The summer season is a good time to start learning about and exploring some meditative techniques . Various intensive seminars, retreats or online courses are organized that allow you to approach meditation. But which meditative path to choose? There are paths that have a more spiritual orientation, while others are structured to bring benefits in daily life . Let’s see below some of the main and best known ways of meditation.
Vipassana Meditation
It is a millennial meditative journey, dating back to the Buddhist tradition. The term Vipassana is in the Pali language and means ” to see deeply “. This insight is produced thanks to an intense work of self-observation through the medium of conscious attention. The focus is mainly on the flow of breath to refine calm and attention . Mindfulness of the breath helps to clear the mind of disturbing thoughts. In a second phase, attention is drawn to the sensations of the body, in order to learn non-judgment. The mind is focused on the present momentand when it gets lost in the comings and goings of thoughts or emotions it returns to the here and now thanks to the focus on the breath. Although it originated in a Buddhist context, Vipassana is a meditation that has spread all over the world, even in secular circles.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness rests its foundations precisely on the Vipassana tradition. It was disseminated to the West by Jon Kabat-Zinn , biologist, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Thanks to an approach based on medicine and science , this form of meditation has a wide following. It is in fact suitable for everyone, regardless of faith and culture to which they belong. Mindfulness means “mindfulness” and the various practices lead the practitioner to focus attention on the present moment. One focuses on the breath, or the sensations of the body, or the emotions or thoughts without judgment. They simply observe each other. Thanks to practice develops agreater awareness of oneself and of reality , without being subjected to disturbing thoughts or emotions.
Zen
It is a very ancient meditation practice that developed within Chinese Buddhism between the fifth and sixth centuries. Zen meditation then took on specific characteristics depending on the country in which it spread, from Japan to Korea. It is practiced following certain rules, starting with the seated posture. You can choose various sitting positions , such as: Vajrasana, the so-called position of the diamond or adamantine; Sukasana, the cross-legged one; Padmasana, the lotus position, or Ardha Padmasana, the semi-lotus position. Zen meditation leads the practitioner to focus on their breathing and to make the mental “blank”. When the mind tends to get distracted, attention is brought back to the flow of the inhale and exhale. Within the Zen current various schools have sprung up, including the one called Soto , following which the meditator familiarizes himself with the mind by placing himself in front of a wall, so as not to suffer any distraction and to listen only to his own breath.
Kundalini meditation
This meditative form, deriving from the Hindu tradition, is characterized by the use of chants and mantras . The intent is to achieve full spiritual realization through the awakening of the Kundalini energy. Often represented as a snake coiled on itself located at the base of the spine, the Kundalini is a very powerful form of energy , which if not channeled correctly can generate imbalances. Therefore this meditative form – which can be connected to Kundalini Yoga – it is good that it is initially practiced with a master, since an awakening of the inner energy is activated thanks to the sound vibrations of the mantras and the stimulation of the chakras.
