White Light Meditation
This technique uses visualization (imagination) and moving throughout your whole body with your awareness. It asks that you visualize (imagine) a tiny bright white or gold light inside your heart. This light is like the energy of the universe that creates and supports life.
Imagine that this light is expanding from your heart and surrounding your entire body, part by part, until your whole body is bathed in this light.
You can even imagine that this light expands into your mind and your spirit/soul (or however you see that part of yourself).
Know that whatever healing or repair you are in most need of is taking place. Do not try to direct this part too much, but rather “let it happen” and just feel the experience.
In this technique, you may even wish to “send” this white or gold light to others you know or to people/animals/places in the world that may need healing.
In experimenting with this technique, try whatever you feel. There is no right or wrong way!
Think about how the experience made you feel. Did you learn something new? How did it feel to imagine this light around and throughout you? What parts of you seemed to feel “in need” during this exercise?
Mindfulness Meditation
This is a very specific technique and is being used more and more in health care settings to help people live with chronic pain and chronic illness. It is the practice of bringing your awareness to the present moment without judgement or attempting to change “what is”.
When first learning mindfulness, you may wish to try bringing your full awareness to your breathing and the sensations of breathing, moment-to-moment.
When you find your mind has drifted off to some other thought, simply notice what that thought was and then gently bring your awareness back to your breathing. Even if your mind drifts many times, just bring it back each time. This is part of the practice of this technique and does not mean that you are not doing it well.
You can also try bringing your awareness to a specific part of your body, noticing the sensations moment-to-moment.
You may even want to try bringing your awareness to a painful part of your body and be with that pain, moment-to-moment without labelling the pain or telling yourself a story about the pain.
Notice the thoughts that come up for you. This is considered excellent learning as you are learning about your own responses to your body, to your life, to other people.
Another way to use mindfulness meditation is to bring your full attention to an object, such as the steam rising off your tea or coffee in the morning. Sit for a few minutes and just observe the steam rising and swirling, bringing your mind back to the steam each time it wanders to another thought.
Again, think about how the experience made you feel. Did you learn something new? How did it feel to be aware of your breathing?