Imagining Wonderful Scenarios (With Guided Visualization)

In this talk, I share two moments from my weekend which illuminated some unseen goodness I'd been unaware of, and the impact this had. Then, we explore our body's somatic capacity to receive gratitude from others, or to even imagine loving scenarios. We learn how to gradually expand our capacity to receive gratitude/compliments/love. I close with a brief visualization, in which we practice imagining someone sending us gratitude, and noticing what shifts in our physiology. The invitation: To express gratitude to someone in your days.

Transcript

Hello,

Welcome.

Today I want to explore imagining wonderful scenarios,

And here's how this came about.

The other day,

A friend from an online community I'm in sent me a text with a photo to let me know that she thought of me on both of her walks over the weekend and that it gave her hope and support to know there was another deep-sensing human with her in the world.

And this really touched me.

And now,

She's not someone I text often.

I don't even remember exchanging numbers.

We've texted,

I don't know,

Maybe once or twice in the past year.

We mostly interact in a money network space.

And so,

On that day,

When I received her text,

I had not for one second thought,

I wonder who is thinking of me right now and who's feeling grateful for my presence.

I was in my own energy,

My own storyline,

My own perception of what was happening based on what was here in front of me.

And then,

To couple this scene,

An hour later,

My dear friend sent me a polo and told me about an experience at the preschool where she volunteers.

It was Valentine's Day,

And she said a mom shared with her that her son,

Who isn't in my friend's class,

But he's the younger brother of one of her students,

The little boy had asked his mom both the night before and that morning if my friend was going to be at school that day.

And my dear friend was really touched by learning this to have illuminated she is such a part of this person's reality,

Not her student,

But her student's younger brother,

That he had asked his mom twice about her and,

You know,

Like me,

She hadn't thought that she's in this person's awareness.

So,

I had a couple takeaways.

I was marveling at how amazing this mother let my friend know,

Because if she hadn't shared,

It still would have been true,

But that she told my friend about the younger brother clearly had a profound impact,

Just like me receiving that text from my Mighty Networks friend an hour earlier.

So,

I have two invitations for you today,

The second of which I'd like to explore together.

And the first is,

Is there a small way you can make visible the impact of someone in your life?

Whether that's a text message,

A vocal message,

A meaningful thank you and eye contact with the cashier whose energy you admire each trip to the grocery store,

A postcard,

A letter.

I invite you to,

Yeah,

Thank someone in your life who inspires you,

Who lifts your spirits.

Tell them how they're encouraging or resourceful to you,

Especially in tiny ways,

Tiny moments,

In whatever way feels right.

So,

I'll leave that with you.

And now the second is the wondering,

What would it look like to imagine beautiful scenarios?

I don't know about you,

But my physiology,

My body,

The tendency in the past,

Based on learned happenings,

Is to scan for supposed danger for ways that I have not completed a task well enough.

That has been the kind of default setting which I've been playing with and shifting over many years,

Playing with somatics and story,

And thanks to nervous system education,

I now will consciously practice imagining wonderful situations and see what they feel like in my body.

Though it's often uncomfortable,

And for many of us,

This is unfamiliar.

So that's why sometimes when we receive the help we want,

Or receiving a generous offer from a friend,

Or finally having time to yourself to rest,

It can be difficult to receive because the body hasn't built that capacity yet for so much safety or receiving so much,

And we can slowly practice.

So,

Yes,

These two occurrences this weekend have me wondering,

What if I imagine who is thinking of me right now and feeling grateful for my presence?

Ugh,

Even saying those words just now,

I'm noticing sensations arise in my body like there's kind of constriction or pressure on my chest and a downward feeling.

It feels like boastful and the audacity.

I wonder what's if there are sensations arising in your body when you heard me name that wondering.

And I will share,

I deeply believe there is unseen help all around.

I have guides and ancestors and full trust in the energetic web of all life,

The love all around,

The water and the ants and the whales and the winds.

There are songs and blessings and prayers and artwork to remind ourselves of this.

And even still,

It's fascinating to me that imagining another human sending me blessings or gratitude feels a stretch.

Yet that day it was a truer version than the reality in which I was living.

So,

I'm going to guide us into a visualization.

If it feels right,

Come along.

And I invite you to simply notice,

Notice what arises.

If it,

If it feels safe to do so,

I invite you to close or half lid your eyes.

Feel into where your body is making contact with the earth.

Perhaps that's your seat,

If you're sitting or your feet or your body,

If you're lying down without changing it,

Feel into your natural breath.

Notice what it feels like for the lungs to expand and contract.

And their steady rhythm.

And now bring to mind someone you care about deeply.

Can be a person,

An animal,

Whoever comes to mind.

And see them going about their day,

Wherever they might be in this moment.

Now imagine wherever they are,

They pause and think of you.

A smile appears across their face.

They are feeling so grateful for you.

They are sending you love and care.

They are thinking about a shared memory,

Maybe joyful time you spent together.

And thinking of you brings this person so much radiance and joy,

Strength and comfort.

They fully believe in you.

They see your bright light,

Exactly as you are,

Your full human self.

And if it feels right,

You can envision this love and care as a color,

A light.

Feel it coming from their heart,

Shining to you,

Encompassing your body.

Feel it soaking into your being.

Feel its fullness.

Feel its vibrance.

Feel its warmth.

Notice any sensations that arise in your body.

Spend another moment here soaking,

Soaking this in.

And knowing that you can return here,

You can come back anytime.

Let's send some gratitude back towards this someone.

Feel grateful for the way they've woven into your life.

Tell them you'll be in touch soon.

And then see in front of you a bridge.

On the other side,

You'll come back into your day.

So,

Soak in whatever you'd like from our time here.

Perhaps there's a nugget you tuck into your back pocket.

And when you're ready,

You can walk across the bridge.

Feel into your feet.

Wiggle your fingers.

If they were closed,

Slowly open your eyes.

Take a look around.

Notice any changes in physiology,

Simply in that short visualization.

Was your body able to soak in love from another?

What was that experience like for you?

If it was challenging,

You can try this for one minute each night before you go to sleep.

And notice how the sensations change over time.

You can also warmly not try this each night.

Be discerning where to place your attention,

Where you want to play.

And this week,

I'm going to be playing with this idea of imagining wonderful scenarios.

It's felt more potent this week while I know it will be a years-long practice and exploration.

And naming my intention here,

To imagine passers-by feeling grateful for me.

To imagine my supervisor at work feeling grateful for me.

So,

I invite you to play and explore as well,

If it feels right.

And what are you noticing?

And to close in tandem,

I'll remind you of my earlier invitation to express your own gratitude to someone in your life.

Make it visible,

And trust the ripple is profound.

Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you for your exquisite attention.

Go well into your day.