| There are so many different types of meditation. | | | | right now. You focus on what's happening in and |
| How many? Who knows, but enough so that you | | | | around you at this very moment, and become |
| can find the one that's right for you. To get your | | | | aware of all the thoughts and feelings that are |
| search started, here are six types of meditation | | | | taking your energy from moment to moment. |
| you can try. | | | | You can start by watching your breath, and then |
| 1. Breath watching. Can meditating be as simple as | | | | move your attention to the thoughts going |
| paying attention to your breath for a few | | | | through your mind, the feelings in your body, and |
| minutes? You bet. Relax in whatever position | | | | even the sounds and sights around you. The key |
| works best for you, close your eyes and start to | | | | is to watch without judging or analyzing. |
| pay attention to your breathing. Breathing through | | | | 5. Simple mantra meditation. Many people find it |
| your nose gets your diaphragm involved and gets | | | | easier to keep their mind from wandering if they |
| oxygen all the way to the bottom of your lungs. | | | | concentrate on something specific. A mantra can |
| As your mind wanders, just re-focus your | | | | help. This is a word or phrase you repeat as you |
| attention on the air going in and out of your nose. | | | | sit in meditation, and is chosen for you by an |
| Just do this for several minutes, or longer as you | | | | experienced master in some traditions. If you are |
| get used to it. | | | | working on this alone, you can use any word or |
| 2. An empty mind meditation. Meditating can | | | | phrase that works for you, and can choose to |
| create a kind of "awareness without object," an | | | | either repeat it aloud or in your head as you |
| emptying of all thoughts from your mind. The | | | | meditate. |
| techniques for doing this involve sitting still, often | | | | 6. Meditating on a concept. Some meditative |
| in a "full lotus" or cross-legged position, and letting | | | | practices involve contemplation of an idea or |
| the mind go silent on its own. It can be difficult, | | | | scenario. An example is the "meditation on |
| particularly since any effort seems to just cause | | | | impermanence," in which you focus on the |
| more business in the mind. | | | | impermanent nature of all things, starting with |
| 3. Walking meditations. This one gets the body | | | | your thoughts and feelings as they come and go. |
| involved. It can be outside or simply as a back | | | | In the Buddhist "meditation on the corpse," you |
| and forth pacing in a room. Pay attention to the | | | | think about a body in the ground, as it slowly rots |
| movement of your legs and breathing and body | | | | away and is fed on by worms. The technique is |
| as you walk, and to the feeling of your feet | | | | used to guide you to an understanding that your |
| contacting the ground. When your mind wanders, | | | | rationalizing mind might not bring you to. |
| just keep bringing it back to the process of | | | | There are many other meditations you can try, |
| walking and breathing. Meditating outside in this | | | | such as the "meditation on loving-kindness" or |
| way can be difficult because of the distractions. If | | | | "object" meditation, and even meditating using |
| you do it outside, find a quiet place with level | | | | brain wave entrainment products. Each type has |
| ground. | | | | its own advantages and effects. For this reason, |
| 4. Mindfulness meditation. A practice Buddhists call | | | | you may find that at different times and for |
| vipassana or insight meditation, mindfulness is the | | | | different purposes you want to use several |
| art of becoming deeply aware of what is here | | | | different types of meditation. |