If you’re looking for a way to ease chronic pain, speed the healing process, or reduce anxiety and stress, consider guided imagery or visualization. It’s an alternative therapy that’s noninvasive and drug-free, and you can practice it on your own.
What Is Guided Imagery?
Visualization or therapeutic relaxation is a process that affects every aspect of your body. During guided imagery, you control your breathing and relax your muscles. You focus on something specific – such as a therapist’s voice or the instructions on a DVD or audio tape. You enter into a state of deep relaxation, success, and wholeness – similar to meditation.
In guided imagery, you consciously imagine something – and that something depends on what your goal is. If your goal is healing from cancer, for instance, you’d visualize your cells and organs strong, powerful, and healthy. If it’s stress reduction before surgery, you’d imagine the surgery from beginning to end – with a capable surgeon, caring nurses, and successful procedures. You could even visualize getting a great night’s sleep before the surgery, enjoying the drive to the hospital, and relaxing in your own bed at home after the surgery.
How Guided Imagery Works
Visualization or therapeutic relaxation sends direct, positive messages to the emotional control center of the brain. Those messages then travel to your immune system and autonomic nervous system, which affects your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rates.
Guided imagery is progressive muscle relaxation. When you relax and visualize the outcome you want, you focus on positive images and emotions. You let positive hormones flood your body, and you concentrate on keeping that positive energy strong.
Your body can't differentiate between reality and thoughts. That is, if you imagine being terrified or furious, your body immediately responds by creating the appropriate hormones and responses. In guided imagery or visualization, you imagine positive events -- and your body responds in healthy ways.
Proven Health Benefits of Guided Imagery
Visualization can:
- Lower psychological distress for cancer patients.
- Reduce chronic pain in people of all ages.
- Decrease blood pressure.
- Reduce psychological distress in pre-operative patients.
- Help smokers quit smoking.
- Help with depression and various mood disorders.
- Prevent or lighten migraines or other headaches.
- Eases stress and anxiety.
Guided Imagery Doesn’t Stand Alone
Guided imagery is an effective supplement to conventional medicine. Therapeutic relaxation techniques don’t take the place of prescription medications or surgeries – but these alternative therapies can provide huge health benefits to regular medical treatments.
If you found How Guided Imagery Works helpful, try:
- Why Optimists Are Healthier People
- How Your Personality Affects Your Health
- 8 Common Symptoms of Stress and Anxiety
Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen - Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen is a full-time writer and blogger in Vancouver, BC, and the creator of the Quips and Tips blog series.
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