CLEVELAND — There are many different kinds of meditation, and all elicit what Dr. Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Harvard University, has named the relaxation response. The relaxation response is in opposition to the body’s stress or fight-or-flight response, and may help improve health conditions that are aggravated by stress, like heart disease, depression, insomnia, hot flashes and others.

Transcendental Meditation

The trademarked name of a meditation technique taught by instructors in a standardized seven-step procedure at centers across the country. Made popular when the Beatles took up the practice in the 1960s, its leader, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, had a goal of setting up one teaching center for every million people in this country. The technique focuses on the importance of repeating a mantra, given to a student by a trained teacher, in order to help clear the mind for meditation. Students practice twice a day for 20 minutes. Courses in TM, offered at centers across the country cost about $2,500.

Buddhist meditation

Many different types and variations of meditative practice within the religion have expanded beyond their Eastern context and been practiced in the secular world for decades. Different types of Buddhist meditation include mindfulness, concentration and visualization. Mindfulness, the type used in many clinical studies and by the Cleveland Clinic’s study of multiple sclerosis and neuropathy, is a state of focused awareness on the present moment or a single object. The goal is to become aware of the mind and its wanderings and to gently redirect it to the present moment.

Guided imagery

Not purely meditation but considered a type of mind-body treatment. The technique usually involves a period of quiet and a focus on breathing to evoke relaxation, and then either a teacher or a recorded voice on CD helps guide your imagination towards a focused state. It can be used to achieve relaxation or to help reach a goal like weight loss or to quit smoking.

Tai chi

Often described as “meditation in motion,” tai chi (or taiji) is an ancient Chinese form of self-defense that today is used often for exercise and relaxation. Because tai chi is a series of flowing movements that emphasize form over physical prowess, anyone can participate. The idea is to focus on each moment and maintain awareness of the body’s movement.