What is Guided Imagery?

Guided Imagery is an instant, powerful technique that can take you out of the stressful situation and calm you, by suggesting to yourself an internal state of being.  This then helps the body to return to homeostatis, which is the mechanism that regulates body functions.  You can download this exercise from the Advice section of the Stress Tracker Mobile App today.

Guided Imagery can be used to rapidly restore you to quiet, or heal a specific area (be it back pain, stomach complaints or blood circulation).  It is sometimes refered to as Autogenic Imagery.  The very term “autogenic” refers to self-regulation, without the need for medicines or any other outside influence.

How does it work?

Experts agree that there are several stages of Guided Imagery training, each concentrating on a separate part of the body. You first of all you have to use progressive muscle relaxation to allow yourself to fully relax, whilst at the same time conjuring up a vision of a place where you feel safe and  a “nothingness”, such as lying on a beach gazing at a blue sky, or floating on the ocean; whatever works for you.  In this state of relaxation and holding the image in your imagination, consciously do the following:

1. Feel the sensation of your arms and legs being heavy.
2. Feel the sensation of heat running through your arms and legs.
3. Listen to your heart beating calmly and regularly.
4. Feel your breath going in and out, smoothly and regularly.
5. Feel the sensation of the warmth in your solar plexus.
6. Feel how cool your forehead is – focus on that feeling.

As you say these phrases to yourself, fully imagine that these things are happening – the heaviness in the limbs, the warmth of your solar plexus.  In practising this technique, self-suggestion plays a major part as it relates to the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy, so you must talk to yourself positively and with care.

How to practise this technique:

This can be applied anywhere, in any situation you tend to experience stress; a meeting at work, in a crowd, in a public place.  Just make sure you are sitting (or standing) comfortably, with muscles relaxed, if possible with eyes closed. If it is not suitable to close your eyes, just focus softly on something within your field of vision and allow it to go blurred.

Pick a phrase now from this list, and concentrate on it for a minute or two: just relax and repeat the phrase. Sometimes you may be aware of images or thoughts; sometimes nothing happens. Do this exercise without judging what happens.

“Let my arms/legs become heavy and relaxed”
“Let my breathing be calm and regular”
“Let my mind be quiet and still”

Literally FEEL these sensations and repeat the process until you feel rested and relaxed.  If you are working to try and heal a specific part of the body, here are some other handy images to try:

“Let my throat feel cool; like water following over it” (for a sore throat)
“Let my stomach become warm and calm” (for stomach complaints)
“Let my forehead become relaxed and cool” (for migraine)
“Let my blood vessels become dilated and relaxed” (for hypertension)

How often:
When you start out using guided imagery, you can do it for a few minutes several times a day, but if you can, gradually increase to 20 minutes every day for full benefits.
 
Tips and caveats:
*Your doctor could help you reach a suitable image for your specific problem.  If you ask for an explanation of what happens when you experience your symptom or illness you can imagine it much more vividly (for instance, if it is that your arteries contract, you would want to imagine them dilating).
*This technique takes a little while to master, but the results are worth it.

Download the Guided Imagery exercise from the Advice section of the Stress Tracker Mobile App and see how it can help you.