What is Visualization Meditation? Benefits and Techniques to Follow

What are Meditation and Visualization?

Before we move on to Visualization meditation, it is important to know what is visualization. It is a process of picturing something in your mind that has yet not happened. It can be something you want as an outcome, a result of a successful opportunity.

It was popularised by Russian athletes who used it to win medals at the 1984 Olympics. Another notable example would be the American swimmer Michael Phelps who used visualization to win. In his coach’s words, “He sees himself winning, smells the air, tastes the water, hears the sounds…” Hope you get the idea.

Visualization Meditation is getting into a relaxed state of mind and body where you can focus on imagining what you want. It will allow your experience smoother and even get rid of your anxiety while going into something important. Many people use it before going on the stage for the same reason.

Our brains are stimulated when we visualize something is happening, helping us realize how it will be when something is achieved in reality. It will help you have your focus on the objective and work towards it even more.

Now that we know what it is, here are some of the benefits of Visualization Meditation in detail.

Benefits of Visualization Meditation

Increased Efficiency

When you visualize yourself performing better at something, it can help you feel every detail of how you will achieve it. Yes, the destination is where we want to go, but the journey is just as important. Visualization meditation helps you with your efficiency and performance, too.

Boosted Confidence

It will help you in believing yourself. Visualizing your goals will make you feel that they are within your reach, and there are great chances of you achieving them. In short, it will get you that well-deserved boost in your confidence.

Reduced Stress and Anxiety

Like many types of meditation, Visualization meditation also helps you in fending off the stress and anxiety you might feel. That way, it will also help you prevent depression. You can picture yourself winning over one after other obstacles in your life. Thus, Visualization Meditation can also help you bring happiness to your life.

Improved Focus

With improved efficiency and confidence, it also helps you concentrate better. Visualizing what you want will make you focus better.

Better Sleep

Yes, Visualization Meditation can help you fight insomnia and make you sleep better. You can paint different colours, textures, patterns, and sounds, get into a deep state of meditation and help you sleep.

Better Immunity

It can help you improve your immunity. You can visualize yourself taking better nutrients, better sleep, and reduced stress and anxiety; you will physically improve your immunity. Your mental health and immunity are interconnected, and visualization meditation can help you improve both.

Pain Relief

Practising Visualization Meditation for healing will help you form new connections in your brain. They will help you alleviate your pain. Those who are suffering from Migraines or chronic pain can benefit from this.

Visualization Meditation Techniques: How to do Visualization Meditation?

If you are thinking about approaching visualization meditation, here are some of the pointers to help you out.

Visualization is about experiencing and envisioning a future goal. You are creating images of you achieving something that will give you an overall sensory experience of achieving that particular thing. When we combine it with meditation, the possibilities are endless. But where to start?

When you want to meditate, it is essential to bring awareness to your body and mind. Try to focus on your mind and body. Most people use their breathing to anchor their attention. When you draw your breath in and out, it can help you focus.

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What to Focus on?

Now, if you are focusing on something big or a specific area you want to change, that is the area you should focus on. It can be your relationships, finances, or your career. Just focus on where you want the change to happen.

Imagine the Best!

It is time to let go of your fears and worries. Stop worrying about the things that are not in your control and focus on what is positive. Of course, other thoughts will come and might cloud your visualization. Just focus on what you want to achieve.

Breaking it Down

Instead of thinking way too ahead in the future, break your goals into smaller segments and meditate about them. You can break the time down and visualize what you will achieve in that amount of time. This is also a good time to think about what you can do to move closer towards that achievement.

What Will Happen?

Imagine how your life is going to change when you finally achieve that goal. Like we mention above, visualize it with all of your senses and paint a detailed picture. Take a mental note of the images you see, emotions you go through, and your experiences.

Be There

Once you are in the ‘zone’, sit back and enjoy the view. You can watch yourself feeling all those great emotions and sensations that will come after achieving the goal. Cherish the moments and understand that it is tangible and can happen someday!

What Will You Do?

As the session comes close to the end, come back to your breathing. It is time to think about the steps you will take after the session, or the next day, or the next month to move towards your goals. Relax your body and start feeling the environment you are in. In this step, too, you can break your goals into smaller timelines.

Finishing Off

Bring your session to a close gently. Take a mental note of the experiences and the insights you got from your session and implement them. It will help you get closer to your goals in reality. Taking small but consistent steps towards your goal will only help you achieve what you seek.

Now that you know how to approach visualization meditation step-by-step let’s move on to some of the types of visualization meditation you can try.

Types of Visualization Meditation

Visualizing Your Goals

In this creative visualization meditation method, you visualize yourself achieving your goals. The brain thinks that you have already achieved them even though you are just trying to visualize it. This will help your confidence a lot.

How to do Goal Visualization?

Focus on your goal and hold it with the utmost attention. It can be any goal that you want to achieve in your life.

Now, imagine that you have successfully achieved it. Try to be in that moment with all your senses. It can be people, your feelings, the environment, anything. Fill in the details in your visualization to make it vivid.

The negative thoughts are bound to come, and you need to fight them off with something positive. In simple words, if a thought is about “this is impossible”, fight it off with “I can do it”.

Focus on your breathing as you visualize yourself achieving your goals.

Love-Kindness Meditation

In this meditation, you feel the love and kindness you have for yourself and others. If you feel some intense negative emotion towards someone or anger has surrounded you, this is the way to go.

How to do Love-Kindness Meditation?

Start with a comfortable position, relax, and close your eyes.

Now, take several deep breaths in and out. Feel the rhythm of your breathing.

Focus on the person that you want to send your compassion to. It can be yourself or someone else. Note how you feel when you think about the person. The emotions can be positive or negative or even neutral.

You can focus on the feelings you want to send to them, calm, joy, peace, or happiness. Picture those leaving you in the form of the energy and reaching them.

You can keep your focus on breathing. If you are sending those feelings to yourself, feel that light travelling through you.

Continue the practice for as long as you like. Let the feelings of compassion and warmth come to you.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

With your mind, meditation can also help you release tension in your body too. With progressive muscle relaxation, you can relieve your stiff muscles, and mentally it will help you fight anxiety and stress.

In turn, this mental and physical tension release will help you get better sleep and fight insomnia, too.

How to do Progressive Muscle Relaxation?

Lie down on your back on the floor or the mat. You can put a cushion under your knees or neck if you are not comfortable lying on the floor.

Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.

Now, you can start with the muscles that feel relaxed even before you started this meditation. Tense them a little and then relax them as you breathe out.

Gradually, go through all the muscle groups in your body. Hold the breath in as you tense your muscles and relax them after a few seconds.

You can visualize the tension leaving your body as you exhale. Rest 5 to 10 seconds between muscle groups and repeat the process for the next.

Ending Note

Visualization meditation can help you a lot in achieving your goals and having the life of your dreams. Hope we have been helpful to make you understand the smallest details of Visualization meditation. Remember, with the right methods, we all can achieve what we want in our lives. Have a great next session ahead!

Consult our online therapist to know more interesting things about Visualization meditation.