Christopher Kilkenny
Mental Health Counselor
Image Meditation
Practicing mindfulness means letting your attention rest in the present moment, noticing distractions, letting go of distractions, and returning attention to the present moment. It is usually best to return attention to a specific sensory "anchor" in the present moment, such as the physical sensation of breathing or the sounds in the space around you. This can also be done with visual images as an anchor. To try a visual meditation, choose an image to look at for five to ten minutes. You can use the image above or choose your own. It is helpful to have an image with detail such as a landscape photograph or painting. It may be helpful to set a timer so you don't have to think about the time. During the image meditation, let your attention rest on the image. You will naturally become distracted. When you notice this, let go of the distraction and return your attention to the image. Here are a few further tips:
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Most importantly, see if you can enjoy it! This may be an opportunity to deeply appreciate the beauty of an image and the gift of vision. The rest of these suggestions may help increase your enjoyment and depth of observation, but only use them if they are helpful, and let them go if they make the experience seem too complicated.
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It can be helpful to look at the image as if you are a painter who is going to paint the image. This can help with noticing detail.
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Notice the various colors in the image.
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Notice shadows, reflections, and other effects of light.
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Notice how objects are comprised of shapes, colors, and effects of light.
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If you start to feel like you've looked at everything, look again to see if there are aspects of the image that you haven't yet noticed.
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Notice that interpreting or thinking about the image indicate a shift away from the direct visual experience. See if you can let go of interpreting and return to direct perception.
Click here for general information and instructions on mindfulness and meditation.