Ep. 26 - Guided Visualization: Walking the Path to Your Future Self

In today's episode, we're diving deep into a powerful tool used in health coaching, one that's been making a big impact in my life: visualization. It's incredible how our minds can shape our reality. Tapping into a clear vision of our desired future is an essential step towards achieving our health, wellness, and any other goals we set for ourselves.

I share why this practice is so incredibly effective, drawing on insights from neuroscience and even how elite athletes use it to enhance their performance.

Plus, I guide you through a "Wise Inner Guide" visualization designed to help you connect with your vision for your future self and discover what your inner wisdom has to tell you. Get ready to tap into that wellspring of clarity and internal motivation that's already within you!

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Transcript

Sheryl Davis: 0:01

This is the Wellness in a Chaotic World podcast, a place where we're having conversations about what it really takes to live well in our unhealthy, chaotic world. I'm your host, Sheryl Davis. If you're beating yourself up over a bag of chips you ate in a stressed-out frenzy, or you can't figure out how anyone manages to find the time to even think about wellness, you're in the right place. We talk about all of these things and more because, frankly, we don't talk to each other enough about what we're really up against every day. Let's change that right now.

Sheryl Davis: 0:31

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to Wellness in a Chaotic World. I am so grateful that you're here today. I want to talk about what I believe is an essential tool in our toolbox of well-being, visualization. That's a tool I've been working with a lot lately, both personally and professionally as a health coach. Visualization is personally helping me make a lot of internal changes in terms of what I believe about myself and how I show up for myself. For that, I want to take a moment to recognize a wonderful mentor that I've had recently. Shannon Danielle, who was a guest on the show over a year ago, is an empowerment coach and she's the host of the Pure Possibilities podcast. As a certified neuro identity evolution practitioner. She offers coaching and transformative programs that use a blend of neuroscience, consciousness, and somatic healing to help you rewire your nervous system, release fear, and step into your true potential. It's amazing. And she has this wonderful, loving personality that really creates a safe space for you to explore your true potential. I highly encourage you to check out what she's offering at purepossibilitiespodcast.com.

Sheryl Davis: 1:49

For my health coaching clients, Tapping into a vision for their future self is an essential step in the process of behavior change. In a moment, I'll share a guided visualization that is intended to help you get in touch with your own inner wisdom. But first, I want to take a minute to explain why this practice is so powerful for achieving our health and wellness goals or any other goals we may have for our lives.

Sheryl Davis: 2:16

You may have heard the idea that the body doesn't distinguish between a vividly imagined experience and a real one. Studies have shown that when we visualize something with enough sensory detail, our brains activate the same neural pathways that would light up if we were actually living that experience. That means what you imagine can actually begin to shape your nervous system, your beliefs, and subsequently your behavior. This is why top-level athletes regularly use visualization techniques, specifically mental rehearsal. Olympic gymnasts mentally rehearse their routines before ever stepping onto the mat. Elite sprinters visualize the feel of each stride before race day. By doing this, they prime their minds and bodies for performance, clarity, and success.

Sheryl Davis: 3:10

If elite athletes like Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan can famously use mental rehearsal to enhance their performance, why can't we harness this power of the imagination to shape our reality? We can. By vividly picturing our desired outcomes, we train our minds to navigate challenges with confidence and clarity.

Sheryl Davis: 3:32

Whether you're healing, growing, setting performance goals, or visualization can help you access the calm and clarity that already lives within you. It gives you a chance to connect with your future self, an imagined version of yourself who has already overcome what you're working through right now. In a sense, this future self is actually your deeper sense of self that already knows how to navigate challenges and achieve what you say you want to accomplish. It's that part of ourselves that is often drowned out by the noise of our culture, the beliefs we learned as children, and the stories that we have about ourselves that serve to protect us from things that scare us like uncertainty. When we give ourselves the quiet space to listen deeply to that inner voice, we can tap into a wellspring of wisdom and internal motivation that transforms our lives.

Sheryl Davis: 4:28

So if you're ready, I invite you to find a quiet space, settle in, and open yourself to this experience. It may be helpful to have a journal nearby to write down any insights you receive. You don't need to try or strive to do it correctly. You don't even need to see everything clearly in your mind. Simply trust whatever comes up for you, whether that's an image, a feeling, a word, or a sensation. There is no wrong way to do this. Let's begin.

Sheryl Davis: 5:04

Welcome. Take a moment to settle in wherever you are. Allow yourself to find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down. Close your eyes if that feels right to you and begin by bringing your awareness to your breath. Let it flow naturally. Inhale and exhale. Feel the air move through you, gently, effortlessly. Let go of any tension in your body. Relax your jaw, your shoulders, your hands. Allow your body to soften with each breath. Now imagine a warm, gentle light surrounding you. It is peaceful. It is safe. It is here to guide you. With each inhale, this light grows a little brighter. With each exhale, it helps you relax more deeply. Now in your mind's eye, picture a path ahead of you. It's winding gently through a beautiful, serene landscape. This is your path. It is uniquely yours and you are about to walk it one year into your future. Begin to move forward. You feel light, supported and guided. With every step, you're moving toward a vision of yourself that already exists one year from now. This version of you has grown. They've healed and they've accomplished the things that you've set out to do. They carry the wisdom of everything you've been working toward. As you continue walking, you begin to see them standing in the distance, waiting for you with a calm, open smile. Take a moment to really see them. Notice their posture, the way they carry themselves. peace in their presence. This is you one year from today. You come closer and meet them. And now you begin to ask, what is life like for you now? What have you learned in the last year? How are you spending your days? What are you most proud of? Listen, let their answers rise naturally through images, words, or feelings. Perhaps you would like to ask them, what did you let go of to become this version of you? Or what daily habits or mindsets helped you the most? Take this time to connect. You are safe here. You are supported. This future self is rooting for you. Now ask them one last question. What message do you have for me right now in this moment? Receive the answer fully. Let it settle in your heart. And now it is time to return. You begin to walk the path back to the current moment, knowing that your future self is always within you, always accessible. You are already becoming them. As you begin to walk back along the path, you carry everything you've seen and felt each step. bringing you back to this moment, this body, and your breath. Gently bring your awareness back to your body here and now in the present. Feel your breath flowing once again. Move your fingers, move your toes, and when you're ready, slowly open your eyes. Taking one last deep breath, welcome yourself back. You are on your way.

Sheryl Davis: 11:06

I hope that this wise inner guide visualization was helpful for you today. One last thing I'll say about this type of practice is that because we are always changing and always growing, this kind of visualization is something that you can come back to again and again.

Sheryl Davis: 11:34

And the answers that you receive from your inner voice may be different each time, and that's okay. Each time we do this type of practice, it brings us back to ourselves and back to clarity.

Sheryl Davis: 11:46

Thank you for joining me today. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with family, friends, and anyone you think may benefit. If you haven't subscribed to the podcast, please do so now. please do so so that others may find this podcast more easily. If you'd like to chat more about this type of visualization or anything about health and wellness, you can always find me at wellnessinacaoticworld.com. And with that, I hope you all have a happy, healthy week.