Mindfulness and meditation are becoming increasingly popular. There are people worldwide who choose to commit to meditating on a regular basis: be it once a day, a few times per week, or weekly. However, some people who have tried meditating have concluded that it doesn’t work for them, which begs the question, does meditation work for everyone?
While some people believe that meditation doesn’t work for everyone, others believe that it is down to the type of meditation. People learn in different ways, and therefore different meditation styles will work better for different people. It’s all about finding the type of meditation which works for you.
This article highlights how meditation does and doesn’t work and how you can change your meditation methods to better work for you. We will also go over some of the most common types of meditation that people find most beneficial. Let’s dive right in!
What is Meditation All About?
Meditation is an ancient tradition that is still practiced in many cultures until now due to its benefits. It is used as a way to achieve inner harmony, a sense of calmness, and deal with stress. Meditation has ties to many different religious teachings; however, it is more about altering your consciousness, achieving peace, and finding awareness.
In the hectic world, it appears there is a greater need to reduce stress. With our busy schedules and demanding lifestyles, meditation is becoming increasingly popular. There is no right or wrong way to meditate, but it is important to find a practice that meets your personal needs and goes well with your unique personality and learning style.
Not all meditation styles might be right for everyone, and we will go over this more later in the article.
The Types of People Who Should Meditate
Despite what anyone believes, you don’t need any special spiritual abilities to be able to meditate. Absolutely anyone can practice meditation. It’s a simple practice that can easily be picked up no matter what frame of mind or physical shape you are in.
Meditation only requires commitment and a basic understanding of what it is, what it does to your body, mind. It requires a little bit of effort and a lot of dedication, but once you have it, you’ll start feeling the great benefits that come with it.
Sometimes, the mediation results are instant, and other times you’ll have to have a little bit of patience before you start feeling the benefits. So with that in mind, meditation does require work, but the results can be surprising. A simple 20-minute meditation session each day could genuinely change your lifestyle for the better.
For people who struggle to settle while trying to meditate, guided meditation could be the one to begin with. During a guided meditation, you will listen to a meditation instructor who will guide you through a session. Once you’ve found a tutor who truly inspires you, meditation will become a rewarding experience.
The Ways Different Learning Styles Affect Meditation
Everyone learns in different ways. This means that if you’re currently finding meditation to be a bit of a dead-end for you, it may be down to the type of meditation you’re practicing.
Below is a list of the types of learning styles and the best meditation practices that may work for each of those learning styles:
Visual Learners
Visual learners are those who need to see something to learn. As such, a visual learner will benefit most from visual meditations. This can include things such as guided imagery or creative visualization.
Visual learners may benefit from staring into paintings during their practice or performing their practice on mandalas. These types of meditations will take you on an imaginative and beautiful meditative adventure.
Auditory Learners
Auditory learners need to hear things to learn best. These types of learners work best by listening and following instructions. With this in mind, the best types of meditation for these learners are sessions to music, guided meditations, or mantra meditations.
These learners can also benefit from Zen styles of meditations where the goal is to concentrate on sounds that can be heard in the natural environment or specially constructed Zen meditations to the sounds and vibrations of chimes, gongs, or meditation bowls.
Tactile Learners or Kinesthetic Learners
These types of learners need to feel or touch things to learn best. These types of learners will benefit best from mediations that involve a lot of concentration.
Some examples of concentrative meditations may include staring at candles, waves, or the ocean. This allows their mind to become completely absorbed in the experience of meditation. Active meditations and focusing on breathing may also help a tactile or kinesthetic learner.
If you are not feeling the benefits of meditation or if you find meditation boring or unfulfilling, then it may be because you have been shown the wrong type of meditation to suit your learning style. Try a different style and find what works for you.
What to Do If Meditation Isn’t Working for You
There might be several reasons for your learning style as to why you don’t feel the benefits of meditation, which makes you think meditation is not working. Below are some common reasons why your meditation practice is not smooth and what you can do to resolve this:
- Your Mind Races – meditation beginners or even long-time meditators who go through challenging situations have unsettled, busy mind. Meditation is all about learning to sit with your thoughts, so don’t let them stop you from meditating. Instead, focus on your thoughts as part of your practice, observe them, and don’t engage in “inner conversation.”
- You Have a Wandering Mind – it’s normal for your mind to wander. However, meditation is all about giving your mind a break. If you notice your mind wandering, switch your focus back, whether that is your breath, candlelight you are looking at, or the external sound.
- You’re Lacking Consistency – commitment is vital here. To experience the benefits of meditation, you need to be consistent with your practice. Ideally, you should do your meditation sessions at the same time in the same place each day. If, due to your work or other reaons, you cannot practice meditation daily, begin with weekly meditation practice. It is important that you create a meditation routine and stick to it.
- You Fall Asleep – Falling asleep during your meditation sessions can be frustrating. You may find yourself falling asleep because of many reasons. If you want to avoid falling asleep, try switching up your meditation sessions to find a way to keep you awake during your practice.
- You Have Aches or Pains – Aches and pains can make your meditation painful, or the aches and pains can distract you from your practice. The best thing you can do in this scenario is to see a doctor for treatment if necessary. Alternatively, you can try to make your meditation sessions more comfortable. Try sitting in a different position or using a proper meditation pillow specially designed to keep your spine aligned and comfortable.
- You Get Bored – at the beginning, it’s easy to get bored or distracted during meditation, especially if this practice is very new to you. The longer you stick to meditation practice, the less bored you will be. As you get to know your mind and how it works a little better, you’ll begin to realize how fascinating it is, and you will begin incorporating meditation into your daily life.
Does meditation work for Everyone?
Sometimes people try to meditate but quickly lose interest. These people may find themselves wondering if anyone can meditate. According to experts in meditation, just about anyone can learn the art of meditation practice. Individuals with serious mental health conditions are an exception to this. Anyone with a serious mental health condition should be closely monitored if they choose to meditate.
Meditation is an ancient art that is practiced by millions of people all over the world. It was first practiced in the East before it spread to different parts of the world.
Anyone can benefit from meditation practice, regardless of their spiritual tradition, age, or physical profile. With the right guidance, meditation can be incorporated into any busy schedule, no matter what your walk of life.
Tips for People Who Think They Can’t Meditate
Are you struggling to meditate, or do you think that you can’t meditate? If so, below are some tips that can help you incorporate a successful meditation practice into your life:
Choose a meditation that works best for You
You can easily incorporate meditation into your daily life, just like you would a workout. We will later highlight some of the most common types of meditation practiced today, so give each of these a try and find which one you most enjoy and which one you benefit most from.
Take a Moment of Gratitude
An easy way to have a “quick” meditation session is to sit down and take a moment to think of some people or things in your life that you love and are grateful for. Start with the first one and think of a list of all the reasons why you’re grateful for that person or that experience. Then move on to the second one and do the same thing, and so on.
By thinking about the things and people that make you happy, you’ll radiate positive energy, and this energy can significantly improve your day.
Start Small
When you first start to meditate, you want to begin by just incorporating a few minutes of mindfulness into your day. A simple exercise to get you started includes sitting quietly and as you breathe in, imagine your brain filling up with light. Exhale, and then when you breathe in again, imagine your heart filling up with light. Then exhale again and repeat this process (switching between the brain and heart) for around two to three minutes.
Use a Meditation App
If you can’t focus on meditating solely on your own, you may wish to try meditation apps. There are many apps out there that can guide you through a simple meditation practice.
If you find a meditation app that works for you, the more you practice, the easier it will become to meditate on your own.
Can Christians Meditate?
Although meditation originated in Eastern traditions, it is integrated into many of the religious traditions from all around the world. For Christians, meditation involves pausing to find God’s take on the situation.
One of the main goals for Christians is to have a God-like thought process. There are several sections of the bible where God suggests a meditation on the word of God.
With this in mind, it is fine for Christians to incorporate meditation into their daily lives. It can even be incorporated into daily prayer routines.
The Most Common Types of Meditation
There is a long list of meditations that can be practiced, and below we will mention the most popular ones:
Focused Meditation
Focused meditation involves concentrating on your five senses. You can choose any of the five senses to focus on. Some examples may include focusing on your breathing, observing the incest’s smell, or listening and focusing on music. It can be difficult to find the level of concentration that you need for this type of meditation but don’t give up. As mentioned earlier – commitment is important.
This type of meditation is perfect for people who struggle to concentrate or need more focus in their lives.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation has roots in Buddhism. This is thought to be the most popular type of meditation across the globe. When practicing this type of meditation, the focus is kept on your thoughts and observing them. It is important to never judge your thoughts or become involved with them during the practice. It’s simply a matter of observing them and noting any patterns that you may see and feel.
This type of meditation is best for those who want a greater understanding and to find peace with their thoughts.
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental meditation is quite a popular type of meditation. It is seen as an extended version of the mantra type of meditation. It focuses on using a series of words or sounds as part of the practice. This type of meditation is best for people who like structure.
This type of meditation is great for people who are very serious about keeping up a long-term meditation practice.
Movement Meditation
Movement meditation involves creating movements with your body. Yoga is a form of movement meditation. There are also many other forms of movement meditation such as gardening or taking a stroll in nature. This type of meditation is active, and the movements guide you through the practice.
This type of meditation is best for people who prefer to be active in their things.
Mantra Meditation
Mantra meditation clears the mind by using repetitive sounds. This can be in the form of phrases, words, or even just simple noises. It doesn’t matter if these sounds are spoken loudly or quietly. You just need to focus on repeating the mantra, and after a while, you will feel your busy mind getting quieter. This will allow you to develop a much deeper level of awareness.
This type of meditation is best for people seeking a clearer mind and want to feel more in tune with their environment.
Progressive Relaxation
This type of meditation aims to reduce tension from within the body and helps to promote relaxation. It usually involves slowly tightening and releasing certain muscles within the body. This type of meditation is great for de-stressing and can help you to relax, making it perfect for a pre-bedtime meditation practice.
This type of meditation is best for people looking to relax and release tension within their bodies.
Visualization Meditation
Visualization meditation is a technique that aims to enhance your feelings of relaxation, calmness, and peace. This is done by visualizing positive things. In this practice, you should focus on visualizing a happy scene in as much detail as possible. You should aim to use all of your five senses to really feel the scene so that you can vibrate with the positive energy that comes with the visual.
This type of meditation is best for people who seek more positivity in their lives.
Loving-Kindness Meditation
This type of meditation is focused heavily on improving your feelings of compassion, acceptance, and kindness. The practice involves opening your mind so that you can receive the love of others, as well as sending out love and good wishes to those you are close to. This is perfect for people who want to feel more positivity in their lives and who want to feel love. It is also great for helping people let go of feelings of anger.
This type of meditation is great for people who want to feel more love in their lives and release any feelings of anger.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is that meditation does work for everyone. It just requires a little bit of time to try different types of meditation and commit to one (or a few) that you feel happy about. There are many different types of meditation, and every single person feels differently about each of them. In order to experience the benefits of meditation, you need to be regular and dedicated to the practice. Just like no one learned how to play the piano just after a few piano classes, it is almost impossible to experience the great benefits of this practice without consistency. Find a meditation that you feel in tune with, add the required level of patience, and rest assured – the benefits will reveal naturally.
