Red Light for Mindfulness
Light can create space and prepare us for practice. Shown here: Rubie
For many of us, meditation feels like something we're supposed to be good at right away.
Sit down. Close your eyes. And almost immediately, the mind does what it does. It moves. Thoughts appear. Memories surface. Plans form. The brain is an argument machine.
Discomfort begins to build. Am I doing this right?
This is often where we stop.
The popular misconception is that meditation requires clearing the mind. That we need absolute stillness and absolute absence of thought. Complete silence.
In traditional Yogic, Taoist, and Transcendental practices, meditation isn't just about erasing the mind. For each of these styles of meditation, there commonalities to the practice:
It's about training attention and building familiarity with the body, to return again and again, even when the experience is imperfect.
Meditation is not a destination.
It’s a practice.
Like any practice, it becomes more natural with consistency.
Meditation as a Physical Experience
It’s easy to think of meditation as something that happens only in the head, or to the mind. But anyone who has spent time sitting quietly knows that the body is always involved.
Our breath changes.
Shoulders soften, or resist.
Our jaw tightens, then releases.
The nervous system oscillates between alertness and rest.
This is where environment can help create a space that gives us the best shot at achieving what we've set out to, calmness.
Meditation is best served by routine. When it happens in a specific room, at a certain time of day, consistently, results are evident.
Small cues like light, temperature and sound can support keeping us consistent.
Making meditation into a twice daily ritual with the assistance of your environment increases the effectiveness and comfortability with the practice.
Where Red Light Fits Into Mindfulness
Red light is often discussed in technical terms, but its role in mindfulness is simple.
- It’s non-invasive.
- It’s quiet.
- When topical, placed directly on the body, it doesn’t demand attention.
Unlike bright overhead lighting or screens, red light has a softer sensory footprint. It doesn’t ask the nervous system to wake up. It grab the attention of our eyes. It allows attention to turn inward without effort. Meditation is a practice of mastering attention.
Many people use red light during meditation not to change the experience, but to support the conditions that make it easier to stay with it.
Less stimulation.
More warmth.
A subtle sense of physical grounding.
For those engaged in chakra study, the root (Muladhara) is symbolized by red.
A Simple Meditation Ritual With Red Light
This is not a prescription. This is a common meditation practice using red light as an anchoring assistant.
To Begin
Find a place where you can sit or lie comfortably. Dim the room, best if all other lights are off. Silence notifications, if you can.
To Warm Up
Spend a few minutes with a small red light device with Near Infrared wavelengths placed gently on the body:
- The chest or upper abdomen
- The lower back
- The hands or feet
Near Infrared (850nm) has been shown to reduce inflammation and penetrate to the subdermis where circulation is improved.
Let the light rest there for 5–10 minutes. No need to focus on it. Just allow the sensation of warmth and energy of the light flow through you.
During this warm up, say to yourself that now is your time to meditate.
There is nothing else that requires you at this time.
The next 15 minutes are yours, you deserve them, and nothing will be lost by taking them.
This warm-up is a more effective meditations.
By now your breath is likely slower and in a more stable rhythm.
You don’t need to change your breath, observe it.
You don’t need to clear your thoughts, observe them.
You don’t need to achieve anything, being present is the achievement.
Presence is judgement free observation.
To Meditate
Place attention on:
- The rise and fall of the body while breathing
- The rhythm of inhaling and exhaling
- The way attention drifts, and returns
If the mind wanders, that’s part of the practice. Meditation is the practice of returning attention to presence.
Red light is not required during your meditation. But, optionally, can be added
The light doesn’t meditate for you. It sits with you as a companion while supporting biological effects that support meditation.
Consistency Over Intensity
One of the most misunderstood aspects of meditation is the idea that it should feel profound every time or right away.
In reality, meditation works the way most meaningful practices do:
- Through repetition, twice daily
- Through familiarity with a ritual routine
- Through small, almost unnoticeable shifts over weeks
Red light fits naturally into this rhythm. Its effects are subtle, cumulative, and supportive rather than dramatic.
Used consistently, it becomes part of the ritual. A signal that it’s time to slow down, to listen with inward attention, to observe without judgment.
Why Small, Handheld Tools Help Here
Meditation doesn’t need equipment. But it does benefit from accessibility.
A small handheld red light:
- Doesn’t require setup or a surface for placement
- Doesn’t dominate the space or your attention
- Can be used seated, lying down, or traveling
- Can be used topically, directly on the body for warmth with little distraction
There’s something grounding about holding the practice in your own hands, choosing a tool that supports and signals that meditation is about presence rather than performance.
A Historical Perspective
Across contemplative traditions, tools have always existed to support meditation:
- Candles
- Incense
- Bells, Sound Bowls
- Mantras
- Prayer beads
- Crystals
These tools were never the practice itself. They were anchors. Ways to support the return of attention gently when it drifted.
Red light can be understood in the same way. Not as a requirement, not as an enhancer in the competitive sense, but as a modern anchor that supports the body while the mind learns to settle.
Meditation is not about control.
It’s about practicing a non-judgemental relationship with one’s self.
A Closing Thought
If meditation has felt difficult, you’re not failing. You’re practicing.
Presence grows slowly. Quietly. Often without announcement.
A comfortable ritual.
A steady, consistent rhythm.
A companion that defines presence.
These have helped many become skilled meditation practitioners.
If you’ve enjoyed this guide to red light for mindfulness, feel free to subscribe for more red light therapy guides from Rubie, red light therapy miniaturized™.