The two basic types of meditation> are surrender for those who only desire to move toward the Divine, and willful meditations for those who want to enjoy life. Enjoying life is one of the fundamental principles of yoga. That is, having a good life with family and friends, being successful, contributing to society. The right type of willful meditation for you will help you attain your goals in life.
There are three types of people who seek truth. This is not dependent on which of these two paths are taken. One is the devotional type, another is knowledge oriented and the third is oriented toward action. Everyone has all three, but one is primary with the other two supporting.
As has been noted in other articles in this series, the use of different names for the Divine are just words. The main thing is to use the words that are best suited for you. Thinking in terms of whatever you consider to be perfect is what is important.
The devotional type of person is full of love. They have a deep love of others and the Divine. Their thoughts and actions come from devotion. Their favorite types of meditation are singing devotional songs, prayer and repeating the names of what they consider to be perfect. Other meditation practices they might enjoy would be healing meditation, guided meditation, positive energy, and chakra healing.
Of course they might also like other types of meditation since all meditation practices have a combination of the three orientations, the same way that everyone has a combination of the three. But, this person has a primary focus of devotion.
The knowledge oriented person loves to study Truth in the form of scriptures and lectures. They also like to find the Truth through experimentation. Meditation for them is an experience of learning about the Truth, be that the truth of themselves like in an enlightenment experience, the truth of the divine nature of the universe or wherever they find Truth.
This person would like mindfulness meditation, scripture study, chakra meditation, contemplative meditations, self improvement and more. Being devoted to study they can spend hours in study of self and scripture.
The action oriented person is the most common. They love to take action and function best when busy. They like meditation practices that involve doing something. It can be hard for an action oriented person to sit and meditate for very long, although some would consider this action and be perfectly content sitting quietly while their mind is actively seeking. Walking meditation is a great practice for them, especially if it is in nature.
Guided meditations can also be good because they are given something to do throughout the practice. They can also benefit from a meditation for sleep, something to help them relax and let go of their active day. Combining the two into a guided meditation for sleep could work well for them.
Even though some meditation practices are more oriented toward a specific type, almost any meditation can appeal to anyone. For example, mindfulness meditation can appeal to the action oriented because there is something to do; constantly bringing your attention back to yourself and what you are doing. The knowledge oriented seeker will enjoy learning about themselves while the devotee will love observing how they are constantly increasing their ability to be good to others. Self improvement will appeal to any serious aspirant.
Likewise with a chakra healing meditation that involves the action of attention, gaining knowledge of the energy centers, and filling your energy with loving devotion. When the energy centers are aligned and whole one’s actions become smooth, knowledge flows and the heart opens.
All meditations involve the focusing of attention which is action. Focusing on the heart like in heart chakra meditation will obviously appeal to the devotee, while the knowledge oriented will love developing a greater ability to focus on their studies, and the action oriented person will be drawn to the action of training their attention.
There are many more examples, but you probably get the idea from these examples. But, feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions. Or, you can send me a message via this link.
These three different types of mediation are very connected, and they support each other. One will be your primary while the other two offer support. One type of mediation will not fulfill the serious aspirant without the other two being included.
The areas where you need improvement will be strengthened by practicing meditation in the way that works best for you. The process is rather simple; find a meditation technique that best suits you, practice regularly and you will grow in a way that supports you getting what you want in life.
There are many specific meditation methods that will be presented in this series. Search through them and find something that fits your personality, something you can stick with, and get started! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or in a private message to me you may have, I am happy to help where I can.
