Meditation Index
There are many different types of meditation originating from all over the world.
Listed below are some of the most well known types, each utilising different techniques and styles.
Try as many as you can so that you will find one that suits your personal style.
AFFIRMATIONS
Affirmations are positive phrases that can be used to encourage a positive mindset and increase motivation in achieving our goals. When we hear something often enough we begin to believe that it is true.
The same goes for the things that we say to ourselves and the conversations that we have within our minds. Far too often the things that we voice in our heads can be overly critical and self sabotaging. By repeating positive words and phrases to ourselves daily, we can begin to reprogram our thoughts, and over time our entire outlook on life can change.
affirmations can be used for general confidence building, aiding you in achieving those health and fitness goals, becoming more positive, and even getting that new job that you are after!
There are a few ways that you can work with affirmations. Some people like to have a set printed out and stuck somewhere they will see them often, such as the bathroom mirror or by the front door. I've even known people who have printed out mini versions to stick inside their purse or wallet which they will look at every time they open it up.
You can listen to one of our favourite affirmation exercises on Youtube:
Body Scan
A body scan meditation is a form of mindfulness meditation and is one of the simplest ways to meditate and bring about an awareness of your body, releasing tension in areas where you notice sensations such as aches or tightness.
Our daily lives can often cause us stress, which we can hold onto in our bodies, and a body scan meditation is a great way to check in and identify these areas.
To begin, find a comfortable place where you can sit or lie, close your eyes and take a big deep breath, in through the nose, out of the mouth.
Starting at the top of your head, gently bring your awareness to this area, to the crown of the head and just notice whatever sensations you can feel. Don't try to change anything, just become aware of any stresses or strains, any aches or pains.
Continue scanning down your body, through your eyes, your temples, your ears,your mouth. Depending on how much time you have will determine how long to spend on each area, though ideally try to spend about 30 seconds on each area if you can - doing a quick 5 minute body scan is a great way of quickly checking in with your body, though a 20-30 minute session will mean you get the most benefits from your meditation.
As you work your way down, pausing and scanning the different areas of your body you may find that you become distracted and start thinking about what to have for dinner tonight, or about the friend you've been meaning to message - don't worry if this happens,it is perfectly normal, especially when you first begin meditating. Simply bring your awareness back to the body part, observe and move on. No judgement, no labelling, simply bring yourself back.
When you have scanned your whole body, remembering to breath at a regular pace, take one final, deep breath and open your eyes.
Breath Awareness
Becoming aware of your breath is one of the foundation stones of a lot of forms of meditation as well as ancient practices such as Yoga, Qi Gong and Tai Chi.
The breath is what connects us to every living thing on this planet, it is the basis for life and our link to the now, to this moment.
A simple breath awareness meditation is to find a place where you can sit or lie. Close your eyes and gently bring your awareness to your breath.
Follow your breath as you breath in through your nose (if you have a blocked nose then through the mouth is fine), feel as it expands your belly and your lungs. Pause a moment and release, being aware of your breath leaving your body.
Repeat this process, being aware of the in and out breath, the same breath that connects us to every living being.
Candle Meditation
Humans have been enthralled by fire for thousands of years, and a there is a very simple meditation that taps into this wonder and sense of awe that one can get when staring Candle meditation into a fire.
All you need is a candle and the time and space to sit in a dark room for 5 minutes (or more if you can!).
Light the candle and sit in a comfortable position and simply stare at the candle flame. As your thoughts come, do not grasp them, as soon as you notice them simply imagine them floating away and return your mind to the flame.
With time you may find your thoughts softening and you can become quite entranced by the beautiful flickering of a candle flame.
Remember to be careful with fire, and enjoy the experience! 🕯️
Chakra Balancing Meditation
The chakras are of Hindu/Indian origin and are believed to be energy points in our body that are connected to nerves and organs and can be considered to be open/balanced/aligned or to be blocked/unbalanced/unaligned.
There are considered to be 7 major chakras (though this does vary according to different belief systems).
The purpose of this type of meditation is to unblock and balance your chakras.
There are many guided meditations available from places like Youtube and as you listen to a soothing voice, you will be guided to move your attention up through some of the chakras of the body, visualising different colours and repeating affirmations relating to those chakras. These are sometimes also intended for spiritual awakening (It is better to do these with a trained professional).
One that we like can be found here:
Dance Meditation
Have you ever been dancing and lost yourself to the rhythm of the music?
Dancing, in various forms, has existed throughout time, in every culture of the world, probably starting out as a form spiritual worship, ceremonial in nature. It could even be argued that it exists in the animal kingdom, as a form of mating ritual!
One of the best ways to use dance as a form of meditation is to find an ecstatic dance class, such as 5 Rhythms or even looking online for something like Kinrgy.
However you choose to dance, try and bring an awareness to how your body is moving, feel the connection between your arms and your torso, though to you legs. When dancing to a slower beat embody this by moving slower, flowing from one position to the next. For more upbeat dancing really start to let yourself go, feeling the music penetrate every part of your being.
Guided ecstatic dance is great for this as you will work with different tempos, sometimes working through the different elements as you let the music take over and find yourself expressing your emotions through the movements of your body.
Gratitude Meditation
Gratitude is a wonderful thing to practice, and there are a lot of meditations to start the very simple practice of being grateful for the things in your life.
It has no religious connotations, and can be practised by anybody, anywhere
Around the world people have practised the act of being grateful for many, many years, and at MeditationToday it is something we value very highly
Jack Kornfield wrote that -“Buddhist monks begin each day with a chant of gratitude for the blessings of their life.
Native American elders begin each ceremony with grateful prayers to mother earth and father sky, to the four directions, to the animal, plant, and mineral brothers and sisters who share our earth and support our life.
In Tibet, the monks and nuns even offer prayers of gratitude for the suffering they have been given”
When you wake up in the morning, take a few extra minutes to pause, take a few deep breaths and really feel grateful for the day ahead, the people in your life and the the opportunity that each new day presents.If you feel called to you could even start a gratitude journal, and at the end of each day write 3 things that you are grateful for that happened that day.
Guided Meditation
Guided meditations come in many forms, and several of the meditations in this index are forms of guided meditations.
It really is as simple as it sounds, a meditation where you are guided through a practice by a narrator/teacher can be called a guided meditation.
The benefits of listening to somebody else guide you though a meditation are that you can fully relax and be as present as possible and enabling you to be fully in the moment.
There are 2 specific websites/apps that we are a big fan of at Knixter - Calm and Headspace. Both provide a structured format for meditation, and Calm even has stories that you can listen to whilst you fall asleep.
Keep an eye out on our page as we plan to release guided meditations in the near future.
Ho'oponopono
Originating in Hawaii, The Ho'oponopono technique is an ancient art of problem solving, which has been used by the Kahuna (Mystics healers for centuries)
Once upon a time the Ho'oponopono would be recited as a family, with all members gathering to recite the words and to ask one another for forgiveness. With our more modern way of living, with family members spread out all over the country, or even the world, this is no longer possible, And so in 1983 Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona created 'Self Identity through Ho'oponopono' and the technique was brought into the modern world.
This little known transformational technique helps us to come to the realisation that everything happening to you right now in every moment is happening in your own mind. We all interpret every situation differently. If if you were standing in a room with 10 other people, each one of you would perceive the experience in your own unique way. Therefore by taking responsibility for our own thoughts and actions, we will change our entire perception of life.
It is very simple to perform, by simply repeating these words:
"I am Sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you."
Journalling
Journaling has increased in popularity over recent years as a therapeutic method of making a note of what you have been doing throughout the day and your thoughts and feelings about those events. It can be a great way to calmly and rationally go over the events of your day with a more objective viewpoint, without the emotions that are often attached to certain situations in the heat of the moment. It helps greatly with stress and anxiety.
More than all of this though, it can be a constant check-in for you to see how you are getting on in your life with your goals, your values and principles.
There are, however, no fast and hard rules when it comes to journaling, and you may find that you simply cannot stick to writing and reflecting on your day.
A journal can be whatever you want it to be, even if you just write one word, one feeling, maybe even just doodle! Whatever you need it to be, a journal is something uniquely special and important to you, so make sure you make it your own!
Object Focus
This is a great meditation to try if you are new to meditation, you can begin by containing your focus for shorter periods of time to begin with an slowly extending over time. As with all of these practices, the more often you come back to it the easier it will become.
This process enables you to slow down your mind and to bring you into the present moment, and comes under the category of 'Mindfulness
You begin by choosing an object to focus on, and once you are comfortable, you begin to focus your attention onto that object.
You observe the object, allowing your vision to come in and out of focus if necessary.
Without forcing anything you allow yourself to notice what you will about the chosen object. Be that its colour, shape, texture and so on. Even any particular feeling that might arise from observing this item.
Essentially the object becomes an anchor. constantly pulling you back to the present moment.
Just you and the object of your focus, in a room together. nothing else matters. if you find yourself getting distracted at any point. You just bring your attention back to the object.