What is meditation to you? Is it sitting cross-legged in silence, focusing on your breath? A mindful walk outside guided by the sounds of nature? Or perhaps it’s a motivating session of mantra chanting before work?
The truth is, meditation takes many forms, and each one can be traced back to a different tradition. These traditions have helped shape meditation into the transformative practices we know today. Some provide inner peace, others spark spiritual growth, and a few can help you deal with the chaos of everyday life.
This detailed guide will give you a solid foundation of the different types of meditation from Yoga, Theravada Buddhist, and Zen Buddhist traditions. Going back to the roots of meditation, we'll look at the unique approaches, goals, and benefits of each type, helping you find a practice that fits your personal journey, wherever you're going.
How Many Different Types of Meditation Are There?
Meditation, at its core, is about training the brain and body. This practice can profoundly affect both their structure and function. While there are many types of meditation, most share these key elements:
- Focused attention: This might involve concentrating on your breath, an object, or repeating a mantra.
- Present moment awareness: Meditation often focuses on experiencing the here and now, rather than dwelling on the past or future.
- Deep concentration: This skill helps counteract the mind's default mode to wander. With practice, it can develop a deeper spiritual connection.
- Mindfulness: Some practices involve observing thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment.
Meditation spans across many religious traditions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity. It's also found in secular practices like yoga and mindfulness. Because of its widespread presence, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how many types exist today.
However, some of the most common types of meditation practiced in traditions include:
- Yoga meditation
- Buddhist meditation
- Zen meditation
Other popular types of meditation such as Mindfulness, Mantra, or Loving-kindness meditation tend to be variations of these. They incorporate different elements and knowledge from cultures, philosophies, religions, and spiritual schools.
Just as with different yoga styles, not all types of meditation will suit your personal needs and intentions. Keep reading to learn about the various types of meditation and which one might be right for you.
Yoga Meditation
Yoga meditation is rooted in concentration, or Dharana. Dharana is accomplished when we are able to stay with a focus point or exercise without being distracted by our surroundings, thoughts, memories, or emotions. Only once you have mastered concentration, can you enter a true meditative state.
Goal
The purpose of all practices in the Yoga tradition is to become free from illusion (Maya) and realize our true identity, which is the eternal “Self.” Meditation is the fastest and most effective practice to bring you to a state of self-realization.
Techniques
Although meditation is a clear route to self-realization, it is part of a much larger journey in yoga and not something to be rushed. In fact, it is the second last step in Sage Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga. In this eight step path to enlightenment (Samadhi), you need to first practice the yamas, niyamas, pranayama, and asana to prepare your body for meditation.
Finding a steady meditation position and remaining motionless is also key in Yoga meditation, as the body and mind are considered to be intricately linked.
In yoga, there are two main types of meditation: concentrated meditation and mindfulness meditation.
Concentrated Meditation:
Dharana, or concentration, is the one-pointed focus on a certain object (Drishti). This object can be the breath, an inner image, the repetition of a mantra, or anything else.
Variations of Concentrated meditation you might know include:
- Mantra Meditation: This practice involves repeating a word or phrase, either silently or aloud, to focus your mind and cultivate a sense of calm. Practices such as Soham Ajapa Japa meditation fall under this type.
- Chakra Meditation: Chakra meditation uses techniques like mantras to bring balance back to the 7 chakras.
- Sleep Meditation: Also known as Yoga Nidra, this is a form of guided sleep meditation that takes you into a state between wakefulness and sleep. It is is especially beneficial for sleep, calming the nervous system and anxiety.
- Silent Meditation: This meditation doesn't rely on mantras or guided imagery. Instead, you sit quietly, often focusing on your breath, body or a simple mental cue. In Transcendental meditation, you repeat a word or phrase in your mind.
Mindfulness Meditation:
In Mindfulness meditation, your focus involves a greater awareness of all thoughts, emotions, and sensations. This is usually achieved through breath and body awareness exercises.
Mindfulness meditation is about being fully present in the moment. You focus on your breath and body sensations, which helps you tune into what's happening in your mind. It's a way to observe your thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them.
Buddhist Meditation
Buddhists believe that your mind shapes your reality. Whether you're seeking everyday happiness or aiming for something deeper, learning to control your thoughts is key in life, and meditation is a primary method to achieve this.
Theravada Buddhism follows the original teachings of Buddha. Its core idea is simple: if our suffering mostly comes from our minds, then the solution must also be in our minds. That's why Theravada Buddhism offers various types of meditation practices. These are like mental exercises designed to help us understand our thoughts and find peace.
Goal
One important milestone on this path is gaining Insight, also known as Vipassana. Through dedicated meditation practice, you develop a profound understanding of how suffering develops in your mind and body.
By mastering meditation in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, you can potentially experience a state where your mind becomes completely still. This is believed to free you from the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth—a state of perfect peace known as Nibbana, or Nirvana.
Techniques
There are two types of meditation in the Buddhist tradition. They are divided into:
Calming or Serenity Meditations (Samatha/Shamatha):
This meditation style focuses on a single object to create a calm, concentrated state of mind. It works by directing all your attention to one thing, like your breath, a mental image, or a repeated phrase (mantra).
By doing this, you learn to tune out daily distractions and quiet busy thoughts. This practice can help you feel more peaceful and improve your ability to concentrate in daily life.
Vipassana Meditation (Insight Meditation):
Vipassana meditation includes practices that develop inner awareness and insight. In these types of meditation practices, you focus on whatever physical sensations or thoughts grab your attention. It might be your breath, a feeling in your body, or a persistent thought. The key is to just observe these experiences without getting caught up in them.
By practicing this non-reactive awareness, you start to see your experiences more clearly. Over time, this practice can lead to profound realizations about yourself and the nature of your experiences.
Zen Meditation
Zen and Theravada Buddhism both aim for enlightenment through meditation, but they come from different cultures. Theravada has roots in Indian and Southeast Asian traditions, while Zen developed in Japan.
Zen meditation is often called "open-monitoring." Instead of focusing on one thing, you try to be aware of everything around you.
This is similar to mindfulness, but with a key difference. In mindfulness, you usually on something specific, like your breath or body sensations. Zen aims for a broader awareness, like being aware of your whole experience at once, without zeroing in on any one part.
Goal
Zen meditation doesn't focus on specific goals, but regular practice often leads to unexpected benefits. You might notice your thoughts more clearly or feel a greater connection to yourself and others. Some people find they react less to stress and appreciate simple moments more.
While Zen doesn't promise these outcomes, many practitioners discover a deeper awareness of themselves and the world around them. This growing awareness, though not a formal goal, is often seen as the heart of Zen meditation.
Techniques
Zazen, or "seated meditation," is the core practice of Zen, and is said to have led Buddha to enlightenment 2,600 years ago.
The basic steps for this type of meditation are as follows:
- Sit with a straight back, either on a cushion or chair.
- Keep your eyes half-open, gently focused on the floor in front of you.
- Pay attention to your posture and breath without trying to control them.
- Let thoughts come and go without getting caught up in them.
In Zen meditation, you simply sit and observe. This might sound easy, but it takes practice. Over time, many people find that regular Zazen helps them feel calmer and more centered, even when life gets chaotic.
Final Thought
Whether you're looking to reduce stress, grow spiritually, or just clear your mind, these ancient traditions offer meditations that help us understand ourselves better and find a sense of inner calm in the most difficult moments.
For your own practice, remember there's no "perfect” type of meditation. The key is finding what works for you and practicing regularly. Experiment, be patient with yourself, and enjoy the journey of self-discovery that meditation offers.
Meditation goes much deeper than what we've covered here. If you want to explore further—learning about advanced techniques, the philosophy behind the practice, and how to share these tools with others—check out our Online 50-Hour Meditation Teacher Training. This certified course gives you a solid foundation in meditation, whether you want to deepen your own practice or start guiding others on their journey.
Sources
Arhanta Yoga Ashram. An Overview of Meditation Traditions. In 50-Hour Meditation Teacher Training Manual (Day 4 Theory). Arhanta Yoga Online.
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