A Midsummer’s Day Dream, Visualization in Action

I am writing this on Midsummer morning in Richmond, the rain is unceasing, and it’s closing in. The sky is cloaked in clouds but there is sense of fullness and abundance in the air; in the absence of the sun the flickering tea light candles on my mantelpiece are that much more beautiful.

Midsummer’s day means fulfilment to me and is personally very special as it is the anniversary of my move to Richmond, now nine years ago. While I had not travelled particularly far, my previous home being just off Putney High Street, my arrival in Richmond symbolized a new way forward.

At the time I was three years into my recovery from cervical cancer. If I try to convey what I felt like at the time, ‘rabbit frozen in the headlights’ would be an apt description. Pervasive and at times acute anxiety had ‘frozen’ my natural joyfulness; so much so that anxiety seemed the reasonable, even responsible, response to nearly anything and everything.

As a result, I had constructed more and more rigid and exacting mental boundaries which limited my natural growth and expansion. I experienced my world on ‘high alert’ with a heightened awareness of any potential threat, largely but not limited, to my health. It was draining and led nowhere. However, a thaw was coming.

A couple of months previously I had come to Richmond on a day trip with my mum. We sat on the benches lining the crest of Richmond Hill overlooking the exquisite ‘Turner View’ of the Thames. I remember being affected by the qualities of lightness and expansiveness most clearly, it resonated with me.

As we sat there together, I announced, with unusual confidence, that I would live here. By ‘here’ my meaning was quite specific, not just anywhere in Richmond but very close to this particular spot. My mum did not seem entirely convinced but in her usual generous spirit she did not contradict me.

A couple of weeks later I received a call from my palpably excited mum asking me to once again describe the location of the hypothetical flat and how I envisioned it. It would be a period building with tall windows, and perhaps with a roof terrace, I enthused.

As you may have guessed, she had called to say that just such flat had materialized on the market. While not directly overlooking the river valley if you leaned right out of the window you did get an oblique glimpse.  The bench we had sat on was literally a stone’s throw away. Within eight weeks, on Midsummer’s day, I was joyfully unpacking my belongings in my new home.

The power of visualization

This was my first significant experience of the power of visualization, which has since become something I practice nearly every day; it has become second nature. I would suggest that it was the depth of inspiration which I took away with me from that view which created the conditions for my intention to manifest.

Being in love with my new home went a long way to soften the grip anxiety had over my thoughts, after all anxiety had to make some room for excitement and gratitude too.  I also wonder if the passion I felt for my new home helped to soften some of deep grooves of anxiety present in my brain circuitry. I mention this in relation to the study conducted by Walter Freeman (professor of neuroscience at Berkley) which made the connection between hormones released when we fall in love and the ability to erase deeply ingrained mental habits, in my case inappropriate levels of worry.

Above all this key moment in my personal history demonstrated to me that when you invest your mental energy in that which inspires you rather than fighting against what you fear, deep sea changes can occur in your mental and physical space.

As I later discovered, within the yoga tradition we have a concept which relates to visualization known as Sankalpa. A Sankalpa, described beautifully by Kelly McGonigal as a ‘heartfelt desire’ is a statement of intention which emerges from within. In its purest sense, its purpose is to help us unfold our unique, personal potential; ultimately sensing the presence of the divine alight within us.

The Sankalpa can be words, an image or even an impression of something which resonates deeply within us. It is often used during relaxation, yoga nidra or within our meditation practice. It can also be held in our awareness as we practice our asana, giving our movements deep personal significance.

Unlike a goal, a Sankalpa is inherently compelling as it bubbles up from within. It is brought into being by the passion we genuinely experience for it, rather than willpower alone. Like the practice of visualization (as it is described in the classic ‘Creative Visualization’) Sankalpas focus on the qualities we want to nurture rather than those we want to curtail. The intention is phrased or experienced in the present as though we already have or are (and in the yogic tradition this is indeed the case) that to which we are drawn.

Now, on this midsummer’s day a new milestone approaches as I soon turn forty. In the spirit of fulfilment, it is my intention to uncover new sources of joy, this time within my own psyche. I am practicing with a visualization of my spirit as a diamond with many facets. I choose a personal quality which I would love to express and visualize polishing that facet during periods of meditation. In my daily life I stay mindful for opportunities to practice or simply catch glimpses of that quality in order to strengthen its presence in my life. It is a beautiful journey!

Resources:

• ‘Creative Visualization’ Shakti Gawain
• ‘Inspired Intention – The Nature of Sankalpa’ Kelly McGonigal