Visualization techniques: The creative visualization workbook

Lots of visualization techniques “The Creative Visualization Workbook”. It provides practical tools for using creative visualization every day. It helps us set and achieve our goals, aspirations, and objectives.

By Shakti Gawain, 2011 (Trédaniel edition), 153 pages.

Who is Shakti Gawain

“Shakti Gawain is a pioneer in personal development and awareness. Her books have sold more than ten million copies and have been translated into thirty languages. She gives seminars worldwide.”

Visualization techniques: Introduction

Shakti Gawain has a book with practical exercises that goes along with her theoretical book, “Creative Visualization Techniques.” She suggests reading both to grasp the concepts, but the exercise manual works well on its own. There are also two English audio recordings called “Creative Visualization.”

This manual makes it easy and enjoyable to start practicing creative visualization techniques. It teaches various techniques to make creative visualization a natural part of daily life.

The manual is divided into five parts:

Basic techniques
Setting clear objectives
Understanding and clearing negative thoughts
Applying techniques to all areas of life
Connecting with intuition, creativity, and positivity

Let’s explore these techniques together, which have significantly improved my life every day.

Part One

Basic techniques of creative visualization

Creative visualization technique is about vividly imagining what we want in life and how we want it to happen. It helps us envision a positive life. You can do these visualization techniques anytime, and it’s a tool to bring positivity into all areas of life. Now, let’s explore four simple and effective exercises that you can start practicing right away:

The pink bubble technique

Find a comfortable position, relax, and imagine your desired life as if it has already happened. Visualize it clearly along with the associated feelings. Place this image in a pink bubble, representing the heart, and let it float into the universe. This symbolizes letting go and having confidence in life’s opportunities. You can do this once or daily with the same image.

Written statement

Write a positive statement about yourself in the present tense, like “I complete the exercises in the practical exercise handbook.” Be mindful of each word’s meaning. Rewrite it several times a day. If fears or doubts arise, write them down and create positive statements to overcome them. For instance, if you fear not having time, counter it with, “I will make time to complete the exercises in the practical exercise manual.” Repeat until negative thoughts fade.

Here is an example of fear:

“I’m afraid I don’t have the time.”

And here is an example to neutralize this fear:

“I will make the time to complete the exercises in the practical exercise manual.”

This exercise can be done several times a day over a few days until negative thoughts are erased.

The ideal picture

Choose a major goal, short or long term. Write a detailed “ideal scenario” on paper, as if you’re experiencing it. At the bottom, include the statement, “This dream of mine, or something even better, is now fulfilled in the best possible way, and everyone will benefit.” Read and think about it regularly. Sometimes, people forget about their ideal scenario before realizing it has come true.

At the bottom of this page, include and say the following statement:

“This dream of mine, or something even better, is now fulfilled in the best possible way and everyone will benefit.”

You can then look at this ideal scenario, read it again, and think about it regularly.

Sometimes people even forget about their ideal scenario before they realise that it has actually come true!

Treasure map

Similar to a blueprint, draw or paste images aligning with your objective. Each goal or life sphere can have a different map or be combined. To enhance its impact, add a photo or drawing of yourself. The images should accurately reflect your dreams. Place the map where you’ll often see it. Don’t worry about logistics; focus on portraying the final goal in an achievable and positive way. Include a symbol of universal power. Below the map, repeat the statement about your dream being fulfilled.

After these exercises, blank pages are provided for:

Describing “your ideal scenario.”
Creating “your treasure map.”
Writing “your statements.”
Cleansing “your negative thoughts.”

Visualization techniques: Part Two

Objectives

In this section of The Creative Visualization Techniques Workbook, we’re encouraged to ponder our short and long-term goals and evaluate them. Whether we have specific objectives, ambitions, or simply aim to live in the present moment, all of these are considered goals. If you tend to seek control, take a moment to relax and go with the flow. If disorganization is more familiar, prioritize your goals and take decisive action.

Consider these tips when developing objectives:

Short-Term Objectives:

Be realistic; set easily achievable goals to boost self-confidence.

Long-Term Goals:

Be optimistic; think big and let your imagination run wild.
Focus on the ultimate goal, not just the steps in-between.

Relax and Let Go:

Allow things to develop at their own pace.

Flexibility:

Recognize that some goals and aspirations may change, so stay flexible.

Approach:

Try different things and have faith in your imagination and creative abilities.

When writing statements, express them in the present. For example:

Short-Term Objectives:

I open a savings account and deposit 100 euros.
I walk outside for 1 hour daily, finding relaxation.
I am more in touch with my feelings and can express my emotions.

Long-Term Objectives:

I take the dream trip to Latin America.
I purchase a house with a large garden and an open fire near my workplace.

In the second part, use blank pages for the following exercises:

Define “Your Future Goals” for:

1-month objectives
6-month objectives
1-year objectives
2-year objectives
5-year objectives
10-year objectives
Life objectives

Visualization techniques: Part Three

Cleansing yourself

What is cleansing?

In creative visualization techniques, a key idea is that having positive beliefs, emotions, and attitudes brings us closer to our true self. The more positive we are, the more the universe’s creative energy helps us achieve our goals. To make this happen, it’s crucial to get rid of negative thoughts. This involves being aware of them, eliminating them, and transforming them into positive thoughts. Cleansing can occur on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. Various methods, like psychotherapy, yoga, massage, and other therapies, help purify us from negativity. The key is to be fully aware of negative thoughts so that we can free ourselves from them and turn them into positive ones.

Basic cleansing method

When a goal seems tough to reach, I turn it into a positive statement as if it’s already done. I pay attention to any negative thoughts hindering the goal and jot them down. To counteract these negatives, I create positive statements called “clarifying statements.” I consistently revisit, focus on, or meditate on these positive statements until I get rid of the negative thoughts. In this part, there are pages for these exercises:

My goal
What’s blocking me from what I want
Clarifying statement: positive statements countering negative thoughts

Forgiveness and freedom

Forgiving Others to Find Freedom:

It’s crucial to forgive others to release ourselves from anger, grudges, or resentment. Shakti Gawain recommends making a list of people who have hurt us. Imagine having a conversation with them, expressing our feelings, and then telling them that we forgive them. For each person, say: “I forgive you and set you free. Go and be happy.”

Forgiving Yourself for Inner Freedom:

To let go of guilt, forgiving yourself is necessary. The author suggests listing people we’ve hurt and imagining asking for forgiveness from them. For each person, say: “I forgive myself and absolve myself of all guilt, here, now, and forever.”

Exercise Pages:

The people who have hurt you in your life.
Forgive yourself and free yourself.

Negative thought patterns

Now that we’ve learned how to cultivate a positive mindset using positive thoughts, the next step is to address and cleanse our negative thoughts. It’s crucial to note that we shouldn’t suppress these negative thoughts; instead, we should be aware of them to purify them more effectively.

Identifying negative thoughts can be challenging, especially those deeply ingrained in our beliefs, such as prejudices, preconceptions, or things considered normal in daily life. Negative thoughts are pervasive in all cultures.

Shakti Gawain highlights the six most common negative thoughts that we can transform by crafting our own positive statements in writing:

“I am powerless.”

Feeling victimized by life events is a common experience linked to the belief that we lack control. It’s crucial to recognize our role in creating our lives and take responsibility for it.

“I don’t have enough.”

Many believe they lack time, love, money, vitality, etc. Thinking we don’t have enough leads to a scarcity mindset. Affirming that we have more than enough is necessary to shift this mindset.

“Life is a struggle.”

Believing life is tough and complicated leads to an unhappy reality. It’s important to declare our right to happiness, joy, and a good life.

“I don’t deserve it.”

Thinking we are not intelligent, appreciative, or deserving of love can prevent self-love and acceptance. Affirming self-love, talent, and deserving happiness is crucial.

“I’m afraid of failure, of success.”

Fear of success or failure can stem from a fear of judgment or not being able to handle either outcome. Declaring our right to be ourselves without fear of judgment is essential.

“I don’t trust myself. I don’t trust the universe.”

Difficulty in letting go and trusting our intuition and inner strength requires a statement of trust in ourselves. Acknowledging our inner strength and allowing it to guide us is vital.

Thought Pattern Process:

Shakti Gawain suggests working on thoughts, either with a partner or by recording them for later listening. The exercise involves:

Identifying problematic areas of life.
Recognizing associated emotions and physical sensations.
Identifying negative thoughts and fears.
Exploring the worst and best-case scenarios.
Identifying fears and thoughts holding you back.
Formulating positive statements to overcome negative thoughts.
Repeating positive statements until obstacles are overcome and confidence is restored.

Visualization techniques: Part Four

Areas of expertise

Direct your attention to specific life areas.

Shakti Gawain recommends practicing various creative visualization techniques across all aspects of life. She advises starting with one or two areas that currently hold the most significance and concentrating on them before extending to other areas.

Here’s how she categorizes these life areas:

Relationship with oneself
Relationship with others
Work, creativity, financial prosperity
Home and possessions
Health and appearance
Leisure and/or travel
Environment

For each area, she proposes the following exercises:

Define goals for that specific area
Envision an ideal scenario
Dedicate one page to the cleansing process: identify obstacles hindering those goals
Create a treasure map
Repeat positive statements, and if negative thoughts persist, replace them with positive affirmations

She also recommends leveraging the power of the pink bubble to enhance the effectiveness of the process.

Part Five

Inspiration and Specific Techniques

In this final section, Shakti Gawain emphasizes the significance of cultivating harmony within oneself and with life, emphasizing the ability to tap into one’s creative abilities and share the positive energy within.

To achieve this, she recommends completing the following lists:

Self-esteem List

Recognize and appreciate your qualities and positive attributes across all life domains.

Things I like about myself are…

List of Successes

Acknowledge and appreciate your successes and moments of pride, irrespective of external opinions.

The things I’ve done well are…

Assessment List

Recognize and appreciate all aspects of your life, including skills, abilities, relationships, and more.

The things for which I am grateful and which I appreciate in my life are…

Self-assessment List

Identify actions that contribute to your well-being and happiness on a regular basis.

The fun things I can do to enjoy myself are…

Ways to Spread Positive Energy within Your World

List ways to help others, express love, show friendship, share resources, time, and skills.

How I can share my passions with others is…

Help and Support List

Name individuals you’d like to support in their plans or recovery.

The people I would like to love and support in various ways are…

Creative Ideas and Thoughts

Jot down all ideas, even the unconventional ones, without concern.

Keep Your Dreams in Mind

Record your dreams and discern the messages each conveys to you.

Inspirational Quotes

Note down excerpts from books, poems, songs, and lectures that inspire you.

Favorite Statements

Document what you consider to be the most crucial positive statements you’ve formulated.

Conclusion of “The Creative Visualization techniques workbook: A Practical Exercise Manual”

Discovering this book was a turning point when I felt a strong urge for changes in life. Despite having lots of experiences, the new role of motherhood brought conflicting thoughts and plans.

With many dreams in mind, finding a clear direction was challenging. I chose the practical exercise manual over the theoretical one because I wanted to start right away, feeling familiar with similar books.

If you feel the same way, I suggest reading this manual now, and you can check the theoretical one later. The exercises are straightforward and make it easy to work towards life goals, bringing quick and surprising results.

I’ve used the methods in this book for various projects and am happy with the results. It shows that aligning with personal desires can really change things, making plans independently of what others think.

The key is to believe strongly, ignore negativity from outside, and free yourself from negative thoughts. If you want to turn dreams into reality, not just exist, “Creative Visualization Techniques” is a great guide. If you’re unsure about what’s possible, following the exercises in this book can lead you toward your dreams.

This practical exercise manual is presented in a clear and user-friendly manner. It does not necessitate reading the theoretical book, making it accessible to readers unfamiliar with concepts like the higher self or the influence of positivity on the mind. The inclusion of pages for note-taking and completing exercises enhances the interactive aspect of the manual.

It would be beneficial for Shakti Gawain to explicitly advise readers on the usefulness of the exercises, as some individuals may overlook them, assuming their simplicity renders them ineffective. Additionally, the section on thought processes appears somewhat simplified, as the enduring transformation of thoughts often requires the expertise of a therapist specialized in the field.

Thank you for reading Visualization techniques: The creative visualization workbook book summary