Meditation guide: what it is, types and techniques to meditate

In these complicated times we are living, where anxiety and fear are almost always present, meditation can be of great help. Practice helps to reduce the pace of routine, relax and find mental balance with techniques that help train concentration, breathing and emotions.

But how to meditate? Where to start? What is Meditation? What are the types of meditation? How long does the meditation last? Where to meditate? When? What is the best meditation position? The best meditation techniques? And what are the benefits of meditation for our life?

Doubts can be many for those who are starting. Therefore, we gathered in this Meditation Guide some information and tips from experts so that you can choose and discover what works best for your life in order to get the most out of the practice.

what is meditation

The word meditate came from the Latin word meditatum, which means “to ponder”. But the most common meaning of what is to meditate, which also comes from the Latin word meditatemeans “to be in your center”, “to turn towards the center”.

Meditation is being present in the moment.

Meditation is an ancestral practice that fundamentally involves empty the mind, learn to be silent and seek inner wisdom.

Its origin is very old, dating back to Eastern traditions, especially Yoga, but the term also refers to spiritual and religious practices, such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity.

It is a practice that develops skills such as concentration, tranquility and focus on the present.

Meditating is different from mentalizing, which means putting your full attention on your imagination and sensations, transforming and materializing the imagined situation in practical life, in the here and now. That is, even if you are not aware of it, most of us are mentalizing all the time.

So it’s important to stay alert about what you mentalize. If you live thinking negatively, you may be reinforcing the materialization of this in your life.

In meditation, we come into contact with an altered state of consciousness. The mind and body are in a silent and absolute rest. With this, it is possible to expand the perception of consciousness as a whole, and to expand self-knowledge.

There are countless ways to reach the meditative state – as we will see below -, but silence is only one.

how to meditate

As you will see in this Guide to Meditation, there are different meditation techniques for relaxing and achieving a state of mental and emotional clarity.

How to start meditating? There are some tips that facilitate meditative practice.

Here are 10 tips on how to meditate alone:

Practice the same meditative technique daily, preferably in the morning or at night, for at least 15 minutes. any other element that may cause some kind of accident or take away your concentration Turn off your cell phone and any other object that may disturb your concentration while meditating Sit in a comfortable posture, it can be on a chair or on the floor, relax your hands close to your knees with your palms together down, make your spine straight and close your eyes Bring all your attention into your natural breath and observe the delicate movement that takes place in your lungs and abdomen area for a few minutes Take 7 deep, long breaths Spend a few minutes watching your thoughts pass. Do not try to control or interact with the thoughts, simply observe without judgment and let them pass. Finally, take a deep breath and mentally repeat: “I am at peace here and now”. Use a journal with notes about your daily practice, including your experiences, insights and thoughts arising from your meditation. The tendency is to evolve gradually and reach deeper degrees of consciousness.

how to meditate alone

If you know how to meditate and you are a beginner, you must have already encountered some discomfort in your body. Sometimes the back starts to hurt and the legs go numb.

When the body is comfortable, it seems that the discomfort becomes mental, the mind wanders and you find yourself thinking about things you didn’t want to.

Click here and see valuable super practical tips to overcome difficulties that even experienced meditators often go through.

The main advice of this Meditation Guide is: meditate that everything happens. Simply meditate, even going through some difficulties or discomforts. Meditate without fighting, without expecting anything, without wanting anything. With time and habit, you will reap the rewards. Believe and persist.

It is natural that some questions arise during the process. See some of the responses below.

Guide to Meditation: Questions and Answers

What is the best meditation position?

The ideal position to meditate, according to oriental techniques, is the lotus posture (side photo), in which one remains seated, with the spine straight, legs crossed and feet on the thighs, just above the knees. However, this position is not mandatory. You can sit in any position, including a chair, as long as you are comfortable, with your spine erect, shoulders relaxed and neck aligned. It’s important to find a support for your hands, one on top of the other in your lap or leaving one on each knee, palms up or down.

Can I meditate lying down?

There are no prohibitions when it comes to meditation. However, when we are lying down, our mind naturally understands that we must fall asleep. Therefore, lying in bed may not be very productive for someone who wants to experience an altered/meditative state of consciousness. On the other hand, if your goal is to do a guided meditation to sleep fast and relax, you can adapt the technique in your own way, in the way that is best for you to enter the meditative state.

Do I need to use a meditation pillow?

You don’t need to, but it’s great to help make you more comfortable to meditate, especially those who feel discomfort or have a spinal problem. A meditation cushion called Zafu (photo on the side), it’s round and offers firm, elevated support for your hips and spine. With this, your knees approach or touch the ground, making a counterweight with the lumbar region of the spine, which naturally stays straight. For this it is recommended to sit on the edge of the zafu (and not in the middle, as we usually do with conventional pillows) This way you can focus your mind on meditation and not on body aches.

Are daily meditations necessary?

The Meditation Guide indicates doing daily meditation, creating a real habit and reaping all the benefits of practice.

But it should be noted that charges are thought patterns that accompany human beings in their pursuit of perfection. If they appear in meditation, they are present in your daily life too. For those who have difficulty getting organized, the tip is to set a specific time or moment of the day. For example, every morning before you get out of bed, mentalizing the amazing day you want. Or take a guided meditation to relax and sleep quickly and soundly. This gives you some flexibility in terms of the clock, but it reinforces your commitment to the practice, making it truly a habit.

Where can I find a meditation class?

How to learn to meditate and how to meditate correctly are among the most frequently asked questions among beginners. If you follow the tips in this article, you’ll definitely know where to start. But if you want individual and personalized help for you and your routine, has several specialists who can help you. After all, meditation is part of many therapies and practices, such as yoga, aromatherapy, respiratory education, ThetaHealing, among others capable of promoting harmonization in your mind-body-emotions axis.
Click here and identify the therapy that will accompany you.

TIP: MEDITATION WITH DEEPAK CHOPRA

If you want a reading tip on meditation, The Meditation Guide suggests turning to Deepak Chopra.

The Indian doctor is the author of more than 25 self-help books and an expert on Western meditation.

The book total meditationreleased in 2020, brings together his great teachings on the meditative state, teaches how to awaken to new levels of consciousness and heal the suffering of the mind and body.

Deepak Chopra also hosts a daily meditation program.

What types of meditation?

In this Guide to Meditation, you won’t find ready-made formulas or rigid concepts. At the outset, we can consider two types of meditation.

They exist passive meditations, which are the most common and occur through physical immobility, are usually done with the person sitting and in silence, with the aim of emptying the mind. It is the best type of meditation to relax and calm down.

already the active meditations they can be done on the go and through mindfulness. That way, it can be run while you are doing any task, driving or walking, for example. It’s a good option for anyone who can’t meditate without moving or who has trouble concentrating.

Meditation can be done on its own, but it can also be part of other practices such as yoga, aromatherapy and respiratory educationwhich are relaxation techniques capable of promoting harmonization in your mind-body-emotions axis.

To practice, different meditation techniques can be used, depending on each person’s objective, but mainly on the way they feel most comfortable, either by the type of routine, personality or individual taste. See some below.

repetition of mantras

The word has power! Sound can materialize positive or negative situations. It’s you who chooses what you want to co-create. Meditation is a great time to say, out loud or in thought, what our desires and dreams are, and really visualize what we want. For this, we can create our own meditation phrases or motivational phrases, which help to raise self-esteem and, with that, we send the following message to our system: “I don’t deserve it”. If you want to help create your phrases, see this article here with super simple tips. Or else we can use mantras, which is the repetition of sacred words and phrases, with the aim of elevating ourselves spiritually and awakening the potential for well-being in us. Click and see 5 mantras to help awaken your potentials. All mantras lead us to Meditation, as they stimulate focus on an activity and, with that, the natural silence of the mind.

Transcendental Meditation

A Transcendental Meditation, also known as “TM”, also involves repeating mantras. The difference is that the mantra is secret and individual in TM. Only trained teachers choose the mantra, made from (meaningless) sounds, for each person and pass on the technique. It is believed that keeping information completely confidential makes it impossible for malicious persons to harm the…