Meditation is a technique that cuts across various communities, religions, and traditions. In addition, it is a practice adopted to help you discover a sense of calmness, increase self-awareness, cope with life’s daily pressures, and improve your pain tolerance. Meditation comes in various types and benefits. This article takes you through the five common types of meditation and how you can benefit from them.
Body Scan Meditation
Your body needs to relax after accumulating pressure and tension during the day. A body scan meditation can help relax the different parts of your body. This meditation is ideal for relieving tension around your neck and shoulders, resulting from stress and anxiety.
Furthermore, a body scan meditation can also help in managing chronic pain. According to a 2012 study of 55 participants, there was a notable reduction in chronic pain in the individuals that practiced a body scan for 10 minutes daily.
Mindfulness Meditation
This is a type of meditation originating from Buddhist teachings. It is a technique that combines concentration with awareness. Mindfulness meditation involves paying attention to your thoughts by focusing on your breathing or a different activity. It engages you in the present activity without distraction.
Mindfulness meditation lets you focus on your emotions and thoughts, allowing them to pass without judgment. In most instances, breathing is the object of awareness. As a result, you can practice the technique at any time or place you feel comfortable.
Loving Kindness Meditation
From the name itself, you can tell this meditation is about loving and kindness. Loving-kindness meditation fosters compassion for yourself and others. It involves opening yourself to receive love and reciprocating it to loved ones, strangers, or acquaintances.
You can practice the technique by reciting words and phrases, evoking warm-hearted feelings. As you start the practice with yourself, you later direct the positive emotions toward a loved one. Later, you can work on executing the same with someone you have difficulty dealing with.
Transcendental Meditation
In transcendental meditation, you focus on a specific phrase or mantra by repeating it. The technique involves inducing a state of peace and calmness by quieting the mind. It usually requires a certified transcendental meditation practitioner, which is quite expensive. As a result, it is popular among Wall Street executives and Hollywood stars.
Walking Meditation
In walking meditation, the attention is more on the footsteps than on breathing. Through walking, you foster the connection between your mind and body. It is the best substitute for those that find it difficult to meditate while still. Mindful walking helps reduce stress and anxiety, improving quality of life.