Meditation is a simple and effective way to steady the mind, give clarity to your thoughts and help you to manage stress.
Meditation Techniques
- Relaxation Breathing
Use this meditation when feeling anxious, pressured or panicked for immediate intervention and stress relief.
When our exhales are longer than our inhales, our body signals its “rest & digest” mode (vs. “fight or flight” mode) and we are able to relax from the inside out. An excellent tool for those moments of panic and anxiety (think, stuck in traffic, walking into a big meeting or during a heated argument), relaxation breathing tackles physical responses to sudden, acute stress while buying us time to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.
The practice: Close your eyes and take a deep breath in for a count of four, and then exhale for a count of eight. As you inhale, visualize the movement of oxygen through your respiratory system. As you inhale, imagine any stress you’ve been holding float away. Repeat five times. - Mindful Breathing Meditation
Mindfulness is the practice of awareness of the present moment, enabling us to disassociate with notions of past and future that trigger rumination and stress. With mindful breathing meditation, we use the breath as an object of meditation, concentrating deeply on the rhythm and sensation of our most basic life force. Think of it as an exercise for your brain that strengthens your “attention muscle” by forcing your awareness inward and challenging you to stay focused. Steps for doing it:- Sit comfortably with a long, straight spine and find a slow, oceanic breath.
- Begin counting your inhales and exhales from one to ten (inhale one, exhale one; inhale two, exhale two; etc.).
- When you reach ten, start again but count backwards to one. Repeat this cycle five times.
- When you’ve completed five cycles of breath-counting, simply continue to breathe at this calm, steady pace, for two-to-three minutes, visualizing the breath moving through the respiratory system and appreciating its physical relationship with the body.
There are three basic aspects worked with in this meditation technique: body, breath and thoughts. First, we relate with the body. This includes how we set up the environment. The second part of the practice is working with the breath. In this practice rest your attention lightly (yes, lightly) on the breath. Feel it as it comes into your body and as it goes out. There’s no special way to breathe in this technique. Once again, we are interested in how we already are, not how we are if we manipulate our breath. If you find that you are, in fact, controlling your breath in some way, just let it be that way. It’s a bit tricky to try to be natural on purpose, so don’t get caught up in worrying about whether your breath is natural or not. Just let it be however it is. Finally, the last part of the practice is working with thoughts. As you sit practicing, you will notice that thoughts arise. Sometimes there are a great many thoughts, overlapping one over the next: memories, plans for the future. There may seem to be no gaps at all in which you can catch a glimpse of your breath. That’s not uncommon, especially if you’re new to meditation. Just notice what happens.
- Body Scan Meditation
Use this meditation to build body awareness and ease tension after a long day or before falling asleep at night.
A body scan meditation allows us to identify where unconscious holding patterns reside and helps to release them with our own awareness, enabling us to relax more completely.
The practice: Sit or lay down in a comfortable position and take a few moments to find a calm, steady breath. Now, bring your awareness to sensations in the body, where you will spend several slow breaths on each focal point beginning with the left toes and checking in with left foot, left ankle, calf, knee, thigh – all the way through the left hip. When you notice an area of tension or discomfort, breathe into it, relaxing on the out-breath. Repeat through the right side. Follow with the pelvic region, abdomen and lower back, moving up through the torso and heart region. From there, follow and breathe through the sensations in the fingers, hands, wrists, up the arms, through the shoulders, neck, jaw, temples, ears, eyes, forehead, crown of the head and skull. - Tratak meditation
This yogic meditation is a externally focused. How to do tratak meditation:- Sit comfortably with your gaze focused on a single object, such as a candle, waterfall or symbol. For as long as you’re able, don’t blink; maintain relaxation.
- Maintain focus until your eyes begin to feel uncomfortable and then close your eyes.
- Keep the afterimage of the object in your mind’s eye for several minutes, then open your eyes and start again.
- This meditation for concentration technique helps in enhancing your memory and attention or focus.
- Zazen (Breathing Concentration)
- Sit in a comfortable spot with your spine erect.
- It just involves concentrating on your own breathing.
- If you lose your concentration, do not panic.
- Just begin your counting from the start again and proceed.
Popular meditation practice
- Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is the process of being fully present with your thoughts. Being mindful means being aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not being overly reactive to what’s going on around us. Mindful meditation can be done anywhere. Some people prefer to sit in a quiet place, close their eyes, and focus on their breathing. When practicing mindfulness meditation, you observe your thoughts and emotions but let them pass without judgement. - Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental meditation is a simple technique in which a personally assigned mantra, such as a word, sound, or small phrase, is repeated in a specific way. It’s practiced 20 minutes twice each day while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed.
The idea is that this technique will allow you to settle inward to a profound state of relaxation and rest, with the goal of achieving inner peace without concentration or effort. - Guided Meditation
Guided meditation, which is sometimes also called guided imagery or visualization, is a method of meditation in which you form mental pictures or situations that you find relaxing.
This process is typically led by a guide or teacher, hence “guided.” - Vipassana Meditation
Vipassana meditation is an ancient Indian form of meditation that means to see things as they really are. The goal of vipassana meditation is self-transformation through self-observation. This is accomplished through disciplined attention to physical sensations in the body, to establish a deep connection between the mind and body. The continuous interconnectedness results in a balanced mind full of love and compassion, teachers of the practice claim.
Vipassana, in this tradition, is typically taught during a 10-day course, and students are expected to follow a set of rules throughout the entirety of the time, including abstaining from all intoxicants, telling lies, stealing, sexual activity, and killing any species. - Chakra Meditation
Chakra is an ancient Sanskrit word that translates to “wheel,” and can be traced back to India. Chakras refer to the centers of energy and spiritual power in the body. There are thought to be seven chakras. Each chakra is located at a different part of the body and each has a corresponding color.
Chakra meditation is made up of relaxation techniques focused on bringing balance and well-being to the chakras. Some of these techniques include visually picturing each chakra in the body and its corresponding color. Some people may choose to light incense or use crystals, color coded for each chakra to help them concentrate during the meditation.
How to Meditate
Getting started with meditation is easy. One of the best features of meditation is that you don’t need to buy anything. As long as you’re conscious and willing, you can begin. Concentration meditation is a great technique to start with and you can perform it at home, the office, or even parked in your car, just follow the five steps below.
- Pick Your Location
Find a peaceful spot. You don’t need absolute silence, but a quiet setting will help with your concentration, especially if you are just starting. - Strike a Pose
You will need to stay in one pose for the duration of the exercise, so make sure you are comfortable and relaxed. The more popular poses involve sitting cross-legged and lying on your back with your arms at your side and palms facing up. - Breathe Easy
Don’t force an irregular breathing pattern. Instead, take relaxed, full, calming breaths. - Stay Focused
Choose a physical sensation on which to focus. For many, just concentrating on breathing is sufficient. With your eyes closed, inhale and exhale through your nose. Feel the expansion and contraction of your lungs. Feel the breath brush against your throat and expand your lungs. Don’t be discouraged if you find your mind wandering; it’s natural, just refocus. - Repeat
Perform this exercise every day for 5 minutes. Add more time as you become more accustomed to the practice. With time, you’ll get better at remaining focused without letting your mind wander. Checking their watch is a big distraction for many beginners so, if time is short, setting a timer may be helpful.