What do you observe when you meditate? It’s beautiful if you answer “Nothing!”. Although a state of meditation can be achieved by withdrawing the senses, many techniques use mental imagery and your inner feelings to focus your attention. Visualization helps us connect with our subconscious, everyday lives, and inner sight. Here are seven easy techniques to help you start if you want to try different meditation and mindfulness.

What is visualization mediation

Visualization is a form of meditation in which the practitioner concentrates their attention on an image, thought, or feeling that they find favorable. This type of meditation involves the practitioner visualizing a picture in their mind and remaining focused on it throughout the practice. It is possible to have a more enjoyable experience with visualization than regular mediation because it involves you actively creating images and scenes.

Visualization meditation can be practiced by itself. However, many people combine it with other practices such as pranayama, mantra, or mantra to enhance concentration and create a sense of deep relaxation.

Why is visualization so powerful

Visualization helps us to see our inner world differently. When we visualize, we create mental images that help us better understand ourselves and other people. Visualization can alter our feelings, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. You might visualize yourself in a place where you feel safe, with family and friends, when you are anxious. If you’re depressed, imagine being surrounded by a vibrant pink color.

By associating our thoughts and feelings with physical forms, visualization meditation helps us to make them more tangible. It gives us the tools to transform and helps us visualize what we wish to change in our lives. Visualization meditation helps us to connect with our inner wisdom, which is always there to guide us toward our highest potential.

What is the practice for visualization meditation

When we imagine something, we create a mental image of it. Our mental pictures are formed based on past experiences, expectations, and memories. We need to learn more about something new to form a picture. Our brains fill the gaps using imagination to create a mental image of the object.

According to research using brain images, visualization works because our brains process the imagery similarly to when we experience something in real life. Our brains create neural pathways that help us to prepare our bodies for the action we visualize in our minds. What we tell our brains to believe becomes a reality. The more we practice, the more it resembles what we imagine.

Seven types of meditation that use visualization

They can be divided into two types. There are two types of visualization techniques: those that help us visualize something outside the body and those that allow us to see with our mind’s eyes. Consider one or more types of meditation to find a visualization technique that suits you.

Yantra or Mandala

A Yantra, as I have explained to my students, is a diagram of geometric patterns. (Many yantras relate to a deity and a mantra.) Contemplating a yantra, commonly used in Tantric practices, can be an effective tool for focusing attention. Regardless of its meaning, any mandala can be used as a meditation tool. Visualizing symmetrical patterns with your eyes open or internally creates new neural pathways that stimulate balance, clarity, and relaxation.

Guru or Deity

Many spiritual traditions are based on visualizing a spiritual guide or deity and calling upon their qualities. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the gods and goddesses are representatives of different virtues in ourselves and the divine. Visualizing deities help us to embody these virtues in our lives.

What else is important to you

You can also visualize a candle flame or a flower. Or, you could imagine the sun, moon, your favorite place, or even the eyes of someone special. You can use any object that gives you a sense of calmness or ease to help you reach a higher level of self-awareness.

Chakra or Energy

Focusing on the light or energy in your body is a joint exercise for internal visualization. You can practice this by focusing on a particular chakra (third eye, the heart, etc.). The chakras are in sequence as a spectrum or colors. If you are unable to perceive colors, imagine the energy centers as flames, lotus flowers, or places with a high density of spinning energy.

Visualizations of guided journeys

These journey-style visualizations, which are usually scripted and guided by a guide, can be helpful for people who find it difficult to focus their minds or want more insight into the daily lives of others. These meditations include a relaxation technique followed by a nature walk, suggested encounters, and symbols of objects or obstacles you may find along the way. These practices are designed to connect you with various aspects of your subconscious.

You can empower yourself by guiding yourself on a journey, especially in a challenging situation, to choose beneficial behaviors and actions. Visualizing realistic scenarios is a powerful tool to overcome challenges and create the behaviors you desire.

Color breathing

Decide on a quality or feeling you want to add to your lifestyle. Then, choose a color to represent this feeling or quality. For example, you could select a soothing shade of blue or an energizing color like orange if you want to be happy. You might choose green if you want to be calm. Close your eyes, and take a deep breath when you are ready. Visualize the color in your mind. Feel the color wash across your face, arms and chest, legs and feet, hands and fingers as you breathe it in. Feel the color fill your entire body as you breathe in. You can either exhale while focusing on the color or feel yourself breathing out negative feelings.

Meditation on loving-kindness

Loving Kindness is a Buddhist Meditation that helps you develop compassion, empathy, and forgiveness for yourself and others. This visual meditation involves feeling and picturing yourself sending Kindness toward essential people.

Imagine someone dear to you. You repeat comforting phrases like “May I be happy and safe” as you feel the presence of someone you care about. As you repeat the words “May you be strong, healthy, and peaceful” repeatedly, you can feel your gratitude. Repeat the words of comforting.