What are the two main styles of meditation

So you're looking into meditation. There's a ton of techniques out there—it can honestly feel like way too much. But here's the thing: most modern methods boil down to just two basic categories: Focused Attention (FA) and Open Monitoring (OM). They're basically different ways of training your brain. One narrows your focus down to a single point, the other opens up to observe everything without getting hooked. Knowing the difference? That's your first real step toward building something that sticks.

What is Focused Attention (FA) Meditation?

Focused Attention meditation—sometimes people call it concentrative meditation—is all about picking one thing and sticking with it. Could be your breath, a mantra, a picture you visualize, a candle flame, maybe even a specific feeling in your body. The whole point? Teaching your mind to stay put. You notice when you've drifted off, then gently pull yourself back to that anchor. Over and over.

Primary Mechanism: Keeping your attention locked on a single spot.
Key Skill: Catching yourself when your brain wanders and bringing it back, nicely.
Common Examples: Mindfulness of Breath (Anapanasati), Mantra Meditation (like Transcendental Meditation), and Loving-Kindness (Metta) when you're repeating a specific phrase.

What are the benefits of Focused Attention meditation?

Honestly, the big win with FA is less mind-wandering and sharper cognitive control. Research backs this up—it boosts concentration, quiets that endless mental chatter (goodbye anxiety), and even improves working memory. For beginners? This is usually the easier place to start. Having something concrete to focus on makes it less abstract, less frustrating.

What is Open Monitoring (OM) Meditation?

Open Monitoring—sometimes called insight or mindfulness meditation—works almost opposite. Instead of clamping down on one thing, you're just watching everything. Thoughts, emotions, sounds, body sensations, even the empty spaces between them. No judging, no holding on. The idea isn't to grab anything but to witness the whole damn show as it flows by.

Primary Mechanism: Panoramic, non-reactive awareness of whatever's happening right now.
Key Skill: Observing without clutching, rejecting, or getting sucked into the experience.
Common Examples: Vipassana (Insight Meditation), Shikantaza (Just Sitting) in Zen, and Choiceless Awareness.

How does Open Monitoring differ from Focused Attention?

The big difference? Scope. FA is like a lasertight, intense, narrow. OM is a floodlight—broad, inclusive, everything at once. In FA, you're actively ignoring distractions. In OM, distractions? They're part of the meditation. A lot of people start with FA to settle the mind, then move into OM later for deeper insight into... well, reality and yourself.

Comparison: Focused Attention vs. Open Monitoring

Feature	Focused Attention (FA)	Open Monitoring (OM)
Primary Object	A single point (breath, mantra, image)	The entire field of experience
Mental Effort	High (active focusing and redirecting)	Low (passive, receptive awareness)
Goal	Calmness, concentration, reduced distraction	Insight, clarity, equanimity
Brain Activity	Increases activity in attention networks	Increases activity in self-awareness networks
Best For	Beginners, high-stress, improving focus	Advanced practitioners, emotional processing

How do you choose the right style for you?

Picking between FA and OM really depends on where you're at right now. Feeling scattered, anxious, like your brain won't shut up? Focused Attention is probably your best bet. Already pretty calm but want to dig deeper—understand yourself better, work through tough emotions? Open Monitoring might be more your speed. Lots of experts suggest mixing them: start with 10 minutes of FA to settle down, then switch to OM for the rest of your session.

"Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are more than our thoughts and our feelings." — Sam Harris, Neuroscientist and Meditator

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you practice both styles in one session?

Yeah, totally—this is actually super common and works great. Start with Focused Attention (say, 10 minutes watching the breath) to get stable. Then shift into Open Monitoring, using that stable awareness to just observe everything else without judgment.

Which style is better for beginners?

Focused Attention is usually the go-to for newbies. Having that clear object—like the breath—gives you a "home base" to come back to when your mind wanders. Without it, Open Monitoring can feel frustrating, like you're just lost in thought.

Is there a third style of meditation?

Some people talk about a third style called "Self-Transcending" (Transcendental Meditation fits here). But honestly, that's often just a specialized form of FA where you use a mantra in an effortless way. The FA/OM framework covers most secular and Buddhist practices out there.

How long does it take to see benefits from each style?

Focused Attention benefits—like less stress, better concentration—can show up in as little as 2-4 weeks of daily practice. Open Monitoring benefits, like deep emotional insight or feeling more connected, usually take longer—think 3-6 months or more of consistent work.

Short Summary

Two Core Styles: The two main styles of meditation are Focused Attention (FA) and Open Monitoring (OM).
Focused Attention (FA): Involves concentrating on a single object (like the breath) to build calmness and concentration.
Open Monitoring (OM): Involves observing all experiences without attachment to gain insight and emotional clarity.
Practical Tip: Start with FA to stabilize the mind, then progress to OM for deeper self-awareness.