 |
| KODIAK ISLAND BEACH ( courtesy of Pixabay) |
I have one trick to uplift my spirits that I haven’t seen
mentioned in any other posts this month. It’s called Guided Imagery or
Visualization. I learned Guided Imagery over forty years ago while living in Alaska.
The method I used told you to go to a place in nature where
you are happy and relaxed. Then close your eyes and relax your body completely.
Focus on your breath for a minute or two. Then turn your attention outward and
spend a minute or two focusing on each of your senses. What do you smell? What
do you hear? What do you feel on your skin, etc.? Open your eyes and look
around. Save this memory and go back to this moment in your mind when you need
to relax and lift your spirits.
My memory is of sitting on the beach with my husband and
small children enjoying a non-rainy day in Southeast Alaska. The smell of the
sea breeze and my husband’s cologne, the sounds of children’s laughter and water
rippling on the shore, the grainy feel of sand beneath my hands – you get the
idea.
Going back to that moment when I was happy and content,
connecting with loved ones and nature, never fails to lift my spirits when life
gets overwhelming.
Here is a link to a Healthline article
about Visualization and Guided Imagery if you are interested in trying
these techniques.
Have you tried meditation or related techniques to
help you cope with stress?
4 comments:
What a lovely technique to relax our minds and bodies! And of course I can relate to finding beautiful places in Alaska. ;-)
Thank you Sarah, for this article and what you did to achieve interal peace.
I am not good with the sitting, guided meditations. Mind just pops off wherever it wants to go. I have found that a walking meditation works well for me. And sometimes when I'm unable to get outside to walk, walking in my house works. I'm also not very visual so visualization when meant to "picture" a moment isn't useful for me. However, a Sensory Memory aka feeling when I remember a time and place of peace, joy, happiness. Nothing to "see" but everything to "feel".
These days we need all the resources we can use to find our own special place of peace so we can be calm in the outer world.
What a beautiful way to give yourself space for grace. I'm not good at Guided Imagery because I'm not naturally a visual person. However, I recently found numerous photographs from my past--saved by my grandfather. It's surprising how a remembered photo brings back a sliver of a memory--but mostly a feeling of love, happiness, and awe during that part of my life. It is a gift.
Post a Comment