Known since ancient times, meditation promotes overall well-being. It can be done in silence or with the help of chanting. It is also done for a variety of reasons. Although it is old, many people are finding solace in it. We will be looking at some of these ancient meditation techniques that work.
Ancient Meditation and Its Timeless Power
Across various cultures, meditation is being practiced with the aim of unlocking hidden powers that is otherwise inaccessible. Thus, connecting people to a state of pure consciousness. Even in this modern world, studies have proven the benefits of the practice to include stress and anxiety relief, pain and depression relief as well as improving one’s wellbeing.
This ancient practice was used to achieve a state of enlightenment, balance and divine connection in Buddhism and beyond. By incorporating this into our lives, we can make a good use of this tool to our advantage.
What Makes Ancient Techniques Unique?
One reason is that they give massive benefits to those who practice them. They can help sharpen the minds of practitioners, making them develop a sense of awareness. They can even help people gain insight into negative self-talk and emotions.
In addition, they can be suited to different personality types. This is an accurate reflection of the diverse cultures and backgrounds we have in the world. Some of them let a practitioner have free flow of thoughts and observations, others are more concerned with bringing focus to one’s thoughts.
Brief History: From East to West
Early copies of ancient meditation techniques can be traced to the ancient India Vedas. However, it is believed that there were people who transmitted the teachings orally for many years before putting it in writing. The Vedic hymns were sung to bring the universe into being and during meditation, the sounds were recreated.
This spiritual practice took place in the West when spiritual searchers returned from their soul-searching journeys and invited some experts to instruct them. However, the precise origin of meditation and its ancient techniques cannot be determined because the oral transmission cannot be dated with accuracy.
Get to Know the Top 7 Ancient Meditation Techniques
Learn the 7 different types of meditation techniques that will help you in a long way. You can also read 12 Types of Meditation Techniques.
1. Vipassana (A.K.A. Insight) Meditation
This Buddhist meditation allow practitioners to observe sensations and thoughts without judgment. This meditation helps them develop a deep connection with themselves.
To practice this, it is usually advised to find a quiet and comfortable place. The next thing is to close your eyes to keep distractions away. After that, focus on the breath and bodily sensations. When your mind wanders, do not worry. Simply refocus your attention and mind to your breath.
Practicing in this way helps you get rid of negative thoughts and achieve mental clarity.
2. Zen Meditation: Putting Mindfulness into Action
In this kind of meditation, you focus the mind on the present. Try this: get yourself seated on a chair or on a cushion. Straighten your back and place your hands (facing upward) on your lap. Next, you face downward softly and slowly, keeping your eyes slightly open. The pace of your breath should be slow. Count your breath as you inhale and exhale.
You can try various postures for this kind of practice. There are Burmese posture, kneeling posture, half lotus posture and others.
3. Qigong: Moving Meditation
This is an ancient Chinese practice that involves a series of movements for overall health. Controlled breathing, gentle movement and meditation are employed to achieve a good state of mind. It is very similar to tai chi and is used to cultivate one’s energy and strength. It is popular for exercise, relaxation, recreation and spiritual health.
To practice this, you could simply sit in a comfortable upright position with your eyes closed. Then, you breathe in and out (belly breathing). While you do so, you focus on your breath. Another way to practice this is to employ the use of visualization (or using your third eye to form a mental image of something).
A third way is to move your body through various movement sequences to keep it in the flow.
4. Transcendental (A.K.A. Mantra-based) Meditation
According to history, the creation of transcendental meditation is attributed to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The purpose of this is just to avoid distracting thoughts. To perform this, you should sit in a comfortable position and keep your eyes shut for about 20 minutes. Next, you take in few deep breaths. Then, you can start repeating your mantra (sacred words which are often kept private and given by a certified instructor) and letting it flow through your mind and body. You can also focus on a particular object.
This technique aims to sharpen and strengthen your mind. As a result, you can be calm even when everywhere around you is chaotic.
5. Loving-Kindness Meditation
This meditation involves expressing love for yourself and others. This kind of meditation is often called the affirmation meditation. This is because you get to repeat specific words or phrases that make you feel warm and loved.
To get started, you need to find a comfortable position to sit. You can repeat certain phrases that makes you loved. Direct those words to yourself first, afterwards you can direct them to someone else. You may picture yourself saying it to a family member or a friend. Doing so helps you abandon anger, resentment or any negative feeling.
6. Yoga Nidra (A.K.A. Yogic Sleep)
This is popularly recognized in ancient Indian texts. It is a powerful tool to help you get into a fully relaxed state. However, you are neither awake nor asleep (just in between). This process of meditation puts you in a state of deep relaxation.
Wearing something comfortable is the first thing you should do. It is also imperative to find a quiet place without distractions. When that is settled, you can close your eyes and focus on your breath. Perform a body scan for sensations. Next, you should visualize something that makes you feel happy and peaceful. Try to maintain awareness and repeat the sankalpa (words of affirmation). At this point, you should return to the present moment if your mind wanders back and forth.
7. Chakra Meditation: (Aligning your Energy)
This kind helps to align the chakras in the human body. The chakras are specific energy centers found in the human body. You can also read a How to Activate Chakras in Human Body
This specific tool includes imagining each of the chakras and its corresponding color. Some use light incense, stones or crystals to help them concentrate during the practice. Whichever method you use, the goal is to let these centers unlock to help you reach your full potential.
Benefits of Ancient Meditation Techniques
According to research, the following are the mental and physical health benefits associated with meditation that should prompt you to give them a try.
Physical Health Improvements
They can reduce their stress and anxiety levels. It even goes on to promote brain elasticity, that is, the ability of the brain to restructure itself when necessary. Furthermore, they are helpful in the treatment of addiction in the cases of those suffering from substance abuse. As a result, the medical field is turning to this as an alternative treatment.
In addition, they help in the regulation of blood sugar and blood pressure. They are good for immunity and heart health. They are also used to improve one’s quality of sleep. Besides these, they help to reduce inflammation and drastically reduce the risk of diseases.
Emotional and Mental Health
Regular practice can also improve focus and mental clarity. Meditation practitioners can maintain sustained attention and avoid distractions as time goes on. This is also needed in daily life and activities.
Studies have also shown that they can help in the reduction of mental health issues like anxiety, emotional distress and mood disorders.
With them, people also learn to understand and regulate their emotions better. Practitioners are able to develop a healthy relationship with their thoughts and feelings. They are able to cultivate resilience and emotional stability.
Self-Discovery and Spiritual Enhancement
Studies show that those who meditate find inner peace and fulfilment. They are also helped to connect to a divine and higher power. Thus, they are able to gain higher concentration and interconnectedness with the nature of reality. This sense of connection can lead to spiritual growth.
Additionally, these techniques of meditation also help increase self-awareness in people. As a result, people are able to recognize their true nature.
How to Incorporate Ancient Techniques into Modern Life
Here’s how you can safely and effectively do so:
Creating a Daily Practice
Even if it’s just for a few minutes, commit to the practice daily. Find a time of the day that is suitable for you and find a place that is conducive enough for such practice. You can start with short sessions and then increase the time gradually as you wish. For instance, just 1020 minutes of practice every day can be beneficial. Such consistency will help you develop and maintain a routine.
Combining Different Techniques
Explore different kinds if you think the one you are currently doing is tiring, boring or doesn’t just work for you. In addition to the above-mentioned techniques, there are other ones like tantric meditation (for body cleansing and mental power), body scan meditation and sound meditation.
You can try different ones at different times and when you’ve seen the right one, you can stick to it.
Using Technology to Support Your Practice
We are in a digital world and things have been made easy. There are meditation apps and online resources available to those who wants to practice. We have top recommended apps like Headspace, Calm and Insight Timer for added support and motivation. These apps can provide guided meditation tips and reminders to help you continue practicing. They also contain different meditation techniques for different purposes.
You can explore them online and find the one that resonates with you. Then, you can incorporate them into your daily activities to help you be in a meditative state.
The Science Behind Ancient Meditation
Research has been shedding light on how ancient meditation works. It turned out that this age-old practice can transform the brain in a number of profound ways.
Neuroplasticity and Meditation
The brain responds to certain experiences and changes itself structurally. Scientists have rightly called this Neuroplasticity.
Various research and approved studies have noted that regular practice of meditation has positive effect on the prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, the gray matter density in the brain is increased. These areas govern cardiorespiratory control.
Additionally, prolong meditation practice have resulted in an increment in the size of the hippocampus and the frontal volumes of gray matter. These areas govern response control and emotional regulation.
Studies on Long-Term Practitioners
A certain research was recently conducted on long-term practitioners. The MRI results showed that due to the repeated practice, the brain’s neural network is strengthened and alleviated. Further observations show that focused attention meditation can intensify neuroplasticity by releasing certain chemicals. When these chemicals are released, there is a boost in the structural growth of networks in the brain.
Recent studies have observed that those who meditate for long time have a thicker cortex than non-meditators. Having a thicker cortex is closely linked with attention and sensory processing.
A mindfulness meditation program was conducted for 8 weeks. At the end of it, it was discovered that long-term meditators possess increase grey matter in the left hippocampus. Those who do not meditate or who just started the practice do not have this.
How to Overcome Common Challenges in Meditation
Meditation has no right or wrong way of practice. So, there is nothing like failing at meditation. Whatever challenge you face has been encountered and overcome by many. If you too learn how to deal with them, you can excel in the practice. What are these challenges?
Dealing with a Wandering Mind
It is very easy for your mind to wander into thoughts. Turning off the noise in your head can be difficult even for long-term or seasoned meditators.
The next time it happens, just acknowledge and let go. Don’t hold on to it, try to fight it or judge yourself for having the thought. Try to return focus to your breath with simple breathing techniques.
Begin by inhaling and exhaling. As you exhale, you can mentally say “one”. Then you inhale again and repeat the counting process. You can keep counting for as long as you like. If your mind wanders again, just start counting over at one.
Making Time for Practice
If you are a busy person, this may be one of your excuses to give up. But follow through the following suggestions and you’ll be at it in no time.
First, don’t think of spending a lot of time meditating (5 minutes is enough). The idea is to be consistent. When you are consistent even in short periods, you build up the practice over time and you can gradually increase the practice.
Second, you should incorporate the routine into an already existing one. This will help you establish it quickly. For instance, why not try breathing exercises, mindful eating or mindful walking?
Third, simply meditate before you engage in your busy activities. This will help you not to leave the practice to chance.
Choosing the Right Technique for You
Please note that there is no best meditation technique, just the right one for you. You can choose whatever form of meditation rendered by apps and other online resources. A guide, coach, expert or guru can also take you through this journey, so you can find the one that fits.
Ancient Wisdom for the Digital Age: Final Thoughts
Ancient meditation techniques have been used for centuries to benefit mankind. Today, it is still widely practiced and has been adopted to help us in our lives. Scientific findings have revealed that this timeless practice is still powerful and much more needed in this stressful world.
The Future of Meditation: Blending Old and New
Technology has been integrated into meditation practices. The use of digital tools, virtual reality experiences and AI-powered meditation coaches will help enhance the ability to stay present and focused.
If you want to learn more about ancient meditation techniques, you can look them up online and get your hands of helpful apps.
As the editor of the blog, She curate insightful content that sparks curiosity and fosters learning. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, she strive to bring diverse perspectives and engaging narratives to readers, ensuring every piece informs, inspires, and enriches.
