Future Cities Visualization

Following on from the Earth Converse global invitation for each of us to commit to a daily future visualization, I am creating a number of short guided contemplations.

They will form part of a bonus series of the 50 episode-rich anthology of the #earthconversepodcast.

To help us step into life-affirming futures for ourselves, each other and the earth that is our home.

This one focuses on visualizing future cities.  Listen here, on your favourite platform and/or read below

Future visualizations

By future visualization, I mean by engaging your imagination and feeling into it with all your senses.   Like a sports athlete visualizing a race before they do it, they create the neural pathways and physiological state as if was happening in the present.

If you prefer guidance, you can use these earth converse future meditations, which offer open questions as stimuli, allowing you to answer energetically with your own visions, dreams, longings and truth

Cities of the future

The majority of humans reside in cities across the globe and may increasingly do so. And our current design of cities are neither just, sustainable, or regenerative. They are places with examples of incredible human creativity, collaboration and care.  And they also carry the immense pain of colonialism, exploitation, extraction, division, inequality and pollution.

I believe like many others, that visualizing life-affirming futures for our cities is integral to our individual, collective and planetary health.   I am one who grew up in a very small town and migrated to cities, and have lived in the likes of Auckland, London, Trieste and Rome. And city sustainability has formed part of my study and career from working as a Strategic Planner in Auckland and London to running city based cross sector leadership programmes with Common Purpose.   I, like you, care about our cities, our future and future generations as interbeing communities.

Visualization practice

So let’s take some minutes to visualize possible city futures together, from a place of calm and connectedness.

I invite you to get comfortable and close your eyes if that feels right.

Maybe take a few long, deep breaths.

Invigorating on the in breath, relaxing on the outbreath.

And coming to your natural breath pace, you can start to call in some of the elements, which are part of you in the interweb of life, reminding you of your true nature.

With each breath, welcome in the element of air, and what it gives in clarity, vision and truth.

And notice the warmth in your body, to welcome the element of fire and its gifts of transformation.

Notice the saliva in your mouth, the blood in your veins, to welcome in water, and what it knows about surrendering to the flow of life.

And notice the points of contact in your own body and with the ground, to welcome the element of earth, the playground to manifest your dreams in the physical.

Feel into this connection, by scanning your body from the tip of your head to the tip of your toes. Tune into the sensations of your body with curiosity and compassion. Feel the aliveness within you and around you.

And from this state, bring to mind in technicolor the city of the future you want. And feel what emerges somatically within you.

Use these prompts in a way that feels right for you.

So to begin, what size, shape and form does this city take?

• What is life-affirming about it?
• Who and what does this city serve?
• How are ecosystems restored, enhanced and thriving?
• What has this city healed in terms of past pain?
• What has died to be reborn?
• How is the city regenerating itself?
• What is the level of connection, inspiration and belonging?
• How does one move into, out and around the city?
• How does the city nurture collaboration, creativity and compassion?
• What is private and what is public?
• What smells are in the air?
• What tastes are possible?
• What now can be heard?
• How are humans being?
• And what are they doing?
• How are the sacred elements being honored?
• What do you sense around from the more than human world?
• How does the interbeing community live?
• How is love, kindness and balance showing up?
• What is making everyone feel safe, heard and loved?
• How is life celebrated in this city?
• What is possible in this city?
• What is possible in other cities?

And what of the future, can you sense in the present? Now.

What does it invite you to act on in this present time?  In this moment in your life.

Breath into the vision and action, fill up every cell of your body.

Luxuriate in the light and warmth of this knowing and carry it with you.