Types of meditation

🧘‍♀️Types of meditation

🙏🏼There is a wide variety of types of meditation. Although the practice has ties to different religious teachings, meditation is less about faith and more about altering consciousness, finding awareness, and achieving peace.

👇🏼Here are a presentation of popular types of #meditation practices:

•Mindfulness meditation = concentration + awareness. Focussing on an object, for instance your breath, while you observe any bodily sensations, thoughts, or feelings. This is close to Vipassana «Insight» meditation = Observing interconnection between what happens in our minds and what happens in our bodies. Oldest Buddhist meditation practice that comes directly from the Satipatthana Sutta, «Foundations of Mindfulness» - see my previous post about that!

•Mantra meditation = repetitive sound to clear the mind. It can be a word, phrase, or sound. A common Buddhist mantra is ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’.

•Transcendental meditation = repetitive mantra or series of words that are specific to each practitioner. Similar to mantra one but more customizable.

•Progressive relaxation = body scan. Slowly tightening and relaxing one muscle group at a time throughout the body. Or imagining a gentle wave flowing through your body to help release any tension.

•Metta «Loving-kindness» meditation = strengthen feelings of compassion, kindness, and acceptance toward oneself and others. Opening the mind to receive love from others and then sending a series of well wishes to loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and all living beings.

•Visualization meditation = relaxation, peace, and calmness. Visualizing positive scenes or images. Or imagining yourself succeeding at specific goals, which is intended to increase focus and motivation.

•Spiritual meditation = similar to prayer. Reflecting on the silence around you and seeking a deeper connection with God or Universe. Used in Eastern religions and in Christian faith.

•Focused meditation = Concentration using the five senses. Focusing on something internal or external like your breath or staring at a candle flame.

•Movement meditation = movement guides you. Can be yoga, walking in the woods, gardening, qigong...