The word “meditation” is likely familiar to everyone today. Often, it’s shrouded in an air of esotericism. People imagine someone detached from worldly concerns, always in control, and unbothered by everyday worries, existing on a “higher plane.” But is this really the case? Can anyone meditate, regardless of whether they’re focused on spiritual growth or simply want to relieve fatigue through special practices? Which style of meditation should you choose?
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is a practice that allows you to achieve a deep state of awareness, inner peace, and balance. Here’s an analogy: you practice yoga or go for a run to tone your body and strengthen your muscles. Similarly, cultivating awareness requires training. This meditative state doesn’t happen on its own—simply deciding to be the most aware person in the world won’t work.
However, it’s possible to be aware in every moment of life, though we aren’t born with this skill (or we lose it, disconnecting from the universal energy field). In the hustle and bustle, we get used to either planning or analyzing: living in the future or the past. Rarely are we fully present, noticing what’s happening right now. But where we are now and how we experience the moment determines where we’ll be later. In other words, “wherever you go, you’re already there.” Where our attention lies is our life. Can we reach a desired future if we don’t notice the present?
Meditation not only trains awareness but also serves as a journey to other worlds. Usually, we only perceive the physical world, but during meditation, we transcend its boundaries, experiencing interaction with the invisible, inaudible, and intangible. To achieve results, it’s important to bring this experience into daily life. This is how you’ll feel the transformation of your path.
Depending on how and when a person meditates, the practice can be formal, spontaneous, or constant—a way of life.
Formal Meditation
Formal meditation is structured time when a person sits down and intends to focus on a specific technique or practice. This is what we typically think of as meditation: a person in a comfortable position with a straight back, tuning in, gathering their attention to one area—consciously immersing themselves in this exploration. For example, they might focus on their breath, body parts, a mantra, or work with visualization.
The key here is that time is allocated for the practice, say 10–15 minutes. To achieve results in formal meditation, consistency is crucial—remember, we’re talking about training awareness.
Spontaneous Meditation
Spontaneous meditation happens naturally: when a person finds themselves in a calm, balanced, or aware state in their life. It requires no extra effort, hence the term “spontaneous.”
This could be a moment when you’re standing in line at a store and suddenly realize your breath has become steady and your thoughts calm. Such moments are linked to awakening awareness in everyday life. For example, it can help you build a calm mind while winning an enormous sum at Dragon Slots or finding out some unexpected news.
Spontaneous meditation requires no special preparation; it arises during ordinary activities when a person slows down and becomes more attentive to the present moment.
Sometimes, during such meditation, insights arise—suddenly, out of nowhere, you get an answer to a question that’s been bothering you. Or you “catch” a feeling of unity with the world or the perfection of any phenomenon.
Constant Meditation—A Lifestyle and Worldview
Constant meditation is an approach where awareness becomes an integral part of life. A person doesn’t limit meditation to specific sessions or times but begins to be aware and present in every second. For example, meditation in motion, while washing dishes, or during conversations with others.
The main principle here is to be in the moment, fully aware of your actions, experiencing feelings and thoughts without losing inner clarity and peace. Constant meditation helps maintain balance and harmony in life, teaching you to handle difficulties and avoid automatic reactions.
Meditation Options for Beginners
At the start, it can be challenging to meditate on your own, so many choose a teacher who becomes their guide into the world of awareness. Who should you choose for this role? Consider a yoga instructor, download apps with guided meditations, or create a playlist of calming music. A teacher’s voice helps bring your attention back, prevents you from getting distracted by every thought, and allows you to fully realize what’s happening in this very moment—not somewhere else or at another time. And that’s the goal of meditation.
Here are the main types of meditations for those just starting out:
- Breath Meditation: Focus on your inhales and exhales. You can count: inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts. The breathing pattern varies depending on the practitioner’s goal.
- Body Scan: Move your attention through all parts of your body—from the crown of your head to your heels—noticing sensations in each area. If you feel tension, say in your neck, pause and try to “breathe through” that spot.
- Trataka (Candle Gazing): Gaze at a candle flame, then close your eyes and visualize the image.
- Walking Meditation: Practice during a walk, applying mindfulness to everyday life. With each step, feel and experience the movement, focusing on the process of your body moving through space.
Popular Types of Meditation
Many techniques are similar, as they involve focusing on something with full awareness. Here are some practices and their formats:
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of complete presence. It helps develop awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment.
Brief Instructions:
- Sit comfortably: cross your legs, keep your back straight, and close your eyes. You can also sit on a chair, feeling the floor under your feet.
- Focus entirely on your breath. Imagine it’s the most important thing you have—your chest and belly fill with air, then empty. Try to experience this as deeply as possible.
- Observe your thoughts and sensations—study them closely. Remain an observer: don’t cling to what you see, let it go, and return your attention to your breath as the foundation of the practice.
What’s more important than formal meditation is mindfulness in daily life—how you live. Pay attention to every action: eating, walking, talking. Fully immerse yourself in the moment. That’s meditation.
Mindfulness improves focus—first during formal practice, then in everyday life, making it easier to handle tasks and make decisions. If you don’t experience stress during the day, you’ll naturally relax and fall asleep more easily at night.
How is Mindfulness Different?
- Focus on daily life—mindfulness aims to develop awareness in every action, while other meditations may focus on spiritual aspects or altered states of consciousness.
- Emphasis on the present moment—unlike practices involving visualization or mantras, mindfulness simply observes current thoughts, feelings, and sensations without analysis.
- Scientific approach—widely studied and used in psychotherapy, especially for stress reduction and anxiety disorders.
Visualization Meditation
Visualization meditation is a technique where the practitioner focuses on specific thoughts, images, or scenes, creating detailed mental pictures.
This technique is actively used for improving health—creating positive images, such as healing light, can support physical and emotional well-being. It also helps you better understand your inner state, desires, and hidden resources, set goals, and gain confidence to achieve them. Practitioners say it boosts creativity through imagery and associations, helps overcome internal barriers, and weakens negative beliefs.
How is Visualization Meditation Different?
- It emphasizes creating clear images, while other meditations (like breath or mantra meditation) focus on clearing the mind.
- It actively engages the subconscious, stimulating specific thoughts and images.
- It can be goal-oriented (e.g., healing or success), whereas other meditations may be more general, aiming for deep inner peace.
Zen Meditation
Zen meditation, rooted in Buddhism, focuses on concentration, awareness, and deep inner peace. It develops mental clarity, presence, and self-understanding.
Brief Instructions:
- Choose a quiet place without distractions.
- Sit in the correct posture: on a cushion or chair, with a straight back. Cross your legs in lotus or half-lotus position.
- Relax your body and regulate your breathing. Breathe deeply and evenly, focusing on each inhale and exhale.
- Focus on emptiness or a koan. In Zen meditation, attention is directed either to empty awareness (shikantaza) or to a koan—a paradoxical phrase or question that stimulates awareness.
- Observe thoughts without judgment. Let thoughts come and go without attachment or criticism.
How is Zen Meditation Different?
- Focus on emptiness—unlike mindfulness, which focuses on sensations, Zen emphasizes simply “being.”
- Use of koans—not all meditation formats use paradoxical questions to awaken the mind.
Zen meditation develops the ability to see the essence of things and understand the true nature of consciousness, helping you manage emotions and reactions.
Metta Meditation
Metta, or loving-kindness meditation, is a practice aimed at cultivating love, compassion, and goodwill toward oneself and others. It’s an important part of Buddhist tradition but is beneficial for anyone, regardless of religious affiliation. The word “metta” in Pali means “kindness,” “love,” or “friendliness.”
Brief Instructions:
- Sit comfortably in a quiet space: keep your back straight and close your eyes.
- Focus on your breath. Spend a few minutes calming your mind by focusing on your breath to prepare for meditation.
- Wish yourself well. Start by directing love and kindness toward yourself. Repeat phrases like: “May I be happy,” “May I be healthy,” “May I be at peace.” Pour your full attention into these words.
- Expand love. Then direct these wishes to others—starting with loved ones, then expanding to acquaintances, colleagues, strangers, and even those you have conflicts with. Repeat the same wishes for each.
- Conclude. End the meditation with gratitude and well-wishes for all living beings, such as: “May all beings be happy.”
Metta meditation reduces inner tension and anxiety, calms the mind, and teaches kindness and understanding toward others. This improves relationships and fosters harmonious interactions. On an internal level, it helps manage self-criticism, anxiety, and low self-esteem—filling you with joy and peace.