Remember to approach these exercises gently. If you feel that imagining something seems too big of a challenge for you at any point, simply focus on your breathing. The point of these exercises is not to get rid of anything, but to see what it’s like when we look at our lives from a different perspective. 

A state of transition, a state of travel

Imagine that you are going on a long journey to some specific place. Take a moment to focus on where you want to go and for what purpose. At the same time, think about everything you are leaving behind. The people, places, things, your existing routine. Think about what you will need to take with you, concentrating above all on the personal traits you will need in discovering something new, rather than on objects. Perhaps there’s something you need to do before heading off, someone to meet with, something to say to them. Next, imagine your images of all these things slowly going pale, like in a previous night’s dream. Perhaps there’s some lingering kind of emotion, a sadness at parting ways, a fear of what’s to come; perhaps also some joy at what’s in store for you, a certain kind of freshness that appears in the present moment. A sense of freedom with respect to what remains unknown and unnamed, and therefore unrestricted. Focus more and more on the purpose of your journey, thinking about what it will be like when you get there.