Meditation is a mind-body medicine practice used for thousands of years. Its purpose is to improve calmness, physical relaxation, psychological balance, cope with illness, and enhance overall health and well-being. Among the types of meditation, they all require a quiet setting, comfortable position, focused attention, and an open attitude.

Vedic Meditation originated in the ancient Vedic times of India. It is the forerunner of all meditation. Ancient Vedic texts document: “The true purpose of meditation is to connect oneself to one's deep inner Self.” The techniques used to achieve this in Vedic science teach that the human body consists of three parts including the physical body, inner self, and deep inner self. It also teaches that the mind works within three states of consciousness including waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. Exploring consciousness as meditation provides the benefits of: “…inner peace and bliss, which removes the accumulated stresses of life. This results in energizing the body and improving overall health.”

meditate for stress — Meditation is a great way to deal with stress

Body Scan Meditation involves paying attention to sensations in different parts of the body, starting with the head and moving downward one location at a time. After deep breathing, participants are led to focus their attention on the top of the head as the leader gives directions. Noticing how each body part feels and the level of tension it carries provides a point for self-awareness, stress release, and relaxation to occur. The progression exercise provides a connection to feelings in the body. This is particularly helpful for higher education students or anyone who need to de-stress.

Mindfulness Meditation involves attention and acceptance. Attention refers to what's happening in the present moment regarding awareness of your breath, your thoughts, the physical sensations in your body, and the feelings you are experiencing. Acceptance refers to observing thoughts and feelings without judgment or responding to them and letting them go. This approach is beneficial for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. It has shown to be especially helpful with depression, chronic pain, smoking, addiction, and boosting the immune system.

Metta Meditation, or Loving-Kindness Meditation, incorporates telling yourself positive messages for an increased ability for kindness and compassion. As a catalyst to improve Mindful Meditation, Metta Meditation helps diminish the mind restlessness of a beginning practitioner and improves the prospect of reaching Enlightenment for more experienced meditators. The practice involves repeating phrases like,” May I be happy. May I be successful.” Focusing on this positive energy allows the participant to absorb love to then, in turn, project it onto someone else. This aids in restoring broken relationships and improving self-esteem.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) combines science and spirituality. Spiritual practitioners may benefit from TM due to the relaxed cognitive state it can provide. Within science, the electroencephalographic (EEG) showed a correlation between the frequency and strength of alpha brain waves and meditative states. TM participants could experience a novel state of consciousness, which inspired meditation researchers for a decade in the 1960s.

Meditation at The Blissful Heart Wellness Center

There are many types of meditation. Despite their differences, they all maintain the same premise of improving physical, mental, and spiritual health. Meditation can be a useful approach to maintaining positive results. Don’t forget to check out our calendar of events often, as we host a variety of wellness classes including meditation. Be well!

Bend meditation — Join us in Bend for meditation events

What the Different Kinds of Meditation and Their Benefits?

Meditation at The Blissful Heart Wellness Center