| Meditation technique |
Description |
| Mindfulness meditation |
Focuses on being fully present in the moment, observing pain without judgment, and promoting self-acceptance. It encourages non-reactive awareness to reduce suffering [20]. |
| Guided imagery meditation |
Involves creating calming mental images to distract from pain, induce relaxation, and promote a sense of well-being. Participants visualize soothing scenes or experiences [23]. |
| Body scan meditation |
A systematic process of directing attention to each part of the body, often starting from the toes and moving up, to increase body awareness and release tension or discomfort [27]. |
| Transcendental meditation |
A mantra-based practice that involves silently repeating a specific word or phrase to quiet the mind and attain a deep state of relaxation, potentially reducing pain perception [28]. |
| Loving-kindness meditation |
Focused on cultivating feelings of compassion and kindness, it can improve emotional well-being and reduce pain-related emotional suffering [25]. |
| Zen meditation (Zazen) |
Involves seated meditation with a focus on breath and posture, emphasizing a detached, non-judgmental awareness that can help individuals cope with chronic pain more effectively [1]. |
| Vipassana meditation |
A form of insight meditation, it encourages the observation of bodily sensations, thoughts, and emotions, promoting a deeper understanding of pain and its impermanence [26]. |
| Yoga meditation |
Yoga meditation is a combination of breathing exercises and physical postures with meditation [30]. |
