Tap into the Healing Power of Meditation

The following is adapted from Healing Hacks by Ian Hart.

From approximately ages fifteen to twenty-two, I was at a point in my life where I felt spiritually and mentally bankrupt, and I was searching for something to make me feel whole again. I had a tendency to internalize negative feelings. I didn’t know how to talk about these emotions or express myself.

As an adult who has spent more than ten years researching healing, I’ve come to understand that the root cause of dis-ease is a disconnection with ourselves and nature. Often, this disconnection can begin as a result of physical or emotional trauma. That certainly was the case for me.

Mindfulness and meditation are powerful tools that help us reconnect to our bodies, thoughts, and the outside world. When circumstances feel dark and heavy, meditation is a way to bring light back into your life.

Here is a simple and quick guided meditation you can do anywhere...

The goal is to get out of the conscious mind while doing this and get into the limbic brain and alpha or theta states where reprogramming can begin. It is a skill that may take practice. The more you do it, the better you get, and the faster you shift your feelings and your life.

First, set an intention for what you would like to feel, understand, accept, let go of, or manifest. Then close your eyes and spend a few moments paying attention to your breath. Take 10 to 15 conscious breaths into the belly.

Picture a white light above your head. Allow that light to expand until it fills up your entire head. Imagine it filling up your brain stem down your spinal cord.

Then picture that golden liquid light pouring down your entire body. Imagine it running down your neck, your shoulders and your arms till the light shines out of your fingertips.

Visualize it going down around your heart and pouring down your back behind your heart. Follow the light with your attention as you let it flow out through your torso, your hips, your legs, all the way down to your ankles and exits your toes.

I like to picture the cells themselves, inside the body, each lighting up like a lightbulb. Imagine each cell glowing, with a smiley face on every cell, and imagine them start to dance and jump around with joy like they are having a party.

You can put your hands over your heart and picture a time you felt deep gratitude for something in your life. Let that gratitude permeate every cell of your being; feel it as fully as you can.

As you keep your attention on your body, you may feel it start to vibrate with the energy of your light and gratitude. You can even picture the feeling of love and gratitude pouring out of your heart and direct it to someone you love or want to send that energy to.

They will receive it whether they are across the world or in the next room, and they will receive it whether they want to or not. A guy I know always says, “I love you and there’s nothing you can do about it.” He gets it — he is in charge of his emotions.

In one last step of the meditation, as you picture that golden light that fills up your whole being, you can shift your attention to the base of your spine. Hold in your mind that golden liquid light connecting to the center of the earth, connecting to a place that feels good, like a mother’s love from Mother Earth.

Then picture the negative energy you’re holding — any darkness, stress, or gunk in your body — getting absorbed into Mother Earth. Picture her pulling it away, removing all the darkness into the ground. As that negative energy flows out, imagine it being replaced by Mother Earth’s love bouncing back up to you. Again, feel the love pouring into your soul, spirit, and cells.

This practice can help you release stuck emotions and cleans those thoughts and feelings from your mind, your body, and your spirit. You can stop carrying that baggage. Allow a feeling of lightness to come into your body in its place.

In my experience, this one simple practice of holding an experience of joy, love, and gratitude in my mind and allowing the feeling to permeate every cell of my being and body creates a positive transformation for me and all of my clients. Start to practice holding this joy and gratitude in your own mind and see if it works for you.

After all, what’s the worst that can come of it? Even if it has no lasting effects for you, you’ll have spent a few moments tapping into your own sense of joy and appreciation.

For more advice on meditation, you can find Healing Hacks on Amazon.

Ian Hart is a fitness expert who has dedicated his life and his career to helping others heal naturally. He’s the owner of Back Pain Relief4Life — the simplest and most effective way to eliminate back pain naturally and fast — and the co-founder of My Back Pain Coach. He also owns and operates EarthFIT, a top-rated group training facility with three locations. Ian’s work has been featured in Men’s Health Magazine and he’s appeared as a health expert on New York 1 News. In addition to his work, Ian also hosts regular wellness retreats at his treehouse in the Costa Rican rainforest.