visualization | Holistic Coaching

Creative visualization techniques are useful in making things happen in your life through the mental imagery. Your mind works as a co-creator of events through the combination of new and old patterns, images, and beliefs. When you use visualization, you are instructing your mind to learn new ways of responding to your reality. You can create a new outlook and change old behavior patterns using visualization. You can manifest anything you desire.

With creative visualization, you are training your mind to create desired results or outcomes. You can produce both negative and positive effects, by directly programming your mind to believe specific self-designed scripts. This script can become a life plan on how you will behave and carry out your dreams or fears.

How Visualization Works:

It trains you to develop both positive and negative beliefs
It develops your scripts
It molds your personal and environmental opinions
It designs how you will react to certain situations

Creative visualization reinforces all type beliefs, patterns, and attitudes about ourselves and others.

Improving Visualization

There are different exercises you can do to improve your ability to visualize. These basic exercises to help you visualize are the following:

Regular meditation – meditation will train your mind
object focus – use any available object, focus for a few seconds and then try to see it with your eyes closed
Colors – Memorize any color, and then close your eyes and imagine then
Sound –Try to recall your favorite sound or music in your mind’s eye

Visualization occurs when our mind is relaxed and not working very hard. Do not overthink the process. Practice and take your time without judging the results. Simple use your imagination and relax the critical tapes.

The Process

As you practice imagining colors, sounds or pictures in your mind’s eye, your skills will sharpen and become second nature. With time you will be able to sit and visualize different scenarios within minutes. Keep in mind that one of the main keys is in learning visualization to relax. Anxiety and stress block the mind from working effectively. Practice with ease and don’t allow yourself to fret or overdo it because you are worried about doing correctly or not getting results.

You can create any scenario you wish to cultivate in your reality but avoid excess focus on results. Simply imagine yourself living out the new reality. Once you completed visualization let go and go about your day without overthinking. You do not need to visualize for long periods or daily on the same scenario because this causes worry and obsession which creates fear and eventually block outcomes. Meditation is an excellent tool to train the mind to relax, which will be useful in visualization. Remember, keep it simple and enjoyable.

To help you remember your visual experience, you should practice regularly. Make sure that you are relaxed and not disturbed during this exercise so that it will be easier to maintain your concentration. Also, try the techniques for different lengths of time going from two minutes up to ten minutes at a time. Try holding your images as long as possible. In other words, think of one image for as long as you can, before moving on to the next one. The idea with the exercises to develop your attention span, as well as your ability to see. One more thing keep a journal and document your results.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_visualization

http://www.mind-your-reality.com/creative_visualization.html

http://shaktigawain.com/

Healing visualization techniques utilize the principals of creative visualization, in which you use the same tools to create changes. The difference between creative visualization and healing visualization are minor. The goal of healing visualization is the facilitating of healing. The technique of visualization is used to create the ideal mindset to physically heal, reduce mental chatter, increase focus and promote overall well-being.

In creative visualization, you are focused on making changes, attracting opportunities and overall manifestation in different areas of your life. With healing visualization, the goal is not so much about obtaining goals, but about letting go, releasing emotional barriers and healing the inner being. The main focus of healing visualization is healing the broken pieces that contribute to self-sabotaging behaviors that impede health and creates mental distress.

With healing visualization, you are working with the bodies energy centers, old memories and emotional states that create challenges. Healing visualization can benefit anyone, but it is specifically useful for the wounded adult with issues of trust, abusive relationships, and low self-esteem. The visualization techniques focus on finding ways to help you let go and move the blocking energies that impede your life.

The specific techniques used include:

Chakra balancing: this involves a quick visualization of each energy center. This method is great for creating an overall balance.

Energy balancing: You use breathing exercises, various natural tools to promote balance

Guided imagery: the use of imagery is used to help individuals create a new reality by directing the mind into a new and healthier direction

Release techniques: visualize letting go of whatever you need to release in your life that blocks you from healing

Breathing exercise: deep breathing exercises will allow your body’s energy to circulate better and will help you feel more energized. It’s important to learn to breathe correctly for ultimate health.

Grounding exercises. These techniques are useful when you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed. Good grounding exercises will help us relax and let us feel focused.

Releasing worries: breathing deeply into the solar plexus which located above your belly button, will help reduce the sensation of apprehension we have when engaged in things that may make nervous or afraid.

The techniques above provoke individuals with specific tools to help facilitate healing by creating a positive mindset and directing our focus towards the process of healing.

How Visualization Works:

It guides the mind towards developing proactive beliefs that enable healing
It develops new mental tapes that are healthy.
It shapes your thinking so you can be healthier in your choices
It sets the foundation for new habits to develop

Healing visualization strengthens positive habits, creates the right mindset for not only healing but making the right choices that will improve our health all around.

Visualization occurs best when our mind is calm and focused on the task at hand. Keep the exercise simple and let go of the tendencies to judge your performance. The technique of visualization will take some time to develop, but it is worth the practice. To help you improve your ability to meditate, I have included several types of meditation with different time frames to get you used to the idea of meditating. Start out with just a few minutes at a time. Keep things simple and easy. Remember, the key to successful visualization is keeping things flowing and easy. Enjoy.

Resources:

Additional resources

3-minute mindful breathing

https://youtu.be/SEfs5TJZ6Nk

5-minute guided meditation

https://youtu.be/aGsrTyEvyBY

5-minute morning wake up meditation