Hi! I’m new to meditation and was wondering how often should I meditate and should I repeat the same meditation, or change per night/week, or month, etc.? Thanks, Mandy.
Hi Mandy.
To answer the first part of your question… Everyone seems to agree, that you should really try to meditate every day if you can. Even if it’s only for a few minutes each day. But, you should remember that meditation should be something that you enjoy, so choose a schedule that works best for you. Over time, you’ll naturally want to meditate more as you start to feel the benefits.
It’s probably best to start by using guided meditations. By listening to someone else guide you through the process, you can concentrate more fully on the practice and at the same time, try different techniques until you find some that resonate with you personally.
And, as to how often you should change the meditation, that’s an entirely personal decision.
From the people I’ve spoken to and asked your specific question, most would say that you should meditate according to your problem/issue/goal at that time.
The power of meditation is in the practicing of it, not necessarily in which part of the body, emotion, sensation, or issue, etc. you’re trying to address.
Once you’ve found a style of meditation you enjoy, and you’ve had a little practice, you can then focus your attention on anything you wish.
Most people give up on meditation because they haven’t found a technique they enjoy. Keep trying different types until you find yours. You’ll be glad you did.
Here’s a few types to get you started and over the next few weeks, I’ll be delving into some of the most popular ones and linking to them from here ( so why not bookmark this page 🙂 ).
Zen Meditation – Usually, the focus of this meditation is on the breath.
Samatha Meditation – Samatha, or ‘concentration’ Meditation is generally more difficult than most, as it requires concentration on a single thought, or object.
Vipassana Meditation – Vipassana, or ‘awareness’ meditation is essentially focusing on the present moment, accepting and non-judgmentally paying attention to, the sensations, thoughts, and emotions that arise.
Movement Meditation – This type of meditation can be yoga, walking, Qigong, Tai Chi, etc. It’s good for people that find a peace in movement.
Mantra Meditation – In this type of meditation, you use a repetitive sound to clear the mind of distractions.
Transcendental Meditation – Experience Peace, with no concentrating, or focusing.
I hope this helps 🙂
