By Gary Shunk
One of the tools I learned at the Hoffman Process was visioning. The first time we were guided through a visioning visualization, I struggled a great deal. “What’s this all about? What is she saying? Why are we doing this? Is this about the future or now? I don’t know what I want. I just got here!” Eventually I calmed down and was able to be present during the visualizations that followed throughout the Process. In case you weren’t aware, the Hoffman phone app contains guided visualizations. It’s on the App Store.
I had a very interesting experience about a month ago. I can’t call it a visualization meditation because I was driving. Driving with eyes closed is not a good thing. When I drive, I often speak out loud my affirmations, my intentions, my gratitude, and my appreciation. For me, setting an intention is akin to a visualization. An intention is like aiming the arrow at the target, the vision.
“When Your Intention Is Clear, so Is the Way.” Alan Cohen
So, there I was, driving down the road, eyes open, speaking my intentions and the following words popped out of my mouth: I welcome into my life: Joy. (There was a one-breath pause in there between my life and Joy. The pause allowed me to feel.) Immediately my heart started doing back flips. My heart started dancing. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry – I was doing both! I almost had to pull off to the side of the road. My heart was screaming, in caps: THIS IS WHAT YOU TRULY WANT GARY!! JOY!! I now know, when I said it “popped out of my mouth,” it was my emotional self and my heart speaking.
“The Heart Wants What It Wants; There Is No Reason Behind It.”
I have put this into practice. When I first wake up in the morning, or as I lie down in bed, I put my hands on my heart (a great tool I learned at Hoffman), and I do my welcoming. I welcome into my life (slight pause to feel) _____________. Fill in the blank. I fill in the blank with Joy, Happiness, Love, Peace, Wisdom, Gratitude, Appreciation, Understanding, Abundance. For me, the welcoming is saying, “Hi! Welcome! I’m available! Come on in! Let me get to know you!”
Like I said, if you are driving, it’s not a close-your-eyes visualization. It’s aiming the arrow of my intention, my attention at what I truly want. What my heart truly wants.
“Number One Law of the Universe: What You Pay Attention To, You Become Conscious Of.” IAN XEL LUNGOLD
I shared this with my Hoffman Process mates recently and one said, “Write this, Gary.” So, I did!
Try it! Enjoy! Listen to the heart! Aim the arrow! Let it fly!