Guided visualization · 21 min
The Silva Centering Exercise with Alpha Beats
Count down from three to one and feel your body soften, your mind go quiet, and your center become a place you can return to.
With
Rated4.8
- Level
- Beginner friendly
- Style
- Guided visualization
- Sound
- Voice with alpha beats
- Best time
- Morning or bedtime
About this session
- Relaxes the body
- Quiets the mind
- Deepens meditation
- Builds a daily practice
This is the Silva Centering Exercise, led by Vishen Lakhiani with alpha beats beneath his voice. You count down through three levels. At level three, your attention travels from scalp to toes, noticing the skin, a fine tingling and warmth, and letting each part soften until your feet feel as though they aren't yours.
At level two you picture a calm scene, like a summer walk through the woods, then you settle at level one, your center. It suits mornings before you get up, evenings as you wind down, or a short midday pause. It's also a good way to learn how to go deeper in meditation.
After the session
01
A body that lets go
Feel tension soften from head to feet.
02
A quieter mind
Let sounds fade into the background.
03
A place to return to
Learn to reach your center on cue.
04
A deeper meditation
Build a base for longer, deeper sessions.
Who it’s for
Yes, if…
- Anyone new to going deeper in meditation
- People who want a simple countdown method to relax quickly
- Those building a morning or evening routine
- Listeners curious about alpha-beat sessions and the Silva method
Not now, if…
- Those looking for an energising practice
- People who prefer silent meditation (this is guided)
- Anyone wanting a short session, as this one is a longer, step-by-step journey
About the teacher
Vishen Lakhiani
Founder & CEO of Mindvalley & two-time NYT best-selling author
Vishen Lakhiani is the founder and CEO of Mindvalley, the world's leading online personal growth education company. Growing up in Malaysia, he found school forgettable and barely graduated from the University of Michigan's Electrical and Computer Engineering program, which drove him to evolve education. Mindvalley is now home to hundreds of world-class teachers and its Quest learning system, with 5x higher completion rates than the average online course. He wrote New York Times bestsellers The Code of the Extraordinary Mind and The Buddha and the Badass, and his community spans 195 countries, with more than 15 million social media followers. Vishen aims to bring Mindvalley to 100 national schooling systems and every Fortune 500 company.
See all by Vishen LakhianiQuestions people ask
Still unsure? Ask your assistant anything about this session.
What do the levels three, two and one each do?
Level three is physical relaxation: you repeat and visualize the number three, then relax the body part by part. Level two is mental relaxation, where you picture tranquil scenes and noises help you relax instead of distracting you. Level one is your center, reached by repeating the number one several times.
What is the body scan at level three actually asking me to do?
For each area, from scalp, forehead, eyelids and cheeks to throat, shoulders, chest, abdomen, thighs, knees, calves and feet, you notice the skin, a fine vibration, a tingling and warmth. Then you release tension and let that part rest deeper. Near the end, you imagine your feet, then the whole body, feeling as though they don't belong to you.
What is the 30-second silence that feels like an hour?
After a count of one to three and a finger sound, you project yourself to your ideal place of relaxation. The voice stops and returns in about 30 seconds. The suggestion is that your body and mind will experience an hour of deep relaxation within that short time.
What scenes does it suggest for mental relaxation?
It offers a day at the beach, a day out fishing, and a walk through the woods. The woods scene includes tall shade trees, flowers, a very blue sky, an occasional white cloud, birds singing in the distance and squirrels playing on branches. You can use any scene that makes you feel tranquil.
What does the word 'relax' mean in this session?
The teacher says that whenever you hear the word relax, you become completely passive and relaxed in body and mind. It works as a cue you can build with repeated practice. The session also teaches the numbers three and one as cues to relax your body or return to your center.
When does the session suggest practicing the countdown?
It names the morning, staying in bed at least five minutes after waking, as the best time. Bedtime is second and after lunch at noon is third. It suggests five minutes is good, ten is very good and fifteen is excellent, once, twice or three times a day.