Shout-out to the guided imagery folks

Belleruth Naparstek has noticed this blog and has nice things to say about it, which is really very gratifying.

I’ve been using her guided imagery for about couple of years now, and if anything has helped me to come to terms with the complications and hurdles of my TBIs, it has been her Healing Trauma and Stress Hardiness Optimization CDs. I owe her a great debt for her assistance, not least of which because the CDs are self-manageable… as in, I don’t have to endure an in-person session with someone else, I can start and stop them and listen to them as often or as seldom as I like, and I can be totally under the radar when I use them. For all anyone knows, I’m just listening to a relaxation tape or music at work — Note: I only listen to the affirmations at work, as the guided imagery tends to put me into a super-relaxed state, which is not what I need at work.

Personally, I have historically tended to steer clear of guided imagery and meditations. They often strike me as smarmy or condescending or namby-pamby. They often make me feel like the narrator is talking down to me or over-simplifying things. As a TBI survivor, I’m particularly sensitive to being talked down to, so that gets in the way.

Plus, I have trouble hearing at times, and some voices really grate on me. Belleruth’s narration, however, really works for me. I’m able to understand her words, even when I have the sound turned down really low, which I often have to do, ’cause my hearing is very sensitive when I’m stressed. It took a little while to get used to how she pronounces “worry” and “courage”, but after a bunch of times listening, I could eventually deal with it 😉

It might not for everyone, but I gotta tell you, it’s like some kind of magic bullet. Amazing stuff. And it doesn’t make me feel like a total idiot, which is a plus.

I’ll explain more how I think it’s helped me. The mechanics are pretty fascinating. I’m not formally trained in this stuff, but I can definitely relate the details my experience that might help folks understand — and make use of this invaluable resource.