Which Type of Meditation Style Is Best for You?
Meditation encompasses a wide variety of practices aimed at quieting the mind and promoting awareness. While it may appear as simple as sitting silently, truly committing to a regular meditation routine can be challenging, especially when daily stressors, distractions, or discomfort arise. But it doesn’t have to feel intimidating.
The benefits of meditation are scientifically proven: it supports mental health by reducing stress and anxiety, helps lower blood pressure, improves overall well-being, and promotes a deep sense of inner peace. It’s even been shown to help manage chronic pain. At its core, meditation is a personal journey, and success comes from finding a meditation style that aligns with your individual needs and spirit.
There are many different styles of meditation—from mantra-based techniques to breathing exercises to movement-based practices. Each approach offers something unique, and exploring the various kinds of meditation can help you discover the one that best fits your life. The most important part? Show up. Be consistent. And allow yourself the space to grow through your meditation practice.
There’s no one-size-fits-all method. The best meditation style is the one that supports your goals and gives you a true sense of peace.
What Are the Three Major Types of Meditation?
Although there are many styles of meditation, most fall into three primary categories:
- Focused Attention Meditation – concentrates on a single object or sensation, such as breath or a mantra
- Open Monitoring Meditation – involves non-judgmental awareness of thoughts, sensations, or surroundings (e.g., mindfulness-based or body scan)
- Automatic Self-Transcending – allows the mind to settle inward effortlessly beyond thought, using techniques like transcendental meditation to access deeper levels of awareness without concentration or control
Understanding these broad categories can help you choose a meditation style that best supports your goals and preferences.
The 9 Most Popular Types of Meditation
These meditation styles are widely practiced for their accessibility, benefits, and variety:
- Focused Meditation
- Spiritual Meditation
- Mantra Meditation
- Transcendental Meditation (TM)
- Movement Meditation
- Mindfulness Meditation
- Progressive Relaxation
- Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta Meditation)
- Visualization Meditation
Each type of meditation offers unique wellness benefits—from stress reduction to improved mental clarity and emotional balance.
Types of Meditation: Find the One That Fits Your Soul
Before beginning your meditation journey, ask yourself a few helpful questions:
- Do I relax best in silence or with sound?
- Does movement help me focus?
- Do I want to clear my mind or reflect deeply?
- Am I looking for structure or flexibility?
These simple reflections can help you identify the meditation style that works best for your lifestyle and mindset. And if you’re unsure, try a few different types of meditation practices and see which one feels most natural.
Focused Meditation
Who Should Try It: Great for beginners and anyone whose mind wanders often.
Focused meditation involves directing attention to a single object, such as deep breathing, a flickering candle, or a mantra. This form of meditation helps bring your awareness back to the present moment and is one of the best meditation techniques for learning how to concentrate and center the mind.
Spiritual Meditation
Who Should Try It: Individuals on a spiritual path or seeking deeper connection.
Spiritual meditation allows for introspection, contemplation, and communion with a higher power. Whether practiced in a place of worship or a quiet room at home, this style helps foster inner peace and emotional clarity through stillness and openness.
Mantra Meditation
Who Should Try It: People who find peace in repetition or sound.
This technique uses a repeated phrase, sound, or word (like “Om”) to focus the mind and promote calm. Mantra meditation is commonly used in Buddhist and Hindu traditions, offering a rhythmic anchor that eases anxiety and boosts concentration.
Transcendental Meditation (TM)
Who Should Try It: People looking for a structured and time-tested meditation program.
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a highly structured practice where a certified teacher assigns you a personalized Sanskrit mantra. Practiced twice daily for 20 minutes, TM has been extensively studied for its health benefits and is one of the most popular meditation styles in the world.
Movement Meditation
Who Should Try It: Anyone who finds stillness uncomfortable or who seeks mindfulness through activity.
Whether it’s walking meditation, yoga, qigong, or mindful cleaning, this meditation style uses gentle, intentional movement to foster awareness and focus. It’s ideal for those who connect with their bodies through motion.
Mindfulness Meditation
Who Should Try It: Individuals looking to build an ongoing, self-guided meditation practice.
Rooted in Buddhist traditions, mindfulness meditation encourages non-judgmental observation of thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions. It supports stress reduction, mental clarity, and greater self-awareness through daily mindfulness practice.
Progressive Relaxation
Who Should Try It: People who carry physical tension or struggle with sleep.
Also known as body scan meditation, this technique involves tensing and relaxing muscle groups one by one. It’s a favorite for winding down before bed or easing into a meditation session after a busy day.
Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta Meditation)
Who Should Try It: Those seeking emotional healing, compassion, or stronger relationships.
This form of meditation invites you to send positive wishes first to yourself, then to loved ones, and eventually to all beings. It’s been shown to improve emotional well-being and reduce feelings of anger, anxiety, and depression.
Visualization Meditation
Who Should Try It: People with vivid imaginations or those motivated by goals and imagery.
Visualization meditation uses mental imagery, such as a peaceful landscape or personal success, to guide focus and emotion. It’s often used by athletes, performers, and anyone looking to tap into the power of the mind for growth and healing.
How to Choose the Best Meditation Style for You
With so many different types of meditation available, how do you choose? The answer lies in trying a few and seeing what resonates. Whether you’re drawn to the mental clarity of focused meditation, the structure of transcendental meditation, or the heart-opening energy of loving-kindness meditation, the right choice is the one that supports your personal goals and feels natural to practice.
Ready to Practice? Find Your Meditation Style and Get Started Today
Meditation isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being present. Each session is a step toward greater peace, awareness, and wellness. Explore the styles that call to you, find a meditation teacher or guided practice if needed, and allow yourself to grow with it.
Start with just a few minutes a day. Breathe deeply. And let your meditation work for you.
About the Author
The How's and Why's of Meditation
Silence befalls an ancient temple as rows of robed monks settle themselves, body, and mind. Eyes closed, legs pulled up into a lotus position, the eye of the mind turns inward. For hours they remain; their minds disciplined to ponder like this for long periods of time. This is not a feat for the average person.
Perhaps when people utter the word meditation, this image stirs in the imagination. Indeed, meditation has been a part of spiritual and religious practice for as long as mankind has been recording history. It does take years of steady practice to hold such a state of mind for hours at a time. However, meditation is something that is not only easily accessible to anyone, but you may already be doing it without realizing it.
Meditation simply means to think, contemplate or ponder. Throughout the world, it holds many different names, but the idea is the same: to enter a state of mind where it is easy to focus upon one thing. If you have ever found yourself daydreaming for any length of time, you are meditating. If you found yourself captivated by repetitive motion, the wheels and the sound of a passing train, for example, you were lulled into a meditative state. The same is true when you are reading a book and lose track of the time.
It is perfectly natural for your mind to slip into a trance and let the present moment go. When one intentionally practices meditation they engage in a discipline of training their mind and body. This practice can be applied to many different goals: relaxation, contacting spirits, building energy, enlightenment, self-contemplation, or empty mind, just to name a scant few.
