Meditation has been around for a long time, some archeologists date it all the way back to 5,000 BCE. With its increase in popularity in recent years, there’s been an influx of interest in the different methods of meditation.

Different cultures have been practicing meditation for centuries, and because of this, there are many different forms of it. In today’s article, we’ll be breaking down different types of meditation, and how you can do them! Keep reading to find a style that suits you best!

Gassho Meditation

Gassho means “hands coming together.” This meditation technique has you bringing your hands together in a prayer hands pose.

• Step One: Sit down or stand up with your spine straight.
• Step Two: Place your hands together in front of the middle of your chest, and close your eyes.
• Step Three: Bring your attention to where your two middle fingers meet. When your mind wanders, bring your focus back to where they meet.

It may be uncomfortable to hold your hands together for long, if so, let them drop onto your lap but still keep your hands together.

Keep your hands relaxed during this meditation. Anytime you observe your thoughts wandering, do your best to bring your attention back to where your middle fingers meet.

Kirtan Kriya Meditation

Kirtan Kriya is a unique approach to meditation. It’s used in Kundalini yoga and it involves a combination of finger movements and chanting.

A mantra is repeated during Kirtan meditation. The mantra is: Saa, Taa, Naa, Maa. Which translates to infinity, life, death, and rebirth.

• Step One: Close your eyes and repeat the mantra: Saa, Taa, Naa, Maa.
• Step Two: On Saa, touch your thumbs to your index fingers. On Taa, touch your thumbs to your middle fingers. On Naa, touch your ring fingers to your thumbs. And on Maa, touch your pinkies to your thumbs.

Chant this for a total of 10 minutes or a time frame of your choosing. Chant it as a whisper, then to yourself, as a whisper again, and for the last little bit - chant it out loud.

Merkaba Meditation

Many religious texts and cultures contain the word “Merkabah.” In ancient Egypt, it’s pronounced in three words: Mer-Ka-Ba.

Mer, meaning light, Ka, meaning spirit, and Ba being the physical body. All three separate words have other similar meanings in different cultures.

Merkabah is a more complicated form of meditation and it has a lot of moving parts involved. In total there are 17 breaths that all have their own unique action and purpose. We wouldn’t recommend Merkabah meditation to beginners, as it can be hard to follow.

Reiki Meditation

Reiki which means, ‘Universal Life Force Energy’ works through existing energy centers in the body known as chakras. Reiki energy is said to be energy that’s outside of us.

It’s an ancient Buddhist practice, rediscovered by Mikao Usui. Although there is controversy around its claimed healing effects, it’s been increasing in popularity in North America.

Like Merkaba, Reiki is a more complicated form of meditation. There are many steps involved, and if you’re a beginner it’s better that you work your way up to it.

In saying that, we just touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to different types of meditations. If you’re new to meditating and you’re looking for a way to relax and destress, BetterSleep offers meditation for beginners. Relax and unwind with BetterSleep today!