We’re in a new year, but you’re probably dealing with the same old stress. New year, same you.
That’s not a bad thing, though. I love the quote by Zen monk Shunryu Suzuki. He said: “Each of you is perfect the way you are … and you can use a little improvement.”
We don’t need to change, but everyone benefits from growth.
To that end, here are a couple of new techniques (or really, oldies but goodies) for direction in the growth department and for releasing some of that same old stress this year. They’re two methods of visualization.
If you’re not familiar with this kind of meditative practice, there are a lot of different ways to go about it, but the core element is the use of imagination.
Stress relief: Envision a peaceful scene
In a comfortable position, take a few deep breaths to help you relax and feel more settled.
Let go of any obvious tension in your body.
Imagine a peaceful landscape — something gorgeous. Look at the full scene, admiring its beauty, breathing deeply.
Now start to zoom into this scene in your mind … so much so that you find yourself standing there, in the middle of this remarkable setting. Feel yourself arrive there.
Now, in this peaceful and stunning space, look around and take it all in. Smell the scene, see it, feel it as though you’re truly right there, right now. Take your time…
Now imagine that you see a comfortable place to sit within the landscape. See and feel yourself walking toward it and sitting down.
Stay in this peaceful space for a while. Let yourself fully welcome in and even embody its energy.
When you’ve had enough, or your timer goes off, deepen your breath again and come back into the room.
Imagining a beautiful scene in nature like this doesn’t just make for a pretty picture in our heads. As we see a peaceful place and imagine ourselves actually being there, our bodies react in suit. Envisioning peace can melt off layers of stress.
Another technique: Envisioning future you
How you would like to be and feel one year from now?
I won’t write you through this one, that could get pretty long and windy. But the idea is to imagine yourself 12 months from now, assuming that you’ve had an amazing, healing and transformative year.
Here’s the gist.
Start this as you would a regular meditation. Breathe deeply, relax your body.
Now let yourself imagine that it’s 2024 and that you’ve gotten all the things you deeply longed for in 2023. Envision that your dreams came true … imagine best case scenarios.
From this seat of appreciation and reflection — embodying your future, very grateful self — take your time to look at your life. See how your life looks and feels.
What are you up to? Who is around? How does it feel to be on the backside of such a generous year?
Visualize it all and spend some time with this, really getting into the vibe of it — how it feels to have had these various things come together.
This kind of practice can be inspiring, and it gives us more clarity on where to focus and what actually matters to us (those feelings are the real goals) as 2023 kicks into gear.
I like these two practices and find they feel good, especially in January. Less stress and more precise, motivated direction are best case scenarios for starting the new year off right.
Cheers to that — and to our best years yet.