It was a Very Good Year: Lucia's 2014 Surprises

As I prepare to create Visioning® for 2015, I am struck by how everything on my 2014 Visioning Board (a 4-part collage) came true. What really struck me were the surprises, so I want to share those with you. In the "grab what grabs you" phase of shopping through magazines, I often have something specific in mind. Other times, I follow my intuition and select images because I want more of what I think they represent in my life. But sometimes, life throws a whole new meaning at me as the image unfolds into reality over time. 

Lucia's 4-part Vision Board 2014

A cluster of flowers blooming in the upper right hand section signified that I wanted more cut flowers around the house and was looking forward to my iris garden due to bloom in the spring.What I didn't know was that I'd take up water color painting again, after a long hiatus (inspired by seeing a Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit) and that I'd be painting mostly flowers (mixed bouquets as well as iris from my own garden). What a joy that has been! 

Other surprises had to do with Health and Balance. A woman is meditating and beneath her another woman is floating in a pool. The words Balancing Act...LIFE...well, well, well... WATER (Don't) think tank appear next to these images. While creating the collage I was thinking: "I need to meditate more to balance a lot of left-brain work I've been doing". (I am a long-time meditater.) I thought the meditating woman meant I'd be doing more sitting meditation. 

Unbeknownst to me at the time, 

the answer to "meditate more" was in the floating figure. I was already using a physical therapy current pool at my local gym on a regular basis, so the woman in the pool illustrated a conscious choice to continue pool exercise. What I didn't realize was that my exercise in the pool (which I have all to myself) has become some of the best meditation I can remember. After I've done my exercise routine for physical strengthening and flexibility, I allow my body to move in any way it wishes. Through this spontaneous dance in warm water, I often enter a trance state of "no thought" which has become a wonderful form of meditation for me.   

Another surprising outcome grew from the image of a young woman sitting on suitcase.

She spoke to me about a need for more recreational travel in my life. I wasn't sure where I'd be going, but I did notice that her luggage consisted of old vintage style suitcases like the ones we had when I was a kid. Not the canvas bags on wheels I travel with now on planes. 

It crossed my mind that this woman might be waiting for a train. Lo and behold! In the summer I found myself on a train from the central coast to visit friends in San Francisco! My first train ride in many years. Although the upper left portion of the 4 collages was dedicated to Vacation Travel that I had already planned (Cabo San Lucas in December) with pictures of pools and tropical lushness, the summer train trip was unexpected and quite a surprise.

These serendipitous happenings show how we get previews of coming attractions by following our hearts and intuition. 

2014. It was a very good year, indeed. As this photo of a theater marquis announces in a photo on my studio wall: You are the writer, director and producer of your dreams. 

Looking forward to Visioning® 2015 and watching it unfold. 

Join me in creating your 2015 at my upcoming workshop: Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your DreamsSunday, January 25, 10 AM - 5 PM at Ruby Dragon in Morro Bay, CA. To register, call (805) 772-1100 or email rubydragonrocks@aol.com

On Sunday February 1, 11 AM - 6 PM,  I will be conducting a workshop in Southern CaliforniaAwakening Your Intuition: BodyMind Healing and LIving from Higher GuidanceKindred Spirit, Claremont, CA  To register call (909) 626-2434

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.

Vision the Holiday

This the perfect time to create a vision board. Regardless of past holidays, family wants, Hallmark images and advertisements for the latest gadget, how we feel about the holidays is our choice.There are countless ways to celebrate, the important thing is that you feel like you are celebrating, not obligating.



 It is not necessary to make a large scale collage. A small 8 1/2 by 11 collage will suffice.  Here are a quick review of the steps.

1. Make a wish.
2. Search for images and words.
3. Focus on the vision.
4. Compose the design.
5. Explore and find order in creative chaos.
6. Create the collage.
7. Articulate the vision.
8. Reinforce the dream.
9. Embrace the reality.
10. Celebrate the dream come true.

So what feeling do you want to create this holiday? Lots of activity with family and friends is one way. Spending some time alone to reflect or taking an evening walk to see the lights is another. Eggnog by the fire listening to music is yet a different choice. By taking time to collage with your Creative Self, you are sure to cut through the plethora of decisions if you let your heart guide you.

Finally, the Mayo clinic has great tips for beating the stress. Not surprisingly, acknowledging your feelings is at the top.


Celebrate, appreciate and create.

Dorothy Segovia is a certified Visioning(R) Coach and author of My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself Through Life's little Obstacles. Read more of her writing at www.writeinside.com.

Visioning Step 4: Composing the Design

When I am facilitating a Visioning (R) workshop, this is the step where I end up taking someone's glue away.

After all the photos are collected, after the words are in place, now it's time to place the images together on the page. This is designing the composition—and because we are the designers, there is no wrong answer!!! But designing and gluing are two different steps. Here's what Lucia has to say,

In putting your Vision collage together, you'll let your creative conscience lead the way. You'll mix and match individual elements, fitting pictures with words to find meaning. Like Alice in Wonderland, things will mean what you want them to mean. The significance you assign to the pictures will be personal and specific to your heart's desire. When you have the right match, your heart will say, yes. When the pieces of your dream find each other, you will feel it in your body. - page 91, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams.

Ann Beazer explained it like this in the following excerpt from her letter to Lucia.
(Minor editing for continuity.)

“In the visioning session you led in June 2001 when I first met you-- I recall being so thrilled with my collage - something I had never done before - because it was a pleasure to look at.  That was a break through beyond my inhibitions of drawing or painting.   I realize that I still feel the same today having made dozens and dozens of collages since. Since the invitation to attend that event was from someone who leads a nutritional organization for women I had assumed our June 2001 evening would be about health; not so for me.   The focus phrase of my vision board was My New Future. That evening I immediately decided that I wanted to learn with you - so I took details of your CJEA accreditation and was with you in Cambria in March 2002.  The rest is history as they say!  I have never looked back. I love teaching Creative Journaling and liberating people from all the rules and releasing them from the boredom of writing all the time.”

The wonderful thing about this letter was that Ann actually put Lucia's logo in her collage (image at the top left) before she knew what the Creative Journal logo was.



Ann Beazer's collage: My New Future.


Click here to see Lucia's logo at the top right.

Step Four is about allowing your heart's desire lead the way to the design of your life.

Ann Beazer is a Certified Creative Journal facilitator and Visioning (R) coach.in the United Kingdom.Her core workshops are Creative Journal, Work with Passion, Visioning and Living Well. Each workshop is supported with complete sets of materials to use during the workshop and afterwards. Contact her at ann.beazer@me.com

Dorothy Segovia is the Visioning Coach blog manager and certified  Creative Journal facilitator and Visioning(R) Coach. She specializes in collaging your way through obstacles. Her how-to book with music CD, My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself Through Life's little Accidents, is available at www.writeinside.com.

Visioning Step 2: Visioning Euphoria

Visioning® Euphoria by guest blogger Kate Dana

With Lucia Capacchione, PhD, in San Luis Obispo CA, October 2012.

I have this collage with me today.

In October 2012 I attended a one-day workshop with Lucia Capacchione, PhD, best-selling author of 18 books, including VISIONING®: Designing the Life of Your Dreams. Under Lucia’s guidance, several attendees and I followed the 10 steps of Visioning® and ended the day with huge posters of our heart’s desire (“dream goals”). Mine was based on creative work, travel and living in a Spanish-speaking country, all of which I am doing now. Visioning® works. I was convinced when I read Lucia’s book, but meeting her and practicing the method together confirmed me as a believer. If you have a chance to attend one of Lucia’s workshops, I strongly recommend it.

Starting the 10 Steps to Visioning® on a sunny Saturday in México

Occasionally, life goals need adjusting. While I still have my original Vision board with me, when I find parts of it feel “stuck,” I create a smaller board to focus in on what needs a boost. Additionally, I have learned if you are not specific enough with your Visioning®, you will get what you ask for, like ordering mayonesa for your elote, when you really wanted crema. It still tastes good, but it’s not exactly what you want. Realizing this, I spent a sunny Saturday afternoon working Lucia’s magic. Just starting the process of Visioning® made me happy: when we stir energy around us – our lives, our desires, etc., – the kinetic energy is almost like a natural euphoria.

Midway through Visioning® – creative energy feels great

I have the 10 steps for Visioning® from Lucia’s workshop here with me in México. I follow them one by one, from brainstorming to finding images and text to assembling everything into a collage. One of my favorite of the 10 Steps for Visioning is Step 2: Searching for Images and Words, or the designers research phase, which comes as no surprise since I have graphic design experience. Step 2 begins by gathering pictures, captions, and phrases from magazines, a personal collection of photos or other visual sources. The emphasis is on what experience you wants to create in life rather than just images of things to be acquired. The mantra is: Grab what grabs you. Lucia urges creators to keep an open mind while gathering as many relevant images and words as needed. If other great but unrelated pictures surface, set them aside to be used in other collages. As mentioned in Step 3: Focus on the Vision, some people gather too many images, creating a giant pile that feels overwhelming to sort through. The best solution for this is to ask specifically, “Does this express my innermost wishes, my fondest dreams?” If it doesn’t, there may still be a reason it “grabbed” you; find a large envelope and stash these images or words for a future collage, where they may be relevant.

Collage detail: “Grabbing what grabs me”

When gathering words and images, I sometimes feel persuaded to collect positive phrases or motivational quotes, partly because I am fighting off what Lucia calls the “Inner Critic” voice, the doubts we occasionally hear in the back of our minds as we pursue anything. Mentioned in Step 5: Explore and Find Order in Creative Chaos (from the 10 Steps to Visioning®), these doubts can come from ourselves or others around us. I find it most important when this happens to stop and write a “Q and A conversation,” asking myself what I want and why, responding honestly and free of fears. As with most situations in life, if you doubt them, you rob them of opportunity. If you believe, they have a much stronger foundation to stand on, with your focus and faith as support.

Visioning® to Go, in a vibrant “Méxican pink” envelope

While Lucia recommends a giant poster, I don’t have the space, so I create a smaller piece that folds in half or thirds, like a card or brochure. I find having my Visioning® collage with me is like carrying a mantra or prayer. This small item keeps me in check. I refer to it when I wake up, throughout the day, and before I go to sleep so the vision is fresh in my mind. Eventually, the desired outcome begins to happen. Sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly; signs and events reveal that the Visioning® is working: it is real. We all have the power to direct our own life, we just need to say how or what we want, and be specific.

Visioning® collage: Inspiration. It’s all around us.

My Visioning® collage turned out great: colorful, organized, and specific to what I am focusing on: all very much to my liking. I can already feel the changes I want happening. Gracias Lucia por tu Visioning® y por su información. Todos somos de gran alcance en su interior.

Guest blogger Kate Dana is a mixed-media artist and travel writer studying Spanish and teaching English in Jalisco, México. Since 2009 Kate has been studying Spanish, creating art and traveling. She is inspired by the music, food and history of Spanish-speaking countries and has enjoyed visits to Spain, the Dominican Republic and México. Visit www.katedana.com to read about Kate's travel adventures.

Kate is also a 2012 graduate of International Teacher Training Organization in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where she earned a Certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. For more information visit www.katedanateaches.com

Visioning Step 1: Setting Your Intention

It is the 3rd week of January. Many of us are living with the resolutions that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. If they are working for you—congrats! You're headed in the right direction. However, if you are struggling, maybe it is time to turn that resolution into an intention.


Step 1- Making a wish or setting the intention.

There is a big difference between resolution and intention. Resolutions often come from our head—what we should be doing: lose weight, finish that project, start exercising. These are all worthy goals, but joy comes from flowing with the heart's intention. Suze Orman once said that she used to exercise regularly because she enjoyed it. But as soon as she made a New Year's resolution about exercising, she stopped. Esther Hicks, author of the Abraham law of attraction books, states that rather than setting a goal— which only locks in the feeling of lack—focusing on what we want and the feeling of having it, allows the dream to manifest. Discovering and allowing our dream is Visioning®

“...once you have heard your creative conscience, you must take action. How wonderful! And how terrifying. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, 'Be careful what you set your heart on, for it will surely be yours.' Having your dreams come true brings a new kind of freedom and fulfillment. It also brings new responsibilities. There will be surprises when you realize your true desires. From each risk you take, you become stronger and learn more about yourself. From every encounter with your creative conscience, you learn more abut who you could be. If you dare to dream and act on your dreams, you have everything to gain: your true creative self.”
--pages 59-61, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams.

Now that you know the difference between resolutions and intentions, ask yourself these questions from the pages referenced above:

1.Am I ready to look into my heart?

2.Am I ready to partner with my creative self?

3.Am I ready to listen to my creative conscience?

4.Am I ready to have my deepest dreams come true?

***

Your COMMENTS matter... please tell us about what part of your day you most enjoy and why.

Lucia's Art Studio: Her dream come true.

Guest blogger Dorothy Segovia is a certified Visioning coach. Her latest book “My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself Through Life's little Accidents,” is a blend of memoir, self-help and original music. Learn more by visiting www.writeinside.com.

Letting Go through Visioning(R)

This holiday, I'm giving myself the gift of letting go.

As I'm sorting through my paper files, I am not only releasing past financial documentation, but also projects that were never completed. These include short stories, poems, songs, brochures, fliers and even a marketing idea for a CD project.

I have always prided myself on my letting go quickly attitude, but apparently that applied to everything but non-dominant hand writing.

Photo courtesy of thestar.blogs.com

As I sorted through the folders labeled 2004 NDH, 2005 NDH, etc., I was astounded that my inner guidance was often the same.

“Stay in my body.” “Take small, solid steps.” “Enjoy the moment.”

That's it, the basics.

Before moving forward, I took a giant step all the way back to “Cleaning Out the Closets of Your Mind” on page 85 of Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams.

“In making your final selections, home in once again on your focus phrase. Repeat it, say it to yourself out loud. Remember, you are looking for the pictures and words that truly express your heart's desires and your focus.” - Lucia Capacchione

Previously, thinking of clearing storage seemed overwhelming. Each box yielded a plethora of memories, not to mention the inner critical voice if I came across a non-manifested project. Rather than focusing on where I am headed, I was worried about what I was leaving behind.

The sifting and sorting process hit home.

Photo courtesy of designboom.com

Now my creative focus is "if it doesn't have to do with writing my future books, it doesn't make the cut."

While this doesn't necessarily make the process easy-peasy, it is a focused, simple approach to an often overwhelming project.

Here is my holiday wish for you,

Stay in your body.
Take small, solid steps.
Enjoy the moment.

Guest blogger Dorothy Segovia is a 2008 certified Visioning(R) Coach. She recently wrote a book based on the Creative Journal and Visioning(R) methods entitled My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself Through Life's little Accidents. www.writeinside.com