Meditation Techniques

A technique is only as good as its fit. Trataka suits some people and irritates others; progressive muscle relaxation is excellent for a body that will not settle and useless for a mind that is arguing with itself. The collection here is deliberately varied for that reason, and each piece says plainly who it suits and who should skip it.

Broadly the techniques fall into three groups. Those that work through the body, such as progressive muscle relaxation, grounding and breath work. Those that work through a single point of focus, such as candle meditation and mirror gazing. And those that change your relationship to a thought rather than the thought itself, like the STOP method or the pixel thoughts exercise.

If you are choosing between them, the useful question is not which is best but what is actually happening when things go wrong for you. A racing body and a racing mind need different tools, and reaching for the wrong one is the most common reason people conclude that meditation does not work for them.

Each article includes the practical detail that short summaries leave out: how long, how often, what usually goes wrong in the first few sessions, and when to stop.

Where to start

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation Script (Read Aloud) — if the tension is in your body and will not let go.
• The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique (Done Properly) — if you need something fast and portable.
• STOP Method: The Mindfulness Technique That Resets Your Mind — if you want one move you can use mid-conversation.

It is worth trying two or three before deciding that meditation does not suit you. Most people find that one technique lands and the others do not, and there is no way to predict in advance which one it will be.