Meditation is 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 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 often 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. An example includes focusing upon a candle flame. Another example is a mantra meditation that draws our attention to a repeated sound that we make.
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 a audio or video recording. Unguided meditations have to be completed alone and are regarded as being more difficult.

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.