"Writing Guided Meditations”
by Guide Chandonn
©1998, all rights reserved.
[This is a guide on how I write meditations, with a few pointers from
others in the church. It is by no means the definitive work on "How to Write
Guided Meditations", but is merely a guide. I am indebted to
Guide Sophia X. Pharou for her keen
ability to write and perform guided meditations.]
Guided Meditations are tools we use for self-discovery and spiritual growth.
Meditation is an inward-focused journey which allows a person to explore
parts of his/her own psyche.
When a Meditation is guided (i.e., when someone else "narrates" the Meditation)
the person meditating uses parts of her/his own subconscious to "fill in
the gaps". The person adds parts of his/her own personality to make the
experience complete -- and to discover things about her-/himself in the process.
Many Neo-Pagans, New Agers, and others believe that during a Meditation
(Pathworking) the soul travels to a "higher plane of existence" where we
can learn spiritual truths. Whether we believe this or not, Meditation is
certainly an important tool of the mind and soul which enables us to discover
things about ourselves and to grow in spirit.
Writing a Guided Meditation is both a challenge and a pleasure. The pleasure
is in the performance of the Meditation: helping others find spiritual truths
within themselves. The challenge is in writing a Meditation which will have
its desired effect while avoiding the tendency to create the entire journey
yourself.
Many Guided Meditations follow the same basic order -- the order which we
will discuss here. They begin with basic relaxation or "trance" techniques
to focus the group. Then the guide will have the group see themselves in
a sacred or "safe" place. Next, the guide will have the group travel to a
spot where they can experience the "revelation" or "focus" of the meditation.
Following the focus, the group is taken back to the "safe" place.
Finally, the group members are brought out of their "trance" state. One of
the first things to consider is a goal for your Meditation. This may be a
spiritual concept associated with the current season (for example, a Meditation
focusing on personal growth is appropriate in Spring, when the growing season
begins). It may be a concept you have been focusing on lately. It may be
a thing of importance for the community. Sometimes the Meditation goal (and
even most of the journey!) may come in a dream, or be inspired by another
Meditation. Sometimes you may have a particular piece of music in mind to
use in a Meditation, and you simply let the music inspire you as to the shape
of the Meditation. Whatever you decide on, the goal should be set and kept
firmly in your mind.
Once the goal is firmly set the next thing to do is to decide how best to
illustrate it. One good way to do this is to stop and think about how we
phrase this concept. This is helpful because often we use symbolic language
to phrase matters of the soul -- most spiritual matters cannot be phrased
in simple language. For example, in one Meditation where I wanted people
to reflect on their life choices I used the idea of looking at one's reflection
in a pool of water. The image in the water was changeable, so I used that
aspect to have them look at their past and their future. I even added the
option of having them swim in this water, thus merging with their own image!
Symbolic language is often so close to us that we miss it. A good thing to
learn in writing Meditations is to look for the obvious in the most obvious
(and often-overlooked) places.
Symbolic language is the stuff of Guided Meditations, but it is very important
to use it carefully and to leave room for the imaginations of your group.
Many times I have begun Meditative journeys by taking people to a place which
is familiar to them, then finding a path which leads them off to where I
want them to go, and having them follow this path. When I mention the familiar
place I try to keep the language as vague as possible and to give some options
to keep their subconscious minds working. I often simply call it "a sacred
place, a place where you feel completely safe". I will sometimes add: "it
may be a temple, or a meadow, or a clearing in a grove of trees, or ..."
The important thing is to keep them thinking. The two points here are:
-
Keep the language as vague as possible: let your group find
the specific images in the Meditation on their own. This both helps them
get greater meaning out of the Meditation and personalizes it for
them.
-
Suggest some possibilities to help get them thinking. This can help
them find the images they are most familiar with and also help "shake up"
their thoughts a bit -- allowing them to find their own meaning in the
Meditation.
The next important issue is the structure of the Meditation. You have to
consider how to get your group to the place you want them to be, let them
experience what you want them to experience, and then get back to their "safe"
place before returning from their meditative state. Sometimes you may want
to take them to a place with which they are familiar. Other times you may
want to take them to a path, or a crossroads, or a river. You may want them
to be walking on a road, symbolizing the path they walk in life. Many times
you will want them to return to this place at the end of the Meditation.
This provides a sense of symmetry to the Meditation and helps your group
find a sense of closure.
Often, it is helpful to write an outline for your Meditation, in order to
break it up into manageable pieces. It also helps to keep your goal in focus.
The outline can be very simple. Simply state the purpose of the Meditation,
then leave a space, then list whatever Relaxation/trance technique you plan
to use to begin the journey, then list the basic structure for the main part
of your Meditation, and finally the technique you will use to get your group
out of the meditation. Once the outline is there it is often easy to fill
in the blanks.
Changing this outline into a Meditation is, perhaps, the easiest part of
the whole process. Once again, symbolism and colorful language come into
play. Use colors and sounds and smells -- tap into every sense you can! Add
colors to the flowers and leaves, use phrases like "the dew drops shine in
the sun like diamonds". Use the kind of phrases you would use in poetry.
Add as much imagery as possible for the scenery of the Meditation, but leave
room for imagination with the important things. If you have flowers along
your journey-path you might want to describe how they look, what colors they
are, and how they smell. If the flowers are the focus of your Meditation
(i.e. if they illustrate the concept you are talking about in the Meditation)
describe them in more vague terms. When you have written the main parts of
your Meditation the journey part of the Meditation should be vivid, colorful,
and full of sights and sounds; the main focus, however, should be more poetic
and symbolic, with room for your group to explore and find their own images
and meaning. The journey part is full of details to stimulate the mind, the
focal part is more vague to let the mind flow.
Finally, to get people into the meditative state you will need to begin your
Meditation with relaxation or trance techniques. These gently relax the body
and help to focus the mind. They range from simple "close your eyes and focus
on your breathing" to more elaborate trance forms involving the various energy
centers -- "chakras") of the body and even some techniques which are more
involved. The thrust of this is the ability to relax the mind, let go of
the concerns of the day, and focus on the Meditation solely. This should
not be taken lightly -- in fact it may make or break the success of your
Meditation! A simple way to accomplish the relaxation is to have your group
close their eyes and focus on their breathing, let their bodies relax, and
tell them to let their worries and cares slip away. A good book on relaxation
techniques (psychological and otherwise) is recommended. But remember that
at the end of the Meditation it is important to carefully bring your group
out of their trance state. Bring them back slowly: "with each deep breath
feel your consciousness returning, feel the weight of your body, wiggle your
fingers and toes..." At the end, have them open their eyes to finish the
return.
Performing your Guided Meditation is perhaps the most fun part of the entire
event. It must be deliberately slow, both to maintain the relaxed "trance"
mood, and to allow the minds of your group to find their own imagery, especially
in the focus of the Meditation. It is important to watch the members of your
group. Don't rush them or try to move them through the Meditation too quickly.
Match the pace of the Meditation with the reactions of your members, and
don't be afraid to ad lib if you think it is necessary. Sometimes during
a Meditation something will occur to you which you didn't think of earlier.
Many times I have found it helpful to take myself through a Meditation before
I take a group. This helps to locate problem areas in the Meditation and
to help smooth out areas which still need some work.
And get rid of distractions! By the time you perform your Meditation you
should be comfortable enough with it to not require a written copy of it
(I usually keep a copy for "cheat sheet" purposes, but the noise of the rustling
pages is often a distraction for the group). Turn off the phone ringer (remember
to turn it back on afterwards), put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door,
put on some nice relaxing music (find something which reflects the mood of
the Meditation, the pace you think is appropriate, and something which will
last long enough).
After the Meditation, have your group discuss the Meditation: this will help
them solidify what they've learned, help them learn from others. (It also
gives you feedback for future Meditations!)
Meditations are both a playground for the mind, and a resource for the soul.
And leading a Guided Meditation is a rewarding task. The effects of your
Meditation on the members of your group will be around for quite a while
afterwards. You will be able to witness the growth of the people in your
group, and you will lean a great deal from the experience as well.
Created by Guides Chandonn,
Hypatia X, and
Sophia X Pharou
Last modified:
06/20/2009