Which meditation style would benefit you the most? Do you struggle with anxiety, depression, focus, or addiction? Four different styles can help you optimize your performance.
What is NeuroMeditation?
NeuroMeditation is the process of changing the brain through meditation for improved mental health and well-being. NeuroMeditation provides individuals the means and understanding of who they are, who they have the potential of becoming, and how to reach that ideal person they wish to be. Our co-founder, Dr. Jeff Tarrant, explains it best, “NeuroMeditation is the application of brain-based principles to meditation practices.”
Many don’t realize meditation’s wide scope. There are hundreds of meditation styles that use different methods and specific purposes. Therefore, it can easily become overwhelming for someone new to meditation to know where to begin. To simplify the hundreds of meditation styles available, NeuroMeditation is broken down into four categories that are categorized by the way in which attention is directed, what the intention is, and the way in which the practice directly impacts the brain. These four meditation categories include Focus, Mindfulness, Quiet Mind, and Open Heart – which we will further detail below.
How can a meditation style help me improve human performance?
Regular meditation can drastically improve your mental and physical health. Some of these improvements might include increased memory and self-esteem, reduction of symptoms attached to anxiety and depression, and improvement in concentration and working memory. Choosing the right meditation style for you has proven to decrease stress and lower blood pressure. While there are many different types of meditation, they all prove to provide a similar set of mental and physical health benefits.
Better focus and concentration
Improved self-esteem and self-awareness
Reduce stress
Self-manage anxiety or depression
Fight addictions
Control pain
Enhance love and peace
The value in choosing a style that’s right for you is finding one that resonates with your current struggles and aspirations. You’re more likely to stay engaged in the practice if you are finding the results are working for you.
When meditation is combined with brainwave neurofeedback, you quickly learn how to shift into the desired meditative state. You can practice the Healium meditations while wearing a BrainLink Lite EEG headband. This allows you to see your brain working in real-time, giving you immediate feedback, and allowing you to adjust your training level as your meditation skills get better.
The four types of meditation styles explained:
Focus
Focus meditation practices concentration on a single thing like breathing, sounds, or a visual. It trains your brain to catch when it begins to wander and shift it back to the object of focus. This practice helps you learn to live in the present moment and slow your inner dialogue.
Focus meditation might be best for you if you struggle with concentration and focus, ADHD, and an aging mind. This style will aid in the improvement of focus, memory, and decrease in mind wandering.
If you struggle with:
ADHD
Memory problems
Depression
What Focus meditations can help you self-manage:
Concentration and focus
Mental stability
Memory
Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditations bring clear awareness to the present moment while taking notice of one’s own feelings, thoughts, and sensations without giving any emotional attachment. With this meditation practice, you shift into an observer role and learn to accept things as they are without attaching emotions, whether good or bad. The brain begins to learn to shift attention back to the present moment when wandering begins. This style of meditation calms the part of the brain involved in stress and begins to encourage it to let things go instead of fixating on them.
If you struggle with anxiety, chronic stress, or depression, mindfulness meditation is a great fit for you. It will enhance your ability to let go, take control of your feelings, and focus more on the present.
If you struggle with:
Anxiety
Depression
Chronic stress
Mindfulness meditation will help you obtain:
Letting go
Taking control of feelings
Focusing on the present
Quiet Mind
Quiet Mind meditation enhances one’s awareness of self. It allows the overly active mind to empty and rest in the most silent and peaceful state of pure consciousness. Quieting your mind is a great practice to alter the ways in which you negatively think of yourself. It allows room for the regeneration of thoughts towards yourself. Quiet your mind and still the constant chatter and worry with the help of this meditation practice.
Quiet Mind meditation is a good fit for you if you struggle with chronic pain, obsessive thoughts, addiction, or eating and body image disorders. This method will quiet obsessive thoughts, minimize internal self-talk, create alertness, and help gain an appreciation for life.
If you struggle with:
- Chronic pain
- Eating and Body image disorders
- Obsessive thoughts
- Continual internal chatter and worry
- Addiction
Quiet Mind meditation will help you obtain:
Minimization of internal self-talk
Finding rest
Self-management of anxiety
Appreciation for life
Open Heart
Open Heart meditation activates positive emotional states, leaving lasting peace and joy within the body that then overflows into others. This meditation method leaves a person with increased amounts of energy and urgency to show love, compassion, and joy to others in order to help them live to their full potential. You will begin to find yourself taking more opportunities to approach problems head-on instead of shying away.
If you lack empathy and generosity and struggle with depression, grief, or anger, Open Heart Meditation is an ideal fit for you. This style aids in the overflow of love and peace, the desire to stay mentally healthy, and the commitment to fight for good communication and empathy within the relationships in our lives.
If you struggle with:
A lack of empathy
Low generosity
Depression
Dealing with grief
Anger
Open Heart meditation will help you obtain:
Love
Compassion
Peace
Joy
Empathy
Expansion of your mind
Understanding the four different styles of NeuroMeditation can drastically change the beginning of your mental health and well-being journey. Acknowledging where you struggle most and determining what you desire to improve makes the process less overwhelming and more motivating. Choosing the right meditation style for you will help you become the person you desire to be. To discover your meditation style, take our quiz.
