The analytical mind is something almost all of us suffer from, over thinking and the inability to ‘switch off’ especially when it is time for rest. The mind itself has no physical home, the brain and the mind are not the same. The mind enables an awareness of the world and experiences, to think, and to feel. The mind is all of consciousness and thought.

So with all of the millions of stimuli we encounter every day plus additional emotional, physical and mental stresses and pressures is it any wonder we have minds that race. We even go to sleep with electrical devices in our rooms and I will bet that whatever time you wake in the night, the first thing you do is check your phone! This is what I ask clients who have this analytical mind and their answer is “it’s my alarm clock, I check the time”, I also ask and do you also check notifications? check news feeds? the wry smile and shoulder shrugs tell me they do.

According to biologist Dr Andrew Goldsworthy of Imperial College London, ‘Cell membranes in the body are electrically charged and the pulsed radio waves used by mobiles make them vibrate, dislodging the calcium that binds the cells together, this makes them more permeable and releases enzymes that can damage the DNA in genes, this means the cells are more susceptible to damage. Phones emit less radiation when on standby (when you’re not talking, but the phone is not switched off), but they are still sending out and picking up signals.”

‘Don’t have mobiles by your bed if you want a good night’s sleep,’ says Andrew Goldsworthy. ‘The continuous pulse fires up the brain cells and can interfere with sleep.’ iPhones are a particular risk, he warns, because they are on permanent standby, even when switched off.

If you really have to have your phone or iPad in the room, (which the bedroom should only be for rest, repair and play!) put them on flight mode as they are then deactivated and not receiving signals at all.

We are all wired in our own unique way and we continue to wire and rewire every second of the day causing our minds to create a haze of emotions, stress signals and exhaustion, it can also leave you feeling overwhelmed with ‘stuff!’

So for this analytical mind to calm down, we have to STOP and breathe. We have to allow the sympathetic nervous system to take a break and switch over to the parasympathetic nervous system, to allow the heart rate to slow down, to not shallow breathe and to lower blood pressure.

Visualisation is a brilliant way to calm the mind, it is so important to take time out for yourself. The purpose is not only for relaxation but to allow the conscious brain to rest and tap into the subconscious brain. This technique is easily learned but it is a personal offering and you have to go with what you yourself feel is right.
The first stage of any meditation or visualisation is breathing, many people breathe from their upper lung capacity, this will not oxygenate the vital organs as well as they should be. ‘Shallow breathing’ is also responsible for anxiety and stress within the skin and body.

Place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest, now inhale deeply through the nose making the hand on the abdomen rise – this is not as easy as it sounds, you may think you are deep breathing when, in fact you are probably  still breathing from your chest. Once you have inhaled slowly and as much as you can exhale with slow control through the mouth.
Imagine on inhalation you are breathing in a strong white energy, pure, oxygenating, cleansing and revitalising and on exhalation you are breathing out a stale grey energy, stress, anxiety and any negativity.

Continue to be aware and conscious of your breathing, clear your mind of any thoughts, cares or worries and focus on your breath, as you breathe a warm wave of relaxation will flow through your body relaxing and releasing any tensions, breathe and focus on allowing that breath to cleanse the blood, muscles, bones, and life force, releasing the body of any toxins and waste.

Other Visualisation techniques:

Past Happy Memory – Think of a time when you was most happiest, if it was outside what was the weather like? who was you with? what were the sounds? what was you wearing? same as inside..what was decor like? what were the smells?.
Bring the image in the forefront of your mind like a slide show and if you drift from the image, pull back and start again from the beginning focusing on every detail.

Warm Wave – Imagine a warm wave of relaxation starting at the base of the feet, slowly working up the body, relaxing a releasing any tensions held.

Anointment – This is visualising a cup brimming with a warm golden oil, that slowly tips allowing the oil to flow over the scalp down the spine, use similar analogy to the ‘warm wave’ i.e relaxing muscles, releasing tensions.

Breathing – Deep to shallow conscious breathing

Relative – You may find that you may not hold any ‘happy memories’ you may have simply blocked them out, or just you can’t relate to any of the above. Think of one thing that pleases you, or what you like to do,  it may be going for a walk visualise the plants and leaves, the sunlight through trees. Relate to what you like to do and what relaxes you.

Visualisation can also be used to project positive situations. US Medical Studies have shown that people in there ‘alpha state’, who visualised a situation will lay ‘neurological pathways’ down as though the brain has already experienced the act.

Visualisation is one of the things I hold so important within my treatments, I can tell from the pulse points in the feet where a client may block or dip in and out of the session, this gives me clues on how to further advise and treat accordingly. Visualisation is such a powerful tool to strengthen confidence, quash fear and bring awareness.