"Spiritually Speaking" by Rev. Carla Golden

Guided Imagery

Guided imagery has been recommended by holistic practioners for many years and is now becoming recognized by more mainstream physicians as well. That's because it has been proven to work. Patients who practice guided imagery help their bodies heal faster, lower their blood pressure, relieve migraines, and even fight cancer. Atheletes are now coached to employ visualization in their training schedule to improve their performance.

If you are curious about using guided imagery, here is how you can begin...

• First, find a quiet place where you can be alone and uninterrupted.
• Sit with your back supported and in a comfortable position.
• Close your eyes and begin at your feet and work upward, tensing your muscles and then relaxing them, all the while breathing deeply from your abdomen.
• When you have completed this, imagine a brilliant ball of white light floating above your head, which represents the healing light of the universe.
• Imagine the energy of that light washing complete over you and permeating into every cell of your body.
• Imagine now that this ball of light has transformed into a laser-like beam of white light that is directed to specific areas of your body that are in need of healing. Feel it directed at your heart, as you release all that needs to be released and to heal emotionally.
• Repeat an affirmation to yourself three times that reflects your desires. "I am relaxed." "I am whole." "I am healthy." "I am at peace." "I am calm."
• You may wish to sit for a time in this relaxed state before opening your eyes.

Our minds are bombarded each day with negative messages in the media. Television commercials abound on pharmaceuticals for every ailment. These can affect us more than we realize. Guided imagery can help us by incorporating healthy thoughts and giving positive messages to our bodies.

Cellular Memory

I just finished an amazing book called "A Change of Heart." It is the memoir of Claire Sylvia, the recipient of a  heart-lung transplant back in the 80's. It is inspiring and, for some people, a mind-blowing look at how organ recipients are affected by their transplants and donors.

Right after her surgery, Claire found she had an unusual craving for beer and Chicken McNuggets, things she had never been interested in before her transplant. She later learned from the family of the donor that her organs came from an 18-year old boy who loved both. In fact, they said "Tim" never drove by a KFC without stopping for McNuggets. There were a number of other changes that occurred after Claire received Tim's organs that she was later able to confirm were linked to Tim.

You may feel that this is coincidental and shrug it off, but studies have shown that Claire is not the only transplant patient who has had this experience. It is common. Why does it happen? There are many theories.

One theory is that our cells have a consciousness and memory of their own. Cells have intelligence, can reproduce and grow and responds to stimuli of all kinds.

In a research study, cells were scraped from a person's mouth and attached somehow to a machine which recorded reactions. When the donor of those cells was exposed to a situation which brought on extreme emotions, the cells reacted, even though they were no longer in that person's body.

If cells are intelligent and perhaps have a memory of their own, then it would seem natural that transplanted organs made up of millions of cells, would transfer memories. Those who have experienced this phenomenon have reported that these transferred memories or changes in preferences, faded over time or were gradually incorporated into the person's life to where they felt natural.

Life is complex and very much a mystery. Our bodies and minds are so remarkable that we are discovering every day new and exciting things about them. We are an incredible creation and only using  a fraction of the capabilities that we were born with. As the scientists say, the average person only utilizes 10% of their brain's abilities. Imagine what we will accomplish when we learn to tap into and utilize the additional 90%.

Another thing to consider...if you've not signed the back of your drivers license to be an organ donor, why not do so. And tell your family so they will know your wishes. Claire Sylvia is alive because a family made the decision to reach out in their grief and help someone else.

If you are interested in purchasing the book, "A Change of Heart," click on the Recommended Books link to Amazon. If you are a subscriber through Feedblitz or Feedburner, you will need to click over to the blog first using the underlined link above.

Positive Thinking and Good Health

The results of a study came out yesterday. Belgian and Dutch researchers reported that those people who exhibited a "Type D" personality had a five-fold probability of heart attacks over those individuals with other personality types.

A "Type D" person tends to experience more negative emotions and to hide their true feelings. Those of us who have been studying New Thought, Unity, and Science of Mind know that our feelings are affected by our thoughts. If we are thinking negative thoughts, we are bound to experience feelings which reflect those thoughts.

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale wrote "The Power of Positive Thinking" back in 1952. And even before that, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore and other New Thought leaders were teaching the same truth: the law of mind action. Science and medicine are finally catching up it seems.

The Value of Pain

Lately I've been dealing with an ingrown toenail. Isn't it amazing how such a little thing can be so painful? As I was thinking about this annoying little ailment, I received two emails--both on the subject of pain.

One in particular got my attention. It was about a little boy who couldn't feel pain. No matter what he did to himself, he couldn't feel the sensation of pain. For instance, this little boy loved cookies. One day, while his mother was baking cookies, he opened the oven, pulled out the rack, took a cookie and ate it. As you can imagine, this child not only burned his hands badly but also the inside of his mouth and tongue. But regardless of the damage, he could not feel it.

Pain signals our brain that it is time to stop doing what we're doing. But Jordan doesn't have this signal due to a rare congenital condition.

The father of this little boy is Tom Dungy, the head coach of the Colts football team. Tom said that he now understands what a blessing pain is.

Pain is our body's way of telling us that something is not right and we need to pay attention to it. There is also emotional pain. It has the same purpose. Unless we deal with the underlying cause, we will continue to feel it. The problem is, most of us do not like pain and we'll do things to cover it up--sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. and that tends to mask the pain, rather than treat the underlying cause.

If you are feeling pain, first of all be glad that you can feel it. Then find out what is causing it and work at finding a solution.

Want to lose weight?.... Pray!

A recent study at Arizona State University found that people who communicate with a higher power throughout the day lose weight. The reason, according to researchers, is that those who pray are less reactive when exposed to an anxiety-causing situation. They also had a higher level of forgivenes of others and themselves.

Stress causes an increase in levels of cortisol in the body and this stimulates the body to store fat. The researchers found that those who practiced prayer--having a conversation with their higher power throughout the day--lost weight even without noticeable differences in their diet.

In an article I read in the 3/13/06 issue of First for Women magazine, three women who tried prayer to lose weight found that they not only lost a significant amount of weight, but they turned away from food as a stress reliever, found more peace in their lives, and were much happier.

A web site that you may want to check out is www.firstplace.org which offers support programs on their site and at various churches. You can also start your own group.

The Power of Touch

The loving touch of a hand or a warm embrace can release more healing power than a bucket of pills. 

Studies were conducted which proved that infants who were touched and held regularly gained more weight and were healthier than those infants who were not. We human beings have a need for physical contact.

I remember making a visit to a nursing home to see an elderly patient. I reached out to hold the woman's hand while I did a prayer.  After the prayer, the woman commented that it was the first time someone had held her hand in years. She wouldn't let go after the prayer ended and we held hands for the rest of my visit. It was clear that she craved this closeness and the touch of another person.

When I was a child, my father used to rub my back when he tucked me in at night before I said my prayers. He would hug me and kiss me goodnight before he left my bedroom. I looked forward to that time with my dad, and I always went to sleep smiling and feeling loved.

Don't forget about the power of touch with the people in your life. Hug them, hold their hand, and touch them while you can.