Retrain Your Brain

Meditation, Benefits, and Examples

“Have you tried Yoga?”

The phrase has become synonymous with wellness, quick fixes, and cure-all culture.

But science has recently found that it has genuine – albeit longer term – benefits.

Yoga is just one of many forms of meditation. When most people think of meditation, it's either yoga or sitting silently and focusing on breathing. But there's much, much more to it than that.

Meditation exists across many cultures and eras. From nature walks and cleaning meditations, to the kind practiced by buddhist monks, to just daily affirmations of self love, meditation's a form of retraining one's brain to be more mindful, kind, and focused on the present.

And studies show it can very literally rewire your brain, increase neuroplasticity as you age, and lessen symptoms of mental illness... If you find the right meditation style for you.

What most people don't realize? Is that different forms of meditation do different things for your brain. For example, studies showed that people who experienced depression had different reactions to the same two types of meditation – breath work and affirmations – based on whether or not they tended toward brooding and rumination. Those who experienced higher rates of brooding and rumination responded more to the breathing exercise, while those with lower rates responded more to loving-kindness meditations. Another study found different patterns of brain activity between Focused Attention, Open Monitoring, Transcendental, and Loving-Kindness meditation styles, showing that each are likely good for targeting differing, specific needs.

And that's even without going into the effects of things like chronic pain, ADHD, PTSD, and more.

Yoga is not a cure-all. And meditation isn't either.

But there's probably a version that will help you, at least a little bit, and can help restructure your brain to cope better against stressors, with practice, over time.

So let's explore a small selection of the many kinds out there.

Qigong (pronounced “chee-gong”):

Qigong has two forms, active (Dong Gong) and passive (Jing Gong). Dong Gong focuses on fluid, continuous movement and breathing. Jing Gong focuses on stillness and visualization. They're often used in tandem with each other, as a form of balance.

Yoga:

Everyone knows the stretches and poses version of Yoga, but most don't realize there's a philosophy component to it as well! There's several facets to it, some of which are: Yamas (ethical principles that guide behavior toward others ), Niyamas (personal observances that promote self-discipline and spiritual growth), and Dhyana (meditation practices that lead to a deeper understanding of the self). These are things that you work on that don't involve stretching or posing, but still help significantly in self-awareness and compassion towards oneself and others.

Celtic/Druidic:

Fully immersing oneself, with all senses, is a form of mindfulness. The Celts historically used this by submerging themselves into nature. From walking barefoot, to sketching plants, to just feeling the grass and wind across skin, to a full nature hike, nature can definitely be healing. And daily tasks can even be done mindfully. Focusing on sweeping and dusting, doing exercise, or folding laundry, without letting your mind wander is a form of meditation!

Modern:

Cognitive and Dialectical Behavioral Therapies are a modern take on mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation styles. There's also a wide, wide range of atheist, pagan, neo-pagan, secular, niche, and pop-culture meditation styles out there. From scene drop kits and coloring books, to “four is magic” and sour candies, there's a myriad of creative ways to ground and meditate!

Finally, here's some resources to look into:

• 28 Best Meditation Techniques for Beginners to Learn

• Getting Your Qigong On: Your Guide to Qigong Meditation

• How To Meditate

• 16 Types of Meditation

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