Before choosing a specific type of meditation, the first step is deciding whether you’re looking for guided or unguided meditation:
• Guided meditation. An instructor talks you through the process. This is especially helpful for beginners.
• Unguided meditation. There’s no instructor, and you’re free to choose your own pace and methods.
Here is breakdown of different meditation techniques to help you get started.

1. Focused breathing
   Focused breathing involves sitting quietly and focusing on your breath.
   “Just by watching the breath, not only will it start to slow, but the pause between the inhales and exhales will start becoming longer and longer,” says Kimberly Snyder, spiritual and meditation teacher and author of “You Are More Than You Think You Are.”
   “It is in these gaps where you can start to connect to the deepest parts of yourself. In the gap is peace.”
   A 2017 review Trusted Source shows that slow breathing can positively impact your heart, respiratory system, and autonomic nervous system, which controls heart rate and digestion.
   How to do it
   Here is an adaptation of a meditation practice from Snyder’s book:
2. Take a comfortable seat, keeping your spine straight.
3. Observe the natural inhale and exhale of your breath.
4. Start to pay extra attention to the gaps — the spaces between your inhales and exhales. Notice them start to expand.
5. Try to keep your body very still and breathe softly.
6. If your mind wanders, come back to simply observing the breath.
7. Box breathing
   Box breathing can help in those moments when stress takes over and you need an immediate way to relax your mind and body. The beauty of this type of meditation is you can do it anytime, anywhere.
   “Box breathing is especially great for those who [deal] with intense, physical responses to anxiety and stress,” says Amanda Huggins, anxiety and mindfulness coach. “The intent of this practice is to stimulate the vagus nerve, which helps to lower the heart rate and bring the body out of the fight-or-flight response.”
   How to do it
8. Inhale for 4 seconds.
9. Hold the breath for 4 seconds.
10. Exhale for 4 seconds.
11. Hold the breath for 4 seconds.
    Repeat 12 to 15 times or more as needed, and don’t skimp on the “holds.” Those gentle pause points between inhalations and exhalations help cue the nervous system into relaxing.
12. Anxiety relief meditation
    Using the power of visualization and deep breathing, anxiety relief meditation can relax the central nervous system through deep breathing.
    “A visualization meditation that does double duty for anxious-minded folks: not only is it a fantastic way to self-soothe, it offers a safe way to dialogue with the anxious mind,” says Huggins.
    How to do it
    Here’s a step-by-step meditation recommended by Huggins:
13. Find a comfortable position.
14. As you close your eyes, place one hand on your heart and one hand low on your belly. Breathe deeply, and notice how it feels to offer yourself supportive physical touch. Stay here for a few cycles of breath.
15. With eyes still closed, ask yourself: “Where in my body am I holding this anxiety?” Focus on that part of your body.
16. In your mind, assign a color, shape, or texture to the anxiety.
17. Keeping the visual in your mind’s eye, draw the attention back to breath.
18. Focus now on your exhalations. With every breath out, visualize the anxiety leaving your body.
19. Ask yourself: “What do I need in this moment?” This is a place to feel into your inner guidance, rather than to think through it.
20. Stay with the meditative reflection for as long as you need to feel complete.