Visualization Techniques Part III: White Light By now, you’ve no doubt mastered the ‘ Safe Place ’ technique and have used it to both relieve stress and work on bettering your self image. At the same time, you’ve learned how to fully relax by controlling the breath and letting tension melt away, and you know how to involve all the senses in the exercise of guided imagery and visualization. Beyond the practice of constructing and utilizing a ‘ Safe Place ’, there are many other techniques for guided imagery and visualization. Much of these are also aimed at defeating anxiety and reducing stress. Let’s touch on one of them now, the use of “white light”.
White Light- Symbols are powerful yet simple images that speak to our subconscious mind, and ‘light’ is not the least of them. Visualizing white light can and has been used for protection, relaxation, healing and energizing. It can be seen as a shield, bubble, ray, or emission. The imagination is the only limit on using ‘white light’ as a tool in guided imagery. Here are some examples:
For Healing- Once relaxed, fix your mind on the aspect of your body that is ill or requires better health. We’ll use a sore throat as an example. Hold this place firmly in your mind. Start by picturing a tiny, white dot of light appearing in the throat. It begins as just a pinprick, then grows out into an ever increasing circle of light. As this circle passes over the flesh or body part in question, it leaves behind fresh, new tissue. It cleanses away all sign of infection or disease, leaving only health in its wake. It takes away all sense of pain or discomfort leaving just strength. You can even feel a slight tingling sensation as the light does its work. Do this until the entire area has been affected. Even a ‘whole body’ exercise could be used but would require some real time and attention. Repeat as necessary to aid the healing process and whatever conventional means of medicine are being used.
For Protection- Again relax and let all tension and preoccupation go. Now, focus on the steady rise and fall of your breathing. As you breath in, envision an airy emission, like a translucent, glowing smoke, entering your nose and filling your body. As you breath out this light flows back out and forms a cloud or shield around you. You might see this like being inside a giant bubble or an iridescent egg. The white, glowing skin of this egg only allows more light to pass through. Any negative energy is rebuffed. Imagine it shrinking until it forms over your body like a glittering film. See yourself at work, home, in the car, or anywhere else covered in this soft, shimmering, protective layer. Practice this regularly to reinforce the feeling of protection or use it spur of the moment when feeling particularly stressed or vulnerable.
For Stress Relief- Using one of the previous mentioned techniques, the growing dot or circle of light and/or the shell or bubble of light, change the purpose from healing and protection to stress relief. Imagine the light passing over you from the inside out and releasing all the negative energy and tension like a burst or rush, then remaining behind until your entire being tingles with a new, calming sensation. If using the bubble imagery, you can picture all your tension breathing out with the light, while peace and calm are breathed in with it. Do this until your entire body has exhaled all your stress and anxiety and is now full of a positive, happy hum.
For Invigoration- For this one, try going outside and finding a nice place on the ground to get into the relaxed state. Otherwise, try sitting on the floor. Once ready, visualize a ray or beam of concentrated white energy coming up from the earth (or floor) through the spinal cord. As it travels, it dispenses an enlivening sensation throughout your whole body. Feel it recharging your legs, torso, chest, arms, neck, and then head. Any fatigue or exhaustion vanishes at the sight of this beam of light, as does all tension. Like a firefighter’s hose or a powerful stream of water, this ray of light forces out all the ‘sludge’ of the day. It cleans all of you out and fills you with a refreshed, clear feeling. Use this whenever fatigue is impeding your daily progress, or to help you recharge after a recent illness.
White Light is just one of many symbols that can be utilized in visualization to achieve a desired, positive result. Its flexibility and many meanings make it a simple and practical tool for all sorts of issues like combating anxiety and energizing the mental and physical batteries. It’s just one more trick of the visualization trade that you can be practicing regularly to your advantage.
