Visualization is the most positive and comprehensive way to improve overall ability to Tamarkoz ®. We tend to Imagine from our existing files in our memory bank, in order to

 see something or to remember an event. This means referring to the past and searching files that create interpretation and illusion, which in turn may not be the exact of what one needs to see.
Visualization on the other hand is to see something as it is and try to make it as vivid as possible without interpretation or referral to anything else or any changes. This should enable us to be in present without losing track of the image.
 

New Exercise
Visualization Exercise: The Stairways to the Heart

 EXERCISE:

Sit comfortably on your heels and tuck your feet under your buttocks. Your knees should be slightly apart and you should keep your spine straight. Make sure to sit in a way that allows you to sit totally still during the whole exercise. The reason is that you body needs to be absolutely still while visualizing. (Use cushion for better comfort under the feet)

Visualizing is one of the most powerful exercises in Tamarkoz. For this reason, all the brainpower needs to be focused on the visualization exercise. The slightest movement of the body distracts the brain and consumes energy. The brain, although is only 2% of the body weight, uses 20% of body’s energy and oxygen. For this reason, it is of outmost importance to sit still in order to have the most access to the brainpower and attention.

Close your eyes and breathe slowly, deeply, and calmly. Do as much deep breathing as possible in order to calm down brain activities. Deep breathings always help calm the mind down drastically. The main reason for this is because the brain associates calmness with deep breathing and when the breaths are deep and calm, automatically it reduces its noise.

Beginner

First Study the image 1 below of the inside of the head and try to see as much as possible and then close your eyes and visualize the image as vividly as possible. If you encounter difficulties then open your eyes and look at the image again. Do this several time so that you can relate the image to your own brain before moving to the next step.

Intermediate

Visualize and see your brain as a whole. Circle around both hemispheres and visualize the Cerebral Cortex, with more emphasis on the Prefrontal Cortex. Sense the physical brain and the liquid around the brain, the Cerebrospinal Fluid.

Pre-Advance

Look at image 2 and try to see it exactly as it is and then close your eyes and see if you can visualize it. If you can’t, then open your eyes and look at the image and focus on it more and see it exactly as it is. Try this several time before the next level.

Advance

Now, visualize the spiral stairways (image 2) running from the bottom of your brain going straight down towards your heart. Visualize yourself walking down the stairs slowly and with awareness. Hold onto to the staircase as you walk down the spiral stairways into the depth and darkness of your being. Do not think of anything else but your destination; your heart. Walk steadily and with purpose and do not be discouraged by the darkness that you see in front of you. The staircase is leading you from your brain to your heart. You are safe. All you need to do is to take steadfast steps down towards your heart.

As you get further down the stairs, you will see the depth of the darkness within you. Enjoy its tranquility and keep walking down the stairs until you get to your heart. Visualize your heart and how it moves with each heartbeat. Witness its beauty and determination to keep giving Life at every single moment. Spend some time watching its tireless efforts in awe.

You have now reached the end of the staircase and your heart is right in front of you. There is nowhere else to go but towards the heart. Now, while visualizing the heart, sit right at the end of the staircase and in front of your heart and wait. Just wait as long as you can and keep on breathing very deep and very calmly. 
Gradually, open your eyes. As you are still sitting, evaluate yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally after this exercise. Observe and evaluate how/if your state has changed.
Benefits: Increases the ability to be more present, also create awareness and increase coordination between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Please Note: Try to keep the image of the spiral as shown throughout the exercise.

1. Stand tall and steady with your feet slight apart from one another
2. Inhale and slowly bring both arms from the sides up towards the ceiling
3. Keep both palms facing each other, slightly apart from one another above the head

4. Exhale and, while keeping your arms in the same position, bend your whole upper body forward and down to a 90 degree angle – hold for a moment and study the distribution of warmth within the body

Intermediate Level

5. Inhale and bring both arms from the side backward toward your lower back. Keep your fingers slightly apart from one another and rest the back of your hands on your lower back while all the fingers lock between one another, expand the chest completely
6. Pause for a moment and exhale
7. Continue inhaling deep and, while pushing slightly on your lower back with the back side of your hands, bring up the upper body to a standing position
Advanced Level

8. Slightly bend your knees and without any pause bend backward as much as you can without putting strain on your back or your knees
9. Exhale and bend your upper body forward again in a 90 degree keeping the hands positioned on the lower back – at the moment that you are in a 90 degree position, and while still exhaling, bring both arms from the sides while parallel to the floor and all the way up towards your head as before. This position require prolonged exhalation
10. Inhale and come on back up with your upper body to the original standing position, while the hands are parallel and stretched out above your head
11. Exhale and bring both arms slowly down from the side to a resting position on the sides of the body
Note: If you suffer from any type of back injury, please be careful when bending backward. Do not push yourself. Only bend as much as your body allows you. Do not bend back more than you feel comfortable with.

Benefits:
Increases flexibility of the lower back, Increases suppleness of the joints, Increases breathing control and advancement, and improves coordination, focus and balance

Try the following “Jugular Vein” technique

Get Comfortable
Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed or distracted.
Have loose clothes on to give your body freedom and ease.
Keep yourself nice and warm.
Straighten up
Lay on the floor
Stretch your legs: while taking a deep breath, stretch both legs and feet by pointing your toes forwards and keeping your knees flat, and then let go.
Lift up your head and look to see if your torso is straight on the floor and see that your spine, neck and head are aligned.
Gently stretch and push your shoulders against the floor, and let go.
Lift up your arms and gently put them down again.
Carefully lift up your head and slowly put it down again.

 
Loosen up
As you breathe slowly and smoothly,
Start loosening up your muscles and relax.
Send your attention and your breaths towards your muscles and loosen up and release any tensions and tightness felt in your muscles.
Start from your feet, sense the muscles in your feet, loosen up and relax them. Then move unto your, lower legs, thighs abdomen, chest, lower back, shoulders, upper and lower arms, hands, front of the neck, back of the neck,
And finally sense your facial muscles.
Presence
 Take a deep and slow breath and scan your body all the way from feet to your head, perceiving your entire body as a whole.

 Close your eyes and keep them closed for increased focus and peace.

Begin
Continue to breathe gently and smoothly for a minute or so, paying attention to the flow of your breaths. Continue this until your breaths become uniform.

Begin breathing slowly and deeply, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. 

Remember: Let your muscles relax.

Breathe slowly and deeply.

Find your jugular vain, in your neck, and feel it’s beating. 
Place your middle finger on the jugular vein in a position, which lets you sense the pulsations clearly.
Make sure that your arm is in a comfortable position and relaxed. Do not hold any tensions in your arm.

Stay fully focused on the pulsation under your finger. Try to sense them more and more clearly.

Now pay attention to the rhythm of your pulses. Follow their rhythm.
How is the pace? How fast are the pulsations?
How strong do you feel them?
Stay nice and relaxed and focus entirely on the pulses under your finger.

Now start to count your pulses from 1 to 30.
If during the counting, you lose focus and start to think, then start the count all over again from 1.  (Give yourself 2 minutes for this part)

Then relax your arm on the floor, by your side.
Bring your attention onto your breathing.
Follow the current of your breaths and let go of all else. (One minute)

Now gently start to turn to your left, curl up and lay down.
Bend your knees; place your left hand under your head and your right hand on the floor in front of you. (Take few moments)

Now open your eyes and slowly start to sit up.

Take another slow deep breath.
Bring your attention to yourself and your awareness to your surroundings.

The Technique:
Lie down in a comfortable position.
Take about 10 deep slow breathes.
Using your breath, allow your attention to go through all the parts of your body and let them relax.
Concentrate on your Solar Plexus. It is found in the center axis of your body between the sternum and the naval (couple of inches below the sternum). Continue to breathe slowly and deeply. Visualize the energy in your Solar Plexus just like a sun emitting light and energy. Guide this energy towards the coccyx and light it up. Concentrate for a few seconds on this center. Then in the same manner travel up the spine with the energy from the Solar Plexus, going through each of the vertebrae. Then, concentrate on the last vertebrae, concentrate on the skull, forehead and face. Relax all of these parts and concentrate on the whole path. Feel the heat all along the spine and concentrate on it. After 2 or 3 minutes, take a deep breath and enjoy the well being as you end the exercise.

Benefits:
The regular practice of this exercise stimulates all the energy centers and unifies them.
This has a strong effect on the nervous system and helps promote health and well being.
It also helps concentration and endurance.

Try the “Body Scanning” technique as experienced in the mind relaxation exercise.

New Exercise
Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed or distracted.
Have loose clothes on to give your body freedom and ease.
Keep yourself nice and warm.

Straighten up
Lay on the floor
Stretch your legs: while taking a deep breath, stretch both legs and feet by pointing your toes forwards and keeping your knees flat, and then let go.
Lift up your head and look to see if your torso is straight on the floor and see that your spine, neck and head are aligned.
Gently stretch and push your shoulders against the floor, and let go.
Lift up your arms and gently put them down again.
Carefully lift up your head and slowly put it down again.
Loosen up
As you breathe slowly and smoothly, start to loosen up and relax your muscles.
Send your attention and your breaths towards your muscles and loosen up and release any tensions and tightness felt in your muscles.
Start from your feet, sense the muscles in your feet, loosen up and relax them.
Then move unto your lower legs, thighs, abdomen, and chest.
Lower back, shoulders, upper arms, lower arms, and hands.
Front of the neck, back of the neck, and finally your face.

Presence
Take a deep and slow breath and scan your body all the way from feet to your head, perceiving your entire body as a whole.

Close your eyes and keep them closed for increased focus and peace.

Begin
Continue to breathe gently and smoothly for a minute or so, paying attention to the flow of your breaths. Continue this until your breaths become uniform.

Now take a nice, slow and deep breath.
While exhaling gently turn your head to the right, while your head is resting on the floor.
While inhaling slowly and smoothly turn your head back to the centre.

Repeat for the other side.

Repeat once more turning your head to the right and then to the left.

Now send your attention towards your shoulders.
How do your shoulders feel?
Do you feel that they have come up off of the floor?
Then gently lower your shoulders.
Stretch your shoulders slowly and let your shoulders get close to the floor.
Push them down gently so that they make contact with the floor. Do not tense your shoulders.

Relax and let go.

Now take your attention to the palms of your hands.
Let them rest on the floor by your sides.
Are the palms of your hands flat on the floor?
If not, push them down gently and without tensing them.
Let your fingers and your palms make contact with the floor.
Keep your hands relaxed and comfortable but in contact with the floor.
As you breathe deeply and smoothly, start to push down gently and alternatively with your hands and then your shoulders.
Repeat several times, smoothly.

Now let go and relax.

Send your attention towards your lower back. Notice the space between the small of your back and the floor. Do you feel a gap?

Start to inhale deeply and smoothly and at the same time, start to bend your knees, keeping your feet on the floor, lift up your lower back off of the floor.

Exhale and gently and slowly place your lower back on the floor.

Repeat once more; inhale and lift up your lower back slowly and smoothly.
Exhale and place your lower back gently on the floor.

Straighten your legs back on the floor.

Relax and let go.

Now send your attention to your knees.
Start to sense the backs of your knees.
Do you feel if there are any spaces beneath your knees?
Do backs of your knees touch the floor?

Start to inhale and at the same time push down with your heels, flexing your toes.

Exhale and relax. (Repeat once more)

Now let go of your entire body totally.

Let your body go limp and lifeless.
Let it get heavy and melt away. (5 minutes)

Now start to notice your breaths.
Listen to the sound of your breaths.
Start to notice the current of your breaths. (One minute)

Now gently begin to roll over to your left.
Curl up and cuddle yourself.

Continue to breathe deeply and smoothly. (After a few moments)

Now slowly start to sit up. Begin to open your eyes.

Look at yourself and the position of your body on the floor.

Sense your feet and legs against the floor.

Feel your hands resting on your lap.

Take a deep breath and become aware of all around you.

When we are present, the energy centers are in harmony and work together. There is no tiredness or depression. There is activity, health, efficiency, creativity and well being. The best way to learn the “art of being in the present” is to concentrate on what we are doing by using each of the five senses. We can use this to improve our capacity to concentrate throughout the day no matter where we are. This is more accessible than the classic meditation exercise where you need to set aside a particular time during the day.

Below we will give some examples that you can try for each one of the senses. Each time you concentrate on a sense, try to note the thoughts that interrupted your concentration. These thoughts are a veil – which prevent a healthy relationship with those around us.

SIGHT
Take a flower arrangement, a beautiful landscape or a simple, natural object. Look at it for 2 to 3 minutes. Then close your eyes and try to visualize it in as much detail as possible. Open your eyes and evaluate how accurate you were. In what detail were you able to represent the chosen subject?
Do this exercise with all that you see, look at everything with interest, as if you were seeing it for the first time.

TASTE
Take a fruit, a biscuit or some other simple food. Close your eyes and put it in your mouth. Eat it very slowly and concentrate on the taste – be it salty, sweet or bitter.
Rediscover all the flavors and their effects on your mouth and organism. Enjoy the simple pleasure without any associated thoughts.
Try this exercise every time you eat. You will see that with a lot less food you will get more satisfaction and energy.

SMELL
Choose a scented object like a perfume, a flower, an essential oil or a spice.
Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Hold the object in front of your nose and concentrate for a minute or two on the scent. Then hold it further away and try to continue to smell the fragrance. Observe how long you can hold this fragrance in your mind. Repeat this exercise often, until you can smell the fragrance whenever and wherever you are.

TOUCH
Put some pieces of material such as velvet, lace, wool or silk in front of you. Close your eyes touch and observe the different vibrations, which you may feel due to their color, texture etc…
Take some slices of cucumber, loose tea and corn flakes. With your eyes closed, try to feel the consistency of each object. Try to feel the sensitivity of your fingers. Clear any thoughts associated with this sense.

HEARING
Concentrate on a piece of music, natural sounds (waves, wind, birds, water flowing) or on your heartbeat. Relax and see how much you can be in unity with what you are listening to. Repeat this exercise often so that you can listen to others without being polluted with associated thoughts. Observe how much the ears are affected by not listening and not understanding those around us.

Our breathing system is semi-automatic. We can control it with the technique described in this exercise. This will establish a precise magnetic order in the breathing apparatus.

The Technique:
It is best to do the Counted Breathing when you are warmed up and relaxed, for example, after your daily Movazeneh®. The place where you practice should be well aired, calm and peaceful. You can kneel or sit in cross-legged position. Relax completely, and then start…

This exercise involves measuring the time to breathe in, breathe out and the pause in between the two.

- Take 5 deep breaths and breathe out completely
- Breathe in for a count of 8
- Hold your breath for a count of 8
- Breathe out for a count of 12
- Hold your breath for a count of 8

If you find the count of 8 and 12 too difficult, modify it to suit your capacity. Just be careful to keep the following ratio:
The time taken to breathe out is 1.5 times longer than the time to breathe in.
The time to breathe in and the pauses in between breaths should be the same.

During this exercise clear your thoughts by concentrating on your breathing by making sure it is deep, calm and consistent and also be aware of the unity between your mind and body.

- Take 15 to 30 minutes to do this exercise
- For the last 4 or 5 minutes concentrate on your Solar Plexus as well as your breathing
- Then stop counting and take a couple of minutes to concentrate on the Solar Plexus while breathing slowly and deeply but without any pressures.
- When ready, open your eyes and enjoy the calm.

Advanced level:
While doing the Counted Breathing you can concentrate on the tip of your nose and then the current of air from the nose, through the throat to the lungs.

Benefits:
- Leads mind to a deeper concentration
- Helps clear the mind

- Controlled Breathing, using depth and duration, creates a certain rhythm which influences the nerves spread throughout the lungs. The ends of these delicate nerves transmit the rhythm to the main spinal cord. From there, the rhythm is transmitted throughout the Central Nervous System. The whole system then begins to resonate to the same frequency as of the rhythm. This creates a harmony and achieves a certain level of Concentration at the mind and body level which can also advance to lead to the level of Tamarkoz® (Meditation) at the Heart….

Find a quiet place to sit, where you will be safe and comfortable away from disturbances
Sit down on the floor, cross legged. See that you are as comfortable as possible
Keep your back nice and straight in vertical line with your neck and head.
Place your hands relaxed on your lap.

Walk inside

Breathe nice and slow, deeply and with focus

Let your body stay as still as possible
Notice your posture. Keep your back straight, your shoulders back, head levelled and chin straight ahead
Start to relax your entire body muscles all the way from your feet to your face, part by part concentrating on every part, loosen up and relax the muscles and move up step by step from your feet toward your face.
Feel your feet and how they are placed on the floor. Wiggle your toes and slightly move your feet in place until they feel quite comfortable
Move up to your ankles and the lower legs. Pay attention to the muscles in these parts. Loosen them up and relax them.
Move your attention to the upper legs. Release every bit of tension that you may feel within these muscles.
Do the same to your abdomen, lower back, upper back, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, neck and face muscles. Try to release as much muscular tension as possible.
Now bring your attention back to your breathing. Continue to breathe slowly and deeply.
Settle down, it is your space
Start to remember the most peaceful environment that you have ever been in.
Take your time, scan through the times and places, find a place and moment that you were most tranquil, most serene, most at peace.
Start to recall those moments, the experience, and the feelings.
See those moments clearly.
See yourself back in those peaceful and calming moments
Allow yourself once more to experience the peace.
Take a deep breath and let those serene moments fill you with calm and comfort.
Remember serenity and sooth your mind.
With every breath bring those moments in and let them take over.
Let your mind become quiet and tranquil.
Let go and let yourself be carried away
light, calm,weightless.
Now slowly move up towards your cheeks.
Let your breaths be present and keep you floating in peace
Now gradually start to notice the current of air in your breaths
Start to sense the flow of air as you breathe in and out.
Slowly bring your attention to your body, your posture.
Try to sense how you are sitting on the floor.
Now bring your awareness to your entire system breathing.
Take a deep breath and gently open your eyes.
Take another deep breath, stretch your arms forward, and stretch out your legs in front of you.
Bring a smile to your relaxed and vibrant face.
And welcome yourself into the present.

Remember,

Remain as still as possible as each movement however little will contribute to the brain’s signals, which in turn will interfere with the process of relaxation.
Relax you arms, hands and face

Continue to breathe gently and smoothly for a minute or so. Pay attention to the flow of your breaths as you inhale and exhale.
Continue this until your breaths become uniform.
Now send your attention towards your right arm.
Start from your shoulder.

Breathe deeply and smoothly; send your breath and your attention inside your shoulder; concentrate there.
Sense inside your shoulder.
Now move slowly down to your upper arm.
Send your breath and your attention inside your upper arm.
Sense every part, bit by bit, and move down slowly.
Continue and slowly arrive inside your lower arm.

Send your breath and attention to every bit inside your lower arm; sense every bit and move down.
Send your attention to your hand.
Run through the inside of your hand. Sense every bit as you breathe and focus.
Continue with every finger
Repeat the above for the left arm.
Now take your attention towards your face.
Start from your chin.
Take a long smooth breath and send your breath and your attention to your chin.
Sense all around, inside your chin.
Move towards your lips.
Sense inside your lips and relax your lips.
Now slowly move up towards your cheeks.
As you breathe smoothly, start to sense every bit inside of your cheeks.
Relax your cheeks.
Move your attention towards your eyes.
Run your attention inside your eyes.
Sense your eyes.
Now start to sense your eye lids bit by bit.
With every smooth breath, relax your eye lids and let them rest on each other.
Now slowly move up, towards your forehead.
Take a deep breath and focus on your forehead.

Start to sense your forehead bit by bit all the way from the eye brows towards your hair  line.
With every deep breath that you take, sense your forehead and relax it.
Continue to sit straight with your entire body nice and relaxed.
Send your attention towards the tip of your nose.
As you breathe, keep your focus on the tip of your nose.
Relax you mind
While you breathe nice and smoothly, see what is going on inside your mind.
Are any thoughts crossing your mind? Are you remembering things?
Then just observe what is going on………
Acknowledge what is going on……..
Let it pass, let it go…..…
And go back to the tip of your nose, with a deep comfortable inhale.
Every time that a thought comes along, observe it and let it pass.
Treat it like a car passing speedily on a high way. There you see the cars pass by.
You notice them but you do not follow them! Do the same with your thoughts.

Continue to go back to the tip of your nose with your breaths. And stay calm and feel the peace inside.
After a few minutes,
Take another deep breath and start to gently open your eyes.
Take a look at yourself and notice how you are sitting on the floor.

Prepare

Wear loose comfortable clothes, no tight belts or ties.
Choose a well ventilated place, outdoors would be even better.
Stand straight with your feet open wider than shoulder width.
Keep your back straight and your chin forward and head leveled.                                            Arms are relaxed by your sides.
Feet are flat on the floor, parallel to each other, toes pointing forward.
Close your eyes for a moment and start to take a few deep slow breaths and exhale fully. You are getting ready for an enjoyable experience.
Now open your eyes

Remember

Keep your entire body nice and relaxed.
Let your muscles stay free from tension. Loosen up your muscles starting from your ankles and work slowly upwards towards your face.
Keep your breaths easy, slow and deep without forcing any stages of breathing.
Throughout the exercise, keep your entire body at ease and harmonize every flow of inhale or exhale with a stage of the movement.
Keep your attention on every movement that your body makes, notice the stretches and movements in your joints and muscles. At the same time keep your senses and your mind focused by harmonizing every breath with your movements.
Breathing will be through the nose.

Enjoy

Place the palms of both hands behind you on your lower back just above your waist. Take a slow deep breath and hold your breath for a couple of seconds.
Bend forward.
Start to exhale slowly while you bend forward from the waist.
Start to inhale gently and slowly, as you come back up to straight position.
Hold your breath for a couple of seconds.
Bend backwards.
Start to exhale slowly while you bend backwards.
Start to inhale gently and slowly, as you come back up to straight position.
Hold your breath for a couple of seconds.
Bend to the right.
Start to exhale slowly while you bend to the right. Body is facing forward.
Start to inhale gently and slowly, as you come back up to straight position.
Hold your breath for a couple of seconds.
Bend to the left.
Start to exhale slowly while you bend to the left. Body is facing forward.
Start to inhale gently and slowly, as you come back up to straight position.
Hold your breath for a couple of seconds.
Start to exhale while you slowly bring your hands down by your side and relax.
Repeat the above slowly and relaxed for 5 to 6 complete cycles. Continue for longer if you enjoy to do so.