You may have heard about meditation and its benefits. A simple and accessible spiritual practice, it has been known to help reduce stress, increase calmness, clarity and even promote happiness. Many of the world’s religions have a meditative practice that has long been part of their tradition. If you are looking to add a spiritual component to a secular mindfulness practice, or just exploring options, check out our Meditation Guide. Keep reading to discover MORSL’s carefully curated introduction to meditative practices sourced from various world religions. We hope that this guide will introduce you to – and perhaps spark your interest in – the various types of meditation out there!
Abstracts are provided below for your convenience; to discover more, view or download the full Meditation Guide. A French version of the Meditation Guide is now available! Access the French version here.
Baháʼí
Baha’i writings don’t prescribe specific methods of meditation, but it is considered a key requisite for spiritual growth. Baha’i meditation entails focused and silent reflection. Through meditation you are put in touch with God. Meditation allows you to pose questions to your spirit and your spirit answers, revealing reality, leading to deeper knowledge and inspiration. Baha’i meditation is tied to social reality and when you meditate, you are helping the health of society as it allows for thoughtfulness and mindfulness in your actions. There are not very many specific forms of meditation prescribed in the Baha’i tradition, but one suggestion is to repeat the name Allah-u-Abha ninety-five times a day, or daily reading of the holy writings.
👉 Download the Meditation Guide for more details and online resources.
Buddhism
Meditation encompasses two of the eight aspects of the Eightfold Path in Buddhism. Once you have done the practices to help calm and concentrate the mind, you will be able to investigate the nature of reality and develop insight. Five qualities should emerge from meditation: steadfastness, clear seeing, courage, attention, and a sense of “no big deal”. The Buddha taught that meditation is an essential tool to achieve liberation from suffering. There are many recognized forms of meditation in the Buddhist tradition, and different iterations of the Buddhist tradition. Refer to our downloadable guide for detailed information on how to practise Buddhist meditation, advice on how to establish a regular practice, and more details on different forms of meditation.
👉 Download the Meditation Guide for more details and online resources.
Christianity
Christian meditation relies on silence, stillness, and simplicity. Christian meditation is seen as grace and as a reciprocal work of love. One type of this meditation is word-focus meditation where one meditates on one sentence from scripture, focusing on each word one at a time. Another type of Christian meditation, which comes from the Jesuit tradition, is the Examen. The Examen is rooted in attentiveness, contemplation, noticing and the careful meditation on the events and feelings from your day.
👉 Download the Meditation Guide for more details and online resources.
Gnosticism
Gnosticism, a mystical and meditative form of Christianity, leaves space for individual exploration within which liturgy and scripture can act as guides. Meditation in a group setting is one element of Gnostic worship. Gnosticism also involves personal spiritual work that consists of meditation. This meditation is similar to other Christian meditation but put into a Gnostic framework.
👉 Download the Meditation Guide for more details and online resources.
Hinduism
There are different types of meditation in Hinduism that vary based on their focus. The most common is mindfulness, which is the rumination on experience and perception – seeking to remind you of yourself, and your relationship with what you are aware of, and being present to it. It is not the same as secular mindfulness, but rather, is an exercise that should lead you to union with the Divine through heightened consciousness. Other types of meditation are ruminations on pre-selected objects: concentrative meditation. Each type of Hindu meditation is a component of Yoga.
👉 Download the Meditation Guide for more details and online resources.
Islam
Meditation in Islam is intrinsically linked to the concept of remembrance. The goal of Muslim meditation is to remember God and purifying yourself of sin. Through Islamic meditation one can move deeper through different layers of existence through which you can raise your level of consciousness and remember the meeting you had with the Lord in the state of pre-existence.
👉 Download the Meditation Guide for more details and online resources.
Judaism
Meditation in Judaism is rooted in scripture from the Talmud and the Torah. The purpose of Jewish meditation is to fully internalize your faith so that is has an effect one your entire way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Meditation, though sometimes overlooked within Judaism, is an essential ingredient and the base of all observance. A good way to start meditation is to set some time apart, before you start to pray and to sit quietly.
👉 Download the Meditation Guide for more details and online resources.
Quakerism
Meditation in Quakerism, or quiet prayer, is time spent listening for God. Many Quakers gather to practice this together. There is no structured agenda, reading, or officiant. Anyone can speak if they feel called to do so.
👉 Download the Meditation Guide for more details and online resources.
Sikhism
Meditation, Simran in Sikhism, involves using the word waheguru as a mantra. There are four stages to meditation in Sikhism: breathing and yoga exercises, focusing on the mantra, allowing yourself to concentrate without becoming distracted by your passing thoughts, and eventually losing track of all time and becoming completely absorbed in the meditation.
👉 Download the Meditation Guide for more details and online resources.
