5 Meditation Types and Techniques
Meditation is a tradition as old as time. It is a part of different cultures all over the world, and a means of attaining a healthy lifestyle for many. 4 am and 4 pm are considered to be the best times to practice meditation because of the 60 degrees angle between the sun and the earth at those times. Sitting in a meditative position around this particular time can balance the pituitary and pineal gland that helps a body gain maximum results. So let us begin with the five simplest and effective meditation types and techniques.
1) Breath awareness meditation
Breathing is the most basic exercise we do even without realizing it. The only difference in yoga breath awareness meditation is that when you concentrate on your breathing and do not let any thoughts wander in your mind. If at all you are diverted from your concentration during the meditation, you are taught to make yourself aware of the thought and get your focus back to the breath.
2) Guided meditation
This kind of meditation can be as long as a few minutes or even an hour or two. Guided meditation is simply a kind of meditation in which you will have to follow the speaker’s instructions as you’re guided through the exercise. The speaker can be a yoga instructor, an audio podcast, or even a YouTube video. The instructor may ask you to sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and visualize some situations as they take you through a few breathing exercises to help you calm and relax your mind and body.
3) Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness consists of three characteristics-
To cultivate awareness about the thoughts and memories which keep coming to your mind.
To observe the present activities. For example, to be aware of your thoughts and sensations, etc.
To not be judgmental towards yourself with any memory coming to your mind.
4) Focused meditation
This kind of meditation is used most of the time for stress relief. Focusing on one object that can be a kind of sound or a sensation can help you calm your mind from the cause of stress and give you inner peace.
5) Transcendental meditation
This form of meditation is a technique that allows you to distract yourself from anxiety. It helps you relax your mind with a chanting method. To start, you have to close your eyes and concentrate on one mantra. It can be a word, for example, OM, or a short sentence like, I am worthy. You have to repeatedly chant the mantra for a decided period or until you feel satisfied and focused.
Practicing meditation is possible for every gender and age group. Meditation has several benefits not only bound to physical health and fitness but also for mental health. It helps fight against anxiety, depression, stress, aggression, etc. If you decide to dedicate even half an hour every day, it will help you stabilize your mind and body for the rest of your life. It requires minimum effort but can give you wondrous outcomes.
