Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.
Thích Nhất Hạnh
Meditation is a practice that aims to achieve a state of calmness and peace by training your mind to focus and create awareness. This is done by detaching from anything that could disrupt mental clarity.
The world is chaotic and our minds are constantly bombarded with information, meditations helps us to quiet our minds amidst all this chaos.
It is a form of relaxation that efficiently allows you to look inwards and rebrand yourself as much you can and help you understand people around you, their intentions and why things happen the way they do. It also gives you room to analyze the past, live in the present moment to make strategic plans for a better future.
All this boils down to the main advantages which include; reduced stress, anxiety and depression, improved focus and better decision making.
In this article, I will be enlightening you on ten comprehensive meditation techniques that will enable you to choose a one that is most suitable for you.
1. Mindfulness Meditation
This is a technique that emphasizes being fully present to your senses and emotions in the present, without judgment or interpretation. Mindfulness is a technique that enables you to observe and analyze your thoughts and feelings without allowing them to consume you. This technique helps you to create power and build resilience in your mind allowing to become more self aware.
How to Practice
Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Notice thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise, and gently bring your attention back to your breath.
2. Metta (Loving-Kindness Meditation )
This meditation technique is all about cultivation love, compassion and kindness to yourself and the people around you. It creates a positive energy that radiates throughout your body and can be transferred to other people. It can also be in form of a prayer.
How to Practice
Find a Quiet Place: Sit comfortably in a quiet environment with minimal distractions. Close Your Eyes, take a few breaths and begin silently repeating phrases like “May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be safe. May I live with ease and gradually extend these wishes to others in a specific order: a loved one, a neutral person, someone you have difficulty with, and finally, all beings.
3. Body scan Meditation
Body scan meditation is a way to connect your mind with your physical. It involves focusing on different aspects of your body in a systematic way from your head to your toes. The main goal of this technique is to promote relaxation, develop a heightened awareness of bodily sensations and reduce tension in the body.
How to practice
Lie down in a peaceful area, position your arms at your sides, and close your eyes. After taking a few deep breaths to calm yourself, pay attention to your breathing and the rise and fall of your abdomen or chest. Start by focusing on your toes and noting any feelings, such warmth or tingling. The feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hips, lower back, belly, chest, upper back, shoulders, arms, neck, face, and top of your head should all gradually come into focus. Breathe into each place and just observe sensations without attempting to modify them at each spot. After you’ve reached the top of your head, inhale deeply several times, bring your awareness back to your entire body, and notice how you feel overall.
4. Transcendental Meditation (TM)
‘To transcend’ means to go beyond a specific range or limit. Transcendental meditation is a type of meditation that aims to transcend ordinary thinking to make one’s physical actions or behaviors automatic, or instinctual reaching a state of restful alertness. TM was developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s. Unlike other techniques that can be self-instructed, Transcendental meditation requires personalized instruction from a certified teacher to learn the specific mantra suited to you.
How to Practice
Closing your eyes, choose a comfortable seat in a peaceful area. Recite your chosen mantra silently, letting it come to you naturally and coming back to it whenever ideas cross your mind. Once in the morning and once in the evening, dedicate 20 minutes each day to practicing TM.
5. Guided Meditation
A pre-recorded voice or a live instructor guides you through a meditation exercise in guided meditation. It’s a great method to start your meditation journey, particularly if you have challenges quieting your mind on your own.
How to practice
Listen to a meditation guide (live or recorded) who leads you through a series of visualizations or instructions. This can help with relaxation, stress reduction, and achieving specific goals.
6. Zazen (Zen Meditation)
Zazen, which translates to “seated meditation” is the core practice within Zen Buddhism from the Japanese, is a practice that involves sitting in a particular position, paying attention to the breath, and observing thoughts and feelings without attachment. Zazen is used to cultivate awareness, lessen tension, and get understanding of the essence of life.
How to Practice
To get basic training and group meditation sessions, look for a Zen Center or internet resources. Practice for 10 to 15 minutes at first, and then progressively extend the time. It’s normal for the mind to stray, so be kind to yourself. Return your attention to your breathing slowly.
7. Vipassana Meditation
The definition of vipassana is “to see things as they really are.” It is a technique for changing oneself through self observation, emphasizing the close relationship between the body and the mind. The goal of Vipassana meditation, often referred to as Insight meditation, is to obtain a profound, unclouded understanding of the underlying nature of reality. It is a Buddhist practice which entails paying attention to ideas, feelings, and experiences without reacting to them.
How to Practice
Traditionally, 10-day intensive residential courses are used to teach vipassana at centers all over the world. These courses include a vegetarian diet, rigorous meditation routines, and noble silence. Although these courses offer deep experiences, you may also learn about Vipassana by using books, websites, apps, and guided meditations. These tools can also give you instructions and insights into the practice.
8. Chakra Meditation
Seven chakras are energy centers along the spine that are connected to the organs, emotions, and general well-being in Eastern cultures. It is said that these chakras affect our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Chakra Meditation is a practice focused on balancing the body’s seven main energy centers, or chakras, to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
How to practice
To practice chakra meditation, choose a quiet area and take a comfortable, back-straight seat. Focus on the seven chakras (energy centers) in the body, from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Visualize each chakra, its color, and imagine energy flowing through it. Use deep breathing, affirmations, and visualization of color-associated imagery to remove obstructions whilst controlling chakra activity, and restoring energy balance. To improve the focus and energy flow, methods including guided meditations, visualization, affirmations, breathwork, and reciting particular mantras are frequently used.
9. Yoga Nidra
Yoga nidra, often known as “yogic sleep,” encourages profound relaxation and conscious sleep. It’s not about falling asleep, but achieving a state between wakefulness and sleep where the body is completely relaxed, and the mind is clear and focused.
How to practice
While being guided by an instructor through a series of exercises to methodically relax the body, concentrate on breathing, and picture peaceful imagery, practitioners lie down in a comfortable posture, frequently attaining a condition halfway between consciousness and sleep. By giving the body and mind time to fully relax and regenerate, this practice lowers stress and anxiety, enhances general well-being, and improves the quality of sleep.
10. Walking Meditation
Walking meditation combines the awareness and attention of sitting meditation with the physical movement of walking. It facilitates incorporating the advantages of meditation into daily tasks. It’s a method that develops mindfulness, which enables you to remain in the present while in motion.
How to practice
To practice walking meditation, find a quiet place such as a garden or park, or even indoors. Begin by standing still for a few moments, taking deep breaths to center yourself. Start walking slowly and mindfully, focusing on each step, the movement of your legs, and the sensation of your feet touching the ground. Use your senses to notice the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations around you without getting distracted. Maintain natural, relaxed breathing throughout, and if your mind wanders, gently bring your focus back to the act of walking.
Conclusion
Consistency is key to a healthy meditation practice, so be sure to meditate on a regular basis, even if it’s just for a little while each day. Whether you’re sitting, lying down, or walking, choose a comfortable position, and pick a place that’s peaceful and devoid of distractions. Recognize that meditation techniques improve with practice, and have patience with yourself. Use guided meditation sessions or help from videos, apps, or meditation groups.
