Guided meditation/hypnosis for language learning

[Jembru]

Some of you might think I'm weird for sharing this little study technique, if you could even call it that, but if it helps me, it might help others so I'm willing to risk public judgement... 

For those who don't like long posts the speed version is 'I found a Japanese language meditation. Skip to the end to hear it'. 

I'm a bit new-agey, so this kind of thing really appeals to me. I have been meditating for years and for the last 6 months or so, I have been making my own recordings to help me to overcome my shyness with Japanese and to improve my memory and ability to recall the language. 

As well as using recordings I make myself, I had also used some videos I found on youtube. My favourite recording has been taken down, but there are a few 'learn a language' hypnosis/guided meditation recordings on youtube. None of the current ones are particularly good in my opinion (but by all means check them out if this is something you're interested in). Hence I started to make my own. Making my own also lets me personalise them so that they match my current study goals and support me through specific difficulties. 

I recently made my first all Japanese recording! I'd been looking for a good Japanese language guided meditation and while there was nothing directly related to language learning, I listened to a few general relaxation/personal power type meditations to get used to the language they use. Using as close to the same style as I could, I wrote my script for a study meditation and made my recording. I'm really pleased with the result and had been listening to it before I went to sleep for almost a week. 

That was going well. Then yesterday I found a brand new Japanese language guided meditation that is PERFECT. It's actually not specifically for language learning, but a general 'realise your dreams' type meditation. It is deliciously new-agey.. even telling you to be one with our mother earth at one point. The meditation itself is similar to the visualisations I've been using in my own recordings, but a much more effective version. It tells you to imagine yourself a year from now having achieved your goal.. how you look, how you think, who is around you, what you're doing.. and then it makes you wind back time  (literally.. you'll see what I mean if you listen to it) to various points between now and when you reach your goal. Each time seeing yourself at different stages along the path.

Being in Japanese is just the icing on the cake, but even if it had been in English, I would be saying the same thing.. this is one of the best pre-made recordings I've come across yet. I've only listened to it twice so far but I'm already very excited by it. I've even got up out of bed just to share it, because I couldn't sleep and thought I'd listen to it again. 

Having already planned out my study for at least the next 6 months, I was able to see myself fully fluent, then rewind through writing all my notes in Japanese next year, then cramming kanji before Christmas, right back to my current 'course', writing kanji generated by anki while watching minecraft lets plays! ^^ 

Well, I can't write all that without sharing the video itself can I? Ta-da!



Okay, on that note, I had better get myself back to bed. I think I'll give this one more listen then (my only complaint about using pre-made recordings is that they always do the 'come back into your body and WAKE UP' part at the end.. when I make mine I end with 'now go to sleep and have sweet Japanese-only dreams..' ^^)

[Bokusenou]

This is awesome Jemma! I sometimes play the guided meditations at calm.com, but I didn't think of searching for stuff like that it Japanese. Really good idea!

[Jembru]

It's something you're already into? That's awesome!

If you find anything useful don't forget to share! I don't just search 誘導瞑想 but also 催眠. Hypnosis recordings tend to be very similar and it's not always clear where the difference is. There is a Japanese hypnosis recording I use sometimes when I'm trying to lose a few lbs. I can try to find it if you're curious. That one does the thing where you relax your muscles one by one (using tension-zapping energy or something.. I can't remember exactly how it was worded). It's fun for revising body parts while you relax. I thought about using that warm up for the recording I made myself but just went for the deep breathing.

The best thing about the recording I posted is that you can use it no matter what your goals are. I thought it would be good for helping you stick to new years resolutions too.

[Bokusenou]

Yep, though I should do it more.^^; It's often one of the things I forget to do when things get busy.
Thanks for the tips! Exploring some Japanese ones should be lots of fun.

[Jembru]

Have you checked out her channel yet? I never thought to until now (woke up at the crack of midnight again ^^).. she is an absolutely beautiful soul. She really makes me want to get back to my spiritual roots.

I just did this one.. You can see her too and she's adorable! I used to do a lot of grounding and chakra exercises when I was more active spiritually and I really think my confidence and general composure could greatly benefit from getting back into the habit.

I could listen to her all day. She's amazing.

Through her channel, I also found this channel. The lectures are a bit too hard for me to follow just yet, but I might listen to them anyway sometimes to try to improve my listening comprehension. I guess I have to challenge myself now and then or I'll never improve. There are some live hang out style videos though, and I seem to be following these a bit better, so maybe I'll start with those and hopefully pick up vocabulary that will help ease my way to understanding the lectures.