I’ve been spending the last week searching for peace - peace in my home, peace in my relationships and peace with the passing of my mother. After two weeks of turmoil, life has settled down considerably, but peace continues to feel elusive. This experience has helped me to realize how terribly important peace is to manifesting and visualizing. When dodging emotional land mines, the meditative state that is best for visualization is difficult to access. In fact, rest and even sleep are hard to come by.
The kind of peace that is needed is not PEACE as in world peace or even a complete lack of conflict in one’s personal life (although, both of those would be wonderful). This peace is time free from physical, emotional and mental disturbances. Even just a few minutes a couple of times a day may be enough. Although I was able to get some quiet time (no noise), my mind and emotions were still very loud with their unsettlement. I believe much of the agitation was rooted in a bone-weary tiredness from nights of restless sleep and days of unbalance. Even as my life has calmed in the last five days, the remnants of disquietude lingered. Today is better, but there is still healing to be done. I remind myself that it is all a process and I must take one step at a time, allowing myself time to absorb, adjust and regroup.
No one can overestimate the importance of personal peace. You may run all day long with work, family and other obligations, tackling big and small problems, but if you can carve out a few moments of physical quiet, even if just before you fall asleep, and if you can access mental and emotional balance, you can reach a meditative-like state that is chatterless and ripe for visualization and manifestation.
If I could recommend only one book for those who want to learn more about manifesting, it would be “Creative Visualization” by Shakti Gawain. I don’t know of another author who so clearly and precisely explains and describes the practice of using “the power of your imagination to create what you want in life” (quoted from “Creative Visualization” by Shakti Gawain). Her original book was written in 1978 and was a word-of-mouth success because she so easily presents what some may find to be difficult-to-understand concepts. She recommends doing visualizations two or three times a day - the most important times being when first awaking and just before sleeping as those are the times when our minds tend to be less busy.
Gawain recommends complete relaxation to perform a visualization. Deep relaxation allows your brain waves to slow down, thereby becoming more receptive to any introduced thoughts or images. Breathing very deeply and slowly may help if you have difficulty calming your mind. When you feel comfortable, peaceful and receptive, think about what you want to create. Imagine it in detail. If you have difficulty producing an actual mental picture (some people are more visual than others), think of it in detailed words that describe exactly what you wish to attract, and you may even write down the words, or use a vision board and gaze intently at photos or drawings or any other sort of representations of your desire. Always think of your desire in the present tense. Try to imagine yourself doing or being or having whatever it is you want. Place yourself in the scene or in the situation. Since I want to manifest a home in Mount Dora, I see myself walking the streets or sitting at Gilbert Park or living in a home there. My images are detailed and I can feel and smell and even taste what living in Mount Dora would be like. Maybe you want to manifest running a 10K race. See yourself running the race, imagine the other racers around you and the sights that go by as you run, hear the sounds of athletic shoes hitting the pavement, smell the sweat, feel the sun on your shoulders and perspiration trickling down your neck . Make it as real as possible. Be part of the image. Feel it. Taste it. Smell it. Hear it.
If thoughts of disbelief or fear creep in, acknowledge them and go back to your visualization. Trying to force away negative thoughts tends to strengthen them. Just allow them to come and go and perhaps say “thank you” for the warning because our negative thoughts really are warnings - sometimes unnecessary, often unwanted and occasionally obsessive, but warnings nonetheless. So, thank your mind for the warning and let the negative thought float away. Using an affirmation to reverse the disallowing thought often helps. In my case, if I am thinking about Mount Dora and a thought comes into my mind that I cannot afford to move there at this point in my life, I say to myself, “The Universe is providing exactly what I need when I need it to create my new home in Mount Dora.” If affirmations do not come easily to you or if you have never even tried using affirmations, “Creative Visualizations” has several that you can use for most situations. Also, Louise Hay, author of many inspirational books, has created hundreds of affirmations for almost any imaginable situation or illness. Even if you have no negative thoughts, affirmations are still an important part of visualizations and Gawain recommends using them regularly in your daily practice. Affirmations should be short in length, stated in the present tense and composed of positive words. Say “I am getting healthier with every moment that passes”, rather than “I don’t want to be sick anymore.” The first statement is positive and in the present, the second is negative and in the future.
Although early morning and pre-sleep are two of the best times to visualize, any time that you can relax deeply will work. And, even when you are not able to take a break and relax, Gawain recommends taking a few moments during your day to access what you visualized that morning or the night before. With practice, just bringing an image of your desire into your mind, even for a few seconds, will be an automatic trigger for your body and your mind to relax.
One of my favorite recommendations in “Creative Visualization” is to end each practice with the words “This, or something better, now manifests for me in totally satisfying and harmonious ways, for the highest good of all concerned.” So, what does that mean? First, always leave your intent open for something better. Our imaginations are often limited by past experiences and fears. You may only be able to see yourself finishing that 10K race, but the Universe/God/Source sees you winning the race. Always leave a door open for something more than you can imagine. Also, because we may sometimes desire something that is not completely the best for us, asking that it be “totally satisfying and harmonious” allows some wiggle room for our own inability to see all sides of what we want. And, finally, because what we wish for will inevitably affect others, we request that it should manifest in a way that is “for the highest good of all concerned”.
Remember that you cannot manifest negative desires and you cannot manifest for someone else. Manifesting is a spiritual practice, so your desires should be positive in nature and be seen as manifesting in positive ways. You may be visualizing winning that 10K race but if you fear your chances are slim because of a better runner in the race, you cannot visualize your competitor leaving the race with a sprained ankle, allowing you to be the victor. Simply imagine yourself running and winning the race and let the Universe figure out how to make that happen. And, if you close out your visualizations with the statement above, you leave the door open for winning the race in record-setting time - something you may not have thought possible! And, although we share our lives with others, we cannot manifest on someone else’s behalf nor can we use them to manifest for ourselves. For example, you may want to have more money, but you cannot successfully manifest a new job for your spouse unless your spouse also wants to manifest that job.
Although the man in my life wants to live in Mount Dora and was completely supportive of my manifesting project, he was not actively participating. I knew that his lack of participation was affecting me because I always imagine us both there and I cannot manifest for him. Fortunately, he is now a willing and active participant in Manifesting Mount Dora and that, along with a little rest, will energize me to rev up my manifesting for the upcoming week.
The kind of peace that is needed is not PEACE as in world peace or even a complete lack of conflict in one’s personal life (although, both of those would be wonderful). This peace is time free from physical, emotional and mental disturbances. Even just a few minutes a couple of times a day may be enough. Although I was able to get some quiet time (no noise), my mind and emotions were still very loud with their unsettlement. I believe much of the agitation was rooted in a bone-weary tiredness from nights of restless sleep and days of unbalance. Even as my life has calmed in the last five days, the remnants of disquietude lingered. Today is better, but there is still healing to be done. I remind myself that it is all a process and I must take one step at a time, allowing myself time to absorb, adjust and regroup.
No one can overestimate the importance of personal peace. You may run all day long with work, family and other obligations, tackling big and small problems, but if you can carve out a few moments of physical quiet, even if just before you fall asleep, and if you can access mental and emotional balance, you can reach a meditative-like state that is chatterless and ripe for visualization and manifestation.
If I could recommend only one book for those who want to learn more about manifesting, it would be “Creative Visualization” by Shakti Gawain. I don’t know of another author who so clearly and precisely explains and describes the practice of using “the power of your imagination to create what you want in life” (quoted from “Creative Visualization” by Shakti Gawain). Her original book was written in 1978 and was a word-of-mouth success because she so easily presents what some may find to be difficult-to-understand concepts. She recommends doing visualizations two or three times a day - the most important times being when first awaking and just before sleeping as those are the times when our minds tend to be less busy.
Gawain recommends complete relaxation to perform a visualization. Deep relaxation allows your brain waves to slow down, thereby becoming more receptive to any introduced thoughts or images. Breathing very deeply and slowly may help if you have difficulty calming your mind. When you feel comfortable, peaceful and receptive, think about what you want to create. Imagine it in detail. If you have difficulty producing an actual mental picture (some people are more visual than others), think of it in detailed words that describe exactly what you wish to attract, and you may even write down the words, or use a vision board and gaze intently at photos or drawings or any other sort of representations of your desire. Always think of your desire in the present tense. Try to imagine yourself doing or being or having whatever it is you want. Place yourself in the scene or in the situation. Since I want to manifest a home in Mount Dora, I see myself walking the streets or sitting at Gilbert Park or living in a home there. My images are detailed and I can feel and smell and even taste what living in Mount Dora would be like. Maybe you want to manifest running a 10K race. See yourself running the race, imagine the other racers around you and the sights that go by as you run, hear the sounds of athletic shoes hitting the pavement, smell the sweat, feel the sun on your shoulders and perspiration trickling down your neck . Make it as real as possible. Be part of the image. Feel it. Taste it. Smell it. Hear it.
If thoughts of disbelief or fear creep in, acknowledge them and go back to your visualization. Trying to force away negative thoughts tends to strengthen them. Just allow them to come and go and perhaps say “thank you” for the warning because our negative thoughts really are warnings - sometimes unnecessary, often unwanted and occasionally obsessive, but warnings nonetheless. So, thank your mind for the warning and let the negative thought float away. Using an affirmation to reverse the disallowing thought often helps. In my case, if I am thinking about Mount Dora and a thought comes into my mind that I cannot afford to move there at this point in my life, I say to myself, “The Universe is providing exactly what I need when I need it to create my new home in Mount Dora.” If affirmations do not come easily to you or if you have never even tried using affirmations, “Creative Visualizations” has several that you can use for most situations. Also, Louise Hay, author of many inspirational books, has created hundreds of affirmations for almost any imaginable situation or illness. Even if you have no negative thoughts, affirmations are still an important part of visualizations and Gawain recommends using them regularly in your daily practice. Affirmations should be short in length, stated in the present tense and composed of positive words. Say “I am getting healthier with every moment that passes”, rather than “I don’t want to be sick anymore.” The first statement is positive and in the present, the second is negative and in the future.
Although early morning and pre-sleep are two of the best times to visualize, any time that you can relax deeply will work. And, even when you are not able to take a break and relax, Gawain recommends taking a few moments during your day to access what you visualized that morning or the night before. With practice, just bringing an image of your desire into your mind, even for a few seconds, will be an automatic trigger for your body and your mind to relax.
One of my favorite recommendations in “Creative Visualization” is to end each practice with the words “This, or something better, now manifests for me in totally satisfying and harmonious ways, for the highest good of all concerned.” So, what does that mean? First, always leave your intent open for something better. Our imaginations are often limited by past experiences and fears. You may only be able to see yourself finishing that 10K race, but the Universe/God/Source sees you winning the race. Always leave a door open for something more than you can imagine. Also, because we may sometimes desire something that is not completely the best for us, asking that it be “totally satisfying and harmonious” allows some wiggle room for our own inability to see all sides of what we want. And, finally, because what we wish for will inevitably affect others, we request that it should manifest in a way that is “for the highest good of all concerned”.
Remember that you cannot manifest negative desires and you cannot manifest for someone else. Manifesting is a spiritual practice, so your desires should be positive in nature and be seen as manifesting in positive ways. You may be visualizing winning that 10K race but if you fear your chances are slim because of a better runner in the race, you cannot visualize your competitor leaving the race with a sprained ankle, allowing you to be the victor. Simply imagine yourself running and winning the race and let the Universe figure out how to make that happen. And, if you close out your visualizations with the statement above, you leave the door open for winning the race in record-setting time - something you may not have thought possible! And, although we share our lives with others, we cannot manifest on someone else’s behalf nor can we use them to manifest for ourselves. For example, you may want to have more money, but you cannot successfully manifest a new job for your spouse unless your spouse also wants to manifest that job.
Although the man in my life wants to live in Mount Dora and was completely supportive of my manifesting project, he was not actively participating. I knew that his lack of participation was affecting me because I always imagine us both there and I cannot manifest for him. Fortunately, he is now a willing and active participant in Manifesting Mount Dora and that, along with a little rest, will energize me to rev up my manifesting for the upcoming week.
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