Guided imagery meditation, uses the practice of describing pictures, such as giving an inhale breath the color of loving pink, and the exhale breath the color of peaceful blue.
It’s process where one is guided through helpful mental pictures / images in a way that relaxes the persons mind and body, and helps to quiet their minds from the chattering thoughts of the day such as things to do, current worry’s, past or future events.
The images are spoken and described and the listener will either see the picture in their mind, or have sense of a feeling about it.
Guided imagery helps a person move from concentrating on what is, and begin seeing things as you would like them to be.
For many people who don’t have their own regular meditation practice, it often helps to use guided imagery to help focus the mind, and obtain a relaxed, present moment awareness free from distracting thoughts and emotions.
What if I Can’t See the Pictures Described?
Not everyone can see mental pictures, and it’s fine if you don’t “see” the images, in that case just sense the essence of what’s being said. Guided imagery meditations involve sensing, and feeling the concepts. It accesses the emotions and uses one’s inner vision allowing the person to experience their desire as reality, and have that visceral experience. This helps the person connect with the possibility of achieving that desire, and allows them to move through any psychological barriers that may otherwise be present.
The effectiveness of guided imagery has been established and supported by research. It’s been proven to have a positive impact on health, and on physical and mental performance.
Guided imagery has been successfully used in reducing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, affecting the immune system, balancing hormones, reducing blood loss during surgery, reducing anxiety and depression, alleviating headaches and pain. It’s been proven an asset to athletes to perform their very best, it’s helped people overcome disease and in obtaining health, and it can be used to help increase fertility.
The proven benefits have been well documented.
Guided imagery, visualization, is one kind of meditation. While it can be argued, that it is not meditation because the person isn’t experiencing present moment awareness when they are visualizing something in their mind, a person one can be both aware of the experience (as an observer) and participate in it. In my experience I find that guided imagery is incredibly useful in helping others begin to meditate. It’s far more difficult for one who doesn’t regularly practice meditation to sit in silent awareness, and be free from their daily thoughts.
Guided imagery is also beneficial to those who have long history of practicing meditation, because it gives your body, mind and spirit the act of seeing it do that which you are asking it to do (it bridges the gap between what we are wanting and what is) while maintaining a sustained feeling of inner peace, surrender and detachment. Therefore, allowing the body to “do” and to “be” as it is, and as you’d like it to do and to be. This is especially helpful for those who have endured a long period of time not having what they want, such as conception, birth, having a baby after years of infertility.
Guided imagery uses the mind body connection, creating images in the mind and seeing your body experience it, can be almost as real as the actual events. The mind doesn’t fully process the difference.