Transforming Problems: Self-Healing Visualization

There is a visualization technique that is used to positively recreate situations that are presently causing you pain, tension or distress. It is very effective in helping you to identify the inner cause of problems or illness, as well as your reactions to challenging situations in your life. You can also use this self-healing to transform areas in your body where you are experiencing discomfort or disease.

Healing the Cause of Problems

What we are using in this technique is the power of the mind. The mind is where the fundamental cause of all these problems lies. Other conditional causes include diet, genetics, environment, etc. In addition, since the mind and the body are linked, what happens in the mind affects the body. By using imagery or metaphors to “describe” how our body responds, we can access deeper or hidden experiences or images that are closer to the root of the problem, and then quickly change them. Since the body and mind are so connected, when we change the image or the metaphor in our mind, our emotions and body begin to respond to the new image. I have witnessed people who have experienced a complete healing of illnesses, a change of perspective, forgiveness and a very profound understanding when using this approach. After 15 years of doing this with thousands of people, I have never found anyone who was not able to use this method in an honest but graceful way. Since it is people’s own wisdom that accesses the image, they are able to readily integrate the transformed image. When you use this technique, it is your inner knowledge, rather than someone outside of you, that shows you what you can do.

This exercise can be done with or without drawing, at any time, but it is a good idea to do it with drawing whenever you can, because that helps you to integrate the transformation that is taking place, and to measure it symbolically. Once you became familiar with it, you can use the exercise very quickly and whenever you are challenged. While the method described below describes a relaxation as preparation, it is also possible to do the exercise in the heat of things, taking a few breaths first. However, on this occasion, let’s do the full relaxation, which is healing in itself.

Preparation

Find a quiet place tosit down and relax – on a cushion, a chair or the floor. Lying down or sitting, breathe into your throat, into your chest, so that you feel the air coming in through your throat and down into your chest. Breathe 5 times deeply in this way.

Allow any tension or worries to float away or imagine breathing them out.

Alternatively, breath into each part of your body, breathing in, holding your breath a moment while you tense the muscles in that area, then breathing out and relaxing. Start with the muscles in your head and jaw and finish with your legs and feet.

Now that you are relaxed, let’s move to the main part of the exercise. You will need 2 sheets of paper and some color pencils or crayons.

Instructions

1. Recognize that there is a situation that you feel threatened or disturbed by, or there is physical or emotional discomfort or pain that you are experiencing. You can also focus on an area of illness.
2. Acknowledge: Sit in a relaxed position and focus on your breath. Let your focus move into your body and scan your body looking for a point of tension, pain, heat or discomfort, just allowing your intuition to direct you to an area that is most appropriate. This may be the area in your body where you feel the discomfort that results from a situation in your life, or an area of illness. Just ask where this pain or discomfort is sitting in your body. If there is more than one place, just ask where to focus first, and trust your intuitive answer.
3. Ask: Once you focus on that area, ask it to show itself to you allowing this to present itself to your mind as a symbol, color, feelings, sounds or words. Ask the following questions and let it show you more detail.

• Is that area of feeling close to the surface or deep inside?
• What size is it? How much area in there does it cover?
• Is it flat or three-dimensional? What shape is it?
• What color is it? Light or dark? Specific colors?
• Is it solid or transparent, spongy or liquid? What is its density? If it were made of something, what would it be?
• If it had its own mind or feelings, what is it feeling – anger, sadness, fear, etc.?
• How old it is – young, old, or ancient?
• It most likely had a job to do that helped when it was first put there. If it did, what has its “job” been? How may it have benefitted you in the past? Do you still need it in the form it is presently taking?

Taking whatever time you need, draw or document your image, and write key words for what it feels like.

4. Check and see if you and that area are willing to let it change or transform in a way that benefits both it and you. You only need to be a little willing for this to happen. If you’re not, let that be OK. Know that this isn’t the right time, and you may be ready later. Just recognizing and being aware of it will begin to change process. Be gentle with yourself.
5. Ask for help from your Spiritual Source of Omniscient Wisdom, Love and Compassion or that part of you which is connected with a power greater than yourself. It could simply be your Inner Wisdom. Let it come in whatever way is appropriate. Don’t limit it. Simply ask for help, relax, and begin to observe it like a video. All you need to do is allow the image to change in shape, feeling, form or color. Notice if anything comes into this inner picture, if it changes color, etc. You don’t have to do anything except listen, and watch for change, for words, whatever comes. You may simply begin to feel differently. Stay open and take the next few minutes to let it happen. If at any time you feel stuck, ask for help again and let go.

When you are ready, draw or document this new image and write a few key words for how it now feels.

6. Compare the first and second drawings or images. Notice the changes. Does the second feel more comfortable or less comfortable? Does the second image feel partially or completely healed? If you feel there is more to heal, then repeat this exercise once more in a week to allow the next level of healing to take place. (See Results below for more explanation)
7. Optional forgiveness step: Use this when your second image indicates complete healing. Imagine giving a duplicate of this new symbol to the person, people or situation that you initially believed was part of the cause of your problem. With your imagination, simply notice the response of the person or people receiving it, and whatever that shows you. Do not despair if they do not seem to receive it. The most important thing here is that you offer it.
8. Thank the old symbol and your Spiritual Source for serving and helping you until now.
9. Decide whether you can literally bring this new symbol into your everyday life for a couple of weeks to subconsciously remind you and to replace the gap that the departure of the symbol has left. You can use this new symbol to induce and integrate a new response or wellness. This can be done by putting the drawing on the wall or obtaining the symbol in some way.
10. Trust that your mind has done its work, that all is well, and that your body will begin to physically dispel this feeling naturally, if it hasn’t done so already. Trust and give yourself permission to release or detoxify in whichever way is most natural for you. (This could be through tears, sweating, sinuses, bowels or bladder over several days to a week. Be aware that you may feel a sense of grieving and/or celebrating a new freedom. Drink lots of water.)
11. Optional: Share your experience only with someone who can support you.
12. You can repeat this exercise again and again to continue the transformative process.

Results

There are many different ways you can experience this. All are valid and there is no wrong way to do this. Trust your experience.

Here are some possibilities:

• At any time during this process the first image or feeling changes and becomes a more positive or healed image or feeling.
• The first image changes, and the second (new) image is less comfortable, perhaps even stronger and more painful than the original image. This means you have accessed something perhaps more true to the cause of the problem, more honest. For example, the second image may be very angry or outraged, whereas the first image was one of slight frustration. Simply repeat the exercise with the second image and feeling as the starting point, and you will probably experience a major shift.
• There is resistance to letting the first image change. This is common. Instead of feeling frustrated, or thinking that the exercise isn’t working, shift your focus to the resistance and where that feeling seems to be in your body. Transform that area first, and then recheck the initial area. It may have changed already, or you can focus on that area the next time.
• Instead of an image or feeling that changes to another, you may find yourself in a new situation, or experience it as a journey from the first to the second, like watching a video. The important thing is to trust whatever you experience.
• You can also use this exercise to focus on a strong or positive quality or situation you have and enhance it. This is great and strengthens the healthy areas you have in your body, or positive attributes and confidence.

You need to gauge whether a problem is something you can handle. If this does not begin to transform your experience of a physical disturbance or pain, seek professional medical or psychological help. Don’t take the risk – use emergency numbers if required!

Integration

Allow yourself up to two weeks for this to integrate. When you store these things in your body, then change them, it is like removing one file from your ‘database’ or mental continuum, and then replacing it with another. This has been done on a spiritual/mental level, and will then move through your emotional level, then your physical level. That may mean you will feel up and down, light then sad, or you may even grieve. This is because, although the old situation was uncomfortable, it was more familiar than this new one. Since the old situation was toxic in your body, it may need to move out physically, looking for any orifice or opening that will allow it to do that. This could be crying, sinuses discharging, sweating, elimination though urine, or even diarrhea. Don’t worry – this is a good thing! Just let it out. Allow it to happen.

It is a good idea to throw out or file the first image you drew or wrote about. Let the second image reinforce the change. Become familiar with it, and it will continue to work subconsciously. Put it on the wall somewhere where you can see it regularly. Another alternative is to select some aspect of the symbol, or the symbol itself, and see if you can literally bring that into your life somehow.

You can do this technique every week, especially if you feel the final image is not a complete healing image and needs a few more steps to feel completely whole or good. You can do it “formally”, the way you have just done it now, or “informally” whenever you are faced with an adverse reaction in everyday life. With practice, it can take the same amount of time to transform this as a trip to the washroom, or a coffee break at work.

As you may have experienced, this technique can be very powerful, and very easy to do. Even children, who are usually quick visualizers and differently abled people can use it.

For more information, please visit www.lamponthepath.org.