Every culture deals with sickness in a different way.

When I traveled to India it was compelling to see how Tibetan people deal with disease. They believe that western medicine is toxic, and instead turn to their own traditional Tibetan medicines.

Besides taking their own natural herbs, Tibetans and Buddhists mostly rely on the mind.

In other words, they use meditation as a tool for healing.

For me, to solely rely on the mind sounded like an impossible task. I was raised in a culture that turns to medication for even the most common of ailments.

The reason behind my skepticism about meditation as a powerful healing tool was clearly my background. In the west, we are accustomed to looking outside ourselves for solutions. And whether we know it or not, the culture in which we are raised abundantly influences the way we deal with our physical health.

Things drastically shifted when I started practicing meditation. I know now, from experience, that we can heal from within.

I came to notice that an immense part of my dependency on medication originated from the fact that I didn’t know about the powers of my mind. However, with meditation, I learned that it really can be mind over matter.

I simply shifted my attitude toward believing in the powers within, instead of the powers with-out.

The concept is simple: Buddhists believe that disease and outer problems are caused by negative imprints left on our mind, and that healing the true causes of disease also has to come from our mind. And since meditation deals with the mind, therefore, it is the essential key to healing.

Meditation is capable of healing our diseases and sicknesses. Buddhists believe that developing positive thoughts is crucial to making us feel calm and relaxed.

Medicine might heal a particular disease, but it can never heal the true internal cause.

One of the most famous healing meditations known in the East is the “White light healing meditation.” I’ve been practicing this meditation for almost a year now whenever I get sick. At times, it completely heals my sickness. At other times, it provides me with positivity and calmness that my body highly needs when it’s in a bad shape.

This meditation is believed to purify four things: disease, spirit harm, negative actions, and the imprints of negative actions. Also, it emphasises the importance of visualising a holy object, which is believed to bring a purifying power.

We can visualise Buddhas, Stupas, or any object or figure of faith in which we highly believe. Whoever we are visualising, we should believe that they have the qualities of an enlightened being. If we do not accept any religious figure at all, we can still visualise universal healing power coming in the form of white light from all directions to heal us from our disease.

White light healing meditation.

1. Generate a positive motivation.

Ask yourself, what is the purpose of my life? Is it only to solve my own problems or to help those who are suffering and bring them happiness?

2. Send this motivation to all sentient beings.

Believe that in order to save others, you need to be healthy and have a long life. This is one of the reasons we do this white light healing meditation.

3. Relax in whatever position you feel physically comfortable.

We can even lie down. What’s important is the mind; not the posture.

4. Breathe in slowly, then breathe out slowly.

As you breathe out, visualise all your present and future diseases and all the causes of problems come out through your nostrils in the form of black smoke. This smoke disappears far beyond this Earth. Feel that you’ve become healthy.

5. As you breathe in, visualise white light coming from the figure or object of faith you have chosen.

Visualise this as it travels straight into your heart and fully illuminates your body. Feel that all your disease and negative thoughts and actions are purified.

6. Feel the joy emanating your body from head to toes.

Feel that your life has been prolonged and that your positive energy has been increased. Keep breathing out and purify, breathe in and receive healing white light.

We can practice this meditation for as long as we want and as many times as we wish.

The most important thing is to do it with a good motivation and an open heart and to believe that our minds truly do have the ability to heal.

Happy healing.
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Author: Elyane Youssef

Image: Flickr/Jonathan Silverberg ; Flickr/Trevor Ellestad

Editor: Erin Lawson