How To Release Emotions With Imagery & Affirmations
Photo by Christopher Campbell on Unsplash
After my cancer diagnosis in 2014, I went to see a therapist and an acupuncturist; both encouraged me to release my emotions through crying.
Since my diagnosis, I also added coffee enemas to my daily morning routine (I’ve stopped since). During this time, I played a soundtrack from one of Belleruth Naparstek’s CDs. The tracks include an introduction on how to use the CD, guided imagery and affirmations. She narrates with the most soothing, gentle, maternal voice.
My positive experience with affirmations
Different affirmations on her CDs speak to me at different times. I could listen to her tracks everyday for weeks until one of them triggers an emotion. One morning, while I was eliminating a coffee enema, something she said spoke to me:
“I tell this cancer these things: Thank you for teaching me to stop and listen. Thank you for reminding me of what is truly important. You can go now.”
For whatever reason, it hadn’t affected me before, but it was different this time. I found myself getting emotional immediately and started to cry. It seemed to have a more powerful effect because I was eliminating at the same time; I was getting rid of physical toxins as well as emotional ones. Afterward, I felt a sense of lightness and healing.
My positive experience with visualization
It took me some time to decide on doing chemotherapy. When I finally did, I knew that I needed to work on the negative beliefs I held about what it could do for me. I was terrified because I was absolutely convinced it would kill me; I had read much about people dying from cancer despite doing chemo, radiation and/or surgery. But I had also heard of survival and even people thriving post-treatment.
I didn’t want to work against what could potentially help me. I decided to focus on the possibility of a positive outcome, and work through the fear and negative beliefs. This is when I got my first CD from Belleruth Naparstek: A Meditation To Help you with Chemotherapy.
For the first few weeks, I connected more with affirmation track. Later, the one on guided imagery became more appealing. Using words, Naparstek paints a beautiful image of golden liquid sprouting from the ground in a fountain of healing energy. I let her re-frame my chemo infusions as positive and nourishing. I began to transform my view of it; it wasn’t to be feared, it was to be embraced.
I used this image over and over with each chemotherapy session and the imagery help to relax me.
How to Make the Most of Audio Affirmations
The guided imagery track can help you with visualization that can be very vivid if you allow yourself to be fully immersed. When I quiet my mind and listen to her voice, I find peace. But quieting the mind is already hard to do, so I highly recommend:
Preparing the night before by rounding up what you need to put yourself up in a comfortable setting such as getting a blanket, a mat to sit on, charging your device to play the tracks, turning off sound notifications on the phone or turning on Do Not Disturb under iPhone Settings.
Listen to the track immediately after waking up, so that you don’t get caught up in the small details of starting your day, like checking emails and making breakfast. Those tasks will distract you and bring your mind’s focus to the small things.
This work of healing is important, give it a proper chance to work for you. My experiences using meditation tracks have been healing, it helped set me off on a good start for the day.
