Deep Meditation: How to Practice Deep Meditation

Deep meditation is a type of meditation that involves a partial or complete loss of awareness, as though your nervous system no longer perceives your surroundings. Deep meditation is not its own meditation style but rather a state reached within a meditation session. Daily meditations, guided visualizations led by meditation apps, deep sleep meditations, and transcendental meditation sessions can all lead to states of deep meditation. When you reach a deep state of meditation, you become at least partially unaware of your physical space, of other people, and of your own consciousness. You may not even be aware you are meditating.

As deep meditation is not its own discipline but rather a state of meditation, academics have rarely targeted it for study. However, researchers have linked many types of meditation to positive health outcomes. These benefits of meditation include:

1. 1. Decreased stress hormones: Mindfulness meditation is associated with decreased levels of cortisol, a common stress hormone found in the brain.
2. 2. Reduced activity in self-centered regions of the brain: Meditation may help reduce activity in the brain’s default mode network, or DMN. This network contributes heavily to mind wandering and self-referential thoughts. DMN is associated with worrying. You can use meditation techniques to quiet this network.
3. 3. Improved mood: You can incorporate a personal or guided meditation practice to help reduce the effects of anxiety and depression. Meditation alone will not eliminate the effects of depression, but a meditative practice promotes the kind of brain training that can have similar results to taking antidepressants.
4. 4. Calming the body. When you meditate, you intentionally relax your body and practice measured breathing. You may experience small but beneficial reductions in blood pressure and heart rate in addition to deep relaxation.

Practitioners will vary slightly on exact approaches and deep meditation tips. The following steps however are common practices used to achieve deeper meditation states:

1. 1. Find a comfortable location and position. Situate yourself in a meditation space that is comfortable and free of distraction. The purpose of this is to locate yourself in the present moment and relax your body before you begin to reduce your awareness of those spatial details. Yoga practitioners may choose from various asanas or special postures designed for meditation. Any position is fine as long as your body feels calm and relaxed.
2. 2. Practice contentment. Once you center your mind and body, focus on thoughts of contentment, joy, and gratitude. You’ll slowly reduce feelings of anxiety and restlessness. Repeat positive affirmations or mantras. Remind yourself of good things present in your daily life. Allow your state of mind to dwell on feelings of contentment and safety. You can incorporate these simple practices of visualization to help get your mind centered and focused for deeper meditation, and it’s also just a good mental health exercise.
3. 3. Focus on your breath. Take a few deep breaths. Breathe in long and deep through the nose and out through the mouth. While breathing in, center yourself and breathe out to release tension, allowing your mind and body to let go. Allow yourself to be relaxed about your experience. Focusing on your breathing can help remind us that we are in the midst of meditating and can enjoy the journey and process regardless of what shape it may take.
4. 4. Be open and non-judgmental. Meditation shouldn’t be filled with self-judgment. There is no right or wrong way to practice mindfulness, so give yourself permission for your mind to wander or think of nothing at all.
5. 5. Reflect. After your session, take account of how you feel. How does your body feel after your breathing meditations? Do you experience any feelings of increased inner peace? The process of meditation will vary, but it can be good to familiarize yourself with how you react afterward. Remember not to judge regardless of the observations, and let the reflection inspire you to continue trying it again.

Find something comfortable to sit or lie on, grab a MasterClass Annual Membership, and dial into the present moment with Jon Kabat-Zinn, the father of the Western mindfulness movement. From formal meditation exercises to examinations of the science behind mindfulness, Jon will prepare you for the most important practice of them all: life itself.