Meditation is one of those practices that’s come up a lot as part of self-care. People espouse its benefits and talk about how it’s changed their lives. Is it really all that and more?
As someone who meditates pretty regularly, I know that from the outside, it looks like sitting. And most of the time it is. And it feels like you’re not really doing much at all. But with regular practice, it can become a peaceful, grounding part of your day.
Who Does Meditation Benefit?
Meditation can benefit anybody! It doesn’t matter your age, your gender, or your race. The practice is all-inclusive, free, and you can do it anytime, anywhere.
Thanks to the invention of the internet, there are so many free resources out there. On YouTube alone, there are hundreds of guided meditations for stress, anxiety, manifestation, and so much more.
If you find that you’re new to the practice, a guided video can often be the way to go. Or if you need a little music in the background to get you in the meditation mood, there’s a video for that too.
Do I Need To Bring Anything?
Just yourself! It’s that simple. Sure, it’s always nice to have accessories. Whether it’s a plant, incense, crystals, or a candle, all those are fine. But they serve to put you in a meditative mood. They’re not necessary to your practice. And after a while you may find that you don’t need them at all.
The only exception here is if you have a set of mala beads which are used for Japa meditations. Japa meditation is a type of meditation in which you focus on a single word or sentence. The most well-known meditation is the sound Om.
Accessories can serve to enhance your space and your practice. If you’re new, find a comfortable place to sit. It can be your bed or a chair. If you want to upgrade to a fancy cushion, that’s fine too. But the more that you come to meditate, you’ll know what you need to help enhance your practice.
What Are The Different Types of Meditation?
It varies on how many different types of meditation there are. According to this Headspace article, there are sixteen. Healthline highlights nine. But for the sake of simplicity I’m going to cut that list down to five types of meditation. These five types of meditation are the ones I’ve seen used most and have used the most myself.
Mindfulness Meditation
As someone who’s been practicing yoga for a while, mindfulness meditation comes up a lot. It involves observing the thoughts in your mind. You do this without judgment. It’s the state of noticing any patterns or feelings that come up with the thoughts.
This practice takes a lot of awareness and can easily be done alone. You never know what you could find just through observing.
For example, I noticed my self-talk through mindfulness meditation. Sometimes, I was really mean to myself. I think all of us can be guilty of this at some point. But through mindfulness, it becomes easier to catch certain thoughts or patterns that don’t serve. And through that, we can learn to let them go.
Mantra Meditation
This ties into japa meditation. Of course, it doesn’t have to be om. It can be something spiritual. Or it can be positive affirmations. You can meditate of saying or thinking ‘I believe in myself‘ or ‘I am confident‘ for a set amount of time.
Find a sentence that resonates with you. Or with a goal you have in mind. You certainly don’t have to believe it right away. But after a while, that affirmation sticks.
It can also work to lower stress and rumination (circling thoughts). It can also make us more optimistic. It’s even been linked to helping students do better academically.
Movement
Believe it or not, you can also include movement in your meditation. Have you ever found yourself relaxed from walking, biking, or even taking a jog? Then, congratulations! You’re practicing movement meditation.
Movement enhanced connection with the body and tethers us more to the present moment. If you’re a habitual runner, you know how powerful it can be to run and not think of anything else. It brings us into flow state, which is that moment you become absorbed in something. You’re in the zone. You’re not paying attention to anything else.
And for a moment, there’s something nice about being able to get outside of yourself. Which in turn can connect you with something deeper.
Visualization
This often ties into when people talk about manifestation. But it’s also used to enhance relaxation by picturing something peaceful. Think a meadow or a waterfall.
It can even work when you see yourself succeeding at a project or doing a task with ease. This can motivate and inspire you in keep going. It can also give you a mood boost.
Body Scan Meditation
This is used in yoga quite a bit. It’s also known as progressive relaxation. Best part is that you can do this laying down. You can also use this when you’re trying to sleep.
You focus on tightening and relaxing certain groups of muscles. The easiest way to do this is to start with your feet. From there you notice your toes. Then your feet. Your ankles. Your shins.
Or, you could always do this from the top of your head and work your way down.
Can Meditation Help With Mental Health?
Meditation can help with several things. It can help control anxiety and promote emotional health. It may even help when it comes to certain addictions. It’s worth trying and adding to your routine if you’re prone to anxiety and depression.
But, please use this in conjunction with seeking professional help.
I suffered from anxiety and depression for years. But going to therapy helped immensely. My meditation practices helps keep me in check. There’s no shame in finding professional help and I thoroughly encourage it.
The Takeaway
There’s no one right way to meditate. You can try as many or as little of the meditations listed as you want. We’re all different and what may work for one person may not work for another. But whatever practice helps you find peace and comfort is worth pursuing.
Practices are called practices because they’re never ending. There’s no ‘perfection’ to achieve. Your practice remains as dynamic as you are. It changes daily, monthly, and yearly. But the more you do it, the more you notice along the way.
You may become aware of your thoughts and stop the negative ones before they start. Which can lead to stopping negative spirals or behavior before it starts. And isn’t that worth pursuing?
Sources:
Meditation: A Simple, Fast Way To Reduce Stress
Positive Daily Affirmations: Is There Science Behind It?