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
Begin Hacking Your Way to a Solid Daily Meditation Practice
One day a sage and his students were meditating together. At one point the student noticed the teacher floating in the air.
Frustrated, he said to his teacher, “Master, I don’t understand why I’m not floating too. What is the difference between you and me that you can do this and I cannot?”
From his position aloft, the master looked down at the student and said, “Practice.”
How many articles, blogs, or social media posts have you read lately that start like the next sentences?
“A 2014 Harvard research study determined that meditation builds the brain’s gray matter in eight weeks. Grey matter, composed of neurons, makes up about 40 percent of the brain. More is good.”
Then they continue by citing more research.
“Meditation reduces anxiety, according to another study. Meditation reduces age and race bias — meaning that meditation could be an antidote to racism and prejudice — says a 2015 Central Michigan University study. According to the American Psychological Association, “mindfulness-based cognitive therapy [meditation] may prevent and treat depression.”
More research: Vast swaths of first-world societies struggle with self-acceptance, experiencing “body dissatisfaction.” Results of a 2014 study report that meditation increases “self-compassion,” meaning reduced “body shame,” and increased sense of self-worth.
And one more: The Mayo Clinic reported that a growing body of research suggests meditation may help manage symptoms of asthma, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and irritable bowel syndrome, and offers methods such as guided, mantra, and mindfulness meditation as well as qigong and tai chi.
At this point, not making the effort to establish a meditation practice might be likened to not flossing your teeth. And the benefits, including emotional hygiene, addiction resistance, enhanced immune system function, etc., are so far-reaching, one might think humans require meditation for optimal function. Just the fact that meditation is proven to increase happiness should be enough to send us running, en masse, to our cushions. So why aren’t we all meditating like a nation of monks?
Good question. Consider this.
We like to imagine we’re “free” to do what we like.
Think again.
As adults, we’re free of parental regulation — yay — but if, when encountering friction, we give up on creating new habits, we’re slaves to our own resistance. This means we’re not free to easily embrace and integrate habits that dramatically increase our well-being and quality of life.
For many, failing to meet goals on the first few attempts means lost resolve. Initially, when we’re practicing our new thing, be it a musical instrument, a language, or maybe fencing, we feel solid and inspired. Sooner or later we miss a day because (pick your favorite): We didn’t practice but we’re tired and it’s time for bed. Or there’s a crisis. Or a distraction. Or we’re traveling. Or it gets harder and not as fun. Or boring. Or we weren’t in the mood, or we had a sick child, or we forgot (the most insidious). The rationales are infinite. A couple of “misses” can mean a loss of momentum.
Then we beat ourselves up a little (or a lot) and slide back into old routines, waiting for the next upswell of inspiration, the next urge for change, the next training or class, or in the case of meditation, the next weekend retreat. “Maybe a new method will do the trick,” we think.
If this doesn’t sound familiar, and you are someone who seamlessly integrates new disciplines into your life without missing a beat, skip the next section. Flawed mortals, read on.
