I am currently reading 'Firebrand' by Marion Zimmer Bradley, my favourite author. Set within the ancient Greek Empire, 'Firebrand' fuels my imagination. Kassandra, the leading female character says "I shall go mad, prisoned inside house walls for the rest of my life." Then she remembers her visions and reminds herself that with this gift she would always have a way of going outside her immediate surroundings.
These words reminded me of a woman who participated in a Writing for Well-being course that I ran a number of years ago. Over the weeks it emerged that her daughter had been brutally murdered and she found it hard to escape the prison of grief which had engulfed her. One night we did a guided imagery that involved wandering into the Secret Garden and she told me later that for fifteen glorious minutes she had been with her daughter again and found respite.
So, you can escape to an actual secret place that provides respite or you can wander off using one of the popular guided imageries at Soul Food. Try this short exercise to get the feel.
Take a few minutes to make yourself comfortable. Breathe in and out slowly. Feel your toes! Wriggle them to remind yourself that they are still there. Breathe in and out slowly. Feel your stomach! Try to empty your mind of any thoughts and prepare to go on a short visual journey. You are entering a stately English property. You walk across a small wooden bridge... through an avenue of ancient trees. It is a gravel path. You notice that there is a small creek winding its way through the grounds. You choose to follow it, stopping to look across the ground towards the stately home. A small sign under a vast tree tells you that this particular oak is over two hundred and fifty years old. You stop to embrace it.. overwhelmed by its girth. The limbs spread over 30 metres, creating a web of shade. You sit under the shade thinking about the knowledge of this ancient creature. You rise and embrace her again... this time asking for directions and guidance.....
Begin writing. Do not worry about grammar or spelling. Just write for twenty minutes about what the tree shares with you.
Make it your practice to come to this secret place, to ask for guidance, on a regular basis
These words reminded me of a woman who participated in a Writing for Well-being course that I ran a number of years ago. Over the weeks it emerged that her daughter had been brutally murdered and she found it hard to escape the prison of grief which had engulfed her. One night we did a guided imagery that involved wandering into the Secret Garden and she told me later that for fifteen glorious minutes she had been with her daughter again and found respite.
So, you can escape to an actual secret place that provides respite or you can wander off using one of the popular guided imageries at Soul Food. Try this short exercise to get the feel.
Take a few minutes to make yourself comfortable. Breathe in and out slowly. Feel your toes! Wriggle them to remind yourself that they are still there. Breathe in and out slowly. Feel your stomach! Try to empty your mind of any thoughts and prepare to go on a short visual journey. You are entering a stately English property. You walk across a small wooden bridge... through an avenue of ancient trees. It is a gravel path. You notice that there is a small creek winding its way through the grounds. You choose to follow it, stopping to look across the ground towards the stately home. A small sign under a vast tree tells you that this particular oak is over two hundred and fifty years old. You stop to embrace it.. overwhelmed by its girth. The limbs spread over 30 metres, creating a web of shade. You sit under the shade thinking about the knowledge of this ancient creature. You rise and embrace her again... this time asking for directions and guidance.....
Begin writing. Do not worry about grammar or spelling. Just write for twenty minutes about what the tree shares with you.
Make it your practice to come to this secret place, to ask for guidance, on a regular basis