The meditation methods that are available will surprise for you for the vast number and different styles available. There is no right way to do it, just the right way for you. I have experimented with almost all of them. Some meditation methods didn’t work very well for me. But the meditation techniques that did work for me worked so well that I now have my own meditation site. So try not to get discouraged if your first attempt at meditation fails, you probably just didn’t find the correct method of meditation to suit you.

Yoga
When you are doing yoga you are not technically meditating. But technicalities have no place in the meditation debate. Yoga is a way to prepare your body for meditation. So it is not 100% accurate to say “I went to yoga class so I have meditated.” You have to stick around for the relaxation after the yoga class. The relaxation process, while laying in corpse pose, usually will zone you out and leave your mind comfortably clutter free and relaxed. That is why I call yoga the “gateway drug” to meditation, you can find yourself in a deep meditation without even having that intent.

Yoga is commonly referred to as a moving meditation with the breath. Depending on the quality of your yoga class you could experience this. Ashtanga yoga is the style that I practice and every movement is synchronized with the breath. Depending on a number of factors, you may find yourself in meditative state while doing yoga, or it may not occur until the post-practice guided relaxation.

Hemi-sync Meditation CDs
Hemi-Sync meditation cds use a process called hemispheric synchronization. It’s a big phrase that means your left and right sides of your brain gets in concert with each other. The cds play music or relaxing white noise, and in the background you hear some calming hums or tones. Those hums or tones are heard by your brain, which then creates a third tone that naturally guides you to a meditative state. When I first used these cds, I knew I would be able to meditate for the rest of my life if I wanted to.

Paraliminal Guided Meditation CDs
Paraliminal guided meditation cds use Holosync meditation technology combined with 2 different voices in each ear, or one voice alternating in each ear, or one voice in both ears, sometimes a combination of all 3 voice alternation possibilities. This is an interesting approach to meditation because it combines brain-state research with NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). Paraliminals can be used for specific goals such as weight-loss or quitting caffeine, or to help activate the law of attraction and manifest your goals.

Guru Meditation
Guru meditation involves choosing your guru and then concentrating on only the form of the guru. You close your eyes, clear your mind, and put all of your focus on the appearance of the guru in vivid detail. I could never get into this style enough to do anything more than read about it. It felt like idolatry to me and that is not for me.

Hypnotherapy
I went to some hypnotherapy sessions after reading the popular Brian Weiss book on past life regressions using hypnotherapy. I found it to be very, very similar to being in a deep meditation. The hypnotherapist guides you through some visualization exercises with your eyes closed. You feel calm, very relaxed, and very focused. The hynotherapist asks you questions about what you are visualizing in your mind and records your responses. It feels like an interview with your normal brain chatter shut off. Hypnotherapy is another way to learn how to meditate.

In-Person Guided Relaxation and Meditation
This is most commonly done after a yoga session but you can also find classes at your local yoga center or online. A meditation script is read while the participants eyes are closed. It is similar to the guided meditation cds of Hemi-sync and Paraliminal, except there is no need for headphones since you are obviously sitting in front of someone if it is in-person. The effectiveness of an in-person guided meditation is highly variable and completely dependent on the competence of the person guiding the meditation. I have encountered in-person meditations that left me on top of the world and others that I had to hold in laughter at the new-age speak. Use your judgment. The variability of the experiences for in-person guided meditations is why I recommend finding meditation cds that you are comfortable with. A meditation cd ensures the quality of each session.

Silence Retreats
A silence retreat is when a person takes a vow of silence for a period of time, normally between one day and one week. The absence of talking and verbal communication is said to stimulate long period of contemplation and meditation. This technique sounds like it would work, but I can’t stay silent one hour, never mind one day, so I have never tried it.

Experiment with many meditation methods to find the one for you. I thought I had found the perfect meditation method by using yoga followed by a relaxation exercise. Then I discovered hemi-sync meditation cds and it opened up a whole new world.

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