The world won’t end if you sit down for a few minutes and do nothing but breathe. This 5 minute meditation from mindfulness pro, physical therapist and Our Body Book contributor, Amanda Kreibel, will get you focused and calm by the time the water is done boiling for your next cup of matcha…
The eyes are the window to the soul. When we close our eyes and omit our external surroundings, what appears? We switch to seeing the internal landscapes within our being. There’s a whole world in there! We access our soul, imagination, and dreams.
This is like a sacred gateway to design our reality by directing our attention toward positive mental visions. We have the power to thoughtfully create our intentions within our mind in order to live them. Right now, I imagine my laundry done, the house sparkly clean, and yummy food prepared on the table, and then when I open my eyes… poof, it’s magically there? Well, that’s not really how it works, but a few minutes visualizing that particular sequence of events could actually influence my whole day to smoothly flow through those mundane simple chores, as well as submit this essay on time!
Visualization, guided imagery, and meditation all contain similar potent concepts with particular benefits that fuse the pieces of our visions together, from the simple daily tasks to the grander goals. More and more science reveals the positive impact of visualization for sports to maximize training, endurance and performance, as well as be ultra calm and in the zone prior to competition. Research shows athletes who know how to relax, perform better. That goes for all of us, when we practice chillin’ and direct our attention to our goals to find that calm place within, we too can perform in the game of life! This technique is for everyone whether it’s for visualizing a successful meeting, a brilliant presentation, a smooth golf swing, or imagining living a healthy lifestyle to… anything you want to invent!
I offer this technique to my patients whether they are an athlete or not, because many may have lost confidence in their bodies due to an injury, surgery, or chronic pain. This gives them (and maybe you) a tool to re-connect with their body in an optimistic way, to ultimately enhance healing. The power of the mind is daunting, and what we think about we bring about… with the added side effects of boosting confidence, having better focus, decreasing anxiety and cultivating a sense of peace. I also teach visualization to my students in yoga class and even in yoga teacher trainings to overcome stage fright and fear of public speaking. By the way: I still get nervous! But I visualize and practice and practice. Mental rehearsal creates a strong bond between your body and your mind to enrich belief patterns about yourself to enhance the skill imagined. When we fully mentally prepare and have faith, our body will hit replay and naturally follow along.
Experience it right now: Close your eyes. Breathe mindfully and with awareness. Trust your imagination and let the images emerge from within. Notice all the surrounding details, piece by piece from what you are wearing, to the vibrant colors in your environment, to what the weather is and if you are hot or cold, is it day or night, etc., so you begin to have a tangible feeling of the experience in your environment, within your breath, and within your body. Set the stage and then explore the scene you want to re-enact, practice it, and feel the positive outcome. Real creativity is the expression of your true self deep within your dreams and visions. Have faith and dream BIG!
