Meditation

I've lost count of how often I've suggested meditation to my patients for managing stress. It wasn't until I went through the life-changing experience of divorce that I realized how challenging meditation can be.

The method I used to practice or suggest—concentrating on breathing and releasing thoughts with each exhale—fails when the stressors are so overwhelming that they continue to disrupt my breathing.

Here are the types of meditation, presented without extensive detail.

1. **Mindfulness Meditation**: Focuses on being present in the moment, observing thoughts and feelings without judgment.

2. **Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta)**: Involves generating feelings of compassion and love towards oneself and others.

3. **Transcendental Meditation**: A form of mantra meditation where practitioners silently repeat a specific mantra to settle the mind.

4. **Zen Meditation (Zazen)**: A seated meditation practice emphasizing posture, breathing, and observing thoughts, often associated with Zen Buddhism.

5. **Vipassana Meditation**: An ancient practice focusing on insight and awareness of the body and mind through observation of breath and sensations.

6. **Guided Meditation**: Involves following a narrator or guide through a meditation session, often incorporating visualizations.

7. **Chakra Meditation**: Focuses on the energy centers (chakras) in the body, often involving visualization and affirmation.

8. **Body Scan Meditation**: Involves paying attention to different parts of the body, helping to release tension and promote relaxation.

9. **Movement Meditation**: Incorporates physical movement, such as yoga or tai chi, as a form of meditative practice.

10. **Sound Meditation**: Uses sound, such as singing bowls or chanting, to facilitate a meditative state.

These types can be adapted and combined, allowing practitioners to find a method that resonates with them.

The latest insight gained from Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary's book, Sound Medicine, is Sound Meditation. This involves using mantras like Om to refocus, exhale negative thoughts, and address brain patterns linked to physical responses like numbness and palpitations.