What it is
The technique of visualization was developed based on the belief that your thoughts, feelings, and attitudes can positively or negatively affect your body. It’s important to understand that the body can affect the mind and in turn, the mind can affect the body. Techniques are mainly used as a complementary therapy to help people cope with cancer. Treatments can help induce relaxation, stress, and anxiety, as well as relieve pain and other symptoms from cancer treatment.
What are some examples?
There are several practices to enhance your mind’s positive impact on your body. While this isn’t a complete list, these activities cover a range of practices that approach positive impact differently. The idea behind visualization is to empower individuals to heal themselves.
Anyone looking to take advantage of visualization and other mind-body techniques can approach their symptoms through a behavioral, psychological, expressive, and spiritual approaches.
The Benefits
Visualization and other mind-body techniques contribute to stress reduction, as well as improvement of your mood and physical well-being. Research has shown that visualization techniques can help produce deep relaxation, imagery to strengthen the immune system, and insight to make healthy changes. With rhythmic breathing and the steady mindset that relaxation produces, some benefits include:
- Lower blood pressure
- Increasing blood flow
- Reduce muscle tension
- Anxiety reduction
Just as athletes use visualization to enhance their performance, cancer patients can increase their confidence and belief that they can overcome their symptoms.