Unit 7 – Visualization Exercise

This unit we listened to a visualization meditation exercise where we got to choose an individual either living, dead, or imaginary who is wise. Once this individual was chosen, we visualized them, visualized their mind and wisdom, speech, and loving heart. With each visualization, we were to visualize a white light emanating from them and penetrating our being either in the forehead, throat, or heart. I found this exercise to be…different. I liked the idea of meditating on a positive/wise individual but I found my mind wandering after about 30 seconds. I suppose I haven’t calmed the incessant chatter yet.

For my wise individual, I chose someone that I made up which was an Indian elder. I found that this visualization fit well with the background music of the ocean and I was able to follow the exercise for the most part. The parts of the exercise that I liked the most were when we were to focus on the speech and heart. I love the idea of being able to speak with wisdom and to love with kindness and wisdom. It was very relaxing to me and I felt calm and peace from those parts of the exercise.

Visualization is very relevant to a health and wellness professional because in order to accomplish something, the individual needs to believe that they can do it. In a sense, visualization is a mental pep talk or dress rehearsal for what is to come and how we want that experience to pan out. If we can be positive during our visualizations, then we will be motivated when it happens in real life. This is the same with the exercise for this unit. When we need to call upon our inner wisdom, the fact that we practices meditating on one whom we find to be wise will likely help us.

The saying “one cannot lead another where one has not gone himself”, is so true. Not only would you be a hypocrite if you were to tell someone to implement a practice into their own lives that you do not do in your own life and have never done, but how are you supposed to know enough about a practice if you have not done it yourself? Your clients can tell when you believe in a course of treatment or not. By engaging in the practice yourself, you are telling them that it is good enough for you and that you truly recommend it to them.

Yes, a health care professional has an obligation to implement healthy practices into their own lives. This especially includes those practices in which they teach to others. People are more likely to take their health care professional serious if they too are following the regiment that they are imposing on their client. Again, nobody likes a hypocrite. The whole “do as I say, not as I do” mentality does not go over well and would likely lead to very low success rates of follow through.

It is always good to practice what you preach. This concept will help you in every aspect of your life.