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2. Creative Imagery

Imagery is a potent method of stress reduction.

In this section we’ll discuss how to practice creative imagery and also show you a technique that will enable you to trigger relaxing thoughts at potentially stressful times in your trading day.

You will be aware of how particular environments can be very relaxing, while others can be intensely stressful. The idea behind the use of imagery in stress reduction is that you use your imagination to recreate and enjoy a situation that is very relaxing. The more intensely you imagine the situation, the more relaxing the experience will be.

Practice using imagery for a few minutes before you start your trading session to put you into a calm, relaxed state.

1. Imagine a scene, place or event that you remember as safe, peaceful, restful, beautiful and happy. You can bring all your senses into the image with, for example, sounds of running water and birds, the smell of cut grass, the taste of cool white wine, the warmth of the sun, and so on. Use the imagined place as a retreat from stress and pressure. 
2. Scenes can involve complex images such as lying on a beach in a deserted cove. You may “see” cliffs, sea and sand around you, “hear” the waves crashing against rocks, “smell” the salt in the air, and “feel” the warmth of the sun and a gentle breeze on your body. Other images might include looking at a mountain view, swimming in a tropical pool, or whatever you want. You will be able to come up with the most effective images for yourself.
3. As you practice this technique, mentally say to yourself “Calm mind, calm body”. This not only deepens the feeling relaxation, but will also start to act as a ‘trigger’ for calming you. Eventually, you will be able to relax at any time and in any situation simply by saying to yourself mentally “Calm mind, calm body”.

For example, get into the habit of saying it before you enter a trade to calm your mind enabling you to base your trading decision on clear-headed thinking. Keep repeating it frequently whilst in your position to reduce and manage stress so that you can use your best levels of judgment to decide when to close the trade.

Meditation

Meditation is a technique which gives a unique quality of rest to mind and body. It allows stress and tiredness to be released in a natural way, resulting in greater energy and enjoyment of life.

Traditionally meditation was (and still is) used for spiritual growth. Meditation can bring on increased awareness, greater ability to live in the moment, freedom from the ego, inner peace and many other spiritual benefits.

More recently, meditation has become a valuable tool for finding a peaceful oasis of relaxation and stress relief in a demanding, fast-paced world. After meditating, you will feel more relaxed, calmer and have a greater sense of well-being. You will notice that your reaction to stressful events changes and that you act with greater control and in more constructive ways. Meditation has a cumulative effect; after a time you will find that the qualities of calmness, inner-peace and tranquility will integrate with all aspects of your life.

Thousands of research studies indicate that meditating for as little as fifteen or twenty minutes a day promotes improved mental and physical health and well-being.

Many doctors now recommend meditation to patients suffering from stress and stress-related conditions. For example, here’s a quote from Herbert Benson, M.D. of Harvard Medical School and author of The Relaxation Response;  "Meditation decreases oxygen consumption, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure, and increases the intensity of alpha, theta and delta brainwaves - the opposite of the physiological changes that occur during stress".

Meditation and Trading

The impact of learning to meditate on your trading performance will be enormous. It’s the best method of reducing and coping with stress and will enable you to trade with greater clarity and insight.

Using traditional techniques, however, it can take many years of difficult practice before you gain control of your mind and attain meditative states.

Fortunately, there are now technology-led aids that enable you to shortcut the learning process and put you on a fast-track to meditation.

The most effective of these new aids are Meditation Machines.

Meditation Machines are small, light, highly-portable machines that present pulsed audio and visual stimulation to the brain via headphones and special glasses. After a short period of time, the brain begins to resonate at the same frequency as the stimulus. In this way, Meditation Machines can slow down brainwaves producing the effect of meditation. In fact, with only fifteen or twenty minutes use of a Meditation Machine, it is possible to experience the same peace and tranquility as an experienced practitioner of meditation.

Meditation Machines are now available at very affordable prices and provide the means to unlock your incredible potential for relaxing, learning, healing, remembering, creating and so much more.

And as a not unimportant by-product, using a Meditation Machine could make you a calmer, more relaxed and, ultimately, a more effective and profitable trader.