A Brief Guide to Meditation
When I first started meditating many years ago, I just couldn’t see the benefit of stillness. Indeed, I mostly felt impatient, fidgety, and my meditation effort seemed like a pointless waste of time. Yet, knowing how many yoga teachers encouraged meditation, I didn’t give up; after experimenting with the plethora of meditation styles out there, I found a few I can call my own, the ones that get me in touch with my True Self Within. Today, my daily meditation is a necessity I don’t dare to face my day without. So, if you are the one struggling with meditation these days, keep searching - the right one for you is out there.
Following is a short list of the most well-known meditation methods: Vipassana/ aka Insight meditation (self-observation focusing on one’s inner self in a nonjudgmental way), Zen meditation (watching thoughts as they appear/disappear, or sitting quietly with no thought at all, or pondering a koan designed to elevate thought), Tibetan meditation (tantric practices to achieve a mind-body connection), Tonglen (popularized by Pema Chödrön), Dzogchen meditation (attempts to discover the absolute nature of reality), Christian and Jewish meditations (prayer, chanting, silent, walking, seclusion), Islamic meditation (prayers, pilgrimage to Mecca, prayer 5x daily, fasting during Ramadan, Sufi mysticism), Transcendental meditation (has origins in Vedic meditation), Hindu-based traditions such as Chakra Meditation, Buddhist-based Metta (lovingkindness), Labyrinth (an ancient contemplative tool - walking through a labyrinth), Chinese origin Qigong (mindful movement opening up energy flow to the body), Guided meditation (incorporates dharma talk).
Yes, it can be a challenge to find the right meditation that will ensnare both your mind and body, but the search for the right path for you is worth it.
PS: Recently someone asked me which books are on my nightstand right now. For what it’s worth, here they are:
Inward by yung pueblo
The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie
The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh
Karma by Sadhguru
It’s the Way You Say It by Carol A. Fleming
DBT for Dummies by Gillian Galen, PsyD and Blaise Aguirre MD
A Little Bit of Meditation by Amy Leigh Mercree
Meditation and Judaism by DovBer Pinson
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