Knowing what are the 3 types of meditation can change the way you live your everyday life.
If you’ve begun to notice you’re getting bogged down from the run-of-the-mill day-to-day operations, it’s time for a revamp.
With its collection of easily digestible media, Blinkist is just one example of how you can master the art of meditation.
There, you’ll have access to summaries and “shortcasts” that turn best-selling meditation books into easily consumable reads for you to take advantage of.
As such, you’ll be able to become more knowledgeable in managing your mind without the hassle of reading lengthy books.
Let’s explore some of the other ways you can include meditation in your daily routine.
What Are the 3 Types of Meditation?
Dipping your toes into the world of meditation for the first time can seem overwhelming.
After all, there are numerous types that you can practice, from mindfulness to transcendental meditation.
Let’s explore three of the most popular options that have the opportunity to open your body and mind.
1. Mindfulness Meditation
There’s no doubt that mindfulness meditation is one of the most popular types of meditation, if not the most popular.
Even if you don’t think you’ve meditated before, you have likely followed mindfulness steps inadvertently in the past.
The theory behind this type of meditation is quite simple.
At its core, mindfulness meditation is the art of being aware or mindful.
What Is Mindfulness Meditation?
As mentioned, mindfulness meditation revolves around being more aware of your surroundings at the moment.
You’ll focus primarily on what you’re doing right now, whether it’s washing the dishes or taking a nature walk.
The central premise is to allow your mind to let go of distractions and focus on the here and now.
When you begin mindfulness meditation, you’ll find that it will become easier for you to focus on the activity at hand.
Your full attention will be on a specific activity without thinking about things that happened in the past.
Another significant benefit of mindfulness meditation is that it helps you avoid worrying about the future.
How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation
As with any other type of meditation, the way you become more mindful is all up to you.
Sure, there are steps that you can follow to begin the process, but it’s crucial to find a regimen that works for you.
The top recommendation is to find a way to eliminate distractions so that you can focus entirely on what’s in front of you.
The more you can train yourself to redirect your thoughts to peacefulness, the stronger your focusing ability becomes.
There are several tremendous benefits you’ll encounter with this meditation experience, including:
- Healthier breathing patterns
- Reduced fight or flight response
- Reduced anxiety and stress
- Improved mental self-control
You can do mindfulness meditation in five or 30 minutes, depending on how wild your thoughts are.
Find a quiet spot either indoors or outdoors and breathe slowly, focusing on your breathing pattern.
Prevent your mind from wandering to outside thoughts or attracting negative energies while meditating.
One of the most common myths about mindfulness meditation is getting rid of all thoughts and limiting thinking.
Unfortunately, this would be impossible to do.
Instead, you’re going to strengthen your ability to redirect your thoughts to recenter yourself to the present.
2. Transcendental Meditation
As someone embarking on their meditative journey for the first time, transcendental meditation sounds intimidating.
Still, many consider it one of the simpler forms of meditating you can do daily.
We’re even inclined to say that you’ve likely done this more often than mindfulness meditation, even by mistake.
This type of meditation became popular in North America during the 1960s.
Before then, it was one of the most prevalent forms of meditation in India.
When researching different forms of meditation, this is one of the more “fashionable” options that Hollywood loves.
With that said, you don’t need to be one of society’s elites and pay up to $2,500 for a transcendental session.
Instead, you can take on the task yourself and reap the benefits from anywhere for free.
What Is Transcendental Meditation?
If you’ve ever repeated a mantra to yourself, you have already taken the first step into transcendental meditation.
The premise of this task is to repeat a specific phrase or mantra until you genuinely start to believe it.
Paired with mindful breathing, you can expect to enter a mantric state that can assist you with centering your thoughts.
One of the main reasons transcendental meditation is popular is that it helps realign a person’s motivation.
By repeating the exact encouraging phrase over and over, you’ll be able to boost your determination and confidence.
The best part is that you can choose absolutely any phrase you want, as long as it’s positive and bound to help.
It’s important to note that, at first, using transcendental meditation might not feel as comfortable as mindfulness meditation.
If you’re someone who doesn’t like talking to yourself or reaffirming belief in yourself through words, it can feel awkward.
Even so, we guarantee that it will become one of your go-to meditative practices after a few independent sessions.
How to Practice Transcendental Meditation
One of the things you’re bound to love with transcendental meditation is how easy it is to get started.
It doesn’t require any equipment, and in most instances, you don’t need to isolate yourself in a quiet room.
Although it would be ideal to stay away from distracting environments, you can meditate anywhere that’s comfortable.
The first thing you’re going to want to do is to develop the mantra or meditative phrase you’ll be repeating.
The best way to know what to say is to consider the strife you’re experiencing in your daily life.
By identifying the cause of your stress and struggles, you’ll know exactly what needs you need to reaffirm.
For example, if you’re struggling with self-confidence, a great mantra would be, “I am strong. I am good enough.”
If you’re struggling with managing your anger, “I am calm. I am strong. I am in control” could work.
Regardless of the issue, always make sure the mantra targets the behavior that you need to change.
Once you have a phrase in mind, simply find a location to repeat these words to yourself.
If you’re in public, you can recite the mantra in your head, though it’s more effective when said out loud.
All you have to do is say the phrase repeatedly until you start believing it yourself while also focusing on your breathing.
By narrowing in on your positive words of encouragement, you’ll begin to feel your mood boosted in minutes.
Also, when paired with mindfulness breathing, you can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
With this type of meditation, we guarantee you’ll feel more confident and more assertive in your own resolve.
3. Loving-Kindness Meditation
Empathy is something that a lot of the world lacks and is also the root cause of too many problems.
Loving-kindness meditation is one of the few ways to boost your empathy and care for others and yourself.
This form of meditation is phenomenal for strengthening your bonds with yourself and those in your circle.
What Is Loving-Kindness Meditation?
As its name suggests, this type of meditation focuses primarily on improving love for yourself and others.
You’ll create an assortment of self-directed phrases specifically meant to boost positive intentions for yourself.
It’s also important to have phrases you can direct to your friends and loved ones.
The central premise of this meditation is to help dissolve any ill-will that you might have for others.
Also, it can help improve the mental state of those around you simply by adding a little bit of positivity to their lives.
With loving-kindness meditation, you can either direct phrases to specific people or say them internally to yourself.
How to Practice Loving-Kindness Meditation
The first and most crucial step to practicing this type of meditation involves getting rid of any potential judgments.
You’re not going to want to think poorly about someone while directing positivity to them, including yourself.
Then, you’ll want to dig deep within your heart to determine what you want for that other person more than anything.
For example, if you want your brother to be successful, a phrase like “May he be happy. May he be prosperous” would work.
If you’re looking for self-directed kindness, something like “May I be safe. May I be healthy. May I be kind” is ideal.
Unlike transcendental meditation, loving-kindness meditation is asking the universe for support in your journey.
You’ll want to put your positive intentions out into the world so that they manifest themselves.
The more positive you are, the more positive things you’re bound to experience.
Learn More About Meditation with Blinkist
There’s an overwhelming number of books that explore the concept of meditation and its related practices.
Unfortunately, going through all of them is something most people don’t have the time for.
With Blinkist, you can read a collection of inspiring summaries that can take as little as 20 minutes.
Each snippet is known as a “Blink” and leaves you with a clear understanding of each book’s main points.
It’s also a phenomenal resource for people who love listening to podcasts, as they offer easily digestible “shortcasts.”
When looking to add meditation to your daily lifestyle, consider the 27 different well-being categories Blinkist offers, with titles like Do Breathe by Michael Townsend Williams.
Master Meditation with Do Breathe by Michael Townsend Williams
Do Breathe is a phenomenal resource to help you master the art of meditation from anywhere in your world.
As an in-depth guide, you’ll find several vital tips to help build courage, improve workflow, and reduce stress.
It is also a valuable read for those searching to drop bad habits and pick up better, more productive ones.
Michael Townsend Williams takes an innovative approach to meditation by bringing you through the journey of “welldoing.”
Instead of focusing on one basic tenet of mindfulness, his book helps coach you into overall well-being.
There’s plenty of focus on breathing, which is the most critical link between the body and mind.
By adding this book to your daily regimen, you’ll access a hidden part of yourself that you never knew existed.
Within days, you’ll begin to focus more on your goals, boost your daily accomplishments, and start setting better goals.
Final Thoughts
When asking what are the 3 types of meditation, you’ll find several books to introduce you to each one.
Using resources like Blinkist can help you make the most of learning about meditation in short, easily digestible formats.
With mindfulness, transcendental, and loving-kindness meditation, you can live a healthier, more mindful life.