HOW TO MAKE A MEDITATION VIDEO

 

The demands of modern life have made taking time out to pause and reflect even more critical for protecting mental health. For many people across the world, this involves practicing meditation regularly. 

Guided meditation videos on YouTube and social media platforms are a free and helpful aid for these people. This type of content is likely to gain lots of engagement. Creators can maximize this by using the tips below to make a high-quality video. 

Meditation video trends

It’s estimated that 200 to 500 million people regularly meditate across the world. One survey found more than a fifth of Americans were interested in learning about the practice. This is particularly the case for younger people, with twice as many from the Gen Z demographic interested in meditating as the Boomer generation. 

To help them do this, many people turn to online or digital tools. Apps such as Calm and Headspace continue to grow in popularity, with the market estimated to be worth $2.1 billion by 2025. Similarly, free-to-access videos are regularly used to aid practice and help individuals enjoy the benefits of meditation, including better focus and reduced stress. 

With various theories and belief systems using meditation practices, there are a range of different types of videos too, including: 

• Voice-guided practices: these are usually recorded by trained instructors or coaches and take viewers through mental exercises such as visualizations or contemplations
• Sound bathing: these use tools like singing bowls or gongs to create reverberations that encourage focus and relaxation
• Breathwork: otherwise known as Zen meditation, using the breath as a focal point helps individuals reflect or achieve greater awareness 
• Mantra: these can also be called positive affirmations. People focus on a particular word or phrase to increase their self-esteem, confidence, or well-being.
• Relaxation and sleep: designed to quieten the mind, meditation relaxation videos can help people become calmer during periods of anxiety or insomnia 
  
  

Tips for creating a meditation video

To create a compelling meditation video, creators have to reframe everything they know about making engaging content. While films for social media or other online platforms must work hard to keep viewers engaged, meditation practices must do the opposite. They must retain their focus without causing distractions or breaking concentration. 

Below is some guidance on how to make a meditation video for YouTube or other online platforms. 

Script carefully

Whether planning a 10-minute sound bathing exercise or an entire one-hour breathwork session, each meditation video must be planned and scripted. Even if you don’t have much speech in your video, the edit must be structured to guide people through the exercises. 

To do this, keep the following tips in mind: 

• Set an intention: just like you would in your practice, what do you want each individual to get out of your meditation video? Is the aim to relax, promote better focus, or boost their self-esteem? This will help establish the direction of your content.
• Get expert advice: getting a fully-trained meditation teacher to script or run the practice is recommended to give viewers high-value content that will benefit their mental health. This ensures correct technique, particularly if your video supports people’s mental health or follows licensed practices like transcendental meditation.
• Think about length: for social media content, the shorter the better. However, meditation videos need to balance giving individuals enough time to perform the exercises with being engaging for viewers and suitable for the platforms they’ll be shared on
  
  

Think about the setting

It’s unlikely there’ll be a lot of action in your video, but you still need to choose a high-quality setting that establishes a tone appropriate for your content. To inject your personality without causing too much distraction, film the meditation in a studio with a distinctive abstract backdrop, sculpture, or plants. 

Alternatively, you could shoot outside in a beautiful natural setting to give your viewers peace and serenity. Or, you could use an environment that you find relaxing, such as a bedroom or lounge. 

Make a quality recording 

Sounds are crucial to guiding viewers through your meditation exercises. So, you need to ensure the practice’s audio is captured in high quality. This may involve wearing a lapel microphone to record the instructor's speech or setting up specific equipment to capture the noises of a gong or singing bowl for a sound bathing video. 

Consider where you’re recording your video and how the environment will affect audio quality. If you’re filming in a studio with hard walls, you may need to think about reverb proofing. Outside shoots will require mics with fur covers. Noises like buzzing, echoing, or background sounds can all distract from your meditation, so you need to mitigate these. 

Choose the right music

Choosing the fitting soundtrack for your instructor’s narration will help set the tone of your video and enhance its effects. Even if periods of silence play a part in your practice video, music tracks can book-end it to establish a personality or brand. 

For example, relaxing or peaceful meditation music will help viewers or listeners drift off to sleep. In contrast, low-tempo beats or synths will motivate people and build their self-confidence as part of their mantra meditation.

Get feedback

Meditation is a very personal practice. However, asking your viewers for feedback will help you improve your videos' structure, quality, and effectiveness. From distractions you might not have considered to choosing better soundtracks, reviewing the comments on your videos and acting on them will help you better serve your followers and their mental health.