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When it comes to self-care, I practice six ways of meditation.

Meditation is an important part of my daily routine for self-care—I’ve been meditating for 20 years. The purpose of meditation is to keep the mind, body, and heart in harmony.

Below, I’ll discuss six different meditations that can be done in an enjoyable way.

Breath Meditation

This meditation can be done for five minutes or longer. I do it after I wake up and before I go to bed. I close my eyes and pay attention to the inhalation and exhalation of my breath. I lie down on my bed or sit in an upright position.

Before I begin my breath meditation, I remind myself to breathe in love, gratitude, and compassion, and I tell myself to breathe out any negativity that may unconsciously hinder my efforts, progress, peace, and well-being.

Action-Based Meditation

I consciously practice two action-based meditations. They are “satsang” and positive speech and actions. The universe works and responds through energy; hence, what I sow, I reap. What I give, I receive. Bad actions lead to negative results. Good actions lead to positive results.

Practice satsang, a Sanskrit words that means spending time with good or holy people who’re on the path to positivity, liberation, and bliss. For example, if you want to get healthy, you need to be with people who eat healthy food and exercise regularly. I practice spending my time with the kinds of people who empower, support, and help me. Good people see our potential, encourage and support us, value us, and elevate our energies.

Speak and act positively every moment. I always ask myself: Is the way I am speaking or acting going to help someone or break their spirits and demoralize them? Therefore, I remain mindful of my speech and actions from moment to moment.

I always make a positive contribution to the world and the people around me. Taking care of those who need my support and making the world better than how I found it is part of my self-care process. For example, if you’re a writer, you can donate a small portion of your earnings to the needy. Your writing doesn’t only help your readers, but also those who have no access to your writings but need other forms of love and support from you.

Writing Meditation

Writing is a great form of meditation. Reading makes you understand what is happening around the world. Writing makes you understand yourself better. I do two types of writing: one is to write for readers and the other is a reflective journal.

Practice “manas suddha” through writing, which means purification of the mind. It is a meditation method whereby you become aware of your thoughts, and calmly watch and release them without being disturbed by them. Writing can be an excellent form of manas suddha.

As writers put into words their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and lessons, they become self-aware and create positive energies. When words from your mind come to paper, the mind purifies and self-clarity grows. Writers rescue, uplift, and strengthen many souls with their words. Simultaneously, writers develop clear perceptions and ground their emotions as they mindfully write.

Do a reflective journal. Before going to bed, I write in my journal, asking myself these seven questions:

>> What went well today?
>> What didn’t go well today?
>> What are the factors coming from within me (internal factors) that hindered my progress?
>> What factors from the environment (external factors) hindered my progress?
>> How can I make things better for myself tomorrow?
>> Why did I think, feel, speak, and act in this way today?
>> What can I change in myself to rise to my higher self?

Physical Meditation

I refer to my exercise routines as physical meditations. According to Osho, a spiritual mystic, in physical meditations, we jump, dance, bounce, shout, and shake our bodies to get out all the unwanted energies, thoughts, emotions and pain. Later, we lie down on the floor and meditate in silence. The mind feels calmer and it’s easier to meditate silently after the physical meditation.

I modified my physical meditations by connecting them with my intuition. I intuitively listen to my body and then do the exercises my body requests for the day. When it comes to physical activity, the body is the master. Therefore, I listen carefully to what my body is telling me and then do the exercise that I need to do best. I feel healthier and fitter, with no aches, pains, and health problems ever since I started listening to my body. Physical meditation improves physical and mental fitness. Physical meditation raises body awareness.

Physical meditations are simply doing physical exercises with your intuition. Simply, place your attention on your body parts, sense your body’s aches and pains, and its need for growth and wellness, and then work out mindfully.

Golden Light Shower Meditation

Normally when we shower, we think of many things…we’re usually not present and we bathe mechanically. The lack of proper attention and self-focus can affect personal care.

So, I started practicing shower meditation. During the shower meditation, I thank the universe and visualize the negative things of the day being washed away. I visualize a golden light shining on me as the water flows on me. I remind myself and tell myself that I’m washing away bad vibes and freshening myself.

I learned from my spiritual teachers that water absorbs and cleanses energies. We can use the sacred energies of water to recharge and refresh. Recharge yourself and come back invigorated after a shower. In some traditional practices and households, turmeric and saltwater are used for spiritual cleansing and to wash away negative energies.

Sound Meditation

I close myself and pay attention to the sound of “aum.” Aum is said to be the scared universal sound syllable. This sound is believed to clear any blockages of the mind, emotions, and body. I usually close my eyes and chant aum for about five minutes.

Aum has a myriad of deep spiritual meanings. I’ll briefly share those below:

Aum comes from the sounds: Ahh, Ooh, Hmmm. Ahh means awakening, self-realization, and enlightenment. Ooh means subconscious mind and dream state. And hmm means the sleep state—a metaphysical sleep, that is, or an unconscious state.

It is believed that through the sound of aum, one is able to overcome any forms of unconsciousness that contribute to pain and suffering by making the unconscious become conscious. Aum helps in working toward awakening by subduing our dreams (illusions, unhealthy attachments and desires, negative habits, and ego-driven actions) that don’t serve a positive purpose in one’s life. It helps the meditator arrive at a state of awakening; it grants peace and bliss.

I also use positive affirmative words as part of sound meditation. I close my eyes and speak to myself:

>> I am strong and I am able to overcome all adversities.
>> I am the light of my life and I overcome all challenges.
>> I will be a strong light and a source of positivity for myself and others.
>> I am mentally, emotionally, and physically well and fine, and growing strong and healthy every day.
>> I believe that even a minute of any mindful meditation a day will bring positive results to the meditator.

I hope this was useful for you. Thank you for reading my insights.