GUIDED IMAGERY FOR HEALING
When doing a Reiki session for myself or a client, I incorporate guided imagery at the beginning of the session. My reasoning for this- it more easily allows ones self to become engaged in the purpose of the session. Many times we have that monkey-mind syndrome going on incessantly, refusing to give up control and step aside for awhile. This technique allow the mind to remain active but in a different way that is more conducive to healing.
At this point, I am fortunate enough, that I can close my eyes at the start of a session, and the right words needed flow. This was not always the case. If you wish to use guided imagery in your sessions but are not comfortable in creating your own, you do have options. There are many good CDs out there that have wonderful visualizations that can be used, or else you can find sample scripts or write your own. Then tape record them, playing some soft instrumental music in the background.
Here is a good script you can use for general healing.
Begin by taking a couple of deep, full breaths . . . and let the out breath be a real 'letting go' kind of breath . . . As you breathe comfortably and easily, invite your body to relax and let go of any unnecessary tension . . . take the time to bring your attention to each part of your body, and invite it to release and relax as you have so many times before . . . .
Release and relax any tension you may have in your left foot . . . your right foot . . . your calves . . . your thighs and hamstrings . . . your hips . . . pelvis . . . genitals . . . low back . . . buttocks . . . .
Take your time and sense the comfortable feelings of deepening relaxation beginning in the lower half of your body . . . easily . . . naturally . . . invite your abdomen to release and relax and join in this more comfortable and pleasant state of relaxation . . . the organs within your abdomen . . . your midback . . . your chest . . . the muscles across and between your shoulder blades . . . deeper and more comfortably at ease . . . the organs in your chest . . . and neck . . . relaxing more deeply, more comfortably, more easily . . . .
As each part relaxes, you relax more deeply . . . and as you go deeper, it is easier to relax . . . the relaxation is flowing down your upper arms . . . your elbows . . . forearms . . . wrists . . . and hands . . . sense the relaxation in the small muscles between your fingers . . . and all the way to the tips of the index fingers . . . the middle fingers . . . ring fingers . . . little fingers . . . and thumbs . . .
Scalp and forehead soft and relaxed . . . the muscles of the face soft and at ease . . . the little muscles around the eyes relaxing more deeply . . . more pleasantly . . . more comfortably . . . .
And imagine yourself at the top of your imaginary staircase that leads to an even deeper and more comfortable state of mind and body . . . notice what it looks like today . . . and descend one step at a time . . . going deeper, more comfortably relaxed with each descending stair . . . let it be an enjoyable experience . . . head for that special inner place of peacefulness and healing you have visited before . . . .
Deeper, more comfortably relaxed as you go down the stairs . . . . . not being concerned at all with how deeply you go or how you go more deeply . . . . . easy . . . comfortable . . . . just allowing it to happen . . .. . . comfortable and pleasant . . . . body relaxed yet your mind still aware . . . one
And go in your mind to a special inner place of deep relaxation and healing . . . an inner place of great beauty, peacefulness, and security for you . . . a place you have visited before, or one which simply occurs to you now . . . . It really doesn't matter where you go now in your mind as long as the place is peaceful, beautiful, and healing to you . . . take a few moments to look around this special inner place and notice what you see . . . what you hear . . . perhaps there's a fragrance or aroma here . . . and especially notice any feelings of peacefulness, safety, and connection that you feel here . . . .
As you explore, find the spot where you feel the most relaxed, centered, and connected in this place . . . become comfortable and quiet in this place . . . .
When you are ready, focus your attention on the symptom or problem that has been bothering you . . . simply put your attention on it while staying completely relaxed . . . allow an image to emerge for this symptom or problem . . . accept the image that comes, whether it makes sense or not . . . whether it is strange or familiar . . . whether you like it or not . . . just notice and accept the image that comes for now . . . let it become clearer and more vivid, and take some time to observe it carefully . . . .
In your imagination, you can explore this image from any angle, and from as close or far away as you like . . . carefully observe it from different perspectives . . . don't try to change it . . . just notice what draws your attention . . . .
What seems to be the matter in this image? . . . what is it that it represents the problem? . . . .
When you know this, let another image appear that represents the healing or resolution of this symptom or problem . . . again, simply allow it to arise spontaneously . . . allow it to become clearer and more vivid . . . carefully observe this image as well, from different perspectives . . . what is it about this image that represents healing? . . . .
Recall the first image and consider the two images together . . . how do they seem to relate to each other as you observe them? . . . Which is larger? . . . Which is more powerful? . . . If the image of the problem seems more powerful, notice whether you can change that . . . imagine the image of healing becoming stronger, more powerful, more vivid . . . imagine it to be much bigger and much more powerful than the other . . . .
Imagine the image of the problem or symptom turning into the image of healing . . . watch the transformation . . . how does it seem to happen? . . . . Is it sudden, like changing channels on television, or is it a gradual process? . . . . If it is a process, notice how it happens . . . notice if what happens seems to relate to anything in your life . . .
End your imagery session by focusing clearly and powerfully on this healing image . . . imagine it is taking place in your body at just the right place . . . notice whether you can feel or imagine any changing sensations as you imagine this healing taking place . . . let the sensations be sensations of healing . . . affirm to yourself that this is happening now, and that this healing continues in you whether you are waking . . . sleeping . . . imaging . . . or going about your daily activities. . . .
When you are ready, prepare to return to your waking consciousness . . . imagine yourself at the bottom of your imaginary staircase . . . and begin to ascend . . . one . . . two . . . allowing this image of healing to continue to work within you . . . three . . . becoming more and more aware of your surroundings . . . four . . . when you reach ten you may come wide-awake and alert, feeling refreshed and better than before . . . five . . . lighter and lighter . . . six . . . aware of the room you are in . . . seven . . . feeling refreshed and relaxed and better than before . . . eight . . . almost wide- awake now . . . nine . . . your eyes may want to open now . . . and ten . . . allow your eyes to open and come fully wide-awake . . . feeling refreshed, relaxed, and better than before . . . and stretch and smile and go about your day . . . .
Source: Martin L. Rossman, M.D., is the Founder and Director of the Collaborative Medicine Center in Mill Valley, California, a Clinical Associate in Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center, and a member of the scientific advisory council of the Institute for the Advancement of Health. .
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