Creative Visualization Exercises:

Instructions adapted from Kfir (1996)

How does Creative Visualization work ?

To get into a Creative Visualization mode follow these steps: Get into a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed, relax your body completely. Starting from your toes and moving up to your head, think of relaxing each muscle in your body, letting all tension flow out of your body. Breathe deeply and slowly from your belly. As you inhale, your stomach goes up, as you exhale it goes down, (like the figure Eight). Count down slowly from ten to one, feeling yourself getting more deeply relaxed with each count. When you feel deeply relaxed, start to imagine the thing you want exactly as you would like it. You are slowing down your brain waves to the alpha level. At this time you experience no thinking worrying, planning or trying to manipulate things and people. To gain a sense of deep relaxation you might need to imagine and recall a very pleasant place or experience, an ideal country setting or maybe a beachfront. One way is to allow in a receptive mode for images or impressions to come in without getting stuck on the details. In an active mode we consciously choose and create what we wish to see or imagine. Now that you feel deeply relaxed follow these steps:

1. Set your goal: decide on something you would like to have, and work towards.

2. Create a clear idea or picture of the object or the situation you want. Think of it in the present tense as already existing the way you want it to be. Picture yourself in the situation, as you desire it now, include as many details as you can. You can even make an actual picture (physical) of what you desire. Drawing, painting or making a collage using either pictures or words cut from magazines, books or photographs. Be sure to put yourself in the picture (your own photograph) and then write under it affirmations like "here we are as a company in the year 2005". "We are all very successful individually and as a company".

3. Focus on it often by bringing it to a mental picture in your mind. Focus on it closely yet in a light gentle way. Give it positive energy by contemplating it in a positive and encouraging way. Make strong positive statements to yourself that it exists, that it has come or is now coming to you. Suspend any doubts or negative preconceptions you may have. If your goal changes or if its importance to you decreases, change your energy. When you achieve a goal, be sure to consciously acknowledge to yourself that it has been completed. Thank the universe for fulfilling your request.

To support the process of Creative Visualization, affirmations are developed. These are strong positive statements that something is already so, since everything is created first mentally before it can manifest itself in objective reality. Affirmation should be framed in the most positive way, what you do want; not what you don't want. Affirmations are not meant to contradict or try to change your feelings or emotions, but possibly create a new point of view about life that will enable you to have a more satisfying experience from now on.

 

Autosuggestion Exercises

Hill (1960, p: 44-45).

1. “I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my definite purpose in life; therefore I demand of myself persistent, continuous action towards its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action.

2. I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality; therefore, I will concentrate upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture.

3. I know that any desire that I persistently hold in my mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means of attaining the object back of it; therefore, I will devote ten minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of self-confidence.

4. I have clearly written down a description of my definite chief aim in life, and I will never stop trying until I shall have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.

5. I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure unless built upon truth and justice; therefore I will not engage in transaction that does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use, and the cooperation of other people. I will induce others to serve me, because of my willingness to serve others. I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity, because I know that a negative attitude towards others can never bring me success. I will cause others to believe in me, because I will believe in them, and in myself. I will sign my name to this formula, commit it to memory, and repeat it aloud once a day, with full faith that it will gradually influence my thoughts and actions so that I become a self-reliant and successful person.”

Deep Breathing Exercise Instructions (Osho, 1995)

Meditations for Busy People: Relax the Breathing.

Can be exercised whenever you find time.

“Just for a few minutes, relax the breathing system, nothing else – these is no need to relax the whole body. Sitting in the train or plane, or in a car, nobody will become aware that you are doing something. Just relax the breathing system. Let it be as when it is functioning naturally. Then close your eyes and watch the breathing going in, coming out, and going in…

Don’t concentrate! If you concentrate, you create trouble, because then everything becomes a disturbance. If you try to concentrate sitting in the car, then the noise of the car becomes a disturbance, the person sitting beside you becomes a disturbance.

Deep Breathing is not concentration. It is simple awareness. You simply relax and watch the breathing. In that watching, nothing is excluded. The car is humming – perfectly okay, accept it. The traffic is passing – that’s okay, part of life. The fellow passenger snoring by your side, accept it. Nothing is rejected.”

Active Listening- Instructions adapted from: Senge, P.M., Kleiner, A., Roberts, C., Ross, R. & Smith, B. (1994, p. 391)

How to listen in skilful discussion:

1. Stop talking: to others and to yourself. Learn to still the voice within. You can’t listen if you are talking.

2. Imagine the other person’s viewpoint. Picture yourself in her position, doing her work, facing her problems, using her language, and having her values. If the other person is younger or more junior, remember yourself at that stage.

3. Look, act, and be interested. Don’t do something else while others are talking.

4. Observe non-verbal behaviour, like body language, to glean meanings beyond what is said to you.

5. Don’t interrupt. Sit still past your tolerance level.

6. Listen between the lines, for implicit meanings as well as explicit speech. Consider connotations as well as denotations. Note figures of speech. Instead of accepting a person’s remarks as the whole story, look for omissions – things left unsaid or unexplained, which should logically be present. Ask about these.

7. Speak only affirmatively while listening. Resist the temptation to jump in with an evaluative, critical, or disparaging comment at the moment a remark is uttered. Confine yourself to constructive replies until the context has shifted, and criticism can be offered without blame.

8. To ensure understanding, rephrase what the other person has just told you at key points in the conversation. Yes, I know this is the old “active listening” technique, but it works – and how often do you do it?

9. Stop talking. This is the first and last, because all other techniques of listening depend on it. Take a vow of silence once in a while.”

The Take-Home Value Coaching Model

A Five-Step Model by Amir Kfir Ph.D. and Eva Kedar Ph.D. EKAK

Step 1:  Identify the issue you are struggling with.

Step 2:  Share and verbalize your worst-case scenario. Assess how real it is?

Step 3: Envision a best-case scenario. Use creative visualization techniques to envision your ideal reality one to three years from now.

Step 4: Identify the obstacles to achieving each part of your ideal reality. Divide into Cause Symptoms and Results and identify which             obstacles you can influence.

Step 5: Brainstorm ways to overcome those obstacles you can influence. Create a three months breakthrough action plan.