Guided Imagery Exercise

By Sally Robertson, M.A., M.A., LPC

Guided imagery is a powerful tool for activating the body's own ability to achieve health. It is a method of communicating with the unconscious mind and requesting that the body function in the most optimal way. Once learned and practiced, it is very easy to do. One merely relaxes, closes his/her eyes and imagines various scenes. It is effective because the conscious mind thinks in terms of languages, such as English, Spanish, computer languages, math, etc., but the unconscious mind works with images and symbols. And the unconscious mind controls the automatic functioning of the body.

To do the exercise, sit in a comfortable position or lie down. Close your eyes and relax. Begin to imagine that you are in a beautiful and safe forest. Allow yourself to walk through the forest, feeling the safety. One by one, open up all of your senses. Let yourself look at the trees, the ground and the sky. Feel your feet on the spongy forest floor and feel the movement of your body as you walk. Smell the air and pick a blade of grass to chew on. Listen to the birds chirping in the distance or the rustle of the leaves in the wind. (It does not matter if the details of what you are sensing are the same as what is suggested. The important thing is to feel the safety in the forest and to feel connected with the earth.)

Imagine that you come to a very large, magestic tree. Lie down under the tree. In your imagination, close your eyes and let your attention go inward, into your body. Allow yourself to be aware of your colon and imagine that you can see what is happening inside of it. You are very surprised to see an army of tiny men busy at work inside your colon. Part of the men are using soap and water to totally clean the colon. Other men are attaching themselves to the wall of the colon. They are picking up nutrients and sending them into the body through the wall of the colon. Some of the men are being organized into a team that will attack any foreign invaders that may come into the body. All the men are are very busy and some of them may be doing tasks that you do not understand. As you watch, the colon gets lighter and lighter. All darkness is removed and the colon is eventually bathed in a brilliant white light.

You may continue to see the colon as bathed in brilliant white light for as long as you like. Then simply let your attention to come back to being in the room and allow your eyes to gently open. Know that, through your imagery, you have communicated your intent to have a healthy colon to your unconscious mind. (You can also add in imagery that would include spiritual help according to your own spiritual beliefs. For example, you might have Jesus come to you in the forest and heal you. You might have a dove take a request for help up to God. You might have a wise, loving ball of light come and beam energy into your colon.) Repeat the exercise from one to three times a day for as long as you feel is right.

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