Imagery is a powerful stress management technique for creating deep relaxation. Through the use of imagination you mentally create a scene of calm and tranquility to break free of the noise, stress and pressure of everyday life. The more intensely you picture the situation the more relaxed you become. The idea is to involve as many as your senses as you can to make the scene as real as you can. When you consciously use your imagination in this way it has a direct impact on your physical world.
You see, stress is a symptom of the countless impressions, ideas and thoughts we willingly accept into our lives without examination or consideration. Whether it be from the home, the office or our social environment, the physical symptoms of stress are the results of this past ‘acceptance’ and can only be undone when we consciously take control. Instead of being passive recipients of the mind’s activity we learn to direct it consciously. One way of doing this is through mental imagery.
Imagery helps us learn how to consciously direct the mind. It goes much deeper than a temporary relaxation method because we are beginning to exercise our mental muscles. Just try and sit for ten minutes and create a tranquil scene. You will most likely find that it’s not an easy process. All kinds of different thoughts will come into your head and it will be difficult to hold onto the scene for more than a few seconds, never mind a full ten minutes. This is because our mental muscles have grown weak! We allow external forces to influence our lives and we lose our way. Often, we end up coping with stress in an inappropriate way to get some short term relief. In the long term this only makes things worse and is not the way to inner peace.
Imagine how life would be if we could consciously direct our minds at will? If we could block unwanted thoughts and only use the mind for necessary tasks. Would we not then become masters of our mind and in control of our own destiny?
It is difficult to maintain balance when we are not in control. This is why the symptoms of stress including amongst other things burnout, anxiety, anger and depression, eventually manifest themselves in our physical being in the form of disease. A life out of balance leads to dis-ease!
It should be clear then that to achieve a natural balance we must regain control of our mind. Imagery, as a stress management technique is one of many things we can do to help us achieve that control. The effectiveness of this technique is only limited by the degree to which we practice it. Not only will we experience the immediate calming effect of the exercise but the lasting effect of control over our environment.
When we make a conscious effort to use imagery on a regular basis we begin to take control of the mind. Over time we are able to choose the thoughts we entertain at any given moment. When we begin to master the mind we become increasingly self-aware. With self-awareness comes balance, and stress becomes a thing of the past.