Visualizing relaxing metaphors

     Poets know that the way to understanding is through metaphor.  "My heart is a soaring hawk" conveys much more than "I feel good."  There's something about the human mind that intuitively grasps and prefers metaphorical expression.

     What metaphors do you habitually use when you thinking or talking about stress?  Do you describe your cold hands as "ice blocks" or your headache as pounding?  Do you think of your sore muscles as tied up in knots?

     Metaphors are powerful - they can literally create feelings.  For example, you can use metaphorical images of relaxation to visualize tension away.  A metaphorical image is any imaginary sense impression that changes, representing the shift from tension to relaxation. 
     For example,  a hot color, like red, could represent tension, and you would change it to a more relaxing color, like blue or green. 
    
  Here are some metaphorical images you can use for quik relaxation visualization:

   -  Screeching chalk on a blackboard crumbling into powder
   -  A tight cable or rope going slack
   -  A screaming siren fading to the whisper of a flute
   -  The harsh smell of ammonia or tar becoming perfume or baking bread
   -  A glaring searchlight changing into a candle flame
   -  A dark, confining tunnel giving way to a light, airy meadow
   -  The pounding of a jackhammer changing into the hands of a masseuse kneading your muscles

     The following rules for visualizing relaxing metaphors are very simple:
  
   1.  Lie down in a quiet place and close your eyes.
   2.  Scan your body and will your tense muscles to relax.
   3.  Form mental sense impressions involving all your senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.  For Instance, imagine the sights of a green forest with the trees, blue sky, white clouds, and pine needles underfoot.  Then add the sounds of wind in the trees, babbling brooks, and bird song.  Include the feel of the ground under your shoes, the warm sun, the smell of pine, and the taste of mountain spring water. 
   4.  Use affirmations in the form of short, positive statements that affirm your ability to relax at will.

     The key to making this simple process work wonders is to use metaphorical images when you make up mental sense impressions.  So you don't simply see white clouds; you see billowing cotton balls against a faded denim sky. 

By:  McKay, Fanning