Today in class we examined 4 different ways to meditate. The class broke up into 4 groups and rotated to each section. The first section I started off in was Mantra meditation, where a verbal repetition of a word or phrases is used to invoke a meditative state. I chose to just repeat the Om mantra that is most common. I would rather do this type of meditation in a large class setting like we have done before. There is a therapeutic nature that comes with everybody chanting together. The next practice I moved to was the relaxation technique. This techniques is done by selecting a word and repeating that word mentally. The word I chose was Passion. I am a very passionate person and I feel passion is something that I need to keep focusing on to drive me to be successful in life. After this method I moved to walking meditation. I really like this meditation practice. I have a hard time sitting still so moving and meditating was really relaxing. You do this meditation by walking slower than you normally would and focusing about 12 inches ahead of you. The motion of walking is focused on and eventually it becomes rhythmic. The last technique that I tried today was just the practice of being mindful of my breathing. We have done this form of meditating before in class. I have also practiced this form outside of the classroom.

There are so many forms and ways to meditate and the best way to find what is right for you is to just try them. Allowing yourself to be open to new and different thins allows you to grow as a person. I am very happy that other methods and techniques have been shown to me. I hope to continue to work on my mindfulness and integrate meditation into my schedule. It really is a beautiful practice.