The Most Effective Meditation for Each Modality
Nei Guan (Internal Viewing): This is a type of meditation involving visualization or focus of your imagination. You can practice it while standing, with knees slightly bent and hands at your sides, or while in a seated position. The visualizations are complex, however, so you might need to work with an advanced teacher or at the very least read a book on this practice to better understand it.
Shouyi: This is meditative practice incorporates oneness and concentration. The idea is to focus on visualizing a golden ball of light at a specific location within your body. Proponents of this practice claim that energy, matter and the soul all become one during the technique.
Yuanyou: During this is meditation you “travel” through the astral plane to other countries, sacred locations, the sun, the moon and even to transcendent beings. Again, it’s pretty complicated, so if you’re interested, you will more than likely require a teacher who knows what they’re doing.
Guided Imagery: This type of meditation is very common and you can find different versions of it online. It helps you make use of your powers of visualization, as someone guides you to imagine an object, entity, scenery or journey.
Chakra Meditation: You will most definitely need a qualified practitioner for this one. They will focus on one of the seven chakras (“centres of energy”) of your body, typically doing some visualizations and chanting a specific mantra for each chakra (lam, vam, ram, yam, ham, om). Each of the seven chakras are located in a different area of the body and are associated with a different colour, sound, and energetic purpose. Chakra meditations can be very powerful, especially when focusing on and connecting with one element in the physical or emotional body at a time. Many chakra meditations use sound, specific placement of hands, and visualization techniques to connect with the chakras and bring healing energy to an issue or emotion that needs attention, so it’s not necessarily just a visual meditation. But it’s mainly visual, so I added it to this category.
Tonglen Meditation: Tonglen meditation is a Tibetan Buddhist meditation that helps you overcome suffering by connecting you with it. It’s basically the opposite of what we’re taught in the West, where we avoid suffering by seeking pleasure. In Tonglen meditation, you develop an attitude of openness toward suffering, let go of negativity, practice giving and receiving, and cultivate compassion and empathy through the breath, visualization and intention.
Gazing Meditation (Trataka): This is done by fixing your gaze on an external object (a candle, image or symbol). It’s done first with your eyes open, and then with your eyes closed, to train both your concentration and your visualization powers. After closing your eyes, the point is to try to keep the image of the object in your “mind’s eye”.
Third Eye Meditation: During this meditation you focus your attention on the spot between your eyebrows (which some call “the third eye” or “ajna chakra”). Your attention is constantly redirected to this point, as a means to silence the mind. In time, pockets of silence between your thoughts get wider and deeper.
Loving Kindness Meditation (Metta Meditation): This is also called “Compassion meditation”. Demonstrated benefits include boosting one’s ability to empathize with others, development of positive emotions through compassion (including a more loving attitude towards yourself), increased self-acceptance, greater feeling of competence about life, and increased feeling of purpose in life. To do it, you sit down in a meditation position, with your eyes closed, and generate in your mind and heart feelings of kindness. Start by developing loving-kindness towards yourself, then progressively towards a close friend, a neutral person, a person who makes things difficult for you, other species and then gradually the entire universe. This practice may be aided by reciting specific words or sentences that evoke the “boundless warm-hearted feeling”, visualizing the suffering of others and sending love; or by imagining the state of another being, and wishing him happiness and peace.
Neiguan (“inner observation; inner vision”): To meditate in this way, visualize the inside of your body and mind, including your organs, “inner deities”, qi (vital force) movements, and thought processes. It’s a process of acquainting yourself with the wisdom of nature in your body. There are particular instructions for following this practice, so a good book or a teacher is definitely necessary to do it properly.
Contemplative Reading: Also called “contemplation”. This involves thinking deeply about the teachings and events in the spiritual book(s) of whatever higher power you believe in (Koran, Bible, etc.). Instead of practising this type of meditation to transcend the mind and attain enlightenment, the goal here is to gain a deeper understanding of your holy text, achieve closer intimacy with your God and attain moral purification.
Yoga Nidra: This is the Sanskrit phrase for yogic sleep. As the name suggests, it’s a restful, deeply relaxing practice, and it is done lying down or in a reclined, comfortable posture. Although this may look like a nap, you’re fully conscious during the practice. If you’re in a class, teachers will usually recommend props, like blankets and bolsters, so you can find as much comfort and ease in the body as possible. The meditation itself involves a step-by-step process of visualization and guided instructions that lead you into a deep state of conscious relaxation.
Sound Meditation (Nada Yoga): During these meditations, you focus on sounds. A typical sound meditation starts with focus on “external sounds”, such as calming ambient music. The meditator concentrates all his or her attention just on hearing, as a help to quieten and collect their mind. In time, the practice progresses to hearing the “internal sounds” of the body and mind. The eventual goal is to hear the “Ultimate Sound” (para nada), which is a sound without vibration, that manifests as “OM”.
Primordial Sound Meditation: PSM is a silent practice during which you use a mantra. This mantra is one you receive and it’s the vibrational sound the universe was creating at the time and place of your birth. It’s calculated following Vedic mathematic formulas and is very personal and specific to you. Repeating your personal mantra silently helps you to enter deeper levels of awareness by taking you away from the intellectual side of the brain.
Mantra Meditation (OM Meditation): A mantra is a syllable or word, usually without any particular meaning, that is repeated for the purpose of focusing your mind. It is not an affirmation used to convince yourself of something. Some meditation teachers insist that both the choice of word and its correct pronunciation are very important, due to the “vibration” associated to the sound and meaning, and that for this reason an initiation into it is essential. Others say that the mantra itself is only a tool to focus the mind, and the chosen word is completely irrelevant. A more devotion oriented practice of mantras is called japa, and consists of repeating sacred sounds (name of God) with love. Sometimes this practice is coupled with being aware of the breathing or coordinating with it. Repetition of the mantra helps you disconnect from the thoughts filling your mind so that perhaps you may slip into the gap between thoughts. You may practice for a certain period of time, or for a set number of “repetitions” – traditionally 108 or 1008. Beads are typically used for keeping count. As the practice deepens, you may find that the mantra continues “by itself” like the humming of the mind. Or the mantra may even disappear, and you are left in a state of deep inner peace. “Om” is just one of the mantras that can be used. Here are some of the most well-known mantras from the Hindu & Buddhist traditions:
- so-ham
- om namah shivaya
- om mani padme hum
- rama
- yam
- ham
Contemplative Prayer: This can belong to any religion or no religion at all. It usually involves the silent repetition of sacred words or sentences, with focus and devotion, just like the words above. Only this time the words carry a deep meaning and are supposed to bring you closer to your chosen deity.
Affirmations: These are usually coupled with relaxation and guided imagery, with the purpose of imprinting a message or feeling in your subconscious. You’ll get into a relaxed state and the idea is that you’re more suggestive when relaxed, so the message sinks into your brain better.
Binaural Beats: Binaural beats were originally discovered in 1839 by physicist Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, who discovered that when signals of two different frequencies are presented separately, one to each ear, our brain detects the phase variation between the frequencies and tries to reconcile the difference. This is used to generate alpha waves (10 Hz), which is the brain wave associated with initial levels of meditation.
Brainwave meditation: Many types of meditation incorporate the usage of brainwave entrainment as a form of guidance. These meditations may start out with an instructive voice, but are often just some relaxing music and sounds. The goal is to maintain focus on the specific tone or “beats” that are played through headphones or speakers.
Self-hypnosis: Many consider self-hypnosis a form of guided meditation because it involves listening to an audio recording or in-person voice to enter a deep state of relaxation. Once you become as relaxed as possible, you are more open to suggestion as your brain waves slow. Then the hypnotherapist will target the session to improve a particular aspect of your thinking or beliefs.
Zuobo: This is meditation is practiced seated around a bowl (water clock) and is considered a communal form of alchemy. The idea behind it is that it would make whoever practiced it special, live longer, and attain supernatural powers.
Zuowang: This is an old technique that translates to “sitting forgetting.” Those practicing this type of meditation attempt to enter a state of deep trance without any ego, so as to feel the “cosmic current of the Tao.” Many have compared this Taoist meditation to the Buddhist practice of “zuochan” and the Neo-Confucianism concept of “jingzuo.”
Progressive Relaxation: This is a technique that’s closely related to meditation, but some actually consider it a meditation in and of itself. It involves monitoring the tension in a particular muscle or area of the body, and intentionally increasing tension in that region. The tension is then released and the person will notice a significant contrast in the sensation between tension and relaxation. This can be done in a scanning format throughout the body.
Body Scan: This meditation can help you achieve a deep relaxation in your entire body. It’s usually accompanied by soothing instrumental music or nature sounds. This is a type of guided meditation in which an audio recording will instruct you to focus on a specific part of your body and become aware of any tension. Body scanning involves increasing awareness of any stress or pain in certain parts of the body. It can be performed while seated or while lying down. A full body scan can take an extensive amount of time (e.g. 45 minutes), but condensed, shorter versions are still highly effective.
Standing Meditation: Standing instead of sitting to meditate can relieve lower back pain and promote a greater sense of internal stability. Stand in a comfortable, straight posture with the feet pointing straight forward, about shoulder width apart. After settling into the position, do a quick full-body “scan,” releasing tension and bringing awareness to every part of the body.
Walking Meditation (kinhin): In walking meditation, practitioners move slowly and continuously while staying aware of the body and mind. For this form of meditation, use good posture, take deep breaths and experience the motions of the body. The walking movement should be continuous, so pick a safe place with space to roam around, like a large park or field.
Tai Chi: This ancient wellness practice is all about aligning energy in the body and mind. In traditional Chinese medicine, illness or pain happens when the life force, chi, is disrupted. The contemplative practice of tai chi—which looks like slow-motion dancing—is supposed to realign the body’s chi. This form of moving meditation may increase memory and brain size, as well as alleviate symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Qigong: Like Tai Chi, Qigong is a form of “moving meditation” that uses rhythmic physical movements to focus and centre the mind. It’s also used to regulate, maintain, and heal the body’s chi or energy force. The practice works as a combination of meditation and low-impact exercise and can reduce stress and anxiety, improve blood flow, and increase energy. Studies have shown that qigong meditation is an effective therapy for those overcoming substance abuse, especially for women. Because it combines mindful meditation with body movements, qigong can be used as a mental, physical, or spiritual exercise.
Integrated Amrita Meditation Technique: This practice helps people redirect energy in a positive way. Each session of IAM takes about half an hour and includes postures, pranayama breathing and meditation. Participants spend the first eight or so minutes doing yoga, followed by deep breathing and meditation.
Dance Meditation: This type of meditation asks participants to let go of the ego and surrender to the rhythms and ecstasies of movement. Some classes encourage yelling, jumping, and any type of movement that comes to you naturally. It’s a great way to release tension and get in touch with your instincts. A related practise that has grown in popularity in recent years is “Ecstatic Dance”.
Hand Movement Meditation: For many people, the toughest part of meditation is sitting without moving for an extended period of time. It’s so hard to resist the urge to pick at an itchy spot, because scratching activates areas of the brain that control pain and compulsive behaviour. In hand movement meditation, participants focus on moving the hands slowly and mindfully, so you don’t have to worry about being still.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Mindfulness meditation is the practice of intentionally focusing on the present moment, accepting and non-judgmentally paying attention to the sensations, thoughts, and emotions that arise. This technique uses both breath awareness and body scanning. Breath awareness is as simple as it sounds — you focus your attention on the inhalation and exhalation. Body scanning is a process of focused attention on the physical body starting at the toes and working your way up with heightened awareness. The practitioner may be seated, laying down, or walking depending on the focus of practice. To do this meditation, pay close attention to the movement of your breath. When you breath in, be aware that you are breathing in, and how it feels. When you breath out, be aware you are breathing out. Do like this for the length of your meditation practice, constantly redirecting the attention to the breath. Or you can move on to be paying attention to the sensations, thoughts and feelings that arise. The effort is to not intentionally add anything to your present moment experience, but to be aware of what’s going on, without losing yourself in anything that arises. It’s natural that your mind will get distracted into going along with sounds, sensations and thoughts. Whenever that happens, gently recognize that you’ve been distracted and bring your attention back to your breathing, or to the objective noticing of that thought or sensation. There is a big difference between being inside the thought/sensation, and simply being aware of its presence.
Kriya Yoga: This is a set of energization, breathing, and meditation exercises best suited for those who have a devotional temperament and are seeking the spiritual aspects of meditation. This type of yoga consists of different levels of Pranayama and is geared towards someone intending to enhance their spiritual development. It consists of not only meditation, but energy work and breathing exercises to increase tranquillity and spiritual connection. Some have described “kriya” yoga as mentally directing energy vertically; up and down the 6 spinal centers.
Kundalini Meditation: This is a very complex practice. The goal is the awakening of the “kundalini energy” (which lies dormant at the base of the spine), the development of several psychic centres in the body and, ultimately, enlightenment. There are several dangers associated with this practice, and it should not be attempted without the guidance of a qualified yogi. Those practicing Kundalini Meditation generally experience drastic changes in the functioning of their body, nervous system, and physiology as the “kundalini” energy rises from the spine. This energy rises from “lower” energy centers to “higher” energy centers in the body. It typically involves a specific breathing technique that involves “alternate nostril” inhalation. In other words, you’d close your right nostril on the first inhale, and your left nostril on the second. The thought behind the technique is to “cleanse” certain energy channels to help awaken the Kundalini or “serpent” energy.
Vipassana Meditation: Most teachers emphasize starting with mindfulness of breath in the first stages of Vipassana meditation, to stabilize the mind and achieve “access concentration.” This is more like focused attention meditation. Then the practice moves on to developing “clear insight” on the bodily sensations and mental phenomena, observing them moment by moment and not clinging to any of them. A mental note identifies an object in general, but not in detail. When you’re aware of a sound, for example, label it “hearing” instead of “motorcycle,” or “voices”. If an unpleasant sensation arises, note “pain” or “feeling” instead of “knee pain” or “my back pain.” Then return your attention to the primary meditation object (most likely your breathing). You’re supposed to observe the objects of awareness without attachment, letting thoughts and sensations arise and pass away of their own accord. This kind of mental labelling is used as a way to prevent you from being carried away by thoughts.
Breathing meditation (Pranayama – Hindu): This is basically breathing regulation. It is not exactly meditation, but an excellent practice to calm the mind and prepare it for meditation. There are several different types of Pranayama, but the simplest and most commonly taught one is the 4-4-4-4. This means breathing in counting up to 4, holding for 4 seconds, breathing out for 4 seconds and holding yourself empty for 4 seconds. Breathe through your nose, then let your abdomen (not your chest) move naturally. Go through a few cycles like this. This regulation of breathing balances the mood and pacifies the body.
Breathing meditation (Zhuanqi - Taoist): The goal again is to focus on the breath, or “unite mind and qi”. The instruction is to “focus your vital breath until it is supremely soft”. Sometimes this is done by simply quietly observing your breath. Other times, it’s done by following certain patterns of exhalation and inhalation, so that one becomes directly aware of the “dynamisms of Heaven and Earth” through ascending and descending breath.
Sitting with God: This is a silent meditation, usually preceded by contemplation or reading, in which the practitioner focuses all their mind, heart and soul on the presence of their deity.
Zen or Zazen (seated meditation): During this meditation, you acquire insight through observing the breath and the mind, and through interaction with a teacher. Zen emphasizes the attainment of enlightenment and the personal expression of insight in the Buddhist teachings. These Sutras (scriptures or teachings) and doctrine are taught through interaction with an accomplished teacher. Sometimes chanting is involved.
Transcendental Meditation: This meditation involves the use of a mantra or series of Sanskrit words to help the practitioner focus instead of just following their breath. The mantra given to the student will vary according to a number of different factors, including the year in which the student was born and in some cases their gender. The year in which the teacher was trained will also affect the mantra provided. The teacher will have been given a list of mantas to use and this list varies depending on which year they received their instruction.
Shikantaza (“just sitting”): In this form the practitioner does not use any specific object of meditation. Rather, practitioners remain as much as possible in the present moment, aware of and observing what passes through their minds and around them, without dwelling on anything in particular. It’s a type of Effortless Presence meditation.
Tantra: I’m just gonna let you know right off the bat that most Tantra practices have nothing to do with sex. Tantric sex was only practiced by a minority of lineages, but it’s the practise that became most popular, for obvious reasons. Tantra is a very rich tradition, with dozens of different contemplative practices. The text “Vijnanabhairava Tantra”, for instance, lists 108 “meditations”, most of them very advanced and requiring a certain degree of stillness and mind control.
Self-Enquiry (“I Am” Meditation): The point of this meditation is to investigate our true nature. This practice is very simple, but also very subtle. Your sense of “I” (or “ego”) is the centre of your universe. It is there, in some form or another, behind all your thoughts, emotions, memories, and perceptions. Yet you’re not clear about what this “I” is – about who you truly are, in essence – and often confuse it with your body, your mind, your roles and your labels. With Self-Enquiry, the question “Who I am?” is asked within yourself. You must reject any verbal answers that may come, and use this question simply as a tool to fix your attention in the subjective feeling of “I” or “I am”. Become one with it, go deep into it. This will then reveal your true “I”, your real self as pure consciousness. It is not an intellectual pursuit, but a question to bring the attention to the core element of your perception and experience. This is not your personality, but a pure, subjective, feeling of existing – without any images or concepts attached to it. Whenever thoughts or feelings arise, ask yourself, “To whom does this arise?” or “Who is aware of this (anger, fear, pain, whatever)?” The answer will be “It’s me!”. From there you ask “Who am I?”, to bring your attention back to the subjective feeling of self and presence. Turn your attention towards the very source of attention itself.
Emptiness meditation: Here you sit quietly and empty yourself of all mental images (thoughts, feelings, etc.), to “forget about everything”, in order to experience inner quiet and emptiness. In this state, vital force and “spirit” is collected and replenished. You simply allow all thoughts and sensations arise and fall by themselves, without engaging with or “following” any of them.
Vajrayana: This is a very complex form of meditation. The neurological adaptations that occur with consistent practice of Vajrayana include: increased stimulation and mental focus, which is the opposite of other types of meditation, which tone down or decrease arousal.
NOTE:
I personally had a very hard time trying to find specific meditation traditions and practises that revolve around taste and smell. So I’m just going to offer my opinion with some suggestions, based on my limited knowledge. I apologize to any gustatory or olfactory readers, who were excited to finally find an article that so much as mentioned them. If you know of any meditations I can add to this list, please comment below or message me through the contact form, because I would love to know.
Mindful Eating and Drinking: If you’re anything like me, you’re used to either rushing through every meal and drink you have, or consuming it so mindlessly that you may as well not have had it at all. This happens when we eat or drink something while watching TV, or any time we don’t take the time to really notice what we’re putting into our mouths. A great way to turn eating and drinking into a meditation, is to simply take your time. Say, for example, you’re drinking tea. Look at it carefully as you pour it into your cup. Notice as many things about its colour and its consistency as you can. Take the time to really smell it and ponder the different notes you can identify. Bring it slowly to your lips and notice its warmth radiate through the cup. Savour the flavour and consider whether it tastes like it smells. Really feel the sensation of it pooling in your mouth and then sliding down your throat. If you’ve never done this before, it will feel as though this is the first cup of tea you’ve ever had. When you consume every food and drink in this way, it turns every meal into a tranquil experience.
Experience every scent as though you’re smelling it for the first time: This is similar to the eating and drinking meditation practise I described above. You can burn some incense, light a scented candle, diffuse some essential oils, smell some flowers or even your food and drink. Just make sure you do it mindfully and slowly, so as to notice the details and savour their beauty.
Meditation doesn’t have to be a targeted time set aside specifically for sitting around focusing on sensations. Anything can become a meditation, when you do it with intention and mindful awareness. This is what I call “daily life meditation”. The practise is to pay attention to what is going on in the present moment, to be fully aware of what’s happening and not live your life on auto pilot – no matter how many times you’ve done this particular task or motion in the past.
This means that no matter what your preferred representational system is, no matter where you are or what you’re doing, you can turn it into a meditation, simply by turning your entire attention onto what it is you’re doing. You refuse to think about the past or the future. The only moment that exists in your awareness and in your life is now.
If this is difficult for you, repeat this mantra: “Where am I?” and answer “Here.” Then ask yourself “What time is it?” and answer “Now.” Be here now. If you’re speaking, really pay attention to the words you choose to say, the way in which you express them and the reason you are saying them. If you’re walking, be acutely aware of your every body movement, the position of your body parts in space, the sounds they’re creating as they shift positions, etc.
Slow down your daily practises to half-speed and use the extra time to focus on that task’s every detail. If you’re washing the dishes, I know it’s tempting to speed through them because you don’t like doing them, but if you take the time to wash them mindfully, it will rejuvenate you so much that you will look forward to doing the dishes as a mode of stress-release. Trust me!
Try out these tips and if you’re still finding this advice hard to implement, ask for help in the comments below, send me a message, or book a FREE breakthrough session to see how I can help you through Skype.
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