Sensory Candle Meditation

This gentle mindfulness meditation guides you to experience a candle through the senses of sight, smell, and sound. In focusing your attention on the candle, this practice can help you to maintain awareness and appreciation in the present moment, as well as cultivate feelings of deep relaxation and peace. Please only light candles in areas where it is safe and permitted to do so, and under adult supervision.

Music: "Piano Moment" by Daddy_s_Music on Pixabay.

Transcript

Welcome to the Sensory Candle Meditation.

Please only light candles in areas where it is safe and permitted to do so.

You may wish to do this meditation in a quiet and darkened room to enhance your sensory experience.

Let's begin by sitting or standing beside your unlit candle.

Focus your attention on the candle and take a few deep breaths in and out as you observe the candle as a whole.

Now I invite you to mindfully light the candle,

Perhaps while setting an intention to be present with this practice.

We'll start with a sense of sight.

Direct your gaze softly but intently at the candle flame and notice what you see.

Try to bring curiosity and openness to this candle flame as if it's the first one you've ever seen.

Do your eyes observe colors?

What shades do you see?

Are there certain qualities of light or shadow?

What about movement?

Is the flame flickering or undulating or moving in some other way?

Now close your eyes and observe any momentary impressions the light has left behind,

Paying close attention to whatever arises behind your eyelids.

Next,

Keeping your eyes closed,

Shift your attention to your sense of smell.

What smells does your nose pick up from the candle?

Maybe you notice the different notes of a scented candle attending to each one in turn or maybe you take in the smell of wax or even the smell of the burnt match lingering in the air.

If you're not noticing any sense,

You can simply remain open and curious to whatever may arise.

Now keeping your eyes closed,

Shift your focus to your sense of hearing.

Pay close attention and notice if your ears detect any subtle sounds emanating from the candle such as the flickering sound of the flame or the slight hiss of the wick as it burns.

You may not notice any sounds and that's okay too,

Just keep your ears tuned to the candle without any judgment.

Now I invite you to take a deep breath and slowly open your eyes.

Go ahead and take in the whole candle again,

Engaging all three senses to the fullest.

You might like to send a wish to yourself,

To a loved one,

Or to the world in this moment.

And whenever you're ready,

Mindfully and carefully blow out the flame,

Observing any new sights,

Smells,

Or sounds that arise with this simple action.

Thank you for meditating with me today.