Today, I will be walking you through different meditation types and practices. I am inviting you to join me in trying meditation for the next five days and I hope you will see the benefit.
What is meditation?
Meditation is difficult to define, due to the number of different meditation practices that exist. However, my general definition is that meditation involves maintaining a focus in order to reach a sense of calmness.
Just what are these different meditation practices though?
Types of meditation
There are a ton of versions of meditation out there, but today I want to focus on seven of them. They all meet my above definition of meditation, but they go about doing so in different ways.
Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness is being aware and in the present moment without judgement. This version of meditation can be used to increase your overall mindfulness skills.
With mindfulness meditation, you will find a comfortable position and start noticing your thoughts. You don’t try to hold onto them or change them, but simply notice them as they are.
Spiritual/religious meditation
This practice differs depending upon the spiritual or religious affiliation of the person who is practicing it. However, it is commonly used in many religions.
A lot of people think of it as similar to their prayer practice.
Mantra meditation
In mantra meditation, you focus on a word, sound, or phrase. You will speak this word, sound, or phrase aloud to yourself. This is the type of meditation you see in media where people are repeating “Om.”
If you are not a fan of silence, this could be a great meditative practice for you.
Focused meditation
With focused meditation, you will want to stay focused on one thing. This could be your breath or an object. It could also be a thought or one of your senses.
Focused meditation is useful because it can be done anywhere. You can essentially do it without anyone around you knowing.
Movement meditation
If you have trouble sitting still, this may be the form of meditation for you. Movement meditation involves parts of mindfulness or focused meditation and combines them with things like walking or yoga.
So, you would either cultivate a state of mindfulness or focus on something like your breath, then add movement.
Guided meditation
Guided meditation is the one that I find the easiest. For this practice, you will use someone’s voice as your point of focus. Usually, this is done by finding recordings of guided meditations. However, it is also sometimes done in person in places like yoga studios.
Guided meditations can be found through various apps and can be searched through Youtube. My personal favorite app is Insight Timer.
Music/sound meditation
Music meditation involves using music or sounds to achieve meditation. You can find music or sounds specifically for this on the internet or through many apps. The point is to find calming music or sounds, usually without words, and bring your attention to it.
I also recommend searching Youtube and Insight Timer for music meditations.
Benefits of meditation
Meditation can benefit both your mental and physical health. According to Healthline.com, here are just a few of the benefits you may receive from a regular meditation practice:
- reduction in stress and anxiety
- reduction in blood pressure
- lower levels of pain
- improved sleep
- longer attention span
Creating a meditation practice
Now it’s time to create a meditation practice that works for you. I have a few tips to help you:
- Allow yourself to experiment with different kinds of meditation to see what feels the most helpful to you.
- Pick a time of day when you will meditate. Schedule this time for yourself every day. It is most commonly done in the morning or evening, but it doesn’t have to be.
- Don’t push yourself to meditate for too long to start with. Build up slowly.
- Do your best not to judge yourself if your mind wanders away from your focus point. It’s normal and okay.
I hope you will try to build your own meditation practice! It really can reduce anxiety. As always, let me know if you have any questions in the comments down below or you can find my contact information here!
Until next time,
Danna
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