EFFECTIVE HEALING MEDITATION FOR CHRISTIANS

A Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Healing

PART 1 OF 3

Written Nigel Kettle

Before we begin our meditation, I’d like to share a brief overview of what illness and pain are, and what causes them. This will help us better understand and connect the full meditation to our experience. An audio version of this article and meditation session is available here. https://www.nigelkettle.com/meditation

Millions of people are plagued by sickness every day. Millions more, both young and old, live with constant pain and discomfort. Yet millions also live in relative ease and little distress. Even better, we have thousands who tell stories of healing themselves from serious illnesses, such as cancer, debilitating diseases, and major life-threatening accidents. These are not special people. They are everyday people who have accepted and believe in the power of self-healing. You too can do it. God did not give this power to just a privileged few. It is a universal gift to all. Today, I will take you on a journey to do just that, but first, let’s set a few things straight about what illness and pain really are. 

What is illness?  Sickness signifies a disruption in harmony between your body, mind, spirit, and the universe or God’s wholeness. Illness manifests when our bodies are out of balance with nature, and we spend too much time in a negative state. Unresolved sustained emotional burdens, stress, fear, grief, resentment, bitterness, or separation from divine peace affect a person’s inner life and eventually manifest in the body, forcing you to pay attention to it.  Sickness is not merely a symptom to be treated but a signal that something deeper requires serious attention, reflection, forgiveness, acceptance, release, or restoration.

I want you to stop reading for a moment. Think about some of the most negative people you know; now think about this: aren’t they always sick? Yes, they are.  They have the worst luck and every illness you can think of. Now that you understand a little more about what illness is, let’s turn our attention to pain.

What is Pain?  When you experience pain, it is the body’s way of signaling you that something is wrong. It is your body's way of pointing you to the area of concern. Pain is not the issue; the condition causing it is. For example, you are preparing food, and you feel a sharp pain in your hand. You look down and realize that the knife slit your hand. It hurt so bad that you popped a few painkillers to numb the pain.  What you just did was stop the warning system, but you did nothing to fix the cut on your finger. If you want to address the real issue, you may want to disinfect the cut, then seal the wound as best you can. The same applies to stomachaches, headaches, and so on. Painkillers just silence the warning system; you have done nothing to address the issue.  For example, if I do not drink enough water or eat too many sweets, I will get a migraine. My migraine is signaling me that something is wrong.  Usually, right away, I can tell, yep, I did not drink enough water. So, the first thing I do is grab a large glass. If I am in a place that facilitates this, I then meditate on the pain, letting my body know that I got the message, and it can stop signaling me now. However, let’s say I am in a meeting and I need to push on until it ends; I may take a pill to quickly silence the signal. Yes, pain is just the signal. It is not the problem. If you silence the signal without addressing the illness, you are making things worse and just prolonging your condition.

Learn to Listen to Your Body: Our bodies are in constant communication with us. However, we have become masters of silencing it. Listening to the small signals your body sends can make a big difference in your overall health. Fatigue, headaches, discomfort, mood changes, or restless sleep are often quiet messages that something in your routine needs attention. These signals may not seem serious at first, but they can point to habits that are slowly affecting your well-being. When you pay attention early, you give yourself a chance to make simple changes before small problems become larger ones. For example, if I go too long without exercising, my back starts to hurt. The moment the pain starts, I know I have to go exercise. As soon as I can, I do some leg lifts, push-ups, and maybe some planking. Within a day, my backache is gone. I go for walks 3 to 6 miles every other day. If I get lazy and miss a few days, I start getting slight muscle twitches. That is my reminder to get moving. These are just a few of the signals my body sends me. I have learned not to ignore them.  If I do, it leads to serious sickness with severe pain. This is not just me. It happens to everybody. You just need to tune in and listen.

Your body also helps guide you towards healthier decisions by indicating when something is amiss. It may prompt increased physical activity through muscle tingling or discomfort, restlessness, or weakness. It will alert you to unhealthy or incompatible foods through symptoms such as bloating, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, discomfort, stomachache, or low energy. Similarly, it warns against stressful individuals, environments, or circumstances that deplete your vitality by making you feel tense or stressed, and encourages you to step back to protect your peace and long-term health.

The more you practice listening to your body, the more tuned you become. The small cue you miss now will become more obvious the more attuned you become. Listening to your body is an important step in your journey to a healthier life. 

What’s the Next Step? Now that you are more aware, I want you to start practicing mindfulness. We hear the term mindfulness thrown around a lot, but very few people ever take the time to understand what it really means, even those who use it often. Mindfulness is being aware of the physical vessel we call the body and its connection to our spiritual and emotional realm, to God, and to the universal flow around us.

Mindfulness is a powerful practice that involves intentionally paying close attention to the present moment. It’s not about emptying your mind or ignoring your feelings; rather, it’s about genuinely noticing your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and spiritual condition without judgment. By doing so, you resist the temptation to run from what you experience or let it control you. For Christians, mindfulness takes on even greater significance when directed toward God through meditative prayer. It allows you to slow down amidst life's chaos, quiet the inner noise, and truly understand what your body and spirit are communicating. Most importantly, it opens the door for God’s energy to enter those areas of your life needing healing, realignment, forgiveness, or renewal — transforming your life from the inside out. 

Prayers alone won’t bring change until you actively clear the clutter that blocks your energy flow. God is the universe, the alpha and the omega. God is everywhere, at all times. God is the energy that flows through everything in the universe. This energy flows in and out with every breath you take. When you are in a negative place, you block the energy from flowing freely throughout your body. You are responsible for where you are today. God didn’t put you where you are—your actions and mindset led you here. Now is the time to take charge, eliminate the chaos you’ve created, and reconnect with spirituality and nature. Today, we begin the process of rebalancing your body and mind to achieve harmony within yourself, so God’s energy can flow freely in, around, and through you. 

Before we begin our meditation, it is important to remind yourself about what pain and illness are, as this meditation will zero in on both to resolve our issues. Remember that we get sick because we are sensitive beings living in constant relationship with our thoughts, emotions, environment, habits, and energy. When we ignore the body’s signals, carry too much negativity, or remain disconnected from peace, purpose, and self-awareness, the body eventually responds through discomfort or illness. Sickness is an invitation to listen inwardly, restore balance, let go of harmful emotional patterns, and create conditions where healing can begin. This is what we will begin to do today through these willful meditation sessions.

Step 1 - Contemplation: You cannot properly heal your body until you are aware of what is causing your illness. Start by taking some time to reflect on your life, your state of mind, and the environmental issues affecting you emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically. Start with the issues that keep popping up in your quiet time. What situation is making you uncomfortable and pulling you into a negative space? Yes, there is something. You may not be fully aware of it, or you may be denying it or afraid to fully confront it, because then you will have to admit it, but it is there. You must fully confront it. Denying it is literally killing you. Do you feel anger or strong resentment toward anyone? Are you upset with anyone? Are there memories that bring you grief? Are you mad at your parents, children, or spouse? Can’t find it? Did someone not offer help when you think they should? Were they not as understanding or caring as you think they should? Dig deeper. Take this time to do a deep dive into your feelings and explore the recesses of your mind.  Don’t be afraid, and don’t deny your feelings. Be open with yourself. We must get to the bottom of this. This is the greatest contributor to your illness. We must confront and resolve these feelings now. Take your time. Cry if you want to. You are allowed to feel hurt, betrayed, overlooked, ignored, misunderstood, and upset. This is natural. You are human. It is OK to let it all out. Don’t rush this step. Take all the time you need. Now it is time to forgive them. 

Step 2: Free Your Mind: Now that you have come to grips with what is bothering you, it is time to move on. Remember, we are all flawed people. We all go about life the best way we know how, based on our personalities and understanding of the world. Regardless of how insensitive, hurtful, unforgiving, and uncaring someone in our circle is, they are just going about life the best way their personality dictates. From their perspective, this path or behavior makes the most sense. Accept and move past it. You will never fully understand their actions, because your mind does not work that way. However, no matter how twisted it seems to us, it is their way. It makes the most sense to them at this point in their life. Yes, you are hurt, but holding on to this pain is killing you. You must forgive so you can start healing. Openly and earnestly ask God to forgive them and forgive you for holding on to it. Free yourself of this burden. Turn it over to God completely. Now free your mind to focus on taking care of yourself. OK, now it is time to begin.  

Step 3: Get Comfortable: Find a place in your house where you feel relaxed and at ease. It should not be too bright or loud. You don’t want sounds to distract you, but it doesn’t have to be completely sound-free either. You will have to work with what you’ve got.  Put on some soft, meditative instrumental music to help silence outside noise. I have provided links to some free meditation music below. Download them and create a meditation playlist on your phone. Sit comfortably.  You have seen pictures of people seated in a meditative position with legs crossed and hands resting on their knees, the index and middle fingers curled and touching. This posture helps you stay awake, optimize breathing, and create a habit of association. This pose is associated with meditation, so over time, when you are in that position, it helps you reach that meditative state of mind faster. Aside from that, there is no great benefit to it. You do not need to cross your legs if you are not used to it or feel uncomfortable. You can meditate lying down or in whatever position is most comfortable and pain-free.  Sitting in any comfortable chair is fine. It is recommended that you close your eyes throughout this meditation if possible. You don’t have to, but it helps to minimize distractions. Now let’s begin.

-- THE MEDITATION --

Step 4: Begin with Gratitude: (2 to 3 minutes)

Close your eyes. Start with a prayer. We start by giving God thanks for life and for the privilege of participating in the grand scheme of life. Give thanks for all the small privileges you have been afforded, including the fresh air flowing into your lungs, your family and friends, and the meaningful experiences you have been fortunate to enjoy throughout your life. Think deeply about the everyday things you take for granted. Now give thanks for them.

Step 5: Relax Your Body: (5 to 10 minutes)

In this step, you will be getting your body into a relaxed state.  In this exercise, you will just be getting your body into a relaxed state.  We will inhale slowly, hold, and transition the energy, then exhale, sending that energy to parts of our body from head to toe in increments. As we exhale, we focus on that part of the body and tell it to relax.  We will start with our brain. Here we go.

• Breathe in… Hold it. 1… 2… breathe out. Send that energy to your brain and tell it to relax. Relax… Relax.

• Again.  Breathe in… Hold it. 1… 2… breathe out. Push the energy to your brain and tell it to relax. Relax… Relax.

• Again. Breathe in… Hold it. 1… 2… breathe out. Push the energy to your brain and tell it to relax. Relax… Relax. Picture the energy soothing and relaxing your brain.

• We move to your eyes now. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Push the energy to your eyes and tell them to relax. Relax eyes… Relax.

• Again. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Push the energy to your eyes and tell them to relax. Relax eyes… Relax.

• We move to your nose now. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Push the energy to your nostrils and tell them to relax. Relax nose… Relax.

• Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Push the energy to your nostrils and tell them to relax. Relax nose… Relax.

• We move to our mouth now. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Push the energy into your mouth and tell it to relax. Relax mouth… Relax.

• Again. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Push the energy into your mouth and tell it to relax. Relax mouth… Relax.

• We go to the shoulders now. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Push the energy to your shoulders and tell them to relax. Relax shoulders… Relax.

• Again. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Push the energy to your shoulders and tell them to relax. Relax shoulders… Relax.

• Pause. Just slowly breathe in and out. In… Out. In… Out. In… Out.

• OK, now we move on to the chest. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Gently push the energy to your chest and tell it to relax. Relax chest… Relax.

• Again. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Gently push the energy to your chest and tell it to relax. Relax chest… Relax.

• We will now move to the abdomen. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Gently push the energy to your abdomen and tell it to relax. Relax abdomen… Relax.

• One more time. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Gently push the energy to your abdomen and tell it to relax. Relax abdomen… Relax.

• Now we move to the Hips, bottom, and groin. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Gently push the energy to your hip, buttocks, and groin, and tell them to relax. Relax pelvic area… Relax.

• Again. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Gently push the energy to your hip, buttocks, and groin, and tell them to relax. Relax pelvic area… Relax.

• ·      Now we will do the same for our legs, from thighs down to toes. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Gently push the energy down from your legs to your toes and tell them to relax. Relax legs… Relax.

• Once more. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Gently push the energy down from your legs to your toes and tell them to relax. Relax legs… Relax.

• Now slowly breathe in and out. In… Out. In… Out. In… Out.

• Now we will do two more, just telling your entire body to relax. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Gently push the energy down from your head to your toes. Relax body… Relax.

• One more. Breathe in… Hold it… 1… 2… breathe out. Gently push the energy down from your head to your toes. Relax body… Relax.

• OK, now breathe slowly in and out as we get ready to move on to the next step.  

Step 6: Dispel the Negative Energy: (3 to 5 Minutes) In this step, we will draw negative energy from our bodies and release it into the universe. You will need to inhale deeply, drawing the negative energy up from your toes, legs, thighs, buttocks, stomach, chest, shoulders, face, and up to the top of your head. You will hold it for a second or two, then push it out into the universe.  Expel all the negative energy trapped in our bodies. OK, let’s begin. Follow me.  

• Inhale deeply… Pull the negative energy from your toes all the way up to your head. As you inhale, feel the energy travel from your toes to your head. Hold it… Hold it.  Now breathe it out.  Push all that negative energy out. This is the energy that is holding you down. Get rid of it. 

• Let’s go again.  Inhale, sucking energy up from your toes. Pull it up to your head. Hold it. One… Two… Breathe out. Yes. Push it out.

• Again. Inhale, pulling the negative energy up from your toes, legs, buttocks, chest, shoulders. Pull it up to the top of your head. Hold it. One. Two. Breathe out.

• One more time. Focus on pulling that negative energy from every cell in your body. Pull. Yes… Like that. Pull the bad energy out of your cells up to your head.  Hold it. One… Two… Breathe out.

• That was good. Now take a moment to enjoy the liberation. Focus on the moment. Be in the moment.  Feel the lightness of your body.

• Now you can resume normal meditative breathing. Tell your entire body to relax. Picture yourself floating above the floor. You are at peace. You are calm. You are at one with God’s energy. You are one with the universe. You are connected to God. Feel the freedom as pure calming energy flows through your body.

Step 7: Replenish Your Body with Positive Energy: (3 to 6 minutes): Now that you have dispelled the negative energy, we need to fill that void before it slips back in. For this step, we will draw God’s positive energy from the universe and push it deep into our cells. Start with your head, then work your way down to your toes. At some point in this process, your body may start to feel warm in the area where you are pushing this energy. Do not be alarmed. This is normal. Feel the power of God and enjoy it. Also, if you don’t feel warmth, it is OK.  Most people don’t at first. OK, now. Clear your thoughts, breathe in… and… out… Now let’s continue.

• Inhale deeply. As you inhale, feel God’s energy cruising in with your breath. Hold it. One…Two… Now slowly push the energy of your breath from your head to your toes. 

• Long deep breath in. Hold it.  One… Two… Breathe out. Push the energy throughout your body.

• Again. Slow deep breath in. Yes… Hold it.  One… Two… Breathe out.

• One more time. Deep breath in… Hold it.  One… Two… Three… Breathe out.

• Let’s do it again. Deep breath in. Hold it.  One… Two… Breathe out.

• Push that energy into all your cells from head to toe. Again. Inhale that energy in. Hold it. One… Two… Now push that breath of energy into your body. Feel it flow through your cells.

• Repeat. Suck that energy in. Hold it. One… Two… Push it into your body.

• Feel the love of God. Feel the life force. Feel happiness. Feel peace. Feel your connection to everything around you. God is everything. Take it easy and breathe at a normal meditation pace.  Relax your body. Be one with yourself and the world.

If you are new to meditation, I usually recommend that you become comfortable with the previous steps before proceeding to the next stage. It is important that you and your body first get used to becoming one with nature and the pure energy in and around you, or the healing will not work. There is not much room for shortcuts here. Once you get used to meditation, you will be able to switch in and out of a meditative state with little effort, and you can then shorten the relaxation stage at the start of the meditation by doing your whole body instead of region by region. Over time, in a meditative state, you may begin to hear a slight low-frequency hum. Do not be afraid. It is the sound of the energy of the universe. When you do, don’t fight it; just be one with it. Over time, you will be able to tune it in and out.

Step 8: THE HEALING: (5 to 10 minutes) This stage cannot be rushed. You must be patient. If you don’t have any major illness, start with something small, like pain in your hand, knee, or joint, a headache, or backaches. Remember, pain is a warning system.  It is just letting you know where a problem exists. This is what you will use to target the sick part of your body.  Think about pain as your GPS, your location marker. This is the part of the body you will need to send focused energy to. When a part of your body is hurting, you are going to lean into it during meditation. No, don't try to shut it out. Feel what it is telling you. Tune into it. Throughout this part of the meditation, we will take deep breaths and redirect the energy to one sick area of illness. Only do one area at a time. Take a deep breath. While exhaling, send the energy to that area of your body. In that breath, tell your body to heal the problem that is causing the pain.  Do not tell your body to kill the pain. It will only be silencing the signal. You want to fix the illness. Do not fight the pain; use it to home in on that specific part of your body.  The pain will go once it notices that you have zeroed in on the right spot. Let’s begin.  

• Inhale deeply. Let your lungs fill up with that energy.  Hold it. Make it your own. One… Two… Exhale, pushing the energy into the problem area where you are feeling pain or discomfort. While exhaling, tell your body to heal that part. Feel the warmth of the energy in that area. Sometimes that region will get very warm in this process.

• Inhale slowly and deeply. Yes… Let your lungs fill up.  Hold it. One… Two… Push it to your pain area.  Mentally command that part of your body to heal.

• Again, Inhale deeply. Expand your lungs.  Hold it. One… Two… breathe out, pushing the energy to the area of pain.  Tell that part of your body to heal.

• Let’s go again.  Inhale deeply. Expand your lungs.  Hold it. One… Two… breathe out, pushing the energy to the area of pain.  Tell that part of your body to heal.

• Another try.  Inhale. Pull that energy all the way in. Hold it. One… Two… push it through to your pain area.

• Again. Inhale. Pull that energy all the way in. Hold it. One… Two… push it through to your pain area.

• One more time. Inhale. Pull that energy all the way in. Hold it. One… Two… push it through to your pain area.

Important to Note:

If you are dealing with something more serious, like cancer, the procedure is the same. However, if you know exactly what you want to do, tell your body to do it. For example, you can tell your body to reduce the size of the cancer tumor. You can picture the branches or tentacles withdrawing themselves. Picture it receding until all you are left with is normal cells. Beforehand, you can also look at a picture of what normal cells look like so you can will yours to look like that.

That completes our Meditation session. In the future, once you are used to relaxing, you can skip the relaxing step completely and begin with gratitude.   For great results, try doing this meditation at least once per day.  Also, do mini sessions in between where you just focus on removing the illness. Do not focus on the illness; focus on removing the illness. There is a big difference between the two. One invites the illness; the other removes the illness. You can do these mini meditations at your desk, at lunchtime, or on your commute to and from work.

Throughout the day, I want you to picture yourself being better and living a normal life free of sickness. Picture yourself taking trips with your family or friends. Picture yourself enjoying life to the fullest. Picture yourself doing things you have always wanted to do. Picture it and immerse yourself in the experience and joy of the moment. Rid yourself of all negative feelings towards anyone. If negative feelings about anybody come your way, replace them with feelings of love and joy for them.  Picture yourself forgiving them, embracing them, and being joyful friends with them. Picture a loving world with loving, wonderful people.  The world is filled with them. Be open to it, and you will start meeting more of them. Try to avoid negative people, situations, and environments as much as possible. If you can’t, you will just have to rise above it and meditate on pacifying that situation, too.

Note that this is part 1 of a 3-stage meditation.  This is just the beginner’s stage. It is meant to get you used to the idea of meditating and quieting your mind. Next, we have the intermediate, then the advanced stage.  While some people have reported healing at stage one. The most significant healings come at the intermediate and advanced level.  I implore you to go through all the stages.

For more information on living a more balanced life that is more in tune with God and the energy around you. Check out my book, "Balance, Counteracting the Obstacles in Life" on Amazon or at nigelkettle.com