The 8 types of Meditation (and their characteristics)

The meditation it is an ancient practice that has experienced a boom in popularity in western countries in the last decades. For those new to meditative practice, they can be a bit confusing associated with meditation: mantras, chakras, Vipassana Meditation, Tonglen Meditation, etc.

In this article you will be able to find the different types of meditation and their characteristics 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 perfection. Therefore, it requires effort, but in the long run its health benefits are numerous.

In the fast-paced world we live in, many people find meditation a way to reconnect with themselves. themselves, far from 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 short, these are some benefits of meditationn:

• Increase your self-knowledge: some forms of meditation help to reflect on one's own experience.
• Mitigate the effects of stress: helps to find calm and reduce stress and anxiety levels.
• Positively affects the immune system: has positive effects on general health.
• Improves attention and concentration capacity: works on self-awareness and attention.
• It is useful to empathize with others: improves interpersonal relationships.
• Increase pain tolerance: reduces 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 that you introduce this practice in your daily life, because it is a way to improve the quality of lifetime.

But… What types of meditation are there? What do the different ways of meditating give us? You can learn more about the different kinds of meditation in the following lines:

1. Primordial Sound Meditation

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

Although this type of meditation is ancient, Deepak Chopra and David Simon revived this ancient practice and created a program meditation based on mantras that anyone can practice, which is why 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 to be placed in a place away from the noise of the mind, reaching calm and awareness pure. 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 the air that enters and leaves through the nose. It also focuses on labeling thoughts and experiences as they arise.

Every time a thought or an 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 deepen this type of meditation with these techniques: "5 Mindfulness exercises to improve your emotional well-being”

3. Zazen Meditation (Zen)

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

Although this type of meditation focuses on the breath and observing the thoughts and experiences as they pass through the mind and In observing the experiences of the environment, as in Vipassana meditation, there are some differences between the two kinds 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 big difference is that the posture is much stricter in Zen meditation than in Vipassana, with mindfulness especially on the straight spine, the chin lowered and the hands placed in a special position on the belly. In Zazen meditation, the eyes should always be open, with a downcast gaze, and in Vipassana, there are no strict rules for gazing, although it is customary to keep the eyes closed. The zen meditation It 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 employed 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 for to meditate.

5. Metta or Benevolent Love Meditation

The Metta or Compassionate 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 kind and loving meditation have shown be particularly helpful in boosting empathy, positivity, acceptance and compassion towards oneself and others the rest. 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 thanks to this technique one awakens his Kundalini energy, located at the base of the spine. When this energy is released, it travels up 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 chants 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 one located in a different area of ​​the body and each associated with a different color, sound and energy purpose. Chakra meditations can be very powerful, especially when focusing and connecting with 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 fact that the person who practices it connects with their own suffering in an effort to get over it. Our culture teaches us to avoid suffering and run from it, the opposite of Tonglen meditation.

This kind of meditation teaches you to handle difficult situations in life, as it allows you cope with them by developing an open attitude towards suffering and by abandoning the negativity. It is also called give and take meditation, and cultivates compassion and empathy through breathing, visualization. The practice can be done in any comfortable position, whether sitting or reclining.

Are you interested in learning to meditate?

If you are thinking of incorporating meditation into your day to day, you may be interested in the courses carried out by Vibra Wellbeing.

This center has a team made up of psychology professionals and meditation and yoga instructors with a lot of experience in the field of psychotherapy, Mindfulness, Pilates, and other forms of intervention beneficial. Their facilities are in Madrid, although they also conduct courses through online sessions, so you can attend them regardless of where you are.