{"id":8,"date":"2010-06-21T11:18:44","date_gmt":"2010-06-21T11:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/practicalspirituality\/2010\/06\/let-the-sun-shine-in-evocative-visualization-and-nature.html"},"modified":"2010-06-21T11:18:44","modified_gmt":"2010-06-21T11:18:44","slug":"let-the-sun-shine-in-evocative-visualization-and-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/practicalspirituality\/2010\/06\/let-the-sun-shine-in-evocative-visualization-and-nature.html","title":{"rendered":"Let The Sun Shine In: Evocative Visualization and Nature"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Visualizing<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

With summer weather at hand (most of the time), now is a
\nwonderful season to practice drawing upon our natural connection to nature.
\nMany people have heard of “affirmations:” the intentional use of positive
\nthoughts and positive self-statements to help trigger a larger lasting change
\nin self-talk (how we talk to ourselves in our minds) and self-healing (how we
\nthink and feel about ourselves). I have found that a similar practice can be
\ndone with the natural elements. It’s a practice that I call, “Evocative
\nVisualization.” Spiritual traditions have been teaching practices like this for
\nages.<\/p>\n

In its simplest form, you would go to a place in nature or
\ntake a moment to find a specific element in nature that you naturally and
\nintuitively connect to. It could be a view of a lake, a park, a flower, a
\ncloud, the sun, a bird, a rock – anything absolutely natural and naturally
\nattractive or healing for you. Then close your eyes a moment and do some deep
\nbreathing. <\/p>\n

Try a gentle breath in and out through the nose for a minute
\nor two. Concentrate only on how soft , quiet and gentle your breath can be.
\nYou’ll feel yourself relax and your mind slow down. Then open your eyes and
\nonly focus on the object that you want to “draw” healing energy from. Study it,
\nconnect with it emotionally, take your time. <\/p>\n

Close your eyes again and silently imagine you are talking
\nto it, or welcoming its energy into your experience – imagine you are drawing
\nthis life force into your body, in to your mind, your heart, imagine its energy
\nis filling you and merging with your energy. Rather than thinking you are
\ndraining its energy, think of it as “sharing” its limitless power. Imagine you
\ncan feel it within you. Imagine what it would be like to have that same life
\nforce inside you. You might even picture the energy flowing into you. <\/p>\n

Your evocative visualization might silently sound to
\nyourself like, “I am drawing the light of the sun into my body. I feel the
\nendless energy and power within me. I am a shining light, filled with the solar
\nforce.” Another example might be, “I am connected to this great stone. I am
\nsolid as this stone, centered and patient as this stone. It keeps me strong and
\nI can face what is unfolding; this ancient endurance is my endurance.” While
\nyou think these things, create images and feelings to support your process.<\/p>\n

If you consistently return to one object of focus again and
\nagain, you will eventually move from pretending that you are drawing on its
\nenergy and connection, to actually feeling and becoming aware of your profound
\nshared energy and connection.<\/p>\n

Take a moment in the next few days to find your local
\n“source of natural energy” and commit to an evocative visualization. Commit to
\nthe exercise everyday for a week and see what you notice. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With summer weather at hand (most of the time), now is a wonderful season to practice drawing upon our natural connection to nature. Many people have heard of “affirmations:” the intentional use of positive thoughts and positive self-statements to help trigger a larger lasting change in self-talk (how we talk to ourselves in our minds)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[18,15,24,25],"class_list":["post-8","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-inner-peace","tag-jonathan-ellerby","tag-meditation","tag-nature","tag-visualization"],"yoast_head":"\nLet The Sun Shine In: Evocative Visualization and Nature - Practical Spirituality<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/practicalspirituality\/2010\/06\/let-the-sun-shine-in-evocative-visualization-and-nature.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Let The Sun Shine In: Evocative Visualization and Nature - Practical Spirituality\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With summer weather at hand (most of the time), now is a wonderful season to practice drawing upon our natural connection to nature. 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