Meditation 101: What It Is, How It Works, and Why You Should Try It

In today’s fast-paced world, where stress, anxiety and distractions are common, meditation helps us harmonise our mind and body. Meditation is an ancient practise that helps us in releasing stress, calming the mind and balancing our emotions. It is believed that doing meditation daily can offer several physical and mental health benefits including lowered stress, improved concentration, better sleep, enhanced emotional health, to name a few. In a nutshell, this is a powerful exercise to optimise overall well-being.

What is Meditation?

In an exclusive conversation with Onlymyhealth, Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar, Yoga and spiritual leader, Founder of Akshar Yoga Kendraa shares, “Meditation is an art to calm your mind. In the Himalayas, they see it as different tributaries flowing into one big ocean. Like rivers that take different routes but end up in the same sea, meditation has different types of forms, like Shaant Dhyan (quiet meditation), Swaas Dhyan (breath meditation), and Divya Shakti Dhyan (superpower meditation), and many others.”

Each method is just a way to train your mind to be still. Some use breathing, some focus on quiet, and others use spiritual power. But they all lead to the same place: peace, awareness, and a feeling of connection.

Is There Different Meditation For Different People?

 

 

 

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The best type for you depends on where you are in life and what you do.

• Swaas Dhyan (Breath Meditation): Good for those who feel stressed and always on the go. Your breath helps you stay grounded, which calms your mind and puts you back in balance, shows a PubMed Central study.
• Shoonya Dhyan (Stillness Meditation): Good for those trying to understand themselves better. It takes you to a peaceful emptiness where new ideas can come from.
• Divya Shakti Dhyan (Superpower Meditation): Great for people who want to make things happen, draw in good energy, and feel more connected to the divine.
• Trinetra Dhyan (Third-Eye Meditation): This is for more experienced people who want to wake up their inner sight, intuition, and clear thinking.

Also Read: Can a Few Minutes of Meditation Really Change Your Day?

“In the Himalayas, the choice of meditation is never random, the master always guides the seeker toward a path aligned with their unique journey and stage of evolution,” shares Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar.

Which Meditation is Best for Working People?

For working professionals, breath meditation is the quickest and most useful. Modern life makes our breathe in a shallow. Job stress, deadlines, and too much screen time take away our energy through our breath. Every feeling, like panic, anger, or negativity, comes in when our breathing is off. Shallow breathing makes our minds weak.

As per Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar, “Just taking 2–3 minutes to focus on your breathing at work can help you feel like yourself again. When you breathe in and out deeply, stress goes away, and you can think more clearly. This simple thing is key for working people.”

Also Read: 5 Natural Stress-Relief Techniques That May Lower Stroke Risk

Another good way is Seed Meditation:

• As you breathe out, imagine a dark space in front of you that pulls away stress, bad feelings, and worries.
• As you breathe in, imagine a bright space filling you with good feelings, goals, and things you want to achieve.
• This creates a natural cycle of release and renewal, aligning your energy with success and peace. A study published in the International Journal of Yogic, Human Movement and Sports Sciences shows positive influence of seed meditation on the behaviour of young adults.

Does Meditation Help Everyone?

“Yes. Meditation isn't just for one group of people, culture, or age. It's for everyone,” tells Yoga and wellness expert Akshar.

• Kids: Breath meditation helps you focus and stay calm.
• Students: Third-eye meditation or Trataka can help you remember things better and focus, this study published in the International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews shows physiological and psychological benefits of trataka meditation.
• Professionals: Seed Meditation and Breath Meditation help balance job stress.
• Elders: Stillness Meditation or Yoga Nidra helps you relax and find peace and quiet.

The essence is simple: many rivers, one ocean. Whatever the practise, the final destination is the same, bringing the seeker into harmony with themselves and the universe..

Meditation for Worries- Which Way Works Best?

 

 

 

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For anxiety, the best thing to do is Nir Vichhar Dhyan - Meditation Beyond Thought. Anxiety gets worse when you have a lot of thoughts going on. This meditation teaches you to watch your thoughts without holding on to them. Like clouds moving in the sky, you let them pass. Slowly, it gets quiet. In that quiet, worries disappear, and you feel stronger inside.
When you combine Swaas Dhyan, it helps you stay in the present, without thinking about past regrets or future fears. Doing this for just a few minutes each day can turn worry into calm, clear thinking and strength.

As they say in the Himalayas, meditation isn't about escaping life. It's the best way to live life fully, with awareness, strength, and a sense of the divine.