Both guided and solo meditation bring you to the same path. With that said, it is not always easy for new meditators to sit still and try and focus without any type of guidance. This can be one of the things that puts many people off meditation, making it far harder to get into a practice.
There are many forms of guided meditation and not all of them take the conventional form of a voice telling you when to inhale and when to exhale. One of the reasons I love Insight Timer so much is that it offers guidance in several different ways. There are the standard guided practices, which take you through the meditation. Then there are the mantra meditation practices that allow you to focus on specific mantras. There are also music meditations, breathing meditations, mindfulness meditations and many others that are guided in a more subtle way.
I started my meditation journey with a guided practice and now I enjoy both guided and solo meditation. In the mornings, I use Insight Timer – usually choosing my meditation according to what I need on that specific day. At night, as part of my bedtime routine, I do a breathing meditation on my own to help me ease into sleep mode.
Solo or Guided Meditation – Which is Right for You?
Which is the right type of meditation for you, then? Only you can answer this question. Both solo and guided meditation gives you the benefit of meditation. Both have their own advantages, too. To show you how they compare, here are some of the subtle differences:
Guided practices…
- Help you learn the basic of meditation
- Allow you to focus on a voice, music or something else
- Can be tailored to suit your needs on any given day
- Make it easier to get into the habit of meditation
- Work especially well for those who battle to sit still
Solo practices…
- Can be done anywhere, at any time with no apps needed
- Help you deepen your practice as you learn how to sit
- Allow you to focus on your own breath and mantras
- Give you more freedom to design your own meditation
- Work well for those who can sit still for longer periods
If you are new to meditation, my advice is to start with guided and then go from there. This will help you ease into your practice.
Which type of meditation works best for you? Let me know whether you prefer solo or guided meditation.
