A new year is a time of joyous celebration and, for many, thoughtful self-reflection and goal setting for the year ahead. No matter your intention – from more confidence, to a healthier body, to better job performance – visualization is a powerful exercise that can help you manifest the life you want.
Here are a few self-discovery tips, incorporating your senses, to help maximize your visualization practice.
Sight
Where do you want to be at the end of 2020? Lay it all out on a vision board. Clip images from magazines and newspapers, print out things you see online, grab old photos or take new ones…basically anything that inspires and motivates you goes up on the board. You can also pin up items, perhaps a dried flower or string of beads, from places or events where you’ve felt powerful, energized, and rejuvenated. The idea is that each item on your vision board symbolizes the feelings and experiences you want in your life. Get creative and have fun!
Make sure your vision board is in a spot where you’ll see it every day. Each time you look at it, it will prompt you to think about what you want; each visualization you do will lead you closer to actualizing your potential.
Sound
One of the most effective ways to set a mood is through sound. Just as your vision board will evoke certain feelings when you look at it, your favorite songs can do the same on your journey of self-discovery. Choose a few songs that align with the feeling (joyful, triumphant, satisfied, excited, peaceful, etc.) behind the visuals on your vision board, and play them when you sit down to visualize what you’d like to accomplish throughout the year.
Taste
Cleanse your palate and kick-start each visualization session with a wellness tonic such as warm lemon water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or a green juice with lots of vegetables. This healthy habit will quickly become part of the ritual of your daily practice.
Touch
Walk barefoot in the grass to experience grounding. Grounding yourself to the earth puts you at ease, connects you to nature, increases your energy levels, decreases stress and tension, and helps improve sleep, all of which can benefit your visualization practice.
Smell
We live in a fast-paced world with near-constant stimulation and distractions. However, focus and concentration are key components of effective visualization. Essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, lemon, and patchouli offer properties – from enhanced alertness to promoting a sense of calm and relaxation – that can augment our ability to focus and concentrate.
Ever-present in our minds, thoughts impact our lives in countless ways. An important self-discovery technique, visualization is about harnessing the power of those thoughts. When combined with the astonishing influence of our five senses – how we make sense of the world around us – mental imagery is a potent tool we can use to help with our inner transformation as we create the future of our dreams.
