Learning to Relax Through Meditation

Described as a state wherein a person is in deep concentration on something, either awareness or some object of thought, meditation can be considered as one of the oldest means of calming the mind and the soul. Usually involving one's attention to be turned into a single point of reference, meditation is practiced by so many people because it can lead a person to a consciousness an inch higher than the ordinary person.

If you are one of those who planning to indulge in practicing meditation or just interested in its seemingly limitless possibilities, then you should start by familiarizing yourself with the various forms of meditation known today. The most common forms of meditation include "Bodhidharma," "Hinduism," "Bahai Faith," "Buddhism," "Christian meditation," "Islam Meditation," "Jainism," "Judaism," "Sikhism," and "Taoism." Each and every one of these forms mentioned has their own understanding of meditation and also have different sets of practices that come with it.

Another important thing to take note about meditation is that it involves various physical postures to be able to perform the practice well. These postures include standing, sitting, and supine depending on the tradition of that you would want to follow.

Aside from the postures that are used, it is also important to take note about the various types of meditation before finally indulging into it. Experts say that the most common type is the prayer because this is the one of the most practiced types people does. Aside from the simple prayer, other types of meditation also include the mindfulness meditation, and some of the forms included in the Eastern tradition including the buddhist, Taoist, and zen meditation.

If you are just starting, the first thing that you need to concentrate on is the elements for involved in a basic traditional meditation. Usually, there are four elements that greatly affect traditional meditation including a place that is quiet, a posture that is comfortable, an object that a person can to focus his or her attention and n attitude that is relatively passive.

Learning Meditation Techniques

Meditation techniques are known to vary depending on the origin of the practice and the culture in that place. It also varies depending on the personality of the person and where he or she comfortable with.

Meditation techniques can be classified as "concentrative" that involves the means of focusing into a specific object and the other can be termed as "expansive" that involves a person's free flowing thoughts, observation, and reflection. The most common meditation techniques that are being practiced by many people today include the "Mantra Meditation" which involve production of sound or the combination of one or more sounds that are played in a very spontaneous manner, the "trataka" or Steady Gaze where the person meditating is asked to gaze steadily in a certain an object and focus his or her attention to it, and the "Chakra Meditation" which greatly helps in the manifestation of energy and mind control.

Those who are practicing advanced meditation are also learning other effective meditation techniques including Vipassana Meditation, Raja Yoga Meditation, Zazen, and Nada Yoga, which have their own respective practices and postures.