What is meditation?
Meditation is a spiritual practice to gain access to our conscious self through deep breathing, mindfulness and concentration. Meditation is followed by many individuals from every age group. Meditation offers varieties of benefits including sharp focus, cultivating awareness and mental clarity.
There are many types of meditation that are being practiced and some of the common meditation practices are:
- Mindfulness Meditation
- Mantra Meditation
- Movement Meditation
- Chakra Meditation
- Walking Meditation
- Compassion Meditation
Mindfulness Meditation:
Mindfulness meditation is practiced by sitting in a comfortable place, like sofa, mat, or grass, focusing on the present moment. While doing this meditation, one can close their eyes and stay focused to every small movements that are happening in the present and appreciating all those things. Mindfulness meditation helps individual to improve focus, reduce stress, and improves emotional regulation.
Mantra Meditation:
Mantra meditation is practiced by choosing a comfortable and quiet place to sit. One can chant one mantra and repeat that mantra to gain the calm state of mind. It can be practiced by choosing a specific mantra that you know, lets suppose “OM” mantra which is usually considered as a high frequency/vibration mantra. You can chant the mantra aloud or quietly, the mantra should block all the other distractions. You can learn from the mantra practitioner to pronounce the correct way of the mantra you choose so that you can get more benefits from it. Mantra meditation will help you to develop a spiritual connection and increase self awareness.
Movement Meditation:
Movement meditation is a type of meditation that is practiced by choosing the kind of movement that feels right for you. It can be walking by being present in your body, and by doing some yoga poses that are gentle. For this meditation you should set a intention and allow your body to feel the movements naturally. As you deepen your practice, synchronize your body and mind and allow your body to flow naturally. Movement meditation will improve body-mind connection, focus and physical flexibility.
Chakra Meditation
Chakra meditation is a type of meditation which is practiced to align the different chakras present in our body. There are total seven chakras that are in our body. The seven main chakras are Muladhara chakra, Svadhisthana chakra, Manipura chakra, Anahata chakra, Vishuddha chakra, Ajna chakra and Sahasrara chakra. They are thought as the energy centers of human life in many eastern traditions. Each chakra represents to a specific emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of our being and chakra meditation will help all these chakras to harmonize these aspects into a overall well being.
Walking Meditation
Walking meditation is also known as mindful walking. One can practice this meditation by just walking unlike sitting in one place. They can observe the little things around them, the smell around them by just being in the present state without letting their monkey mind to roam around. This type of meditation is about being connected to the self.