What are the Different Types of Meditation?

While there are many different types of meditation, there are two general classifications: concentrative and mindfulness. In concentrative meditation, you focus on clearing your mind to provide you with greater concentration, awareness and clarity. In mindfulness meditation, you open your mind to become more aware of the things around you, such as scents, sounds and thoughts.

The easiest way to engage in concentrative meditation is to sit quietly and focus on your breathing. Relax and count your breaths as you breathe through your nose. Take deep breaths, hold them and let them out slowly. This helps you to get oxygen into the lowest portions of your lungs.

There are times when you mind may wander, but you refocus on your breathing to get rid of your thoughts. You can also focus on an object when meditating or you may want to repeat a phrase or a word. This is called mantra meditation in which you can choose to repeat the word or phrase aloud or silently in your head.

View the video below to see how easy meditation can actually BE!

If you are agitated or worried about something, your breathing will be short and fast when you first start this type of meditation. As you start to relax, your breathing will slow down and become regulated. As you focus on your breathing or on an object, your mind will become absorbed with the regulation of your breathing and all other thoughts will vanish from your mind.

Zen meditation is one type of concentrative meditation in which you concentrate on the functioning of the heart. There are three main aims in this form:

to develop the power of concentration

to awaken your inner sense of wisdom

to recognize the action of the Supreme Being on your inner self

The idea is that once you are able to rid yourself of the thoughts of everyday life, you can reach that inner sense of peace that exists in everyone. It helps to calm the mind and body to give you insight into the nature of your existence. You must be patient and persistent in meditating in order for your mind to become clear.

Raja Yoga Meditation is another type of concentrative meditation. This form of meditation helps you to gain control of your mind to enable to you to develop a sense of peace. The life force of your body moves through the spine so that awareness is able to move into the “Third Eye” which is a point between your eyebrows.

Your mind is not passive and there can be many thoughts racing through it. You try to free yourself of these mindless thoughts and focus on the real meaning of meditating to achieve a pleasant feeling throughout the body.

Mindfulness meditation involves a passing parade of thoughts, emotions and images through your mind. You sit in a meditating position and instead of trying to banish the thoughts from your mind, you allow them to enter. You do acknowledge that they are present but you don’t concentrate on them. This allows you to develop a calm approach to your problems so that you don’t react quickly.

Instead of focusing on one individual thought or scene, you allow each though to become part of the bigger picture. It trains your mind to meditate on things in your life over which you have no control so that you have a heightened sense of inner peace that will enable you to go on with your life in spite or extreme difficulties.

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Recognizing the signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Last month we switched the clocks and began the season of short days and long nights. For many of us, especially women, mood changes can occur with this change of season, leaving us feeling depressed, anxious and with signs of greater fatigue – even greater than the traditional winter blahs.

Based on a report from the American Academy of Family Physicians, almost half a million people in America feel the effects of winter-onset depression or as it is referred to medically, Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Sufferers can experience symptoms including lack of energy, as well as insomnia and weight gain. The symptoms can begin mildly but become more severe as winter continues. These feelings can alleviate during the spring and summer but very often recur each winter.

While many women are already in the midst of the hectic holiday season, trying to juggle family demands and work pressures, plan family gatherings and shop for holiday gifts and cook for untold numbers of visitors, the shorter, colder days of winter seem to throw more women than men into seasonal affective disorder. Often women begin to fabricate excuses for not going out and begin to isolate themselves as a protective measure.

If any of this sounds familiar to you or someone you know, here is some advice to help you reduce the stress of winter and help keep you happy and healthy throughout the holiday season:

1. Prioritize your activities. Decide what needs to get done and what you’ll enjoy doing. Let other people in your family help by doing what they do best and then let it go.

2. Don’t be afraid to say NO. You can’t do everything. But do get yourself out there. Make a list of what’s important to you and be sure you do something each day. But don’t put too much emphasis on one day. It’s okay to stay at home in your pjs for one (or maybe two) days!

3. If you feel your depression is taking over, especially if getting out of bed is difficult or you find you don’t want to socialize and can’t sleep, get some help. Sometimes just talking about how you’re feeling can release pent up stress.

4. Incorporate some natural solutions into your daily routine to increase your mind-body health. Try meditation, relaxation techniques, guided visualizations, light therapy or even walk through the woods with a friend.

5. Don’t forget your other healthy habits. Be sure to get lots of sleep, eat a healthy, balance diet and take time for yourself. Don’t use alcohol, food or unprescribed drugs for relief.

6. Finally, lighten up in more ways than one. Try to find ways to turn your home into a lighter, brighter place. Be sure your blinds are up when the sun is and let in the light! And don’t forget to laugh. Spending time with friends who can make you smile is one the best ways to bet the blues.

To help you on your way to a happy mind and a healthy body, we’re offering Healing Rhythms’ 15-Step Biofeedback Training Program with FREE SHIPPING now through December 31, 2008. Give the gift of wellness to you or someone you love this holiday season.