By practicing meditation techniques, you can bring long-term and extensive benefits into your life. The benefits of meditation include reducing stress levels, improving concentration, reducing negative emotions, and managing the symptoms of some diseases.
“All human beings have an innate desire to overcome suffering, to find happiness. Training the mind to think differently, through meditation, is one important way to avoid suffering and be happy.” -Dalai Lama
Everything You Need To Know About The Types Of Meditation, It’s Benefits And Learn How To Do It!
This article will introduce different types of meditation such as sound meditation, relaxation meditation, and love meditation. Finally, by teaching meditation at home, we will be able to make this skill more prominent in our life, so that we can benefit from it’s remarkable benefits.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation, or reflection, is actually methods of ‘mastering the mind’. In other words, meditation is a mental and physical technique and exercise that makes a person focus their attention inward and achieve greater physical and mental peace.
Meditation techniques are thousands of years old, and their roots often go back to Asian countries such as India and China. But it has only been a few decades that the attention of modern science has been drawn to it.
Now the question is, what is meditation training like? In mindfulness meditation, we learn how to pay attention to our breathing, inhaling and exhaling, and learn when the mind is distracted. In fact, during meditation, you focus on a specific things and get rid of the thoughts and emotions that cause stress and clutter in your mind.
Nowadays, meditation is often used to reduce stress and create a sense of relaxation. As some researches show that meditation has a positive effect on brain and mental health and improves physical and mental conditions of a person.
What Are The Benefits Of Meditation?
Meditation helps to improve a person’s health by creating a feeling of relaxation. Also, this technique is effective in reducing stress by helping to maintain concentration and inner peace. The benefits of meditation are not limited to the time of doing it and you will feel more relaxed throughout the day. In addition, meditation helps to manage the symptoms of some diseases.
The main benefits of meditation are as follows:
-We all experience emotions such as anxiety, anger, sadness, fear, etc. in our personal life. Many times, we don’t know what to do with these feelings and how to increase our resilience and go through crises more calmly. Various researches have proven that meditation has a great effect on reducing negative emotions, especially anger and anxiety.
-Among the other benefits of meditation, we can mention the increase of attention and concentration. If distraction and lack of concentration bothers you, meditation is a suitable solution.
-If you are employed and are worried about job burnout, work environment anxiety or work productivity, it is good to know that meditation and regular mental exercises can have a positive effect on your performance and job satisfaction.
-Another benefit of meditation is the treatment of depression. Especially depression in women can be managed with meditation to a significant extent.
-Practicing meditation and meditation can help manage the symptoms of some diseases. For example, meditation helps to improve the quality of life of cancer patients, reduce stress and increase life expectancy. (Note that this skill is not a substitute for medical treatment,) but it can help improve the symptoms of some of the following diseases:
- Asthma
- cancer
- chronic pain
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Sleep problems
- Tension headaches
-Meditation Can Help You Manage And Lose Weight.
-Some researches have shows that meditation helps to reduce period pain, stomach pain, headache, muscle pain, etc.
-By increasing self-awareness, meditation helps you to be more creative and patient.
-Meditation helps to reduce resting heart rate and blood pressure. Also, it is effective in improving sleep quality.
In general, meditation and mental exercises increase people’s quality of life by helping them lead a healthier lifestyle and more satisfaction.
What Are The Types Of Meditation?
Meditation is done in different ways, But the common goal of all types of meditation is to achieve inner peace. Here are some examples of meditation methods:
1. Focused Meditation
In focused meditation, you focus all your attention on one specific thing while you tune in to your surroundings. You can focus on something internal or an external factor. For example, you can do this type of meditation by counting your breath or staring at a candle flame or the moon.
The goal of this method is to focus and truly experience whatever you focus on.You may imagine that this method is very simple. But you should know that most beginners cannot maintain their concentration for more than a few minutes.
2. Meditation For Peace Of Mind Or Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation originates from the teachings of the Buddha and involves focusing on the thoughts that are passing through your mind in the moment. You should not judge or engage with your thoughts and just observe them.
In fact, this method is a combination of concentration and awareness. You can focus on your breathing and at the same time pay attention to your thoughts and feelings. In general, mindfulness meditation involves engaging in the present moment, self-awareness, and acceptance. The mindfulness method is suitable for people who do not have a coach, because they can do it alone.
3. Movement Meditation
Movement meditation is accompanied by some gentle physical activities such as walking, gardening, Tai Chi, Chi Gong, yoga, etc. This method is considered a type of active meditation in which you establish a deeper connection with the body and the present moment through movement.
If you are one of those people who achieve inner peace by performing movement activities and want to develop your body awareness, this type of meditation is suitable for you. In this method, you must not do hard work. Rather, just take a walk (preferably in a quiet environment) and focus your attention completely on one subject. If you are stressed or upset about a certain issue, this meditation is perfect for you.
4. Walking Meditation
Walking meditation is derived from the Zen thought of Buddhism. In this method, while walking, practice breathing and silently pay attention to the details around you. If you have problems with sitting meditation, this style is the right choice for you.
5. Meditation Of Love And Kindness
Love and kindness meditation helps to strengthen the sense of love, kindness and acceptance of oneself and others. In this way, by sending positive frequencies to friends, acquaintances and all living beings, you prepare your mind to receive love and affection. In fact, as soon as you feel kindness, forgiveness, and compassion, it is as if you are meditating. If you feel angry, this type of meditation can be suitable for you.
6. Mantra Meditation
Mantra meditation is prominent in Indian and Buddhist teachings and uses a repeated sound to clear the mind. The most common sound is “om”. You can chant the mantra loudly or quietly.
If you don’t like silent meditation or enjoy repetition, try this method. Also, for many people it is easier to focus on a sound than breathing. Mantra meditation helps increase alertness and harmony with the surrounding environment and brings you to deeper levels of awareness.
7. Sound Meditation
In sound meditation, you focus on your breath while listening to music. Music and meditation, each alone, are very effective for improving mental health. Therefore, their combination will have effective results. In this way, you can listen to meditation music or any music you enjoy.
8. Sleep Meditation
Sleep meditation is mainly done to calm the mind while sleeping at night. This method is especially recommended for people who suffer from insomnia.
9. Gratitude Meditation
This type of meditation is an exercise to pay attention to the things we are grateful for in life. This gratitude can be for small or big things such as the presence of a friend or family member, a sunny day, recovery from an illness or even a cup of tea. You can do this meditation in any place or time you want.
10. Meditation To Attract Desires
Meditation is attracting desires, visualizing a picture of success and achieving goals, which increases concentration and motivation. Also, this type of meditation helps to strengthen inner peace and reduce stress. During meditation you can reach the flow stage which helps to turn dreams into reality.
When you are completely focused on your breathing, you are in flow. In this case, try to keep your attention on inhaling and exhaling. Then, imagine success or trying to achieve it. Wealth meditation is also done in the same way. During this type of meditation, you can listen to music or mantra to feel the most comfortable.
Until your spirit is not feeling good, your body is not good either! Take care of your soul. 🙂
What Is The Difference Between Yoga And Meditation?
Yoga is a combination of mental and physical exercise. But meditation focuses more on calming the mind and is considered an internal process. Yoga is so broad that it can be considered a way of life. This technique helps you to achieve emotional and spiritual peace and stability along with the regulation of the body’s internal system. Meditation exercises can be considered a part of yoga.
How Many Times A Week Should We Do Meditation?
It is better to meditate for 5 to 10 minutes daily, but if for any reason you can’t, spend as much time as you can. However, if you meditate more often and regularly, you will definitely understand its effects sooner and better.
Some people make meditation a part of their daily schedule. In this way, they start their day with morning meditation and end the night with mind cleansing meditation.
Meditation Training At Home
You can do any of the types of meditation that we reviewed alone or by participating in group classes. In the following, we have explained the beginner’s meditation training step by step:
Choose a comfortable place to sit. A place where you can have peace and silence. You can sit on a chair, floor or bed. Sitting on all fours on the ground is often a better option.
Define a certain meditation time for yourself. In the first experiences, 5 minutes can be enough.
Pay attention to your body. While you are sitting straight, try not to have a specific contraction in any part of the body. The body should be calm and relaxed and you should feel comfortable.
Focus on your breathing. Focus on your inhalation and exhalation and pay attention to the rhythm of your breathing by following the movement of the chest up and down.
It is normal to be distracted during meditation and you should not blame yourself for this. Do not despair and do not give up on meditation. Just refocus on your body and breathing. Every time this distraction occurs, kindly invite yourself to focus and continue the practice.
Do not forget that the key point in meditation is to be calm and focused. You can also use the sound meditation method for more concentration.
Morning Meditation
Up to this part, we talked about the benefits of meditation. But you should know that you don’t have to do meditation in a completely professional way to take advantage of its remarkable benefits. In general, meditation causes the release of endorphins from the pituitary gland in the brain. Increasing the release of this hormone gives you a good feeling emotionally and physically.
Although you can meditate at any time of the day or night. But research has shown that the ideal time for meditation is first thing in the morning. In fact, doing meditation before the stresses of the day get to you increases its benefits. Below are the benefits of morning meditation:
- Increase in positive energy and happiness
- A better sense of life
- Increasing attention and concentration
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve the digestive system
- Increasing creativity
- increasing the self-confidence
- Meditation during pregnancy
- Feeling More Relaxed During The Day
Some studies have shown that meditation is effective in maintaining the health of the mother and fetus. During pregnancy, mothers experience stress, anxiety and some complications such as swelling of the legs. About 18% of women suffer from depression during pregnancy and 21% suffer from severe anxiety. Doing meditation can be very effective in improving these cases. In the following, we mention the benefits of pregnancy meditation:
Reinforce Positive Emotions
Most of the pregnant mothers suffer from various concerns for the growth of the fetus, childbirth, etc., and rarely experience happy and peaceful moments. Meditation increases positive feelings during pregnancy. Also, this exercise will help you manage your mood swings better.
Prevention Of Premature Birth
Babies born before 37 weeks are at risk of breathing problems, vision, hearing and developmental delay. One of the factors that increase the risk of premature birth is the mother’s stress and anxiety. Practicing meditation to calm the mind reduces stress by reducing the release of the cortisol hormone. As a result, the risk of premature birth is also reduced.
Healthy Growth Of The Baby
Research shows that the emotional health of the mother affects the development of the fetus. In a study conducted in the Netherlands in 2015, it was observed that babies whose mothers had more mental peace at the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy experienced less developmental problems. Therefore, it can be said that meditation can help the development of the fetus.
Improve Sleep
Many women experience sleep disorders during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, stress and anxiety. Meditation can be effective in improving sleep by calming the mind.
If you are experiencing severe stress and anxiety, meditation can help you.
Doing meditation even for a few minutes a day is effective in increasing inner peace, reducing stress and negative emotions. Anyone can do meditation at any place and time, without the need for special equipment.
The health of your body is tied to your mind, it’s time to have a healthier body and mind by knowing yourself…
If you want to ask about the possibility of starting meditation training at home right now:
The short answer is: You can easily do any type of meditation that makes you feel better at home:
‘To do the simplest method of meditation, first sit in a comfortable place and try not to have any contraction in your body. Then, turn your attention inward and focus on your inhalation and exhalation. If you get distracted during meditation, don’t blame yourself and follow the rhythm of your breathing again.’
(Click here to read about ‘The Best Solutions To Have A Peaceful Mind’)
References:
- Healthline
- Cleveland Clinic
- MAYO CLINIC
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