Mystics, elite athletes, and artists all agree that one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal is our imagination. Through your imagination and visualization powers you can enhance your creativity at work, improve your sports performance, understand the workings of your mind, and learn to tap your own inner powers of creation, intuition, perception, and conception.
To enhance your imagination and visualization powers, use this simple technique daily as part of your meditation practice. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can create your own series of sensory experiences. When you begin, stick to this series until you can experience each sense fully.
To begin, lie down in a comfortable position and follow your regular relaxation process. This may be counting down, relaxing each part of the body systematically, focussing on the breath, or some other relaxation technique.
Once your body and mind are relaxed, set your intention to draw in all your creative powers to explore each object of your visualization. Use all your inner senses to feel, taste, hear, smell and see each image. Hold the visualization for a few seconds, and then move on.
A brilliant sunrise
A beautiful red rose
A fresh, juicy orange
Lying on the fresh, green grass
A cool glass of water
Sitting in a rocking chair
Walking in the sand
A golden sunset
A night sky
After going through your sequence of images, rest for a few more moments, and then return to your daily activities. Take note of how you are feeling, observing any changes in your awareness, your mood, or your perspective.
Practicing this technique regularly will help you to learn the skills of mental concentration, visualization, and imagination. As well, this technique helps you to become more sensitive to the subtleties of each sense, making you more awake and aware of all the beauty and aliveness in your world.
Enjoy, Heather!
First Published in the Mind Body Messenger newsletter 2005