Types of Meditation
Discover 3 popular ways to meditate: breath meditations, mantras, and mindfulness.
There are dozens of meditation techniques, many of which are practiced by millions of people every day. In this article, I will describe to you the most common types of meditation practices and my personal experiences with them.
Let’s dive in ;)
Breath meditations
The most popular type of meditation is breath focus.
The idea with it is to observe the flow of the breath in the body without judgment or control.
Breath meditation helps a person to develop a state of pure awareness.
In the process of practicing it one trains his or hers mind to willingly direct attention and avoid getting distracted by thoughts or external sources.
It is the most important meditation, but not the easiest, because an untrained mind tends to wander a lot. For that reason, most teachers advise students to first prepare by doing simpler techniques.
Breath-count meditation is often recommended for beginners and people who have trouble concentrating. I find it very useful. It’s a fantastic preparation to start more advanced techniques like breath meditation. Breath count also has value for people interested in personal development because it sharpens focus, releases stress, and reduces anxiety. The secret to its power lies in the fact that; counting breaths move attention from the source of pain/distraction to a neutral object.
Mantra meditations
Another common type of meditation is mantra chanting. One does it by repeating certain sounds person in a specified or non-specified way. Its goal is to achieve peace of mind or other wanted state (for ex. bliss, unity).
Mantras come from eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism. Chanting plays an important role in these traditions.
The Om mantra is sacred in Buddhism and Hinduism.
Hindus believe “Om” is the first sound in the universe, and it was uttered by the God of totality, Brahman. Mantra’s vibrations represent the universe, the source (Buddhists), and God (Hindus). It is also believed to have healing and unifying properties.
According to eastern philosophies, Om is the root of all other sounds, therefore it is perfect and complete.
There are many mantras in the world. I won’t go over all of them, because there are probably thousands of mantras just in Hinduism alone.
One of them is called the Maha-mantra and it is devoted to the Hindu God Krishna. Its purpose is to serve God and make a practitioner closer to unity with Him.
The second most popular mantra in Buddhism is “Om Mani Padme Hum”. Buddhists recite it to bring compassion and kindness to the world.
There is also transcendental meditation; very popular among westerners, including Hollywood actors like Cameron Diaz and Hugh Jackman to name a few. This technique is done by internally saying a word every time a thought appears in the mind. This expression should be completely neutral, without any meaning or associations.
In the past 30 years word mindfulness has become a part of the pop culture and scientific community.
Let’s explore it.
Mindfulness meditations
Mindfulness is present throughout all practices related to meditation.
Its goal is to be entirely aware of the present moment.
In this type of meditation, a person focuses on observing his or her experience. Masters of mindfulness can achieve pure awareness of thoughts, emotions, and sensations at the same time.
One can practice it whenever because the purpose of mindfulness meditation is to observe what’s happening.
Being mindful can intensify your perception, strengthen your senses, and make you see the uniqueness in every moment. It is a great tool for overcoming addictions.
Mindfulness helped me quit smoking cigarettes.
How did I do it?
I focused on observing my surroundings, thoughts, or feelings when people smoked in front of me or when I felt like smoking.
Mindful efforts occupy the mind and nourish it with beauty, an excellent food for the brain. — G. F. F.
Let’s talk about mindfulness training.
Listening to music mindfully is a pleasant and fruitful way of practicing mindfulness. Music mindfulness is a fantastic complementary tool because it brings diversity and pleasure to your meditation practice. A walk to a forest or other natural landscape can also be a great way of practicing mindfulness.
I do it every couple of days.
I recommend to experiment and diversify your meditative practice. That way you will experience most benefits and most likely stick to meditating daily.
Diversity, playfulness, and discipline make life more interesting, fun, and fruitful. — G.F.F.
That’s it for this article :)
What is your favorite meditation?
I dedicate my profile to meditation, mindfulness, psychology, spirituality, and philosophy. You can contact me via e-mail at blissful_breaths@proton.me to book your meditation lesson.
