Along the lines of my last post, I’m in the middle of a 30-day challenge of “Treasuring the Future Now”, an exercise proposed by Martha Beck in her book Steering by Starlight. I’m finding it to be quite relaxing and peaceful to sit in a space of meditative visualization. She talks about getting in touch with the “feeling state” you imagine you will have when your heart’s desire is achieved (that new job, relationship, etc.) Why wait to feel that feeling? This tool can help transform you from, for example, the “desperate” jobseeker to a more relaxed, trusting one.

Treasuring the Future Now

From Martha Beck, Steering by Starlight: Find Your Right Life, No Matter What:

To do this exercise, take a 10-minute break from the rest of your life and sit in a quiet place. Alternately, you can do it while driving (alone, without the radio on), walking or jogging. A bit of solitude and quiet is all you need.

At the beginning of this 10 minutes, choose one item from your list of heart’s desires and once more vividly imagine that you’ve already got it. Create a detailed fulfilled-desire scenario in your mind and preview the way that scene will affect each of your senses. Feel the warmth of your soulmate’s arms around you. Taste the fresh trout you’ll catch and cook when you’re living in your Rocky Mountain log cabin. Smell the downy head of your longed-for baby. Go through it methodically, by sense: How does this scene sound, look, smell, feel, taste?

Once you’ve created a vivid image of your dream come true, simply continue to experience it for 10 minutes. And I mean at least 10 minutes – by the clock. You’ll find that your mind skitters out of its treasuring mode and into your usual fears and stressors almost immediately. Gently notice this and re-create the experience of a fulfilled desire by tapping back into your fantasy scenario with all five senses, one at a time. Focus on “treasuring” your heart’s desire 10 minutes per day for a full month.

I can always tell which of my clients are actually doing this exercise because their appearance changes. The radiance of their skin, the good posture that comes from improved muscle tone, the general vigor of having a strong immune system begins to transform their bodies, as well as their brains, even when they aren’t doing their “treasuring” exercise. (It’s also true that magic starts to happen to them – but we’ll get to that later.)