The Imagine Phase is designed for you to help participants bring their focus to the meditation, to set an intention for the meditation, to embody what it is they want to bring into their life, and to guide participants into a deeply relaxed state.

The use of meta-programming in SOMA Breathwork, enables you to program your subconscious operating system. There is a specific process that is used in doing this, including hypnosis and NLP methods. The words, phrases, vocal expression, and volume that you use delivers the experience. This section will cover the basics to get you up and running in not only understanding meta-programming, but how you can create your own scripts.

Meta-programming Map

Part 1: Create Intention

This first stage is where we decide on the intention or new imprint. Just as imprints from childhood are impressed upon us and can affect our psychology and behaviour throughout our life, these new imprints can drive us in our behaviours and decisions we make moving forward. Therefore It is important that the intention is framed positively and beneficial to the individual’s highest good.

As instructors, we want to help our participants create an imprint in their psyche of what they truly want.

Just as something we experience in our external environment can have a profound effect on our psyche, we can also create an experience internally that will do the same. Remember the five-finger piano exercise we mentioned in Directed Neurogenesis: your brain doesn’t differentiate very much between what you physically do to what you mentally rehearse. The same areas of the brain are activated.

Step 1. Create a Statement of Intent
An intention or “statement of intent” should be focussed on a desired future state that is beneficial to the individual’s higher purpose and betterment.  It can be a material thing, a behavioural change, even a trauma release or letting go. Participants can come up with an intention for themselves, or you could decide on a collective intention as a group.

Example:

“It is in my will to receive or to have X in Y days”

The key is to focus on and imagine what you or the group truly want! not what you don’t want.

Step 2. Imagine the future experience of having it
Some points to consider here:

• Imagine this in the present tense as if it is already happening.
• Be elaborate and detailed in your descriptions, don’t leave out anything.
• Ensure that you take your time and be deliberate.
• Who are the various characters in your future state?
• Where are you located in this future state?
• What is a realistic time frame within which you want your desires to manifest?

The more detail the better! Use all of your senses. Here are some questions you can ask:

• Visual: What do you see around you? What are the colours like? what are people doing? What type of people are they?
• Auditory: What can you hear? What are people saying?
• Kinaesthetic: What can you touch or feel around you?
• Olfactory: Maybe you can smell certain aromas, what are they?
• Gustatory: What can you taste?
• Feeling: How do you feel and what might other people be feeling?

You may even get your group to write these things down first. Now the new intention is created it’s time to get the music on and everyone relaxed.