6 Meditation Methods for Better Wellbeing

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Here at Myrth, we’re big fans of meditation as a tool for centering ourselves, achieving personal growth, and so much more. The science is clear: meditation helps reduce stress, and quickly. Other research suggests that practicing meditation may have physiological effects that reduce blood pressure, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, and insomnia. It can even help improve your attention span.

We also strongly believe that meditation comes in all shapes and forms. There’s just one problem: meditation gets a bad rap because of inaccurate stereotypes.

Think about it. When you hear the word “meditation,” what do you imagine? Odds are, you picture a bald monk in the lotus position staring into space in complete silence, utterly incapable of being distracted. 

That’s not what meditation looks like for most of us.

If that’s what you picture in your head when you hear the word “meditation,” though, it’s understandable that you might be reluctant to try it. Who among us can sit still for hours on end without blinking or reacting to the world around us? Who can keep a perfectly clear, empty mind? Very few, that’s who, and only after lots and lots of practice.

Our founder Emma recently heard somebody compare meditation to sports. You wouldn’t say you do sports - you would pick out the type of sport you do or list off the variety of sports you do. Meditation is kinda like that. 

So instead of focusing on the stereotype and telling ourselves, we can’t do it, let’s explore some other ways to practice meditation outside of the stereotype.

Here are 6 of our favorite meditation methods:

1. Body scan Meditation

   We love the classic body scan meditation as a way to slow response to a stressful situation or just to check in with ourselves. Find a comfortable seat, maybe on a meditation cushion. And then you sit in a comfortable position, relax your muscles, and start by focusing your attention on your toes. See how they feel, if they’re hurting or tingling or pinched in your shoes or maybe a bit cold. Then move on to the soles of your feet, the tops of your feet, your heels, ankles, shins, calves, and so on up the length of your entire body until you get to the crown of your head. It’s soothing and relaxing and, because your mind is focused on an activity, you’re less likely to have it wander off.

2. Focused Meditation

   The most popular method of focused meditation is to focus on your breathing. Notice your breath going in and out, how long it takes, how your body moves while you breathe. Your mind might wander, but if it does, just gently bring it back when you notice, and don’t berate yourself. It’s called a meditation practice for a reason. Some people like to use Mala beads to help them focus, we love MatrikaMala, a women-owned business, collections, especially the GiveBack Rose Quartz Mala.

3. Mantras

   If you have a mind that likes to wander, having a mantra you repeat to yourself can be very helpful. It can be something as simple as “I am here,” to remind yourself to be present. It can be a short poem or a prayer. Whatever it is, it should be something that has a message you want to remember and something you can memorize and repeat.

4. Yoga

   If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you probably remember the final pose: savasana, or “corpse pose.” You might not have realized it at the time, but this pose is a time for meditation. It’s a time to sit quietly, experience your body, relax your muscles, and just breathe. Especially after an active class, a few minutes of quiet grounding can be particularly refreshing. We love this cork mat from Gaiam.

5. Walking meditation

   To do walking meditation, you combine focused meditation with mindfulness. Take each step intentionally and focus on that step. Observe the motion of your feet and the rest of your body as you move. Keep your steps natural, not exaggerated, and clasp your arms or let them dangle (whatever is more comfortable to you). While you walk, focus your attention on a particular sensation, one that you wouldn’t ordinarily stop to pay attention to.

6. Meditative hobbies

   We’ve talked here before about meditative hobbies like knitting, gardening, and woodworking. They’re hobbies with intentional, repetitive movements that settle into a rhythm so that you can focus on that rhythm and turn off other parts of your brain.

There is an incredible diversity of meditation styles and forms, so there’s one out there that’s a good fit for anybody who’s looking to try. We hope you’ll give one of these a go and improve your relationship with yourself. And when you have completed your meditation maybe you want to write down some thoughts in a journal.

Have you tried a new style of meditation recently? How did it go? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

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