Hello,
This is Preeti,
And this is a guided meditation called the Protective Light Meditation.
In this practice,
We accept the idea that trauma,
Suffering,
And strong emotions can be referenced by physical pain and other sensations in your body.
So this practice can help us identify where in our bodies our suffering lies,
So we can tend to these wounds mindfully and begin to heal ourselves,
To relax,
And to let go.
In this protective light visualization,
You're going to be enveloped in the warmth and care of a protective light.
The light will surround you,
Relieve you of,
And keep you safe from harm or suffering,
And ease your physical pain,
Which can be a manifestation of mental anguish.
So sit comfortably with your back straight and a soft gaze on an object in front of you,
Or if you are comfortable,
With your eyes gently closed,
And let's practice together.
Start in a comfortable seated or lying down position,
Closing your eyes and settling into your breath,
And just notice your breath.
Notice the gentle inward and outward flow of your breath as it enters and leaves your body.
Place one hand over your belly and the other hand over your heart,
And notice how your abdomen and your chest gently rise and fall as the breath flows through you.
Try breathing not from your chest,
But from deep within your belly,
Watching the stomach expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale.
And let's breathe together mindfully.
Take a deep breath through your nose,
Breathing from your belly,
Up through your chest,
Let the air fill your lungs and reach your throat,
And when you are full of this abundance,
Exhale through your mouth.
You can even make a sighing noise as you exhale.
Again,
Let's take a deep breath in,
Filling your lungs,
Expanding your belly,
And once you are full and it has reached your throat,
Exhale,
And as you exhale,
Let the tension start to leave your body.
Let's try it one more time.
Breathe deeply from your belly through your nose,
Let the air fill your lungs and reach your throat,
And when you are full of this abundance,
Exhale through your mouth with an audible sigh.
Again,
Take all your worries and stress and breathe them up from your belly,
Up through your nose,
Filling your lungs,
Reaching your throat,
And on the exhale,
Let go of all your stressors,
Push them out of your body with the force of your breath.
And then return to your natural breathing,
Breathing in and breathing out of your nose,
And just let that breath breathe you.
Now let's scan our bodies.
With your mind,
Mentally scan your body,
Taking note of how your body feels.
Note the areas where there is tension stored,
Where there might be pain or tightness.
When I say the words harm,
Suffering,
Anguish,
What parts of your body respond by tensing up?
Where is there physical discomfort in your body?
These are the places we hold our secrets,
Our shame,
Our guilt,
Resentment,
Anger,
Fear,
Self-loathing,
All of our suffering is held inside our bodies.
And take another deep breath in,
And as you do,
I want you to slowly and deliberately tense up your entire body,
Curl your toes,
Tighten your calves and your thighs,
Tense up that butt,
Make your hands into fists,
And squeeze your eyes as tight as you can,
And hold it.
Hold the tension for as long as you can stand it,
And then release it all at once.
Release it with the exhale,
And shake out your hands,
Wiggle your toes,
Relax your legs and your arms,
Move your jaw up and down.
You can even roll your head.
Just notice this tension begin to leave your body,
And return to the breath,
Letting the breath breathe you.
Now I want you to visualize sitting in a place where you feel safe and secure,
It can be any place that to you signals safety and security.
It's warm and serene,
And you're completely at peace here.
Above you,
Imagine that there's a beam of light,
Warm like sunshine on your face,
Shining down around your body,
Making it feel as if your whole body is glowing.
This is your protective light,
It is the energy,
A physical manifestation of a higher power that keeps you safe from stress,
Tension,
Worries,
Anything that might scare you.
And it is telling you,
You are safe,
You are loved,
You are protected.
The warm golden light surrounds you,
And fills the entire space you are in.
It is infinite in its power to heal and to protect.
The light acts like a shield,
A mirror,
Deflecting all of your enemies.
It is a spiritual armor that protects you from harm,
And helps you to feel calm and relaxed,
No matter what is happening around you.
Now bring your attention to your feet.
Notice that your feet too are surrounded by this light,
Feel it warming your toes and your ankles,
Leaving them loose and relaxed.
As the light moves up your legs,
You are being bathed in its warmth and glow from your calves to your knees to your thighs,
Which are starting to feel heavy and limp with relief.
Surrender to the light.
Turn your attention now to your hands.
Feel your hands relax as the light envelops them,
As it envelops your palms,
Your fingers,
Your wrists,
The whole of your lower arms up to your elbows,
And your upper arms.
The light is telling you,
You are safe,
You are loved,
You are protected.
Now let's focus on the body's core.
Starting at your hips and pelvis,
Light filling you up,
Warming your belly,
Flowing through your entire center to your back,
Filling your chest,
Rising up to your neck.
Notice now your body is almost completely enclosed in a shield of light,
Of warmth,
Of protection.
You are comforted knowing the light is telling you,
You are safe,
You are loved,
You are protected.
And as the light reaches your face,
Take extra care and time to feel the comfort of the heat against your face,
Relaxing your jaw,
Your cheeks,
Your lips,
Your tongue,
Your eyes limp and relaxed,
Calm,
Settling throughout your entire body,
All the way up to the crown of your head.
After you pause,
If there is still tension in your body,
If there is darkness remaining in your mind,
Imagine this darkness being drawn out of your body by the light,
Like a powerful and almighty magnet,
Drawing every last bit of fear,
Stress,
Pain,
Suffering,
Resentment,
Anger,
Self-loathing,
Drawing it out of you and releasing it into the air,
Into the ether,
Where it has no power over you,
Where it will dissipate forever,
And you are left bright and warm,
Enveloped in the light of love and peace and serenity,
Surrounded by happiness and faith and endless possibility.
And as you go about your day,
Remember that you can imagine this protective light again anytime you need to,
And the light,
Like your higher power,
Will repel stress and tension and keep you feeling calm and relaxed.
We're going to have a moment of silence for you to take it all in,
And then we'll ring the bell and then you will leave this visualization relaxed and at peace,
Perhaps with a tick tingling sensation all over your body,
Warm and ready for the day,
Come what may.
You are safe,
You are loved,
You are protected.
When you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes,
Come back to the room.
Thank you for meditating with me.
I hope this time together fortifies you for whatever comes your way and that you return to this place often and cultivate your spiritual superpowers,
Pause whenever agitated or doubtful,
And know that peace of mind is always within your reach.
