Thursday, February 12, 2009

PTSD Healing: Taking a Time Out


It’s good, every now and then, to stop the world and get off. We push and push through these PTSD days at such a rate that our energy becomes depleted and could use a nourishing, restorative infusion.

I’ve talked before about the power of meditation. Elizabeth Stanfill on DESTRESS YOURSELF had a good piece this week about Deep Relaxation Meditation, which can be a wonderful practice to restore your energy stockpile. We heal better, faster and more deeply when we give our bodies and minds the right kind of fuel.

In addition to meditation, guided visualization is also a strong component in healing – as a form of meditation, not only does visualization boost energy, but it also feeds your mind (and your subconscious) with details for your imagination to chew on. Laura, the hypnotherapist who healed me always says, “Imagination is stronger than knowledge,” so it can be a very crucial component in the healing mix.

A few weeks ago I posted an interview about and some exercises for guided visualization. One of the guided visualization creators was Grant Barrett. I love his voice, it’s soothing and calm qualities, and I think his attention to detail in his pieces is very unique. I wrote to tell him I’d posted 5 of his pieces here, and why. He turns out to be a very wonderful human being. When he heard about our healing quest he offered to design a guided visualization just for us. And then, he designed not one but two!

Taken together, Parts 1 and 2 of “Release and Let Go” are a soothing meditation on movement, appreciating our ability to live through experience, safety, forgiveness and love for ourselves. When you have about 15 minutes take some time to listen to Release and Let Go, Part 1 and Release and Let Go, Part 2. You don’t have to be an expert at meditation or visualization to do this. The imagery is simple and the ideas just right to put your mind in a state of peace and ease, which is just where you need it to be because, as Laura (and L’Oreal) like to say, You’re worth it.

(photo: flyheli)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your submission to the advice for women from women blog carnival.

Michele Rosenthal said...

Thanks for including me! The carnival looks great. :)