Guided Imagery Exercise 5:

Creating Balance

BY ARLENE HARDER, MA, MFT — PHOTO BY FABIAN

Illustration for Guided Imagery Class 5

There is balance and harmony in this picture of deep, quiet forest and rushing water, of light and dark, of yin and yang. We need a little of each in our lives. But if you are caught in one or the other, as we all are from time to time, this script can help you regain equilibrium again.

Note: If you haven't taken Class Five, I recommend you first read that or Using Imagery Scripts.

As you begin to look at creating harmony and balance in your life, close your eyes and take a moment to relax your body and let any tension or discomfort drain down your spine and into the ground. . . . Breathing gently and easily, take several moments to relax as completely as you can. . . . And now, continuing to relax, move to a place within where you can step back for a moment from any concerns or worries you may be having and look at the whole of your life. . . . And now, from this quiet place within, imagine that you can view your life as though it were a painting, with light and dark shades, rough and smooth texture. Allow yourself to particularly notice what parts of the picture need attention. . . .

As you are doing this, you may experience your life as specific images and memories that your inner wisdom places before your mind's eye. It may also be that you only have a sense of what your life is like as a whole. In fact, it doesn't matter if you "see" images or not. What is important is the experience of stepping back from the automatic activities of your daily life and looking objectively at your life as a whole, observing what part of your life most needs your attention. So take a few moments now to see your life as it really is, without criticizing yourself because you may want your life to be better than it is -- much as a camera takes a picture without judging whether the objects in the picture are good or bad. . . .

And now, as you begin the process of reviewing your life, I invite you to turn your attention to your social needs. This is the part of life that includes not only family and friends, but all the ways in which you relate to others in organizations and volunteer work. Take a moment to notice how you are connected with others. . . . As you observe what is true for you, are you able to sense color, vibrancy and variety in the love and companionship of others? Or is your social world lacking in color and texture? As you take a moment to get a sense of your relationships, you may find that it will help if you close your eyes and allow your inner wisdom to gently make you aware of something you might not have noticed before. . . .

After a while we will return to what you may want to do about your relationships. For now, let those images fade and turn your attention for a few moments to your need -- and ability -- to resolve problems, to learn and to use your skills. Your need for mental stimulation may be satisfied through your work, a project you are working on at home, a class you are taking or a new skill you are gradually developing, such as learning a computer program. On the other hand, when you look deep within and recognize your potential to learn and grow, do you perhaps have a sense that you are not doing all you can do (and need to do) to keep your mind active. Would your life be better balanced if you had more mental stimulation? Again, you may want to close your eyes and allow your inner wisdom to gently make you aware of something you might not have noticed before. . . .

And now, let any images and ideas about your mental abilities and skills fade and observe the physical part of your life. If you could paint a symbolic picture of your body, what would it be like? Would there be strong, vibrant colors representing strength and energy or ugly splashes of pain and knots of tense muscles? If you know there is nothing physically wrong with you, but you don't have much energy, simply notice what your body needs you to do. For example, do you need to exercise more, eat different foods or find ways to reduce stress? And if you have a symptom that needs medical attention, how do you plan to get the care your body needs? Once more, if you wish, you may want to gently close your eyes and ask your body's wisdom what aspect of your physical life might need greater attention. . . .

For now, let any images and ideas about your body fade and turn your attention to that part of your life which gives it depth and meaning, that which you may call spiritual. To you this may mean greater participation in your religious faith, searching for answers to philosophical questions, or consciously expressing spiritual qualities such as beauty, joy and patience. Whatever "spiritual" means to you, do you get a sense that you would do well to pay greater attention to this part of your life? For this fourth and final part of the picture of your life, you may want to close your eyes and take a deep breath, moving in awareness into the center of your being, where you can become more aware of the direction your spiritual dimension is encouraging you to grow. . . .

And now that you have taken a look at your relationships and at your mental, physical and spiritual needs, take a moment to notice which area most needs your attention today. . . . You don't need to spend a long time evaluating the answer — after all, when you are committed to bringing balance and harmony into your life, different needs will present themselves on different days. All you need to do today is to choose one area. And so, here in the quiet center of your being, allow yourself to be aware of a general area, rather than specific goals that you may later need to make. . . .

Before ending this exercise, take a few moments to sense what it will be like when you have developed greater balance in your life by consciously attending to all areas of your life from time to time. . . . You might even imagine what you will look like and how you will relate to others when there is greater harmony in your life. . . .

And now, gently open your eyes and come back to the outer world with a stretch and deep breath . . . grateful for the chance to bring balance into your life.

When you have finished this exercise, you're ready for the next class, Turning Images Into Action or return to Imagery and Meditation Classes Index.

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