Tired of Sitting Meditation? Try These 7 Other Meditation Styles!

One of the most common challenges people have when they start meditating is the feeling that they just can’t sit still. While this discomfort often fades with practice, many wonder if sitting is the only way to meditate correctly. 

The great news is that meditation can be practiced in lots of different (and fun) ways. You’re not limited to just sitting on the cushion. And once you figure out a meditation style that works for you, it’s easier to have mindful moments all the time! 

Meditation is a way of bringing our senses into the present moment. So, whether you come into that present moment while standing, walking, running, or eating, what matters most is that you’re fully there. Show off your new meditation skills with the Stay Grounded T-shirt.

In this way, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a great way to reduce stress regardless of how you learn best – whether by seeing, hearing, or doing. 

Whether you find the sitting position uncomfortable or simply want to try something new, let’s explore these 7 different ways you can meditate. We’ll cover:

• Walking meditation

• Standing meditation

• Gazing meditation

• Lying down meditation

• Listening meditation

• Mindful eating

• Mindful movement

We also give you some ideas to try these out so you can sense into what feels right for you now! 

Some of the Meditation Essentials in our Amazon Affiliate store are definitely a must have to help your journey be comfortable.

Walking meditation

Most of us walk at least a little bit every day – whether it’s around our house, office, or a stroll in the park. Yet how many of our steps are actually deliberate and mindful? When doing something as automatic as walking, it can be a fun new experience to walk with intention.

In walking meditation, you bring attention to everything that has to happen in order for your body to move from one spot to another. Lifting your foot, placing it down, lifting the other one…all of these are movements that normally occur without your conscious awareness. 

As you bring consciousness to something as “ordinary” as walking, you might feel a greater sense of appreciation for your body. Instead of focusing on the ruminating thoughts in your mind, you feel yourself actually being in your body. And each time you do that, you strengthen your ability to be more present without judgment.

Try it out for yourself: Go for a walk in a nearby park, forest, or around the block. Walk very slowly and with intention. Focus on your heel or toe touching the ground with each step. Sense into the muscles in your legs that are allowing you to move forward. Have an awareness for movement of the toes, arch, heel or ankle.

“When we walk like we are rushing, we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth. We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the earth... Be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth. Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.” - Thich Nhat Hanh 

Standing meditation

While it looks simple, there’s more to standing meditation than just standing. It’s about maintaining awareness of your posture and your breathing. When you stand, you notice the subtle movements of your body such as the gentle sway from side to side. You may notice how the breath moves through the body.

This practice can help you recognize how gravity is supporting you in every moment. As you stand still for longer periods of time, you’re also strengthening your body as your legs and feet are engaged.

Standing meditation can be done in different ways. While you can stand upright and look straight ahead, you could also do any number of standing postures. If you’ve ever done yoga, you’ve probably experienced “mountain pose” or tadasana at least once. Several movement practices like Zhan Zhuang or Qi Gong also integrate standing poses so check them out for some additional inspiration. 

Try it out for yourself: Stand still with your hands relaxed by your side and your feet planted firmly on the ground, about shoulder-width apart. Straighten your spine. Gaze softly ahead or close the eyes. Soften any tightness or tension. Take a few breaths in and out. Notice how grounded you feel with your feet connected to the ground. Stand for a few minutes and recognize how much clearer your mind feels after.

Gazing meditation

With gazing meditation, you bring stillness to the body through fixing your sight on a certain object or point of interest. You can use a candle flame, the horizon, the night sky, a mirror, or any object that happens to be nearby. The possibilities are endless.

You can do this gazing meditation while sitting, standing, or lying down. When you find your point of focus, soften your gaze and allow the rest of your body to relax. Look at the object through fresh eyes as if you’ve never seen it before. This practice can also help you cultivate the mindfulness attitude of beginner’s mind.

Try it out for yourself: Select an object to gaze at such as a candle flame. Get comfortable so you can focus all of your attention on the candle flame. Then soften your gaze and see what comes into your field of awareness as you gaze at the candle flame. Can you see its colors, its brightness, its gentle movement?  Realize that you’re simply there with the flame – without feeling the need to label it. Observe whatever comes into the forefront of the mind

Lying down meditation

When you want to go deeper with your meditation, lying down can help your body relax. This reduces the number of potential distractions such as your feet going numb or your back hurting from sitting.

 In meditation, it’s important to stay mentally alert so you can be conscious of what your mind’s doing. The downside of lying down is that you may find yourself drifting off to sleep. If you’re susceptible to this, perhaps try this meditation during a time of day when you feel most alert. You want to fall awake, not fall asleep.

When you’re lying down, it can be a great time for guided imagery meditations or even hypnotherapy. It’s easier to get into deeper brain states where you can enter the unconscious mind for healing. There is no wrong way to practice meditation, try out different styles until you find one that works for you.

Try it out for yourself: A great meditation to try while lying down is the body scan. Lie down in a comfortable position, ensuring that your body temperature is comfortable and that your clothing is not too tight. Starting from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head, spend a few minutes focusing on each area of your body. Observe any physical sensations present. Be curious about what you are noticing. As you move your attention to each part of the body, sense into and release any tension as you exhale. Experience the body scan meditation here!

Listening meditation

In listening meditation, your attention is focused exclusively on the sounds around you. As you notice these sounds coming and going, you become more aware of the changing nature of physical sensations – whether they’re pleasant or unpleasant. This helps you attune to the changing and fluid nature of your thoughts.

If you’re outside in the forest for example, you can tune your awareness to the sounds of the birds chirping or the stream of the river flowing by. The sounds of bells or chimes can also be a great way to practice listening meditation as you notice the different levels of volume or pitch. You may have an awareness for the various layers of sound, the sounds within your body (digestion, breath, swallowing) all the way out to the sounds far off in the distance. 

Try it out for yourself: Wherever you are right now, shift your attention to the sounds around you. Close your eyes. Focus on your sense of hearing. What sounds do you hear? How subtle or loud are they? How often do they come and go? Be ok with whatever sounds arise – even if an occasional siren or unexpected phone ring comes into your awareness. This is how you practice becoming aware of what is happening without judgement.

Mindful eating

Meditating while eating? Yes, it’s absolutely possible! Mindful eating is a way of eating more slowly while becoming conscious of what we’re putting into our body. It helps you savor every bite as you bring awareness to the flavor, texture, and smell of the food you’re eating. 

Mindful eating also helps you become more aware of the intentions behind your eating. Are you eating because you’re hungry? Or because you’re feeling stressed or procrastinating? Noticing the intentions behind your eating can help you improve your eating habits so you can make better choices that benefit your overall well-being.

Try it out for yourself: During your next meal, slow down and focus on the sensations of the food in your mouth. First, notice the look of the food. Take in the colors. Inhale the scent. Does your food make any sounds? Then smell the food and touch it to feel its texture. Hold the food to your lips and notice your mouth salivate with the urge to eat it. As you go on to take a bite, notice all the sensations in your mouth as you chew more slowly than you normally would. Feel the temperature of the food. How cold or hot is it? Make it your intention to fully savor each bite.

Mindful movement

Another way to get in touch with the present moment – and your body in particular – is mindful movement. Mindful movement is a type of meditation where you pay special attention to the sensations of your body as you move around. 

As you stretch or move through different postures such as in yoga, the intention is to bring awareness to what it feels like to be in that particular posture. What do the activated muscles feel like? How is your breath flowing with the movement? How intentional is your breathing?

Mindful movement helps you develop the skills of focused attention, aids in relaxation, and can also help you build physical strength over time. It’s great to pair with breathing exercises – either before or after the mindful movement practice.

Try it out for yourself: Check out this YouTube video. As you follow the moves in the video, focus on the sensations of your body parts moving around. Feel your lungs taking in oxygen. Sense into where your breath is going. Feel each muscle as it’s activated. Enjoy what it feels like to be alive and to be able to move like this!

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To learn more about our Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program and how it can help you make the most of these different meditation techniques, Click Here! One of the great things about MBSR is that you get to try out a range of different meditation styles. So, if you’re not a fan of sitting meditation, don’t worry. You always have the option to meditate in a way that works best for you! Remember… as long as you are breathing you are doing it right!