I see the light: What it's like to do guided light meditation
Written for Daily Hive by Cori Howard, a freelance writer who hosts writing retreats for women worldwide.
As a very inexperienced meditator, I didn’t have any idea what to expect from a light therapy meditation session. At Vancouver’s first and only light meditation studio in Gastown, Sky Studio, you are welcomed into an oasis of fairy lights, plants, crystals and the bed where you will go on a visual journey to the third eye.
Like most Vancouver women, I do yoga and part of that includes meditation, but one of my resolutions for 2019 was to do more meditation. So when I found out about light therapy, I thought having a guided session, with the added-value of a healing light would work better for me than say, silent or sitting meditation, neither of which are remotely appealing. Plus, I was interested in exploring my third eye, the sixth chakra often discussed in yoga as the place where intuition, imagination and insight live in our bodies.
See also
The sunken bed in the centre of Tina Averback’s studio is covered with a heated biomat, interwoven with healing amethyst crystals. Once lying down, she plugs you into some relaxing music and turns on the lights, a combination of halogen and LED lights in a fixture just above your head, not unlike the dentist.
But there is no discomfort or pain here. It’s all magic. Some people are taken to other dimensions, others see sacred geometry. Mostly, I saw colours. At first, I felt slightly panicked because I get migraines and the flashing lights reminded me of the feeling I get before a pounding headache. But thanks to Tina’s simple and easy mantra, “relax, breathe and let go,” I was able to override my fear and get into it.
Courtesy Sky Studios
The 30 minute session felt like two minutes. Having blinking lights so close to my face was disconcerting at first, but when I relaxed, I was able to enjoy seeing the colours, when not trying to control my monkey mind which kept bringing up annoying details like groceries or the smell of burnt grilled cheese coming from somewhere faraway.
Watching the changing colours – which are all in my mind because the lights are just white – was calming and interesting and when it was over, Tina sprayed me with the most delicious scented essential oil and rubbed it onto my scalp, chest, hands and feet to “seal in the opening.”
There are many healing powers attributed to the Lucia N°03 light. Sky Studio was the first to bring the Lucia Nº03 Light to Canada in 2015. Today the Lucia Light is being offered across Canada by therapists, float centres private practitioners, entrepreneurs, healers, spas and it is for sale to individuals who want to enjoy the many benefits in their own homes.
Sky Studio was the first to bring the Lucia Nº03 Light to Canada in 2015. (Sky Studio)
A special light developed by two doctors in Austria, it can help with improving sleep, anxiety, depression and overall well-being. According to the website, “Based on years of research, Lucia N°03 allows for a transcendental experience that is often seen only under extreme conditions – high performance sport, entheogenic substances, or near-death experiences – and consequently triggers the same positive effects.”
Follow Channels and Categories