Last
Wednesday, I shared a quick overview of the many different types of meditation
there are. I didn’t say much about guided meditation because I planned on
telling you about a similar method this week.
I mentioned
last week that I felt I just never got into what we think of as “mediation” –
the one way you repeat “oohm” and go to a magical place in your mind and body. I’m
sure it works for many people but not so much for me.
I tried a
few mediation tapes (yes, that was before CDs and way before Youtube videos),
but I found them a little annoying – like I can’t visualize that stuff. For
example, on one the lady narrating was telling me to imagine I’m holding a
large metal bowl and running a metal spoon around the edge of it and imagine
the sound it makes. I listened to that tape a dozen times trying to figure out
what I was missing. I never got it.
But
somewhere along the line, I figured out how to use guided imagery and it
started with these bald eagles in Alaska.
When I was a
junior in college, over Christmas break, I went to Alaska with my aunt to visit
my cousin who lived in Juneau. One day we took a ferry ride to Haines, which is
known for its huge population of bald eagles. In the fall and early winter,
they feast on spawning salmon in the Chilkat River. Yes, all those black spots
in the sky and on the ground are bald eagles. Incredible, huh?
But then when
we were back in Juneau, driving past the city landfill, we’d see a dozen or so
bald eagles scavenging the garbage. Kind of like seeing one picking at a
roadkill here in Wisconsin.
Flash-forward
to the years when I used to get frequent migraines. I’d lay in bed, relax as much
as the pain would let me, and imagine those bald eagles (in miniature) plucking
the pain out of my brain and flying off with it. It worked, almost every time,
and I’d be able to fall asleep and wake up in the morning pain-free.
I’ve tried
the same imagery for other kinds of pain and the results have varied. I think
it depends on what kind of pain I’m in, where it’s at and what’s causing it.
But headache? I got that monster beat.
Anyway, what
can guided imagery do for you?
1) promote relaxation
2) reduce problems related to stress
3) lower blood pressure
4) calm breathing and heart rate
5) help to reach goals such as weight loss,
smoking cessation and even athletic and academic goals
6) manage pain
7) help to maintain hormone balance
How does it
work?
The mind is
a powerful tool and can be used to heal an ailing body. By using words and images,
your mind can move your attention away from the worry, stress and pain you are experiencing
and help you find your own natural powers of healing.
With guided
imagery, you can use your imagination to "create the state you want."
What your mind thinks has a tremendous effect on the body, so we need to change
the way our minds think to help our bodies do what we want.
Our bodies aren’t
always going to respond how we would like; life is just not that easy. But
there are no risks to trying something like guided imagery and you might find
enough benefit to make those few minutes to a half hour worthwhile.
For more
information: https://www.allinahealth.org/healthysetgo/thrive/the-health-benefits-of-guided-imagery
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