Meditation is perhaps one of the most effective ways in improving your overall health and well-being. It is the state of mind where in you relaxes your brain and allow smooth flow of thoughts without focusing on them, especially negative ones, until it all fades away. It absolutely stimulates healthy body and promotes healthy living as well. However, majority of people believe that meditation has only one process that needs to be appropriately followed in order for it to be successful. What they do not know is meditation have different types that best suits different personalities. Some types perfectly works for other person and some types do not. It totally depends on your personality and behavior that is why it is very important to remember that there is no particular type of meditation that works for all. You need to find the type that best suits you in order for it to be easier and more effective.
People also believes that meditation requires total stillness and very quiet place but actually, you can meditate even if you are singing, gardening, and any other activity that requires total body and mind assimilation. This definitely made the process more fun, easy, and enjoyable.
Here are the different types of meditation:
Mindfulness
This type of meditation is perhaps the most popular in western countries. It is also known as Vipassana, it was derived from Buddhist tradition. This form of medication allows you to free all your thoughts by letting them in without struggling or concentrating on them, and slowly releasing them one by one until your mind completely relaxes. Being mindful on your breathing pattern without changing it usually does this. It is very essential not to change your breathing pattern because doing this would certainly change the energy level as well. Focusing on your shallow breathing absolutely means that you are in a low energy level and also means that you are doing it correctly. This made the process observational and not active.
Zazen
This also came from the Buddhist Tradition, it is a common phrase for seated meditation. However, in modern Zen practice it simply means just sitting. This form of meditation requires several hours while you are sitting with correct body posture like sitting with your back straight. This cannot be easily learned because there are no specific instructions on how to correctly do it, and it also requires great effort and practice unlike any other type since it requires vast focus on a certain Buddhist scripture, particular question, story from Buddhist culture, paradoxical phrase, or a koan. Zazen should be done in a monastic place, which made it unfeasible for majority of people.
Transcendental Meditation
This is the easier process of a meditation culture in Hinduism, which is Vedanta. You just need to sit in half lotus or lotus posture and mention mantra repeatedly, which is a very sacred word. The main goal of this form of meditation is leaving your body, which made it very complicated, especially if the process is interrupted. Transcendental Meditation is usually done by focusing on your breathing pattern and gradually changing it to change your energy level. It is also associated with philosophies such as, egoic, materialistic, and not safe for your heart.
Kundalini
Kundalini simply means increasing energy that lives in a human being. It is another type of meditation that is inspired by Vedanta. The objective of this type of meditation is to focus on your increasing energy level until it reaches perpetuity. Practitioners do this by focusing on their breathing. They move their energy upward until it totally reaches the energy center, which is located on top of their head. They use their breathing to effectively lead the energy upwards. However, this form of medication is also not heart-based and it usually comes with a side effect, which is called Kundalini Syndrome.
Qi gong
It came from Taoist meditation, which utilizes breathing to stimulate smooth flow of energy to all body organs as well as all of your energy centers by following a pattern, which is called microcosmic orbit. Practitioners need to focus on the flow of their energy and their breathing pattern. They also need to concentrate on the three important centers in Taoist meditation, which are the center of your chest, 2 inches under your navel, and in the center of your forehead. It also uses breathing in order to properly distribute energy throughout your body and spirit.
Guided visualization – This is one of the most popular forms of meditation that uses concentration by visualizing a certain background. This is usually done with a particular recording in the background so that you can imagine effectively. It uses very detailed information such as crystal clear river, blue sky, grassy field, and any other relaxing places that you want to imagine. It might also focus on the breathing pattern but not changing or controlling it.
Trance-based practice
This is not an actual type of meditation but it is always associated with it because it is a reflective practice. This usually includes, self-awareness, music, shallow or rapid breathing, and many more. This process might be very dangerous and it does nothing to help with spiritual development because of its passivity and by being persuaded by someone else.
Heart Rhythm Meditation
This form of meditation focuses on your breathing and heartbeat. Heart serves as the center of your energy system and by concentrating on your breathing, you absolutely make it strong and very powerful. By learning on how to make your breathing powerful, you would also learn for to control it and you can absolutely stimulate healthy energy flow to all parts of your body, which gives you the ability to control yourself all the time. It totally helps your become sensitive and more powerful because of your heart and as a result, you become more compassionate, which definitely improves your overall well-being.
*Featured photo by Patrick Standish
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