Guided Imagery

and

HeartMath

Changing the picture of your life in your mind's eye

Research shows that 75-90% of the visits clients make to their doctors are stress related. Stress comes in both good and bad forms. When we feel unable to get away from stress, our body works harder to maintain an even keel.

We can tolerate short-term bursts of stress, but if it goes on for a long time we run out of steam. No matter how much we sleep or slow down, it’s not enough; and then we get colds, flu, illnesses, we have flare ups, and cancer cells might even start to grow.

The opposite of the stress response is the resting and repair (R&R) state. Our body does its healing work, nutrition goes out to the cells and tissues of the body, repairs are made. The R&R happens mostly during sleep, but when we are very stressed, sleep is affected, too!

So what do we do about it?

First step: BREATHE. That’s right. BREATHE.

Take a huge deep breath and let it out. As the breath comes into your lungs, it brings clean, healthy air. And as you let it out, it releases the tension. Breath work is a first step to stress relief. When we focus on moving the breath within us, relaxation can occur. Relaxation helps initiate R&R and can help our sleep.

Second Step: Change the Image

We build on that breath work by changing the images of our lives in our mind’s eye using guided imagery. We work together to develop images of how you wish things were and of how you act and react. We’ll explore images using your six senses: What do you see in the situation? What do you smell? What do you hear? What do you taste? What do you feel: both physically with your body and in your gut and your heart?