Imagination in Lieu of Medication ~ Another Alternative?

In a previous article, entitled “Meditation In Lieu Of Medications”, I offered up the idea that we can actually use meditation as a form of medication. In other words, we don't need drugs to heal our dis-ease or even to ease pain. We can use the calming practice of meditation instead. And, yes, it does work. The trick is to DO IT.

Since writing that piece, I've come to some other handy conclusions regarding the healing powers we're all capable of (using). It's not a far stretch from the meditation tool, but I've found it to be even more powerful (and much more FUN!). It is, in short, the use of Imagination. The ART of Imagination. As in...what do you see in your Mind's Eye? How much do you use this powerful gift to enhance your life? Do you even use it at all?

Call it what you want, but it pretty much boils down to the same thing. Make Believe. Pretend. Daydream. Fantasize. Whatever you call it, it's just another way of expanding the ever-present You. The You that knows all things and is all powerful. You know the one?

We're all gifted with imagination, even those who think otherwise. What I've seen first-hand with most 'grown-ups' is that they tend to use this Imagination in a less-than-useful way. For example:

It's 1:30 in the morning. Your child isn't home yet. She was supposed to be home by midnight. No phone call, no message, no idea where she is or what's held her up. You've been watching the clock for the past hour and a half...and your imagination has taken over your every thought. You're imagining every horrible thing that could happen to a young woman. (No. I won't list them. That's not the point.) Your breathing has become shallow. Your body is completely rigid. Your stomach is in knots. All because your Imagination has stepped it up to the highest level, all fueled by your fears.

Is this good use of your Imagination? Does it feel good? Is it solving anything?

Nope. Not even remotely. This is the perfect example of how most grown-ups use theirs. The epitome of the down side of imagination. But then there's the up-side.

What if we were to use this brilliant imagery to create what we actually WANT to experience? If we were to imagine that the pain in our knees is a breeze of softest wind instead of pain. Or the throbbing in our sinuses is a wide-open channel instead? What if we were to sit under a tree (or in a closet..or wherever you need to go to have some quiet!) and imagine our perfectly hale body as lithe and strong and graceful? What if...we were to just FEEL what it feels like to be completely AT-EASE instead of DIS-EASED?

For some, this may seem a stretch. For others, perhaps elementary. For me, it's been an incredibly powerful tool that has worked over and over as I bring myself back to complete wellness. The ONLY thing that slows me down is my belief that it “takes time”. Were I to lose this belief as well, I'm pretty certain I'd be At-Ease in an instant. That's all the time it takes. It's just a thought away...but a thought that must be held, fully and in heart. Once we return to those old thoughts, all the other 'realities' come right back with them.

So it would stand to reason that Imagination is as useful a tool as meditation is. It's really just a matter of which one works best for YOU. I like to play. I like to have fun. I like to frolic like a child. So using my Imagination is a much more suitable healing modality than sitting still and focusing on my breathing. Got too many ants in my pants for that kind of practice. Why fight it? Go with what works for YOU. Try new things. Stretch. In the end, you're going to find what you need to regain your balance and return to wellness. Trust it. It IS real.