Mindfulness Techniques for Trauma Recovery: Guided Imagery
The impact of trauma on a survivor's mind is immense and deep. And it often takes time to heal and recover. Mindfulness can play a very effective role in trauma recovery. It is beneficial for both mind and body, can help one stay grounded when feeling overwhelmed, getting flashbacks etc.
There are a variety of mindfulness techniques. Here I am posting about one of them with an example: Guided Imagery.
Imagine going to a place, real or invented, where you feel safe, peaceful and calm. You want to take the time to develop the imagery so you fully experience this place with all your senses.
Start out with a simple check-in of your emotional state, your thoughts, and what you are feeling in your body. Just notice whats happening, without judgment or expectation. Let your breath deepen, and locate a spot in your body where you are starting to feel an opening, a lightness, or a loosening. Allow that to expand with every in-breath and every out-breath, imagining it gradually filling up your entire body. Imagine this relaxing energy moving through your body in waves, reaching every part of you.
Sea Shore
Imagine you are at the sea shore on a beautiful day. Its the perfect time of day, and the perfect time of year for you to be there. Recall the feeling you get in your body when you are at the beach, or what it was like when you were there as a child. Let yourself explore that feeling.
Imagine the warmth of the sun on the top of your head and your shoulders. Allow this image to develop. Perhaps theres a pleasant breeze, which your feel on your face and arms. Imagine the refreshing, salty breeze off the water, and breathe. Maybe you can even taste the salt spray.
Look up and down the beach and notice the expanse of sand, the color and texture of it, the way it sparkles in the sunlight. Imagine that you are standing in the dry, soft, sand, and feel it beneath your feet and between your toes. Imagine taking a few steps, and feeling what its like to walk in deep, warm. soft sand. Move closer to the water and walk in the cool, firm sand. Feel it take on the shape of your feet as you walk. Look behind you and see your footprints. Notice the waves gently rolling in and lapping the shore, gradually smoothing those footprints out, rhythmically washing them away as the waves roll back out.
Look at the edge of the water and notice the color. Notice that color meeting the sand, and the waves gently lapping on the shore, rolling in, breaking softly, and going back out, over and over, endlessly. Hear the, deep, calming, rhythmic sound of the waves breaking on the beach. Look out to the horizon, and notice the waves as far back as you can see, rolling toward the shore, breaking, glittering in the sunlight. Notice the dancing light moving rhythmically across the whole surface of the water. Notice the place where the surf meets the sky, and see where the colors come together. Notice the light. Let yourself feel the expanse of the sky, and imagine breathing that in, filling yourself with that feeling of spaciousness, brightness and light.
If you like, you might imagine going into the water, and feeling gently carried on the waves, safe in the protected cove, warmed by the sun. Just rolling gently on the surf, carried safely on the buoyant waves.
When you come out of the water, find the clean, dry, soft towel you have placed there. Imagine lying down on the towel, feeling the warm sand beneath mold itself to your body. Notice how the warm, firm surface supports your whole body, and allow yourself to relax deeply into it, letting the warmth and comfort fill your body and mind.
When you have finished your guided meditation, take a few minutes to sit quietly, noticing what you are experiencing in your body, what your thoughts and emotions are like.
Other ideas for guided meditation: walking through a meadow, floating in the clouds, snorkeling in a coral reef, sitting by a fire in a cozy cabin, being in lovely, comfortable room, or in bed on a rainy day.
@agreeableKite4304 @SunFern thank u. will try it when alone
Is this not a visualisation meditation and not mindfulness?
As far as I understand mindfulness it is being in the present moment. Visualisation is another great meditative tool, but I didn't think it was the same as mindfuless.
For dealing with my cptsd I find mindfulness helpful and visualisation not. Mindfulness is grounding in reality and visualisation makes me feel like I am losing myself. It is like intentional disassociation and at least for myself I can't cope with it at the moment.
@Kuma0187
Hiya Kuma you raise a very good question here. I hope I can be helpful some
Yes, your impression is pretty much correct, although there has been more research done on mindfulness than guided imagery. Still the outcomes on stress, performance, depression, pain, anxiety and quality of life appear to be comparable. Mindfulness meditation is a way of constantly bringing attention to our internal experience, and focusing on things like the sensation of breathing; the way the inside of the body feels; and/or noticing thoughts, impressions, sensations, emotions, perceptions and feelings, as fleeting as they may be, as they register on your mind.
The idea is that of course the mind cant stay focused on any of these things for more than a second or two. It jumps around of its own accord 
and as a result is frequently referred to as monkey mind or a better way of putting it is "wondering mind". But the practice has you continually noticing what the mind is doing and gently bringing its focus back to one or more of those designated internal experiences.
What happens is that over time, this has a calming effect. It centers you. The more aware of your internal experience you are, the better able you are to be strong and steady within yourself, and less at the whim of other people and external events. Your ability to focus and concentrate improves. And as your body awareness gets more acute, your early warning system for problems or symptoms gets strengthened. Youre better able to notice when something isnt quite right and get it looked at, taken care of. In other words, steady, disciplined practice makes most people braver, smarter, stronger and more effective. 
Guided imagery requires less discipline and practice. You hit the Play button and focus on the voice, the music or a certain language and it carries you. Thats why its been called the lazy mans or woman's meditation.
The voice and images may in fact take you inside to your own inner experience, the way mindfulness does.....but it can also provide a more goal-directed, structured kind of imaginal story board narrative of what youre hoping for. A desired end-state, such as more confidence, less pain, a successful medical procedure, a reduction of anxiety, a smooth and stellar athletic performance, and so on.
Because its easier to do and takes less focus and discipline, it can be the gateway to other forms of meditating or it can stand alone as the way to go. Theres no one silver bullet for everyone, and some prefer one over the other; some do both.
@RumpleSteeleSkin
Thanks for clarifying the difference. I think it is really important because not all meditation works the same way or has the same aims. A lot of things get throw under the name Mindfulness when they are not. I really appreciated the way you explained it. That is how I understood the difference myself for the most part but I think you said it way better than I would! haha
One thing I will say about Mindfulness that I picked up from the book I am reading about it, is: That Mindfulness does not actually have calmness as a goal as such. In fact, having a goal in Mindfulness is counterproductive because you are spending time with what is without exerting effort to change it, it is an exercise in acceptance. But as a result you often do experience profound calmness as a by product.. but not always. So someone practicing Mindfulness and still feeling agitated does not have to think that they are doing it wrong, just accept that at this time, they are agitated, and observe what that is for themselves to feel that way.
Whereas many visualations really are there with the clear goal of producing a state of relaxation or whatever. And that is okay too. But they are very different tools. From the outside appearing similar, but very different ways of working with yourself.
@SunFern Hey Fern, this is wonderful, its so well written and posted up, thank you so much for sharing this great resource <3
@SunFern
OMG OMG wonderful just wonderful Sun
I was reading this as I have my feet in my new Foot Spa thing-ie lol. And I was totally with you on the beach thing and the salt tasting as I have epson salt in my water. I say you did a wonderful job here
@RumpleSteeleSkin glad that it helped.
I found this in a source actually which is linked at the end of the post. So credits to that site haha.
But i also felt it very lively and soothing. So shared here
@SunFern
Hiya Sunnie Yes if I don't know something for someone I go a "google" searching and reach up on many things. But I am so glad they asked this as many people get frightened or confused-me too. I so do love mindfulness but I am learning tons of new things this year to make mindfulness enjoyable.
