In Buddhist philosophies, meditation has many purposes – to relieve stress (restful), to focus the mind (concentration), or to open the mind (mindful). Within each of these types of meditation, relaxation is not entirely the goal but often a result and side effect.

• Restful Meditation
  • The most common form of meditation, this style often has the intention of aiding with entering sleep or with taking naps. To begin restful meditation, listen to smooth, slow music while sitting or lying in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and let the flow of the music take control of your thoughts.
• Concentration Meditation
  • This form of meditation involves focusing the mind and is done so by sitting in a comfortable position and narrowing in on a specific thing. This can be by repeating a phrase or word, staring at an object, or by counting mala beads or another item. The purpose of this meditation is to narrow the mind on a single subject, and to hold that focus for the duration of the meditation.
• Mindful Meditation
  • Mindful meditation is the practice of becoming aware of your inner thoughts and become more in touch with yourself. In mindful meditation, you either close your eyes or stare “loosely” at a single point, and instead of trying to think of something or instead of trying to think of something or nothing at all, you let thoughts cross your mind as words, and see them float across without engaging in them any further than recognizing that they exist.

Click here to read more about the benefits of meditation: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeenacho/2016/07/14/10-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-mindfulness-and-meditation/