Meditation – advantages, techniques, types of meditation [EXPLAINED]

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Meditation is one of the relaxation techniques that allows you to clear your mind, get rid of everyday mental tension and enter a state of complete calm and relaxation. Additionally, meditation improves our memory, adds energy and makes us resistant to stress.

Meditation is not harmful to the body and does not interfere with it as strongly as the tranquilizing drugs. This relaxation technique does not have to be related to any religious system. Each of us can try and benefit from meditation.

What is meditation?

Meditation can be defined as awareness training or practice, which is based on exercising the mind, and often introducing yourself into an altered state of consciousness. The word meditation is derived from the Latin word “meditatio”, which means delving into thoughts, reflection or contemplation.

Meditation describes many different practices and is therefore used to increase life energy, relax, and develop feelings such as love, patience and compassion. Meditation is not an invention of modern times. Its roots go back to the ancient era, when it was part of the religious traditions and beliefs of society. Nowadays, meditation is the basis of Eastern religion, i.e. Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Meditation is also one of the pillars of yoga, popular in our part of the world. People who meditate say that it helps them clear their minds. At the same time, meditation is used to eliminate various health problems, concerning both the physical and mental spheres of a person.

How to eat to keep our mind functioning well? Check it out: Nourish your mind

Who needs meditation?

Meditation is a way to calm down and cut off from the problems that surround us. It is a form of training that can be recommended to any person. For everyone, meditation also means something different and is undertaken for different purposes. First of all, meditation does not have to mean a special state for everyone in which we are able to turn off all intrusive thoughts. In fact, this is impossible for people who are just starting their adventure with meditation. The goal of meditation should be, first of all, relaxation, relaxation, de-stress, and, consequently, a feeling of happiness, peace and fulfillment.

Therefore, it can be safely stated that meditation is a recommended and good practice for every person who wants to take a break from everyday matters. Anyone who wishes to relax, breathe and distance themselves from the surrounding reality should consider meditation. Meditation is especially recommended for those who, due to being overwhelmed with everyday life, struggle with insomnia or other sleep problems. Meditation calms the interior and allows the meditators to fall asleep with a deep and regenerating sleep.

How to take care of the space around you to sleep well? Read: A healthy bedroom – 10 rules that will help you sleep well

Basic goals of meditation

Meditation is a very broad concept that includes many techniques, and most importantly, goals. People who decide to meditate present their motivation to undertake this type of training. Among the most important goals of meditation are:

1. improving physical and mental health;
2. achieving mastery in a specific art or craft;
3. achieving enlightenment;
4. achieving control over your body and mind;
5. in some customs and rituals fusion with the professed deity;
6. in religions, through prayer, communication with the deity;
7. overcoming anxiety and other negative emotions.

How can phobias and anxiety be cured? Check: Phobia and its treatment. How can you reduce fear and anxiety

Basic meditation techniques step by step

Contrary to appearances, meditation is a very complex technique of relaxation. There are two main ways to meditate. Turned inwards and outwards. Among them we distinguish:

1.  universal meditationfacing inwards, i.e. indoors. This technique involves selecting a single word or phrase that is of great value to us. Then you sit down silently in a comfortable position. Then close your eyes, relax your muscles and breathe slowly. While exhaling, repeat the phrase you have chosen with attention. After you finish meditating, you should sit for about a minute with your eyes closed. In this way, we let our thoughts come back. Then, after opening your eyes, take another minute to get up;
2. another example of the technique is meditation on a walk – facing outwards. In this case, the point is that meditation can be practiced at any time. Then you should not talk to anyone, you should free your head from thoughts, and steps should be taken slowly, with full concentration, feeling the ground under your feet. The person who meditates in this way focuses on what is happening here and now. Energy from heaven flows down onto it and that from the earth permeates it;
3. another outward-facing technique is qigong meditation. It consists in sitting in a quiet place with your spine straight. Close your eyes slowly, calm down, and then focus on the point below your belly button (dantian). The meditator takes a deep breath that reaches down to the Dantian. Then she stops him for a moment and quietly releases him. During this meditation, you breathe through your nose, paying special attention to your belly and the designated point. After the 10-20 minute process is over, you can open your eyes and sit for a while longer.

How to practice proper breathing? Check: Breathe in and out, or what are breathing exercises?

What is needed to start meditation?

People who start their adventure with meditation usually struggle with the problem: where to start? You don’t really need anything at all to meditate. To start meditating, you do not need to buy a special mat, outfit or look for the perfect background music. It is also not necessary to adopt special body positions. You only need to adapt your meditation to your own needs.

To start meditation, it is enough to set aside at least a few minutes a day in which no one or anything will disturb our peace. You can meditate on a bed, on a chair, on the floor – wherever you are sure of the above-mentioned peace. This is the beginning of meditation. People who master the basic techniques of meditation can easily engage in this practice in a crowded waiting room or bus.

How to practice yoga? Check: Yoga for Beginners

Types of meditation for beginners

Meditation is a form of relaxation for everyone, but getting started can be difficult. Therefore, it is worth starting with the types of meditation intended for the uninitiated. Among them we distinguish:

1. mindfulness meditation – this kind is about being aware of all sounds or events that surround us. Allow your thoughts to flow freely, recording everything but not focusing. There are two types of mindfulness meditation: satipatthana and mindfulness. Satipatthana develops mindfulness and is based on the four pillars of the body, feelings, consciousness and mental phenomena. Mindfulness, on the other hand, is a Buddhist technique in which external and internal experiences and impressions are observed;
2. mantra meditation – mantra are words repeated aloud while meditating. We focus on the sounds we make. Yoga exercises also use this method by making the “OM” sound. By producing vibration, we focus more on the sound. Mantra meditation can be divided into transcendental meditation and Christian meditation;
3. concentration meditation – intended for people who have trouble completely silencing their mind. Therefore, you should choose and concentrate your thoughts on a specific sound, object or mantra. Relaxation music can be used, which can be helpful in meditation. There are many examples of concentration meditation, including: developing concentration on the breath, healing the breaths, creating and destroying a mandala, controlling the breath, or focusing on quiet music;
4. spiritual meditation – in this meditation you come into contact with God. You should calm your mind and body, and then focus on the problem or question that bothers us;
5. movement meditation – this type of meditation involves performing smooth and repetitive body movements. First, close your eyes and listen to your breathing. Then the meditator begins with gentle, smooth movements of the upper body. You can sway left and right, or make circular movements throughout the torso. In this meditation, thoughts focus on the movement of the body, rather than the thoughts or the sounds around us.

How to relax while being physically active? Check: Relaxation exercises

Other types of meditation

Along with gaining experience in meditation, you can practice other mind trainings that will allow you to achieve even greater effects. The types of meditation intended for advanced people include:

1. visualizations – in this meditation, one’s thoughts are directed towards certain ideas. Visualization techniques are very often used in psychotherapy. On the other hand, in Tibetan Buddhism, meditation may involve visualizations of buddhas, bodhisattvas or gurus;
2. body positions and arrangements – you can meditate by assuming various body positions, which were most often taken from yoga practices. Mudras used in Buddhism and the Orthodox practice of bowing are also used;
3. keeping the mind alert – this practice is done without holding any thoughts. There are many known techniques for this method, such as prolonged silence, depth prayer or Zen meditation; 
4. trance and hypnosis – these are the techniques that are most often used in psychotherapy.

If you want to know more about hypnosis, check out: The Secrets of Hypnosis – How Does It Work?

Is Meditation Safe?

Meditation is used by people who want to reduce stress and calm down. It is also a popular method practiced in psychotherapy offices. Meditation is safe in most cases, but there are several contraindications to its use.

Meditation should not be performed by people for whom contact with their own subconsciousness may be dangerous. They are psychotics or people suffering from depression or struggling with anxiety. Healthy people usually benefit mainly from meditation in both the physical and mental zones.

Meditation techniques should be avoided in cases of:

1. in schizophrenia, meditation increases inner chaos in patients;
2. use of drugs for anxiety or blood pressure lowering;
3. bipolar disorder as patients may transition from mania to depression immediately;
4. obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Meditation, however, is completely safe in most cases. It is also recommended for seniors because it reduces the effects of brain aging.

If you don’t know how to deal with stress, check out: How to deal with stress?

Advantages of meditation

Meditation is not only about freeing your mind from thoughts and quieting it down. People who meditate experienced a decrease in blood pressure, a decrease in heart rate and an acceleration of metabolism. Meditation supports the treatment of many ailments, including hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias and insomnia. It also relieves migraines, chronic pain, and helps people struggling with depression. This relaxation technique has a beneficial effect on our brain, as it changes the frequency of brain waves and increases the level of serotonin in the brain. Meditation leads to changes that take place in the areas of the brain responsible for memory, stress and empathy. It is the result of the spontaneous formation of new connections in the brain, thanks to the technique of relaxation.

Meditation Effects and Benefits

Long lists of mental and physical health benefits speak for meditation.

The Benefits of Meditation for Physical Health:

1. lowering blood pressure;
2. lowering the heart rate;
3. change in the frequency of brain waves;
4. lowering the amount of lactic acid in the blood;
5. increasing the concentration of dopamine in the brain;
6. reduction of the concentration of the stress hormone, i.e. cortisol;
7. minimizing the risk of developing heart problems;
8. a significant increase in the concentration of gray matter in the brain;
9. faster information processing due to the increased number of folds in the cerebral cortex;
10. improving the functioning of the immune system;
11. acceleration of metabolism and regulation of insulin secretion;
12. premenstrual syndrome control and elimination of negative menopausal symptoms;
13. increasing pain resistance as well as reducing pain.

Benefits of meditation for mental health:

1. increasing the intelligence quotient and a sense of mental harmony;
2. increased self-acceptance and greater self-confidence;
3. improved mood and sustained well-being;
4. improvement of sex life and sexual experiences;
5. reducing stress and signs of anxiety;
6. increasing concentration, mindfulness and the ability to perform one activity for a long time;
7. increasing psychomotor alertness;
8. improvement of mental resistance;
9. better long-term memory;
10. increased creativity;
11. no sleep problems.

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