In our busy lives, it’s important to find even just a few moments of calm.

Meditation is a great way to full practice self-care and you can do it anywhere!

First, let’s start with guided meditation, which has gained popularity due to its positive effects on mind and body.

Guided meditation is an organized practice that features a meditation leader either in person or online.

If you want to go the online route, you can do a search for different guided meditation sites, including YouTube.

Another popular tool is the “Daily Calm” app, which provides a variety of guided meditation sessions with beautiful background music.

These websites and app are helpful for those looking to incorporate meditation into a daily routine.

Guided meditation is welcoming for beginners because with guidance, we can prevent wandering thoughts.

It fosters a state of awareness, and has numerous benefits for overall health.

Guided Meditation Fosters Self-Awareness!

Guided meditation doesn’t necessarily require sitting on the floor with your legs crossed, humming, or burning incense.

Just sit in a comfortable position using a chair, the floor or a mediation cushion, and wear comfortable clothing.

Being comfortable and relaxed helps us stay engaged throughout the meditation session.

Some find that morning meditating sets a positive tone for the day, others prefer to unwind by meditating in the evening.

Both times are beneficial; it’s whatever works best for you.

Guided meditation fosters self-awareness, promotes longevity and reduces negative effects in the body.

By becoming more in tune with our thoughts and emotions, we can develop a greater understanding for ourselves and others.

Meditation has been known to help lower blood pressure, improve heart health, and boost the immune system. Thereby, encouraging mindfulness and cultivating self-awareness.

Meditation encourages the body to enter a state of rest and repair and benefits the brain enhancing cognitive function, memory, and focus.

The science behind guided meditation’s benefits involves various fields of neuroscience, and quantum physics.

Dr. Joe Dispenza, a well-known author and researcher in the field of neuroscience, has contributed to the understanding of meditation’s impact on health and leads week long guided meditation retreats throughout the world.

His research emphasizes the power of meditation by rewiring the brain, promoting positive mental and physical changes.

Laughter Meditation!

Another type of guided meditation is Laughter Meditation.

Chopra.com describes laughter meditation as an “effective and easy way to create balance” and says there are “Five Healing benefits which include presence, lightness, connection, stress reduction, and emotional release”. 

In fact, laughter meditation includes intentional laughing without relying on jokes.

It taps into the power of laughter, releasing endorphins that can elevate mood and lower stress.

Through in-person or online group exercises, practitioners engage in spontaneous laughter, transitioning from intentional to genuine.

Similarly, there’s “Laughter Yoga,” which includes laughter exercises, deep breathing, and movement, much like Laughter Meditation.

Both types of approaches foster a sense of connection, and promote wellness.

Unguided Meditation!

Unguided meditation encourages self-awareness, which allows us to explore thoughts and emotions from a different perspective.

You can participate in Unguided meditation through calming music, listening to sounds in nature, or using an online meditation app.

Enhance the experience by writing thoughts in a journal first and then meditate on those same thoughts afterwards.

In addition, many people hold a healing crystal to focus on during meditation. “Crystals are wonderful tool for enhancing your meditation practice and raising your consciousness. They can bring a deeper awareness of the current moment, while helping you to achieve specific goals or intentions” according to BeMyTravelMuse.com.

Choosing between guided and unguided meditation depends on your preferences.

Guided provides direction, and unguided promotes self-discovery.

Moving Meditation!

Surprisingly, unlike typical meditation, moving meditation involves practicing mindfulness while engaging in physical activities.

Mindful activities like yoga, gardening, folding laundry, or washing dishes, are forms of moving meditation.

This practice can help us tune into our bodies, creating a sense of flow between mind and body.

Here are few more examples of moving meditation:

🪷 Walking meditation involves walking slowly and intentionally, and being aware of each step and breath.
🔮 Tai Chi involves slow, flowing movements that promote relaxation, balance, and mindfulness.
🪷 Writing, coloring, crafting, and painting offer calm ways to creatively focus.
🔮 Immersing yourself in calming music and paying attention to the rhythms can be meditative.
🪷 Water can enhance your connection with nature, by sitting near a river, or listening to ocean waves.
🔮 Cooking or baking mindfully, can be calming and keep us present in the moment.
🪷 Hiking in nature and taking in the beauty of the surroundings, tree hugging, and listening to sounds of nature, connects you with the serenity of the outdoors.
🔮 Cycling through scenic routes offers mindfulness in motion and can be a form of moving meditation.

These types of activities encourage you to be fully present and lose track of time.

As you navigate different types of meditation, remember that each type is a unique journey of self-discovery.

As the Dalai Lama says “The mind is definitely something that can be transformed, and meditation is a means to transform it“.

**NOTE: Meditation isn’t a substitute for medical care. If you’re experiencing discomfort, contact your health-care provider for assistance.

TOPIC: Meditation: Guided vs Unguided!