Starting a meditation practice can be intimidating. If you ask 10 different people how they meditate you can get 10 different answers. Meditation can make you feel overwhelmed and uncertain of how are you supposed to feel and where to start.
First you need to be familiar with the types of meditation and see what resonates with you, and as any kind of training you need to PRACTICE it.
Here are the most common 4 types of meditation:
1. Guided Meditation: this type is led by someone either in person as a class, or through recording. This style of meditation is the best for beginners and to those who might struggle to sit still for more than just a few minutes. Guided meditation usually
lasts 10-15 minutes and most of the time have a theme of a relaxing music as a background.
2. Visualization Meditation: this type is a powerful way to use the mind to influence the body and can also be an empowering way to manifest desired outcomes in your life. What we place our attention on grows stronger and what we take our attention away from will begin to diminish. The unconscious mind is extremely powerful and it works very well with imagery.
To meditate using visual imagery, practice the following:
Identify your desired outcome. For example, do you wish to feel more grounded and at peace in your mind and emotions? Or would you like to envision your physical body as being healthy, vibrant, and strong? Or are you longing to create art, write poetry, be in a new relationship, or travel abroad?
Create an internal representation of what this looks, sounds, and feels like. Make it as real and as compelling as possible.
Enter into a meditative state by relaxing and taking some deep breaths and then bring the image into your awareness. Associate yourself into the picture by stepping inside it and feeling as if it has already happened.
When it's time to come out of meditation, simply allow the image to fade off into the distance and relinquish any attachment to outcome.
Meditate in this fashion anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes each day.
3. Mantra Meditation: Mantra means "a group of words that are repeated" During the practice, whenever you drift away from the mantra to other thoughts, sounds, or physical sensations, you simply guide your attention back to the repetition of the mantra. Think of it as a dance back and forth between mantra and thought. Some mantras have a specific meaning and it’s said that by repeating the mantra, you are connecting to the energetic essence of its intention. Other mantras purposely have no meaning and are designed to help access deeper levels of silence. In this approach, eventually the mantra and thoughts will cancel one another out. When this happens, your conscious awareness transcends the busyness of the mind and reaches higher states of consciousness.
4. Breath Awareness Meditation: it's a simple practice where you have to find a comfortable seat, close your eyes and focus on your inhalation and exhalation of your breath. It's a great way to find the mind-body connection and reduce stress.
Finally, the most important thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong meditation; there are many paths that all lead to the same destination, and the beauty of life is that we get to choose our own path.
Keep it simple at the beginning and just feel out some different techniques. When you find one that you enjoy, the next step is to set aside 15 to 20 minutes each day to cultivate your meditation practice. From there, tend to your practice each day and you will experience a number of life-changing benefits.