Breathing methods

Each type of breathing method has its own benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to research what kind of practice you’re interested in. Our hope with this blog is that by learning about different types of meditation, you’ll find a technique that will complement your lifestyle best.

1. What are the 4 types of breathing techniques?

Here are four common types of breathing techniques: Mantra, Progressive Relaxation, Metta (kindness meditation), and Kundalini Yoga. For each type of practice, we’ll discuss the benefits and characteristics.

1.1 Mantra

The mantra is a sacred sound, usually in Sanskrit, used to keep the focus of the practitioner on their meditation. The repetition of this sound can clear the mind and help develop concentration. Mantras are often used in Yoga practices and Hinduism.

Benefits: Repeating mantra strengthens your concentration, as well as helps you develop your mental clarity.
Characteristics: repeating a word or phrase over and over again, or chanting it rhythmically; being aware of the repetition rather than thinking about other things at the same time.

1.2 Progressive Relaxation

Progressive relaxation is a type of meditation in which you systematically tense and relax each muscle in your body. Each muscle group is worked for about 10 seconds. It will help you relieve stress and improves your feelings of well-being.
Progressive relaxation is a commonly used form of body-based meditation, meant to induce relaxation by means of bringing awareness to the body’s muscles.

Benefits: Progressive Relaxation relieves stress, pain and tension by addressing the whole body (muscles, nervous system and organs) at once rather than focusing on one area at a time like massage or acupressure does. It also helps you learn how to bring yourself into a state of relaxation when needed.

Characteristics: focusing on the sensations of tensing and relaxing different muscle groups throughout your body; practicing for at least 5 minutes a day; learning to consciously relax the muscles of your entire body at will.

1.3 Metta

Metta is an ancient Buddhist practice known as “loving kindness”. Through recitation or meditation on the qualities of loving kindness, compassion and empathy, practitioners cultivate peace and contentment in their lives. In Buddhism, Metta is also called Karuna . It’s a form of meditation that develops friendliness towards others.

Benefits: developing feelings of universal love, joy and compassion; helps reduce the suffering of others, as well as your own suffering; developing a sense of tranquility (equanimity) towards adversity in your life and others.

Characteristics: reciting, visualizing or imagining unconditional love to others; focusing on feeling connected to all others, rather than on differences between you and them.

1.4 Kundalini Yoga Meditation

A Kundalini meditation is a form of yoga involving the ascent of spiritual energy in the body through the chakras (energy centers). The goal is to awaken kundalini energy that lies dormant at the base of spine.

Benefits: helps cultivate a state of inner peace and love; gives you insights into the true nature of reality; develops the will to develop yourself and your potential; helps with the release of pent-up anger from past lives.

Characteristics: rising of energy through various chakras and meditation on divine love/compassion; learning how to calm and control this energy at will, as well as why you hold back these feelings.

2. Find the breathing technique that suits you!

The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a new way to meditate is that you need to find a practice that fits your personality and lifestyle. Sometimes it may be helpful to talk over your ideas with an experienced practitioner to get their input and advice, but the choice of the meditation practice should be based on personal experience, reasoning and reflection.

Here are a few questions you could ask yourself to decide what type of meditation is right for you:

Questions to ask yourself

How do I feel most comfortable?

If it’s in silence, then mantra or Progressive Relaxation might be a good choice. If it’s being with other people, then sitting in Metta or group meditation will be the best fit. You need to balance your desire for comfort and security with the realization that confronting your fears will help you overcome them.

How much time do I want to invest in this practice?

Progressive Relaxation is a quick and easy way to relieve stress. Metta is also very simple, with only two or three minutes of daily practice required. In contrast to this, Kundalini Yoga Meditation requires regular practice for a long time in order to experience any significant benefits.

How much do I want to “transform” myself?

Metta is a short term solution for calming your mind. If you’re looking for something that will help you solve bigger problems, then Progressive Relaxation or kundalini Yoga will be more suitable for your personality. They both have longer lasting effects and bring more significant transformations in your life.

Do I want to be alone when practicing this technique?

Group meditation can be very helpful if you’re not used to meditating on your own. However, if you’re looking for something that will give you more personal time, then maybe Mantra or Metta would suit you best.

Now let’s see how we can use this information to help us find the right meditation technique for our needs.

Mantra Meditation

You’ll feel most comfortable with mantra meditation when you can control the pace of your own mind. This requires a lot of experience and patience, so it’s important to practice mantra meditation with others who have the same attitude. If they teach you how to control yourself, then you’ll be able to do the same thing in your personal practice.
The following table shows some free mantras available online:

The Five Mantras

The five mantras are a collection of words that can be used to train yourself to achieve a mental state of silence and awareness. The whole idea behind the mantra is that when you hear the sound of the mantra, you still have full attention and use your mind for other things instead of opening up and becoming distracted by your thoughts. This is not an easy practice, but it might be a good way to begin your meditation practice if you have never done it before.

Tantric Breathing

Tantric breathing usually involves a mantra, but instead of saying it, you breathe in and out to produce the sound. The idea behind this type of breathing is that every time you exhale, you think of all your troubles as they leave your body. As a result, your mind becomes calm, peaceful and focused.

Progressive Relaxation Meditation

You will feel most comfortable with progressive relaxation meditation if you are new to meditation or just learning how to deal with stress. It’s very easy to do and does not require any special equipment so it can be done anywhere. This practice will also directly benefit your physical health, making you less susceptible to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratory ailments and others.

Metta Meditation

If you want to be around people while meditating but still experience the benefits of meditation on your own, then maybe a Metta group meditation is right for you. It’s also a very simple technique that can be practiced quickly and easily each day.
Metta meditation is also a great way to learn how to feel unconditional love in your life, both towards yourself and others.

Kundalini Yoga Meditation

If you want to be in a quiet environment and have specific goals you would like to achieve, then this technique might be perfect for you. It requires more time and effort than the other techniques mentioned here, but it helps bring about changes that will last for a long time. The following table shows some free kundalini yoga meditations available online:
Please note that the following meditations are not suitable for beginners!

3. Common Benefits of Meditation

Body and Mind Balance

There are many benefits of meditation, but the most important ones are that it can help you balance your body and mind. When you meditate regularly, your body will start to get nourished by healthy food. Your mind will also start to become more alert, focused, active and powerful as a result of using this technique. You will start to notice how your daily activities become more enjoyable and less strenuous.
Another benefit of meditation is that it can help you achieve inner peace and a great state of balance in your life. You know what people say: “If you live a quiet life, your heart will be peaceful”. This is the same thing that happens when you meditate regularly.

Pain Relief

Many people suffer from chronic pain, so it was no surprise to find out that meditation is a great way to get rid of pain. The key here is to keep practicing regularly in order to strengthen your mind and body. Many people find relief from pain when they meditate because they learn how to control their stress and emotions. The mind and body are closely connected, so if you can achieve a state of balance through your mind, you will also see positive changes in your body as a result.

Improving Cognitive Abilities

Meditation has also been proven to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, focus and attention span. We often tend to forget the things that are not important, but when we practice meditation regularly, it starts to change our life and make us more creative. Meditation is also very helpful when it comes to imagining things in a more vivid way. This is how we discover new ideas and ways of solving problems.

Strengthening Willpower

Many people have strong willpower and cannot control their thoughts or emotions – at least until they learn how to do this through meditation. The practice of allowing your mind to become calm and silent will help you get rid of all kinds of negative thoughts that are distracting you from the important things in life.

Boosting Immunity and Reducing Inflammation

A study conducted by the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital found that people who practice Transcendental Meditation have higher levels of antibodies compared to non-meditators. The reason for this is still not known, but it might just show that meditation improves the body’s ability to fight off diseases.
Other studies have also shown that meditation helps lower inflammation, including a study from 2012 which showed that regular practice of this technique controls some genes involved in immunity.

Improving Sleep

The practice of meditation is a great way to improve your sleep, but it can also help you feel more energized. If your mind becomes more calm and relaxed, you will probably want to sleep less and become more active during the day. Studies have shown that regular meditation can improve sleep quality by reducing the time it takes to fall asleep as well as making the sleeper feel less tired during the day. This holds true even if you only meditate for 10 minutes per day.

Improving Quality of Life

Meditation is also very helpful in improving other areas such as relationships, interpersonal skills and productivity at work. This is because regular practice will boost your self-confidence and emotional intelligence, making you a more open-minded person and able to react in a positive way. You will also be able to control your emotions instead of letting them control you.

Increasing Happiness

Research has shown that meditation can increase the level of happiness in your life. This is true for new meditators as well, who only learned how to practice this technique for 10 minutes per day. One study even found that after 8 weeks of regular practice, people became happier and less stressed, and their body started to work more efficiently. They also reported that they could stay focused on their daily tasks and have more energy throughout the day.
You should keep in mind that meditation is not a solution to every problem you might have in life, but it can help you notice things about yourself and others so you can solve them much easier.

Summary

Breathing methods have always been an integral part of yoga. We mentioned that some people cannot do yoga because their breathing is not perfect. If this is your problem, you can try to learn a breathing technique that will help you breathe more easily and efficiently. There are many different ways of breathing, but some are more suitable for beginners than others.
You should remember that if you learn a breathing technique, you should practice it regularly. It is not something that you can use once in a while and forget about forever.