Learn, Share, Grow - What Kind of Meditation is Right For You?

Below is a lesson from davidji on finding the meditation you will return to, as well as our key learnings.

The Blue Courage team is dedicated to continual learning and growth.  We have adopted a concept from Simon Sinek’s Start With Why team called “Learn, Share, Grow”.  We are constantly finding great articles, videos, and readings that have so much learning.  As we learn new and great things, this new knowledge should be shared for everyone to then grow from.

What Kind of Meditation is Right For You?

davidji

What kind of meditation is right for you? 

It can be overwhelming to try to figure out what meditation you may enjoy most. And meditation should always be something that you want to do, not something that you make yourself do. 

But in order to figure out which meditation technique is the one you will enjoy returning to again and again, we need to try different styles.

Today I thought I’d share about three of the most prominent types of meditations:

• Mindfulness meditation
• Mantra meditation
• Body scan meditation

Mindfulness meditation is one of the oldest meditations in existence – it dates back to the days when the Buddha walked the earth, about 2600 years ago!

And with mindfulness meditation, we are stripping away all of our connections to everything outside and beginning with the obvious starting point, which is Being Aware. Watching. Witnessing.

Continue Reading Here.

Key Learnings:

Core Principle

• Find the meditation you’ll actually return to

• If it doesn’t resonate, it won’t stick

• Lean toward what works for you

Reality Check

• There are many styles, schools, and lineages of meditation

• It can feel overwhelming and discouraging

• One failed attempt ≠ meditation doesn’t work

3 Core Meditation Types

1. Mindfulness (Awareness Practice)

• Focus: Watching (breath as anchor)

• Method: Observe inhale/exhale

• Key Skill:

  • Thoughts come → let them pass like clouds

  • Gently return to breath

• Truth: You are not stopping thoughts

• Outcome: Presence, clarity, attention control

2. Mantra (Mind Instrument)

• Focus: Repetition of sound/vibration

• Meaning: Man (mind) + Tra (vehicle)

• Method: Silently repeat (e.g., “om,” “I am”)

• Key Skill: Drift away → return to mantra

• Insight:

  • Focus on vibration, not meaning

  • Non-native languages reduce thinking

• Outcome: Mental quiet, rhythmic focus

3. Body Scan (Embodiment Practice)

• Focus: Moving awareness through the body

• Method: Toes → head, section by section

• Options:

  • Breathe into areas

  • Release tension

  • Witness and accept

• Truth: No single correct way

• Outcome: Relaxation, healing, body awareness

Core Mechanism (All Meditation)

• You need an object of attention

• You will drift (thoughts, sounds, sensations)

• The practice is:

  • Notice drift

  • Gently return

• Meditation builds a “safe harbor” for attention

Key Insight on Thoughts

• ~60,000–80,000 thoughts/day is normal

• Goal is not control, but:

  • Awareness

  • Non-attachment

  • Return

Decision Filter (Critical)

Ask:

• Do I want alertness / awakening → Mindfulness

• Do I want mental quiet / rhythm → Mantra

• Do I want calm / healing / release → Body Scan

Practice Strategy

• Experiment across styles

• Notice what resonates

• Discard what doesn’t

• Return to what feels aligned

Bottom Line

Meditation works when it resonates — alignment drives consistency.