Meditation refers to any form of activity that allows us to experience mindfulness, or stay in the present moment. The origins of meditation have been found in India thousands of years ago. Surrounding countries have also adopted it, and it is also practiced by various religions including Buddhism. Some methods of meditation are more popular than others, however they are all helpful with staying in the ‘here and now’. Different activities can be practiced in both indoor and outdoor environments.

Meditations are divided into a number of different categories. This is due to the fundamental activity that is taking place. For example, a focussed meditation is an activity that tries to maintain our focus on a particular item. A different example is a mantra meditation, this draws our attention to a repeated sound that is made.
Meditations are also categorised as being either guided or unguided. Guided meditations are those where we have assistance from another person, or from a source such as an audio or video recording. Unguided meditations have to be completed alone and are regarded as being more difficult.

Guided Meditation

This refers to when another person is directing a particular meditation. It can also include watching a guided video as well. It is a very popular form of meditation for people who are new at trying meditation, or have not done much in the past. There are many examples of guided meditation including Yoga. Yoga can include guided classes, or via video or audio tutorials.
There are also simple forms of guided meditation found on the internet which can be helpful. Examples include breathing exercises which aim to focus our minds upon our breathing. This is a very popular form of meditation, and is often recommended for beginners.
Smart phone apps are popular due to the wide range of guided meditations available. Click below for some examples of guided meditations and the different types of routines they include.

Unguided Meditation

Unguided Meditation occurs when there is not any help or assistance coming from another person. These activities occur on your own, and are also referred to as silent meditations. This is because there is no voice or musical recordings that an assist us with achieving mindfulness. This form of meditation is considered more difficult to complete, due to the absence of certain inputs. It is a more difficult skill to master, therefore it is recommended to complete these after trying guided meditation first. Click below for examples of unguided meditation.

Moving Meditations

Many guided meditations include a combination of physical movements and holding positions. These create a focus upon these movements, and therefore a sense of mindfulness.
Yoga is one of the most popular forms of guided meditation. It is a practice that has been described as creating wisdom, physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Yoga is most often perceived as being a physical activity that is taken in classes. However there are many other aspects of yoga that also include unguided meditations as well. There are also other moving meditations which are similar to Yoga. Examples of these include Qigong, Tai Chi and Pilates. Click below to learn more about these.

Other Guided Meditations

Guided meditations do not have to take place in a classroom, they can also be completed at home or outside. There are many online meditations that can be watched or listened to, and these can also be practiced whilst travelling or commuting. There are many sources of these including Apps or YouTube tutorials that have a range of meditations available. There are also different categories of meditations available that can be completed. See the links above for guided and unguided meditation examples.