Are all Meditations the same?

Are all meditations the same? When I began my meditation practice it was at the urging of a therapist. His meditation was about mindfulness, which is about being fully aware, present, and focused. Then I began meditating with Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra through several free 21-day guided programs which are mantra meditations.

Types of Meditation

When doing extra research on types of meditation, I found many, many more than I was aware of. One website, Live & Dare, devotes an entire section to meditation; what it is, its types, and its techniques. However, there are so many others and each is some variation of the following:

• Buddhist Meditation – this includes Zen which is seated meditation; Vipassana or known as mindfulness; Metta which is meditating with loving and kindness toward yourself and others.
• Hindu Meditation – includes Mantra or OM Meditation. The word or syllable produces a mental vibration that makes you become increasingly aware; Transcendental Meditation (TM) a Vedic style that states you can only learn from a registered teacher;
• Yogic Meditation is practicing yoga and there are several types within this type; Self-Inquiry or the “I Am” Meditation,
• Chinese Meditations – includes Taoist Meditations. This is about living in harmony with nature or Tao; Qigong is a Chinese word meaning “life energy cultivation” and is generally associated with martial arts
• Christian Meditation – Some of these include contemplative prayer which involves words or sentences in devotion; contemplative reading encompasses teachings and events in the Bible; and “sitting with God” or a type of meditation that contains the previous two and focuses on the mind, heart, and soul on the presence of God.
• Sufi Meditation – The goal of Sufism is the purification of oneself and creating a union with Allah. Techniques include contemplation of God, Mantra meditation, heartbeat meditation, breathing, and several others.
• Guided Meditation – This is the type of mediation that we most think about. They usually include some form of the above-listed types. As I stated earlier, I did meditations with Oprah ad Deepak through a 21-day guided mediation program. There is Guided Imagery, Relaxation/Body Scans, and Affirmations just to name a few.

Repetition of the mantra helps you disconnect from the thoughts filling your mind so that perhaps you may slip into the gap between thoughts. The mantra is a tool to support your meditation practice. Mantras can be viewed as ancient power words with subtle intentions that help us connect to spirit, the source of everything in the universe.

Deepak Chopra

What does Meditation do to Your Brain?

A human brain consists of three major areas: The Reticular formation (reptilian brain), the Limbic System (emotional brain), and the Neocortical Level (cerebral, cognitive, or thinking brain). Each section has a different duty in how we handle stress and our mental health. Our nervous system guides the body from what the mind thinks. This means what we remember affects our emotions and how our body reacts.

There is a center to our brains called the Corpus Callosum.  It is made of nerve fibers joining the left and right sides. Research indicates that meditation is a way to make the bond stronger. Each half of the brain has different functions. The left is more responsible for analysis, judgment, time, math, facts and details, and logic. The right has more capacity for symbolism, intuition, imagination, music, and humor.

Brain Waves

• Alpha – are more present when we are relaxed, but still aware and alert. We are at ease and in a generally pleasant mood.
• Beta – is the “normal” state of consciousness. The waves are rapid and jagged. They are about anticipation, logic, and worry.
• Delta – is short and simple: Sleep time.
• Theta – mostly associated with sleep. It’s the dreamlike state you feel right before you fall or awake from sleep. This is also the time when we are in a dream. It reconciles our thoughts from the day. It can also be achieved in a deep meditative state.
• Gamma – was thought originally dismissed until further research was done. It is seen in a state of universal love and expanded consciousness. More research is still being conducted.

When we meditate, more alpha waves are produced. It lets the “thinking or normal” state to take a break. Think of it this way, when you work out physically on one muscle (say your biceps) it needs a day to rest and repair. Meditation does the same thing. It provides an “altered state of consciousness” and has been proved to help our mood, our immune system, chronic pain, and our mental health in general.

Basic Steps of Meditation

As we reviewed, there are many, many types of meditation. Finding the right one for you is the REAL hard part. But, in an interview in “O” magazine, Andy Puddicombe, the creator of the Headspace app gives four basic steps:

1. Sit comfortably either in a chair upright with your feet on the floor. You can also sit or lay down. Take two or three deep breaths with your eyes closed.
2. Start from the top of your head and scan your body moving down noticing any areas that are tense or don’t feel good. Pay attention to your breathing.
3. Become aware of your natural breathing rhythm and silently count your breath.
4. Your mind might wander but just bring it back to your breathing. You could also notice where it is “going” and set it aside. It’s part of the practice. Remember, it’s just a thought. Thoughts are not permanent. Notice the sounds around you, bring your attention back to your body, and then gently open your eyes.

These steps are for mindfulness practice. Other types of meditation could include a mantra, intentions or visualization, body movement, etc. However, each meditation type does include some form of mindfulness to get you started.

Living

Just remember that meditation is about how we are currently living our lives on this planet and how we related to it and our compassion for other people and communities.

You don’t need to go somewhere in Bali, Arizona, or the forest, pay for a weeklong retreat. You can download a free app like Headspace, Calm, or Breeze. You can find a variety of videos on YouTube as well. Whatever you do, meditation is an act of self-care, and love for yourself and for each other.

Enjoy! Leave a comment and let me know what type of meditation you find helpful. Namaste!