Different meditation techniques

There are hundreds of different meditation techniques. Meditation has been around for thousands of years and has been a significant part in most eastern religious faiths. Even the monastic traditions in Western religion have had a component of meditation practice incorporated into them.

Not all meditation is designed as a spiritual practice

Meditation is designed to help people reach a peaceful, calm state with greater mental clarity and (with some practices) moments of bliss.

While there are many different types of meditation techniques available, they can be loosely categorised into the following:
•Body control – where the body is controlled to control the mind. Yoga and Tai Chi are examples.
•Concentration – where focus is maintained on an object or sound
•Active relaxation – where muscle tensions are first released. Muscle tension relaxation and Active meditations (Osho) are examples.
•Mindfulness – where the mind is an observer in whatever flows through it

So what are the differences between them?

Body control meditation practices use gentle controlled movement and is also called moving meditation. By focusing your thoughts on controlling body postures and allowing the gentle flow from one posture to another, you achieve greater relaxation.

There are many different types of body control meditations including the different yoga schools, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, walking meditation and walking the labyrinth. With body control meditation, your body is moving.

Concentration based meditation practice is generally a seated meditation, where attention is placed on an object like a candle, trickling fountain, breath, (various types of breathing meditation), a picture or mandala, a flower or a sound such as a mantra that is repeated over and over again as in Transcendental Meditation.

Concentration meditations also include using the rosary or other prayer beads as well as primordial sound meditation. More modern-day versions of this include biofeedback techniques and binaural beats to trigger brain wave changes. (Read about the Holosync Meditation for example)

When your mind wanders, attention is brought back the object of concentration and you progressively deepen your relaxation response.

Active relaxation meditation practices

are where muscle tension is released as part of the process. Gradual tension and relaxation of muscle groups is the most well known process. Other processes include Active Meditations such as dance, Chakra dance or Shamanistic dance. Active meditation can be lying down or in rigorous dance.

Mindfulness meditation practices

are where you observe all of your thoughts and sensations without thinking, participating or reacting to what is happening or trying to determine why it is happening. It is like observing clouds pass in the sky.

You watch your thoughts pass and then release them without judgement as you realise they are just thoughts, not reality. The most well known mindfulness process is Vipassana – a Buddhist meditation where you simply notice everything that happens with no judgement of its merits and no attention on the details.

Mindfulness meditation does not have to be limited to seated meditation practices, it can be adopted into everyday life – where you are mindful when you eat, wash dishes or drive the car. It is also called being present in the moment or being in the now.

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