Journey inward to discover peace, clarity, and self-awareness.
The practice of meditation is centuries old, but there’s no better time than now to discover its power. As we spend more time at home, many of us are looking for ways to nurture our mental and physical health. Meditation is becoming popular as a simple, yet effective tool to ease stress and anxiety. It can also help build emotional resilience and cultivate self-awareness.
But what is meditation? At its core, meditation is a practice aimed at training your mind. Just as we exercise to improve our physical health, meditation allows us to exercise our mind.
Originating from the spiritual traditions of ancient India, meditation has now crossed global boundaries and is embraced by various cultures worldwide. The goal of meditation is to achieve a quiet mind, fostering a sense of peace and well-being. Meditation can also promote relaxation and enhance personal and spiritual growth.
Mindfulness Meditation
Rooted in Buddhist teachings, mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the present moment. It’s about experiencing by observing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations fully, as they arise. Without judgment and without labelling them. Thorough mindfulness we become observers of our internal world, and slowly understand ourselves better. Over time practitioners learn to react to situations more wisely. But it’s not about changing who we are, but about recognizing and accepting our thoughts and feelings as they are. You can read more about mindfulness meditation here.
Transcendental Meditation
This technique, popularised in the 1960s is unique in its approach, requiring practitioners to sit comfortably with their eyes closed for 20 minutes, twice a day, repeating a specific mantra silently. The goal is to transcend or rise above the mind’s 
normal levels of consciousness to achieve a state of deep rest and relaxation, while remaining fully alert. The daily practice involves the use of a mantra, a word or sound, that is repeated silently to facilitate concentration and to minimize distractions. The specific mantra given to each practitioner is selected by a trained TM teacher based on a set of personal factors including age and the time of the initiation ceremony. Over the years Transcendental Meditation has grown into a global movement with millions of practitioners worldwide.
Numerous studies have been conducted on the effects of Transcendental Meditation, indicating various health benefits. These include reduced You can read more about Transcendental Meditation here.
Loving-Kindness Meditation
Loving Kindness Meditation, also known as Metta meditation, is a Buddhist practice designed to cultivate an attitude of benevolence and love towards oneself and others. The term “Metta” is a Pali word that translates to unconditional and inclusive love, a love with wisdom, but no discrimination. This form of meditation involves silent repetitions of positive phrases directed towards oneself and others to evoke feelings of warmth, kindness, and compassion.
The practice of Loving Kindness Meditation typically begins by directing well-wishes towards oneself. This is a recognition of the fundamental principle that you need to love and accept yourself before you can truly love others. Eventually practitioners are able to extend these well-wishes progressively towards a loved one, a neutral person, a difficult person (someone with whom they have conflict), and eventually, to all beings universally.
Research into Loving Kindness Meditation has suggested a variety of potential benefits. These include increased positive emotions, decreased negative emotions, and improved emotional regulation. It has been linked to lower levels of stress and depression, and reductions in chronic pain.
Body Scan or Progressive Relaxation
Body scan meditation is a type of mindfulness practice that involves focusing your attention on different parts of your body, from your toes to the crown of your head. Typically performed lying down, the aim is to tune into your body—to reconnect with its physical presence—and notice any sensations you’re feeling without trying to change them or judge them.
The meditation begins by bringing awareness to the breath, noticing the rhythmic pattern of breathing in and out. Shifting their attention to the body, often starting at the feet, they notice any sensations present without judgement or reaction. Each part of the body is given attention in turn, moving upward from the feet to the top of the head.
Numerous scientific studies show a variety of potential benefits from body scan meditation. Including reduced stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression, as well as improved sleep quality and reductions in physical symptoms such as chronic pain. The practice can be particularly beneficial for people who are disconnected from their bodies due to trauma or stress.
Breath Awareness Meditation
Breath meditation, also often referred to as mindfulness of breathing, is a fundamental practice in many forms of meditation. but is particularly prominent in Buddhist traditions. It involves focusing your attention on the natural flow of your breath. This practice is about observing your breath as it is, without trying to change or control it.
Practitioners begin by settling and centering themselves. Then turning their attention to their breath they aim to notice the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves the body. It may be the feel of the air in the nostrils, the rise and fall of the chest or abdomen, or even the sound of breath.
because the breath is always with us, breath meditation is a tool that can be used at any time to help bring us back to the present moment.
Research has shown that breath meditation can have numerous benefits such as reducing stress, anxiety, and negative emotions. There may be an improvement in focus and attention, increase feelings of calm and relaxation, and a general sense of well-being.
Zen Meditation
Zen meditation, also known as Zazen (which literally translates to “seated meditation” in Japanese), is the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition. It is a means of insight into the nature of existence, aimed at a direct realization of the Buddhist teachings.
Zazen is generally practiced in two ways: Shikantaza, or “just sitting,” and Koan introspection.
In Shikantaza, the practitioner sits, usually in a formal cross-legged position, with the aim of being completely present in each moment. There is no specific object of meditation; instead, practitioners remain wholly alert and aware of their thoughts and sensations without becoming attached to them.
Zen practitioners may also walk (sometimes called KinHin) in a specific way, where the focus may be on the steps and the breath or it may be a quiet contemplation of a Koan.
A koan is a paradoxical anecdote or riddle used in Zen Buddhism to provoke doubt and test progress. The aim is to go beyond rational thinking and directly experience the inherent illogic of the koan.
Other types of meditation
Meditation doesn’t always have to be formal. Other types of meditation are practiced by thousands all around the world every day. Prayer is a form of meditation, since many meditations can be considered quiet contemplation. Simply sitting in a quiet comfortable spot and thinking over your day or contemplating the day to come can be a form of meditation. For some, just listening to some peaceful music becomes a form of meditation. But not daydreaming since meditation should always be intentional, regular and to a greater or lesser degree focused on a single point of practice. Others may choose to follow a guided meditation to music. This form of meditation can be an easy way for a beginner to start a daily meditation practice. There are thousands of YouTube videos containing guided meditations. it is probably best in the beginning to avoid subliminal meditations since you don’t know what is actually said in them.
Research has shown positive benefits from most meditation practices however it is wise to remember that, as with any research, results can vary and it’s always recommended to approach such studies with a critical eye. Always seek medical advice if you have symptoms that are worrying. Remember, meditation is not a replacement for medical advice and treatment. However, everyone can benefit from some regular meditation practice. As long as you take a sensible approach to your own health and medical needs then it will do no harm and cost you only time and perhaps a fee if you attend a class, group or teacher to learn. You won’t get stuck in a meditation, since you come out of it when you fall asleep.
Choosing the right practice for you will probably involve trial and error. We all have different ways of looking at the world. Fortunately there are many different ways of learning and practicing meditation. Every technique has its unique strengths. The right one for you depends on your goals, lifestyle, and personal preference. Experiment with different forms and see what resonates with you. In our next post, we’ll explore how you can get started with your meditation practice.
Remember, meditation is a journey, not a destination. It’s about being kind to yourself and understanding that it’s okay if your mind wanders or if you don’t get it “right” the first time. The important part is to begin. Happy meditating!
