7 TYPES OF MEDITATION AND WHERE TO PRACTICE THEM
Meditation is one of the best things I have ever learnt to do. I would go as far as to say it’s a life skill - a skill to make the most out of life - right up there with cooking and learning how to swim. (off the top of my head). My early experience of meditation was the shavasana at the end of yoga when I started classes in the year 2000. But looking right back, I was meditating as a child, maybe 7 years old, staring out the window at the rain until I could feel all other thoughts move out of the way and leave this empty but totally aware space in my head. Other forms of meditation throughout my life that came naturally were the occasional quiet walk in the woods, or staring out at the sea, watching a wave or stream. It was on my 30th birthday that I met my meditation teacher-to-be Gary Gorrow who went on to teach me my, now daily (where possible now with young kids!), practice of Vedic Meditation out in Australia. Below I’m sharing more info on Vedic meditation, as well as one of my other regular practices - sound bathing, and more types of meditation practice that I have tried and loved.
VEDIC
Vedic Meditation comes from the Veda, the ancient body of knowledge from India that is the source for yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. Vedic Meditation is a mantra-based meditation where you repeat a simple sound silently in your mind. The mantra quiets the mind and takes you to a settled state. As your mind settles, your body begins to rest more deeply than sleep. You come out of meditation feeling clear, refreshed, and ready to engage. Vedic Meditation is effortless and natural. You simply sit in a chair with your eyes closed for about 20 minutes in the morning and again in the early evening. In London, you can learn Vedic Meditation at The London Meditation Centre with Jillian Lavender.
SOUND BATHS
A sound bath is an immersive, sensory experience where you are “bathed” in the sounds of musical instruments and even/or including voice. These days if you see a sound bath advertised it likely includes crystal or tibetan singing bowls and/or gongs. One of my favourite ways to introduce meditation to others, young and old and the most busy because all you need do for a sound bath is lie down and set the intention to surrender. Most people will not turn down the opportunity to get cosy and do nothing! It’s a session to relax, reset and re-centre There are many potential benefits of a sound bath and these are very personal: each individual will notice different effects, benefits can include better concentration, reduced stress, improved sleep, increased creativity and short-term memory. My digital sound baths are guided sound bath meditations for you to enjoy in your own time, wherever you may be. From sleep, a 30-minute lullaby through to Stress Relief, a 10-minute break you can use during the working day, you can download these to your phone for easy on-the-go meditation.
KIRTAN
Kirtan, from the Sanskrit word meaning "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, is a form of devotional singing and chanting which dates back over 5,000 years. It is a spiritual practice that involves the repetitive singing or chanting of mantras or hymns performed in a call-and-response format, where a leader sings or chants a line, set to music, and the participants respond. Radhika Das leads regular Kirtan events in the UK including a weekly event every Friday.
BREATHWORK
Breathwork involves consciously paying attention to the breath, observing its natural rhythm, and sometimes incorporating specific breathing techniques to deepen the meditative experience. The goal is to cultivate mindfulness, relaxation, and a heightened state of awareness. Known as Pranayama in Sanskrit, the benefits of breathwork include reduced stress and increased awareness. Michael James Wong of Just Breathe hosts monthly Quiet Club sessions in Central London with guest contributors from within the wellness community. Katie Mantwa George, founder of Being Human Well, works in offices within companies to teach breathwork meditation in order to encourage self-inquiry, stress-release, expansion of awareness and self-compassion.
QIGONG
Qigong is an ancient Chinese practice that combines coordinated body-posture and slow-moving movement with deep rhythmic breathing and a calm meditative state of mind. It is commonly practiced throughout Asia to cultivate and balance the mythical life-force known as ‘chi’ (aka prana in Ayurveda. It’s used for the purposes of health, spirituality and martial arts training. The term “qigong” is a combination of two words: "qi," which means “subtle breath” or “vital energy,” and "gong," which translates to “skill cultivated through steady practice.” Unlike traditional meditation where you sit still, qi gong involves movements and poses that are closely related to Tai Chi. I have taken a Tai Chi class or two over the years but really got into Qigong over lockdown thanks to TCM teacher Katie Brindle. Nick and I took a course with Arron Collins-Thomas who is Head of Qigong at Katie’s platform Hayo’uFit where you can find his classes.
SOMATIC
Another form of movement meditation, Somatic means relating to the body, especially as distinct from the mind… Somatic meditation involves focusing your awareness on your body sensations in the present. It quiets the mind but also allows you to rework traumatic memories and after effects in a safe and gentle way. Rather than trying to develop meditation through our left-brain, thinking mind in a top-down process, as is the case with most contemporary approaches, somatic meditation involves a bottom-up process, wherein we connect with the inherent, self-existing wakefulness that is already present within the body itself. In somatic meditation, the focus is on your internal sensations. The meditation object can be your breath, the sensation of blood flowing rhythmically through your body, the energy tingling in your fingers and toes, or any of the vast sensory information being transmitted from your body to your brain. Nahid de Belgonne, Founder of The Human Method and author of Soothe, has a series of online Somatic Movement classes available.
AFFIRMATION
Affirmation Meditation is the practice of positive thinking for self-empowerment. An affirmation is anything repeated out loud or in thoughts which register in our subconscious mind. Effective affirmations are positive, personal, specific, and in the present tense and can be used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts.. This means that we want the affirmations: 1) to be couched as if they were already happening; 2) to relate to us meaningfully; and 3) to be aspirational. Practicing this kind of meditation can be extremely simple, all that's needed is to pick a phrase and repeat it to yourself as you breathe. I’ve long been a fan of Gabby Bernstein who has written many books on affirmations and manifestations which have been life-changing for her, as it has been for Roxie Nafousi who has worked to bring awareness of this practice into the mainstream in the last few years.
*If you have any health concerns (including PTSD and serious mental health issues), or a history of epilepsy (rare forms may be triggered by sound) please seek medical advice first before embarking on any new wellbeing practices.