Camille Strate

Snowing Sideways ~ The Power of Imagery



Posted: Thursday, January 15, 2009

by
JoyZAChoice

I got this message today from my favorite cousin who lives on Nantucket Island. He's as big a nature lover as I am...which is one of the many bonds we share. His love of the outdoors is obvious from the moment you meet him. He's a gentle, caring soul. And I love him more than my luggage (that's a little inside joke...& if you've ever seen "Steel Magnolias", you know what I'm talking about.)

Anyway, so he writes to tell me about how hard it's snowing. He tells me it's falling down & up & sideways & every-which-way, & that he's about to go out to play in it, armed with his binoculars (he's an avid bird-watcher) & warmest garb. I'm immediately envious. I want to be there. I want to go out in the snow & play. I want to make snow angels.

This gets me to thinking. About imagery and the way your mind can take you pretty much anywhere you want to go. It's really not as hard as you might think. Not to mention the benefits of transporting yourself without the hassle of security lines and the other nonsense we must deal with when flying to and fro. You can close your eyes and be anywhere at all. It's a very cool thing to be able to do.

So I'm reading his detailed description of what he's seeing as he types to me. It's such a perfect description that I'm instantly transported to his back yard. I'm feeling the cold wind & the perfection of the snowflakes. I'm hearing the sound of the wind. I'm there.

I stayed there for quite a while, making snow angels and tossing snowballs at him. Just having good old-fashioned winter fun with my favorite cousin. When I decided to "come back" to my own room, I laughed out loud at how easily I'd traveled to his world. That got me to thinking about the whole guided imagery thing all over again. So I wondered just how easy it'd be for me to do the same thing with my current physical 'malady'. Would it be possible for me to transport myself to a time when I was strong and agile and pain-free? Could I actually feel what that felt like? If so, would it then be the remedy for this thing I've been experiencing for the past 20 months? Would it be my ticket to wellness?

Thought it was worth a try. Thought, "why not? if you can go to the snow, why can't you go to your healthy self?" And so I did. I went into my loft, laid on the floor & closed my eyes. I began by taking slow, deep breaths, focusing all my attention on the air that traveled in and out of my lungs. Then I did this thing where I start at my toes, and imagine a pair of hands rubbing the ache out. From my toes to my legs, up to my knees, and up and up until I was at the top of my head. I felt my body relax and the very same tingling one would have if there were actually hands on the body...massaging the pain away.

After about 10 minutes of this, I began to 'see' what I looked like before all this craziness began. I saw myself in the gym, bench pressing my body weight. I saw me doing squats and curls and pull-ups. I saw the muscles glow red from all the blood being pumped into them. I felt that familiar ache of a maxed out muscle. I felt the strength of my body doing all these things...and the sweat began to run down my face. I was actually sweating from the imagery of my "workout".

To say that this blew my mind would be an absolute understatement. The moment I felt that first bead of sweat run down the side of my face, I started laughing and crying all at once. It worked! I'd actually used my mind to transport my body to that place of perfect health! Talk about a trip! Whoa!

So, I share this with you now, to plant that seed of possibility. To inspire you to use your mind to overcome whatever it is that's challenging you right now. To let you know that no matter how crazy it sounds, it's absolutely possible to take yourself to wherever you wish to go. Not kidding.

Camille Strate is a blossoming Being who spends much of her time writing. She writes for various eZine sites, as well as her own Blog (JoyZAChoice). You can also find more of her 'stuff' at her secondary blog Cam's Meanderings.

Her most current published work is a little book entitled "Whispers-The Often Subtle Sometimes Rowdy Voice of Truth". Her next book is in the making...you can't rush Genius! Visit her blog for more information and a joyful respite from your day. 
JoyZAChoice.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Dianne Lehmann
 3 years 2 days ago.
132 fans.
Hi Camille.
 
I've often wondered about guided imagery. Your testimonial is a powerful one. I'm not very good at meditating and I don't know how long I can hold a thought or image, but I think I will give it a try. Thanks.
 
Hugs,
Dianne
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