Visualisation is a powerful way to boost your mood. This simple exercise of giving and receiving kindness is a great way to start your day.
Choose a spot where you’re unlikely to be disturbed and get into a comfortable seated position.
You might like to sit cross-legged on the floor, kneel on a cushion or rug, or place yourself upright in a chair.
- Bring your attention to your breath – breathing in for a count of four and out for a count of six. Repeat this cycle a few times until you feel calm and still.
- When you feel ready, close your eyes and picture someone in your life who has shown you love and kindness. It might be a family member, a friend, or a mentor – someone who wants the best for you.
It doesn’t have to be a person you see often – it could even be a grandparent who’s not here anymore.
- Imagine them smiling warmly at you, conveying through their eyes their affection or support.
- Place your right hand on your heart and your left hand on top of it and feel the sensation of receiving this loving kindness as a warmth in your chest.
- Rest here for a moment, enjoying the comfort of this feeling.
- Now notice how the earth beneath you supports your weight and imagine that the planet itself is showing you this same kindly regard and wishing you well.
- Place your hands either side of your body on the floor or chair. Visualise a soft golden light emanating from the point where your fingertips meet the earth, making your hands glow.
- After a few moments, slowly raise your hands and place them back on your heart. Picture the golden light filling your chest, reminding you of how much you’re loved.
- Rest here again for a moment, soaking up the peace that this feeling brings, allowing it to gradually fill your body and soul.
- Now, picture someone you love or care about, a person with whom you’d like to share this same feeling.
Maybe it’s a friend who’s been going through a rough patch and could benefit from extra tenderness today, or perhaps it’s a family member who’s in need of a bit of a boost.
- Cup your hands together and see the golden light pooling in your hands as you stretch them out in front of you and offer it to the person you’re picturing. Imagine them smiling as they receive this gift.
- Place your hands back on your heart, where the light is still shining. Rest here for as long as you choose.
- When you feel ready, open your eyes and have a stretch. If you like, you could make a note of how you feel in a journal, or just enjoy carrying the warmth of loving kindness with you through the day.
WORDS: Chloe Rhodes
ILLUSTRATIONS: Sara Thielker
This article was originally published under the title Start With Heart in Issue 46 – In Your Own Time. You can get this issue here to enjoy more mindful inspiration.
