Imagery for Healing

Using imagery I learned in NLP training, I began imagining this growth in my kidney coming out of my body, flying out into the universe, and getting a big smile in return. 

​A couple of months ago I was having a lovely pre-valentines day dinner with my husband when my doctor called and told me he was sorry to give me the news that I have cancer and would need surgery. It was a shock, and I didn’t know what to expect. A large mass in my kidney, the doctor said. That didn’t sound good. I told my husband that I would have that glass of Merlot after all.
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As I had follow up tests without really knowing what all was involved, I found myself getting very anxious since we have a lot of cancer in our family, often with less than positive results. When I called the after hours nurse about my cough from recent pneumonia, I was told I would need more tests and probably shouldn’t go on the train trip to Colorado that I had planned. Wow! I felt overwhelmed. I realized I needed to give my worry thoughts to God. I really didn’t have all of the information yet, and worry thoughts were not making me any healthier.
 
Wondering about the next phase of my life: how I would sell my books, see clients, and write when at best I would be taking a break for tests, appointments, and surgery. What to do besides worry?
 
Using imagery I learned in NLP training, I began imagining this growth in my kidney coming out of my body, flying out into the universe, and getting a big smile in return. After doing this exercise several times, I smiled every time I thought of surgery. I’ve had many surgeries for my eyes that have not all gone well, so I know I can get nervous at the thought of surgery. Giving myself a big smile each time I thought about surgery eased my tension. I was fairly relaxed through the whole process.
 
I also thought about this growth as too much of a good thing. We all want cells to grow when they need to. Apparently my cells had too much growth. They didn’t know when to quit, repair, or die when no longer needed. Thinking of these cells as too much of a good thing rather than feeling diseased helped my attitude and healing. Saying growths or cancers are too much of a good thing is definitely an oversimplification, but for me it was a healthy one.
 
Healing comes in many forms that I can control:
 
Attitude
Perspective
Mind
Lifestyle
 
While there are some aspects of health and healing that I cannot control, there is much that I can self-manage. When my body cries out that something is wrong, rather than stressing it further, I can stop, pray, listen, heal, and then move forward with the next phase of my life and work.
 
Cancer Cells. Cancer Research UK.
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/how-cancer-starts/cancer-cells. Accessed 5/9/2017.
 
Dilts, R. (1998). Harnessing the Imagination. Retrieved from:
http://www.nlpu.com/Articles/artic16.htm. Accessed 4/2/2017
 
Schaub, F. The 9 Keys to Self Healing. http://www.cellularwisdom.com/keys-to-selfhealing.shtml. Accessed 5/9/2017.
 
Blessings for Health and Prosperity,
Nancy J. Miller, M.S.
Author: Vegetable Kids in the Garden
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