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Different types of meditation can help you reach a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. As meditation has been practiced by various cultures for thousands of years (read more about it in my general article about meditation), you can guess that it must have some positive effect on your wellbeing.
Research also proves that meditation can have positive physiological and psychological effects. In this article, I’d like to explain different types of meditation, so let me get started.
All the different types of meditation help you understand how your mind works. Sometimes, when you are full of self-doubts or worries, you start to feel how powerful your mind is and how far off track it may lead you.
As you will learn, most types of meditation do have the same goals. Just the way of practicing them is different. Instead of having negative feelings that produce negative thoughts and behavior, meditation will help let these thoughts go. The relief you will feel over time will significantly improve your state of mind.
Guided meditation
Guided meditations are, for many, an easy entry because the only thing they have to do is find a quiet spot to either sit or lay down. For guided meditation, people most likely either use a teacher, audio, or audio and video to guide them through a meditation. You can easily find a lot of meditation material for that kind of meditation online.
Guided meditation usually follows the same scheme. The first part helps you to calm down, listen to the speaker, and maybe some background music. Closing your eyes can be helpful but for sure is not a must.
The second part is about visualizations. It can be around a specific purpose (quitting to smoke, losing weight, or lifting your mood, as an example).
During the third part, you will slowly gain back full consciousness. Falling asleep during a guided meditation is no problem because your mind can still take away something
A benefit of guided meditation is that it’s very beginner-friendly. The instructor, present or not, leads you through that process. They can guide you and provide encouragement and support. Especially when learning how to meditate, many people prefer that kind of meditation.
Mantra meditation
Mantras, per definition, are either a sacred utterance, sound, syllable, word, or group of words. It has been a common practice in Buddhism, Jainism, and Shingon (a Japanese Buddhist tradition). But, the modern version of mantra meditation, especially in western cultures, is different.
Mantra meditation is repeating your mantra in your head while reaching a relaxed state of mind. Five powerful modern examples of mantras can be:
I release the things out of my control
I am whole, and I am capable of change
I honor my spirit and trust my vibes
I accept what is instead of resenting what isn’t
I am stronger than my excuses
Chanting mantras is an ancient practice of calming your mind and soul, but it is also said to influence your mindset positively. I use mantra meditation almost daily in the morning for a quick 5 – 10 minute meditation. It helps me a lot to start my day in a good mood and with a positive mindset.
It also increases your self-awareness and reduces stress. You will also begin to understand how your mind works.
Zen meditation
Zen meditation has its origins in India but was formalized in China. Before Zen was adopted by Japanese people in the thirteenth century, it was called Chan. It is still known under that name in China. It’s a form of Buddhist meditation that includes special practices that are performed during Zen meditation.
My personal experience with this different type of meditation
Zen meditation has its origins in India but was formalized in China. It’s a form of Buddhist meditation that includes certain practices performed during Zen meditation. Before Zen was adopted by Japanese people in the thirteenth century, it was called Chan. It is still known under that name in China.
Zazen, the practice of sitting, is “the heart of Japanese Sōtō Zen Buddhist practice,” according to Wikipedia.
My first experience with Zen meditation happened in an Aikido dojo on an early autumn morning before my Aikido lessons. During a Zen session, you should sit for a more extended period.
I was sure to be able to do that. During Aikido training, you will usually sit down in seiza, whenever the instructor or sensei gives you some advice. Seiza is the Japanese form for “proper sitting”. After a while, I felt my legs numb, but I did not think about it.
After the first 30 minutes, the Zen master included a tea break where we had green tea. So everyone was standing up, and so I tried as well. But since my feet were numb, I immediately stumbled and fell on the tatami. That is not uncommon to happen and nothing to worry about at all.
My sensei told me that I should take it slow next time, let my feet rest for a while, and then stand up afterward. So my recommendation for you is to start with shorter sessions in the beginning before you extend your sitting.
The ultimate goal of zen meditation or Zazen is to regulate your attention. Zen meditation is very similar to different types of meditation, like mindfulness meditation.
One of the most significant differences is that you focus more on general awareness than your mind’s presence. It’s about keeping your mind from wandering and learning to think about nothing.
Practicing Zazen or Zen meditation means you need to be sitting upright and attentive. This posture helps you stay in the present moment and keep your awareness in the body. You don’t have to close your eyes. Focus on one point in the distance.
At some point in time, you will be reciting Buddhist mantras or sutras. I will cover more on the zazen practice in another article if you’d like to dig deeper into it.
If you practice Zazen in a bigger group, there are some rules you should follow. It always helps to observe more experienced people in that group and imitate their behavior. Again, you will find more in a separate article about zen meditation or Zazen.
Mindfulness meditation
Ever aimed to be present at the moment? Then mindfulness meditation might be the right meditation practice for you. There are three critical characteristics of mindfulness:
- Cultivation of awareness
- Understanding what is happening in the present moment
- Reaching a state of a non-judgmental, kind, and curious attitude
Guided mindfulness meditations can also be a good starting point if you are new to that kind of meditation.
During mindfulness meditation, you do a lot of breathing exercises that are supposed to clear your mind and no longer focus on your thoughts – paying attention to your physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts to understand and see them more clearly. You will learn to let them go and start “thinking without thinking” while keeping present in the moment.
The purpose of mindfulness meditation is, as already mentioned, to be present in the moment. It can help you to stay focused and present even in challenging situations throughout the day. Experiencing situations without inner judgment can make your life a lot easier.
Yoga, Tai Chi, and others
Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong are all meditation practices that involve body movement. Some might say that those practices are more like physical practice and are not wrong.
On the other hand, due to the repetitive motion, you can get to a state where you no longer think about what you will or have to do next.
Your mind can start wandering freely as soon as you know what to do. Physical exercise also helps you control your breathing which is essential to relax
Yes, I would say that it is a type of meditation. It has elements of meditation like the connection between your mind, body, and breathing. Besides all the health benefits of Yoga, it does also help with meditation because it helps you focus on the essentials only.
As with all the other moving meditations like Yoga and Qigong, you need time and practice to get into the flow of meditating while moving. Tai Chi improves your body’s flow of energy, oxygen, and blood. This helps to relieve stress, pain, and anxiety and will help you fall asleep faster. Overall it improves the quality of your life.
Qigong is another type of moving meditation, similar to Tai Chi and Yoga. Qigong consists of two primary schools: (dynamic) Qigong and passive Qigong. The most common variant of Qigong people knows about is the active variant.
Conclusion about different types of meditation
Different types of meditation are suitable for your daily wellbeing. I recommend trying other methods to find out which works best for you. Listen to your inner voice and your feelings when you meditate and don’t worry too much about the form (depending on the type of meditation) at the beginning. This will improve over time! You can then stick to it and improve on that.
