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Many Types to Meet You Where You Are
"I can't meditate because my mind won't stop thinking."
I have heard this phrase so often, it has become a mantra of its own. And it's usually because the most common form of meditation we see depicted is an image of sitting perfectly still, completely emptying your mind, and just …not thinking.
For most people, that sounds impossible — and it often keeps them from ever trying. But a busy mind doesn't mean you can't meditate. It may just mean you haven't found which meditation works for you.
Just like exercise can take many forms — running, swimming, yoga, weightlifting, dancing — so can meditation. You wouldn't decide exercise isn't for you simply because you hate running. You'd find a way of moving that works for you.
And just as different forms of exercise accomplish different things, so do different forms of meditation. There isn't one goal of meditation any more than there is one goal of exercise. You might meditate to understand the mind, quiet mental chatter, reduce anxiety or reactivity, visualize a different future, or experience something beyond yourself.
Different practices serve different purposes, and which is most impactful for you may change depending on what you need in a particular moment or season. Exploring different types, discovering what resonates, and building a few practices you can reach for when you need them can be a transformational journey of its own.
And here's the good news for anyone who has ever said, "I can't meditate because my mind won't stop thinking": your mind was designed to think. Thoughts arising during meditation aren't a sign that you're doing it wrong — they're part of having a conscious mind. Meditation doesn't require you to eliminate thought. In many practices, the practice itself is learning what to do when those thoughts arise.
Below is a summary of several popular meditation practices, although there are probably an infinite number.
Meditation retreats can give you a quick boost to your meditation practice where you can get expert teaching, feedback in real time, and create meaningful space to learn and transform.
Explore Meditation Retreats →Breathing becomes the anchor for your attention. Some practices simply observe the breath naturally, while others involve specific breathing patterns designed to calm the nervous system or increase energy.
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Popularized by Dr. Joe Dispenza, these guided meditations combine breathing techniques, visualization, emotional rehearsal, and concepts from neuroscience and personal transformation.
Rather than simply relaxing, participants are encouraged to mentally and emotionally rehearse the person they wish to become, cultivating elevated emotions such as gratitude, love, joy, and abundance while releasing familiar emotional patterns.
Many people use these meditations as part of a daily practice focused on personal transformation and creating lasting changes in thought patterns, emotional responses, and habits.
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Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) and Yoga Nidra are practices designed to bring the body into a state of deep relaxation while the mind remains aware.
Typically practiced lying down, you are guided through techniques such as body awareness, breathing, and progressively relaxing different parts of the body. As the body settles, you may enter the deeply relaxed state between ordinary wakefulness and sleep.
Unlike traditional seated meditation, the emphasis isn't on maintaining focused attention or observing your thoughts. The practice is largely about allowing the body and mind to deeply rest without requiring you to actually fall asleep.
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Rather than sitting in silence, someone leads you through the meditation with spoken instructions. They may guide you through relaxing your body, imagining peaceful scenes, or exploring emotions.
This is often the easiest place for beginners to start.
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Attention slowly moves through different parts of the body, noticing sensations without trying to change them.
Many people discover areas of tension they weren't even aware they were holding.
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This practice focuses on generating feelings of compassion toward yourself and others.
Rather than clearing your mind, you intentionally repeat phrases such as:
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This is one of the most well-known forms of meditation. The goal is simply to observe the present moment without judgment.
You might focus on your breath, physical sensations, sounds around you, or simply notice your thoughts as they arise without becoming attached to them.
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Visualization uses the imagination intentionally. You may picture healing light, achieving a goal, meeting your future self, or creating a peaceful environment in your mind.
Many athletes, performers, and high achievers use visualization to mentally rehearse success before it happens.
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A word, phrase, or sound is repeated silently or aloud throughout the meditation.
The repetition helps give the mind something steady to return to instead of following every passing thought.
Examples include traditional mantras like “Om” or personal affirmations.
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Meditation doesn't always happen sitting on a cushion.
Walking meditation involves moving slowly and intentionally while paying close attention to each step, your breathing, and your surroundings.
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Practices such as yoga, tai chi, qi gong, or even slow intentional stretching can become meditation when performed with mindful awareness.
The emphasis is less on exercise and more on connecting the mind and body.
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Instead of silence, sound becomes the object of focus.
This may include singing bowls, chimes, nature sounds, chanting, binaural beats, or calming music.
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This structured practice uses a personalized mantra taught through certified instructors. Sessions are typically practiced for 20 minutes twice each day.
Research has suggested benefits for stress reduction, though it is only one of many effective meditation approaches.
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Vipassana, often translated as “insight meditation,” is an ancient Buddhist meditation practice centered on closely observing your experience as it unfolds.
The practice typically begins by stabilizing attention and then observing physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions without reacting to or trying to change them. You begin to notice that sensations and thoughts continually arise, change, and pass away.
The deeper purpose of Vipassana isn't simply relaxation. It is to develop insight into the nature of your own mind and experience—particularly impermanence, attachment, and the ways our reactions can contribute to suffering.
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Heart-coherence meditation combines slow, intentional breathing with focused attention on the area around your heart and the deliberate cultivation of emotions such as gratitude, appreciation, love, or compassion.
Rather than simply observing whatever emotion is already present, you intentionally practice creating a different emotional state. Bringing together the breath, attention, and emotion can help shift the body out of a stressed or reactive state and into one that feels calmer and more balanced.
This can be a particularly accessible practice for people who find it difficult to quiet their thoughts because the goal isn't to stop thinking. Instead, you're giving your mind something specific to focus on while practicing how to intentionally shift the way you feel.
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There isn't a single "best" meditation.
Many experienced meditators practice several different styles depending on what they need that day. The important thing is simply to begin.
Don't worry about doing it perfectly. Meditation is called a practice for a reason. Every time you return your attention — whether it's to your breath, a mantra, your body, or a guided voice — you are strengthening the very skill that meditation is designed to cultivate.
Start with five or ten minutes. Stay curious. Explore different styles. You may be surprised to discover that meditation isn't about escaping your mind — it's about learning how to work with it.