Meditation benefits are abundant and are proven to be helpful with a range of modern-day health challenges like chronic pain, stress, high blood pressure, cravings and addiction, spiritual awakenings, and many more.
Eight effective medication styles include Mindful Meditation, Loving-Kindness Meditation, Charakakra Meditation, Mantra Meditation, Movement Meditation, Vipassana Meditation, and Self-Enquiry Meditation.
Mindful Meditation:
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Is the process of being fully present with your thoughts.
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Most will practise in a quiet space, with their eyes closed and their focus on their breathing.
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Have to be present and observe any thoughts or emotions that you may feel at the time, but make sure they pass without judgement.
Benefits:
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Improve your mood
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Relieve stress
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Reduce anxiety
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Increase focus
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Improve cognition
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Reduce tobacco cravings
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Improve your pain response
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Control high blood pressure
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Improve heart health
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Reduce inflammation
Tip:
Many different podcasts and self-guided meditation apps can help guide you through your Mindful Meditation session if you prefer this option.
Podcast/ Meditating Apps:
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Calm
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Mindfulness Daily
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Headspace
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The One Mind Podcast.
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The Mindful Minute Podcast.
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I Should be Mediating Podcast.
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Untangled Podcast.
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The Daily Meditating Podcast.
Loving -Kindness Meditation:
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Is the practice of directing well-wishes towards others by reciting specific words or phrases to evoke warm-hearted feelings.
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Is typically practised while sitting in a comfortable seated position.
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After a period of directing this loving-kindness towards yourself, you may begin to direct it towards a family member or a friend who has helped you.
Benefits:
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Promotes self-compassion
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Decreases stress and anxiety
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Reduces physical pain
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Improves longevity
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Enhances social connections
Chakra Meditation:
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Chakra is an ancient Sanskrit word that translates to “wheel” and can be traced back to India.
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There is thought to be seven chakras in the world.
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Each Charaka is located at a different part of the body and has a corresponding colour.
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Chakra Meditation is made up of relaxation techniques focused on bringing balance and well-being to the chakras.
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Techniques include visually picturing each chakra on the body in its corresponding colours.
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People may choose light incense or use crystals, colour coded for each charka to help them during the meditation.
Benefits:
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To develop incredible willpower
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The ability to transform a negative into a positive
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More remarkable ability to heal yourself
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Increase in self-worth
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Become more initiative
Mantra Meditation:
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Mantra Meditation is prominent in Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
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This meditation uses a repetitive sound to clear the mind.
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It can be a word, phrase, or sound, such as the famous “OM”.
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It doesn’t matter if the mantra is spoken loudly or quietly.
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After chanting the mantra for some time, you will be more alert and in tune with your environment.
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This allows you to experience more profound levels of awareness.
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Some people enjoy mantra meditation because they find it easier to focus on a word than on their breath.
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This is also good practice for people who do not like silence and enjoy repetition.
Benefits:
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Spiritual wellness
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A deeper connection with unconsciousness
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Better state of mind
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A calmer self
Movement Meditation:
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Movement Meditation includes walking through the woods, gardening, swimming, walking along the beach, and any other gentle forms of motion.
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Is an active form of meditation where movement guides you.
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Movement meditation is suitable for people who find peace in action and prefer to let their minds wander.
Benefits:
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Gets your blood circulating
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Can easily be added to your everyday routine
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Allows you to remember that Earth sustains us and helps us develop gratitude towards it
Tip:
While you are doing your Movement Meditation, you can:
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Listen to audiobooks
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Listen to music
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Listen to a guided meditation class
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Practice your breathing exercises
Progressive Relaxation Meditation:
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The Progressive Relaxation Meditation style, also known as body scan, is aimed at reducing tension in the body and promoting relaxation.
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Involves slowly tightening and relaxing one muscle group at a time throughout the whole body.
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Focus attention first on the forehead, jaw, neck and shoulders, arms and hands, legs and feet.
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Encourages you to reimage a gentle wave through your body to help reduce any tension.
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Is often used to relieve stress and unwind before bed.
Benefits:
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Improves sleep
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Anxiety and stress relief
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Greater self-awareness
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Increase self-compassion
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Reduce pain levels in chronic pain patients
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Reduce cravings when trying to quit smoking
Vipassana Meditation:
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Is a tradition from Tibetan Buddhism that translates to “Insight” in the English language.
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You practice being the watcher.
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The watcher is a non-judgemental person who is open and aware of their thoughts, sensations, and feelings that come and go through consciousness.
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Often placing this awareness on your breathing.
Benefits:
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Know yourself
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Quiet your mind
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Discipline the mind and improve your concentration
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Improve your physical health
Self-Enquiry Meditation:
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Self Enquiry Meditation can help you leave a state of constant anxiety about who you are, what you should be doing, or what lies ahead.
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Offers mindfulness-based stress reduction by shifting your attention to the very fact you exist and allowing your focus to rest right there in the present moment.
Benefits:
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Let’s see past our delusional view of ourselves and relies on the fact that we are just pure energy.
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Sets you free of the many pressures and strains of life.
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Allows room to rebuild your life the way you want to.