Visualization and Buddhism

Meditation and visualization are empowering tools to enhance consciousness and self-awareness and to focus the mind. Visualization is a healthy way of bringing positive energy into your mind, body and spirit, expanding your capacity for creativity. Meditation and visualization experiences will vary; it is best to let go of expectations and surrender to your own inner wisdom.

In meditation, the mind concentrates while the body relaxes; an effective position in which to begin visualization. You may find it helpful to consult visualization scripts or relaxation scripts before you try on your own. When the mind is clear and the body is relaxed, you can engage the imagination to visualize images and ideas. Meditation and visualization have the power to teach and heal. Visualization is one method of using the mind to influence the body.

Here is an example of an easy relaxation script for meditation: “Breathing in, I relax. Breathing out, I smile.” Repeat this as long as you like, visualizing your body relaxing as you continue. Notice the physical changes.

Holistic Online cites many university studies showing that visualization has remarkable physical health benefits, including boosting immunity, easing depression, relieving insomnia, decreasing stress, and alleviating headaches and chronic pain. Often, seeing yourself healthy in your mind — or visualizing the image of a healthy body — is enough for your body to understand it as truth. If you are practicing visualization and meditation for health benefits, you should develop a daily practice to strengthen the communication between mind and body. There are numerous visual and audio visualization scripts available to guide your experience. Do not be attached to the results, but rather observe your personal journey.

One of the most inspiring and powerful things you can do as a human being is to visualize what it is that you want to manifest, and then make it happen. The power of the mind is astonishing and, when coupled with mindfulness-based practices like meditation, you can increase your ability to make leaps and bounds toward creating the life you truly desire.

Goal setting is the catalyst for making this happen. The purpose of setting a goal is to achieve a desired result. When applied carefully with intention, action, momentum, and focus, setting and achieving goals gets you from where you are now to where it is you want to be. But first you have to know where that is. The “where” begins with your vision.

The first step is to start with the end in mind and work backward. The end result is your highest vision for a given area of life—be it health and fitness, relationship, family, career, or finance. Once connected with your vision, you then need to set specific goals that will aid you in actualizing the vision.

Many people mistake the goal for the vision thinking the goal is the end result. They set a goal without thinking ahead to what that goal will allow them to be, to do, or to have in the long run. To make the most out of your goal-setting process, it’s important to link it up to the quality of lifestyle you ultimately want to be living. For the purpose of creating some clarity, let’s outline the key differences between a vision and a goal.

Try the following steps to practice a guided visualization on putting a goal into the future:

Begin with an area of your life in mind. Choose an area where you have been struggling or would like to experience some transformation.
Now begin to imagine the highest possible outcome that you would like to be living in this area of your life 6 to 12 months from now. Imagine living your life the way you would envision if all your hopes and dreams were to come true. What is your ultimate reality? Try not to get hung up on limitations or negativity; instead, just allow yourself to get carried away with your wildest aspirations.
Next, connect with one goal you would like to achieve in the next three months. Make it a good one. If you choose a goal that doesn’t carry a lot of weight or isn’t all that meaningful, the end result (if you even bother getting there) won’t feel all that special. So be sure to choose something that is big enough that, once you’ve carried out this goal, you will be left with a high level of accomplishment and feeling super motivated to set your next goal. Run the goal through the SMART acronym to make sure it meets all the proper criteria. Then, you’re set!
Now that you’ve connected with your goal, imagine what your life will be like once you have completed it. Create a picture or movie in your mind and step inside the visual representation as if you are inside it and looking through your own eyes. Adjust all of the qualities of sensory perception (taste, touch, sight, sound, smell) to create the most positive and most real feelings. Who is there with you? Where are you? What is happening around you?
Next, step out of the image you’ve created and imagine floating up in the air above where you are now, taking the mental image with you. Take a deep inhale and as you exhale, use your breath to energize the image, filling it with positive energy and intention. Do this five times.
Now it’s time to imagine floating out into the future and visualize dropping the internal representation of your goal down into your life below you at the date and time you’ve set for this goal to reach completion.
Notice how all the events between then and now re-evaluate themselves to support you in accomplishing your goal. Visualize this process to make it feel real.
Once you feel complete, come back to now and, with your eyes still closed, consider what action steps you will take in the next week to move you closer to your goal.
Take a few deep breaths to ground yourself before opening your eyes. Write down your list of action steps and do any journaling about your experience.
Last, you must take action and maintain your focus. Every single day, do something that moves you closer to realizing your goal and living your dream.
Do this process once a week or upon completion of your action steps so that you continue moving powerfully forward toward achieving your goal and living your vision. Seeing is believing, so use your mind to create your most compelling future.

This is a visualization technique that uses a physical component as well as the obvious mental component. To try this technique, you first need to think of something you would like to visualize – for example, getting a top score on an upcoming exam. Start by drawing physical representations of all of the factors involved. You can draw yourself, a book to represent study, and maybe a building to represent the school. Make the drawings a detailed as possible. The important factor isn’t the drawings themselves, but what you are picturing as you draw them. Your mind will be visualizing the road to success the whole time you are drawing out your map. Be patient with this technique, as it will take time to become absorbed into the exercise. It will help to be in a quiet place, and turn off any distractions like a television or radio.

Think of this technique as watching a movie in your head, only you control the scenes. This is a more passive approach than the previous one, but can be just as effective. Again, it helps to be in a quiet place with no outside distractions. Lie back, close your eyes, and try to picture vividly the scene you want to visualize. After you get a clear image in your head, start to add people and noises to the ‘movie’. Slowly build the image until you have a whole picture of the scene and can really feel yourself being involved in the action.

This technique is focused on changing past memories to have a more positive outcome. This is especially useful for resolving memories that involved anger or resentment. Replay the scene in your mind, only replace the angry responses with more calm and controlled ones. It will take time to recreate the scene, but commit to doing this several times over. After a while, your brain will only remember the scene playing out as you have re-created it, and the uncomfortable memories of the actual event will fade away.

Clear the mind completely. You may begin by concentrating on your breath.
Generate an image or idea in your mind before you begin visualization. Try using a general idea such as love, joy or a positive thought or affirmation such as, “I am balanced.”
With each inhale, feel your body expand with potential, and exhale your positive thought into your world.
In the beginning, visualization may be repeating a mantra or concentrating on one positive image, but you can get creative with practice.

30 DAY TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIVE: http://bayart.org/ PEACE STARTER MEDITATION (FREE): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.persona.peacestarter...