As you may already know, there are a number of different ways in which you can approach meditation. On this website alone I’ve discussed dozens of different techniques. But how do you know which technique is right for you? If you’ve given meditation a try in the past, but found it just wasn’t for you, you may have been trying the wrong exercise. Just as we all like different flavors of ice cream, meditation also comes in different flavors but not all of those flavors are going to appeal to your taste buds.

Focused Meditation 

All meditation is technically focused, but more specifically I’m referring to the types of exercises that challenge you to focus on one particular aspect of your body or senses — for example, focused breathing. Some people love exercises like focused breathing because they find it helps them relax, but for others it can be pure torture. If you’re the type of person who likes to “just chill,” this might be the right technique for you.

Walking or Moving Meditation 

On the reverse side of the coin, if you hate sitting still, might I recommend walking meditation. It turns out there’s actually no hard and fast rule that says you must be sitting still if you are going to meditate properly. It’s just a myth. There’s no reason at all that you can’t go for a stroll and also focus on your breathing, or the particular way you are walking.

Mantra

Mantras are great for when you’re trying to set, reach, and maintain goals. By definition, a mantra is something you repeat over and over again, like a word or a phrase, but I also think it can be something you visualize over and over again, like seeing yourself score the winning goal. The more you envision yourself succeeding at something, the greater the odds are that you will actually succeed at it. It’s just that old adage about positive thinking; it really does work. However, for some people mantras just seem too ridiculous, or feel too boring or uncomfortable to do for extended periods of time, so they’re not right for everyone.

Mindfulness 

Mindfulness is the type of meditation I talk about the most, and I often incorporate many of these other techniques into it. That being said, though, mindfulness is basically just taking notice of yourself and the things happening around, rather than running on autopilot all day — something many of us do without realizing it. In a way, mindfulness is more of a way of life than something that you set aside time for outside of your normal life. Mindfulness is also great for people who are too busy to set aside dedicated times for meditation.

These various techniques are really just scratching the surface, but hopefully they have given you an idea of just how many options, and ‘flavors,’ you have when it comes to meditation.

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