Plus an 8-minute beginner guided meditation included!
What is guided imagery?
Guided imagery is a type of focused relaxation or meditation. Focus involves concentrating on a specific object, sound, or experience in order to calm your mind. In guided imagery, you intentionally think of a peaceful place or scenario. The goal is to promote a calm state through relaxation and uniformed breathing. You can find guided meditations online, meditation/ exercise apps, or they can be done in person by a therapist or some yoga classes.
When we experience chronic stressful situations, our body and mind become tense. Our heart rate and blood pressure might increase, and we may feel jittery and unfocused. But if we focus our attention on pleasant scenarios, our mind and body tend to relax. We may feel less tightness and tension in your muscles, while our mind might feel calmer and more at ease. By calming our mind and body, we may be better able to cope with mental, emotional, and physical stress.
Ok, but what are the benefits?
There’s plenty of scientific evidence that shows that guided imagery may help reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, testing anxiety in students, and pre-surgery stress. Another study, which involved patients on a hospital unit found that 30-minutes of guided imagery had similar positive effects to a 15-minute massage. Here are more benefits of guided meditation:
Improved sleep quality, reduces the cortisol levels allowing for less restlessness.
Decreased pain, stress can increase pain perception in individuals.
Decreased depression, since depression is often associated with negative mental images, the positive images that are created through guided imagery may be able to change this.
Is there a downside to guided meditation?
Aphantasia is a phenomenon in which people are unable to visualize imagery. While most people are able to conjure an image of a scene in their minds, people with aphantasia cannot. Some people may also find it difficult to stay focused and often find their mind wandering to their to-do list, or if they're hungry they might gravitate to think about bodily sensations or what to eat.
When I first started seeking guided meditation audio I found it difficult to find someone who had an easy voice to listen to or the right flow of music in the background. I found some more distracting than others may it be the static in the audio or the speech sounded like a snake when they spoke their S's. Other cons:
The music doesn't sync with your breathing
Unable to find the right audio
Unable to find stillness in the body
Lose focus when the moderator speaks
It takes lots of practice!! Try not to get discouraged if you are unable to relax.
Ready to get started? Find a quiet spot where you can give yourself some time to practice. You may begin on a yoga mat, lying in your bed, or sitting on the couch. You can choose to use earbuds, then play your preferred app or meditation video, and begin breathing rhythmically.
Take a trip with me to the beach in this 8-minute guided meditation!
By: Shelby Secor
03/26/2024