Sometimes you have to try different types of meditation to find the one that's right for you.
There are so many different types of meditation. How many? Who knows,
but enough so that you can find the one that's right for you. To get
your search started, here are six types of meditation you can try.
1. Breath watching. Can meditating be as simple as paying attention to
your breath for a few minutes? You bet. Relax in whatever position
works best for you, close your eyes and start to pay attention to your
breathing. Breathing through your nose gets your diaphragm involved and
gets oxygen all the way to the bottom of your lungs. As your mind
wanders, just re-focus your attention on the air going in and out of
your nose. Just do this for several minutes, or longer as you get used
to it.
2. An empty mind meditation. Meditating can create a kind of "awareness
without object," an emptying of all thoughts from your mind. The
techniques for doing this involve sitting still, often in a "full
lotus" or cross-legged position, and letting the mind go silent on its
own. It can be difficult, particularly since any effort seems to just
cause more business in the mind.
3. Walking meditations. This one gets the body involved. It can be
outside or simply as a back and forth pacing in a room. Pay attention
to the movement of your legs and breathing and body as you walk, and to
the feeling of your feet contacting the ground. When your mind wanders,
just keep bringing it back to the process of walking and breathing.
Meditating outside in this way can be difficult because of the
distractions. If you do it outside, find a quiet place with level
ground.
4. Mindfulness meditation. A practice Buddhists call vipassana or
insight meditation, mindfulness is the art of becoming deeply aware of
what is here right now. You focus on what's happening in and around you
at this very moment, and become aware of all the thoughts and feelings
that are taking your energy from moment to moment. You can start by
watching your breath, and then move your attention to the thoughts
going through your mind, the feelings in your body, and even the sounds
and sights around you. The key is to watch without judging or analyzing.
5. Simple mantra meditation. Many people find it easier to keep their
mind from wandering if they concentrate on something specific. A mantra
can help. This is a word or phrase you repeat as you sit in meditation,
and is chosen for you by an experienced master in some traditions. If
you are working on this alone, you can use any word or phrase that
works for you, and can choose to either repeat it aloud or in your head
as you meditate.
6. Meditating on a concept. Some meditative practices involve
contemplation of an idea or scenario. An example is the "meditation on
impermanence," in which you focus on the impermanent nature of all
things, starting with your thoughts and feelings as they come and go.
In the Buddhist "meditation on the corpse," you think about a body in
the ground, as it slowly rots away and is fed on by worms. The
technique is used to guide you to an understanding that your
rationalizing mind might not bring you to.
There are many other meditations you can try, such as the "meditation
on loving-kindness" or "object" meditation, and even meditating using
brain wave entrainment products. Each type has its own advantages and
effects. For this reason, you may find that at different times and for
different purposes you want to use several different types of
meditation.
