Making the Most of Your Images
Making the Most of Your Images
Before you exercise, you stretch. Before you drive a car, you put on a seat belt. And before you can elicit an image, you need to be in the right frame of mind. Here's a simple step-by-step guide to help make imagery work for you.
Take a few moments to relax. Studies indicate that imagery works best when it is used in conjunction with a relaxation technique, says Dennis Gersten, M.D., a San Diego psychiatrist and publisher of Atlantis, a bi-monthly imagery newsletter. "When your physical body is relaxed, you don't need to be in such conscious control of your mind, and you can give it the freedom to daydream," he says.
Loosen your clothing, take off your shoes, lie down or sit in a comfortable chair and, if you'd like, dim the lights. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Picture yourself descending an imaginary staircase, suggests Martin L. Rossman, M.D., co-director of the Academy for Guided Imagery in Mill Valley, California, and author of Healing Yourself: A Step-by-Step Program for Better Health through Imagery. With each step, notice that you feel more and more relaxed.
As an alternative, you might want to try meditation or progressive relaxation, a series of muscle-flexing exercises that some people use to relieve tension. A person, for example, might begin by flexing and releasing the muscles in the hands, then progressively tensing and relaxing the muscles in the arms, neck, head, back, legs and feet.
When you feel relaxed, imagine a favorite scene. It could be a beach, a mountain slope or a particularly enjoyable moment with friends or family. Try to go into this scene each time you practice your imagery. "If you can create a special, safe place where nothing can hurt you and you feel secure, it will make you more receptive to other images," says Barbara L. Rees, R.N., Ph.D., an imagery expert and professor of nursing at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing in Albuquerque.
Once you feel comfortable in your favorite scene, gradually direct your mind toward the ailment you're concerned about. Use one of the images suggested in Part II of this book, or allow your mind to create one of its own. Let the image become more vivid and in focus. Don't worry if it seems to fade in and out. "These images aren't like turning on a television set and the picture instantly being there," Dr. Rossman says. "They can fade away and come back over the course of several minutes."
If several images come to mind, choose one and stick with it for that session, Dr. Gersten says. If you jump from image to image, it will likely break your concentration and make it more difficult for the imagery to work for you, he says.
On the other hand, if no images come to mind, try focusing on a different sensation, suggests Gerald Epstein, M.D., a New York City psychiatrist and author of Healing Visualizations. For instance, imagine hearing fish frying in a skillet or smelling wildflowers in a meadow. If all else fails, think about how you feel at the moment. Angry? Frustrated? What color is that anger? What image is evoked? Use these feelings to forge images.
Each time you do this, imagine that your ailment is completely cured at the end of the session. "That creates an internal blueprint that your body can follow to help heal you," says Patricia Norris, Ph.D., a psychophysiological therapist at the Life Sciences Institute of Mind-Body Health in Topeka, Kansas.
At the end of your session, take a few more deep breaths and picture yourself reclimbing the imaginary staircase and gradually becoming aware of your surroundings. Open your eyes, stretch, smile and go on with your day, Dr. Rossman suggests.
If you wish, sketch a picture of the image you used. It may help you recall it for use during other sessions, Dr. Gersten says.
In the beginning, practice this imagery exercise for 15 to 20 minutes at least once a day. As you become more skilled, you will probably be able to do it at will for just a few moments at a time several times a day and still receive the benefits.
