Imagine yourself in a beautiful place in nature, overlooking the ocean at sunset…dropping deeper into a more relaxed state…

You can hear the waves up ahead…. you can smell the ocean spray…. the air is moist and warm…. feel a pleasant, cool breeze blowing through the trees….

You are using the art of visualization to take you into a deeper, more relaxed state of mind. A great way to release stress and let go of the cares and worries of the day.

But you are not meditating…not yet.  Meditation and visualization are two very different experiences.

I have studied the art of visualization for many years. I have used these practical techniques to achieve positive outcomes such as physical healing and creating abundance. Guided visualizations encourage you to relax and go into deeper levels of mind. To lower your brain waves into an alpha state where you then visualize and imagine a desired outcome. These simple techniques work well and have definitely played a big part in the creation of my life. Visualization techniques have helped me heal myself from illness, break unwanted habits and let go of beliefs and relationships that were no longer serving me. Sometimes my manifestations came with unexpected consequences or life lessons,  so heed the saying… “Be careful what you ask for.” Now if I ask for a specific outcome I always add, “This or something better.”

In some ways, meditation seems the same as visualizing. You are sitting or lying down and becoming still. You allow yourself to relax and enter a deeper level of mind but instead of imagining an outcome, with meditation you empty your mind and ask for nothing. To just sit and clear your mind of all thoughts is not as easy as it sounds. For me, having spent years visualizing made it difficult to let go of the idea of creating a positive outcome. To just sit and not ask for what I thought I needed in life was my biggest challenge in meditation. I knew I didn’t need to be creating at every moment, yet, to just sit in an empty space that is so full of possibilities, do nothing and just trust the process took years of practice.

My meditation starts with a simple method of counting my breath. Inhale is the count of one, exhale the count of two, inhale is three and to continue counting until I notice that my mind has wandered. When I notice, I just start the counting again back at one. There is no goal, I just keep concentrating on counting my breath. This practice allowed me to become aware of and control my many thoughts. The next step is to just stay at one, the counting stops altogether, and my mind becomes quiet with nothing stealing my attention. In this heightened state, my aches and pains disappear, time goes by unnoticed. I feel safe and connected to all things. After my meditation I feel more relaxed and uplifted. This feeling spills over into my day, seemly making everything run smoother. The rewards of a meditation practice are many and perhaps different for each person. What has amazed me most is how mediation allows the Universe to work on my behalf.  I feel more open to receive what I need in life in ways that I could have never imagined!

Meditation and visualization are both very powerful. Try both! Experiment to see what works for you. Use visualization to help you drop in, then just sit and count your breath to quiet your mind and just allow yourself to be.

Sue Anne Parsons 500 EYT, CYT – owner of Let It Go Yoga since 1986

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