Below, we’ll look at seven meditation techniques, each of which has a unique focus and purpose, to help you assess which technique is most right for you.

1. Loving kindness meditation

The goal of loving kindness meditation, also known as metta meditation, is to cultivate an attitude of love, compassion, and connectedness towards everything and everyone, including your perceived enemies and sources of stress.

While breathing deeply, you open your mind and crown chakra to receive loving kindness from your spirit. You then send this energy of love out to the world, to specific people, and to your loved ones. This type of meditation shares many of the qualities of selfless prayer.

• Reduces anger, frustration, resentment, and interpersonal conflict

2. Relaxation meditation

As its name suggests, relaxation meditation, also called body scan meditation, focuses on releasing physical and emotional tension from the body. The goal is to notice where your tension resides and then release it, starting at your toes and working your way up the body to the crown of the head, which represents your connection to spirit.

At every stage, tense your muscles consciously for a moment or two, and then relax them. At the same time, visualise light energy soothing your muscles.

• Helps with relaxation and sleep

3. Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness is a form of meditation in which you remain fully aware and in the present moment. Rather than dwelling on the events of the past or worrying about the future, mindfulness encourages awareness of your existing surroundings, helping you gain clarity about what is happening now in your life and what course of action can best support you.

Mindfulness is a powerful practice that you can utilise almost anywhere, while you’re waiting in line for a coffee or sitting at a traffic light, as you observe what is going on around you. Mindfulness allows you to remain centred, relaxed, and effective, no matter your surroundings.

• Increases focus, intuition, emotional stability, and mental acuity

4. Breath awareness meditation

Breath awareness is a type of mindful meditation that encourages mindful breathing. The goal is to focus on your conscious breath, which is something you usually are not aware of during the course of your day. The goal is to focus solely on your breath while letting your thoughts come and go, simply observing them rather than dwelling on them.

• Reduces anxiety, improves concentration, and increases emotional control

5. Kundalini meditation

Kundalini meditation is a physical form of meditation that blends yoga movements with deep breathing and mantras. It is normally taught in a class but can also be practised alone. It improves physical awareness as well as mental health by reducing anxiety and depression.

• Soothes pain and increases physical and emotional strength

6. Zen meditation

Zen meditation, sometimes called Zazen, is a Buddhist practice that focuses on breathing and mindfully observing thoughts before letting them go without judgment. By observing your thoughts objectively, you gain clear insight into your mental processes and notice which ones support you and which ones don’t.

• Enhances self-awareness and mental processing

7. Transcendental meditation

Transcendental meditation is a spiritual form of meditation where practitioners remain seated and breathe slowly. The goal is to transcend or rise above your current state of being. Practitioners focus on a mantra, a repeated word or series of words.

• Heightens spiritual awareness and improves mindfulness

It’s important to note that meditation is not a results-focused undertaking. Indeed, fixating too much on the results of meditation can provoke anxiety, which will undermine its benefits.

However, research shows that meditation can work very quickly. Studies typically follow practitioners for weeks or months, not years, and many meditation practitioners report an immediate improvement in mental calmness and clarity following a meditation session.

During meditation, it is common to feel less stressed, more accepting, and at greater peace. Over time and with practise, these sensations will continue to expand even outside of your meditation sessions.