One of the most important strategies to influence your emotions is to use your imagination. Our emotional brain is quickly influenced by things we see. But things we imagine also quickly influence how we feel. Since our emotional brain is not as good at distinguishing between "real" and "fake," you can quickly influence your brain.
One way to regulate your emotions that has been used for centuries is called "visualizing." Visualizing means that you try to imagine something as well as possible. Like trying to 'see' what you are imagining with your eyes closed. When it comes to pain, by practicing visualizing, you can reduce the impact of the pain. This does not happen on its own, as always practice is important to the outcome. In the next exercise, you will use your imagination and breathing to relieve your pain.
The Healing Breathing Exercise
Before you begin this exercise, imagine your own pain. You can imagine it, but the easiest way is to make a drawing with pen and paper. If your pain were a visible thing, what would it look like? What shape would your pain have. Does your pain have spikes, or is it smooth? Is it elongated, or maybe compact like a ball? What color is your pain? Try to imagine as many details as you can. Maybe you can even imagine the weight of your pain.
Close your eyes and imagine the pain in your body. As you breathe in, imagine that you are breathing in fresh, healthy, healing air. The air travels to the place of your pain. As the healing air travels to your pain, your pain slowly changes. Maybe the spikes become less, the shape a little friendlier. Perhaps your pain begins to move less and the figure slowly becomes smaller. The color may also slowly change. As you exhale, feel the pain and negativity flow away from you. In this way, you use your breathing for a few minutes to reduce your pain. If you go astray, kindly bring your attention back to the exercise.
More exercises?
Check out the Reducept member page for more exercises that can help you reduce your pain. Not a member yet? You can try the complete Reducept method for free for two weeks and have access to all articles and exercises on the member page.
Exercise: Healing Breathing
