There are many forms of meditation, from simply observing your breath to staring at a non-moving item
without blinking, to using touch to observe something.
Below are some of the most popular meditation categorizations.
1. Mindfulness: being fully present with your thoughts. Observe your thoughts and emotions letting them pass without judgement. Imagine your thoughts are a passing cloud.
2. Movement: running, walking, swimming, knitting, puzzling etc.
3. Focused Meditation: Focus on the specific activity that you are engaged with – no multi-tasking. For example, eating a strawberry, playing chess, drinking a cup of tea, etc.
4. Guided Imagery and Visualization: Typically led by a teacher. YouTube/Google to find many guided meditations. Invoke all of your senses to form a mental picture or situation of something relaxing.
Example: imagine something that creates a particular feeling or quality. For example, imagine a beautiful mountain lake, an open sky, etc.
5. Chanting/Mantra: Repeat a word or phrase with a focus on sounds of the word/phrase. Start with OM.
6. Spiritual: prayer
7. Simply Breathing: Repeating a mantra, such as a word, sound, or small phrase while focusing on your breath. It removes the need for deep concentration or effort. For example:
Breath in: So
I am you
Breath out: Hum
You are me
8. Yogic Meditations. Examples include:
1. Third-Eye Meditation: focus on the point between the eyebrows. Notice what comes up. Color? Thoughts?
2. Loving-Kindness Meditation: Start by directing loving kindness to yourself and then eventually sending it out to the universe. Send it out:
1. yourself
2. people close to you
3. a neutral person (i.e. a neighbor you don’t know)
4. a difficult person
5. all four of the above equally
6. the entire universe
Repeat a mantra such as “May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease. May ** be happy…”
The Prayer of Light is popular.
3. Chakra Meditation: There are 7 chakras (centers of energy) throughout the body. A chakra meditation brings them all into balance through a relaxation practice. Can involve visualization and chanting for a specific chakra (lam, vam, ram, yam, ham, om).

4. Gazing Meditation: fix your gaze on an external object, typically a candle, image or a symbol. Start with your eyes open and then close them. With eyes closed, keep the image of the object in your mind’s eye.
5. Kundalini: There are many Kundalini meditation practices; one type is breathing. Block your left nostril and inhale long and deep. On your next inhalation, block your right nostril. Repeat and let your mind clear as you concentrate on breathing.
6. Kriya: Movement and breath so rapid that your mind becomes confused. This is an advanced practice. From personal experience, I can tell you it is transformative.
7. Nada (Sound) Yoga
1. Assume a comfortable seat.
2. Close your eyes and concentrate on an external sound. For example, ambient alpha wave music, the sound of a rushing brook, your neighbors, the lawn mower, your children in the next room, traffic outside, the garbage collectors, etc.
3. After you’ve mastered listening to the external sound, start to focus on listening to your body and mind.
4. Eventually, you’ll hear the sound that has no vibration: the sound of the universe — the OM.
8. Tantra is often misunderstood and is usually associated with sexual, intimate, weird, etc. but it is an ancient practice with a powerful combination of asana, mantra, mudra, bandha (energy lock) and chakra (energy center) work that can be used to build strength, clarity, and happiness in everyday life.
9. Pranayama (Breathing): There are a number of breathing exercises to help ease the mind. For example:
1. Repeating a mantra, such as a word, sound, or small phrase while focusing on your breath. It helps remove the need for deep concentration or effort.
Breath in: So
Breath out: Hum
2. 4-Part or Square Breathing. Breathe in counting up to 5, hold your breath for 5 seconds, breathe out for 7 seconds, and hold your breath empty for 5 seconds.
Breathe through your nose into your abdomen.
3. Alternate nostril breathing. Gently close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale through your left nostril, then close it with your ring and pinky fingers. Open and exhale slowly through the right nostril. Inhale through your right nostril. Continue.
4. Lion's Breath. Inhale deeply through the nose. Open your mouth wide and stretch your tongue out, curling its tip down toward the chin, open your eyes wide, contract the muscles on the front of your throat, and exhale the breath slowly out through your mouth with a roar.