Are you aware that your mind can be a powerful ally in healing pain or sabotage you? Your thoughts, emotions and beliefs have a direct effect on your physical body. The majority of the time we listen to our conscious mind – that voice in our head. You know – the do list, the critic, the “logical thing” to do. Rarely do we listen to our intuition which can be fantasies, daydreams, dreams, that feeling in your gut, you get the picture.
Imagery works with the part of the brain that uses symbolism and images much more then language. It engages the right side of the brain which is responsible for intuition and stores your memories, values, beliefs and emotions (subconscious mind). It is the emotional part of your nervous system. You use imagery every day and the most common way people engage it is by worrying. This starts the stress response in the body which over time can lead to illness and disease. However if you change your thoughts to calm, relaxing, happy ones your body goes into the relaxation response.
An excellent illustration of the mind/body connection is the placebo effect. This means physical changes happen in the body because of a belief, not because of a substance. Medication trials often compare the drug to a placebo because the effect is so powerful. Anywhere from 1/3 – 2/3 of the placebo group subjects experience a positive effect even when told it is a placebo! Research has found that placebos result in measurable effects in the brain and relax muscles and nerves to bring pain and symptom relief to patients. So while the placebo effect is indeed in your head, it’s not just psychological.
So let’s use this power to alleviate pain naturally. When I work with clients’ doing imagery I help them get into a relaxed state and then focus their attention on the pain issue by allowing an image to form that represents the pain. We then explore what the pain is trying to tell you. Another technique is to image yourself well, what would that look and feel like. It is important to incorporate all the senses during imagery to make the experience seem as real as possible. This therapy helps clients get to the root cause of the problem and is solution oriented. It does not just cover-up your symptoms like many medications do. With proper guidance your mind can be a powerful ally in relieving all forms of pain.
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Laurie Ratto, RN, BSN, Speaker, HTCP, CCA has 30+ years’ experience helping people to heal from physical, mental , and emotional pain. She provides a safe, nurturing space for women to release fears and self-doubt, what spiritually ties us to pain. Laurie Ratto specializes in complementary medicine, as a holistic healer, she keeps her RN certification current because she understands the power of balance as we heal.