6 Types of Meditation: Find the Right Practice for You

Discover 6 types of mediation: guided visualization/meditation; mindfulness; focused attention; love & kindness; visualization; Vipassana & more! Learn how each type can help manage stress & chronic diseases.

6 Types of Meditation: Find the Right Practice for You

Many of us will have only found one style of meditation, such as concentration practices that focus on an anchor, like breathing. But meditation has developed over the centuries and in many different societies, meaning that there are countless different styles of meditation, each slightly modified to suit the needs and cultures of its user. With so many techniques to choose from, how will you find the right one for you? Fortunately, with more than eight years of experience in psychology and mindfulness practice, at MindOwl we've organized these techniques into six categories to help you find your perfect practice. Note-taking practices also give us an idea of our mind (as do many forms of meditation).

Little by little we begin to realize that, although our experiences are constantly changing, there is always something that remains the same. Realizing this can allow us to live in a way that is less restricted by the content of the mind and more within its context, the place where thoughts and emotions appear. Most forms of mindfulness meditation require effort, either focusing attention on concentration practices or broader awareness that encourage practices such as non-duality. Guided meditation is one of the most common forms of meditation and is often used to introduce people to practice.

Guided meditation, or visualization, is a method in which the individual focuses on a relaxing experience or activity. With the help of a guide or teacher, the individual takes their mind to a comforting place by virtually smelling, hearing and feeling the experience in their imagination. Once you learn the practice, you no longer need a teacher or guide. Mindfulness meditation focuses solely on being aware in the present moment.

Engaging the mind while calmly observing things in the environment without negative reactions creates peace. This type of meditation can be done anywhere, but is usually done in a relaxed position, focusing on deep breathing, recognizing thoughts and circumstances without judging them, and returning to the present moment. In our modern and hectic world, meditation has gained ground in recent years as a way to manage stress. Scientific evidence has also emerged that shows that meditation can be a useful tool in combating chronic diseases, such as depression, heart disease and chronic pain.

Guided meditations are available in a variety of ways, from meditation teachers and classes to online apps or videos. Meditation apps use videos or recordings of narrators to guide you through meditations. Apps or courses can give you access to different types of meditation and teach you how to use them. Vipassana is an ancient Indian form of meditation which means seeing things as they really are.

It dates back more than 2,500 years and is credited with the mindfulness meditation movement in the United States. Traditionally, vipassana is taught over a 10-day course, during which students must abstain from a number of things, including intoxicating substances and sexual activity. Focused attention is a form of meditation that involves focusing attention on an action or object. This form helps you slow down your thoughts by focusing on one thing.

Practicing love and kindness meditation helps you increase your feelings of connection and kindness to others. Love and kindness meditation is also known as metta meditation. Metta means kindness, love and good will to others. Metta meditation can increase your feelings of kindness to anyone, including people you don't know, or it can even be someone you don't like.

Focusing on the latter can make this meditation a challenge, so visualizing someone you don't like during a kindness meditation is generally recommended only for those who have meditation experience. Visualization involves imagining something inside your mind. A mental image becomes the object of focus, helping the mind to think in new ways and increasing creativity (Kozhevnikov, 201). When directed by an instructor or recording, this type of meditation is called guided imagery).

In Vipassana type of meditation, you first focus on the awareness of breathing through the nose unlike Zazen which focuses on breathing through the abdomen. The self-knowledge gained from this type of meditation can be the basis for overcoming unwanted emotions, impulsiveness and other ways that prevent us from living a better and happier life. These six types of meditation cover the main goals you could have when building a meditation routine. If you're interested in this type of meditation it may be useful to work with a meditation teacher to help you understand the spiritual component of the chakras and identify blocked chakras.

However if you've persevered with a certain type of meditation and are still finding it difficult it's worth trying another form of practice - try not to switch from one type halfway through practice; instead give your mind a chance to adjust.