Types of Meditation that can Help you Heal
19 Different types of meditation and what they can do for you.
Written By: Taylor Gibbs
In this guide, we’ll explore 19 different types of meditation that can support people living with cancer. In our most recent podcast with Hemal H. Patel, Ph.D. of UC San Diego, we discuss whether you are newly diagnosed, in active treatment, in remission, or supporting a loved one. There is a practice that can meet you where you are gently. The beauty of meditation is that there is no single “right” way to practice. Some people find relief through quiet mindfulness or breath awareness. Others connect more deeply with guided imagery, loving-kindness meditation, or gratitude practices. For those who struggle to sit still, walking meditation, Qigong, or Tai Chi may feel more natural. Some prefer mantra-based approaches like Transcendental Meditation, while others benefit from body scan exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, sound meditation, or restorative practices such as Yoga Nidra. Explore these all together below and find one best suited for you!
1. Mindfulness Meditation
Best for: Anxiety, depression, fear of recurrence
Mindfulness involves observing thoughts and sensations without judgment. One of the most studied programs is MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction), developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
2. Guided Imagery
Best for: Pain, nausea, treatment anxiety
Patients visualize calming scenes or healing imagery. This can be particularly helpful during chemotherapy sessions or before surgery.
3. Loving-Kindness (Metta) Meditation
Best for: Emotional healing, anger, grief
This practice focuses on sending compassion to yourself and others, helping reduce isolation and emotional suffering.
4. Body Scan Meditation
Best for: Chronic pain, reconnecting with the body
A slow awareness practice that moves attention through different body areas, promoting relaxation and body acceptance.
5. Breath Awareness Meditation
Best for: Panic, stress spikes, scan anxiety
Simple focus on the breath activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the body quickly.
6. Transcendental Meditation (TM)
Best for: Deep stress reduction
This mantra-based practice, popularized by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, uses repeated silent sounds to settle the mind deeply.
7. Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep)
Best for: Severe fatigue, insomnia
A guided, deeply restorative meditation practiced lying down. It can be especially helpful for treatment-related exhaustion.
8. Movement Meditation
Best for: Fatigue, stiffness
Gentle movements such as slow walking or stretching combined with awareness can support circulation and mobility.
9. Walking Meditation
Best for: Restlessness, grounding
Mindful walking helps those who find seated meditation difficult, especially during recovery phases.
10. Chakra Meditation
Best for: Emotional balance
This meditation focuses on energy centers in the body. Some cancer patients find it spiritually comforting.
11. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Best for: Physical tension, sleep problems
Involves tightening and relaxing muscle groups systematically to release stress.
12. Visualization for Immune Support
Best for: Empowerment during treatment
Some patients imagine their immune cells fighting cancer cells. While symbolic, it can increase feelings of control and hope.
13. Sound Meditation
Best for: Mental overactivity
Uses singing bowls, chimes, or calming tones to anchor attention and reduce intrusive thoughts.
14. Vipassana Meditation
Best for: Deep self-observation
Cultivating non-judgmental awareness of physical sensations and thoughts to understand the impermanent nature of reality, ultimately aiming to reduce suffering and mental defilements.
15. Zen Meditation (Zazen)
Best for: Acceptance and clarity
Rooted in Buddhist tradition, this seated awareness practice encourages observing thoughts without attachment.
16. Qigong Meditation
Best for: Gentle energy cultivation
This Chinese practice blends slow movement, breath, and meditation to promote balance and vitality.
17. Tai Chi Meditation
Best for: Balance, fatigue, coordination
Sometimes called “meditation in motion,” Tai Chi is widely used in integrative oncology programs.
18. Gratitude Meditation
Best for: Depression, loss of hope
Focusing on moments of gratitude can help shift perspective during difficult treatment periods.
19. Spiritual or Prayer-Based Meditation
Best for: Faith-based coping
For individuals with religious or spiritual beliefs, contemplative prayer or scripture reflection can offer profound comfort and resilience.
Conclusion:
Meditation is more than just relaxation, it's about real healing from the inside out. Like we learn about with Joe Dispenza he teaches, when we shift our thoughts and emotions, we begin to shift our biology. Instead of living in stress and fear, meditation helps us move into calm, intention, and possibility. It’s not about ignoring a diagnosis, it's about remembering that the mind and body are connected. When we change how we think and feel, we start creating space for the body to heal. It’s a reminder that we are not just reacting to life, we have the power to transform it.
Quotes From Practicing People:
“I couldn’t control the treatment, but I could control my breath.”
“Healing began the moment I learned to sit with myself instead of running from my thoughts.”
“Finding small moments of peace in my crazy unpredictable world is what meditation helps me find.”