My wife suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, which has left her with a loss of confidence in herself and a hesitation to go out the way we used to.  Our son recommended she work with a local yoga therapist and Reiki expert.  We had not heard of these techniques, but they have made a difference.  She looks forward to the sessions and feels energized by them. 

I believe it is because of these treatments that we are starting to visit art museums and galleries again – our great love for nearly 45 years.  We move a lot slower and plan more carefully, but we get there.  We both are extremely pleased to be doing a normal, pleasurable activity again. 

I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in August of 2002. At that time, I walked away from the institution that handed me the diagnosis, and went off to cure my cancer with all "alternative" treatments.

I studied herbalism, and made my own medicines. I received acupucture, polarity, massage, huna, and other forms of treatments. I changed the way I was eating, thinking, and drinking, as well as living my life.

This man reminds us that you don’t necessarily need the actual recording if you’ve listened to some relaxing imagery and it’s running in your head all by itself.  We read this account on a blog a few weeks ago, from someone who had an abdominal resection surgery for colon cancer.  Because he listened to his imagery in advance, in a nice receptive, trancey, altered state, he “owns” the imagery and can call it up at will.  Here are his words: 

We loved reading this blog entry on how this sassy, resourceful woman got pregnant (with twins) after 3 years of struggle.  It’s filled with attitude, excellent advice and smart pointers, laced with a nice, realistic dollop of hopefulness.  And she used guided imagery!  And Monica Morell’s Fertility Yoga!  How smart was that??  Here it is, in her own words:

Sunday, October 5, 2008
How I Got Pregnant
Okay, perhaps the whole IVF thing is a bit obvious. I subjected myself to an experimental drug study and paid a lot of money to produce four of the cutest embryos I've ever seen. Then I had two of those embryos catapulted into my happily waiting uterus and the rest is history.

This was posted on the “Christian CD” thread from a survivor of childhood abuse. We’re putting it here because of the way the writer speaks to a very unique and powerful capability of guided imagery (hypnosis, too)  – the way it functions like a depth charge, dropped below conscious thinking (and under the pesky radar of resistance and ambivalence ) where it can reverberate again and again, catalyzing a deep and system-wide kind of healing. The messages are pinging and working, even while you’re sleeping, shooting the breeze with a friend, thinking analytically at work, driving the kids to soccer practice… this is the gift that keeps on giving.  The writer of this note phrased his comments in such a way that they perfectly reflect this wonderful capacity.  Here it is:

We got this note attesting to how imagery can help buttress self-confidence and produce calm in the face of a critical barrage from a difficult work situation with a  a stressful, demanding boss:

Hi Belleruth,

I want to tell you how much I enjoy the Self Confidence imagery.  I work for a very stressful boss, so I really needed the self-confidence boost.  He is highly critical and demanding. We never know when he will come down on us.  Everyone in the office is on edge.  Positive self-talk only gets me so far.  It helps to have something affirming to listen to that comes from outside of myself.  I listen to the imagery a lot.  It helps.  It is also calming and I see it affecting other areas of my life in a positive way. I just wanted to thank you.  I would love to come to one of your programs sometime.  I keep watching for something close to home.  
 
Take care and thank you again for your program.  
God bless,
Mary
 

Team HJ in Akron was tickled by this comment, posted on our site by Rosie, a plucky, resilient, post-surgically recovering, newly converted guided imagery fan!
 
Wow...that’s all I can say. I was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer 1B2 a few months ago. I underwent a radical hysterectomy, combined with femoral hernia repair 10 days ago.

"A friend had used guided imagery recordings to help her through her battle with cancer and lent them to me when I was going through a very rough time.  I was suffering from severe depression.  I had days when I could not get out of bed.  I considered suicide."

Belleruth,

I just wanted to let you know how successful guided imagery was for me, and continues to be to me. On August 13, 2008 I was given new life by way of a quadruple by-pass. I listened to guided imagery for Pain, Surgery , Cardiac ICU and Cardiac Rehab.

Through Guided Imagery, the operating theater became a familiar place, with competent, compassionate professionals, all moving in sync to overcome the burden of four blockages (1 at 100%, 4 at 89%). The Cardiac ICU was not a hostile place, as the friendly faces found there did their level best to provide comfort and healing.

Today, just six days after the surgery, I am home with my family, still listening to these meditations, still opening my mind to the possibilities that now lay before me.

Respectfully, Brandon K.