Meditation can be defined as a set of techniques that are intended to encourage a heightened state of awareness and focused attention. It is a consciousness changing technique that present a lot of benefits for psychological well-being. Meditation involves practices that aim to sharpen focus and attention, connect the body and the breath, develop acceptance of difficult emotions and even alter consciousness.
There are nine popular types of meditation practice:
Mindfulness meditation
This originated from Buddhist teachings and is the most popular in the west. In mindfulness meditation, you pay attention to your thoughts as they pass through your mind to observe and take note of any patterns.
Spiritual meditation
Spiritual meditation is used in nearly all religions and spiritual traditions. Spiritual meditation focuses on understanding spiritual meaning and connecting with a higher power. It can be practiced at home or in a place of worship.
Focused meditation
Focused meditation involves concentration using any of the five senses. You can focus on something internal like breathing in or something external like counting mala beads, staring at a candle flame, counting your breaths, moon gazing, etc.
Movement meditation
Most people think of yoga when it comes to movement meditation but it goes beyond this. It may include:
- Walking
- Gardening
- Tai chi
Movement meditation happens when the movement guides you into a deeper connection with your body and present moment.
Mantra meditation
This type of meditation uses a repetitive sound to clear the mind. It can be a word, phrase or sound, one of the most common being “om”.
Transcendental meditation
This was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogu and refers to a specific practice designed to quiet the mind and induce a state of calm and peace.
Progressive meditation
This form of stress is often used to relieve stress by slowly tightening and relaxing one muscle group a time throughout the body. This will help reduce tension in the body and promote relaxation.
Loving-kindness meditation
This typically involves opening the mind to receive love from others and giving love as well to all living beings. Loving-Kindness meditation is used to strengthen feelings of compassion, kindness and acceptance towards oneself and others. It can be particularly useful for those holding feelings of anger and resentment.
Visualization meditation
This technique focuses on enhancing feelings of relaxation, peace and calmness by visualizing positive scenes, images or figures.
Some benefits of meditation include:
- Stress relief and management
- Increased self awareness
- Reduction of negative awareness
- Increased imagination and creative
- Increased patience and tolerance
Article credit : Cocci Beauty