In the simplest sense of the concept, meditation is a dedicated practice during which the individual uses a specific technique to train his attention or awareness. When performed correctly, it can result in mental clarity, relaxation, and emotional stability, amongst other things.

If the outcome of mindfulness and meditation can be summarised in a word, that word is “relaxation.” However, some studies have found that meditation does far more than merely put you in a relaxed state. Other potential benefits include the following:

Rather than look for meaning in meditation, we recommend you try it out just to see where it takes you. The best way to do this is under the guidance of an experienced practitioner, especially if you’re pursuing transcendental meditation (TM). There are also plenty of mindfulness apps that can walk you through the journey.

Learning how to meditate can be an obstacle in and of itself for beginners, which is why so many people give up after a few sessions. Remember to bring some clear motivations to the table and practice on a consistent basis. Here are some potential obstacles to keep in mind:

It should come as a surprise to no one that various types of meditation exist. However, the benefits remain fairly constant, namely relaxation, emotional stability, clarity, and empathy. Less concerned with meaning, meditation targets results. It’s all about finding the technique that works best for you and then sticking to a routine. Here are some of the most popular types of meditation:

With this type of meditation, you’re asked to observe each thought as it enters your mind. As a result, you gain a greater sense of awareness toward both your own internal mechanisms and the nature of consciousness itself. A sense of inner balance ensues, as do feelings of empathy and understanding.

Often practised in tandem with mindfulness meditation, this type asks you to focus on a single point or pattern, such as your breath, or a mantra, or an exterior sound, or a physical object. Through the power of repetition, your mind begins to wander until letting go of all worries and desires.

For somewhat obvious reasons, there is no one type of Buddhist meditation. However, it’s often said that Buddhist monks meditate to develop compassion and even achieve enlightenment. For all the true seekers out there, consider visiting a nearby temple to work directly with an experienced practitioner.

More popular now than ever before, this type of meditation doesn’t ask you to retain focus or even concentrate as you drift past the parameters of surface-level consciousness. In contrast to mindfulness, the goal is not to be aware of the present moment, rather go straight to the source of pure thought and creativity.

To explore the full extent of meditation is to jump down a proverbial rabbit hole, where you’ll find chakra meditation, yoga meditation, moving meditation (tai chi, etc), Metta meditation, Vipassana Meditation, and more. We recommend that you start with mindfulness meditation or concentration meditation and move forward from there.

As we said before, the best way to learn how to meditate is to seek help from an experienced practitioner. That’s because he or she can respond directly to your actions and guide you accordingly. No matter what the era, there’s just something to be said for learning from a master and a human one at that.