I Want To Experiment With Different Types Of Meditation

[ChimpBrain]

I've only ever tried do nothing and what I guess is some sort of mindfulness or vipassana where I just focus on the breath or a sound and try not to think. I tried strong determination sitting a few times but I literally never made it more than a few minutes so I guess that's too advanced for me right now. Oh, I also tried a guided loving kindness meditation a few times with zero "success", my imagination is really underdeveloped and I couldn't hold an image or thought of someone in mind for more than a few seconds at a time. So is this pretty much all there is and I should just stick to do nothing and vipassana, or are there other styles of meditation that I might actually be able to do "successfully"? 

 

Thanks! 

[Leo Gura]

There are dozens if not a hundred different styles. It's easy to get overwhelmed and to lose focus. So I'd suggest you stick to 2 or 3 at the most when you start. Then after a few years of solid practice you can branch out further, and by that time you'll have found many other techniques.

That's what I've done.

[ChimpBrain]

18 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

There are dozens if not a hundred different styles. It's easy to get overwhelmed and to lose focus. So I'd suggest you stick to 2 or 3 at the most when you start. Then after a few years of solid practice you can branch out further, and by that time you'll have found many other techniques.

That's what I've done.

Thank you Leo. Good to see you back on the forum! I'll take your advice and stick to the basics, especially since that's what seems to be providing me with some sort of results up to this point. Because of your videos I'm now about 4 months into daily meditation. I definitely feel less stressed out in general, I actually notice when I'm having undesirable thoughts now and can stop them, and my overall level of happiness seems to have increased, so those are big improvements. Even if I never got anything else from the practice this in itself would be worth the time and effort.