Guided Meditation

 

Many people have done everything from taking medications, to improving their diet, to exercising right, but still their symptoms persist. Why?

 

This is because illness is not only physical, but often arises from deeper patterns. These may be emotional wounds, fixed beliefs, inner conflicts, or the unconscious habits we carry through life.

 

Mindful awareness invites us to bring light to the parts of ourselves that have been hidden, denied, or misperceived. 

 

Traditional forms of meditation can feel overwhelming for someone with fibromyalgia. It’s very hard sitting still and calmly focusing on your breath when your nerves on fire and you are down to your last two or three joules of energy. With guided meditation you will need no more than a half teaspoon of energy, once a week. 

 

Another great advantage of guided meditations is how flexible they are. Just pop on a pair of headphones, and listen to one designed specifically for you current situation: pain relief, restful sleep, emotional healing, energy balance, and more.

 

Pioneers of Guided Meditation

 

Guided meditation is far more than just wishful daydreaming. It is backed by science and research, and is a recognized therapeutic method used by psychologists and medical practitioners. Here are a few influential figures whose work shaped guided meditation into what it is today.

 

Belleruth Naparstek

Belleruth Naparstek is a psychotherapist and author who helped bring guided imagery into mainstream healthcare. Her recordings have been used in hospitals, clinics, and even by the U.S. military to support patients coping with surgery, trauma, and chronic illness.

 

She describes guided imagery as “a kind of deliberate daydreaming” that taps into the senses to calm the nervous system and foster healing. Through her Health Journeys audio library, she created dozens of condition-specific programs, including A Guided Meditation to Help with Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue.

 

Naparstek’s work shows that guided meditation doesn’t require discipline or effort — you simply listen, and let the imagery work on both body and mind.

 

Shakti Gawain

Shakti Gawain (1948–2018) was one of the first authors to bring visualization into mainstream awareness. I used to spend a lot of my free time in libraries. Her bestseller Creative Visualization (1978) taught readers how to use the imagination to foster healing, creativity, and transformation.

Her approach was spiritual and empowering, emphasizing intuition, inner guidance, and the creative power of the mind. Later works, including Living in the Light and The Path of Transformation, expanded on these themes.

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Joan Borysenko

Dr. Joan Borysenko is a Harvard-trained cell biologist and licensed psychologist, who looked at the science behind meditation and guided imagery as tools for healing.

 

In her book Minding the Body, Mending the Mind Borysenko emphasized that healing involves both physical and spiritual dimensions, and that guided imagery could help people move beyond stress into a state of wholeness.

 

Emmett Miller

Dr. Emmett Miller is a physician and musician whose recordings in the 1970s were among the first widely available guided meditations. His audio programs such as Letting Go of Stress and Optimal Healing blended narration, music, and imagery to support patients in reducing pain and anxiety.

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Trained as a conventional doctor, Miller became convinced that medicine needed to address the mind as well as the body. His tapes circulated widely and influenced both practitioners and the emerging relaxation and wellness industry.

 

Tara Brach

Tara Brach (born 1953) is a psychologist, meditation teacher, and author whose work has introduced mindfulness and compassion practices to millions worldwide. She is best known for blending Buddhist meditation with psychology and trauma healing.

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Her books: Radical Acceptance, True Refuge, and Radical Compassion, have become modern classics. Through her podcasts, YouTube videos, and the RAIN practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture), she has given countless people a practical entry point into guided meditation.​​