Guided and Unguided Meditation

Another one? Really?

I have to admit, this gave me some difficulty writing. It isn’t that I have nothing to say regarding either meditation practice but rather it is mostly the same information you can find on every meditation site out there. I feel like I’m going to need an emergency session just to get through this.

So, let’s get the known facts out of the way first.

What is guided meditation?

Guided meditation sessions are led by a teacher or instructor. These sessions can be in person, virtual, or a prerecorded video or audio file. Some sessions may even be written. It may be my laziness or lack of focus but written sessions have never worked for me. Reading or remembering the sessions was more of a distraction.

Most guided sessions are between five and twenty minutes but some go longer. Beginners to meditation may want to try shorter sessions until they are more comfortable with posture and positions.

In any form, guided sessions are always led by someone who guides you through, either to teach or keep you on track.

What is unguided meditation?

Unguided sessions are the opposite in that you control the session. These are usually done alone, with or without some kind of background music or white noise. These sessions can be timed or not, meditating until the session feels complete.

These are recommended for those more comfortable with meditating. It can be difficult at first to keep the mind from wandering.

What more is there to say?

Unless this is the first article you are reading about the subject, you will already know that choosing either method is personal preference. Studies suggest there is no difference to health benefits for choosing either guided or unguided meditation sessions.

I’m sure you can see the dilemma I have here. What information can I provide that you haven’t heard everywhere else?

I can share with you how I use each session to help achieve my personal goals.

How I use guided meditation sessions.

Guided meditation sessions were my “hallelujah moment” when I first started. I had no idea how to even start meditating and guided beginner sessions saved my sanity.

I use guided sessions if I am able to find one for the intent needed. It helps to keep me on track for my personal goal for the session.

They are very helpful for panic attacks and other strong negative emotions. These sessions help me to see the emotion for what it is, reminding me that I feel the emotion but I am not that emotion. This enables me to acknowledge it, be able to let it go and move on when I am ready.

How I use unguided meditation sessions.

A timed recording of a rainy day with the occasional distant rumble of thunder is my preferred background noise for unguided meditation sessions. These are very unpredictable for me.

Very often when I go into an unguided session with a specific intent or question, I get a lot more answers than expected but never the one I’m looking for until I’m reflecting on the session later. It is important for me to make sure I have enough time for the session and for journaling after. Reflecting on these sessions days or weeks later can offer insight I may have missed the first time.

Another form of unguided meditation sessions I use are frequencies. Instead of my rainy day background noise, I use a specific frequency used for healing, chakra balancing, or other intentions.

Beyond Little Thoughts

While I may not have been able to give you new information about these methods of meditation, I do hope that my perspective has given some of you new ideas to utilize them. It is important to keep in mind that these are only general methods of meditation and there are many variations of each that are worth looking into.

What are your thoughts?