Meditation pertains to “a cessation of the thought process”. It is a state of consciousness wherein the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns. The observer or the one who is doing meditation then realizes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one.
The word meditation has its roots in two Latin words: meditari (to think, to exercise the mind) and mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit derivation, medha, means wisdom.
General Categories
There are various types of meditation that usually associated with or falling under a particular religion. In general though, meditation techniques or forms fall under 4 main categories:
Mindfulness. This is the most popular, widely adapted, and widely researched meditation technique in the West. It is a combination of concentration and open awareness. Mindfulness is found in many contemplative traditions, but is usually identified with vipassana, or “insight meditation.” A practitioner of this technique focuses on an object, such as the breath, bodily sensations, thoughts, feelings, or sounds. The focus is not as narrow as in concentrative meditation since there is a simultaneous awareness of other phenomena.
Open Awareness. The goal of meditative practices under this category is to open the mind into a panoramic awareness of whatever is happening without a specific focus. Oftentimes, this awareness is compared to the spacious sky or a river with objects floating by. A popular example of this form of meditation is the Zen sitting practice zazen, or shikantaza.
Concentrative Meditation. In this technique, the goal is to cultivate a single-pointed attention on a particular object, such as a sound, an image, the breath, or a flame. Through the training of consistently returning to the object of focus, the mind eventually develops the capacity to remain calm, stabilized, and grounded. Transcendental Meditation (TM) is the most well-known and researched form of this type of meditation.
Guided Meditation. Finally, all forms of meditation can be guided, and many are often practiced with recorded or in-person guidance at first, and then later with decreasing need for explicit guidance. Guided imagery is a popular example of guided meditation.
Info source: www.mindcoachingaustralia.com.au
The word meditation has its roots in two Latin words: meditari (to think, to exercise the mind) and mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit derivation, medha, means wisdom.
General Categories
There are various types of meditation that usually associated with or falling under a particular religion. In general though, meditation techniques or forms fall under 4 main categories:
Mindfulness. This is the most popular, widely adapted, and widely researched meditation technique in the West. It is a combination of concentration and open awareness. Mindfulness is found in many contemplative traditions, but is usually identified with vipassana, or “insight meditation.” A practitioner of this technique focuses on an object, such as the breath, bodily sensations, thoughts, feelings, or sounds. The focus is not as narrow as in concentrative meditation since there is a simultaneous awareness of other phenomena.
Open Awareness. The goal of meditative practices under this category is to open the mind into a panoramic awareness of whatever is happening without a specific focus. Oftentimes, this awareness is compared to the spacious sky or a river with objects floating by. A popular example of this form of meditation is the Zen sitting practice zazen, or shikantaza.
Concentrative Meditation. In this technique, the goal is to cultivate a single-pointed attention on a particular object, such as a sound, an image, the breath, or a flame. Through the training of consistently returning to the object of focus, the mind eventually develops the capacity to remain calm, stabilized, and grounded. Transcendental Meditation (TM) is the most well-known and researched form of this type of meditation.
Guided Meditation. Finally, all forms of meditation can be guided, and many are often practiced with recorded or in-person guidance at first, and then later with decreasing need for explicit guidance. Guided imagery is a popular example of guided meditation.
Info source: www.mindcoachingaustralia.com.au
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