What Type of Meditation is Best For You?
Meditation has been shown time and time again to have powerful effects on wellbeing that few other practices can touch. It's unique in its ability to have lasting cognitive effects, physical effects, and emotional effects. It can be a transformative practice if done correctly, but unfortunately the vast world of meditation can be intimidating to navigate.
If you've tried meditation before and found it unhelpful, uncomfortable or worse yet anxiety inducing; it's possible that you were simply using a method that won't work for you. There are quite literally hundreds of meditation techniques stemming from different cultures, religions, and traditions all around the world.
Finding the right type of mediation for you could make the difference between a dull and fruitless experience, or a newfound practice that allows you to become a calmer, happier, and more self-aware person.
Guided Vs Unguided Meditation
One of the most obvious variations between different types of meditation are whether they're led by a teacher or practiced alone. Having a voice to gently direct your intention and perhaps offer some breath or visualization techniques can be incredibly helpful for many people. If you have a hard time staying present while trying to meditate or feel like you're a beginner trying to tackle a complex practice all on your own, guided meditation could be a great option for you.
In-person classes are an excellent way to delve in, but there are also plenty of apps, podcasts, and video resources available online as well if practicing from home is more comfortable or convenient.
Interoceptive Meditation Vs Exteroceptive Meditation
Another major distinguishing feature of meditation is whether it's inwardly focused (interoceptive) or outwardly focused (exteroceptive). This may seem like an unimportant factor, but it can surprisingly make a world of difference in the effects of your meditation practice.
Being inwardly or outwardly is a trait people already possess in their day-to-day lives. We all exist somewhere along a spectrum of these two opposing poles, and sometimes having an extreme pull to one end can cause us to become unbalanced.
For example, those who experience anxiety are usually extremely inwardly focused. They're hyper aware of their rapidly beating heart and their racing internal thoughts. Using interoceptive mediation could potentially make this experience worse by turning up the signal on all of these alert systems in the body. Instead, leaning into exteroceptive meditation can help those with anxiety become more aware of their surroundings, more grounded, and calmer.
Conversely, some people are so outwardly focused that they're largely unaware of their own needs, desires and physical sensations. They may exist in a state of numbness, or else they may put everyone else's needs above their own. Using interoceptive mediation can be an invaluable tool to help them find balance and tune back into themselves.
Moving Vs Still
A final factor that sets apart different types of meditation is moving meditation vs still meditation. Mindful physical practices like yoga, tai chi, qigong or even walking, running and gardening can all be powerful practices for finding stillness in the mind. If sitting still feels unbearable, this can be a much better way to ease yourself into a state of meditative calmness.
Still meditation consists of any other type of meditation that requires sitting, laying or perhaps kneeling. Some people find this less distracting than moving mediation and therefore having a more meaningful experience when they practice in stillness.
Truly the most important thing to note is that no body, brain, or spirit are the same, and therefore no meditation practice should be the same. What works for one person may feel awful for another, and there's no shame in choosing a method that suits you better. You may find value sitting in silence on a meditation cushion, or perhaps from taking a quiet stroll in nature.
Meditation techniques don't exist in a hierarchy, but rather as a vast array of wonderful tools to help you find balance and peace.