Healing meditation is a collective term used to describe various meditation techniques that have the goal of identifying and resolving specific health issues. Some advocates of this type of meditation practice believe that when used properly, the techniques can enhance the body’s ability to repair damage after an accident. Proponents also tout healing meditation as a safe and natural way to bring the mind and spirit of an individual back to a balanced state after an emotional trauma.
While the mechanics of healing meditation vary, there are a few core principles that tend to apply in all cases. First, the meditation requires discipline on the part of the individual. This is because meditation only provides benefits if the individual is able to overcome stray thoughts and concerns, and focus on the reason for the meditative session. Sometimes referred to as centering, this approach effectively creates a clear mind that is free from stress and worry, and makes it much easier to address the specifics of the health woes.
A second common factor in healing meditation is careful consideration of breathing. Advocates often mention that controlling the pace of the breathing makes it possible to become more in tune with the condition of the body and mind. From this perspective, proper breathing makes it much easier to connect with the part of the body that is in need of healing, and begin to surround it with healing energy.
Healing meditation often makes use of imagery in order to facilitate the healing process. The imagery usually takes the form of conjuring up images within the mind’s eye, and seeing those images move on to a desirable end. For example, if the focus of the meditation is to help an individual overcome anxiety, the image may be that of a fog bank that represents the emotional turmoil associated with this type of mental disorder. As the imagery progresses, the individual walks through the fog, getting ever closer to the sunshine on the opposite side. The meditation ends when the individual emerges from the fog and into the sunshine, a situation that represents being free from the confusion of the anxiety and being surrounded with positive energy once more.
This type of meditation may occur as part of a group, a private session led by a facilitator or teacher, or even be conducted alone. Many enthusiasts recommend that anyone interested in learning this form of healing participate in some sort of guided meditation at first. Once the individual has mastered the basics under the watchful eye of a teacher, it is then simple to utilize the techniques when and as desired, without the aid of other people.
As with all types of alternative healing methods, healing meditation has its proponents and its detractors. Proponents claim that this form of meditation is capable of helping people overcome illnesses and emotional disorders much more quickly than relying on medication and general medical care alone. Detractors tend to consider the practice a rather benign one that does no harm, except when the meditation is used instead of reliable medical care. The benefits of healing meditation have yet to be conclusively proven in an controlled environment, although there is a wealth of anecdotal evidence from those who have found relief with this type of healing practice.
