Meditation is one of the most underrated ways to calm down, clear your mind, and become a happier person. You don’t need special skills or tools to give it a try. Meditation isn’t something only people with a perfect lifestyle incorporate into their lives. On the contrary, it’s ideal for everyone! It helps even if you are struggling with anxiety or you can’t make sense of what your life is. But the pursuit of happiness isn’t the only reason people meditate.
Sometimes, having a few minutes alone with your mind is good. It allows you to make sense of everything that’s happening with you. But people are apprehensive about the idea of meditating. That could be because they associate it with mental health issues and would rather ignore them. Also, if someone suggests you meditate, you might feel offended at needing to fix something.
People usually freak out when anyone suggests there might be something about them that needs changing. But meditation has never been forced on people. Instead, it is a suggestion. Not only that, but it’s very flexible and can suit everyone’s needs. If one type doesn’t work for you, try the next one. The only thing that needs to be the same is the aim and purpose of meditation.
It’ll work out if you take the time to clear your mind and become one with yourself. Still, it’s hard to research all the best meditation practices on your own. So, here are ten meditations you can do to be happier. And the best part, most of them take less than two minutes to do.
10 Meditations You Can Do to Be Happier
These meditations can help you achieve peace and happiness in life.
1 – Focused Attention Meditation Can Help You Be Happier
Focused attention meditation is one of the most simple and effective types of meditation. It’s so simple that you might have been doing it without realizing it. The premise of the exercise is to focus your attention on an object and concentrate. Then, whenever you feel like your mind wanders, you need to bring your attention back to the focal point.
The main reason focused attention meditation works is that it aims to lower stress. You can anchor yourself as you stay focused and have a visual aid. You can remain present and slow down your inner thoughts. The significant difference between this and traditional meditation is that you still stay present. Because you remain anchored in the present, you can solve the issues that stress you the most. The result? You will clear the negativity to make space for a happier you.
2 – Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction to Calm the Mind
Mindfulness is a broad topic that we could discuss for days. But, in this immense sea of practices, there’s one technique that you could incorporate into your life. If you are ever stressed or overwhelmed, try mindfulness-based stress reduction. It’s a meditation therapy usually designed for stress management and is now used to treat many issues. It’s not just good for mental health issues, such as depression, but it can also help you manage things like cancer and diabetes.
You can do this as an extended program employing many techniques for a few weeks. But that can be tiresome and complicated. The more straightforward thing you can do is use mindfulness to learn a few exercises which are quick and efficient. For example, you can use awareness mindfulness. This practice helps you to focus on your thoughts from an outside perspective as if they were someone else’s. First, you need to be still, take a few breaths and try to disconnect. Then, visualize your thoughts as if they were objects. Doing this allows you to detach from your beliefs, which helps you see issues objectively.
3 – Yoga Can Help Make You Happier and Also Increase Physical Well-being
Everyone has heard of yoga as the mainstream meditation technique. But people think of it as a fancy way to exercise, not as meditation. So they don’t end up reaping the benefits of whatever yoga classes they take.
Remember to focus on your movements and breathing if you have already taken yoga classes. Make an effort to quiet the mind by pushing all unwanted thoughts away. Take stock of what you feel and think. Yoga is excellent because it focuses on balance and pain relief. If your body is not at its peak, you can always meditate to stretch your muscles and relax. Taking care of your body can focus on more pressing issues, like how your mind feels and what it’s struggling with.
4 – Transcendental Meditation Brings Peace of Mind
This technique is quite different from the ones in which you focus on your breath to enter a state of mind. With this technique, you need to repeat a word or phrase repeatedly to enter a state of restless awareness. The aim is to have a relaxed but aware mind. As you meditate, the active mind will settle inward until you enter a state of pure consciousness.
Because it’s a mantra-based technique, it helps you have a better mood and improve your physical health. In addition, you should try transcendental meditation if you’re battling depression, anxiety, and other concerns.
5 – Walking Meditation
Walking meditation is what it sounds like. It’s when you use the outdoors and walking to your advantage. Just be warned, it’s not as easy as it seems. If you wander, you won’t reap the benefits. Instead, you need to walk purposefully and understand what your intentions are.
You’ll start drifting as you focus on the feeling of your feet being picked up and put down again. Your mind will begin to fill with thoughts. Allow those thoughts and the feelings of your body and surroundings to take over. At the end of the walk, make an inventory of your feelings. If you’re still anxious or scared about a sure thing, you need to fix that.
When practicing walking meditation, ensure you’re away from highways or high-traffic roads. Safety is essential, so it’s best to engage in walking meditation in a place free from cars, like a beach.
6 – Visualization Meditation Helps to See a Happier You
This technique is better suited for dealing with short-term issues. That’s because you need to visualize the outcome of a task before doing it. For example, if you’re scared of speaking in public, you can picture what it would look like to give a public address. Then, imagine what it takes and feels like to give an entire speech and receive a round of applause. This method works because it helps you think you can achieve anything you set your mind to. When you see yourself succeeding, you’re teaching your body how to act to reach that goal.
7 – Vipassana Meditation
Vipassana meditation is an insight technique and has been around for a while. The aim is to practice self-observation in a non-judgmental way. This way, you can pinpoint things you need to change without being toxic and self-deprecating.
All you need to do is be still and observe yourself. Don’t try to control anything. Just let things flow. Allow yourself to breathe and be still. The aim is to quiet the mind and allow you to experience what your body is trying to tell you. All the feelings and sensations you’ll feel will help you be present and accept your thoughts.
8 – Zazen Meditation Helps You Become Happier and at One With the Universe
Buddhists invented this meditation at the heart of the Zen practice. Zazen is the study of self. It’s a form of seated meditation you can do anytime and almost anywhere.
It’s best to sit on the floor or flat surfaces when practicing this meditation. First, you need to be in a seated position, usually something like the full lotus. Next, you need to look inward, which can achieve by counting your breaths. This meditation aims to understand that the mind, body, and soul aren’t separate entities. Instead, they are interconnected, and we can only understand them as such.
9 – Body Scan Meditation
Body scan meditation is more or less precisely what it sounds like. First, you need to lay or sit down and scan your body for it to work. Then, you can allow yourself to feel the sensations coursing through your body and mind. For example, maybe you are in physical pain, making your life difficult. A body scan could tell you that.
Gradually scan from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes. As you go down, make sure to release all your pent-up tension. Then, slowly breathe through the sensations until they disappear, and you become peaceful.
10 – Third Eye Meditation
Third eye meditation is the most complicated technique you’ll learn today as it involves mudras and chakras. Mudras refer to the specific positioning of your fingers and hands. But third eye meditation had more to do with the positioning of the eyes. In this case, you must fix your inner gaze toward the center and slightly up to between your eyebrows.
That point is known as the third eye. That’s the mudra you need to practice. With some practice, you’ll start to feel aware of your third eye, so you’ll be connected with your inner self. The inner eye isn’t something that physically exists; it’s just a way to describe consciousness. The more you learn to focus on it, the better you’ll be able to meditate.
Final Thoughts on Meditations You Can Do to Be Happier (In Two Minutes or Less)
Meditation is such a great practice, but not many people understand it. Even if you know how to do yoga, that doesn’t mean you understand meditation. Unfortunately, few people are ready to learn about meditation and give it a shot. It can be easier for them to overlook it and believe that meditation is nothing but a placebo.
There are many ways to practice meditation, as you can tailor it to suit your needs. Because of that, many techniques are short and straightforward. Sure, that’s not how everyone practices it. For some people, meditation takes at least a few hours per day. But you have more straightforward options for those who don’t have that time or skills.
Most of them don’t even need anything but you and your body to make things work. Yoga, mindfulness, and body scan meditation are just a few techniques to become a happier person. But if they don’t work for you, you are sure to find something that fits you on the list.
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