Visualize Spring and So Much More

March has come in like a big ol' grumpy lion. Even though Spring is officially a couple weeks away, the sub zero temps are a humble reminder that Old Man winter is not ready to step down from his frozen throne quite yet.

I have painted bunnies and flowers recently trying to coax the warmer temps along. I'm trying to visualize stepping outside in the sunshine without having to put 5 layers of clothing on. There IS power in art, right?

I've also renewed my habit of doing Tai Chi, Qicong (pronounced sheekong) and meditation in the mornings. I can't recommend this enough! ANYBODY can do it. I first started exploring tai chi & qicong after an injury and health issues that seemed to not heal no matter what I tried. So, after over a year of navigating the chaotic field of traditional medicine that is covered by our insurance and still no progress and only getting worse, with one doctor telling me there is nothing wrong, your numbers are fine, "go see a psychiatrist" I was desperate.

We have had good experiences with alternative avenues with our son years earlier. I began to seek out other options. I was not willing to live on painkillers and give up. So.. I started looking at the whole idea of "energy healing" and the body's ability to heal itself given the right tools. I am a very visual person as most artists are, and I made a paper copy of my MRI, and with paints, and glitter, "healed" the body on paper. I got accupuncture & had positive results almost immediately. I learned a simple tai chi routine, learned how to quiet the mind, learned about "belly breathing", visualized the body healing, down to the tiny cells and did this every morning for a few months. My pain diminished greatly, when I woke up stiff and sore, doing this removed that pain. My worried mind calmed down. my heart felt lighter, my blood pressure lowered. Our minds are powerful things! After I got to feeling so great, I began to slack off and eventually was out of the habit.

Of course, it took the return of pain and discomfort to get me back into the habit. Why did I ever stop?? The ability to visualize is a gift artists have hopefully use in many aspects including health and healing.