Visualization

The art of visualization must be an integral part of any successful weight loss program. This is likely the main reason that people cannot keep the weight off, or put it on if they are in need on weight increase. If the mind is not involved it will be almost impossible to achieve your goal and equally as hard to maintain. If it can be done at all, it is very mentally draining as it will take a tremendous amount of will power to continue on.

Will power is well and good but for me and my house, we would rather it be easy and if possible, fun would be great! And I would like you to know that no matter what you success or failure has been in the past, this is a new day and a new direction. So lets talk about visualization.

Visualization has not really come into it's power at this time. People try it, or a version of it and if it doesn't melt the pounds off within the next day or two they write visualization off as airy fairy and continue on with bull headed will power. Or, they may just give up, as has been the pattern in the past. We live in an age of instant gratification and have been programmed over the years to have a short attention span. But for the sake of transformation of both body and spirit, let's use visualization to create something new.

The first thing I want you to do is to become completely relaxed. You should sit in a comfortable chair and using your breath relax your body. When you breath in, do so through your nose to the count of 6. Then hold the breath for a count of 3 paying attention to where in your body you are holding any stress. Now let go of the breath to a count of 6 relaxing your entire body. Know that some of the most notable places for holding stress are in the shoulders, back, neck and jaw. There are many other places, both externally and internally. Take time to find your stress points and breath out as you cause them to relax and let go. Do this several times, 6 to 10 would be fine, relaxing more and more each time.

Now think back to a very happy time in your life. Can you think of a time that you were really happy, a time when you received a promotion, a time when you had a really wonderful time with your family, a time you had truly great and inspiring sex perhaps? What ever it is, take a few minutes to really go back to that time in your imagination. What did the area look like, what smells can you identify, what was the weather or room temperature like, what did it feel like, sound, smell, taste and look like. Really get into this and when you feel that you are really there, use the feeling that you have brought out of your imagination to do the following.

Now imagine your desired body image. Really look at it, feel it, smell it, taste it (well, maybe not taste it, that would be just plain strange and socially unacceptable :^)) and listen to what may be going on around you. As you do this exercise, it is best if you can put yourself into the image so that you are seeing things from the perspective of being in this wonderful body that you have created. Look down at your hands and feel what the hands feel.Walk around and feel what it feels like to walk in the new body. Be in it, not looking at what you have accomplished as though it were a movie. Feel gratitude for this outcome in your temple. Use these same sensations/feelings that you had when you pictured the truly happy time in your life in the preceding paragraph. As you may have guessed the feeling is very important in the manifestation of the image that you desire, and this is true for any area of your life that you want a change in. Try to do this at least once a day for 5 to 15 minutes.

For a writing exercise please take some time and write your desired body outcome on paper. You can see this image anywhere that it would please you to see it. Are you at a reunion, or possible dancing with a significant other, or maybe you are taking a hot soak in the tub and are feeling how nice it is to have so much of you immersed in the water? A little bit of my personal history shining through :^). Listen to the sounds around you and write them down. Feel how your clothes fit on you are you move around the space, or in the case of a swimsuit how you notice the comfort of clothing not being on you and how good it makes you feel to be in that situation with pleasure. And for those of you who are already there in your minds, think about how much more comfortable you are while making love to your significant other, how much more comfortable it is and how you may move differently. Just write down all of the ways that your senses will be involved in this picture. Research tells us that people who write down goals and ideas are almost 100 times more likely to achieve them than people who just think about them. You might want to write something on an index card that you can carry around with you to remind you of why you are not getting that moccachino with whipped cream, or anything that that is not what you need at a weak moment. Remember, this is not about deprivation but opportunity. I will expand on this picture on the next posting.

Be sure to post any successes and even hardships that you may be facing. And remember to call each other and see how things are going. It is a much easier road when you are accountable to someone and you have encouragement toward that end. On that note, I will confess that I have not exercised in 2 days. But due to the confession, I am inspired to do it today. So, once I am off the computer, exercise is a priority. It is done and so it is. And by the way, if you come to the end of the day and have not done your exercises, just do something, be it some stretching or intentional walking around your house, let's commit to do something toward our goal of body movement.

Bill is looking into the link for ordering the book today. If it does not come today, feel free to just order the book without the site on your own. I think this is about it for now. More coming soon. I look forward to seeing some of your comments and thoughts.

To a slimmer, stronger, more movable and happier temple!