Yoga Visualization: Some Effective Techniques

The use of your mental ability plays such an important role in yoga, especially during meditation. This will enable you to move from the external surface onto your subconscious mind until you eventually reach the spiritual consciousness. This is the most promising point in your yoga practice, therefore you need to aim to attain that. One way to do so is using visualization techniques, which you can find out more about below.

At its core, yoga visualization is an effective way to relieve yourself from stress and tension build up in your body. This technique will utilize mostly your mind to produce imagination that will have its consequent effect on your body. Some people have trouble attaining relaxation, but only few realize that imagination is a great medium to use in getting there. You can use different elements to stimulate different senses in the body to bring about more positive relaxation and reduce stress in your physical or mental body.

Your mind is such a powerful part of your body such that what you think of becomes who you are or what you feel. For instance, if you constantly cloud your mind with sad thoughts, then you will eventually feel depressed and filled with sorrow. When you reverse that and fill your imagination with positive images, then you will feel uplifted by it. So, choose effectively the images you use during visualization to produce equally positive effects on your senses and the entire body.

The result of performing visualizations through yoga are compelling; and yet, some people find it difficult just to practice visualization. Using some guaranteed techniques will therefore help you achieve proper visualization and experience its benefits.

When performing these techniques, you can either utilize the power of your mind to produce valid imaginings or use some other resources such as music. You can test each of these techniques to determine which one works best for you.

Guided Imagery and Visualization

Guided imagery is one of the traditional methods of visualization used in yoga. In fact, it is also one of the most common since it is simple to do and yet it offers effective results in terms of stress relief. To attain relaxation, guided imagery involves your imagination of being at this serene place where you can get rid of anxiety and be completely at peace with yourself. You are therefore free to decide what setting you experience extreme sense of calmness. In fact, some expert yogis suggest using audio tools to facilitate in this visualization process.

When you perform this guided imagery, make sure to close your eyes. This will prevent you from becoming easily distracted and lose your focus. When you imagine, be as vivid as possible and make sure to incorporate sensory details to keep you involved in the process even when it is only your mind that is working.

Opening up your heart chakra is very beneficial as it gives way to the coursing of energy flow all throughout the other chakras in your body. Begin by focusing on your heart in an effort to release all forms of emotional blockages.

Start with breathing exercises that will facilitate in opening up your heart. Upon meditation, picture your heart slowly opening up. This movement will proceed as you continue to breathe in and out. Never lose focus on your heart throughout this time. You will feel its effect on the rest of your body.

Visualize Your Breathing

The incorporation of breathing techniques to combine with your practice of yoga meditation and visualization helps to affect your spiritual body. Thus, every aspect of yoga involves breathing exercises to achieve that deeper kind of experience.

Proper breathing is one of the five pillars to yoga, which is mostly beneficial during meditation so you can help ease your mind. During the process of inhalation and exhalation, think of an imaginary circle inside your head. Upon inhalation, complete one half of the circle. During the exhalation process, that is when you complete the entire circle by drawing out an imaginary half-circle. This visualization exercise will help stimulate your senses and create heightened awareness of your breathing.

Music is cathartic, such that it affects you mentally and emotionally. Therefore, it is no wonder why it is widely used during meditation and visualization exercises in yoga. In fact, there are several therapies involving the use of music due to its powerful healing capacity.

Before you are to expect the said results, take time to consider first what music best offers the kind emotional or mental impact you aspire. When it comes to using music for visualization, it stimulates your brain to facilitate in the processing of images and other visual thoughts.

If you are new to using music for yoga visualization, deciding on the best type of music to use can be a tough challenge. Below are some types of music that yoga experts recommend for anyone who wants to visualize:

• Classical music
• Music that consist of nature sounds (such as Zen music and the like)
• Instrumental music
• Specialized yoga meditation music

Performing Visualization

Although some people might be intimidated by the practice of visualization, as most is with meditation, it is actually very simple. Once you learned the technique and have mastered it, you will enjoy performing visualization while at the same time gaining its enriching benefits. Here are the procedures:

• Position yourself such that you are lying down against the floor, yoga mat, or bed. Place your hands on either sides with both palms turned upwards.
• Then, shut your eyes.
• With your eyes closed, breathe in ten times drawing air from your diaphragm.
• During your inhalation, try to feel the source of muscular tension in your body.
• After some time, release that tension by breathing air out. This process will effectively relieve you off stress.
• Repeat the entire procedure while making sure to take note of the specific areas of your body wherein you feel tension. Doing so will enable you to feel totally relaxed.
• Create mental impressions of nature, especially the ones that invoke your senses to work.
• Some examples of mental impressions that you can make would be to imagine yourself walking bare foot, imagine yourself basking on a view of a beautiful fountain, or feeling the breeze on your face, or feeling the sun's warmth against your skin.
• Maintain this position for as long as desired.