Meditation

Meditation For Beginners

Types Of Meditation

Meditation, an ancient art that is still relevant in today’s modern world, a technique to discover a sense of calmness, peace and inner harmony that everyone these days yearned for. It has ties to many different cultures and religious teachings, but it is less about faith and more about strengthening consciousness, finding awareness, and achieving peace.



There are several types of meditation, each with its own purpose and method. If you are thinking about learning any type of meditation technique, you should make sure that you are learning it the correct way. There is a lot that people don’t realize when it comes to the way that they should be practising their meditation techniques. Some people will think that just because something has worked well for other people it will work for them as well, but this isn’t the case. Each type of meditation is unique, so you may need to experiment a bit to figure out which one suits you best.

In general, these are the six popular types of meditation practice for beginning your own meditation journey:


Mindfulness Meditation: Quiet The Mind And The Soul Will Speak

In mindfulness meditation, you simply observe and pay attention to any patterns, just take note of your thoughts as they pass through your mind but don’t judge or get carried away by them. You may find it helpful to focus on an object or your breath while you observe any bodily sensations, thoughts, or feelings.

This practice combines concentration with awareness. The goal of mindfulness meditation is to train your mind to experience a state where you are not distracted by what is happening around you, where you are fully present in the moment and helps train your brain to be more receptive and open to changing emotions and situations without judging them or allowing them to control your thinking. 

This type of meditation is good for people who don’t have a teacher to guide them, as it can be easily practised alone.


Spiritual meditation: Silence Speaks The Loudest

Spiritual meditation is commonly practiced in Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Daoism and in Christian faith. It’s similar to prayer in that you reflect on the silence around you and seek a deeper connection with your God or Universe.

Spiritual meditation is the concentration on a spiritual idea, an idea associated with Infinite Consciousness,­ an idea that is greater than ourselves and to be of service to others. As we contemplate this vast and beautiful idea, our mind is transformed into pure consciousness of lovingkindness and compassion that has no boundary and the effort to merge our sense of ‘I’ into infinite consciousness. The insights that we can gain from our practice are invaluable.



An ideally venues for your spiritual meditation practice might be at home, at your preferred place of worship, or in nature. Most practitioners like to use essential oils to heighten the spiritual experience. Some popular options include: Frankincense, Myrrh, Sage, Cedar, Sandalwood and Palo Santo.

This practice is beneficial for those who thrive in silence and seek spiritual growth. But whether secular or non-secular, the insights that are brought to light through spiritual meditation can help us develop qualities of benevolence and connection.


Focused meditation: Unfocus To Improve Your Focus.

This is a widespread style that involves using any of the five senses to concentrate. In this technique, we concentrate exclusively on whatever it is that we are doing. You can focus on something internal or external. Example for internal like focusing on your breath, or you can bring in external influences like counting beads, listening to a gong, or staring at a candle flame to help focus your attention.

It looks simple in theory but can be difficult in practice especially for beginners to hold their focus for longer than a few minutes at first. If your mind does wander, it’s important to come back to the practice and refocus.



Example: The meditator constantly monitors the quality of their attention to sustain focus on the anchor. Let’s say that you are focusing on the sensation in the nostrils caused by breathing and you might notice that the focus has shifted to the pain in one’s knee, or to thoughts about what you have to do at work. The practise requires that you recognize that your attention has been distracted, and then ‘release’ the distraction, returning to the intended anchor such as the breath.

As the name suggests, this practice is ideal for anyone who requires additional focus in their life. With a commitment to the practice, your concentration ability will improve and you may rediscover the joy of being present.


Movement Meditation: Take Courage To Follow your Bliss

When we hear Movement Meditation, most people think of yoga, but this practice also includes walking through the woods, gardening, qigong, and other gentle forms of motion. It’s an active form of meditation where the movement guides you. Once you are able to be present in your body during movement meditation, you can expand your awareness to include just about anything that keeps you moving. In each case, the movement of your body is the object of meditation.

Some people are so vigorous or restless that they cannot use sitting meditation, therefore moving meditation is a productive alternative and it also provides the body with a physical outlet for its energy while at the same time stimulating circulating.

Movement meditation is good for people who find peace in action and prefer to let their minds wander. Therefore, having a commitment to some form of physical discipline in your lifestyle can be very beneficial.


Mantra Meditation: Understanding The Rhythms of Life.

First of all. what is a Mantra? “Mantra” is a Sanskrit word derived from two roots: man (meaning “mind” or “to think”) and trai meaning to “protect”, to “free-from”, or “instrument/tool”. Therefore, mantras are tools of the mind or tools to free the mind.

Mantra Meditation uses a repetitive sound to clear the mind and allow spiritual strengths to reveal themselves. It is prominent in many teachings, including the Western Religion, Hindu and Buddhist traditions… It can be a word, phrase, or sound, such as the popular “Om.” or sometimes accompanied by a melody, but not always.

You may ask, “What’s so special about repeating a word, anyway? Why is it considered a powerful tool for meditation?” Sound is vibration, and all the cells in your body are vibrating. Everything in the universe is vibrating, and each has its own rhythm. Your thoughts and feelings are, indeed, vibrations in your body and your consciousness.



Therefore, after chanting the mantra for some time, you will discover a more peaceful and yet alert state of mind in tune with your environment. This allows you to experience deeper levels of awareness and it doesn’t matter if your mantra is spoken loudly or quietly.

Sometimes the mantra is recited; at other times it’s listened to. Sometimes it is repeated fast; at other times slow. Sometimes it is simply repeated by itself, and at other times in connection to concentration on the breathing, certain feelings, chakras, visualizations or abstract concepts.



Mantra Meditation in general has the following progression:

  1. Repeating the mantra out loud
  2. Whispering the mantra
  3. Repeating the mantra mentally only
  4. Allowing the mantra to repeat itself
  5. Mantra disappears and there is only silence

These are the five stages of practice. The first three require effort; the last two don’t. TM (Transcendental meditation) says their technique is special because it works like level 4 above. But if you skip the first 3 levels, level 4 will not happen or will be very superficial and unsteady.

Some people enjoy mantra meditation because they find it easier to focus on a word than on their breath. This is also a good practice for people who don’t like silence and enjoy repetition.


Transcendental Meditation: Silence Is Full Of Answers

A more simplified definition for Transcendental Meditation (TM) is “mantra-based.”
This practice is more customizable than Mantra Meditation, using a mantra or series of words that are specific to each practitioner. It is also the most popular type of meditation around the world, and it’s the most scientifically studied. Many celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, The Beatles, Hugh Jackman, Ellen DeGeneres and so many more… are fans of Transcendental Meditation.

The selection of the mantra is important as it wants to produce a suitable, life-supporting effect on the mind which will not interfere with the mind’s natural tendency to go to wherever it is happiest, toward that inward direction. The goal is to transcend or rise above the person’s current state of being. This practice is for those who like structure and are serious about maintaining a meditation practice.


What Have 'Mediation Gain' You

Whether you’re looking to reduce stress or find spiritual enlightenment, find stillness or flow through movement, there’s a meditation practice for you. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try different types. It often takes a little trial and error until you find the one that fits.

You Might Ask, what have ‘Mediation gain’…… NOTHING!!!…… but, I’ve lost Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Insecurity and Fear.

Related Articles

Check Also
Close
Back to top button