guided imagery
After a traumatic experience, it’s important to find ways to cope, release, and relax. When you want nothing more than to take a break from your world, you can use guided imagery to help you travel anywhere your heart desires. Guided imagery is a technique in which you visualize a peaceful place and mentally immerse yourself in the setting.
It’s good to have images picked out in your mind beforehand so you can readily call them up when you need to mentally escape. When I get in those moments, I ask myself, Where do I want to be right now? In the past, sometimes I would use guided imagery to get myself out of the abusive situation. I would envision a better life for myself. I remember when I would see an airplane, I would imagine being on it and going to a better place, a better life. I envisioned a better future for myself, and I made sure that I made that dream a reality. ~Theresa
Do you remember playing as a child and being anyone you wanted to be—maybe a rock star, an actress, a doctor, or a chef? Did you know that you can use the same imagination you used as a child to help you cope as you get older? Guided imagery is a tool that can help you purposefully go to a calmer, more relaxed place. All you need to do is close your eyes and let your mind focus on the places you’ve always wanted to go.
Your imagination holds the key to helping you relax. It is normal for trauma survivors to sometimes have frightening or unwanted thoughts when they let their mind relax. They may worry that they are becoming too disconnected from what is happening in the present moment. If this happens to you, simply take a deep breath and open your eyes. Remind yourself that you are in a safe place, feeling the air flowing in and out of your nose. When you are ready, you can go back to the imaginary scene of your choice.
We all need a special place that helps us feel calm and grounded. Imagine taking a mental vacation and getting a much-needed break from your everyday life.
How to engage in guided imagery:
- Take a minute to focus on how you are feeling right now. Are your thoughts racing? Is your body tense? Do you feel upset?
- Now, think of a place you would like to go. This could be a place you’ve visited in the past that holds fond memories, or it could be a peaceful or joyful place you’ve always wanted to visit. For example, is your place of refuge somewhere you’ve vacationed, such as a beach, an amusement park, or a mountain get-away? Or is it some place you’ve always wanted to visit like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco or the Taj Mahal in India?
- Describe the details of your dream destination.
Where are you?
What do you see around you?
What fragrances fill the air?
- What sounds surround you?
- Get ready to imagine the scene. Set a timer for at least one minute. Place your hand on your abdomen. Take few deep, relaxing breaths. Allow the air to flow all the way into your belly.
- Close your eyes and imagine yourself in that special place. It’s exactly as you dreamed it would be.
- After one minute, describe how your body and mind are responding to your mental vacation. For example, are you muscles less tense? Are you calmer? Has your breathing deepened?
Guided imagery is great way to keep your dream destination with you at all times. Make a visual reminder of your dream destination by recreating it on your computer or on paper. Create a screen saver, a paper collage, or a scrapbook of your scene, or you can draw or paint a picture of your imagery. Keep this visual reminder close at hand and retreat to it any time you need to go to a calmer, more peaceful place in your mind.
words of inspiration
Use imagery to envision a different future for yourself, use it to dream, or use it to escape what’s happening around you. Guided imagery can help you imagine something better for yourself, and if you can see it, you can work toward it. ~Theresa