I’ve tried more meditation techniques than I care to admit.
Some from apps. Some from books. Some from YouTube videos with suspiciously perfect-looking instructors sitting in suspiciously perfect gardens.
Here’s what I’ve learned: there’s no single “best” technique. There’s just what works for your brain, in your circumstances, right now.
This is my honest breakdown of ten techniques I’ve actually used — what each one does, who it suits, and when I reach for it.
1. Breath focus
The classic. You just… watch your breathing.
Not controlling it — observing. The air coming in through your nostrils. Your chest or belly rising. The slight pause before the exhale. The release.
When your mind wanders (it will), you notice that, and return to the breath.
When I use it: Most of the time. It’s my default because it’s always available and doesn’t require anything special.
Who it suits: Everyone, really. It’s the bread and butter of meditation.
The catch: Some people find focusing on breath increases anxiety, especially if you have respiratory issues or general health anxiety. If that’s you, try body sensations instead.
2. Body scan
You move attention slowly through your body, usually starting at your feet and working up (or head down).
Not changing anything — just noticing. That tension in your shoulders. The weight of your hands. Your jaw clenching without you realising.
When I use it: Before sleep, when physically tense, or when my mind is too scattered for breath focus.
Who it suits: People who are physically tense but don’t realise it. People who carry stress in their bodies. Anyone who struggles to “get out of their head.”
The catch: Takes longer than breath focus. Also, sometimes noticing tension makes you more tense. That usually passes with practice.
3. Counting breaths
Breath focus with training wheels.
Inhale, exhale, “one.” Inhale, exhale, “two.” Keep going to ten, then start over. If you lose count — and you will — just start again at one.
When I use it: When my mind is especially chaotic and needs something more structured to hold onto.
Who it suits: Overthinkers. People who find pure observation too vague. Anyone whose mind needs a task.
The catch: You might start turning it into a competition with yourself, trying to reach higher numbers. That misses the point. The restart isn’t failure — it’s the practice.
4. Loving-kindness (metta)
You silently repeat phrases wishing wellbeing. Usually starting with yourself (“May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be at peace”), then extending to loved ones, neutral people, difficult people, and eventually everyone.
It feels awkward at first. Borderline cheesy. Do it anyway.
When I use it: When I’m being hard on myself. When I’m holding a grudge. When I feel disconnected from others.
Who it suits: Self-critical people. Those in conflict with others. Anyone feeling lonely or bitter.
The catch: The phrases can feel empty or performative initially. That’s normal. The repetition gradually builds the feeling, even when it starts hollow.
5. Grounding (5-4-3-2-1)
A technique for pulling yourself into the present moment through senses.
Notice five things you can see. Four things you can hear. Three things you can feel physically. Two things you can smell. One thing you can taste.
When I use it: Anxiety spikes. Moments of panic. When I feel disconnected from reality.
Who it suits: Anyone with anxiety. People prone to dissociation. Those experiencing intrusive thoughts.
The catch: It’s more of an emergency intervention than a daily practice. It snaps you back to now, but it’s not building deeper skills like other techniques.
6. Walking meditation
Meditation in motion. You walk slowly — much slower than normal — paying attention to the sensations in your feet and legs. The lifting, moving, placing, weight shifting.
When I use it: When sitting still feels impossible. During lunch breaks. In nature.
Who it suits: Fidgety people. Those who hate sitting. Anyone who wants to meditate but struggles with stillness.
The catch: You need somewhere you can walk slowly without feeling self-conscious. A private garden works. A busy pavement doesn’t.
7. Sound meditation
Instead of focusing on breath, you focus on whatever sounds are present.
Traffic outside. Birdsong. The hum of your fridge. You don’t label or judge the sounds — you just receive them. They appear, exist, fade away.
When I use it: In noisy environments where sounds would otherwise distract me. It turns the problem into the practice.
Who it suits: People with noisy homes. Those who find internal focus difficult. Anyone who wants “eyes open” meditation.
The catch: Certain sounds can trigger you (a crying baby, construction noise). In those cases, this technique makes things worse, not better.
8. Visualisation
You imagine a scene — a beach, a forest, a mountain top — and mentally explore it in detail. What can you see? Hear? Feel?
When I use it: When I need escape more than presence. Long-haul flights. Stressful waiting rooms.
Who it suits: Imaginative people. Those who struggle with “boring” attention practices. Anyone who wants meditation to feel more active.
The catch: You can drift from meditation into daydreaming. The line is subtle. If you’re actively constructing and attending to the scene, it’s meditation. If you’re just spacing out into fantasy, it’s not.
9. Noting
A mindfulness practice where you silently label what’s happening.
A thought arises: “thinking.” A sound: “hearing.” An itch: “itching.” You note it briefly, then return to open awareness.
When I use it: When my mind is particularly chaotic and I need to create some distance from the constant stream.
Who it suits: Overthinkers. Those who get lost in thoughts. Anyone who wants a technique specifically for busy minds.
The catch: You can get caught up in finding the perfect labels, which defeats the purpose. Keep it simple and keep moving.
10. Open awareness (choiceless awareness)
The most spacious technique: you don’t focus on anything in particular.
Instead, you rest in awareness itself. Thoughts arise — you notice them without following. Sounds happen — they’re included. Nothing is excluded or fixated upon.
When I use it: Later in sessions after settling with breath focus. When I want a sense of expansiveness.
Who it suits: More experienced meditators. Those who feel constricted by focused attention.
The catch: It’s easy to confuse this with just spacing out. True open awareness is alert and present — not drifty and dull. If you’re new, you’ll probably need a focused technique first to settle the mind.
How to choose
There’s no objectively correct technique. It depends on:
Your current state. Anxious and scattered? Grounding or counting helps. Tired and dull? Maybe walking. Tense in your body? Body scan.
Your personality. Analytical people often like noting or counting. Creative types might prefer visualisation. Restless people do better with walking.
Your environment. Noisy? Try sound meditation. Out walking? Walking meditation. In bed? Body scan or breath.
What you’ve tried before. If breath focus never clicks, stop forcing it. Try something else.
Mixing and matching
You don’t have to pick one and use it forever.
In a single session, you might start with a few breath-focused minutes to settle, then open into spacious awareness, then finish with loving-kindness.
Or you might use different techniques on different days depending on your state.
The techniques are tools. Use what works.
Where AI meditation helps
Traditional apps give you pre-recorded sessions teaching specific techniques. That works, but the technique might not match your situation.
AI meditation can select and blend techniques based on what’s actually happening for you. If you mention you’re anxious and stuck in your head, it might emphasise grounding and body-based practices. If you’re feeling disconnected from people, it might weave in loving-kindness.
At InTheMoment, you have a brief conversation about where you’re at, and the session adapts. You can try two free sessions per day.
But you can also just pick a technique from this list and try it with a timer. No app required.
Start simple
If you’ve never meditated, start with breath focus. Three to five minutes. Just sit, breathe, notice, return.
That’s enough to understand what meditation is.
Then branch out. Try body scan when you’re tense. Try counting when scattered. Try walking when restless.
Over time, you’ll develop intuition about what your mind needs in different moments. That intuition is the real skill meditation teaches.
Want meditation that adapts techniques to your situation? Get started with two free sessions per day — tell us what’s on your mind and we’ll create something for you.