Meditation
Recommended Meditations for Anxiety, Relaxation and Guided Imagery - The Complete Guide
As a psychotherapist, I recommend meditation to my clients as an integral part of the therapeutic process. Meditation does not replace therapy, but it is a powerful tool for calming, emotional regulation, and deepening self-awareness.
I have gathered here the meditations I truly recommend, in both Hebrew and English, organized by difficulty level and emotional state. I only included meditations I have personally tried or that are backed by research.
Level 1: Beginner
5-10 minutes, suitable even with no prior experience
Level 2: Intermediate
10-20 minutes, for those familiar with the practice who can sit with themselves
Level 3: Advanced
20-45 minutes, for regular practitioners who can stay with a deep experience
Meditations by Emotional State
Not sure where to start? Choose based on how you are feeling right now
Acute Anxiety / Panic Attack
Guided breathing, 5 minutes
5-min Relaxation, Goodful, Headspace, UCLA
Chronic Anxiety
RAIN, guided imagery, hypnosis
Tara Brach RAIN, Shachar Cohen, The Honest Guys, Michael Sealey
Insomnia
Body scan, bedtime relaxation
Headspace Body Scan, Shachar Cohen Sleep, Jason Stephenson
Daily Stress and Tension
Mindfulness, muscle relaxation
Meditation Library, Shachar Cohen Breathing, Goodful 10 min
Self-Criticism / Shame
Self-compassion, RAIN, forgiveness
Tara Brach RAIN, UCLA Loving Kindness, Forgiveness
Physical / Somatic Pain
Body scan, healing
Shachar Cohen Body Healing, Headspace Body Scan, Jason Stephenson
Worry / Racing Thoughts
Mindfulness, transforming worries
UCLA, Shachar Cohen Worries, Tara Brach RAIN, The Honest Guys
Inner Child / Trauma
Deep guided imagery (with therapeutic support!)
Meditation Library Childhood, Tara Brach Forgiveness
Recommended Apps
Insight Timer
EN + some HE
Free
Huge variety of meditations, supportive community, meditation timer
Headspace
EN
Subscription
Structured courses, perfect for beginners, pleasant design
Calm
EN
Subscription
Sleep, anxiety, celebrity sleep stories
Meditation Library
Hebrew
Free
Content in Hebrew, guided imagery, relaxation, accessible and high quality
My Clinical Recommendation
- Level 1 - Suitable to recommend to any client, even with no prior experience. Safe and accessible.
- Level 3 - Healing Childhood Wounds - Only with therapeutic support! Do not send clients to practice alone at home without preparation.
- Tara Brach's RAIN - An excellent tool for teaching clients independent emotional regulation. Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture.
- Body Scan - Especially effective for somatic clients, but be cautious with dissociative clients, as focusing on the body may trigger a response.
- Consistency matters more than duration - 5 minutes every day is better than 30 minutes once a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Research shows improvement after just two weeks of daily practice. It is recommended to start with 5 minutes a day and gradually increase to 15-20 minutes. Consistency matters much more than duration - 5 minutes every day is better than an hour once a week.
Meditation is an excellent support tool but does not replace professional therapy. When dealing with persistent anxiety, depression or trauma, it is recommended to combine meditation with guidance from a qualified therapist. Meditation can enhance and accelerate the therapeutic process.
During a panic attack, it is most effective to start with a short guided breathing exercise of about 5 minutes. Longer meditations may actually increase anxiety because they require sustained concentration. A 4-7-8 breathing exercise or a short focused body scan can help you calm down.
Guided imagery is suitable for most people, but those who experience dissociation, flashbacks or unprocessed trauma should practice with caution and professional guidance. It is best to start with short and simple exercises and progress gradually.