If stress makes you anxious, tense, and worried, maybe you need meditation. Even a few minutes in meditation can restore your calm and inner peace.

It’s simple and very cheap, even everyone can practice meditation as it doesn’t require any special equipment. The fact that you might not consider is you can practice meditation wherever you are, whether out for a walk, riding the bus, waiting at the doctor's office, or even in the middle of a difficult business meeting.

These are the types of meditations that you can apply:

Focussed Attention meditation

This style of meditation is to clear the mind of thoughts through concentration on objects, the breath, or body sensations. The mind is brought back to the object of focus. In this mode of meditation, thoughts are seen as a disrupter.

Benefits: creates fast gamma waves involved in learning, memory, perception, attention, and awareness. It also helps reduce depression, anxiety and improves sleep. It trains the mind to focus more intently and to be less scattered in your thinking. An example of this could be to focus on a candle or a flower.

Open monitoring – mindfulness meditation

This is all about paying attention to the present moment, without judgment. Unlike focussed attention, it does not see thoughts as a disruptor, but rather it’s the content of the thoughts that matter. It’s not about stopping thinking but learning how to observe the mind's content without judgment

Benefits: Slow theta waves lead to a relaxed, emotionally open, and connected state of mind. Improvement in attention and cognitive control and regulation. There is an app called Buddhify to help you with this kind of meditation on the go.

Mindfulness eating  

When you really savor the mouthful you are eating or sit and linger on the taste of something like a sultana, this is an example of mindfulness, simply being in the present moment and enjoying this sensation. A similar experience can be when you are in the shower and concentrate on the water flowing over you.

Self Transcendental Meditation (TM)

TM is not concerned with regulating thoughts or feelings and there is no mental effort required. You can think of your mind like the ocean – turbulent on the surface and calm at depth. This kind of meditation involves using a sound (mantra) with no meaning. Transcendental Meditation (TM) uses a mantra to access the silence that lies deep in the mind.

Benefits: Increases alpha waves associated with quiet flowing thoughts. Opens the imagination network for creative innovative thoughts. You can learn this on the website: Zivameditation.com or contact your local TM school. Alternatively, you can try one of our courses in this kind of meditation.