Meditation and visualisation are powerful tools for enhancing self-awareness and consciousness, and focusing the mind. Visualisation is a component of many meditation practices, including loving-kindness meditation and the Brahma Viharas of compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity.
Meditation is often about letting thoughts come and go, but visualisation is an active process that involves focusing on something specific and holding it in your mind. It can be used to enhance regular meditation, allowing you to direct your relaxed mind towards specific outcomes.
There are many types of visualisation meditation, including colour breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery. For example, you might visualise a place where you feel content and calm, using your senses to add detail to the image.
Visualisation can also be used to achieve specific goals. By imagining yourself succeeding and focusing on the details, you can increase your chances of achieving those goals. It can also be used to improve self-image and self-confidence, and to boost athletic performance.
Overall, visualisation meditation is a powerful tool for improving mental and physical health, enhancing creativity, and achieving goals.
What You'll Learn
Colour breathing
Step 1 – Sit (1 minute)
Find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Sit in a comfortable position, keeping your back straight yet relaxed, and rest your hands on your legs or your lap.
Step 2 – Breathe (2 minutes)
Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath. Breathe comfortably, ensuring your outbreath is twice as long as your inbreath.
Step 3 – Absorb a positive colour (2 minutes)
Bring to mind a colour that represents how you want to feel—for example, happy, calm, or serene. Imagine yourself surrounded by this colour, and as you breathe in, visualise it entering your body and spreading throughout.
Step 4 – Release a negative colour (2 minutes)
Now, bring to mind a colour that represents stress or negative emotions in your life. As you breathe out, visualise this colour leaving your body, making space for the positive colour.
Step 5 – Continue to breathe (3 minutes)
Maintain the rhythm of breathing in the positive colour and breathing out the negative one, with the outbreath being twice as long as the inbreath. Feel your body letting go of tension and anxiety as you continue.
Step 6 – Create a shield (2 minutes)
Continue until there is no more space for the negative colour in your body, and you are fully surrounded by the positive colour. This shield of calmness and happiness will protect you from stress and anxiety.
Step 7 – Expand your shield (2 minutes)
Once you feel protected by your shield, start to expand it to include others. Begin with the person next to you, then move on to your family, colleagues, community, and so on, until the entire world is covered by your positive colour.
Step 8 – Return to awareness (1 minute)
When you feel calmer, gently bring your breathing back to its normal rhythm and become aware of the space and sounds around you. Then, when you are ready, open your eyes.
Step 9 – Reflect (10-15 minutes)
Take some time to reflect on your experience. What colours did you choose, and why? How did it feel to be protected by your positive colour? How did it feel to know there was no space left for stress and anxiety? Finally, how did it feel to wish everyone calmness and happiness?
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Progressive muscle relaxation
First, find a comfortable position, either lying down or sitting upright with a straight posture. Make sure you are wearing loose, lightweight clothing. Take a few deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly. As you breathe, pay attention to how your chest and belly move with each inhalation and exhalation.
Now, start by focusing on your right foot. Slowly tense the muscles in your foot by fanning out your toes and arching your foot. Hold this tension for about 5 seconds, then relax your foot. Notice the difference between the tension and the relaxation. Focus on the tension leaving your body and how your foot feels as it relaxes.
Next, move up to your right calf. Squeeze the calf muscle tightly for about 5 seconds, then relax and notice the feeling of relaxation. Take a few moments to breathe deeply and observe the contrast between the tension and relaxation.
Continue working your way up your body, following the same pattern of tensing and relaxing each muscle group for about 5 seconds. You can move up to your left foot, left calf, thighs, buttocks, stomach, back, right hand, left hand, right arm, left arm, shoulders, and finally, your face. For your face, you can try wrinkling your forehead, raising your eyebrows, squeezing your eyes shut, tensing your cheeks, and opening your mouth wide.
Remember, it's important to really feel the tension in each muscle group, but don't strain or cause yourself pain. If you have any injuries or pain, you can skip that particular muscle group.
As you work through each muscle group, focus on your breathing. Inhale deeply as you tense and exhale slowly as you relax. This will help you to release any tension and promote a sense of calm.
Once you have finished with your entire body, take a few additional deep breaths and check in with how you are feeling. Notice the difference between the beginning and the end of the exercise. You may feel more relaxed and present, with a sense of calm and reduced tension.
You can practice progressive muscle relaxation anytime you want to relax and relieve stress. It can be helpful to follow a guided recording, especially when you are first learning this technique. Regular practice can help you become more aware of physical and mental tension and improve your ability to manage stress.
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Chakra visualisation
When practising chakra visualisation, you may feel your life force moving through your body and aura. You may experience emotions such as peace, gratitude, sadness, or anger, as imprints are reorganised.
- Find a comfortable seated or reclined position. If you are sitting on a chair, have your feet flat on the floor. Begin to relax the shoulders. Find some length in your spine as you breathe.
- Take a few deep breaths into your belly. Allow the belly to expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale. Set an intention and give yourself permission to connect with the consciousness of your chakras. Give yourself permission to see, feel or sense your chakras with clarity and openness.
- Begin by visualising a red vortex of energy stemming from the base of your spine. This is your root chakra. As you visualise this red sphere of energy expanding, you are calling in feelings of vitality, safety, and abundance. Breathing in trust. Breathing out fear.
- Begin by visualising an orange vortex of energy in your pelvic area. This is your sacral chakra. As you visualise this orange sphere of energy expanding, you are calling in feelings of delight, and creativity. Breathing in pleasure. Breathing out guilt.
- Begin by visualising a yellow vortex of energy stemming from the centre of your abdomen. This is your solar plexus chakra. As you visualise this yellow sphere of energy expanding, you are calling in feelings of courage, self-discipline and empowerment. Breathing in confidence. Breathing out fear.
- Begin by visualising a green vortex of energy stemming from the centre of your heart. This is your heart chakra. As you visualise this green sphere of energy expanding, you are calling in feelings of dedication, hope, and surrender. Breathing in gratitude. Breathing out envy.
- Begin by visualising a blue vortex of energy stemming from your throat. This is your throat chakra. As you visualise this blue sphere of energy expanding, you are calling in feelings of creativity, and faith. Breathing in authenticity. Breathing out fear.
- Begin by visualising an indigo vortex of energy stemming from the centre of your forehead. This is your third eye chakra. As you visualise this indigo sphere of energy expanding, you are calling in feelings of inspiration, and clarity. Breathing in insight. Breathing out doubt.
- Begin by visualising a purple vortex of energy stemming from the top of your head. This is your crown chakra. As you visualise this purple sphere of energy expanding, you are calling in feelings of connection, and awareness. Breathing in divinity. Breathing out distrust.
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Inner light visualisation
How to Practice Inner Light Visualisation
- Begin by affirming the light within you, which is your ability to bring nourishment, kindness, humour, warmth, and wisdom to your life and the lives of others.
- Make a resolve to create light even in routine activities, such as preparing a meal, tidying your home, or interacting with others. Avoid becoming entangled in worry and anxiety by focusing on your creative capacities.
- Make a list of the lessons you have learned from your experience of darkness and how you overcame difficulties. Then, make a "shadow list" of the lessons you refuse to learn and are perhaps forced to repeat.
- Notice the many forms your darkness takes, such as neglecting what you know is good for you or denying your admirable talents and traits. For example, examine your attitudes toward money, power, sex, and death.
- If your light has dimmed recently, reach out to other light-bearers. Whether you create or follow the light, what matters is that you keep the connection alive with consistent intention and a pure heart.
- Inner light comes from illuminating your darkness, not by running from it. By applying the above steps, you become more skilled at experiencing suffering without the need to suppress or feel overwhelmed by it.
- Get into a comfortable meditation position. You can lie down or sit, whichever you prefer.
- Close your eyes and begin slowing your breath to a calming, relaxing rhythm.
- Visualise a steady stream of sunshine flowing into your body, bringing a sense of warmth, space, and ease. Imagine any tension, discomfort, or darkness melting away and dissolving in the sunlight.
- Continue breathing slowly and visualise the sunlight filling your entire body.
- With each exhale, imagine any unwanted emotions draining out of your body, and with each inhale, replace them with the image of the sunlight.
- Continue the visualisation for as long as you like.
Benefits of Inner Light Visualisation
- Improved performance: Visualising success and familiarising yourself with an experience can ease performance anxiety.
- Decreased stress and anxiety: Playing out all outcomes of a big event in your head can make the event feel more familiar and reduce associated stress and anxiety.
- Improved immune system: Visualisation can keep your mind and body in top shape, which strengthens your immune system.
- Alleviated migraines and chronic pain: Visualisation helps transform the brain and form new networks, which can help alleviate migraines and chronic pain.
- Decreased depression: Visualising yourself past the hurdles of depression and at a point of happiness and health can give you a positive image to return to when things get tough.
- Improved self-confidence: Visualising yourself achieving your goals makes them more tangible and helps you believe in your ability to reach them.
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Loving-kindness meditation
LKM focuses on generating loving-kindness toward oneself and others in a graded way, eventually encompassing all living beings, seen and unseen, across the cosmos. Importantly, metta is sometimes translated as "universal friendliness" to emphasize the impersonal nature of the affection generated, free from any desire or expectation of return.
Step 1: Carve Out Some Quiet Time
Even a few minutes will work. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Relax your muscles and take a few deep breaths.
Step 2: Imagine Yourself Experiencing Complete Wellness and Inner Peace
Imagine feeling perfect love for yourself, thanking yourself for all that you are. Focus on this feeling of inner peace and imagine breathing out tension and breathing in feelings of love.
Step 3: Repeat Positive, Reassuring Phrases
Repeat three or four positive, reassuring phrases to yourself. For example: "May I be healthy, peaceful, and strong" or "May I give and receive appreciation today." You can also create your own phrases.
Step 4: Bask in Feelings of Warmth and Self-Compassion
Bask in feelings of warmth and self-compassion for a few moments. If your attention drifts, gently redirect it back to these feelings of loving-kindness.
Step 5: Shift Your Focus to Loved Ones (Optional)
If you wish, you can shift your focus to loved ones in your life. Begin with someone you are very close to, such as a spouse, child, parent, or best friend. Feel your gratitude and love for them, and stay with that feeling. You may want to repeat the reassuring phrases for them.
Step 6: Extend Loving-Kindness to Others
Bring other important people from your life into your awareness, one by one, and envision them with perfect wellness and inner peace. Then, branch out to other friends, family members, neighbours, acquaintances, and even people around the globe. You can even include those with whom you are in conflict to help reach a place of forgiveness or greater peace.
Step 7: Open Your Eyes and Revisit the Feelings
When you feel that your meditation is complete, open your eyes. Remember that you can revisit the wonderful feelings you generated throughout the day. Internalize how loving-kindness meditation feels, and return to those feelings whenever you need to by shifting your focus and taking a few deep breaths.
Tips for a More Effective Practice:
- When you first begin, use yourself as the sole subject during meditation. As you get more comfortable, you can start to add the visualization of others into your practice.
- Direct loving-kindness meditation toward difficult people in your life. This boosts feelings of forgiveness and helps you let go of rumination for increased inner peace.
- If you are concerned about spending too much time in focus, set a timer with a gentle alarm.
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Frequently asked questions
Visualization meditation is a method of picturing positive images, ideas, symbols, or using affirmations and mantras to help calm the mind while the body is in a relaxed state. It is a type of meditation where the practitioner focuses their attention on a positive image, thought, feeling, or sensation.
Visualization meditation has been found to improve overall wellbeing, enhance creativity, help achieve goals, improve self-image, and relieve stress and anxiety. It can also help with athletic performance and boost immunity.
To begin, find a quiet and comfortable space. Allow your body to settle into stillness in a relaxed, seated or lying-down position. Clear your mind of wandering thoughts and create a visual of your choice in your mind's eye. Alternatively, you can select a mantra to guide your practice. Focus on your breath and visualize the picture with each inhale.
Some examples of visualization techniques include colour breathing, compassion meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and goals visualization.
You can visualize anything that brings you a feeling of tranquility or ease. This could be a candle flame, a flower, the sun or moon, your favourite place, or the face of a loved one. You can also visualize something tangible outside of your body or encourage yourself to see from your mind's eye within.