Visioning® Allowing Room for Chaos

Let's say you've just moved into a big new house. It's twice the size of the space you are living. There are boxes all over. Some are neatly labeled, but no matter how carefully you packed, there are a few surprises when you unpack: the measuring cups are in with the laundry detergent, your library novel got tucked into the toiletry box. Depending on your daily responsibility's, it can take a while to get things put into their proper place. It takes time to get the feel of where the pictures should hang.

In the same way we need time to recreate ourselves when we move, we need to allow the same re-creation time when we are playing with our completed vision boards. Let's face it, when we first enter our new digs, chaos happens. When it comes to manifesting our desires we are literally moving our stuck energy out of our bodies and expanding into something new. While the process is definitely exciting, stretching our psychic limbs may not always feel so good. But remember, we got a taste of the chaotic energy in Visioning® Step 5 when we learned to make order out of our messy, juicy vision.

"When we encounter chaos in the creative process, everything feels topsy-turvy. We're the Hanged man card in the tarot deck, suspended by our feet. Our linear left brains are helpless when we face the mystery of creative chaos head-on. Of course artists understand this subterranean world where new life takes shape. So do pregnant women, gardeners, shamans, and all those who have dared to participate in birthing something new. Innovators and explorers who venture off the straight and narrow path, who shun the predictable, the acceptable, and the approved live in this zone. Creative chaos is it's name and change is its game.

The challenge is that change is difficult. It's so much easier to retreat into the safety of the known and the familiar. What may be the most difficult is learning to live with the possibilities that change presents. When we change we redefine ourselves." page 104, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams.

The Dreamer: Panel 3 of 5 part series

When I created my latest collage series, I didn't have any agenda other than to follow my heart and stand for my truth out in the world. Generally when I think of this type of creating, I think of high energy, go-go-going. It was enlightening for me to journal with The Dreamer, who felt "peacefully expansive" because "she can see ahead to where I'm going." The writing was filled with the acceptance that I am already living my dream. That's it, no forcing involved. This is good news, because lately due to my super busy schedule (I was secretly hoping The Dreamer was actually The Napper) the phrase on panel 4 feels intimidating.

Panel 4 of 5 part series

"Contributors: It's time to build the next great empire. May the gods be with you."

When I read the above phrase, my mind whirled. "The next great empire, why isn't going for another round of rewrites on my musical enough? Empire? I just want to memorize the song I wrote last September, in my room at the ranch...alone."

Giving myself time to be with The Dreamer gives me time to relax into my vision, which includes the imagery on panel 4, but I'm not there yet. It gives me time to let my truth take shape, since speaking my truth through writing IS my dream. Time gives me the freedom to sort through my old furniture and take a load of unnecessary approval-seeking and inner criticism to the garbage.

To practice the art of moving through your own obstacles to your success, visit Lucia's site: www.visioningcoach.org. Here you can purchase her book, find out about certified coaches in your area and read about Lucia's story.

Dorothy Segovia is a certified Visioning Coach® and author. Visit her at www.writeinside.com.

Three Panel Vision Boards: Part Two

Last month we learned how about a new vision board technique of 3-panel collages.

(Click here to catch up on Part One.)

Turns out my symptoms were telling me that I was worried about time and growing older. Where I wanted to be was to have downtime to sleep, sleep, sleep. The Solution image of the two horses symbolized embodied freedom. Non-dominant hand journaling with the images yielded these nuggets:

Left side, Panel 1: Where I am at:

Image of the woman carrying the pot.

“ I feel uncomfortable. I'd like to set this pot of stuff down and just deal with one thing at a time.”

Right side, Panel 2: Where I want to be.

Image of the woman lying down.

“I feel talented. I can experience my dead past all day long, and have it direct me home where it continues to dominate in TV watching and extreme reading and overeating.

(Auggghhhh!!!)

Middle, Panel 3: the Solution.

Phrase Soulbringer.

“Stand still with yourself and straddle the duality of being truly alive and present in this magical and temporary moment.”

I worked with the collage and insights for 2 weeks on my own before taking a Mat Work session with Lucia. In her handout for the certified coaching training classes Lucia describes the Mat Work technique.

“Mat work can be used in conjunction with Visioning®, because the method is based on structural constellations. Structural constellations involves making intuitive selections of mats and colors, choosing images from collages, identifying issues, places, people, things and also elements in dreams.

After selection the mats are placed in relation to each other in the area representing the Knowing Field, the basis of Bert Hellinger's work. This method states that we draw information not normally accessible to the left brain by using colored mats. When we place mats in the knowing field, then stand on them, the mats allow body wisdom to flow through us.”

A synopsis of my mat session with Lucia

Lucia had me select mats to represent:

Myself, the obstacle, the solution I wanted (not necessarily the solution on the collage), the bridge to the solution, resources, an image from the collage itself. I chose the larger horse from the middle panel.

I placed the mats in relation to each other in the knowing field. At Lucia's direction, I stepped onto the mat that represented myself. (I had placed the obstacle mat first, then covered it with the mat that represented me.)

I realized that when I was standing on the obstacle, my body was pulled down and it was all I could see. My head was dangling. My body was all crunched. I couldn't see my resources, and couldn't see the horse, which symbolized my outcome. I also couldn't see the bridge to the outcome.

I slowly moved through the mats at Lucia's suggestion, breathing and reporting to her how my body felt. At one point, Lucia began doing voice-dialogue with me as I stood on each of the different mats.

On the bridge mat, my body felt like crying and allowing myself to be sad. When Lucia interviewed me in this position, I said that I was sad that I was a finite human being with limitations. That the world isn't really magic. That I still had to do the work, which brings manifestation into reality.

When I was interviewed from the resources mat, I had an impatient, almost eye-rolling energy. I explained to Lucia that if “Dorothy” would just accept the obstacle she could move forward with her dreams. The obstacle itself had led her to her current 12-step support group, but now Dorothy was worried about needing a 12-step group. This energy was big, and kept waving it's arms repeating “enough with the drama about BEING in a 12-step program.”

Once I removed this obstacle, the mats re-aligned. I placed the resources mat below my Self mat. In front of me I placed the horse mat, who was pulling me to the Bridge that was next to my outcome. Now I felt as if I was being pulled naturally towards my goal, and could enjoy the ride instead of struggling and fighting for my dream.

It has been 2 weeks since my mat session. I continue to journal with the images as I am guided. At this writing, many of the images are pointing to insights that were brought up during my mat session.

As a Visioning® coach, the biggest mistake I've seen clients make is not taking the time to explore and understand their vision boards. They get bored, or become afraid of what an image may symbolize. They want to get to the dream without doing the work. If you find this happening, the added element of mat work allows complete embodiment of the images in a much deeper way.

To find out how you can get a mat work session, 

or to contact Lucia about her certified training programs visit: www.luciac.com. 

Lucia often works remotely or can direct you to a facilitator near you.

Dorothy Segovia is a certified Visioning coach, musician and author of My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself through Life's little Obstacles workbook and music CD. Read more of her blogs at www.writeinside.com.