The 3 Ways to Meditate

#1: Keeping your attention on an object

benefits: improved focus and attention

Examples: Sam Ovens, Chris Bailey, breathing meditation

other benefit: relaxation and calm down emotions

Examples specific to relaxation: autogenic training, mindfulness of the feelings in your body, visualization of a safe space

#2: Letting your mind wander

benefits: creativity, problem solving, original ideas, resolve traumas, find answers to questions, clear the mind

Examples: Naval Ravikant, Cal Newport's productive meditation, thinking about your relationship problems in the shower

other benefit: if you meditate like Naval Ravikant for a few months, you can get to a point where there is complete silence in your mind because there is nothing left to think about

#3: Raising your awareness

benefits: raising your awareness, being more present during the day, change brain structure to be more mindful, change brain state whenever you want

Examples: Eckhart Tolle, Joe Dispenza, mindfulness, focusing on the unknown, listening to the silence, shikantaza/choiceless awareness/nonjudgmental awareness/resting in pure awareness/objectless awareness/the method of no method

#Bonus: Most meditations combine #1 and #3

Example: transcendental meditation which uses #1 as a portal to get to #3

Example: focusing on the breath while observing your thoughts combine #1 and #3