Mindfulness

A practice Buddhists call vipassana (pronounced Vi•pas•sa•na)or insight meditation, mindfulness is the practice of fostering awareness of what is here right now. You focus on what's happening in and around you at this very moment, and become aware of all the thoughts and feelings that are taking your energy from moment to moment. You can start by watching your breath, and then move your attention to the thoughts going through your mind, the feelings in your body, and even the sounds and sights around you. The key is to watch without judging or analyzing.

Guided Imagery and Visualization

Guided imagery and visualization techniques use the power of your mind and imagination to create a relaxing, calm state in the mind and body. The body cannot tell if what we think is real or imagined which is why we salivate when reading a recipe. The power of imagining in this way has been shown to reduce pain, symptoms of an illness or its' treatment, e.g. chemotherapy, the effects of stress, while promoting and enhancing general well-being.

Other ways guided imagery can be useful for you:

• learning to relax
• changing or controlling negative emotions in response to a particular situation, event (loss of a job), or belief
• preparing yourself for changes they are likely to have to deal with in the future, e.g., surgery or a medical procedure

www.healthjourneys.com/what_is_guided_imagery.asp