Glossary: Types of Meditation
- Meditation
- is a sacred process in which
the body is relaxed, the breathing becomes slow and deep, and a person goes deep within, becoming aware
of the presence of God or of the awesomeness of creation. The mind is focused.
Meditation is non-judgmental. Whether or not it is "boring" or "interesting" is inconsequential.
It is a regular practice of inviting the divine or the
awesomeness of creation. The meditator should not strive for a particular effect.
This glossary defines different kinds of focus that are commonly used in meditation. BACK
- Music meditation
- uses music as the focus. Classical
music, sacred music or new age music may be used. The meditator uses each note as
a separate stimulus, drawing awareness into the moment. The music is not perceived as a pattern,
but as separate notes. Sometimes the music is loud, causing vibration in the chest and body. Sometimes the music is chanted or the sacred syllable "Om" is used to establish the vibrations that helps to induce a meditative response. The music
may be used as a way of becoming aware of the sacred and of God. BACK
- Guided meditation
- uses the voice and speech of a "leader" or facilitator as the focus.
The voice may invite the meditator to imagine scenes in nature or experiences of color or sound. The leader's voice may be
used just to induce relaxation. Or, it may be used to describe a series of experiences
that invite reflection on a person's life and on spiritual issues such as the relationship to God
or to Christ. Since guided meditation is non-judgmental, the meditation always is "perfect" whether or not
a meditator's experience matches the images or experiences suggested. Whatever the reaction,
the meditation is perfect. BACK
- Unstructured meditation
- is any meditation that uses a
focus that does not suggest the type of experience a person is to have. Every meditation technique
other than guided meditation is unstructured. BACK
- Prayer or mantra.
- Any phrase with a sacred meaning
and a variety of tones, including deep tones, may make an effective focus for meditation. The
focus can be: Yahweh, Yeshua, Lord Jesus have mercy on me, Thy will be done, Om Namah Shiviah,
Ham Sah, Ma Om, or Om. BACK
- Christian or Jewish meditation.
- Meditation is a revered
tradition. See
Ecumenical Christian|
Christian 1 ,
~3|
Christian retreats 1,
~2,
~3|
Quaker|
Jewish 1,
~2
,
~3|
Jewish Mindful|
BACK
- Moving meditation
- focuses on "open awareness" of the body's natural inclination to move, generally while music is played. The method used by The Foundation was developed as " Continuum" by
Emily Conrad Daoud and Susan Harper. "Open awareness" is a process of paying very close
attention to somatic experience and how the body wants to move, including gross motor movements,
micro-movements of muscles, and changes in breathing. This meditation is non-judgmental and is
always perfect. It invites a sense of the sacred. BACK
- Meditation on the breath.
- is awareness of the source of life, including the movement of air and the sensation of the movement of air.
Intense awareness of the breath, in which oxygen is drawn into the body and waste gasses are
expelled, is an ancient focus for meditation. BACK
BACK