Choosing the best meditation course can be challenging. There are so many potential ways to learn and settings in which to learn meditation, and on top of that, there is such variety in types of meditation and its focus. Given the plethora of choices, perhaps the best way to make a selection is to think about learning style, course-style options, reason for learning, and any particular focus that is either appealing or that a person would like to avoid.

When deciding on a meditation course, the ideas of learning style and course structure are intertwined. Some people are perfectly happy evolving their own meditative practice at home, and they may need very little more than a book telling them how it is done, or DVDs, CDs or podcasts that instruct the person through meditation exercises. If this works, it may be the cheapest way to practice this form of thinking, but not all people respond well to self-taught methods.

This is when looking at other meditation course options may become vital, and people might have a variety of choices. They could take a one-time class, often offered through community colleges or community centers, that teaches the basics. They could sign up for once a week classes that either have a defined start and finish period or are ongoing, or some people feel that to really get the basics down, a weekend retreat doing meditation is one of the best methods.

Determining what might be most instructive due to structure and learning style is only part of the issue. People might also want to identify the reason they would like to take a meditation course. Meditation, depending on who is doing it and teaching it, can have very different goals. The person who wants to meditate to quit smoking might even be able to find classes that offer this focus. A strong athlete could be looking for guided meditation with a good sports psychologist, and someone else may just be searching for a way to relax. It’s suggested people consider how course aims and personal goals align before making a decision.

With this idea also comes the idea that some forms of meditation have specific spiritual bents. Not all of these are appropriate to every person. A person with strong Christian beliefs may want to find a meditative course geared toward Christian meditation and might feel uncomfortable participating in a class that specifically endorses a different religion. Alternately, some classes adapt well to any religious or spiritual beliefs, and a person with flexible beliefs is only likely to be uncomfortable in more restrictive belief-environments.

Finding the right meditation course is likely to take a little research. Recommendations from friends can be helpful, people can search community bulletin boards online for course descriptions and they could widen their search online to include places that might offer weekend retreats. Even with this thoughtful preparation, it could take a little bit of trial and error to locate the best classes and the most comfortable meditative style.