Guided Imagery Class 10:

Turning Images Into Action

BY ARLENE HARDER, MA, MFT
— PHOTO BY FABIAN

While simply calming down and relaxing is a good-enough reason for using guided imagery exercises and meditation techniques, they can also support your actions for the rest of the day.

Classes 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

When you take time to sit quietly by yourself for ten or twenty minutes, it may be that all you want to get out of the experience is the realization that you took time to sit calmly and quietly. It is possible, however, to extend the benefits of your imagery session by taking a few more moments to bridge your inner experience and your outer life. This process is often called "grounding" and has something to do with an interesting word not frequently used in daily conversation, transduce.

The definition of transduce is to convert energy from one form to another and thus a transducer is a substance or device that converts input energy of one form into output energy of another. An example of a transducer would be the blades of a windmill that transform wind energy into mechanical energy . . . that eventually becomes the energy of light.

How to Ground Your Imagery Experience

You might, therefore, think of symbols and images you experience during an imagery session as transducers that can transform their energy into behavioral and physiological change. You can begin this process at the end of an imagery session, when you move into a more wakeful state, by taking a few energizing breaths and stretching. Then, as you continue to sit in silence for a few moments, here are some suggestions for grounding your experience, depending on what you wanted from that particular imagery session:

If the purpose of setting aside a few moments in your busy day was to reduce muscle tension and anxiety, as you begin to turn your attention to the "doing" of your life, deliberately let your body move slowly and calmly, continuing to carry the feeling of calm and peace you felt during the session.

If the purpose of imagery was to meditate on a problem with which you have been struggling, take a moment to imagine what it will be like when you have acted on one of the insights that arose during the session. Allow a feeling of accomplishment to flow throughout your body, strengthening your resolve to put your intention into action. Then ask yourself this simple question, What is the first step you need to do to move toward your goal? (See below for discussion of small steps.)

If the purpose of the imagery experience was to bring into your awareness a new quality you want to express (such as patience, love, creativity, courage), choose a symbol that can remind you of the quality. Imagine, for example, that you want to confront a person who has been able to intimidate you in the past; you sense that resolving conflicts is difficult only because you back down in the face of challenge. Wanting courage, you decide that the symbol lion could symbolize your intention to stand up for yourself. You might then buy a figurine or picture of a lion and keep it on your desk. Drawing a picture of the lion can also bring your inner resolve into the outer world.

You may want to keep crayons and colored markers next to your imagery chair and ground your imagery experience by drawing or writing about it. Particularly if this is done right after you open your eyes and are still feeling calm and relaxed, you can often discover new insights that build upon your imagery experience. (If your artistic critic looks over your shoulder, just tell her that she can't comment on your drawing unless you plan to sell it.)

Using a Physical Reminder to Bridge Inner Experience and Outer Action

Here is an example of how you can use objects to build a bridge from inner experience to outer action. Imagine that during an imagery session you suspect your constant state of tension is caused by taking on too many responsibilities that belong to others. As you hold this thought, you are reminded of an old Quaker idea you had long forgotten; that everyone carries a bundle or purse designed to hold only the jobs that belong to that person. Notice in your mind's eye what your purse is like and whether your body is being weighed down by chores that belong to others. Then, imagine you take out of your inner purse a symbol that represents a job belonging to someone else. As you do this, you may notice that you immediately feel lighter as you are relieved of an unnecessary chore.

Then as you prepare to end the session, you may want to choose a physical symbol that will remind you to focus only on those jobs that are really yours -- and to give others the opportunity to keep their own jobs in their own purses. One way you would change the symbol of an inner purse into an object is to keep a special bag near the place you make your appointments and look at it when you plan your day. (You could also use a paper bag or even a box.) Before very long, a glance in the direction of the purse, bag or box will be all you need to remind you to allocate your time in a way that respects your own needs and you will have less tension and a greater sense of well-being. To read more about symbols, I recommend The Power of Images and Symbols and Symbols Can Reinforce Your Decision to Change.

Techniques for Creating Daily Reminders

Frequently, as I am finishing my daily session, I will take a few moments to ask my intuition what it is I need to pay attention to that particular day -- and how I can remind myself to do that. For example, one day I might come up with the idea that every time I turn on the water to get a drink or to wash something, I will consider how my life will be more calm and centered if I go with "the flow." The next day, I may remind myself to stay focused on the present each time I look at my watch. And if I have some article to write that day, I may decide that when sitting at the computer I will look at my hands and relax, using this as a trigger to allow my thoughts to flow from my head and my heart to the words that come through my fingers onto the computer's keyboard.

By deliberately choosing a different technique each day, you will likely find that a fresh technique is more potent than it would be if you did it all the time. Besides, remember that every day you have new problems to solve and changing circumstances. Why shouldn't you approach each day differently? (See Choosing Each Day's Focus.)

Class Exercise: Taking The First Step

The exercise that illustrates this class is based on the idea behind Kaizen steps, that is, the process of reaching goals in small increments rather than giant leaps of inspiration. Of course, we often assume that great ideas and inventions spontaneously pop out of fertile minds (at least we assume that happens in the minds of others, 'cause we know it doesn't happen immediately to us). But the reality is that Confucius was right when he noted that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Further, we all have much more potential for creativity and achievement (eventually) than we give ourselves credit for. The problem is that we too often stop ourselves from making any progress by worrying about the turns and bends in the road ahead, overlooking the possibilities lying within the road right in front of us.

Therefore, this exercise approaches problem-solving by noting the way in which our minds respond to questions. When we are asked a question, or others ask us a question, even if we don't know the answer, our curiosity is engaged. We will begin wondering what the answer might be. A computer, on the other hand, is different. Ask it a question it doesn't know or ask it to do something it isn't programmed to do and it will either remain mute, send a message informing you that you've given a wrong command, or simply freeze, causing you to search the Help menu for an answer only in the language the computer has already decided is acceptable.

That is why today's exercise, Taking the First Step, takes advantage of the mind's propensity to seek out answers to simple questions -- in this case, about the next small steps you can take toward achieving your goals. (Also see Keeping Your Eyes on Your Goals.)

Class Symbol: Your Goal Today

After you have done the exercise, notice what symbol represents your goal for today. How might you incorporate that into what you will be doing in the next twenty-four hours?

© Copyright 1997, Revised 2002, Arlene Harder, MA, MFT