What is meditation?
Meditation is now a mainstream practice in America, with more than 30 million people practicing it on a regular basis. Meditation is an experience of relaxing the body, quieting the mind, and awakening the spirit. Meditation encourages a deepening of consciousness or awareness, and also facilitates a deeper understanding of self and others. There are thousands of meditation techniques that have been developed and practiced for over 5,000 years and each has specific techniques and skills that can be learned.
What are the Different types of meditation?
All forms of meditation can be classified into one or combination of four categories: concentrative, receptive, reflective and generative.
The most commonly used forms or meditation:
- Concentrative Meditation
Concentrative meditation assists with focusing the mind. This is done by focusing on the breath, image/objective or sound (mantra) during the meditation. This process allows the mind to achieve clarity and awareness. Transcendental meditation (TM), based in the Hindu tradition, is a form of concentrative meditation.
Learn more about concentrative meditation…
Audio Download: Performance Meditation
Audio Download: Progressive Muscle Relaxation Meditation
- Receptive Meditation
Receptive meditation assists with becoming more fully present in the moment. This is done by being mindful and attentive to feelings, sensation, thoughts, images, smells and experiences without becoming involved without judgment, reaction or processes the experience. This helps to gain a calmer, clearer and more non-reactive state of mind and being. Mindfulness meditation, based on the Buddhism, is a form of receptive meditation.
Audio Download: Eating Mediation
Less well known and utilized forms of meditation:
- Reflective Meditation
Reflective meditation assists with investigating an idea in a systematic way. It uses disciplined thinking and analysis to reflect upon a compelling question, challenge, idea or project. We can also reflect on a verse, a phrase or inspiring idea. This form of meditation can bring wisdom and insight into all aspects of our lives.
As Albert Einstein has said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
Learn more about reflective meditation…
Audio Download: Body Meditation
- Generative Meditation
Generative meditation assists in consciously cultivating and strengthening specific qualities such as patience, love, appreciation, compassion, humility, gratitude, courage, etc. This form of meditation invites us to actively nurture these strengths of character by thinking, speaking and acting as though the quality is already fully present and alive within us.
Audio Download: Loving Kindness Meditation
Audio Download: Meta Meditation
What are the benefits of meditation?
For many people, the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual benefits of meditation might include:
- higher levels of energy, creativity, and spontaneity
- lower blood pressure
- increased exercise tolerance
- better concentration
- decreased stress, depression and anxiety
- fewer cravings for alcohol and cigarettes
- increased job satisfaction
- better relationships with others.
There is no research that indicates meditation is harmful or has negative effects whether used alone or in conjunction with conventional medicine.
How can meditation help college students?
- Time management
- Assist with addictions
- Mindful eating and body satisfaction
- Athletic performance
- Stress reduction and sleep
- Academic performance
- Enhance immune system
- Developing a deeper sense of compassion and forgiveness for others
Why does it seem that focusing on the breath is very important during most forms of meditation?
For most meditative practices the breath is very important because it is connected to both the mind and the body. For example, if we are anxious, frightened or upset our breath tends to be shallow, irregular and quick. If we are relaxed, settled or calm, our breath tends to be more slow, deep and regular.
Focusing the mind on the continuous rhythm of inhalation and exhalation provides a natural object of meditation. As you focus your awareness on the breath, your mind becomes absorbed in the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation. As a result, your breathing will become slower and deeper, and the mind becomes more tranquil and aware.
Practice a breathing meditation…
Learn more about deep breathing for sleep…
Meditation Practice at UNH:
Reflections for Mind, Body Spirit – Audio Downloads
Meditation is a skill that all college students can learn. Meditation can assist with stress management, sleep, academic success and overall well-being. Just to name a few benefits. Health Services offers individual and group meditation sessions. Learn more…
Individual and group meditation sessions at UNH
Meditation is a skill that all college students can learn. Meditation can assist with stress management, sleep, academic success and overall well-being. Just to name a few benefits. Health Services offers individual and group meditation sessions. Learn more…
Additional Resources:
10 ways to practice mindfulness each day
By following the main elements of mindfulness – combining awareness of your breath with focusing on the activity at hand – you will be able to experience every moment as fully as possible. Learn More...
How to cultivate a daily meditation practice
The emphasis in meditation practice is on the word “practice.” It is a lifelong journey. We learn to come back to the beginning – our clear, unobstructed experience – and start again. Touching in daily with this profound practice yields the greatest impact throughout our life. Learn More...
Biofeedback as meditative practice
Biofeedback technology uses electronic equipment to measure and monitor changes in one’s internal physiological state while teaching breathing, relaxation and meditation exercises. Individual sessions with a computer based biofeedback program are available to UNH students at no cost. Learn more…
Yoga as meditative practice
Yoga is a form of exercise based on the belief that the body and the breath are intimately connect with the mind. By working with the breath as you move the body or hold the body in certain postures, yoga creates harmony. During the academic year, Health Services offers free yoga to UNH students. Learn more…
Labyrinths as meditative practice
Labyrinths have long been use as a meditation and prayer tool. It is used for walking meditation to assist us in finding peace and clarity, managing stress, assisting with decision making, self-exploration and reflection.
Learn More...
Mandalas as meditative practice
Mandala means “sacred circle” in Sanskrit. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas are used to facilitate meditation and are used in sacred rites as a transformative tool to assist with healing. Learn more…
Writing as Meditation
More information coming soon!
Eating Mindfully
More information coming soon!
Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual wellness is finding meaning in life events, demonstrating individual purpose and having the ability to be compassionate towards others. Learn more…
Stretching and Relaxing
Simple stretching exercises can help loosen various parts of your body and relax the mind. Learn more…
Health Services Resource Library
Health Services has a Resource Library that is filled with books and multimedia items on a variety of health and wellness topics, including meditation. Anyone in the UNH community may borrow items from the library.
Browse meditation books and multimedia in the Health Services Library…
Web Sites
The Inner Wealth
The Inner Wealth web site provides education on body work with the integration of expressive arts, movement, and meditation practices.
Meditation is Easy
This web site has a lot of great information on meditation and how to integrate it into your daily life.
Learning Meditation
Download free meditations and resources.
Mindfulness for Wellness
Explains mindfulness and offers free meditation tracks.
Videos
Thich Nhat Hahn discusses the practice and benefits of walking meditation
Thich Nhat Hahn leads one in the practice of breath meditation
