SO HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRACTICE...
Do you know there are literally hundreds of different styles of meditation? And within those styles there are different forms? No joke, meditation is a pretty big deal. So how does one go about picking the right style and form?
Let's examine a few...
Different styles of meditation include Transcendental Meditation (TM), Zazen, Mindfulness, Vipassana, Loving Kindness (Metta), Qigong, Christian (yep, if you ever prayed the rosary you've meditated), Sufi, Tai Chi, Yoga and on and on and on. Each has its own subscribed set of guidelines. Loving Kindness (Metta) suggests that one sits, eye closed and generates mind and heart feelings of love and kindness. It is basically a wishing of well being towards all. Transcendental Meditation is a seated, chanting (Mantra) form that is practiced for 15 - 20 minutes, twice daily. The goal is to transcend space and energy to total enlightenment. I could continue down the list but that would take too long so I suggest you Google types of meditation for the comprehensive list.
Different forms of meditation include silent, guided, chanting (Mantra) and moving. Silent meditations are just that, a form of meditation where the meditator sits quietly as in Vipassana. Guided meditation can be applied to many styles and consists of an instructor, either live or through audio to guide the meditator through the session. Chanting is also called Mantra, as in TM and calls for the focus to be on a specific word, i.e. Om, Yam, etc. This can be done verbally or silently. And yes, there is moving meditation in the form of Tai Chi and Yoga. Please keep in mind that due to the extensive styles and forms of meditation, many may mirror or cross over into others. An example of this is Mindfulness which is a stripped down version of Vipassana which is a version of Zen Buddhist.
Seems kind of mind boggling and leaves one to wonder, "So where do I go from here"? Relax, take a deep breathe, it's easier than it reads. Know that whichever style or form of meditation you select, they are all just avenues that ultimately take you to the same destination, you. Meditation is all about peeling away the layers of the onion to get to the core so one can see what's there and choose what, if anything, you want to do about it. And simply because you start with one doesn't mean you can't switch at some point or co-mingle. On any given day I may practice Vipassana, or Metta or Mindfulness. Again, each is just an exercise to get to the real me.
Do the research, study the different styles and forms and pick one. Experiment. Meditation should be a daily, life long venture. We are never finished so there is no rush. They all work, it just comes down to an individual comfort level. In a short while you will find whatever works for you and you will be on your way.
Next post...SO NOW WHAT
