Quick and easy visualization exercises to release negativity and boost health, happiness and inner peace

When I’m alone and I start to feel stressed, angry or upset about something, to improve my mood I often close my eyes and slow down my breathing. I then imagine positive thoughts and think uplifting words. Soon the negative emotions pass, and I feel better.

The thoughts I imagine to boost my mood are types of visualization exercises – techniques using the imagination that can help us succeed, heal and feel happier. Below are two quick, easy and effective visualization exercises that I often use to chill-out and cheer up. Give them a go, they might also work for you.

Visualization exercise 1 – the healing light travels through us
Visualization exercise 2 – the healing light in the heart-space
Tips to enhance the visualizations
Positive words to combine with the visualizations
More positive words to combine with the visualizations

Visualization exercise 1 – the healing light travels through us

Imagine a bright, uplifting color above your head, like in a cloud or light. Do not choose grey, brown or black – these are not uplifting colors. I often choose white, but gold, bright pink, or any other inspiring color is also okay. This bright color represents healing, peace, forgiveness, happiness, love and other positive elements. You can choose more than one uplifting color, if you feel like it.

The color slowly travels down into your body, starting at the top of your head and moving down to your toes. At the same time, imagine this color slowly pushing a black, grey or brown color down your body. This dark color represents negative feelings, such as anger and hatred. The darkness drains out of your feet and into an imaginary, or real, drain on the ground beside you.

Towards the end of the visualization imagine your entire body being the bright color that you chose, with none of the dark color left in your body. Hold this thought for at least a few seconds before you stop this visualization.

Visualization exercise 2 – the healing light in the heart-space

Similar to the above visualization, imagine the negative emotions within you being a dark color. Now imagine this color getting scooped out from your heart with a fork or spoon, or pouring out from your heart like water from a jug. A bright color is then beamed into your heart-space to replace the negative energy. This uplifting color helps you heal, forgive, calm down and be happier.

Tips to enhance the visualizations

Close your eyes while doing the visualizations, if you want to. I like to close my eyes because it helps me focus better and not get distracted.

Combine the following positive words with the visualizations. Think or say the words slowly and calmly. At the same time, breathe slowly and deeply. Pause briefly in-between breaths.

Repeat the sets of words below as many times as you feel comfortable. I recommend repeating them at least a few times. I find that after about five repeats I’m feeling happier and more relaxed. Sometimes I do up to twelve repeats, depending on how I feel.

Positive words to combine with the visualizations

Slowly say or think the words in the list below while you do an above visualization. Each word has a positive energy, and helps create more in your life of what the word means.

• Love
• Peace
• Harmony
• Forgiveness
• Health
• Happiness
• Success

Rearrange the order of the list, and omit and add words, if you like; that’s fine. Remember that to feel happier, only choose positive words, such as safe, secure and healing.

More positive words to combine with the visualizations

Breathe slowly. As you breathe in, slowly think: “In with happiness, love and peace.”

As you breathe out think: “Out with the negativity.”

While you’re breathing in, you can change the words you think to other positive words, or add extra words, if you want to. Ideal words include compassion, empathy, kindness, patience and tolerance.

As you breathe out, you can also think other negative words, for example hurt, pain, anger, resentment, fear or jealousy.

written by Nyomi Graef