How to Create the Perfect Morning Visualization
Morning Visualization: One of the best ways to start your day is with visualization. Create your dream reality with this 10-minute exercise.
Psychologists and scientists have proven the great benefits of positive visualization. Some of these include calming your mind and heart rate, raising your energy, and increasing your sense of happiness and love. Consequently, when used consistently and for a long period (preferably for more than 40 days), visualization results in improved mental and physical health, better memory, increased productivity and creativity.
In short, people who spend time visualizing can create and live their dream life.
What is visualization?
In simple words, visualization is the process of imagining something. Every time you daydream, you visualize. The main difference between dreaming and visualizing is that, in the second case, you are awake.
In his book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, Dr. Joe Dispenza describes that often (although not always), our brain does not differentiate between an event taking place or is imagined by us.
For example, if you are presenting in front of a large audience, you might feel anxious, your heart beating hard, your palms sweating, etc. If you take a few minutes to imagine that you are giving the presentation, your body will react in the same or very similar way. That is, whether you are having a real experience or simply visualizing it, the brain processes almost the same information and reacts the same way.
Not convinced? Try the following. Imagine that before you, there is a plate with a few lemon slices on it. Imagine you take one piece of lemon and take a bite. Now, notice how your body reacts to this vision. Do you feel any different than a minute or so ago? Although there is no lemon nearby, chances are you just produced a bit more saliva, and perhaps your tongue and/or the back of your jaw are tingling. This is the power of visualization. Your brain and body autoreact whether this is an experience or not.
How can we take advantage of the visualization process?
So, the question becomes how we can take advantage of this phenomenon. If we can make our body change its behaviour, like in the lemon example above, we can start feeling more relaxed, peaceful, energized, and even happier. As Dr. Joe explains, we can even heal our bodies by visualizing. But, let’s not go that deep into the water… yet… Let’s first learn how to use visualization to feel more peaceful and charged with positive energy.
The key is to accept that the visualization process affects our body in one way or another, whether we imagine something good or bad. That is, if we visualize something negative, our body will react by feeling frightened, stressed, worried, etc. If we visualize something serene, our body will relax and feel calm and at peace.
The Starting Point
If you feel stressed and anxious, you operate in the so-called fight-or-flight mode. Your body uses energy and resources to stay alert and alive. Ultimately, this leads to many health issues simply because the body cannot properly care for itself.
Very often, when we go through continuous stressful experiences, it becomes hard to break the routine. We may realize the need to do something to change the pattern, but either we don’t know how to, or we don’t have the time to do so, or both.
So, what can we do? Are we doomed for life? The short answer is: not at all.
The Final Destination
The opposite of living a hectic life is to be serene. We will enjoy excellent health and energy if we maintain a stress-free, joyful, and loving lifestyle. We will feel inspired, creative and bursting with positivism. Great ideas and motivation will be our constant companions. We will be able to see the opportunities and possibilities all around us. More importantly, we will feel a deep connection with our Spirit/Higher Self.
The benefits of being happy are endless. So much so that for many of us, this is our lives’ ultimate goal: to be happy!
The hurdle
If we find ourselves running on a hamster wheel, it’d be hard to start feeling good suddenly. No matter what technique we try, it’d always take some time to notice the change. In fact, the bigger the change, the longer it’d take. This is what often discourages us from taking action.
That is why taking small but consistent steps is the key to success. Such a small and consistent step is the morning visualization.
The Morning Visualization
It is often (although not always) easier to maintain an already clean house rather than do a thorough clean-up every once in a while. The same applies to your energy and overall tonus.
If you positively start your day, it’d be easier to maintain a higher level of vibration. One of the main reasons for this is that while you sleep, your mind temporarily shuts down, and your body manages to recharge and replenish it as much as possible. Even if you do not feel completely recharged, it’d take you less effort to reach the optimal levels compared to starting from the opposite side of the scale.
A morning visualization is a simple tool that can do just that: help you feel grounded, connected and happy. By starting your day with the vision of something lovely, your brain and body will react as if this is true.
You will be able to see the solutions to any roadblocks rather than concentrating on the problems and the harm they pose to you. You will be able to brush off any small, insignificant incidents rather than converting them into giant issues. Even people around you will pick up the love you radiate and will be calmer, more cooperative, and more patient.
Step 1: Sketch out your visualization
If you never use the visualization technique before, chances are you might not know what to imagine so you can raise your energy level. At least, that happened to me when I first started practicing.
That is why I decided to take some time and draft what would make me feel good early in the morning. First, I brainstormed by jotting random ideas about my dream environment to spend my dream morning. Some of these included having a coffee in the park (I love coffee), walking on a mountain trail, walking on a beautiful ocean beach, having a rich breakfast, and so on. I settled with being at a secluded mountain cottage in the middle of a meadow surrounded by majestic forest.
Next, I described my dream morning routine. In particular, I decided that I’d be very happy sitting outside on a cottage chair covered with a light blanket. Next to the chair, I’d have a coffee table with a steaming mug, a plate of fresh croissants and a bowl of fresh, sweet strawberries.
For a few mornings, I spent about 10 minutes sketching (in words) what would make me feel really, really good. Later, when I began visualizing, I had something to use as a base and let my imagination take over. At least, I didn’t go through the frustration that I had no idea what would make me happy.
Interestingly, the pre-work was enough to make me feel good and happier.
Step 2: Meditate
Before each morning visualization session, I take a few minutes to meditate. The purpose of this step is simply to quiet my mind. If our mind continuously tittle-tattles, our body cannot calm down to a point where it can feel the serenity we imagine.
During this 5-minute process, I breathe deeply through my nose and try to feel the air that comes in and goes out. By concentrating on the flow of air in and out of my lungs, I manage to turn off the thought-generating part of my brain. Occasionally, a thought tries to attract my attention; however, I simply let it pass without entertaining it and concentrate on my breath again.
Step 3: Visualize
Now, that I have an idea of what to imagine and my mind is not running over the daily to-do list, I start the visualization step by closing my eyes and creating in my mind the picture of my dream place. I take a few moments to see the details and feel safe. In my vision, I notice the trees in the distance, the grass under my feet, the sky, and the sun. Usually, that is when my imagination takes over. Without any effort, I pretend to hear the birds, the bees, and the wind. I smell the wildflowers mixed with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. I feel so good that my body fully relaxes. I feel safe, happy, and enveloped in love.
Usually, I take about 5-10 minutes to visualize. Although it might sound like just a little time, the effect is long-lasting. Sometimes, if I feel overwhelmed during the day, I take a short 10-minute break and visualize. Since I have the “script” in my head, it is very easy for me to go into my sacred space and start feeling better immediately.
How about you?
It is your turn now. What is your dream morning visualization? If you could be and do anything, what would that be? What would make you so happy that you will carry the feeling with you during the entire day?
Is it having a coffee on the beach? Is it sitting near a beautiful waterfall? Is it enjoying the view from the top of the mountain? Whatever it is, keep the view alive in your heart and go back there as often as possible.
