If you want to start meditating but you don’t know what type of meditation to choose, you are in the right place! In this Psychology-Online article we are going to discover the main methods to be able to meditate and connect with your inner “I”. There are very different options, such as meditation. buddhist, vipassana, tonglen, zen (or zazen), etc., so to choose the best of all, we invite you to continue reading this article. Discover the types of meditation and their benefits to start taking the best journey of all: the journey into your interior.
Buddhist meditation
Within the main types of meditation, the Buddhist is the best known for everyone. It is a technique that is considered “complete meditation” and its objective is to try to ensure that the mind is totally concentrated in the present moment, that is, in the “here and now.”
This type of meditation attempts attend to the mind as well as the “interferences” that we may experience (thoughts, sensations, emotions, memories, etc.). The work that is achieved with this technique is to be able to be masters of our mind so as not to be slaves to everything that is volatile. Reconnecting with your authentic essence and letting thoughts or emotions go is what can be achieved with this practice.
How to do Buddhist meditation
In order to correctly perform Buddhist meditation, people who begin the practice will have to start by focusing your attention on your breathing. It is really difficult to concentrate for a long time on something as simple as the act of breathing and, therefore, you will be aware of the large number of things that occur in your mind without you being completely aware.
Benefits of Buddhist meditation
If you want to know the types of meditation and its benefits you have to keep in mind that Buddhist meditation focuses on Live the present. Thanks to Buddha’s teachings we learn that one of the reasons why there is suffering in the world is because we live more in the past or the future than in the present.
By practicing this type of meditation, you will achieve:
- Relax your mind
- Connect with your interior
- Control everything that is temporary: thoughts, feelings, memories…
- Live more fully your present
- Have control of yourself and your reactions
In this other Psychology-Online article we discover the best ones that will help you get started with this healthy and beneficial practice.
vipassana meditation
Another type of meditation and its benefits that we are going to analyze is vipassana meditation. It is also another of the best known practices today and is known as the “penetrating meditation”. The reason for this peculiar name is because this practice is focused on us being able to see things as they really are. This type of meditation is based on.
To do this, follow a technique that is based on introspectionThat is, the person has to observe themselves individually and connect with their own mind. In this way, he will be able to witness everything that happens inside him and control it. As soon as we have that power, we can learn to eliminate the negative thoughts that come to our minds, as well as the presence of suffering.
How to practice vipassana meditation
In order to start meditating following this technique you will have to follow some steps that will help you do so. The most advisable thing is that you take a course since they try to promote a series of habits and behaviors such as the following:
- pure conduct: In order to perform vipassana meditation, it is essential that we move away from lies and also from sexual activity in order to have our mind fully prepared to be observed in detail.
- Breathing: We will also have to concentrate on breathing, just as we do in Buddhist meditation.
- Observe the sensations: The next step is to be aware of the sensations we experience and, above all, to control ourselves very much and not react before any of them. We have to become spectators of ourselves.
- Spread love and kindness: The objective of this type of meditation is to emanate good in the world and, therefore, we have to cleanse and purify ourselves to be able to have this positive attitude towards the world.
Benefits of vipassana
Here we offer you a complete list of the benefits of this type of meditation so that you understand why it is so successful and followed by people:
- Learn to let go of unproductive thoughts
- Relaxation
- Connection with your authentic essence
- Offer a more loving and kind essence to the world
Zen meditation
The zazen meditation is also known as “zen meditation” and what this name indicates is that it is a type of meditation that is practiced sitting.
How to practice Zen meditation
The body position that we have to have to follow this practice is much stricter than in any other type and, to do it correctly, these premises must be taken into account:
- We must be sitting on the floor with our spine straight at all times.
- The chin should be lowered towards the ground
- The hands must be placed on the belly
- During Zen meditation, the eyes must be open and focused downward.
Because of this very specific technique to meditate, this type of meditation is designed for people who are already used to practicing other types, that is, it is not recommended for beginners. Therefore, if you want to start and don’t know what type of meditation to choose, this is not the one we recommend.
Benefits of Zen meditation
It is also a type of meditative practice that focuses on breathing and observing everything that happens in the mind. Therefore, it offers us benefits such as the following:
- Relaxation and mental and physical tranquility
- Connect with your interior
- Greater management of your emotions and thoughts
- Learn to live in the present
toglen meditation
We continue with the different types of meditation, among which is toglen meditation, another of the most popular meditations. Drink from the foundations of the Buddhist, but with Tibetan influences.
The most special characteristic of this practice is that the person who performs it has to connect with your inner suffering to overcome it. In this meditation the aim is not to escape from pain but to stand up to it and make yourself stronger than it.
Benefits of Toglen Meditation
This type of meditation is perfect to be able to overcome any obstacle that you have encountered in life. A technique that will help you accept suffering and, above all, overcome it by cultivating a positive and beneficial attitude for you. Here you can see.
dzogchen meditation
The dzogchen meditation It is another of the best-known meditations and is also related to Tibetan Buddhism. It is the practice carried out by a personality as well known as the Dalai Lama and it is a very natural practice where the aim is to make the meditative state a natural state and common in humans.
How to practice it and what are the benefits?
In Dzogchen meditation you do not have to perform any special breathing or pronounce any mantra. It is a type of practice that can be done with our eyes open and that pursues a very clear and simple objective: to realize the great power that is within us. The motto of this practice is: “Just breathing, just sitting, just being.”
mantra meditation
We continue with other types of meditation and their benefits. The following is the mantra meditation. The mantras are sacred songs through which the person who emits them can reach a deep meditative state.
These songs make the vocal cords vibrate and these sounds also emit vibratory waves in the mind, therefore, a complete and deeper meditation is achieved.
kabbalah meditation
This type of meditation is a religious meditation that was practiced by a branch of Judaism. Through the practice of kabbalah meditation it was believed that they achieved get closer to god and, therefore, to achieve this they visualized the Supreme Being.
chakra meditation
In this type of meditation we work with the chakras, that is, the energy points that we have distributed in the body. In these practices what is done is visualize the chakras as spirals of energy that spread throughout the body. They are usually guided meditations and manage to improve the energy flow of the body and alleviate any discomfort experienced.
transcendental meditation
And finally, another very popular type of meditation that became successful in the 60s is the transcendental meditation.
How is transcendental meditation practiced? To practice it, you must repeat a mantra and do it twice a day for about 20 minutes to achieve its benefits.
What are its benefits?
The positive effects of transcendental meditation are the following:
- Spiritual calm
- Good energy
- Optimism
- Relaxation
- Release kind energy to the universe
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- LeShan, L.L. (1990). How to meditate: guide to self-discovery/How to meditate (No. 242). Die.
- Walsh, R. (1996). Meditation. Natura Medicatrix: Medical journal for the study and dissemination of alternative medicines(43), 16-22.