The presentation at our June meeting was by a Reiki practitioner, Glee Violette. Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing. It has become widely recognized as a valid healing alternative, and is offered in many hospitals. Glee, who was born in Japan, has never charged or accepted money for her services, believing that Reiki is a gift she is meant to give freely. Glee is a retired radio and cable TV journalist and talk show host. She now makes her living as a music therapist, entertainer and writer. She wrote this article for anyone who is interested in tapping into the energy source of Reiki and meditation, to heal themselves and to eliminate pain.
THE DRAGON, AND HOW TO SLAY IT.
You have pain. It is with you every day.
But, it is not exactly the same from moment to moment during the day. Sometimes it is intense and overwhelming. Other times, it is just there, looming in the background. And once in a while, when other things are taking your full attention, it recedes so far away you hardly notice it is there at all.
What changes?
Your mind.
Our bodies are made of atoms, and atoms are made of energy. Our brains regulate the flow of this energy. And our minds have the ability to direct this energy.
Most of the stuff the brain does is automatic. It breathes the air, it pumps our hearts, it digests our food without our minds getting involved at all. It builds us cell by cell from babies into adults. It constantly replaces worn and damaged cells.
But when something goes wrong, something the body cannot handle by itself, it cries out for attention. It sends our mind a pain signal. There IS a way to mindfully deal with this pain signal and control it. It takes practice, but it does work. And you can do it.
MAKING MAGIC
You have probably seen a stage hypnotist. He chooses people from the audience, puts them in a trance, and gives them silly directions, which they follow like zombies. Then he orders them to wake up, and they do, with no memory of what happened.
Here is the truth - he did not hypnotize them at all. They hypnotized themselves. They allowed their thinking minds to suspend thinking, and gave their subconscious selves permission to have fun.
What happens in hypnosis? A shift of consciousness. The person is not in a trance, is not asleep, is not helpless, and is able to shift back into normal consciousness at any time. The person has simply suspended the chattering surface level of the mind, and let another, deeper level of being take control.
If you have ever daydreamed, then you have been there already. You are in that place whenever you are busy doing something, and your thoughts drift away. You have been there when you find yourself suddenly at a destination, with no memory of the drive. You may find yourself in this state while using certain substances.
The people who practice meditation are able to get into - and out of - this state at will. They are able to use this state to connect with their subconscious brain, the part of them which controls the bodily functions, and directly influence these functions.
Yes, there are people who can walk on hot coals without being burned, or slow down the beating of their hearts to almost nothing. But more importantly, there are also people who have used the principles of meditation - self hypnosis - to stop smoking, lose weight, and even to undergo surgery without anesthesia. They can stop pain. They can focus their body’s resources into healing itself. You can, too.
MONKEY MIND
The first goal of meditation is to quiet the “monkey mind”, the surface level of your brain that is in constant motion, coming up with this idea and that, worrying, nagging, ranting, and chattering away. Some people try to distract that constant voice with noise, and surround themselves with television and music and games and phones, just to keep it occupied so it will shut up and leave them alone. This does not work very well, and in fact, actually increases their level of stress.
The people who perfected meditation centuries ago realized that “monkey mind” needs to have something to do, or it will continually try to interrupt your meditation. Play a soothing CD if you are used to having background noise in your life. Or have it contemplate a pleasant picture or sculpture. Or have it imagine, in detail, a tranquil scene.
Then put “monkey mind’s” focus on your breathing. Make it pay attention, as you calmly draw in a deep breath through your nose. Pull the breath down into your lungs, and then deeper, down to your diaphragm. Place one hand on your stomach. You should be able to feel your hand rise as you breathe in.
Hold the breath gently for a few seconds, then release it, out of your mouth. Don’t force the air out, just let it escape naturally, until it is completely gone. In through your nose, all the way into your belly, out through your mouth. Long, slow, deep, gentle breaths.
Keep your “monkey mind” firmly in the “now” of the present moment. Don’t let it wander off into the dramas of the past or future. If it does wander, don’t get upset, just smile at it as you would a persistent toddler, and sit it back down in front of the present moment. Listen to the music. Look at the picture. “Right now, I am breathing in”, you tell yourself. “Right now, I am breathing out.”
Some people like to repeat a special chant to keep their “monkey mind” focused. Any words you choose to say to yourself will do. I like a mantra created by Thich Nhat Hanh, (a Buddhist monk who writes joyful books).
“Breathing in, I know that this is a wonderful moment. Breathing out, I smile”.
Studies have shown that when you smile, you trigger your brain to release a cascade of “feel good” chemicals into your body, endorphins and serotonins. Feeling good can trigger a smile - but it also works the other way around - smiling can trigger feeling good! Thich Nhat Hanh says that just sitting and breathing, appreciating the moment, and smiling - all by itself, accomplishes wonderful things for you, body, spirit, and mind.
SHRINKING THE PAIN
After you have tamed your “monkey mind” through your breathing, it is time to tame your pain. Spend a few moments considering the particular qualities of your pain. Try to picture it as an object. If it is a sharp pain, it can resemble a knife, or a spear, or a needle, or an ax. Maybe it is a mace, one of those iron balls with sharp spikes all over it. If it is a dull pain, maybe it could look like an anvil pressing on you. Give your pain a shape, and a size. Give it as many details as you can think of, including sound or color or smell or taste. Make it as real an object as you can imagine.
Now, imagine taking the object into your hands. As you touch it, picture yourself blunting its edges. You can, in fact, begin to mold it, as if it was made of clay. Press on the edges, turning it over and over in your hands. Mold it into a ball, with no edges at all. Now, squeeze it between your hands, making it smaller and smaller and smaller, until it is the size of a golf ball. As you do this, press your real hands together, as if you are holding the pain between them. Keep pressing, until the pain is the size of a pea. Place the pain on the web between the thumb and forefinger of one of your hands, and with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand, gently knead the web. This is a pressure point used by acupuncturists to alleviate migraines. Kneading this pressure point with your fingers can also relieve headaches. And if you envision any other pain there, that works, too. Keep kneading the pain, until it is so tiny it disappears.
Yes, the pain could very well return. But you have proved to yourself that you have the power to banish it. Even if you only kept it away for a few seconds, you succeeded. You proved to yourself that your mind IS more powerful than the pain. Keep working at it. You will succeed for greater and greater lengths of time. And it is entirely possible that you can vanquish it for good.
GOING DEEPER
Meditation is amazing stuff. You might want to take it deeper, and accomplish more. The fact of the matter is that you can affect anything in your body you wish. It is your body, after all.
The steps to achieve the state of meditation are pretty easy. Give yourself an hour, to begin with, where you are certain you will not be disturbed. As time goes on, you will be able to skip through more and more of the steps. Eventually, just beginning the special breathing pattern will be enough to trigger your body into slipping right into the meditative state, and a full session can be enjoyed in only minutes.
First, find a position that works best for you. Some people like to lie down, others sit comfortably, others arrange themselves in various yoga poses, and still others like to simply go for a walk.
Lying down is easiest, of course, but there is a good chance you will fall asleep. No problem if you do, you will wake, normally, and feel very refreshed. If you have trouble sleeping, try using this form of meditation at night, and you will soon find insomnia to be a thing of the past. (You might want to set an alarm clock.)
If you choose to sit while meditating, you may also find yourself falling asleep if you get too comfortable. That’s why people usually sit cross-legged on the floor. If you cannot sit easily on the floor, try using a straight chair, or better yet, a backless stool. Do not cross your legs. Have both feet flat on the floor, enough of a distance apart to keep you balanced. Rest your hands on your thighs, or in your lap.
DOWN THE STEPS
Once you are in position, focus “monkey mind” on your feet. As you breathe in, you lightly tense the muscles in your feet. You do not clench them, you simply tense them enough to feel them. Then, as you breathe out, you release the tension. You envision the tension as black smoke, and as you release it, you picture it flowing out your toes and disappearing. As you take your next breath, you lightly tense the muscles in your calves. As you breathe out, you release the tension, and mentally envision the black smoke flowing down to your feet, and out of your toes. With the next breath, you next tense your knees, and with the next, your thighs. When you take the next breath, you tense your entire legs and feet, ever so gently, and as you release them, you tell yourself that they feel comfortable and sleepy. You could move them if you wanted, but you don’t want to. Take another breath, and as you release it, tell yourself that they are weightless and floating and feel nothing. If at any time you feel a twinge or an itch, just take another breath and release it, and let the pain float there, separate from your body, and repeat to yourself that your legs feel nothing. They are at peace.
Now tense the muscles in your groin and buttocks as you breathe in, and relax them as you breathe out. Envision the black smoke exiting from them. Tense your stomach and lower back next, then your chest and upper back muscles. Each time, as you breathe out, envision the black smoke flowing from your body. Finally, tense your entire trunk, ever so slightly, and as you release the muscles, tell yourself that your body feels comfortable and sleepy. You could move it if you wanted to, but you don’t want to. Take another breath, and as you release it, tell yourself that your body is weightless and floating and feels nothing. If at any time you feel a twinge or an itch, just take another breath and release it, and let the pain float there, separate from your body, and repeat to yourself that your body feels nothing. It is at peace.
Now tense the muscles in your fingers and hands, and then your lower arms, and then your upper arms, and then your shoulders. Envision the black smoke flowing from your fingertips as you breathe out. Then tense your entire arms, and release them, and tell yourself that they are weightless and floating and feel nothing. If at any time you feel a twinge or an itch, just take another breath and release it, and let the pain float there, separate from your body, and repeat to yourself that your arms feel nothing. They are at peace.
Now tense the muscles in your neck, and then your jaw, and then your face, and then your scalp. Each time, envision the black smoke exiting from your mouth as you breathe out. Finally, tense all the muscles in your neck and head, and release them. If at any time you feel a twinge or an itch, just take another breath and release it, and let the pain float there, separate from your body, and repeat to yourself that your head and neck feel nothing. They are at peace.
Envision white light surrounding your entire body. It is warm, and clean, and pure. Take another breath, and as you do, breathe in this white light. Envision it flowing into your lungs, and belly, and spreading out into your arms and legs, filling you with cleansing and healing light. Take another breath and release it. And then another. Tell yourself that you are healing, and whole, and at peace.
IN THE ZONE
At this point, you are in the zone. Monkey mind is silent. Your real mind is free - your real self is free. Sit with yourself, and just be. If any thoughts intrude, just let them go. Imagine them as pieces of paper or as autumn leaves, and simply let them drift away on the breeze.
When you are ready to return to time and space, pause, and have a chat with your subconscious. Tell it what you want it to do. You might tell it that it is not going to want to indulge in any particular addiction or behavior pattern that complicates your life. Or, you might tell it that you really want to eat healthy foods, and want to move around more energetically. You might tell it you are going to feel more positive, and are going to be kinder, and smile more. Or you might point out exactly what needs healing and rebuilding, and tell it to please do so. It is a good and faithful part of you, and it will take your directions gladly.
Then, tell yourself it is time to return. Tell yourself that you will count to ten, taking a breath with each number, and that when you reach “ten”, you will open your eyes, alert, refreshed and energized.
You begin counting your breaths, “one”…”two”…”three”…”four”…. At “five“, sensation returns to your legs. At “six“, sensation returns to your arms. At “seven“, sensation returns to your body. At “eight“, sensation returns to neck and head. At “nine” your whole body feels alive and well. At “ten“, you open your eyes, alert, refreshed, and energized.
THAT’S IT
You have had your first meditation. As time goes on, it will take less and less time to slip into the meditative state. Soon you will be able to relax your legs with one breath, your arms with one breath, your body with the third and your head and neck with the fourth. Eventually, all you will have to do to begin the special breathing pattern, and your body will respond immediately and place you fully in the state. When you reach this level, you might try meditating as you go for a walk. It is a very enjoyable exercise. And, don’t worry, you will snap to attention immediately if you need to.
The more you meditate, the more easily you will be able to quiet “monkey mind”. And one day, you will suddenly realize that it has shut up completely. And on the heels of that realization will come another, greater realization, - that “monkey mind” is not your real mind at all, but merely the voice of your body. Your true mind is the mind of your spirit. Through meditation, your consciousness will shift from “monkey mind” to your true mind. And, for the first time, you will know peace. It will change everything, I promise.