Have you ever wondered how meditation works and what types of meditation can help calm your body and mind?
For a healthy lifestyle, meditation can work wonders. Are you curious about how it impacts your physical and mental well-being? If yes, then you are in the right place. In this article, we will look at the different types of meditationsthat can help calm your mind and body.
What is Meditation?
“It’s through our meditation practice that we can enter the subconscious and change our unwanted programs. Think of the subconscious as the brain’s operating system. By dropping into the operating system of the brain, we can alter habits, behaviors, and remove emotional scars. If you’re not trying to change anything, you can simply open yourself up to receiving unknown possibilities and create something new.”~ Dr, Joe Dispenza
Meditation is not about transforming into a whole new different person or instantly becoming self-actualized. It is about enduring prolonged training in achieving self-awareness and attaining a healthier perspective.
You will know yourself better throughout your journey as you immerse yourself in your thought processes and observe your feelings without any judgment. Meditation helps one become more mindful of your surroundings and have an enhanced way of dealing with life stressors.
Five Types of Meditation for Calming Your Mind and Body
1. Movement Meditation
Although the most common activity people would think of when talking about movement meditation is yoga, it does not only limit to that. Movement meditation also includes strolling through grasslands, walking along the seashore, qigong, gardening, and other soft motion forms. This is a more active kind of meditation wherein it is your movement that guides or commands you.
How does it help?
This is best for individuals who find satisfaction and relief in movements and choose to let their thoughts wander. It reduces anxiety and stress levels and physical pain. It also helps to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, increase attention span, and encourages peaceful feelings and deep relaxation.
These types of meditation also help you reconnect with your spiritual direction or purpose and improve your creativity and quality of sleep.
2. Progressive Relaxation
Progressive relaxation was termed in the 1920s by Edmund Jacobson, an American physician. Also known as “body scan meditation”, these types of meditation aim at pacifying bodily tensions and encouraging relaxation.
Progressive relaxation is often hard to do, especially when a person’s mind is filled with chaos and fears. Their intertwining thoughts reflect on their physical conditions, as their muscles are usually tensed and tight.
How does it help?
Progressive relaxation aims to calm troubled individuals since it focuses on tension reduction exercises. This is often used to unwind before going to deep sleep. Jacobson discovered that relaxation could be achieved by tensing muscles and then releasing them.
The benefits of these types of meditation include deeper sleep, anxiety relief, particularly anxiety disorder or anxiety caused by stressful situations. A 2019 study also revealed that progressive relaxation reduced depression, stress, anxiety disorder symptoms, and emotional breakdowns.
3. Mantra Meditation
Mantra meditation is distinguished in some teachings, such as Buddhist and Hindu traditions. This meditation practice utilizes a repetitive chant to declutter the mind and untangle its chaos.
After the repetitive chant, you will become more tuned in with your thoughts, feelings, and environment. This brings you to a higher level of self-awareness.
How does it help?
Some people find mantra meditation more helpful than meditating through complete silence. For them, repeatedly saying words and phrases makes them focused more than indulging in total quietness. Mantra meditation benefits include increased focus and attention span, reduced stress, enhanced confidence and self-worth, and a more positive perspective in life.
4. Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation was first initiated from Buddhist teachings and it is commonly practiced in the west. These types of meditation help one to become more attentive to their feelings and thoughts.
The goal is to observe, realize, and be cognizant of your reaction to every thought that passes your mind while doing your best not to get emotionally involved with any of those. You can practice maintaining mental composure and psychological resilience throughout the process as you focus on your breath and bodily sensations.
How does it help?
Such types of meditation help improve your well-being since it reinforces your attitudes that may have contributed to satisfaction in life. By being mindful, you become more engaged or focused on your daily activities. As a result, you will find it easier to savor pleasure in life and achieve greater endurance when faced with adverse events.
Moreover, studies have revealed that mindfulness meditation can help improve your physical health. It can relieve stress, normalize blood pressure, cure heart diseases, improve sleep, and treat chronic pain. Psychotherapists have also noted that it enhances mental health and can help treat anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive, eating disorders, and a lot more.
5. Spiritual Meditation
Spiritual meditation is often applied in Eastern religions like Daoism, Christianity, and Hinduism. This kind of meditation is similar to praying. It involves seeking a deeper connection and fully engages in the process of communicating with God or the universe.
Through silence, you can focus on expressing your sincerest intentions and reflecting on your thoughts. Essential oils such as frankincense, cedar, sandalwood, sage, myrrh, and Palo Santo are commonly used to emphasize the spiritual journey.
How does it help?
Through reflection and worship, people can regain strength, courage, and wisdom to face their daily battles. These types on meditation is mostly practiced by people who long for spiritual awareness and growth. It helps release chaotic thoughts and settle them through prayer. It also aids in relaxing your nervous system and empowers your mind, allowing you to reach higher consciousness.
Almost all types of meditation have similar benefits and they aim to help us know what is in our minds without getting swayed by it. Meditation soothes our fears, worries, physical tension, and anger.
It allows us to go through the process of self-actualization without compromising all other needs. It is just a way for us to enjoy life by being fully cognizant of our actions, motives, and endeavors. It is one of the most healthy lifestyle habits you should incorporate in your daily life.
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Katherine Smith
Katherine is a freelance health writer and lifelong learner with an ongoing curiosity to learn new things. She has a passion for quality health-care, fitness, and skincare. Her goal is to have the most positive impact on the lives of people she works with; helping them to become the healthiest, happiest version of themselves. You can follow her on Instagram for more about her.
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