I have learned not to underestimate the healing power of visualization. I remember once treating a patient who was trying to have a baby but was suffering from amenorrhea. All the usual herbs and acupuncture were not working so I referred this patient to a GYN who tried a number of pharmaceutical interventions to no avail.
Finally, in desperation, I decided to try to use my patient’s own mind to affect their body. Each week, when they came into the Yinova Center for acupuncture, I asked them to visualize a different part of their menstrual cycle.
- For the first week, during the acupuncture treatment, I asked my patient to focus on imagining that several follicles were growing on their ovaries, with one becoming a lead follicle.
- The next week they spent 30 minutes on the acupuncture table imagining ovulation. I showed them this picture from the Yinova blog to help them visualize what ovulation looks like.
- In the third week, I asked them to imagine a fertilized embryo implanting into their uterine lining.
- The fourth week I asked them to spend thinking about their uterine lining sloughing off.
Guess what? Three days later she got her first period in two years. No one was more surprised than me. Her mind had succeeded where Western and Eastern medicine had failed. On reflection, I’m not sure why I was so surprised. Of course, her mind was able to influence her body. When you think about it, it just makes sense. All of us have experienced this to some degree. I know that if I have a cold and I feel sorry for myself and wallow in it, I feel much sicker. As the ancient Chinese doctors wrote, “where the mind goes, the qi follows”.
I was so impressed that I began to use these techniques with a number of patients with some notable successes. For this reason, Dr. David and I have included some guided meditations in our forthcoming book Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility
Below is a general visualization for anyone, not just people who are trying to enhance their fertility. You can use it to address any health issues that may be worrying you. This is not meant as a replacement for conventional medical care but as an adjunct. A way that you can add the power of your own mind to other healing modalities that you are using. Being sick can feel powerless and out of control and I believe that by harnessing the power of our will and participating in our own healing, we regain some power and a sense of control over what ails us.
- Sit on a chair in a comfortable position with your feet touching the floor.
- Inhale deeply, allowing your abdomen to expand. As you inhale, imagine breathing light into your body.
- Exhale, pulling your abdomen in. As you exhale, imagine breathing out light all around you.
- Continue breathing in and out this way until your body feels full of light and you can imagine yourself surrounded by light expanding out from your body by several inches.
- Then turn your attention inward directing it to the area you want to heal. Find an image that works for you. Some of my patients imagine a laser beam clearing out stagnation, some imagine an inflamed area becoming icy and cold, some imagine little pac-men eating up debris and some imagine a giant vacuum hose taking away a problem.
- Finish by imagining yourself under a waterfall. Envision the cleansing water passing over and through you, taking with it any problems, worries, or health issues
- See yourself as healthy and vibrant.
- When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes.
If possible repeat this every day for about 10 minutes. When I’ve done this myself I’ve been amazed at how much better I feel. I’d love to hear your own experiences.
Oh… and the patient who cured her own amenorrhea? With the help of acupuncture, they were able to maintain a regular cycle and 5 months later they conceived. They’re now the proud parent of the sweetest baby.
