Guided imagery is somewhat an extension of mindfulness. You are in the moment someplace else. I love to use imagery when at the dentists office. I simply go to the beach and relax, feel the sun on my face, the water at my toes.
Guided imagery is based on the concept that your body and mind are connected. Using all of your senses, your body seems to respond as though what you are imagining is real. An example often used is to imagine an orange or a lemon in great detail-the smell, the color, the texture of the peel. Continue to imagine the smell of the lemon, and then see yourself taking a bite of the lemon and feel the juice squirting into your mouth. Many people salivate when they do this.
As I said, I go to the beach, my happy place. Or I imagine floating in water, the comfort, the weightlessness. The feel of the water around me, holding me up. The smell, the taste and the feel, all parts of my memory, come back and make the experience almost real.
3 Principles of Guided Imagery
First Principle: The Mind-Body Connection
First of all, to the body, images created in the mind can be almost as real as
actual, external events.
The mind doesn't quite get the difference.
That's why, when we read a recipe, we start to salivate. The mind is constructing
images of the food -- how it looks, tastes and smells; it might even be evoking
the sounds of the food cooking or the feel of its texture as it's being chewed.
And all the while, the body is thinking "dinner is served", and is responding by
generating saliva and appetite.
The mind cues the body especially well if the images evoke sensory memory and fantasy
sights, sounds, smells, feel and taste and when there is a strong emotional
element involved. So, for instance, a strongly evocative image might be remembering
the sound and timbre of Daddy's smiling voice, telling you he's proud of you; or
the internal bristling of energy all through your body as you realize that you are
about to triumph at something that you are home free golden.
These sensory images are the true language of the body, the only language it understands,
immediately and without question.
Second Principle: The Altered State
Secondly, in the altered state, we're capable of more rapid and intense healing,
growth, learning and performance.
We are even more intuitive and creative.
In this ordinary but profound mind-state, our brainwave activity and our biochemistry
shift. Our moods and cognition change. We can do things we couldn't in a normal,
waking state lift a tree that has fallen on a child; write an extraordinarily
delicious poem; replace our terror of a surgical procedure with a calming sense
of safety and optimism; abate a life-threatening histamine response to a bee sting.
We wander in and out of altered states all through the day, as a matter of course.
Sometimes it's not a conscious choice, and we drive past our exit on the highway.At
best, the altered state is a state of relaxed focus, a kind of calm but energized
alertness, a highly functional form of focused reverie. Attention is concentrated
on one thing or on a very narrow band of things.
As this happens, we find we have a heightened sensitivity to the object of our attention,
and a decreased awareness of other things going on around us, things we would ordinarily
notice. We are so engrossed, we lose track of time or don't hear people talking
to us. Or we are so focused on our tennis, we don't realized we were playing on
a broken ankle, and the pain isn't perceived until the game is over.
The altered state is the power cell of guided imagery. When we consciously apply
it, we have an awesome ally, a prodigious source of internal strength and skill.
Third Principle: Locus of Control
The third principle is often referred to in the medical literature as the "locus
of control" factor. When we have a sense of being in control, that, in and of
itself, can help us to feel better and do better.
Feeling in control is associated with higher optimism, self esteem, and ability
to tolerate pain, ambiguity and stress. Decades of research in ego psychology informs
us that we feel better about ourselves and perform better when we have a sense of
mastery over the environment. Conversely, a sense of helplessness lowers self-esteem,
our ability to cope and our optimism about the future.
Because guided imagery is an entirely internally driven activity, and the user can
decide when, where, how and if it is applied, it has the salutary effect of helping
us feel we have some control.
So, when you put all this together, you have a technique that generates an altered
state, in which the mind is directed toward multi-sensory images that the body perceives
as real. This is done exactly when, where and how the user wishes. And that's why
it's so effective.
Find this and other great books at http://www.healthjourneys.com/
A script for self esteem:
Below you will find three scripts that I got from the web. They are free and can be downloaded at the link I provided. With practice these do help. To what degree they help I think is entirely up to you. As with most things, the mind is a huge factor. If you believe it works it works.
Find a comfortable position sitting or lying down. Notice how you are feeling right now... physically and mentally.
Take a deep breath in through your nose, and release the breath through your mouth.
Take another breath, and allow your breathing to relax you as you exhale fully.
Breathe in gently... and as you breathe out, let the air carry the tension out of your body.
Continue to breathe slowly and gently as you begin to focus on relaxing your body.
Notice where your body is tense. Focus your attention on one of these areas. As you breathe, picture that part of your body becoming slightly more relaxed than it was before. With each breath, that part of your body becomes a little more relaxed.
Imagine what the relaxation feels like..... tingly.... soft.... gentle....calm....loose....free... and let that feeling of relaxation grow.
Scan your body for any areas of tension, and for each area, let the relaxation soften the muscles as they give up their hold. Let the feeling of relaxation grow....spreading calm throughout your body.
Breathe in relaxation..... and breathe out tension..... breathe in calm.... and let all the tension go as you exhale....
Continue to breathe slowly, and gently, deepening your state of relaxation more and more with each breath. Deeper and deeper. More and more relaxed. Calm. At peace.
Now begin to create a picture in your mind. Imagine a place where you feel completely at ease. This might be a favorite place you have been, or somewhere you have seen, or it might be completely imaginary. It's up to you. Picture this place where you feel happy and calm.
Create the details about this place in your mind. Visualize the sights.... sounds.... and smells... of your place. Imagine how you feel physically. You are comfortable, enjoying the pleasant temperature..... enjoying being still and relaxing or doing whatever enjoyable activities you participate in here.....
Enjoy the way you feel in this safe place.
You feel calm and safe here. At peace with yourself.
Remain in your peaceful place while you meditate calmly and build your self-esteem.
Imagine that all of the following affirmations are true for you, right now in this moment, and enjoy the self-esteem relaxation you experience. Repeat each affirmation in your mind, or out loud, with conviction. Use your imagination to fully believe each self-esteem relaxation affirmation.
The self-esteem relaxation affirmations begin now.
I am at peace with myself.
I appreciate who I am.
I value myself as a person.
All people have value, and I am a valuable human being.
I deserve to relax.
I deserve to be happy.
I embrace my happy feelings, and enjoy being content.
I imagine and believe that all of these affirmations are true for me,
right now in this moment, and enjoy the self-esteem relaxation I am
experiencing.
When my mood is low, I accept my emotions and recognize that the low
mood will pass, and I will be happy again. I look forward to the good
times. My future is bright and positive.
I look forward to the future, and I enjoy the present.
I look fondly upon many memories from my past.
I forgive myself for my mistakes. All people make mistakes. I used to
feel regret about some of my mistakes because I am a good person and
want to do the best that I can, and now, I am still a good person and I
release the feelings of regret because I have learned and moved on. I
forgive myself for errors I have made, because I have felt bad about
them long enough. I have suffered enough, and now it is time to be free.
By freeing myself from past mistakes, I can move on and do good things.
I forgive myself.
I imagine and believe that all of these affirmations are true for me,
right now in this moment, and enjoy the self-esteem relaxation I am
experiencing.
I feel good about who I am today.
I accept the person that I am. I accept my flaws, and accept my strengths.
I view my shortcomings as strengths not yet developed, rather than as weaknesses.
I eagerly develop new strengths.
I imagine and believe that all of these affirmations are true for me,
right now in this moment, and enjoy the self-esteem relaxation I am
experiencing.
I approach challenges with strength.
I do the best that I can at the time. I give 100% effort when I am able
and when I choose to put full effort toward the things that are
important. I accept my imperfections and the imperfections in what I do.
My efforts are good enough, and they're okay.
I do not have to be perfect to be okay as a person.
I am a human being with flaws. I enjoy being who I am, and love myself as I am.
I nurture the child within me.
I feel secure in who I am, and do not need to compare myself to others.
All of the strengths I have ever had are present in me today. I still
have the same positive character, even if not all of my strengths are
shown right now. I have all of those strengths of character, and will
use those strengths again.
I imagine and believe that all of these affirmations are true for me,
right now in this moment, and enjoy the self-esteem relaxation I am
experiencing.
I accept myself.
I care for myself.
I take time for myself, and enjoy it. I deserve time for myself, and I feel good about taking this time regularly.
I handle difficulties with grace.
I allow myself to experience and express emotions, both negative and positive.
I accept myself.
I am perfectly alright just the way I am.
I accept myself.
I am a valuable human being.
I accept myself.
I feel confident.
I accept myself.
I feel secure.
I accept myself.
I accept myself.
Now it is time to leave your special place. Know that you can return here in your imagination any time to relax, feel calm and relaxed, and feel comfortable and safe. Take with you the feelings of acceptance of yourself, and belief in the self-esteem relaxation affirmations. Continue to feel positive and accepting of yourself. Hold onto this secure feeling of self-esteem as you return to your day.
In a moment I will count to 3. If you choose to sleep, you can drift into a relaxing and pleasant sleep on the count of 3. If you wish to become fully awake, you can increase your alertness and become energized and fully alert on the count of 3.
One... take a deep, cleansing breath in... and exhale slowly.
Two... take another deep breath.... and exhale...
Three.... you are feeling calm, confident, and refreshed.
Relaxation for Headache Relief
Relaxation can allow you to influence physical responses that are usually automatic – such as blood flow and muscle tension, the primary causes of migraine headaches and tension headaches. By reversing the physical causes of headaches, it is possible to achieve headache relief through relaxation.
Before you begin, take note of how you are feeling. Notice your headache. If you were to rate the severity of this headache, with zero being no pain at all and 10 being the worst imaginable pain, what rating would you assign right now? Rate your headache from zero to 10.
Find a comfortable position – sitting in a supportive chair or lying down are ideal – and start to relax your body with some gentle stretches. During this headache relief script, stop or ease up if you experience pain or discomfort. Listen to your body and make sure to stretch gently and safely.
Lower your left ear toward your left shoulder. Return to center. Lower your right ear toward your right shoulder. Return to center. Repeat, leaning left.... center .... right.... center .... left.... center .... right..... center.
Now lower your chin toward your chest. Allow the weight of your head to stretch the back of your neck, with your muscles relaxed.... No force..... just allow your head to hang forward.
Keeping your head forward, roll slightly to the left and upward, back to center... now slightly to the right and upward. Your head will move left to right, tracing a slight U shape. Left... forward.... right.....forward.... left...... forward..... right..... forward.
Now return to a neutral position. Look up, gently leaning your head back to stretch the front of your neck. Return to neutral. Look up one more time, stretching.... relaxing.... and return to neutral.
Bring your shoulders up toward your ears.... hold..... now lower your shoulders. Bring them even lower still.... Return to neutral. Repeat one more time, raising your shoulders up..... and then lowering them.... Now relax your shoulders into a low neutral position.
Shake your shoulders front to back by bringing your left shoulder back a short distance while you move your right shoulder forward a small amount. Now move your right shoulder back and the left one forward. Repeat rapidly... shake..... shake..... shake. Relax your shoulders now. Feel the tension leaving your body as you relax. Notice the beginning of headache relief as your muscles relax and let go.
Focus now on your breathing. Breathe in deeply. Feel the air you breathe in relax and sooth you. Exhale fully, breathing out all the air.... Relaxing as you breathe out.
Take another deep breath in..... and out..... in...... out....
Continue breathing deeply.
Turn your attention now to your headache. Where is the rating right now, from zero to 10? Allow the headache relief to occur as you relax further.
Notice specifically where the pain is located. When you breathe in, imagine that you are breathing relaxation into this area. When you breathe out, imagine exhaling away tension. In your mind, direct your breath to this area.
Imagine now that your feet are warm, becoming even warmer. Feel the warmth increasing in your feet and in your legs.
Notice your hands, and imagine that the palms of your hands are warming. Picture your hands becoming warm and heavy.... Your arms also becoming warm and relaxed.
Your arms and legs are very heavy and very warm. Very relaxed. Allow the warmth in your arms and legs to increase. Warmer and warmer.
Turn your attention to your forehead. Imagine that your forehead is smooth and cool. Feel the coolness on your forehead – as if a block of ice is a few inches away from your skin, and you can feel the cool air from the ice moving gently across the skin of your forehead. Your forehead feels quite cool – you can feel that the ice is very near, but it does not touch your skin.
Allow the feeling of coolness to move along the surface of your face and head. Starting from your eyebrows, feel the cool air on your eyelids and cheeks. Feel the coolness spreading to the top of your head, the sides of your head, the back of your head. It is so pleasant and cool. The coolness provides headache relief.
Imagine wrapping your head in a cool, wet cloth. Imagine the first strip of cloth laying across your forehead, and then above your left ear, around the back of your head, above your right ear, and over your forehead again. Imagine wrapping your head completely in comforting, soothing coolness. It is wrapped fairly tightly, and the pressure feels good. It pushes away the pain you were experiencing, leaving only a calming firm touch. It is very cool.
Imagine that the cloth that wraps your head becomes slightly looser. Feel your body relaxing, just as the cloth is relaxing.....
You can barely feel the cloth on your skin now, as it becomes looser still. You are feeling very comfortable and relaxed.Let a feeling of relaxation begin at the very top of your head. It might feel heavy... or light... it might feel tingly..... feel the relaxation at the top of your head.
Allow the feeling of relaxation and to grow, expanding with each breath you take. The air you breathe in adds to the relaxation. The calm and relaxation you are experiencing allows you to experience headache relief. The relaxation is like a bubble of peace and calm, growing larger and larger as more relaxation is added each time you breathe in. The area around the relaxation gets smaller with each breath out as you exhale any feelings of tension.
Let the relaxation grow, spreading to your eyebrows, eyelids, eyes, cheeks, nose, mouth, chin. Feel the relaxation filling up the space inside your head. Relaxing the top of your head, the back of your head, the sides of your head, your ears.
Feel the very top of your neck relaxing, and the tingly feeling of relaxation spreading down the back of your neck.... the sides of your neck..... the front of your neck.... Your shoulders.
With each breath, imagine the relaxation filling your body more and more. Growing downward from your shoulders.... Reaching the level of your elbows and belly button. Relaxation growing, reaching the level of your hips..... knees.... All the way down to your feet.
Your entire body is loose, comfortable, heavy, and relaxed.
Feel any pain or discomfort dissipating, dissolving.... Becoming smaller and smaller as the relaxation grows.
You can become even more deeply relaxed as you focus again on your breathing. Do not try to change anything, simply notice your breathing and focus your attention on each breath.
For the next 2 minutes, repeat “I am” each time you inhale, and “relaxed” each time you exhale.
I am.....
Relaxed.....
I am.....
Relaxed.....
Continue on your own for a few moments. As your thoughts wander, simply return your attention to the words you are repeating in this headache relief script.
(pause)
I am.....
Relaxed.....
I am.....
Relaxed.....
You are deeply relaxed. Let your thoughts drift now for a few moments as you simply enjoy the feeling of relaxation. Enjoy the feeling of headache relief. Complete and total relaxation, peace, and calm. Pleasant headache relief. Peaceful and relaxed.
(pause)
You have completed the relaxation for headache relief script. You can choose now to become alert and awake, or drift off to sleep.
I will count from 5 to 1. If you choose to reawaken, become more alert with each number, until at 1 you are fully awake. If you decide to sleep, you can drift off as I count.
5
4
3
2
1
In this pain management relaxation script, I'll guide you to focus on observing and accepting, and then transforming your pain, then focus the mind in meditation to provide physical and mental relaxation and pain relief.
Find a comfortable position, making sure that your back is supported. Laying down, or sitting in a firm chair with head support are ideal.
As you settle into a comfortable position, just notice how you are feeling in this moment. Without trying to change anything, observe your body and mind. Pain management begins with observation.
Where is most of your tension stored?
Where is your pain located?
What part of your body is most relaxed?
Take a deep breath in.... now exhale.
Breathe in.... and out.
Continue to breathe slowly, smoothly.
Now continue the pain management relaxation with a passive attitude of observing. Do not try to make anything happen. Notice how your whole body feels. Passively observe, not trying to change anything. Simply take note of how your body feels.
Take a few moments now to think about the pain you experience. You may not be in pain right now. Just observe the state of your pain in this moment. The way your body feels is always changing. The way you feel is different from moment to moment. A moment from now, you will feel slightly different from the way you feel right now. Just observe. Observe as each moment passes.
Although pain is unwanted and difficult to tolerate, try for the next few moments to regard your pain with acceptance. Accept the way you are feeling right now physically and emotionally..... whether positive or negative..... allow your body and mind to just be....
Accepting..... observing.....
You may want to repeat some pain management affirmations with me now.
I accept myself....
I accept this pain I experience..... the whole of it.... I accept it.... letting go of the need to control or to change in this moment.....
I accept the pain.....
I release myself from the need to do anything right now, except just be.....
I accept myself.....
Now that you have repeated some affirmations, just relax for a few moments, and let go. Just be.....
There is nothing you need to be doing in this moment, besides accepting this moment just as it is.
Observe again your pain.... and notice, that you can alter the pain slightly. See if you are able to transform the feeling, just a little.....
Picture the pain.... notice its exact location. Imagine that instead of pain, this area feels cool..... even a bit cold.... as if you have applied a comfortable ice pack to this area. Feel the coolness.
The area might even start to feel a little less cold.... closer to the way the rest of your body feels....
Now focus in on this area, and imagine a slightly different feeling of your choice. You may wish to imagine the sensation of pleasant tingling... warmth... or soft but firm, comfortable pressure.
Imagine this sensation now. Imagine the sensation replacing just a tiny bit of the pain..... and a tiny bit more of the pain...... more and more.....
Feel this new sensation growing..... pleasantly.... providing some relief..... allowing you to relax.....
Take a deep breath in..... and out.....
in..... and out.....
in..... out.....
Continue to breathe slowly and rhythmically as you now meditate to calm your mind.
You can choose any phrase you want to focus upon for the meditation portion of this pain management relaxation. This will be your focus word. I'll use the word "peaceful" here. Focus your attention on this word with each breath. Every time your thoughts drift, focus in again on this word. Don't worry about making anything happen, or doing this meditation a certain way. Whatever happens is right for you at this moment.
Keep an attitude of passive acceptance. Just accept the state you are in, and continue to focus your mind on the word you will be repeating.
Breathe in..... peace
Breathe out.... full
In.... peace
Out... full
Peace.....full......
Peace.....full....
Peace.....full......
Peace.....full....
Continue to repeat this word in your mind, focusing your attention on this word whenever your thoughts wander.
Keep repeating your focus word....
(pause)
When your thoughts drift, focus your attention again on your focus word.
Peace.....full......
Peace.....full....
Focus your mind again on your focus word.
As thoughts enter your mind, as they will, just turn your attention back to your focus word.
Peace.....full......
Peace.....full....
Peace.....full......
Peace.....full....
Take note of how your body feels, now. See how relaxed your muscles are. Notice how calm your mind is. Enjoy this feeling of relaxation for a few moments more.....
You can keep this feeling of relaxation with you as you return to your regular activities. Complete the pain management relaxation now... Memorize this peaceful, relaxed feeling, so you can return to this state whenever you need to.
Slowly reawaken your body now. Take a deep breath in.... and out. Feel your mind and body becoming more awake and alert.
Move your arms and legs, and stretch your muscles to let them reawaken from this pain management relaxation.
Sit for a moment now with your eyes open, observing the room around you. When you are ready, return to your usual activities, keeping with you a sense of calm and relief.
You can many more scripts on line. You can find simple ones, difficult ones, ones for just about anything. And, if you practice them, they really do help. At least they've helped me.
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