removed
Studies Show 20 Minutes Twice a Day Reduces Anxiety and Stress
One of the major benefits of transcendental meditation technique is that it reduces anxiety and stress. To destress and reduce anxiousness, transcendental meditation helps to remove worrying thoughts. Repeating it twice in a day for 20 minutes reaps the most benefits.
2. Chakra Meditation – Heal Your Body through Energy Centres
Rooted in the ancient wisdom of South Asia, it is believed that there are 7 chakras or energy centers throughout the body. In this meditation, you are supposed to focus on one chakra and its corresponding values, colors, and elements. As you meditate on the chakra, it helps to rid that chakra of negative energy and a free flow of energy occurs inside the body. To conduct this meditation
- Sit in a comfortable position
- Focus on the root chakra
- Visualise red light and focus on sensation at the base of your spine
- Take deep breaths and imagine being grounded through your base
Focus On Chakras Located Throughout the Body
As an example, we have focused on the root chakra that is at the base of the spine. However, there are 7 different types of chakras that relate to 7 different energy centers and effects of the meditation
- Crown chakra – life’s purpose
- Third eye chakra – intuition & imagination
- Throat chakra – communication
- Heart chakra – love & compassion
- Solar plexus chakra – self-esteem & confidence
- Sacral chakra – creative & sexual energy
- Root chakra – security & stability
Read This Article: How to Activate Chakras in Human Body (A Comprehensive Guide)
Helps Balance Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Health
As you focus on each chakra during meditation, you are able to allow free energy flow through that region. As a beginner, it may feel complication, but benefits of chakra meditation focuses on allowing for overall wellness
3. Vipassana Meditation – Gain Insight through Mindfulness
The Vipassana insight meditation is a bit different from other meditation techniques. When you meditate with this technique, you do not actively work out to remove extra thoughts, instead you focus on those thoughts, analyse them and give support to yourself
To reduce stress and promote inner peace, Vipassana meditation involves self-observation in a non-judgmental way. To conduct this meditation:
- Sit in a comfortable position
- Observe your inner mind
- Observes thoughts, emotions and inner monologue
- Do not judge, but observe
Observe Thoughts and Physical Sensations without Judgement
The aspect of stillness achieved with other forms of meditation is not followed in this technique. Instead, you become a spectator to the noise that is in your head. With this technique, the benefits of meditation include an acceptance of your emotions, living in the present moment and not being detrimental to yourself
Popular 10-Day Silent Retreats Provide Intensive Practice
The international Vipassana organization provides a 10-day silent retreat, where your whole interaction is with the inner self and nobody else. It truly helps you align your thoughts and emotions, show acceptance and reduce regrets
4. Mantra Meditation – Find Focus through Repeated Words or Phrases
When a meditation technique asks you to rid your mind from all thoughts it can be harder to do so without a tool. This is what mantra meditation is. It helps people focus on a single phrase or word repeated over and over again, which removes intrusive thoughts
Mantra meditation is focused on thoughts and emotions to attain mental clarity. Therefore, to ensure that the effects on the body and mind are positive, mantra meditation can carve the path to inner peace. To conduct this meditation:
- Sit in a comfortable position
- Choose a mantra (Om, I am love, Om Namah Shivaya)
- Repeat the mantra over and over
“Om” is a Common Mantra with Deep Spiritual Meaning
Om is believed to be the sound of the universe that encompasses all the others sounds. To become mindful, the mantra of Om helps you focus you attention on the sound and energy created by this sound. Using Om in meditation offers a union of speech, mind and breath
Reciting a Mantra Occupies the Conscious Mind
Irrespective of the kind of meditation mantra you use, meditation involves focusing on the mantra only. This alleviates any anxious thoughts, bodily sensations, and thoughts without intrusion.
5. Body Scan Meditation – Relax through Awareness of Physical Self
This meditation helps you get in tune with your body. A form of insight meditation, body scan meditation involves focusing on each part of the body to identify any pain, tension or feelings out of the ordinary
- Lie down on a yoga mat
- Start from your feet to the top of your head
- Focus on that body part, the blood flow, pressure and wind
Systematically Pay Attention to Different Parts of the Body
In body scan meditation, you do not have to observe your thoughts, rather focus on your body parts. As you pay attention to minute details of the mind and body, you will be able to comprehend any tension without attachment to the outside world. This meditation is a great way to cancel out the outside noise and focus on your physical self.
Calms the Nervous System and Reduces Muscular Tension
Body scan meditation is not a seated meditation, but usually done while lying down. However, in whatever position you conduct the 12 types of meditation, benefits include breath awareness or overall awareness of any signs or symptoms. You can then work on things that are bothering you.
6. Loving-Kindness Meditation – Cultivate Compassion for Self and Others
Metta meditation is the right type of meditation if you have negative feelings and can be destructive to yourself. Loving-kindness meditation fosters your brain to develop kind and compassionate perspective towards own self and others, including other people, beings and the entire cosmos
- Sit in a comfortable position
- Think of a negative thought, a person you do not like or anything that is bothering you
- Repeat the phrase may I be well, happy and peaceful
Visualize Sending Love and Joy to Specific People
Metta meditation involves sitting down to visualize love and sending it their way. If you are annoyed from your partner, this meditation can help you look at them from a filter of love, joy, kindness and compassion. It helps you become a forgiving person who radiates positivity
Science shows it Increases Social Connection and Positive Emotions
It may seem too good to be true, but meditation can help you form better and improved relationships with your loved ones.
7. Zen Meditation or Zazen Meditation – Simply Sit and Be Present
Following Zazen meditation as a beginner can be complicated, but practicing it can make you an expert. Zen meditation involves letting go of thoughts, while developing a deeper insight into body and mind, which is deeper than transcendental or mindfulness meditation
- Sit in comfortable position
- Observe your breath, as you inhale, it flows around the belly and exhale
- Feel the breath of air as a positive energy source
Read Also: Zen Breathing Techniques
Teaches Patience, Self-Discipline and Living in the Moment
Zen meditation style can be conducted in a number of ways, with the main focus on cultivating a deeper insight. Just sitting quietly with the correct posture can also work. Yoga and meditation helps to attain a Zen state, where you are one as a being and one with the universe.
8. Sound Meditation – Use Music or Nature Sounds as Meditation Anchor
As the name suggests, this meditations helps in deep relaxation by using music or a sound as a tool to show feelings of love and compassion for oneself and others.
- Sit comfortably
- Play singing bowls, tuning forks or a running water stream
- Focus on these sounds and feel them reverberate through you
Auditory Stimulation Guides Attention Inward
Music can be relaxing and help you focus much better than a silent background can. Simple sounds of instrumental music, chimes, running water etc. in meditation is a practice to promote focus
9. Walking Meditation – Find Awareness through Slow Pausing Steps
Walking meditation involves actively paying attention to your surroundings on a walk. Whether in the woods or the city, exposing yourself to your surroundings can help you meditate.
- Choose a pathway
- Walk 20-40 feet in a distance
- Stop and breath for 30 seconds
- Turn and retrace your steps
- Repeat this for 15 minutes
Perfect for Active Minds That Struggle To Sit Still
These 12 types of meditation are for those who find it harder to sit in one place. This meditation combines walking with meditative training. You are focusing on the movement of each muscle as you take a step, move your arm or turn. You are also focusing on the outside world, by paying close attention to the physical sensations of walking
10. Visualization Meditation – Manifest Goals through Creative Imagery
To help your mind focus, visualization meditation makes use of imagery. These can be imagined mental images or a photograph that you focus on with open eyes. Irrespective, in visualization meditation, a calming and positive image is used as a tool to focus
- Sit comfortably
- Come up with a mental image that brings peace
- Focus on it
Picture Desired Outcomes Like Improved Health or Career Success
Depending on what brings you anxiety or is a goal, form a mental image. It can be career success, your child’s birth or any other image, but focusing on it helps you improve goal orientation. As you focus on the goal, making time out to achieve that goal and through motivation, it soon becomes a reality
11. Mindfulness Meditation – Increase Awareness of the Present
Much of what we have discussed as 12 types of meditation is a type of meditation that brings mindfulness. However, when we talk about mindfulness meditation, it means becoming free from thoughts, yet at the same time intensely aware about a focused object, feeling or sensation
- Sit comfortably
- Breathe in and out
Read Also: Mindfulness Goals
Notice Thoughts, Feelings, and Surroundings in the Moment
In various forms of meditation, mindfulness ensures a feeling of peace and avoiding restlessness from circumstances. By focusing on the breath, you are able to block out the noise and choose the right type of emotion to focus on. This is used in Zen Buddhism to transcend ordinary thought and focus on the present moment
You can take the help of apps and guided sessions to make mindfulness meditation accessible
12. Tai Chi – Moving Meditation for Body and Mind
This is meditation in motion. Various meditation techniques can be used and described by a specific word to keep in motion, and that depends on your personal choice
However, the simplest techniques that are based on gentle movements and focus on the present moment in Tai Chi are described
- Stand upright
- Bring your arms to the shoulders
- Lower them to the waist
- Each movement must be slow and you focus on every move of muscles
Shown to Reduce Stress, Pain, and Risk of Falling in Seniors
Tai chi is originally a meditation used in martial arts, but for normal people, it has benefits too. Tai Chi can reduce pain and stress while ensuring mobility that saves you from falling.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this article offers a comprehensive overview of 12 types of meditation techniques, each tailored to suit different preferences and needs. From transcendental meditation for deep relaxation to Tai Chi for moving meditation, the diverse range ensures accessibility and effectiveness for individuals seeking to improve their mental well-being. By exploring these meditation practices, individuals can embark on a journey towards inner peace, mindfulness, and overall wellness. Whether it’s through mantra repetition, body scan awareness, or loving-kindness cultivation, the article highlights the transformative power of meditation in reducing stress, increasing self-awareness, and fostering emotional resilience. Through the guidance provided, readers can embark on their meditation journey with clarity and confidence, embracing the multitude of benefits that each practice offers for their mental and spiritual growth.
FAQ’s:
What is the Correct Way to Meditate?
There is no one way to meditate correctly. Different techniques require different measures
What Are the 7 Stages of Meditation?
- State of peace
- Peaceful body
- Relaxation
- Quiet mind
- Concentration
- Free body
- Slowed down
How to Meditate for Beginners?
- Make sure your posture is correct
- Instead of an empty brain, focus on a thought, feeling, breath or sound
What are the 10 Steps to Meditation?
Depending on your meditation technique, 10 steps include finding a comfy spot to posture and body scan
What are the Different Meditative States?
In the beginning, you are aware, then you become relaxed and then transcendent
What is the Highest Form of Meditation?
Samma Samadhi is the highest form of meditation
What Type of Meditation is Headspace?
Headspace meditation offers visualisation, sound and other guided meditation techniques
How do I Become a Meditation Guide?
To become a guide, you have to enroll in a program and become an expert. It can take anywhere from 6 months to your whole lifetime
Can Meditation Help with Anxiety and Depression?
Yes, meditation works to alleviate stress, reduce anxiety and depressive thoughts