I read something the other day that really got my attention. It was something that I never thought about when meditating. The article talked about meditation and the fact that some people are just not visual so guided meditations can be quite difficult for them. I'm very visual and if you tell me to see a giraffe, well, I'm going to see a giraffe - and a big one! But what if you're one of those people who don't find it easy to imagine a giraffe? How frustrating that would be when trying to do a guided meditation!
So here's what I think. It does not matter what you can or can't see. The idea in meditation is to try to stop the multitude of thoughts that flow through your mind by focusing on something. It could be your breath or the sound of the voice on the guided meditation. When thoughts pop into your head, acknowledge them and then let them go. I picture them as clouds and I push them away with my hand. If you don't see them, then just acknowledge them, say thank you and let them go. If your guided meditation says to imagine a house and you can't see it, that's ok! Just focus on your breath and continue to try to clear your mind.
But what else may you be experiencing instead? If you can't "see" anything, then what do you "know" or "feel"? Most of us are knowers instead of seers anyway. You just know what's being said - if it's a house, you know what a house is - and you can just go with that. Maybe you're a feeler and you may hear a word or a description and you feel it instead of seeing it. How cool is that!
There is no right or wrong way to meditate ... it's the experience that counts. Give up the struggle and just allow it .. whatever it is ... and then listen, see, feel, think and know ... whatever works for you. And if in this moment, it's to give in a sleep, well then that's what you were meant to do!
Happy Meditating!!!