Just another day at the office continues...
Intense Positive Visualisation
Visualisation techniques can help you positively condition yourself to achieve an ideal state of mind, helping you to gain optimal results in your performing situations.
In short, when visualising, you train your mind by entering a relaxed state and imagining the exact results you would like to achieve.
By regularly practising visualisation techniques, you can condition yourself for success!
In the book Performing in The Zone, three different types of visualisation techniques are explained:
- Snap Shot
- Intense Positive Visualisation
- The 5 Sense Visualisation Method
Here in “Just Another Day at the Office…” you’re going to see exactly how the simple yet powerful technique of Intense Positive Visualisation can help you in your performing situations!
Read on!
Different points of view
Intense Positive Visualisation can be carried out in the 1st person or 3rd person perspective.
Using the 1st person perspective, you put yourself in the centre of the visualisation. For example, if you are a concert pianist, you would imagine yourself performing on stage from your own eyes, seeing your hands and the piano keyboard in front of you, taking in the experience as if you were actually carrying it out in reality.
In the 3rd person perspective, you would see yourself from a distance, possibly from a seat in the audience, the back of the room, or even a position up in the ceiling somewhere above, behind, or beside you.
Some performers find a 1st person visualisation to be more powerful and real, whereas others may find a 3rd person visualisation to be most effective. Experiment using both viewpoints, and discover which one works best for you.
Intense Positive Visualisation explained
To practise Intense Positive Visualisation, you will need to be undisturbed for a period of anywhere from ten minutes to an hour, depending on the length of the performance you are about to visualise.
Intense Positive Visualisation is best carried out lying down on your back with your hands resting gently on your solar-plexus. You may choose to lie flat on the floor or on a yoga mattress. Lying down on a bed can be an acceptable alternative, and is at times preferable if practising this exercise just before sleeping. It’s important to keep the body at a comfortable temperature throughout the duration of the visualisation, and therefore covering yourself with a blanket might be necessary.
To begin Intense Positive Visualisation, gently close your eyes, and lightly touch your tongue to the front part of the roof of your mouth, just behind the teeth. This is a Qi Gong technique which forms an ‘energy bridge’ to allow freer flow of energy in the human energy system.[2] Try to keep the root of your tongue relaxed at all times. If you have trouble with this, simply let your tongue sit in its natural position and come back to this Qi Gong energy bridge technique at a later stage.
Whilst in a horizontal position, allow the floor to take your weight. Feel your limbs becoming heavier the more relaxed they feel. Trust the floor – it will hold you. Give in to the support from underneath. Trust, relax, and let go. Breathe gently through your nose. Allow your body to breathe as it needs to.
The next section is designed to help you understand how Intense Positive Visualisation works. It is an example of one possible visualisation, taken from the perspective of a musician giving a recital, requiring a performance arousal level of +1 before the performance, +2 for the majority of the recital, and +3 for the climax of the concert.[3]
After reading the following example and understanding the process of Intense Positive Visualisation, you can then create your own personal visualisation to meet your specific needs. When creating your visualisation, remember to visualise events exactly as you want them to be.
Start of Intense Positive Visualisation example:
You begin by imagining yourself at home, taking your performance clothes out of the wardrobe. You check to see that everything is in order with your clothes and your performance shoes. You put your performance clothes and shoes in a suit bag, pick up your instrument case, check to see if you have your keys and wallet, and leave the house, locking the door behind you. You walk down the stairs and out on to the street in a relaxed pace. Arriving at the metro (underground train/’tube’) station, you use your ticket to pass the barrier, and board your train. It’s going to be a great show. Your performance arousal level is at +1. You feel relaxed, positive, and calm.
Getting off at the right stop, you stroll towards the recital hall, taking in the scenery on the way. Perhaps a seagull is calling in the distance? How do the trees look? Are there other people out walking? You take out your Cue Card and slowly read over your key words. Your performance arousal level is at +1. You feel relaxed, positive, and calm.
You arrive at the venue and greet the receptionist on the way in. After signing in, you head to your warm up room where your accompanist is already waiting for you. You ask your accompanist for 15 minutes by yourself so that you can prepare yourself and warm up. You unpack your instrument, and begin your warm up routine.
It feels fantastic to start warming up. You know your accompanist is going help you put on a great show. You know that the venue has a warm acoustic. Your performance clothes are ironed and your shoes polished. You are ready. You are about to share part of yourself with some people who want to hear you – they want to be touched by you. It’s going to be a warm, giving, rewarding experience for both them and you. It’s going to be great! Your performance arousal level is at +1. You feel relaxed, positive, and calm.
After 15 minutes your accompanist walks in to the room. Before you begin to rehearse, you check your Cue Card again, and go through your Pre-Performance Ritual, “C3” – calm, controlled, confident – the “C3” and “+1” on your Cue Card gives you a familiar, friendly reminder.[4] You rehearse the beginning of the first piece with your accompanist. It’s easy and free.
The acoustic in the practise room is dry, but you know that out there in the hall the space will take care of you – the warm reverb will beautify every nuance and add to the experience for everyone. Your performance arousal level is at +1. You feel relaxed, positive, and calm.
When it is time, you are called to the wings of the stage. You take one final look at your Cue Card and go through the “C3” exercise again. You can hear the chatter of the audience, and see the stage in front of you. You walk calmly, securely, and with purpose on to the stage where you are greeted by applause. They like you and you haven’t even done anything yet! This is going to be a fun performance! Your performance arousal level is at +1. You feel relaxed, positive, and calm.
Whilst your accompanist adjusts the piano stool, you look out into the audience and make visual contact with the people you are about to touch with your performance. Your body language exudes confidence and assuredness. You greet the audience, introducing yourself and your accompanist, and begin to talk about the evening’s programme. Your voice is stable, powerful, and reflects the perfect +1 state of performance arousal that you are currently in. Your voice resonates effortlessly to the back of the hall. You are in The Zone.
After your brief introductory talk, you look to your accompanist who is ready to work with you. This is going great! You begin your performance, and your performance arousal gently rises to a +2.
(At this point in the visualisation I strongly suggest that you visualise your entire performance – that is, see and hear yourself giving the most musical, fantastic, controlled, inspired, moving performance you can possibly imagine. Use either 1st or 3rd person perspective. In your visualisation you are doing everything right – it feels fantastic and sounds amazing. You are at an ideal level of performance arousal for this performing situation, and totally in The Zone.)
Just before the climax of the final piece, you turn the page, and see the familiar figure of “+3” that you wrote earlier at the top of your music. You step it up a notch, and raise your performance arousal level to +3. The music takes on a new life and energy and this is felt by you, your accompanist, and the audience. Finishing the concert at a +3 level your audience erupts in cheers and applause. You did it! It was great!! You were in The Zone!!! You acknowledge the audience, and walk off stage.
End of Intense Positive Visualisation example.
When you feel ready, slowly begin to move your body again. How did it feel to give that amazing performance? You were great! Everything just ‘clicked’. You were totally and completely in The Zone throughout the entire process.
Intense Positive Visualisation can be practised every day before a performance. By doing so, you can condition yourself to perform in The Zone. Intense Positive Visualisation is highly recommended to all performers about to give important performances, auditions or recitals. The earlier you begin Intense Positive Visualisation the better, but at least one week prior to the performance event should be the minimum.
In your own visualisations, remember to assess how much positive performance arousal you need at various moments: +1, +2, +3, +4, or +5. Do you need to be at the same activation level for the entire event, or does your performance arousal level need to modulate at various times? Remember that imagining yourself calm and relaxed probably isn’t going to give you the best results if you are preparing for an intensely physical, fast-paced performance situation. Likewise, visualising getting yourself psyched up and exploding out of the gates isn’t going to help you if you are preparing for a more delicate +1 situation, such as a slow movement of a concerto.
Visualising performing with an ideal level of performance arousal is important!
By using Intense Positive Visualisation, you are using positive conditioning to become familiar with as many elements of your performance day as possible, and become used to experiencing these always in a positive light.
Notice also that Intense Positive Visualisation goes into as much detail as possible, both before and during your performance. This is to help take away as many surprises and unknown factors on the day of your performance as possible.
It may help the accuracy and intensity of your visualisation to do some reconnaissance by actually visiting the performance venue prior to your performance event. This is easily possible for students giving final recitals for example, or sportspeople playing at a local venue.
Try to also incorporate some variations in your visualisations. Perhaps the audience isn’t ready and takes an extra 5 minutes to get seated? Perhaps your accompanist arrives later than expected due to traffic problems? Maybe the stage curtains are blue and not red? Perhaps the warm up room is bigger or smaller? Regardless of what happens, you are prepared, and you stay in your ideal level of positive performance arousal. You are completely stable, and in The Zone, always.
By using Intense Positive Visualisation every day over a period of one week, you have in effect carried out your performance successfully 7 times. Practise this visualisation 3 times per day for a week and you’ve completed 21 successful, positive, great, fantastic, easy, ideal performances, and have been in The Zone every single time!
Remember that your subconscious doesn’t differentiate between what is real and what is imagined. Therefore by using Intense Positive Visualisation diligently, you are conditioning yourself for success by becoming familiar with performing in The Zone!
By using the technique of Intense Positive Visualisation, you can experience your next audition, recital or ‘high-pressure’ performance as just another day at the office!
Intense Positive Visualisation is just one of over 20 effective techniques fully explained in the book Performing in The Zone.
These techniques can help you to become secure, confident, comfortable, in control, and successful in your performing situations.
With the book Performing in The Zone, you get more than just techniques. You get:
- To find out what really goes on inside your mind and body in performing situations
- To learn about The Zone, what it is, and how you can get there
- A complete explanation of performance arousal, and how it can affect you positively or negatively in performing situations
- Over 20 techniques specifically designed to help you get better results in any field of performance
- The 12 Week Performance Success Programme to help you incorporate the techniques from Performing in The Zone into your performing life
- An introduction to additional sources of advice and information to further aid you in your journey to The Zone!
By reading Performing in The Zone, you can:
- Perform at an optimal level
- Achieve better results when under the spotlight
- Become a master of yourself and your performance environment
- Realise your true performing potential
- Become a better performer by learning to perform in The Zone!
[1] Intense Positive Visualisation is just one of over 20 powerful techniques designed to help you achieve an ideal state of mind for your performing situations, regardless of your field of performance.
All of these techniques are presented in the book Performing in The Zone,
[2] Qi Gong and how it can help you prepare for performing situations is explained in Performing in The Zone, available
[3] For a complete description of performance arousal, and the different amounts required for various performing situations, refer to Performing in The Zone.
[4] Cue Cards, Pre-Performance Rituals, and “C3” are explained in the book Performing in The Zone. “C3” is also introduced in the eBook First Aid! For Controlling Performance Anxiety. Both publications are available