Modern research often describes meditation as falling into four broad categories, each supporting a different aspect of awareness and growth.

• Focused attention – Builds concentration by keeping awareness on one object such as the breath, a sound, or a visual point. Common examples include breath awareness meditation and certain forms of Zen concentration.
• Open awareness – Develops the capacity to witness thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise and pass. The practitioner maintains a broad, inclusive awareness of experience, noticing without becoming involved. Common examples include mindfulness and Vipassana meditation.
• Contemplative practices – Apply awareness to reflection and insight. Practitioners intentionally think about spiritual ideas, teachings, or questions to deepen understanding and meaning. Common examples include self inquiry, loving kindness meditation, and contemplative prayer.
• Meditation apps and guided meditation - Most modern meditation apps combine elements of focused attention and open awareness. They guide users to focus on the breath, listen to sounds, or notice sensations in the body. While helpful for relaxation and awareness, they usually remain at the surface level of attention and do not lead the mind into the deeper states of rest that nondirective techniques produce. Read more about the limitations of using apps at Why not just use an app?.
• Our approach
  Nondirective meditation – Cultivates restful awareness by allowing the mind to move freely while gently favoring a simple technique such as a meaningless sound or effortless mental repetition. The witnessing awareness that emerges is not maintained by effort but arises naturally as the mind settles. Examples include Flow Meditation, Vedic Meditation, Transcendental Meditation and 1 Giant Mind Being Meditation.

Many people are familiar with mindfulness, which is a form of open awareness practice. Mindfulness involves consciously observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise, often with gentle curiosity and acceptance. It builds the ability to notice what is happening in the present moment without reacting to it.

Being Meditation is not the same as mindfulness, but both increase present moment awareness. The difference is in how that awareness develops. In mindfulness, awareness grows through deliberate observation of the present moment. In Being Meditation, awareness arises naturally as the mind settles and the body rests. By cultivating a neutral attitude toward thoughts and experiences, the mind becomes quieter on its own. As the noise of stress and overthinking fades, a stable sense of presence appears effortlessly.

In this way, present moment awareness becomes a natural byproduct of the Being Meditation technique. Rather than striving to be mindful, you find yourself more aware, calm, and connected simply by allowing the mind to rest.