The 8 types of Meditation (and their characteristics)

What are the most popular meditation modalities and their benefits?

Meditation is an ancient an ancient practice that has experienced a surge in popularity in Western countries in recent decades. in recent decades. For those people who are new to meditation practice, there may be some confusion associated with meditation: mantras, chakras, Vipassana Meditation, Tonglen Meditation, etc.

In this article you will find the different types of meditation and their characteristics, so that you can so that you understand what differentiates them and you can know what their benefits are.

Benefits of meditation

Meditating is not always easy, especially at the beginning, as it requires discipline and practice for its perfection. Therefore, it requires effort, but in the long run its health benefits are numerous.

In the fast-paced world in which we live, many people find in meditation a way to reconnect with themselves, away from the western culture, where consumerism and materialistic values rule the lives of the vast majority of citizens. Meditation is a way to recover the essence of oneself and achieve inner peace.

In a nutshell, these are some of the benefits of meditationn:

• Increases your self-knowledge.Some forms of meditation help you reflect on your own experience.
• Mitigates the effects of stress: helps you find calm and reduce stress and anxiety levels.
• Positively affects the immune systemPositively affects the immune system: has positive effects on general health.
• Improves attention span and concentration: works on self-awareness and attention.
• It is useful to empathize with others: improves interpersonal relationships.
• Increases Pain tolerancereduces painful symptoms.
• Improves memory and cognitive functions: increases memory as indicated by some studies.
• Enhances the appearance of positive thoughts: helps to have an optimistic and positive attitude.

Types of meditation

Whether to calm the mind, to find oneself or to reduce anxiety or stress, it is interesting to introduce this practice in your daily life, as it is a way to improve the quality of life.

But... What are the different types of meditation? What do the different ways of meditating bring to us? You can learn more about the different types of meditation in the following lines:

Primordial Sound Meditation 2.

Primordial Sound Meditation is a mantra-based meditation technique, rooted in the Vedic tradition.rooted in the Vedic tradition of India. A mantra is a repeated phrase that helps us to reach the state of relaxation and internalization that leads to a meditative state. The mantras are not random phrases, but are sacred sounds that the sages of antiquity used for their meditative practice, because they have a great harmonizing power.

Although this type of meditation is millenary, Deepak Chopra and David Simon revived this ancient practice and created a meditation program based on mantras that anyone can practice, so in the West it enjoys some popularity today. During meditation, it is necessary to repeat this mantra silently, as it creates a vibration that allows you to place yourself in a place away from the noise of the mind, reaching calm and pure consciousness. This type of meditation is ideal for those who are looking for structure in their meditation practice.

2. Vipassana Meditation

Vipassana meditation is often referred to as "insight" meditation and allows you to see things as they really are.. It is also a traditional Buddhist meditation practice, which is widely used in the West thanks to Mindfulness. This type of meditation emphasizes awareness of the breath, tuning in to the air coming in and out through the nose. It also focuses on labeling thoughts and experiences as they arise.

Whenever a thought or emotion is identified, it is necessary to identify it and let it go with a non-judgmental attitude. There are several different types of Vipassana meditation that have evolved from the traditional style over the years.

• You can go deeper into this type of meditation with these techniques: "5 Mindfulness exercises to improve your emotional well-being".

3. Zazen (Zen) Meditation

The translation of the Japanese word "Zazen" means "sitting meditation".. Many people, when they visualize meditation, imagine a person on the floor with legs crossed, eyes closed and fingers in Mudra position. This is not the case with Zazen meditation.

Although this type of meditation focuses on breathing and observing the thoughts and experiences as they pass through the mind and observing the experiences of the environment, as in Vipassana meditation, there are some differences between the two types of meditation. One main practical difference is that in Zen meditation, the emphasis of the breath is on the belly, rather than the nose (as in Vipassana).

Another major difference is that the posture is much stricter in Zen meditation than in Vipassana, with special attention to the spine straight, the chin down and the hands placed in a special position on the belly. In Zazen meditation, the eyes should always be open, with a lowered gaze, and in Vipassana, there are no strict rules for gazing, although it is common to keep the eyes closed. Zen meditation is recommended for those who already have previous experience with meditative practice.

4. Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation is another type of meditation based on mantras.. Like Primordial Sound Meditation, its origin dates back to ancient India and each person is given a personal mantra used for vibrational qualities to help calm the mind. Although the purpose of meditation in both forms is similar, there are quite a few differences, including the mantras themselves and how they are selected, the meditation instruction and the recommended time to meditate.

5. Metta or Benevolent Love Meditation

The Metta or Benevolent Love meditation has its meaning in unconditional kindness and friendship.. This style of meditation also has its origin in Buddhist teachings, mainly Tibetan Buddhism. As scientific studies show, compassion and this form of kind and loving meditation has proven to be particularly helpful in boosting empathy, positivity, acceptance and compassion towards oneself and others. Anyone with low self-esteem, high levels of self-criticism and a desire to be more empathetic to others can benefit from this practice.

6. Kundalini Meditation

The main idea of this type of meditation is that through this technique one awakens one's Kundalini energy, located at the base of the spine.located at the base of the spine. When this energy is released, it travels down the spine and leads to an experience commonly known as Kundalini awakening, which ultimately leads to enlightenment. Kundalini meditations can include breathing techniques, mantras, mudras and chanting to harness the power of the unconscious mind. It is an energizing way to awaken the mind.

7. Chakra Meditation

A chakra is an energy center in the body, and we have seven of them, each located in a different area of the body.each located in a different area of the body and each associated with a different color, sound and energetic purpose. Chakra meditations can be very powerful, especially when focused and connected to one element in the physical or emotional body at a time. Many chakra meditations use sound, specific hand placement and visualization techniques to connect with the chakras and their healing energy.

8. Tonglen Meditation

This type of meditation is Tibetan Buddhist and is characterized by the practitioner connecting with his or her own suffering in an effort to overcome it. in an effort to overcome it. Our culture teaches us to avoid suffering and run away from it, the opposite of what Tonglen meditation does.

This kind of meditation teaches you how to handle difficult life situations by enabling you to cope with them by developing an attitude of openness to suffering and letting go of negativity. It is also called giving and receiving meditation, and cultivates compassion and empathy through breathing and visualization. The practice can be done in any comfortable sitting or reclining position.