Meditation is a practice that aims to quiet the mind so that relaxation and awareness can be developed. It has been practiced for thousands of years all over the world, and many of its roots can be found in Eastern religions and philosophy. Many teachings in Buddhism and Hinduism include meditation as a means of spiritual enlightenment. Different types of meditation are used in Judaism, Christianity, and Catholicism through prayer. Breathing techniques, guided imagery, mantra meditation, chakra meditation, and focusing on objects are all examples of meditation instruction.
Breathing meditation instruction techniques are usually thought to be the most basic and straightforward for newcomers. They concentrate on breathing awareness as a means of quieting the mind’s chattering thoughts. This can be accomplished by counting inhalations and exhalations or by concentrating on the breath’s movement. Inhaling into the left nostril and exhaling through the right nostril are examples of the moving breath technique, as is focusing the breath on a specific area of the body, which can also be used in healing meditations.
A script is usually read by someone other than the meditating practitioner during guided imagery meditation instruction. It uses relaxation and creative visualization to take the practitioner on an internal journey. This type is occasionally used in hypnosis and pain management. It can be done in a variety of ways, such as visualizing a relaxing location to relieve stress or revisiting a traumatic experience to heal emotional wounds.
The use of a repetitive sound vibration to quiet the mind and open the heart to achieve a higher level of consciousness is known as mantra meditation. Bells and prayer bowls are sometimes used in conjunction with a verbal mantra such as “love” or “Om.” Certain tone vibrations are thought to have a physically, mentally, and spiritually healing effect in this type of meditation.
Another type of meditation instruction is to focus on the various chakras. Many forms of yoga use the seven main chakras, or subtle energy centers, in the body during the physical and meditation, or savasana, parts of the practice. They are usually guided meditations in which practitioners use specific color properties and visualization to focus the breath and mind on the corresponding chakra areas. When meditating on the heart chakra, for example, a person would focus energy in the center of the chest and visualize a green spinning wheel passing over the area.
Open-eyed focus on objects is sometimes used in more advanced meditation instruction. Candles are commonly used, and the practitioner tries to clear his or her mind by gazing into a candle flame for an extended period of time. The goal is to stay focused on the quality of the observation rather than allowing the mind to wander. It usually makes no difference what the object is because the goal of the practice is to increase awareness and alertness.