The Power of Imagination
Since I was a kid, creativity has been a natural element of everyday life. I would spend hours immersed in “make-believe” stories, engaging a colorful cast of characters playing out scenarios with my beloved puppet collection. I also enjoyed wandering in the woods near my home, making friends with the trees, lightning bugs, and forest creatures who inspired my imagination. There, my whole world was simply being & observing, and I developed a strong sense of pure connection that remains to this day.
When I lost a tooth and was told the Tooth Fairy was coming, I was filled with delight and created a beautiful space at my bedside...hopeful she might hang out for awhile, so I could catch a glimpse. The scene included delicious snacks, sparkly gifts, and a soft inviting bed for her to rest from her travels. The next morning, I drew a detailed picture of what I imagined she looked like, with the most magical glittering wings and brightest loving smile I had ever seen!
Mythical tales have been an integral part of human life since the beginning of time, as a way of making meaning of our existence. We are born with INFINITE potential to create, with a rich tapestry of cultural and uniquely individual gifts to draw upon. Then, we often lose or forget these inherent strengths in the hustling demands of adulthood. We wonder why we end up feeling stressed & disconnected with a loss of hope and simple joy. While there are therapeutic terms and words from many belief systems to describe techniques for visualizing and accessing different states, the power of imagination is clearly not a new concept. What IS new in our modern age is the amount of time spent feeding our minds with someone else’s imagination!
Consider all the stories, movies, media, reels, screens and information overload flooding our minds to a numbing excess every single day. We must realize that in each moment, we are actually engaging our imagination, for better or for worse. It does not matter if the images & content are real or fictional, past or future, seen on an external screen or playing out in your head...the mind and body responds to what it is experiencing in that moment. This is where the power exists- CHOOSING with discernment to engage the creative mind for the experience you actually want to have.
That sounds fantastic, right? And you might be saying, “But how do I stop thinking and worrying about all the real problems in the world and in my life?” The answer is simply to allow yourself to stop, and take your power back! Make space for the present moment to exist, and give yourself the FREEDOM to imagine & expand the state of being you wish to live in. I am not saying bypass the work of dealing with issues, we absolutely must address things that require attention and energy within our ability. I am suggesting that we make time for building up our mind “muscles” with images and feelings that fill the senses with pleasant states such as: peace, joy, relaxation, safety, connection, wonder and curiosity. It is a mindfulness and somatic practice, and it is one that I personally engage in daily...honestly, all throughout the day.
Whether sitting or laying comfortably in silence, walking in nature, or moving & dancing with sound, meditation opens new pathways for creativity and the results include feeling more resourced to manage life. As you practice, it will become less of a thing “to do” and more of a way of BEING. I absolutely love sharing this wisdom with my clients and students, and I have seen the most profound shifts with this one simple mind trick. Best part is it’s a free resource always available, and we’ve actually had it all along.
