How to Begin a Meditation Practice, Based on Your Personality Type

I used to imagine meditation as an unattainable state – the result of a practice intended for patient, peaceful, seemingly enlightened beings who already had life figured out. I didn’t realize that it’s normal to struggle through the beginning stages of meditation, or that meditation is not simply sitting cross-legged on the floor, pushing away thoughts.

In fact, meditation is a natural extension of getting to know ourselves at a level that transcends mind and personality altogether. Through meditation, we create space to process and integrate experiences, thoughts and emotions. After years of practicing and teaching, I view meditation as the ultimate tool for learning to relax and see beyond mental chatter.

What’s more, there are meditation methods to suit all types of minds. What works for one personality type may not work for another, and the greatest benefits come when you align a meditation practice with your natural abilities.

Choosing a Type of Meditation Based on Personality

Starting a meditation practice requires consistency, patience and effort. But in the early days, you may want to experiment with a few different types of meditation. This will help you find a path that you feel excited to commit to.

The suggestions below are based on the characteristics of the 16-type personality theory developed by Briggs and Myers. As a quick recap, this system categorizes personality characteristics using eight indicators that compose four scales:

• Extraversion/Introversion, based on how we energetically exchange with others.
•  Sensing/Intuition, based on how we receive information.
• Thinking/Feeling, based on how we make decisions.
• Judging/Perceiving, based on how we approach the world.

Since each of these indicators lends itself to certain tendencies and preferences, your personality type assessment, along with the following selection of techniques, can guide you towards a type of meditation that’s right for you.

Extraversion

Recommended technique: Guided sessions

The goal of meditation is to “introvert” one’s mind, and this can be a challenge for Extraverts. In a guided meditation session with a clear focus, verbal cues help to keep attention inward, pacifying the need to seek attention outside of oneself.

Since Extraverts benefit from a community setting or a perceived sense of community, beginning meditation in a formal class setting, in person or online, provides both motivation and comfort.

How to begin: Guided meditation practices are readily available and diverse in theme. Consider starting with either a basic breath-based practice or a guided meditation journey. By joining a meditation group or committing to an online challenge, Extraverts can benefit from a structured and supportive environment.

Introversion

Recommended technique: Metta

Metta translates to “loving kindness,” and metta meditation is a Buddhist practice for cultivating this compassionate sentiment. The goal of a metta practice is to perceive and expand universal love and goodwill, both within ourselves and towards others. This technique balances the tendency of Introverted personality types to contain or hold energy. It also gives Introverts the perceived sense of connection to others without the discomfort of social or group settings.

How to begin: Envision a warm, glowing light at your heart center. With closed eyes and an inward focus, imagine spreading this loving light throughout your body. As you become comfortable with this practice, you can visualize sharing loving kindness with family, friends, enemies, animals, communities, humanity, or the entire universe. Although metta meditation doesn’t require a teacher, it might be helpful to listen to a few guided sessions to help establish a new practice.

Sensing

Recommended technique: Qigong (or another movement-based meditation)

Qigong, also written as “chi gong,” is a traditional Chinese energy-based practice for harmonizing the body, breath and mind – not only with each other, but also with the physical environment. Through simple movements, qigong invites us to slow down, tune in to the body and perceive life force energy (known as qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine).

Moving intentionally with the breath and learning to distribute energy are natural extensions of a Sensing person’s inherent ability to relate to the elements through sensory organs. By practicing qigong or other awareness-centered physical activities (such as yoga, martial arts or conscious dance), Sensing types cultivate inner stillness through the connection between body and environment.

How to begin: It’s best to learn qigong from a skilled teacher, either in person or online. However, once you are comfortable with basic concepts, movement patterns and sequences, you can create a set routine for a daily qigong self-practice.

Intuition

Recommended technique: Body scan

Body scanning is a technique used amongst various spiritual traditions. Through this concentration method, an Intuitive’s mind is allowed its preference to wander freely, exploring the depths of inner and outer space in the context of a disciplined practice. During a scan, one can focus the mind on either the physical or the energetic (subtle) body. Either way, body scanning is particularly useful for focusing the mind while remaining centered and grounded.

How to begin: Slowly guide your awareness through your entire body, from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet, noting any sensations along the way. If you feel tension in your body or mental distractions, let them go and continue to scan. Repeat this process, observing and releasing impressions without judgment.

Thinking

Recommended technique: Self-inquiry

Self-inquiry is the practice of using the mind to examine the nature of the mind (and realizing that it’s not possible). By questioning our sense of “I,” we begin to examine the ego’s origin and existence. Through consistent inquiry, the mind turns inward and often becomes silent. For Thinking personalities, this process provides a straightforward method for challenging assertions, dissolving judgments and opening the rational mind to the nature of reality.

How to begin: The most common method for self-inquiry is to ask yourself the question, “Who am I?” and observe any sensations, feelings or experiences that surface. In self-inquiry, the goal is only to inquire with the mind, not to answer with the mind.

Other similar questions include, “To whom are my thoughts?”, “Where does my sense of ‘I’ come from?” and “What is the origin of my mind?”

Feeling

Recommended technique: Stream-of-consciousness journaling

Creative outlets, particularly journaling, help us navigate thoughts and emotions by releasing them from the mind and body and giving them form. Since people who associate with Feeling personality characteristics tend to give power to emotions, the process of “letting go” through journaling often imparts a sense of lightness and mental clarity. Alternative Feeler-friendly activities that promote presence through creative states of flow include drawing or coloring mandalas, painting and drumming.

How to begin: For a conscious journaling meditation, set a timer for 5-10 minutes, and commit to writing without breaks for the duration of your practice. As you write, remain present, allowing your words to flow spontaneously and honestly. The goal is to watch moment-to-moment thoughts arise, rather than to create a finished story or final product.

Judging

Recommended technique: Mantra or affirmation

Mantras are specific syllables, words or statements that cultivate a mental environment conducive to meditation. Used similarly, affirmations are positive statements that invoke desired states of being. For Judging types who prefer structure, using mantras and affirmations provides a clear focal point, calms the thinking mind and strengthens intentions or goals.

How to begin: Take time to select a mantra or affirmation that resonates with you, both literally and figuratively. Repeat your mantra aloud, mentally or in writing for a set amount of time each day, with full attention. If your mind wanders, direct it back towards your mantra practice.

Judging personalities are typically gifted with the self-discipline and focused attention conducive to a regular seated meditation practice. However, you can also practice mantra repetition while performing daily routines that don’t require mental effort.

Perceiving

Recommended technique: Walking meditation

Walking meditation teaches us to appreciate spontaneous thoughts, feelings and sensations while staying grounded and connected to Earth. For Perceivers who prefer a flexible and open approach to life, setting aside time to mindfully walk each day gives permission for an inner exploration in the container of a set practice.

How to begin: Before your meditation, set a focal point for your awareness (examples include your breath or the sensation of the ground beneath your feet). During your practice, you can either follow a predetermined walking path or set a timer and walk intuitively. As you move, keep your attention on your focal point, rather than on the space that surrounds you. Step slowly and intentionally until the end of your path or set amount of time.

Tips for Starting a Meditation Practice

Along with choosing the right technique to experiment with, the following suggestions will help you get started.

• Set an intention. Are you interested in meditation as a way to relax? To learn to be present? To relieve stress or physical tension? To find everlasting joy and bliss? A clear intention or goal provides purpose, along with motivation to persist.
• Create a habit. Develop a routine that feels sustainable and that you can commit to. The benefits of meditation arise through consistent repetition, so it’s better to practice for a few minutes each day than for an hour once a week. To support yourself:
  • Choose a fixed time of day for meditation, ideally at sunrise or sunset.
  • Set aside (or create) a quiet space for your practice.
  • Hold yourself accountable for showing up.
• Trust in the process. Progress in meditation can’t be measured by checkpoints on a linear path. It’s easy to label a meditation session as “good” if we enjoy it or experience positive feelings. However, there’s no such thing as “bad” meditation, and the best indicator of whether a practice is working is how we relate to ourselves and others when we are not meditating.
• Be flexible. There’s no one-size-fits-all theory for the individual ways we relate to self-improvement and inner work. If, after some time, a meditation technique doesn’t leave you feeling motivated to continue, try another. Meditation is a journey with many paths leading to the same destination.

Final Words

Meditation lends itself to deep self-reflection, conducive to physical health, personal growth and overall well-being. By considering the strengths and challenges associated with our personality type assessments, we can develop a meditation practice that feels focused and engaging. Remember, regardless of your personality, the best way to see the all-pervasive benefits of meditation is to practice with consistency, curiosity and a smile.