Huong Luu | 2025 Portfolio | Meditation Animation Videos

Meditation Animation Videos

This animated series brings meditation concepts to life, supporting my Heartfulness Institute’s training since 2022.

Overview

This animation video series transforms fundamental meditation concepts into engaging, instructional visuals, making an internal mental process both visible and intriguing.They serve as instructional materials to aid instructor-led meditation training of Heartfulness Institute, a global non-profit wellbeing organization. As a certified meditation trainer and learning design volunteer, I created this series in 2022 to enhance the meditation learning experience.

Watch the series

My Role

I led the entire video production process, from drafting content, writing scripts, and developing storylines to editing voice overs, refining the animation and making videos. While my teammate narrated the videos, I collaborated closely with senior meditation trainers (subject matter experts) to craft the content and script. I also gathered feedback from meditators, trainers, and non-practitioners to refine the videos.

Challenges & Solutions

Visualizing abstract meditation concepts

Meditation is an internal experience, making it challenging to illustrate through animation. The key was to find relatable, real-world analogies that resonate with audiences. I experimented with different visualization ideas, prototyped them in Vyond, tested them, and iterated them multiple times.
For example:

Meditation vs. Focus: Meditation (effortless concentration) is like being in a creative flow while playing music, whereas focus (concentration with effort) is akin to strongly aiming an arrow at a target.

Mastering animation video editing

Editing an animation video is a meticulous process, requiring precise synchronization between visuals, motion, and narration. Every revision meant realigning characters, expressions, voice-overs, and timing.

To avoid burnout and work efficiently, I adopted an iterative mindset:

Instead of striving for perfection in one go, I made incremental refinements over multiple editing sessions.
Stepping away after long editing hours helped me return with fresh eyes for greater clarity and better adjustments.

Guiding frameworks

The videos follow key instructional principles (Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction):

Gaining attention: Opening with relatable meditation challenges, such as dealing with distracting thoughts.
Stimulating recall: Connecting meditation struggles with everyday experiences.
Clear learning objectives: Stating what viewers will learn at the beginning.
Instruction: Providing structured explanations and actionable techniques.
Retention & application: Summarizing key takeaways at the end of each video.

I adhered to Mayer’s Multimedia Principles:

Narration and visuals: Combining audio and animation for effective comprehension.
Minimal on-screen text: Highlighting key points without overwhelming viewers.
Cohesive design: Synchronizing images and sounds in every second for a seamless experience. Aligning related texts and images closely for clarity.
Micro-learning: Chunking information into small bites in each scene.
Human narration: Using human voice rather than AI-generated one, especially a voice with tone and accent relevant for the meditation theme.

Used tools

Vyond: animation video creation
Audacity & Noise Reducer: voice editing

Learning to meditate: Just as one cannot learn to ride a bike by merely watching others or reading theories, meditation requires direct practice, not just theoretical understanding.