The 2 Types of Meditation: Passive and Active Meditation
Most of the trendy meditation techniques out there today focus on one or the other of the two primary types of meditation. Rarely, though, do I see them combine both for maximum benefit that can be gained from each type. The two forms of meditation I am referring to are: Passive Meditation and Active Meditation. Both are important to do, as each type delivers different benefits. In order to maximize the results you are getting from meditation, I recommend including both types of meditation for certain lengths of time. Once 15-20 minutes have been spent practicing the first three steps of preparing for deeper meditation, then these two types of true meditation can be accessed for profound benefit.
Passive Meditation is the first type of deeper meditative experience.
In Passive Meditation, we are in a state of empty mind – with no thoughts. It can also be described as a feeling of being in the “Void”. Passive meditation is where you are simply focusing on your breath, being aware yet with quiet mind, or present to emptying the mind. This type of meditation really allows you to reset, access deep peace, and sense of oneness with all.
If you would like help with getting into a deep passive meditation state, I recommend our meditation album called “Into the Gap” that guides you through the steps to get into the void or into deep meditation and training yourself to feel and hold that deep state. A passive meditation is usually working with a deep Theta brainwave level (3-7 Hz, stay tuned for Part 3 of this series to learn more about the brainwave levels). It is a transition point between waking and sleeping, it is also a state in which the body can go into its own healing state to restore and renew your energy. The key is to hold and prolong this Theta brainwave state without falling asleep.
Passive meditation, however, only needs to be sustained for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then after this period of holding a passive state, I recommend you proceed to an active type of meditation for a truly transformative experience. Once you have successfully held a passive meditation state for 5-10 minutes, and your ego-mind is out of the way, that is when you are ready to transition into an Active Meditation for the remainder of your meditation time.
Active Meditation is the second type of deep meditation
Once the ego mind has quieted down after passive meditation, and you then shift into an active form of meditation, this is where you can truly harness the power of meditation for creating inner transformation and charging up with new energy. This type of meditation uses more of the active imagination and the higher mind to create an internal shift, receive insight, or to train and harness the power of the mind. Active meditation can include anything from a guided meditation journey, repeating a mantra, contemplation of a question or principle or affirmation, doing yin-style tai chi or qi gong, or focusing on cultivating a specific quality such as Passion or Joy.
Whatever symbols, words, images, or concepts are focused on during the active meditation time, these ideas and the forces associated with them
will penetrate deeply into your psyche and have the power to transform you from the inside-out.Thus it is important to choose wisely and work with truly beneficial and universal symbols. A good example of a universal symbol to work with is a sacred geometry, such as the pyramid or upright triangle, or even just a circle as a focal point. Start simple, build up the ability to hold a single object of focus for an extended period, immerse yourself into the energy and feeling of that object and bring it to life within you. For example, if you were to imagine that you were inside the center of a pyramid, what does it feel like to be in that? How long can you hold that image? Allow the experience to come fully to life, and engage all 5 senses to build the image in your mind as if it were a real thing around you. Then surrender to it and allow it to take on its own life, while you still actively hold the structure of the object of focus.
The possibilities for active meditations are endless, and they can be engaged for anywhere from as little as 5 minutes to upwards of an hour, depending on what you want to accomplish. An active meditation is usually working with a high Theta and Alpha brainwave levels (7-13 Hz, stay tuned for Part 3 of this series to learn more about the brainwave levels). It is through active meditation that you can really learn to harness the power of the mind, training your mind to focus on a desired object, and direct all your thoughts and attention towards that object. This is also where the power of manifestation from higher planes of consciousness comes into play. But before you can be effective at manifesting by will and thought alone, you must first clear away the static and chatter of the ego mind that tends to distract or even sabotage your results. Hence the importance of doing passive meditation for 5-10 minutes prior to active meditation.
The Most Effective Meditation System for Achieving Maximum Results
Of the many styles of meditation I have worked with, one of the most effective methods I have experienced is the Max Meditation System™. This system brings together the best of the best of meditation practices from around the world. It really helps guide you through all 3 preparatory steps (link to previous article), plus both passive and active meditation types, into a deep meditative experience.
Through it you will access a full spectrum of harmonized brainwave states, reach deep, powerful, and integrative states of consciousness, become revitalized and renewed with energy, and truly gain all the benefits meditation has to offer.
This system is a fusion of ancient techniques of Tibetan, Zen, and yogic meditation elements, as well as mental acrobatics of western esoteric methods and modern techniques of psychology and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). While I have practiced and also teach multiple meditation styles, by far the one that offers the most powerful, deep, comprehensive and transformational experience is the Max Meditation System™.
Max Meditation System™ was designed and passed down by Founder Gudni Gudnason of the Modern Mystery School. To get the most out of this meditation system, we recommend you find a certified meditation practitioner and trainer from the Modern Mystery School in your area, and attend an in-person meditation class. Each meditation is tailored to the energies of the group and the day, so it is always different and always enriching. To find a list of certified practitioners near you, please click here.
If you are interested in trying Max Meditation System™ but can’t find a practitioner in your area, you may also download our album “Into the Gap,” which is based on the first several steps in the Max Meditation System™. To download my “Into the Gap” meditation, click here
Meditation can be one of the greatest tools to help you gain insight into creative solutions and give you the space for relaxation as well as to energize you to achieve your goals, especially for leaders. The Max Meditation System™ is an excellent way to help you achieve sustained Alpha and Theta and even deeper brain states in meditation.
Click here to go to Part 3 of this blog series to learn more about the brainwave states and latest neuroscience of meditation.