Month 7: Listening for the Voice of the Body

As with the previous task, developing the habit of writing, listening for the voice(s) of the body is a relatively new task I’ve added to the framework of one year of writing and healing. At the core of this task is using a process of writing and imagery to listen more closely to the voice of the body for the purposes of healing. It may be of particular relevance for those who are experiencing difficulty in the body, whether that be the difficulty of cancer or fibromyalgia or chronic pain or any illness that is located in the body. But these strategies also can be used to work with the mind.

This is a room I plan to grow and develop. Meanwhile, the best resources I know for healing imagery are those developed by Martin Rossman, a physician who co-founded the Academy for Guided Imagery which is where I learned the process of using interactive guided imagery for healing some fifteen years ago.

You can find his book and CD set here. These are similar to resources I used with patients back when I was practicing mind-body medicine. (A touch pricey if you get the CDs but worth considering if you’re drawn to imagery work–and a good deal if they end up being of use. Please note I don’t get any kickback or profits by this link–or any links.)

You can find a document on research he’s compiled on imagery and healing here.

So What is Healing?

This is one of those questions that seems so basic we could almost forget to ask it.  But I think it’s important to ask it–and to keep asking it. As a way to begin, here is a graphic from a site called Visual Thesaurus. If you visit the site you’ll discover that it also allows you to try out a couple words for free without purchasing any subscription.  You simply type in a word and it gives you a kind of thesaurus map.  I like the site because it’s...