What is Meditation?
“Meditation is a vital way to purify and quiet the mind, thus rejuvenating the body.” – Deepak Chopra
Scientists generally classify all types of meditation under 2 categories.
The first one is Focused Attention Meditation which involves focusing the attention on a chosen object throughout the entire meditation session. The object you focus on can be a visual image, a body part, breathing, a sound, a concept, another person. Examples of focused meditation include chakra meditation, sound meditation, and breathing meditation.
The second kind of meditation is Open Monitoring or Contemplation. Open monitoring meditation involves non-reactive observation of the present experience from moment to moment without judging or trying to control. Rather than focusing on one object, the attention is open, without judgement or attachment. All perceptions, whether internal or external, are acknowledged for what they are. This is true for all Mindful Meditation and Vipassana Meditation.
In summary, there are thousands of different kinds of meditation. The instructions for most of them are similar: relax, focus on one object or activity, and let all else drop aside.
The most widely used meditations are:
- Breath and body awareness
- Mantra and affirmations
- Visualizations
- Sense objects
Most meditations have a similar goal: to enhance our ability to relax and focus.