Illness as Initiation
In approaching illness, and healing from illness, one of our first thoughts is often, “how can I make this go away?” Illness can motivate us to make changes to relieve the discomfort, the strain, the lack of ease (dis-ease) that we are experiencing. However, in our effort to heal, there are more powerful questions we can ask. One of them is, “what wishes to be born from this?” Another way of asking this could be, “what can I learn from this.” There is always something we can learn. It could be a simple...
read moreCreative Visualization
The faculty of the imagination has been used throughout history for healing purposes. There are many techniques and terms which describe this, including creative visualization, guided imagery, metaphor, story-telling, fantasy, role-playing, active imagination, and art therapy. Below I will describe some types of imagery used in healing as well as “how to” tips. Ultimately, while I believe that the healing potential of imagination and the use of our mind is incredible, I’d like to begin with a few cautioning comments....
read moreFinite and Infinite Games
This is the title of a fabulous little book by James P. Carse, written almost 20 years ago, that I just found again in my basement. I can still remember the excitement I felt reading it for the first time in my early 20’s. What a vision of possibility it opened. What an playful invitation! “A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility.” I highly recommend it. It is not a long book. It does demands a certain kind of attention, but it also leads you along playfully. James Carse constructs a logical argument/discussion that at...
read moreImagination, part 1
One of the most powerful tools we have for personal growth and healing is our imagination. We all know that imagination can be a form of play and fun, and that it also spurs the creation of art, entertainment, inventions and new ideas. These are all grand uses of imagination, and have many life affirming aspects in their own right. For the purpose of this discussion, however, I will focus on how imagination can be used specifically for physical and emotional healing, to bolster self-confidence, to manifest needs or desires, to ease stress,...
read moreWho makes you laugh?
I had a great discussion yesterday about humor. We all know what a great feeling it is to laugh. It’s wonderful to be around someone who can make us laugh. They bring lightness. They invite joy. To make others laugh is also a joy. I think I enjoy that even more – to bring pleasure to another person. Laughing and being silly is not just fun, it is healthy, whether we are appreciating or creating the humor. It releases chemicals that boost the immune system. It also combats anxiety and depression, inducing a sense of well-being. So...
read moreA Rite of Change
I just opened a book, The Fruitful Darkness, by Joan Halifax. This is the passage I just read: When we sever ourselves from society in a rite of change, there is an invisible door that we pass through that has no words on the other side. On this side of the door, says Garcia Larco, “Our eyes remain on the surface, like water flowers behind which we hide / our trembling bodies floating in an unseen world.” It is this door to the depths that opens when we die. When we pass through this door, we always lose something. Something must...
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