Caleb Keels
Here’s another great way to relax your mind and re-energize yourself from everyday stress – guided imagery. Guided imagery allows yourself to tune out of the craziness of the current moment and travel into a tranquil environment through the use of your imagination or a visual image. And like mindfulness meditation, this technique doesn’t require any special skills or paraphernelia. Only you and 1 minute of your time.
Here’s how to begin:
1. Choose a place where you feel most at ease or where there is less noise. If you aren’t able to find another location than your current one, then that’s ok.
2. Place yourself in a comfortable position. You can be either seated in a comfortable chair or a comfortable spot on floor. Whatever feels most comfortable for you.
3. Take a deep breath. You can either slowly close your eyes or allow them to remain open.
4. Picture yourself in a place where you feel at ease. It could be a open field of flowers, a brook near a leafy forest, or a sandy beach overlooking the ocean. Whatever peaceful setting you imagine yourself in.
5. As you travel to this tranquil scene, consider these questions:
a. What do you see? Is it the sky? Is it the clouds? Is it the Sun? Is it a rainbow?
b. What do you hear? Is it the waves coming into shore? Is it just the stillness of the moment? Is it the distant singing of birds? Is it the gentle sound of falling rain hitting the ground?
c. What do you smell? Is it the green grass? Is it just the refreshing smell of the air?
d. How does it feel? Is it warm, cool or hot? Is it breezy?
6. Whatever scene you’re in, just allow yourself to take everything around you in that moment, every detail, every color, every sound, every smell and every feeling.
7. Continue to take in this scene for the last 20 seconds. And when you’re ready, just take one last deep breath.
This technique can help you get through your day or week without feeling overwhelmed, or anxious with craziness of life. And even if you do get overwhelmed, anxious or stressed, you can always just take a minute or more (if you have the time) to travel into a paradise. And if you’re having a difficult time trying to imagine yourself in a tranquil scene, you can always find an image or scene on the Internet that you can picture yourself in and being at ease. I truly hope you find this technique to be greatly beneficial to you.
Resource:
References:
Guided Imagery & Visualization | Student Wellness Center. (2020). Retrieved 16 April 2020, from https://students.dartmouth.edu/wellness-center/wellness-mindfulness/relaxation-downloads/guided-imagery-visualization
