Visualize the boudoir session of your dreams
When you close your eyes can you conjure visual images in your mind? Imagine a picture for each of these words: Elephant. . . palm tree. . . snowflake. Did you see an image for each word in your mind? Yes?! Wonderful!!! You can visualize! Now close your eyes and picture this:
You’re lying on a soft blanket, wearing something that makes you feel gorgeous, sensual, sexy. The fabric caresses your skin as you ever-so-slightly bend your knee. You are calm, confident, happy…beautiful! Now you gently part your lips and breathe out slowly as you look up at the camera…and this stunning moment is now captured forever.
The process of imagining yourself in future situations before they happen (like your upcoming boudoir or intimate photo shoot) can have very powerful, positive effects. This is the process of visualization and not only is it gaining popular attention, but it continues to be better understood as a scientifically sound and effective practice. That’s right! It’s not a floofy ‘woo woo’ technique that works like a magic spell to bring your wildest fantasies to life. But what it CAN do, with repeated practice, is create lasting change within our body and brain. Using visualization can improve your athletic performance, decrease anxiety, improve confidence, inspire weight loss, hone specific skills, and foster physical and emotional healing.
Not to mention using visualization techniques can help prep you to be more relaxed, confident, and present for your upcoming boudoir or intimate shoot.
Here’s how it works:
Bear with me while I get just a little sciency…Neuroplasticity refers to our brain’s capacity to change and grow. When we run a scenario through our mind, the same neural pathways in our brain are activated as though we were actually experiencing that scenario. In other words, parts of our brain can’t tell that the experience was just imagined. So when we mentally practice something, we are reaping many of the same benefits as we would from real-life practice. Thanks to neural imaging techniques, we have been able to track the brain’s activity while people are engaging in visualization techniques. We have also been able to measure successful outcomes like improved muscle strength, better accuracy, reduced anxiety, and marked weight loss.
In his book, How to Change Your Universe…by Jon Gabriel, we learn how he relied heavily on visualization to make drastic, lasting changes in his life. In this brief clip, Jon talks about how the mind-body connection is forged in images, which means that when we use visualization, we are actually communicating in a ‘language’ our bodies can understand.
This month at BSNY, our team has been loving the process of stepping into this year as our authentic selves. As we’ve learned, the beauty within us shines through in many unique and wonderful ways. Using visualization techniques is just another way to tap into your dazzling potential, strengthening or enhancing the fabulocity that is already within you. Sound intriguing?
Here are some tips to get you started:
Set aside some time when you will not be disturbed. This could even be while you are falling asleep at night
Get comfortable
Turn off your phone and limit distractions
Relax…start by taking a few deep breaths to settle in
Be intentional. This is important! Have a very specific goal in mind. Be very clear in what meeting that goal will look and feel like
Visualize the scenario as if you are living through it. Look through your own eyes rather than watching yourself from an observer’s point of view
Engage all 5 of your senses. What do you see, hear, smell, taste and feel? Make it as detailed as possible
Connect emotionally with your visualization- how do you want to feel in that situation? Now, feel it…really feel it
Imagine that this is the way things really are- believe that it is your true reality
Be nonjudgmental- in other words, don’t beat yourself up for losing focus or feeling like you’re not getting it right
YOU CAN’T GET IT WRONG
Create a vision board to supplement your practice
Repeat, repeat, repeat! Practice helps to strengthen the pathways- this is where the real magic happens!
If you’d like a little assistance, there are many guided visualization meditations online that you can follow, like this one for building confidence
“Visualize what you want to do before you do it. Visualization is so powerful that when you know what you want, you will get it.”
One final note regarding boudoir and the power of visualization…After you have worked with Asif and Andrea, and after you’ve seen the concrete images of yourself as the sensual, sexy goddess you are, you will be blown away. We all are! And then? Then you have those images to add to your visualization repertoire. On a personal note, seeing myself in those images changed how I see myself in my mind’s eye. When I see myself in that way, I stand a little taller, make more eye contact, have more confidence. What about you? Have you had a similar experience? Drop me a note in our private Facebook group, The Boudoir Lounge, if you have also felt the power of your images jumping out from your mind and into your beautiful life!