“Visualization Can Help to Heal Pain” by Jennifer Mannion

Before seeing the movie “The Secret” I had never heard of using Visualization for much of anything much less to achieve goals or to heal pain. For me, this was the hardest of all the tools learned about in my studies of the Law of Attraction to put into action. How could I picture myself whole when I was so broken? How could I picture pain being gone when being ill was a part of my description of myself? Firstly I had to listen to my self talk and become aware of what I was picturing my health to be before I could attempt to change it.

Gabriel Foster has an amazing site with lots of materials on natural living. You can visit his site at: http://www.GabrielFoster.com He explains Visualization as follows, “Visualization is the art of using ones imagination to influence his/her being and existence in many different ways. Such as: Healing one's self, increasing personal growth, influencing the outcome of circumstances, attracting wealth and love, changing habits and acquiring possessions. You can read the rest of the article by visiting his site and looking at holistic articles, visualization.

Once I heard and saw how I was seeing myself “sick Jenny, sick mom, sick wife, sick child” I knew I had to change it however I could. I started off small and I had to start off with shifting my attention and quieting my mind. I have “monkey mind” to the Nth degree and struggle daily with finding the quiet time (with 2 kids under 8 no easy task). It was important for me to learn how to be still and relax and to focus my mind on one thing. I used several methods for this, Charles Haanel, “The Master Key System”, Deepak Chopra’s, “The Soul of Healing Meditations” and then me just saying to myself “Quiet down brain!”

I would start when I woke in the morning so I was half-awake and my brain wasn’t moving quite so quickly. I would focus on being “healthy Jenny” and visualize myself doing all the things I needed to do that day. I would make myself aware of the part that hurt the most and visualize that pain leaving my body. I would pay attention to the part of my body that didn’t hurt and concentrate on it and say “my body and I are so healthy just like my “insert pain free body part” feels. I would picture myself running up and down our stairs instead of the many mornings I was literally crawling up and down them.

If you have a hard time learning how to visualize there are tools you can buy to help you on your way.

Visualization worked. I know it was part of why I was able to heal myself. When you visualize it as something has already happened it does help to make it so. I believed I could be healthy and saw it and it became true. I haven’t looked back since. Now to visualize that first million dollars… ; )

To find out more about the other methods used you can read about my ebook , or you can visit my blog or my site.

A long time ago, Joseph Murphy said:

"You Need to Train and Entrust your Subconscious Mind in Order to Heal Pain"


As my friend Deb from The Fibromyalgia-Free Blog reminds me of Dr. Joseph Murphy's wise words on the subconscious and how it can heal pain -- I am inspired for my newest entry.

A long time ago, Joseph Murphy said:

Your subconscious has the answer to all problems. If you suggest to your subconscious prior to sleep, “I want to get up at 6 A.M.,” it will awaken you at that exact time. Your subconscious mind is the builder of your body and can heal you. Lull yourself to sleep every night with the idea of perfect health, and your subconscious, being your faithful servant, will obey you.

Every thought is a cause, and every condition is an effect. One of the early writers of New Thoughtphilosophy, Joseph Murphy says it well. In today's society, everyone has ample opportunity to consider themselves victimized in some way. If you are tired of these types of defeatist thought patterns, read his books to learn a new way.

Please visit Deb's blog for other inspiring articles, thoughts, links and stories. Thanks Deb for letting me contribute my story to your blog this week.


When I was ill I used to go to bed with damning thoughts of what the next day would be like. "How am I going to clean the house when I KNOW I'll feel so sick", "I should probably try and get someone to drive the kids to all their activities tomorrow because I KNOW I'll be faint from my pain." I was telling myself so many negative things my subconscious was happy to oblige. By telling myself positive messages I could train it to think it was healed. My belief that this would work made it so.

When I went to bed worrying about a problem instead of asking my subconscious mind to try and figure out the solution I was not doing myself ANY favors. Now if I have something that needs to be worked out I can tell myself before bed "show me how to ..... " and if I do that faithfully a few nights in a row -- an answer will present itself. Worry does nothing but tell your subconscious mind you have no faith and you are owning the problem you are worrying about. Asking your subconscious for a solution tells your subconscious you have faith you will receive a solution -- that you are putting your belief in finding one.

Talk to yourself as you want life TO BE and tell yourself and BELIEVE it will be like that. Question yourself in positive ways and not self-defeating ways and your subconscious will rise to the occasion to help you and heal your pain. Pick up a copy of Joe Murphy's book and learn about your subconscious and how to talk to it so you will be sending it positive messages.

If you want to learn about other methods I used to heal myself you can take a look at my ebook or visit my site.

"Meditation can Help to Heal Pain or to Just Relax"

I did not originally try meditating to heal pain. My first attempts at meditation were simply to relax and get some quiet time. Being a mom with 2 young children somehow doesn't allow for that much! I have tried meditation several times in my life before making in an integral part OF my life. I am someone who has a thousand thoughts scurrying around in my head at all times or as people who meditate call it, "Yes, I have a MONKEY MIND"! When I set my intention to heal myself I began reading a lot of books on The Law of Attraction. Meditation was mentioned in almost every one. If your mind is running from topic to topic without concentrating on any ONE thing -- how can you expect your subconscious to know what is truly important to you? If you cannot take 10 minutes out of your day to quiet your mind and relax how will your body have the time to rejuvenate and appreciate living instead of just running from task to task? Finding time to meditate during the summer with both children home with me has not been easy but it is essential. Those days I allowed myself to "skip" I know my husband and children felt the difference as well as me. My son has been known to say to me "mommy, why don't you go take some quiet time?" I always answer with a resounding, "Yes, thank you -- I will do that".

Tons of people have wondered if they could use meditation to heal pain. Research now is saying it is extremely helpful in lowering stress levels that lead to tons of illnesses. My mind/body guru is Deepak Chopra. In this under 2 minute clip he explains what meditation physically DOES to the body. "Deepak Chopra on Meditation"

Some people hear the word meditation and immediately say "I can't do that" or "Isn't that what Buddhists do? I'm not Buddhist!" Wiki-How offers a simple start up meditation on their site: http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate

The Mayo Clinic says this about meditation:

"Meditation: Take a stress-reduction break wherever you are"

Meditation can wipe away the day's stress, giving you a clean slate. You can practice meditation anywhere — at home, on the bus, at work or wherever you are. See how.

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Originally, it was meant to help people deepen their understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, many people turn to meditation for relaxation and stress reduction. Meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and emotional stability. And these effects don't end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can have lasting effects on your emotional and physical well-being. To read more of what they have to say and offer on meditation please visit their site: www.mayoclinic.com

There are tons of free materials online to download. Written scripts on meditation, some guided meditation audios and lots of stories on how meditation has changed people's lives. It takes some practice in the beginning but it is well worth it. My favorite guided meditation is by Deepak Chopra and I listen to it a few times a week and it ALWAYS works wonders.

To find out what other tools I used to heal myself of chronic pain and illness please find out more about my ebook or visit my site: http://www.thankfulformyhealing.com

"Heal Pain with the Wellness Industry not the Sickness Industry"

I was fortunate in a strange way being raised in NYC. I was surrounded by people with substance abuse problems which helped me to form an early phobia of addiction. An example is my next door neighbors (in a NYC tenement building this means literally 1 step out your door with your apartments connected throughout) would come asking us for Orange Juice in the morning so they could have their morning screwdrivers (vodka and OJ). I was constantly hearing of someones mother, brother, sister, father who was sent to rehab for pills, heroine, cocaine, etc. This caused me to be scared silly of ever becoming addicted to ANYTHING and allowed me not to follow along the road so many people go down.

This country has gotten very used to pills to cure all. Nowadays you can't even watch a TV program without an ad for some pill that is new and the pharmaceutical markets are trying to push. Now with pills being recalled and us not knowing what harm the prescriptions will cause to our bodies in 10 years we are starting to see a shift. Natural healing alternatives are being sought out and the wellness industry stands to grow tremendously as this article points out taken from Natural Healing Magazine:

"Wellness - The Biggest Opportunity of the 21st Century"

“We are now at the very beginning of the next trillion dollar industry – an industry that will impact almost every aspect of our lives and achieve $1 trillion in sales within 10 years, but one that is as unknown today as the automobile industry was in 1908 or the personal computer industry was in 1981.

“In order to define the wellness industry and identify its opportunities, we must first distinguish it from a related industry based on some of the same technology – the current $1.5 trillion (U.S.) health-care industry.

“Approximately one seventh of the U.S. economy, about $1.5 trillion, is devoted to what is erroneously called the ‘health-care’ business. Health-care is a misnomer, as this one seventh of the economy is really devoted to the sickness business – defined in the dictionary as ‘ill health, illness, a disordered, weakened, or unsound condition, or a specific disease.’ “The sickness business is reactive. Despite its enormous size, people become customers only when they are stricken by and react to a specific condition or ailment. No one really wants to be a customer.

“In the next 10 years, an additional $1 trillion of the U.S. economy will be devoted to the yet-unnamed wellness business – defined in the dictionary as ‘the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal.

Which side do you want to be on: Wellness or sickness? The time has come to make that choice. We all have a purpose to serve on this beautiful planet. You can either choose to actively seek out solutions, continually nourishing your body and reviving your spirit – or you can remain passive about the potential perils lurking around us, gradually losing your life energy until sickness finally catches up with you. If you don’t make a decision, the choice will be made for you by the financially motivated food, chemical and drug companies, the profit-driven medical establishment, or the media addicted to advertisement dollars. But will that serve your benefit? To read the rest of this article please visit: http://www.naturalhealingtoday.com

I personally am already on the wellness side having cured myself of several chronic illnesses and chronic pain JUST by using my thoughts/actions. I have written an e-book on all the methods I used to accomplish this. Come visit my website to learn more about me: www.thankfulformyhealing I hope you choose wellness!

"Deep Sleep will Help Heal Pain"

When I was chronically ill I knew I needed sleep to heal pain. The problem was one of the "symptoms" of my illnesses (Fibromyalgia, Benign Hypermobility Syndrome) was the inability to achieve deep sleep. If you have been in pain you know the cycle.... you can't get to sleep because of the pain and you can't heal the pain because your body NEEDS deep sleep to restore and heal itself.... It is no fun and it seemed like I was going to be on that circular ride for life.

As the following article from CNN by By William Collinge, M.P.H., Ph.D. points out, "Overlooking the single most important thing you can do for your health is easy with all the clamor surrounding various health products in the marketplace. But good-quality sleep goes far and beyond those products when it comes to restoring your health. And best of all, sleep is free.

Organizing your life so you get the highest quality sleep possible is well worth the effort. And quantity doesn't necessarily equal quality: You may sleep for many hours, but if your sleep isn't deep enough, or if your sleep cycle is disturbed, you may still be at greater risk for illness. A simple way to gauge the quality of your sleep is to see how refreshed you feel when you wake up.

A matter of hormones

Part of sleep's effect lies in hormones. During deep sleep, the production of growth hormone is at its peak. Growth hormone speeds the absorption of nutrients and amino acids into your cells and aids the healing of tissues throughout your body. The hormone also stimulates your bone marrow, where your immune system cells are born.

To read this article in its entirety click here.

I tried several methods to achieve deep sleep. Ambien and Lunesta were prescribed by my doctors and I took those several times each but did not want to be dependent on pills for deep sleep. I went the "natural" route and took Valerian (YUCKO and didn't work for me) and Melatonin (worked sometimes). Finally I went the audio route and saw great results. The main trouble (besides my pain) was when I was lying down at night my mind was ALL over the place.... my list for the next day, what I forgot to do that day, how if I didn't sleep I'd feel horrible the next day..... There are several audio programs that promise good sleep but few that guarantee it. Improve your sleep and you will see a serious improvement in your health and energy levels.

I now fall asleep fast and sleep deeply. I know deep sleep is responsible for part of my healing process. If you want to read about what else helped me you can check out my ebook or visit my web site: http://www.thankfulformyhealing.com

"Can Self-Talk Heal Pain?" by Jennifer Mannion

When I decided I wanted to self heal pain relating to all chronic illnesses that I had lived with for the last 6 years -- I had to take a serious look at my thoughts and behaviors. I had to listen closely to my own "self-talk" that was so ingrained I was shocked when I HEARD what I was actually telling myself.

I would wake up every morning telling myself "I feel so sick", "Why me?", "I wonder how I will get through this day.", "I'll never be able to keep up with the kids", "I'll never be able to clean the house", etc. etc. Then I found "The Secret" and the Law of Attraction and it all made sense. I was telling my body to be sick and it was obliging. The Law of Attraction says "Energy flows where attention goes" and I was concentrating on my illnesses and pain so much I was actually making it worse.

So can your self-talk heal you? Yes it can! It will make you feel liberated after only a few days if you are able to keep with it. I put a rubber band around my wrist and actually snapped it when I found myself thinking those negative thoughts about my health. I acknowledged that those thoughts were there but told myself I would feel better by thinking more constructively. What did I switch it to? I started by finding whatever LITTLE part of my body didn't hurt. Be it my little finger, my toes -- with fibromyalgia and chronic mono some days it felt like those were the only parts that were pain free. Anyway, I would concentrate on that one part and feel deep inside THANKFUL for being healthy and for that part being pain free. I would say in my head "I am thankful for my health". After only a few days I felt the difference.

It pays to listen to your self-talk. Are you saying positive things to yourself? Encouraging yourself or discouraging yourself? Saying and concentrating on what you want or what you don't want?

I used this and several other methods to heal myself from chronic pain and ALL my chronic illnesses which I document in my ebook. If you want to find out more about me please visit my website: http://www.thankfulformyhealing.com

"Heal Pain with Mini Goals" by Jennifer Mannion

In order to heal pain mini goals are needed to be successful. If you try to take on HUGE undertakings and over-extend yourself you will most likely get frustrated and give up. Healing pain makes you feel positive about yourself and accomplishing mini tasks is a good way to jump-start your self-confidence.

There were so many mornings when I could NOT get out of bed. I would drag myself downstairs crying to make lunch for my son and get my daughter ready for the day. I would beat myself up about "all the things that needed to be done that I couldn't do".

When I began to know I could heal myself l knew I had to set some goals. I knew I could not start out with the list I had back in my "healthy" days. So I made a list of 20 -- 5 minute items that I wanted to accomplish that week. It was all stuff that would make me feel good and stuff I could accomplish even on my bad pain days. Crossing things off a list makes you feel productive since you have accomplished tasks. I don't care WHAT those things are. If it is call a friend that you haven't talked to in a year or one that makes you laugh, write a list of your top 20 books/movies/songs, listen to 1/2 hour of uplifting music, take a walk -- no matter how short -- it works wonders, clean out 1 drawer, etc...

When you see things crossed off it makes you want to accomplish more things and come up with more goals. If you have no goals written down it is easy to not do anything when you are ill and in pain. Quick -- what 10 mini-goals can you do in the next week that would make you feel good? Can you write them down or type them out RIGHT NOW? You won't regret it!

To find out about the other techniques I used to heal myself from chronic pain and illness please learn more about my ebook or visit my site: http://www.thankfulformyhealing.com

"Heal Pain with Self-Forgiveness" by Jennifer Mannion


Self-Forgiveness was an integral part of my techniques to heal pain. When I started reading the Law of Attraction materials it was overwhelming to think that I had in any way contributed to my illnesses in the last 6 years. I could have lingered in anger, resentment, bitterness at time lost or frustration. I decided I would need to forgive myself in order to begin to heal.

I did not intentionally make myself sick. I did not consciously choose to be in chronic pain for 6 years. I was doing the best I knew how in coping with all my illnesses. It was my subconscious that was taking the things I was not dealing with properly; stress, anger, exhaustion and contributing to my illnesses. Once I said to myself, "It's OK Jen, you did not choose these things -- what's important is what you do NOW", I started to heal. You need to forgive yourself. It does no good to replay in your mind what you could have done or said -- what matters is how you live your life from here on out.

One of my favorite inspirational speakers, James Ray, says "Isn't NOW a good time to start....." Yes, Mr. Ray it sure is! For more on James Ray please visit his site at: http://www.jamesray.com Mr. Thom Rutledge wrote a book on self-forgiveness the following is a review for it: " Thom Rutledge is onto something. Writing in the awareness that the line between spirituality and psychology has blurred, his third self-help book concentrates on kindness. That is, be kind first to yourself and your kindness will flow to others. All psychological healing comes from the ability to forgive oneself." To physically heal you have to psychologically heal as well....

So -- whats' next? I am sure you have forgiven other people for doing things you thought they did or said intentionally. Can you find it in your heart to forgive yourself for things you did unintentionally?

For more of the techniques I used to heal myself of chronic pain and illness or to find out more about me, you can read about my ebook or visit my site: http://www.thankfulformyhealing.com