7 Types of Meditation—Which One Speaks to You?

In the last two decades, meditation has become increasingly popular in the West. However, despite the fact that retreats and courses are plastered all over social media, many people remain unaware of the myriad forms of this ancient practice.

Perhaps you're someone who, after failing to resonate with a particular type, gave up on exploring other methods. Fortunately, all forms of meditation are beneficial for your health and well-being—you may just need to find one suitable for the current stage of your journey.

Mindfulness Meditation. Originating from Buddhist teachings, this is the most popular form of meditation in the West.

It involves paying attention to your thoughts as they pass through your mind. There is no mantra or goal; it is simply an exercise of non-judgemental awareness.

Spiritual Meditation. The forms this can take are as diverse as the world’s spiritual traditions themselves. As this 2017 study shows, this focuses on engendering a deeper connection with a higher power and enhancing your understanding of spiritual/religious meaning.

Loving-Kindness Meditation. A beautiful and deepening practice used to foster feelings of compassion, kindness, and acceptance toward oneself and others. It involves bringing awareness to your heart and emanating love until (ultimately) it can encompass the world.

Body Scan Meditation. Often used to relieve stress before sleeping, this focuses on reducing tension in the body and promoting relaxation. It entails slowly tightening and relaxing one muscle group at a time or imagining a gentle wave flowing through your body.

Vipassana Meditation. One of the oldest practices on this list, it originated in ancient India and means "to see things as they really are". It requires you to pay close attention to your thoughts and emotions to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world.

Transcendental Meditation. TM was founded in the 1950s, making it one of the younger forms on this list. It involves the use of a mantra or word to help your mind reach a state of deep relaxation and inner peace. Simple and easy to learn, it has become hugely popular in the West.

Zen Meditation. Originating in ancient China, this places a strong emphasis on the posture of sitting, typically in the lotus position, as a way to align the body and mind. There is no goal, beyond self-discovery and understanding reality via direct experience.

Conclusion. Each of the above has a huge amount of wisdom associated with it, and the degree to which you can deepen your understanding of just one practice is endless. If you're new to meditation, why not give each a shot and see which one speaks to you?

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