Different methods of meditation to help raise IQ scores
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2014 11:42 AM

Developing intelligence does not always require the absorption of facts and formulas. IQ scores can often be increased by training students to look at a situation from different perspectives. One way to do this is through meditation. Meditation increases the brain's ability to make physiological changes, develop gray matter tissue and facilitate whole brain synchronization (when the left and right sides of the brain connect). Use these basic types of meditation to help increase your IQ scores.

Mindfulness
This type of meditation is also called Vipassana. It originated from the Buddhist tradition and is one of the most recognized forms of meditation. Practicing mindfulness trains you to focus on the present moment. While you sit in silence, you become aware of the sensations in your body and the thoughts that arise in your mind. The point of mindfulness meditation is to not become attached to any thought or sensation. To help beginners, teachers explain that mindfulness uses awareness of the breath, watching the patterns of breathing without trying to change its pace or energy.

Zazen
The Japanese tradition of Buddhism, often referred to as Zen, uses seated meditation. With zazen, you can pay attention to or change your breathing patterns to increase your energy. You can also focus on your hara, or center of energy. The practitioner concentrates on the hara, then concentrates on a certain aspect of Buddhist scripture or a paradoxical question called a koan, and sits for periods of time until they arrive at an understanding of the passage. The mind, body and breathing come together when practicing zazen?.

Transcendental meditation
This type of meditation originates from the ancient Indian practice of Vedanta. Vedanta is a part of the meditative tradition of Hinduism. To begin this technique, sit upright with your back comfortably straight. Ideally, you should sit in half or full lotus. As you sit, repeat a mantra or sacred word. Some practitioners focus on the impermanence of the material world or the innate beauty of nature and other forms of creation.

Kundalini
The Kundalini practice also comes from the Vedanta tradition. The technique uses the concept of energy centers throughout the body. Each of these centers needs to flow evenly in order to maintain a healthy body and keen mind. Kundalini practitioners use the breath to bring energy up through the different centers.