There are many different types of meditation. This is mostly because they may focus on different areas. Some may focus on balance versus healing versus strengthening mindfulness versus strengthening positivity. There are a lot of reasons you may choose to do one type of meditation over another, so let’s get started!
The Most Common Types of Meditation:
An important aspect to remember is the “types of meditation” list is almost unlimited. Because meditation is a very personal and introspective experience it’s difficult if not impossible to clump everyone’s experiences into a single list of types. Below I will list 7 common types.
- Mindful Meditation
- Yoga Meditation
- Chakra Meditation
- Loving-Kindness Meditation
- Vipassana Meditation
- Mantra Meditation
- Guided-Meditation
Although there is a crossover between some, as I go over them below, I think it will be clear why I mentioned all of these. But again, remember that meditation is a personal experience, and there are only two ‘wrong’ ways of doing meditation:
- You judge yourself for mistakes (learn more in Mediation 101)
- You don’t meditate
What’s the Difference and Which Type is For Me?
1 | Mindful Meditation:
Arguably the most common type, mindful meditation is a thoughtful connection with your mind. The idea here is not to interact or react to thoughts and emotions passing by, but to allow them to pass without judgment, observing, and being mindful of them. While a quiet space is commonly used, you can observe mindfulness while simply doing housekeeping. You can learn more about mindful meditation here.
🧘🏿 This is for your if: you are new to meditation or just experimenting. This a great beginner type focused on the simple act of becoming one with yourself. It’s also a great type for anyone who wants to fit a simple no-fuss meditation into their day!
2 | Yoga Meditation: Another very common type in the modern western world, this type goes back to ancient India and uses a series of yoga poses to control your breathing, calm the mind, and get in touch with your soul. Due to the balance and flexibility needed for the poses, this requires a large quiet space to be able to fully connect with your body and quiet your mind.
🧘 This is for you if: you aren’t a beginner to yoga! This requires a certain amount of focus in regards to balance and yoga memorization. Coming out of your meditation to figure out the next move isn’t ideal! But this is great for multitaskers, fidgeters, and those looking to take the connection of their body and minds to a deeper level.
3 | Chakra Meditation: This form of meditation often pops up in movies due to it’s deep and powerful physical, spiritual, and mindful effects. In short, there are 7 Chakra’s in our body, each connected to an energy point in our body. They work together to connect your mind, body, and spirit as one. Chakra meditations can be more focused on opening your Chakra’s when experiencing blockages, healing them, balancing them, or even focusing on one specific one. Usually, these are guided by masters to help you in a specific way, but they can be done solo as well if you study and understand Chakra’s.
🧘🏽 This is for you if: you are finding one or more of your chakra’s are out of balance or blocked. While not best for a beginner due to the need for deep concentration and knowledge of your own chakra’s, it’s not at all impossible for anyone to be guided by a master! Generally, I’d recommend solo journey’s for intermediate meditators and up, with knowledge on your chakra’s.
4 | Loving-Kindness Meditation: Also called Metta meditation, is simply a practice of directing wellness and happiness onto others. Starting with yourself, you state repeatedly something like: “May I be happy”. Eventually, you begin to visualize family and friends and replace the “I” with “you”. Finally, you visualize people you may not get along with and close out with the mantra “May all beings everywhere be happy.” There are great scripts to follow for this meditation, and it helps to increase your own happiness and confidence and decrease stress and anger.
🧘♂️ This is for you if: you’re new and need something to focus on. This also makes a great beginner meditation because you will gain instant gratification from sending goodwill to those you love.
5 | Vipassana Meditation: The Vipassana Meditation is another ancient meditation ritual focusing on transforming self. This ritual goes beyond the meditative position and is a lifestyle change. It begins with connecting with a master who will help you disconnect from your physical and mental binds while reconnecting with your inner self. This is another meditation often displayed in pop culture as a restorative mental leap found in a Buddhist temple. While not far off, it is possible to make these changes at home with the right guidance and support.
🧘🏿 This is for your if: you’re advanced or have been an intermediate meditator for a while. Not to say that a beginner couldn’t use this method, but some prior meditation experience can really elevate the ritual!
6 | Mantra Meditation: Also called transcendental, this involves repeating a mantra throughout your meditation to help connect you to your spirit. By sitting comfortably, closing your eyes, and repeating your choice mantra (a word or phrase that you connect with, a prayer, a poem, etc.), you can focus more easily without distraction.
🧘🏽 This is for you if: you love meditation, or just want to try it. A mantra gives you something to focus on instead of trying to not think. Great for newbies and fidgeters!
7 | Guided Meditation: Using the help from a master or audio, someone walks you through a visual scene for your meditation. The guided visual helps you stay grounded without distractions and focused on a specific thing.
🧘🏿 This is for your if: you want to meditate! The best part about guided-meditations is you don’t need anything to get started. There are beginner to advanced options available so find one that fits you and your needs and dive in! This is especially great for beginners who find themselves fidgety or falling into their thoughts. This gives them something to practice focusing on!
Hope you found some new and exciting meditation types today, let me know in the comments what your personal favorite meditation type is!
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