Meditation 101

I always thought meditation was sitting in a quiet room and completely clearing your head of all thoughts. It was intimidating, especially for someone who never has a quiet mind! But, that is not what meditation is at all. Meditation is connecting with your higher self and there are many ways to do that. There are five main types of meditation: mindfulness, body scan, walking, loving-kindness, and transcendental.

Mindfulness meditation is what most people think of when they think of meditation. Using focused breathing methods and sometimes guided imagery, the goal is to relax the body and mind. Thoughts will come in and you just recognize them and let them float away. Any time you are distracted, focus back on your breathing. Insight Timer is a free app with many great, guided meditations. I highly recommend giving this a try.

A body scan is just that, a body scan. Lying down you focus on each part of the body, while intentionally relaxing that part and seeing where you may have built up tension or soreness. You begin at the top of your head and work your way down to your toes. This can take anywhere from ten to thirty minutes.

Walking meditations are great on those nice, sunny days. It is simply paying focused attention to your feet, body, and ground under you. You can combine this with guided imagery and/or focused breathing.

Loving-Kindness meditation is sending good vibes and caring kindness to yourself and others using mantras. Mantras are positive phrases or affirmations you repeat multiple times. Five steps to a loving-kindness meditation are:

• Step 1 –For Yourself.

• Step 2 – For a Good Friend.

• Step 3 – For a Neutral Person.

• Step 4 – For a Difficult Person.

• Step 5 – For All Sentient Beings.

Lastly is transcendental meditation. This is settling your body while being alert, but resting. The steps to transcendental meditation are:

1. Sit comfortably with your back straight and your eyes closed.

2. Start with 30 seconds of quiet. Then begin a mantra of your choice.

3. Repeat the mantra. Do not pay any attention to your breathing.

4. Focus on the mantra, but if thoughts come in, that is ok. Let them float away without judgment.

5. You may experience a feeling of restful alertness. This is great!

6. Do this for about 20 minutes. End with 3 minutes of just silence.

7. Try to practice twice a day.

There is a type of meditation for everyone. Do not be intimidated. Meditation has been a tool I use daily to help me remain balanced and calm. I find my practice to be most effective when done in the morning, but meditation can be practiced at any time. Even two minutes of meditation can make a difference. Give it a try!