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Have you ever wondered whether silent meditation is better than guided meditation? This is the first question I’ll address, today, in our new Guided vs Silent Series.

Is it better to meditate silently or is it okay to use guided meditations? There are two answers to this question.

The first answer: The best meditation is the one you actually do. The more regular your meditation, the more beneficial it is. If you find it difficult to sit silently, then you might choose to use guided meditations to make sure you’re sitting regularly.

Silent meditation is often more difficult, because you need to manage it yourself, and because, in the silence distractions like emotions and thoughts arise more often. This leads us to…

The second answer: Silent meditation is better. The very things that make silent meditation more difficult are the things that make it more beneficial. You undertake formal meditation practice to learn how to focus your attention on the present moment without judgement, and to learn how to deal with distractions by coming back to the present moment again and again. If there are fewer opportunities to practice these things, then the learning won’t be as deep.

I encourage all mindfulness practitioners to pursue silent meditation at some point. If you need to rely on guided meditations right now, though, that’s okay. There is still plenty of benefit to be gained from guided meditations. Go ahead and use them if they’re what you need, but at some point, give silent meditation a try.

Next week, I’ll give you some practical strategies for transitioning to silence.

Don’t fall into this trap

There is one caveat to my advice, though. Some guided meditations are highly relaxing, so it’s very easy to use them as a method for zoning out and taking a break. While there’s nothing wrong with doing a relaxation exercise, it’s not the same as meditating. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re meditating when you’re simply sitting blissing out.

If you’re using guided meditations to relax, you don’t necessarily need to stop. Just realize that you are not really meditating, and perhaps add a silent meditation practice that is separate from your guided relaxation practice.

My practice

I enjoy guided meditations, too, but they are not my core practice. I sit in silent meditation for at least 20 minutes per day, and I strive to sit at roughly the same time every day. This helps me maintain my habit. I add guided meditations on top of this routine whenever I want to. And sometimes I do a second silent meditation. I also like to relax with full body scans at least once per week (if you sign up for my newsletter, I’ll send you one of these).

Join me now for a meditation

For a 10-minute guided meditation including 2 minutes of silent meditation, forward the podcast or the video above to 3:00. Next week, I’ll provide meditations with longer silent periods to help you transition to silence.

Next week:

Next week, in Part 2 of the Guided vs Silent Series, I’ll give you some strategies for undertaking silent meditation. The lesson will include a collection of guided meditations to help you transition. If you’d like to be notified when the lesson goes online, subscribe to our newsletter. As a thank you, I’ll send you a free deep relaxation.

Before you go

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