All humans strive for peace. It is a fundamental need that can be difficult to fulfill in today's busy world. A world filled with uncertainty and doubt. Yet, we all make an effort to accomplish it.
We look for effective methods to combat uncomfortable symptoms of stress and anxiety, which might help us find the inner peace we need. We can do many things to improve our mental health if we are willing to make the effort.
One such strategy is meditation!
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a grounding technique that dates back thousands of years and refers to a range of mindfulness acts that help train an individual’s awareness to achieve mental and emotional stability. It is also an effective way of taking care of one’s spiritual health.
While some doubt the practice and its usefulness, people worldwide vouch for the benefits of meditation.
So, a question remains: Does meditation actually work? If yes, then does meditation work for everyone?
Understanding the Different Types of Meditation
To understand meditation, we need to dig deeper into what the practice entails.
For many, it includes achieving a state of complete physical and mental awareness. While this statement is true, it is the process of reaching such a state that requires some extra thought.
There is more than one way of practicing meditation. And each has its own benefits apart from those associated with mediation in general.
The practice of meditation can be broken down into four broad categories:
- Mindfulness meditation,
- Body scan meditation,
- Transcendental meditation, and
- Spiritual meditation.
Let’s take a look at each of these types of meditation.
1. Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation involves practicing focused breathing. A mindfulness meditation session does not require sitting silently in a specific place. All one needs to do is be mentally and physically present throughout the activity. Be it taking a walk, performing a religious prayer, or even focusing on something as simple as a tree outside the window.
For practicing mindfulness meditation, an undivided focus is the main requirement. The aim is to reduce distractions and promote mindfulness-based stress reduction.
2. Body Scan Meditation
Body scan meditation is known for promoting physical health. It helps reduce physical symptoms of chronic stress like tense shoulders, muscle spasms, and chronic pain. Yoga comes under this category, too.
Such meditation programs focus on the conscious movement and relaxation of various body parts, bringing awareness towards the stressors locked in the body and ultimately releasing them.
3. Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental meditation, also known as mantra meditation, is a meditation practice that involves repeating a specific mantra to oneself. Such a type of meditation helps to improve focus and instill positive self-awareness in an individual.
Loving-kindness meditation also comes under this category. The meditation technique involves repeating phrases that promote unconditional goodwill for oneself and others. Being the only meditation practice that helps instill kindness in an individual, it stands apart from others. It is based on Buddhist principles that cultivate universal friendliness toward self and others.
Loving-kindness meditation is often used with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety that stem mainly from internal or external conflicts.
4. Spiritual Meditation
Spiritual meditation involves practicing mindfulness meditation to bring awareness towards a higher level of consciousness. It focuses on concepts associated with the eternal truth.
Practicing such a form of mindfulness while performing religious obligations reduces psychological distress caused by worldly matters.
Does Meditation Work For Everyone?
Meditation can work for everyone if you know which kind suits you best. Many factors influence this decision, the most important being personality type.
If we look at the Myers-Briggs, we can see that certain types prefer specific meditation practices based on their personality traits. The Introversion–Extraversion, Sensation–Intuition, Thinking–Feeling, and Judging–Perceiving dimensions can help us understand the underlying motivations that influence the choice of meditation practice.
For introverted personality types, meditation practices that require little to no external contact with others work the best. Because of this, mindfulness meditation remains at the top of the list for introverts. In contrast, extroverts might find group meditation more engaging. Activities such as community yoga do the trick.
Tactile meditation techniques are helpful for sensors. Since they are prone to taking up information through physical means, meditation practices such as body scans provide the most effective stress relief. Contrary to sensors, an intuitive person relies on information having a set pattern. According to this, mantra meditation holds popularity among them.
Thinkers choose evidence-based meditation techniques such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapies. They like to go for strategies paired with structured therapeutic interventions. For feelers, practices that mirror their values and morals are beneficial. Spiritual meditation fits well with them.
Judgers commit to meditation techniques that are simple and structured. The quicker they work, the better. On the other hand, perceivers do not value structure. They enjoy the experience that comes with their chosen meditation practice. For them, mindfulness meditation works wonders.
If you don’t know which of the 16 Myers-Briggs personalities you have, taking a quick assessment can give you the answer — and it might help you pick the mindfulness practice that will work best for you.
How Does Meditation Help?
Knowing your personality type and preferred style of meditation is not enough to make the practice work. Another crucial ingredient needs to be present: consistency (which can also be dependent upon your personality traits).
For the process to be effective, regular, consistent meditation is crucial.
According to a study conducted by Harvard, scientific evidence suggests that repetitive exposure to mindful meditation practices aids in a reduced stress response.
Such a repetition allows the brain to adapt to the changes in how cortisol (the stress hormone) is released and detected by the nervous system. Through mindfulness practice, brain regions such as the amygdala tend to show lower activation towards similar stressful stimuli over time.
Such a finding suggests that mindfulness-based stress reduction is possible. However, it requires regular meditation intervention over some time to be effective.
Other mindfulness studies suggest that meditation enthusiasts show visible structural changes in their prefrontal cortex. The cortex deals with high-order cognitive functions such as attention, focus, and problem-solving. And while meditation can't increase your IQ, it can definitely make you smarter.
Medical imaging shows thicker prefrontal cortexes in individuals who practice meditation regularly. Such a finding also supports the idea that meditation as an intervention for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a good fit as it strengthens the needed cognitive skills.
Related: How Meditation Affects the Brain and When You Will See the Difference?
Benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness Training
The benefits of meditation are not limited to any single domain. The strategy helps improve an individual's physical and mental health, cognitive functioning, and emotional well-being.
Following are some of the many health benefits of meditation:
- Manages symptoms of various psychological disturbances such as chronic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and ADHD;
- It helps with regulating blood pressure and enhancing sleep quality;
- Aids in reducing chronic pain, including the depression symptoms associated with it;
- Mindfulness meditation can help decrease negative thought patterns, especially if coupled with mindfulness training practices such as positive affirmations;
- Improves cognitive processes such as decision-making, problem-solving, and focus (exercising your brain helps with these, too);
- It helps in managing eating behaviors and supporting a healthy lifestyle;
- Strengthens self-control and resilience; and
- Works with other psychological, physical, and behavioral interventions to improve overall health and well-being.
As you can see, the benefits of meditation are numerous.
From improving cognitive functioning to better physical health and a positive mood, mindfulness meditation practices play a role in benefiting individuals across the globe. That too in a world where stress levels keep on rising exponentially.
How Can You Start Mindful Meditation?
You can start mindful meditation by seeing what technique suits you best.
The general recommendation is to take your time with it. The first step is to work on being in the present moment, even if it's making it a habit for just a few minutes at a time to start.
From there, meditation requires constant practice and determination. It is a lifestyle that aims to provide long-term coping towards the body's stress response. Hence, it is crucial to like what you practice.
And while meditation might work for many, other grounding techniques prove more beneficial for others.
Our free Introductory Guide to Grounding Techniques provides the information needed to start. All that's required is your email address to access a growing database of personal development articles, tools, and assessments to help you on your journey of self-discovery!
