Meditation has been around for thousands of years and can come in all kinds of shapes and forms. From ancient times to our fast-paced modern world, the types of meditation practiced are as varied as the societies that fostered them.
Many researchers believe that there are countless thousands of different meditation techniques that have been utilized by cultures around the globe throughout history. Although there are far too many different ways of meditating for any of us to master them all, many of these techniques boil down to a relatively small collection of formats that we can study and practice in our own ways.
In this article, we will cover the different types of meditation as well as a how-to guide on how you can do them yourself. Each meditation style utilizes a specific approach and trains the brain in a unique way. Meditation and mindfulness have been proven to promote strengthening within several areas of the brain, but each technique emphasizes a unique mental quality that strengthens specific aspects of neurology.
How To Choose The Right Types Of Meditation
For those of us who already have a regular practice of mindfulness, meditation is a calming exercise that reduces stress and helps us to find inner peace. For beginners, it can be beneficial to learn about the different styles of meditation in order to find the techniques that we most enjoy. Everybody is a bit different, and in my years of teaching meditation, I continue to be amazed by the wide range of practices people choose to focus on. By picking a meditation technique that is right for us, we give ourselves a better shot and adopt a practice that is both healthy in the short term and can help us in measurable ways over time.
Categories Of Different Types Of Meditation
Although, as mentioned, there are thousands of different unique methods of meditation, the vast majority of these practices fall into a few specific categories. Some methods include aspects of more than one category at the same time, but more meditation practices include some element of these main qualities:
A. Focus & Attention
B. Open Awareness & Insight
C. Emotional Or Experiential Cultivation
D. Guided Vs. Unguided Meditation
Focus meditations are generally performed through the exercise of intentional attention on a specific mental or physical object, whereas an awareness or insight meditation quite differently, is utilized to keep our attention broad so that we are able to observe the thoughts, patterns, and experiences that arise within us naturally. Different from both of these is the concept of emotional/experiential cultivation that is the focus of many meditation practices. In this category, a practice utilizes either repetition, visualization or some other technique to cultivate a particular feeling, helping wire it into the neural pathways of the brain. This is commonly utilized in metta loving-kindness, a meditation performed with the personal goal of cultivating more compassion for ourselves and the world around us. Of course, to bring things back to the basics, each of these meditations can be done in a guided capacity or on our own. For most of us who are not accustomed to regular practice, guided meditations are our best bet to help us learn mindfulness and get the most from it. Most people will begin dropping the guided audio once they have a strong understanding of meditation and have many hours of practice under their belt.
23 Types Of Meditation
1. Mindfulness Meditation
Quite likely the most well-known form of meditation is a simple mindfulness practice. In this technique, the meditator is looking to find an inner sense of calm and to foster an enhanced state of mindfulness, also known as – the basic human ability to be fully present. This technique can vary, but it is done by sitting at attention and bringing our awareness to our senses. By focusing on the moment through smell, sound, sensation, taste, etc, we can ground ourselves in the experience of the present. Stronger present moment awareness is a skill that can help improve our lives in many ways.
Try out this beginner-level guided mindfulness meditation session from Calm:
2. Yoga
One thing few people know is that the commonplace yoga many of us westerners partake in today, originates as a meditative practice. Historically utilized as an exercise of mind and body in India and its surrounding area yoga was often utilized as an appetizer to sitting meditation practice. Yoga is itself rooted in breath awareness and focus, making it one of the best examples of movement meditation.
3. Walking Meditation
Walking meditation is a technique often taught at mindfulness retreats that is incredibly practical for nearly everybody. Just like anything, walking can be the perfect opportunity to mix a little bit of mindfulness into our days. By bringing all of our attention to each step, and paying deep attention to the present experience of our stroll, walking can be very meditative. In walking meditation, you might choose the sensations of your soles as your anchor, or perhaps the sensation of the breeze against your skin. This awareness and focus can be anchored on any sensation occurring during your walk or perhaps changing from one focal point to another. As long as presence is exercised and enjoyed, walking meditation can take place nearly anytime you are out for a jaunt
4. Body Scan Vipassana Meditation
Body scan, as many of us westerners know it, is more commonly known as the Vipassana meditative technique among mindfulness practitioners and people living in eastern countries. This technique involves intentionally directing focus on the sensations we feel in one particular part of the body for a few moments before rolling our attention onto the neighboring part of the body. For example, a meditator would focus on the sensation of the toes, then the feet, then the calf, then the knee, and so on and so forth until reaching the top of the head as either the finale or the final stop before restarting the scan from the toes. This practice can be incredibly relaxing and a very enjoyable practice, which has made it one of the most popular kinds of meditation for beginners and intermediates.
Enjoy a calming body scan guided meditation from The Mindful Steward:
5. Focused Attention
In a focused attention meditation sit, the meditator will simply choose one, and only one, specific anchor of choice. This anchor will serve as the object they funnel all of their attention toward as best they can. This deliberate focus of attention serves to achieve several key things. Firstly, it strengthens the mind’s ability to remain at attention. Secondly, during intense focus, we find ourselves in the present moment, away from the incessant chatter of the monkey mind. Thirdly, when we are focusing on an anchor, and not on the distractions of the day, we are able to process certain things more clearly. We live in a world that is constantly trying to distract us and steal our attention. Right now more than ever, we can experience powerful benefits by taking back control of our attention. As the tech companies are already aware, our attention is the most valuable resource we have, and there is a battle for it on a daily basis.
6. Loving Kindness (Metta Meditation)
Metta and loving-kindness meditation are the same technique. Metta is the original term utilized in the east for this technique, and loving-kindness is simply the simplified western term for this. Overall, this is a cultivation practice whereby we meditators focus on the experience of compassion, empathy, and of course, loving-kindness. By actively using the feeling of compassion as the anchor of our meditation, we are able to train our bodies and brains to be more attuned to the experience of these positive emotions. The neurons we fire together wire together, which helps us experience and exude more compassion throughout our daily lives, even outside of our loving-kindness meditation practice.
Here is an explanation of loving-kindness meditation from Headspace:
7. Mantra Meditation
Mantra practices can vary hugely, and there are thousands of variations within this type of technique. The Sanskrit word mantra loosely translates to “mind” – “release”. In this meditation, the “mantra” – which is the term we repeat to ourselves either lightly or mentally – is utilized as a tool for concentration and focus. While repeating our chosen word to ourselves, this chosen word becomes our anchor. Mantra meditations can be a powerful tool for concentration because repetition can help keep us focused, or at least bring us back to attention when we are lost more easily than many other meditation techniques. Some teachers will provide you with a mantra for your practice, and others will prompt you to choose your own. In this second scenario, the best mantra to utilize is usually the first one your gut tells you to use. Some examples of mantras to utilize can be: I am, om, ho’oponopono, love, I am joy, presence, gratitude, I feel, etc.
8. Breath Awareness
One of the most relaxing types of meditation can be a simple breath awareness practice. This meditation technique involves exactly what the name suggests, utilizing the experience of the breath as the focal point of the sit. The breath can be one of the most effective and immediate tools to promote relaxation in our body and musculature. In breath awareness, we become conscious of our breath patterns, and the breath becomes more intentional and relaxing. Full breaths with a long exhale are proven to relax the physiology of the body, so many teachers recommend starting and finishing these meditations with some deep breaths to soothe the body and release any pent-up stress.
9. Insight Meditation
Mindfulness is all about experiencing the present more clearly and accurately. Part of this can be understanding the roots of our experience, and the mental tendencies that get in the way of true presence. Insight meditation is a Buddhist practice during which we concentrate strongly on the bodily experience of the present. The key here is the then pay very close attention to any insights that arise during this exercise. The goal is to gain insight into our experience of reality through the mental tendencies of the mind. By observing which thoughts, which mental habits, and where our mind goes during this practice, we can improve self-awareness and clarity.
10. Chakra Meditation
This practice is centered on the concept of unlocking blockages in the chakras of the body. On the whole, this term can be utilized to describe any meditation focused on this as the goal, however, most of the time this form of meditation is performed through visualization. Meditators will visualize a flow of energy through the body, loosening or releasing any blockages they come up against throughout the practice. The concept of Chakras originates from somewhere around 1000 B.C. in the Veda texts of India. They refer to the natural energy flows within the human body that occur when in health, and the blockages to this flow that can occur as a result of any number of illnesses, diseases, or internal dis-alignments.
Here is an example of a Chakra Meditation found on YouTube:
11. Tummo Breath & The Wim Hof Breathwork Method
“Inner-Fire”, also known as tummo breath is an ancient meditation performed by Tibetan Buddhist monks to enter a deep mental state through visualization and strong breathing patterns which warm up the body. These monks are known to heat their bodies to very warm temperatures even when the outside air of the mountains surrounding them is below freezing levels. In the modern-day, tummo is being utilized as a tool to treat stress, high blood pressure, depression, and a number of other common modern ailments. It is also, of course, a great tool for improving breath awareness and breathing habits.
Wim-hof is the Dutchman known as “The Iceman”, a meditation and yoga teacher promoting the modern usage of powerful breathwork regimens that are very similar to the ancient Tibetan tummo breath. He has coined his technique “The Wim Hof Method” (WHM), teaching and promoting a combination of breathing techniques, deep meditation practice, and cold exposure therapy. On numerous documented occasions, he has proven to medical professionals that he has self-taught the ability to cleanse toxins from the blood through his breath. The Wim Hof Method is somewhere in between a breathing workout, and deep meditation. The practice provides the pupil with a trip into their subconscious mind to find inner calm, relaxation, or to process traumas where needed.
Here is a video from Vice that helped make Wim famous several years ago:
12. Sound Bath Meditation
This meditation technique is a full-body, sound, and sensory experience that is fully immersive. In a sound bath, the meditator is experiencing both the vibrations of the sound as well as the sound itself, an experience that can trigger very unique states in the mind. Sound healing has its origins throughout the ancient world and is seen as a therapeutic tool for ailments, restorative wellness, and contemplation. There is no doubt why this form of ceremony is included in traditions from around the globe. In the modern-day, sound baths are also a great mindfulness tool to bring us more fully into the presence of the now. Some examples of sound baths include singing bowl (crystal bowl) meditations, gong meditations, and ambient or binaural beats.
13. Chanting & Prayer
In many ways, meditation has always been a form of prayer. Chanting and prayer meditations focus on this as the main purpose of the practice, exercising the vocal cords as a central part of meditation. Chanting serves a similar purpose as a mantra during mantra meditation, and simply uses either prayer or a chant as an opportunity to connect with presence and awareness. These meditation practices are often performed live in groups to enhance the experience of the exercise.
14. Affirmations
Whether guided by a teacher or performed on our own, affirmations are a form of cultivation meditation that has a powerful effect on our minds. The goal here is to repeat the positive feelings, hopes, dreams, and experiences we would like to experience more of to ourselves. By taking part in this practice, we can lock in neural pathways that eventually give these things the opportunity to become real. For example, if you would like to grow your confidence, affirming a variety of present tense statements about how confident you are, or are becoming, you prime the mind for the actual experience of feeling this way. For many of us, negative thinking patterns are little more than habit, and it is meditation and personal growth practices like this that can help us change our mental habits toward positive ways of thinking and being. Every action we take in our world originates in thought. Taking ownership of our thinking is one of the most powerful things we can do as individuals to change our actions and the way we show up in the world.
15. 4-7-8 Breath Meditation
Breathwork has always been at the very core of meditative practices. 4-7-8 meditation is quite simply, a pattern of breath that is often utilized as a meditation on its own, or during meditations to calm the mind and body and enhance the practice. In this kind of meditation, we simply follow the numbers with our breath. As you may have guessed, this means inhaling to the count of 4, holding our breath for the count of 7, and exhaling for the count of 8. This technique follows the simple concept that an exhale that is longer than our inhale, and occurs after a slight delay, causes relaxation in the body. Elongated exhales show the subconscious reptilian brain that we are indeed safe, and calm, and it then gives us permission to experience blissful relaxation.
Enjoy this 4 minute 4-7-8 deep breathing exercise for relaxation:
16. Progressive Relaxation
This meditation technique can often be lumped in with Vipassana if performed in the form of a body scan, although it does not necessarily need to be performed in this way. Progressive relaxation meditation is a term utilized to describe any meditation where the goal is not necessarily to focus or to dial up awareness. Relaxation practices can be utilized to help calm down before bed, or to de-stress at the end of a long workday.
17. Sleep Meditation
One of the most highly searched forms of meditation in the modern day is meditation for sleep. This is most likely because of the epidemic of insomnia in the modern world, of which mindfulness has become a primary solution. Sleep meditations come in all shapes and sizes and can be found across the web in nearly every meditation tool or app. Sleep meditation is a blanket term that is used to describe any meditation that is designed to help with sleep or is meant to be done before bed to help relax. With growing numbers of insomnia across developed nations, this is a niche within meditation and treatment that is poised to grow significantly in the years ahead.
18. Hypnosis
Hypnosis is a state of extreme focus on one particular aspect of the experience, while all other stimuli in the environment receive little to no attention whatsoever. As a result, hypnosis is very similar to meditation and is itself a form of meditation. Exerting extreme focus on specific objects can serve as a tool for working with the subconscious mind, and locking in new information. Both meditation and hypnosis involve deep states of attention. Hypnosis meditations utilize the trance-like state unique to hypnosis to achieve greater levels of the benefits offered by standard meditation. Adding hypnosis to a meditative practice has helped many people change their beliefs, sleep better and release mental resistance more easily.
19. Kundalini Meditation
This unique genre of meditation is closely tied to kundalini yoga, and has a central purpose of helping more energy throughout the body more naturally. The release and healthy flow of this energy is associated with relief and release from mental, physical, and spiritual issues. When performing kundalini meditation, we are actively utilizing practices that draw energy from the natural energy reserves at the base of the spine. This energy is said to contribute to an enhanced level of consciousness that helps us unleash creativity in the world more easily. Oftentimes, these meditations involve movements of the arms and body, chanting, and specific breathing patterns. Kundalini has been practiced for thousands of years, and you will hear many kundalini meditation teachers discuss something called a “kundalini awakening”, which is when a rush of energy and conscious understanding blood the body and mind, bringing the pupil into a new, refreshed, and non-judgmental state of spiritual awareness.
20. Noting Meditation
This form of mindfulness practice can be performed very simply, however, the meditator prefers to modify their session. Utilizing any anchor of choice across a variety of meditation techniques, noting practices simply incorporate our ability to recognize and name thoughts to identify when the mind has become distracted. Whenever we lose our thoughts during meditation, noting practice is the simple “note” we attach to the culprit distracting thought once we realize that it has led us astray. This note can be to simply label the distraction as “thoughts again”, or we can be more creative and label it as our “returning friend”, or really anything we choose. The name of the game here is simply to label the thoughts as they arise in order to help identify them and then bring ourselves back into focus. Returning to focus during meditation in this way is like a mental bicep curl for our mind, strengthening our focus and attention much like weight does for the arm.
21. Tai Chi
Also utilized as a great source of exercise, Tai Chi is an ancient practice of “meditation in motion”, with the primary goal of connecting the mind and body with true presence. Tai Chi at its core, is an exercise in mindfulness while strengthening coordination, muscle, and spatial awareness. Though Hollywood often portrays this as an activity for the elderly living in the eastern nations, Tai Chi is a rewarding practice that is taking hold on many western countries more with each passing year. This unique form of meditation is often practiced by moving the body and limbs following a particular “flow” pattern, similar to the way yoga is done. This flow often involved standing with legs at shoulder-width apart, and involved balance, endurance and focus.
Here is a video outlining the basics of Tai Chi for beginners:
22. Qigong Meditation
Qigong meditation is an ancient chinese mindfulness technique that combines the breath awareness basics of meditation, with a movement meditation style quite similar to Tai Chi. The goal of this form of meditation is to promote the healthy flow of an energy known as Qi ( aka, chi). The literal translation of the word Qigong is “to work with qi”. Qi is an energy source known for engaging the natural resilience of the body to foster long-lasting health.
23. Candlelight Meditation
To enhance focus, many meditators will give candlelight meditation a try. I have even heard of some people who prefer this practice simply because of the simplicity, and strengthening of focus it naturally brings to their daily practice. The candlelit meditation practice involves staring with a singular focus, at a lit candle. In this technique, the flicker of the candle flame becomes the natural anchor for our attention. Make sure to only practice this somewhere that is fireproof & fire safe, where you can be sure that the candle will not be a hazard of any kind (even if you fall asleep), in either low light or darkness. In this kind of environment, the flame of the candle naturally becomes the central point of focus, and it can be quite easy to notice when we have lost our focus. This form of meditation serves to both strengthen the muscle of focus we possess, as well as provide a natural recluse into solitude and quiet.
Exploring Different Types of Meditation
In conclusion, understanding the various types of meditation can significantly enhance your approach to mental and physical well-being. Whether you’re a beginner looking to establish a meditation practice or an experienced practitioner exploring new techniques, there’s a style that fits your needs and preferences. From mindfulness and body scan meditations to more specialized forms like loving kindness and mantra meditation, each type offers unique benefits and ways to deepen your mindfulness experience. By choosing a meditation practice that aligns with your personal goals and lifestyle, you can cultivate a sense of peace, focus, and balance that extends beyond your meditation session into daily life.
For more guidance and resources on how to start or deepen your meditation journey, visit The Mindful Steward’s comprehensive library of meditation techniques and tools.
