What do you think of when you hear the word ‘meditation’? Chances are, you envisage someone sitting cross-legged on a mat somewhere, fingers and thumbs pressed together to form an O shape, while they continuously chant ‘Om’.
This is just one form of meditation and since the practice has gone mainstream many others have become popular.
The good news if you fancy trying meditation for yourself? You don’t have to contort your body into an uncomfortable cross-legged position (unless of course, you want to) and you can totally skip the chanting part too if that’s not your style.
In fact, one of the most basic – and beginner-friendly – forms of meditation involves simply lying down, closing your eyes, and focusing on your breath until you feel yourself relax.
Let’s look at this style of meditation, as well as some of the others, shall we?
Here we’ve taken a deep dive into the six most common meditation styles. Arming yourself with this knowledge can help you find a meditation style that works for you, and that can be beneficial in lots of ways, whether you need to relieve some stress, sharpen your focus, or simply want to connect to a deeper part of yourself.
Mindfulness meditation
This is the popular style of meditation we mentioned earlier. It’s all about taking a short time out from your day to connect with your mind, body, and soul.
It’s also one of the most research-backed meditation styles and originates from Buddhist teachings.
For the uninitiated, mindfulness is the state of being consciously aware. When you mindfully meditate, you should focus on a particular object – for example, your breath – and observe any thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations that pop up.
People often think that the object of this style of meditation is to clear your mind of any thoughts, but that’s not the case.
Thoughts will pop into your head. Simply observe them without judgement and let them know pass on by. During mindfulness meditation, your job is to bring your attention back to the present moment when your thoughts inevitably wander.
Transcendental meditation
Reportedly popular with celebs like Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Seinfield, and Meghan Markle, transcendental meditation is about detaching from stress and anxiety by focusing on a single mantra.
You’ll need to find around 20 minutes in your day to do it. During that time, you’ll find a comfortable position, breath through your diagram, and repeat a mantra, while noticing any sensations that arise.
Why choose this meditation style over another? Well, there’s been loads of research done on its benefits, and it’s been linked to anxiety relief, improved stress management, lower blood pressure, and better cardiovascular health.
You can learn this style of meditation from a certified TM teacher or find videos to follow on YouTube.
Visualisation meditation
Close your eyes and imagine yourself succeeding. Maybe you’ve just achieved a massive career goal or bought your dream car. Really sink into the experience and imagine the scene in as much detail as you can.
This is visualisation meditation: the process of imagining how your life would look if you had achieved your goals. This meditation style can boost your mood, increase motivation, and – according to research – may make you more likely to actually achieve your goals.
Other forms of visualisation meditation focus in on relaxation. For example, during a guided meditation, you might be asked to imagine yourself in a beautiful setting, like a secluded forest or on the banks of a waterfall.
Progressive relaxation meditation
A good choice if you have trouble sleeping or find it difficult to switch off at the end of a busy working day, progressive meditation involves doing a full body scan that relaxes every muscle in your body.
It’s aimed at helping you let go of tension and is usually done before bed or after a stressful event. Starting at your toes, you’ll tighten and loosen each muscle in your body, working all the way up to your facial muscles.
The entire process should take you around 15 minutes and by the end, you should feel relaxed, calm, and at peace. Goodbye back and shoulder tension!
Loving kindness meditation
Question time: are you prone to holding a grudge? Or do you often make harsh and unnecessary judgments about other people? If you answered yes, you might benefit from a loving kindness meditation.
As the name suggests, this meditation is focused on spreading love and kindness to other people and embodying your most loving and compassionate self.
It’s a good choice if there’s someone in your life you’re finding it difficult to forgive or if you routinely find yourself getting peeved off by other people. It can also be used to develop a more loving and accepting relationship with yourself too.
Typically, it involves sending well wishes and messages of encouragement to the people around you, while opening your mind to receive the same.
Mantra meditation
If you’re new to meditation and find it hard to focus on your breath, mantra meditation may be a good choice for you because rather than taking mindful breaths, you give your full attention to a word.
Typically, you’ll repeat a single syllable word (the most common one is ‘om) over and over again until you tune out the environment around you and become more alert.
People say this kind of meditation improves their mood, calms the mind, and reduces stress.
Choosing the right one for you
When picking a meditation style, it’s a good idea to think of your goals first. What is it you really need? Are you simply looking for a way to relax? Perhaps you need to forgive someone or let go of judgemental thoughts?
Once you’ve settled on a style, remember, it’s okay to mix it up. You can practice different styles on different days according to your specific needs. The key is consistency.
Find a spot in your schedule to meditate daily and you’ll really see a difference – whichever meditation style you choose.
Author - Victoria Stokes
Freelance Writer And Editor - View All Articles
Writer specialising in personal development, wellness, mental health, and women's lifestyle niches. Previously digital and deputy editor of Ireland's biggest women's title STELLAR Magazine and Senior Editor at Ireland's Wedding Journal.
