mind - body connection

daisy366
daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
edited March 2014 in Spirituality, Prayer, and Meditation #1
I'm interested to hear your experiences with meditation and guided imagery or any other integrative technique.

I have read Carl Simonton's book, Getting Well Again and it has become my foundation in getting and staying well. I believe in his pioneering work - at least in the Western world. I have met a few people who have been healed using guided imagery techniques like he describes in the book. I used these during my treatment and I think they helped me endure the rigors of chemo.

I also can't discount the value of participating in some of my favorite activities like singing.

Has anyone else used these techniques? Based on my experience, people are really not interested in this type of thing. I have given people copies of THE BOOK and CDs that I used and found that they lay dormant - I don't know if they are lazy, disinterested, or don't believe, or maybe just being polite when I share the info in the first place. So I have "backed off" my evangelical cause and give to those that are truly interested in doing some work in this area.

Please share your experiences in this area.

Peace and joy to all, Mary Ann

Comments

  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #2
    I just posted a heart felt
    I just posted a heart felt message and it got lost in cyber space. Poo.

    Mainly it said:

    I was told to buy a CD by Goldman who explains how to do guided imagery.

    I have Parkinson's and my friend thinks harp music might help me.

    I have trouble believing because can't understand how it works.

    But I've had experiences that can't be explained so I want to believe but don't know how. So I might try it just as an experiment and see what happens. There is no cure for Parkinson's.

    But I am interested in hearing others experiences too.
  • robinvan
    robinvan Member Posts: 1,012
    #3
    Hi Mary Ann
    I am thoroughly engaged in complementary cancer care, in addition to chemo, surgery, and radiation. I use "healing touch", meditation, supplements, diet, singing, and prayer. I am connected to an integrated cancer care community who support me in this with workshops and physician's advice. They work with the conventional cancer care community and try to recommend "evidence based" complementary healing modalities.

    Healing touch has been especially helpful. Happy to share more info if you would like. Or you can check out my blog below...

    Rob; in Vancouver

    "A Cancer Journal" www.rob-pollock.blogspot.com
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    #4
    robinvan said:

    Hi Mary Ann
    I am thoroughly engaged in complementary cancer care, in addition to chemo, surgery, and radiation. I use "healing touch", meditation, supplements, diet, singing, and prayer. I am connected to an integrated cancer care community who support me in this with workshops and physician's advice. They work with the conventional cancer care community and try to recommend "evidence based" complementary healing modalities.

    Healing touch has been especially helpful. Happy to share more info if you would like. Or you can check out my blog below...

    Rob; in Vancouver

    "A Cancer Journal" www.rob-pollock.blogspot.com

    Hi again, Rob
    Funny, I just responded to you on another thread.

    It's cool that our experiences have many commonalities. I think Canada is much more progressive that the US in the field of integrative medicine. What a shame! Have you read Simonton's book? I'm a staunch believer. American Indian healing has some of the same principles. I continue to be fascinated by this field. Maybe this is a positive role that I can have - to "evangelize" so to speak about the value of integrative medicine.

    For those who are struggling with this concept I would encourage you to tune in to your self talk. If you catch yourself thinking "I CAN'T", work on changing this to something like, I'm exploring this, I know this can be helpful, etc. Because if we THINK we can't, then we have already surrendered.

    Blessings to all, Mary Ann
  • AussieMaddie
    AussieMaddie Member Posts: 345 Member
    #5
    Giving love to the body
    Hi,

    I too have done many forms of mind-body work but not for the cancer, but throughout my life. I've long experienced mind-body disconnection.

    I don't know if others have tried this and had more success than me, but one thing I cannot do is to feel love for that part of my body that takes in all of my abdomen. I think I know why. Forgiveness would help, but I can't feel that either. For any other part of my body but not my abdomen from the midriff down.

    And guess where the cancer came to be? The peritoneum - the fine lining of the entire abdomen. (Looking back, it's not surprising)

    Even with my life on the line, even if it might help to free me of this cancer, I stil cannot bring love to that part of me. It actually hurts to try. Trauma is at the heart of it and I've never been able to heal that in myself. I suspect many healers and doctors would say that trauma yields such consequences as cancer. I don't expect I'm alone in that.

    AussieMaddie
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #6
    AussieMaddie said:

    Giving love to the body
    Hi,

    I too have done many forms of mind-body work but not for the cancer, but throughout my life. I've long experienced mind-body disconnection.

    I don't know if others have tried this and had more success than me, but one thing I cannot do is to feel love for that part of my body that takes in all of my abdomen. I think I know why. Forgiveness would help, but I can't feel that either. For any other part of my body but not my abdomen from the midriff down.

    And guess where the cancer came to be? The peritoneum - the fine lining of the entire abdomen. (Looking back, it's not surprising)

    Even with my life on the line, even if it might help to free me of this cancer, I stil cannot bring love to that part of me. It actually hurts to try. Trauma is at the heart of it and I've never been able to heal that in myself. I suspect many healers and doctors would say that trauma yields such consequences as cancer. I don't expect I'm alone in that.

    AussieMaddie

    Hi AussieMaddie,Perhaps if
    Hi AussieMaddie,

    Perhaps if you get curious about why you are not able to love that part of the body that carries your cancer, it might lead you along a journey that ends up resting in a place of love and forgiveness.

    Some questions to ask might be ' What are you really resisting in not being able to love that part of your body, what are you trying to avoid, what are you rejecting within yourself?'

    Just an idea

    take care
    Mariam
  • AussieMaddie
    AussieMaddie Member Posts: 345 Member
    #7
    mariam_11_09 said:

    Hi AussieMaddie,Perhaps if
    Hi AussieMaddie,

    Perhaps if you get curious about why you are not able to love that part of the body that carries your cancer, it might lead you along a journey that ends up resting in a place of love and forgiveness.

    Some questions to ask might be ' What are you really resisting in not being able to love that part of your body, what are you trying to avoid, what are you rejecting within yourself?'

    Just an idea

    take care
    Mariam

    Thanks Mariam
    Hi,

    I've actually followed the questions you suggest and have found answers, but trying to forgive the specific cause of it is too hard. I do think there is a way to it howevever. It just needs to be forgiveness in a larger context. One may not be able to forgive a flea for biting one on the leg (silly example, I know), but one might better be able to recall that fleas are part of a world we choose to inhabit. In making that choice, we choose to be part of all the complexities that comprise that world, and to learn from them.

    That's the best way I can allow myself to forgive, when I see the singular incidents part of a larger learning process. Then, I can even start to see my abdomen surrounded by something more gentle, not very close, but around all the same.

    Take care,

    AussieMaddie xxx

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