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Six Types of Meditation

This document discusses six types of meditation that can be tried: 1) Breathwatching which focuses on breathing, 2) Empty mind meditation which aims to empty thoughts from the mind, 3) Walking meditation which combines walking and breathing awareness, 4) Mindfulness meditation which focuses on present awareness, 5) Mantra meditation which repeats a word or phrase, and 6) Meditating on a concept such as impermanence. The document recommends trying different types of meditation as each has advantages and effects suited to different times and purposes.

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Janaki Maha Lakshmi
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157 views3 pages

Six Types of Meditation

This document discusses six types of meditation that can be tried: 1) Breathwatching which focuses on breathing, 2) Empty mind meditation which aims to empty thoughts from the mind, 3) Walking meditation which combines walking and breathing awareness, 4) Mindfulness meditation which focuses on present awareness, 5) Mantra meditation which repeats a word or phrase, and 6) Meditating on a concept such as impermanence. The document recommends trying different types of meditation as each has advantages and effects suited to different times and purposes.

Uploaded by

Janaki Maha Lakshmi
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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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. Breathwatching. 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.
Ê

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