“By contemplating light, you are touching the essential quality of nature and existence.” – Tulku Thondup
Tibetan Buddhism has a long and rich history of using light to heal mind and body. Light healing has mostly taken the form of meditation using visualization. It can be imaging light emanating from a deity, from your own heart, from the universe or other source. The light is imagined as filling your body or the part of your body that is in pain or not working and it can also be light filling your Chakras or energy channels. The light can be white or any other color depending on the problem or the type of meditation.
According to Tibetan Buddhist Tantra everything is light. Things appear to us ordinary people as solid and permanent. But, really things are a play of light.
When we visualize light filling our bodies we relax our contractions. We can release the contraction of always grasping onto what we want and the contraction of always pushing away what we don’t want. Focusing on light, everything becomes less heavy and becomes more loose, relaxed and workable.
When we relax we engage the parasympathetic nervous system and the release of hormones that make us feel good. Hormones such as oxytocin are discharged and enter the blood stream causing a more relaxing and resting state. This facilitates healing.
Below is an example of healing light meditation. However, there numerous examples in the literature and many guided meditations on the internet. Some guided meditations can be found here. Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains a simple light healing meditation in his book Ultimate Healing and Tulku Thondup has similar meditations on healing in his books Boundless Healing and the Healing Power of Mind. You can read more about Tibetan healing meditation here.
Healing with Light Meditation
It is helpful to begin this meditation with mindfulness meditation to help settle the mind. If you have your own mindfulness meditation practice you can begin with a few minutes of that. Otherwise you can sit in a comfortable seating position with a straight back. Focus on your breath and watch yourself breath in and out. Don’t try to control your breath, just watch it. If it helps you can count the breaths, one to ten and then start over. If your mind wanders just gently come back to the counting.
After a few minutes of mindfulness meditation, you begin the healing meditation. Start by visualizing in front of you someone who you feel can or will send you love. This could be God, Jesus, a Buddha or Bodhisattva. It could also be a revered teacher or someone you feel is very kind or has been kind to you. It can be one person or many people. It could also be an object such as a blue symbol Hum, stupa or candle.
Imagine that they are sending you compassion in the form of light rays. These light rays penetrate every layer of your being. They cradle any pain, suffering, discomfort, depression or other ill feeling in healing light of love. These light rays unconditionally accept and love you just as you are. The light rays penetrate every layer of your pain and illness. The Being before you just accepts you and loves you and sends compassion. You are filled with healing light. Feel its warmth and feel the energy fill you and heal you. Your heart center begins to shine as well.
Healing light rays begin to emit from your own heart center filling your whole being. They merge with the light rays from the helping Being. Feel your heart opening to this outpouring of compassion. Whatever pain or illness you are feeling, you can now just hold it in this compassion; letting it just be. Whatever resistance to your pain or illness you have can be held in this compassionate embrace.
Now just let go of the visualization and just rest. Rest and be open to whatever comes up and just be with it.
Post meditation, throughout the day, pay attention to light. It is easy to feel the warmth and light on a sunny day but even on a cloudy day notice how the light is diffuse and reflecting everywhere. Imagine its healing rays filling you. There is always light around, even on dark nights the light of the moon or stars can pour down to heal you.
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