There are many kinds of meditation. You sort of have to try different styles and see what works.
I can't hardly use an internal type because my mind won't shut up long enough for me to remember to sit on the beach and listen to the ships passing by....lol.
So I do better with a guided style. I have "Peaceful Ocean Surf", "Mountain Stream", "Spring Storm", and several other CD's that I listen to at night when I'm in bed and trying to get my mind to stop going over what I have to do the next day or a conversation with someone that pissed me off.
When I am working on de-stressing I often turn to my old true and tried resources. I have tapes where the person speaking tells me what to do. I often pay more attention to this style of relaxation because my mind will settle down and I can listen.
There are 2 types of relaxation tapes that I use:
Autogenic and Guided Imagery/visualization.
*********************************************
In Autogenic the person talks quietly and guides you through a series of thoughts and actions that will help you to relax leg by leg, arm by arm, and so forth. The theme is my xxxx(arm) is heavy and warm. I am at peace. It really really really really depends on the person talking as to whether this will work for you or not.
Some people's voices really irritate me so I can't relax while their voice is on. So shopping around for the right one is essential. You could go to youtube and search for autogenic relaxation and try some out. Once you find a voice that is good and the phrases they use are pleasant to you then you can usually order something directly from them.
**************************************************
I am not an outdoor girl for sure, I don't like being out in the country, in a meadow in the wilderness, at the beach with bugs that annoy me and birds
that will dive bomb me. So being outdoors poses a special problem with me.
I have to add in to visualization that there are no bugs, no hot sun, no bees that can sting me, no snakes, no outdoor critters that can attack and hurt.
I start out doing area relaxation where I go from foot to ankle to knee to thigh then start on the other foot and move up that leg. That's when I usually go to the hips and waist. It might be that I want to wait and do that area last though. If I'm in pain I go to that area as soon as I think I can relax it. Then I go through one arm then the other, then I start on my head and neck, then to my back.
I tighten up that muscle group then let it relax. I might have to do this twice but if that doesn't work I move on. As your body grows accustomed to doing this you'll find that you do it more easily.
I go to my quiet place and grab my rolled up towel to put under my neck. I recline instead of laying flat. I put my feet up a tiny bit. I lay my hands to my side. I wiggle a little to get the kinks out and make sure nothing is compressed or hurting from this position. I start the tapes or the CD of what ever I am in the mood for, voice guiding me through the session or just noise like the surf or plain piano music.
I go through the tape and do as the person is guiding me to do. I feel very relaxed when we get all the body parts relaxed and warm.
The one I like the best guides me down a staircase onto a lovely beach, the wind is lightly blowing, the fronds of the trees rustle slightly, there are no insects or birds close by, other people are relaxing and quiet. I smell the air and breath deeply several times.
I listen to the passing boats/ships, I hear birds calling, there are slight sounds of the air moving the plants, the temperature is perfect. I breath in relaxation.
And so forth.
When it's time to come back to life...lol. The person guides me back up the staircase and with each step we stop to take a deep breath and stretch a tiny bit. Each step brings me to a state of being awake. When I reach the top I will open my eyes and feel very refreshed and wide awake ready to face challenges with a fresh mind...
Not goofy at all right????? lol. I enjoy doing relaxation. It really helps me to get the deepest muscles of all relaxed.
I hope you can find just the right blend of the voice and the music and all that combines to make relaxation very enjoyable.