Thought Control

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One of the most empowering discoveries I’ve made so far is that we have the ability to control our thoughts, and therefore, our feelings. This concept was not something I was taught by my parents or in church. It wasn’t a topic I heard people talking about. However, in what now seems a very unlikely development, when I was in middle school, in a tiny conservative town in Western Washington, my small class was taught some basics about meditation. Sitting in our hard chairs attached to small desks we were guided through moments of silence, deep breathing, and relaxation of various body parts. I remember one kid, a small, brainy, redhead named Brian, fell asleep and started quietly snoring and the rest of us, in our pubescent self-consciousnesses, started laughing at him. He jerked awake. The teacher assured him, and all of us, that it was normal sometimes to fall asleep, and encouraged Brian not to let his relaxation go quite so deep.

I didn’t understand why at the time, but the experience captivated me. For several weeks afterwards, my girlfriends and I would experiment with the different meditation techniques. During slumber parties we’d light a candle in a dimly lit room and focus on the flame, attempting to clear our minds. I only did this when my parents weren’t around for fear my mother would view it as some sort of satanic activity.

Eventually, my interest in meditation faded as I became immersed in teenage experiences, some great, some not, some healthy, some not. At around 19 I began spiritual exploration beyond the narrow and dogmatic approach I’d known as a child and soon was playing around with meditation again. I learned how to notice my thoughts, beliefs, and programming and take steps to change some of them.

Just as I was trying to get into college on soccer scholarships, I had a catastrophic horse accident and blew my left knee apart, severing the ACL and MCL ligaments and even blowing open the cartilaginous capsule surrounding the joint. The surgeon, unhelpfully, described it as “guillotined” and told me I’d probably not be able to play soccer. The next year was filled with multiple surgeries, brutal therapy and pain impossible to describe. Through the difficult process life delivered another gift wrapped in barbed wire. Determined to run and play ball again, I studied healing and mind-body connection. I began meditating in earnest, visualizing the joint physically knitting back together and seeing myself running, kicking, scoring goals.

It took two years, but I did run again, and I did get a soccer scholarship. The experience convinced me of the power of mind action and meditation became a lifelong habit.

Over the past decade, through the process of becoming a Unity minister, I’ve gone deep into New Thought spirituality of which Unity is part. One of the key tenets of New Thought is that our thoughts have power. Thoughts, whether conscious or subconscious, shape the experiences of our lives and, importantly, we can change our lives by changing our thoughts.

I had reason to put this to the test again recently when I suffered another knee injury. To give a bit more context, that first knee injury I described above is not my only rodeo. Twenty years ago, I blew the ACL ligament and received a bucket handle tear in my meniscus cartilage in the right knee. Three and a half years ago I had a total knee replacement in the left and that surgery and rehab process was not for the faint of heart.

Given the amount of trauma and surgeries I was instantly nauseous and light-headed when, three weeks ago, my dog and I collided while practicing agility and I torqued my right knee. It was both an abnormal buckling and twisting motion and I wound up in a bit of a heap on the ground. I immediately checked to see if Olive was injured but the talented little lady had somehow maneuvered out of the mess. I gingerly unwrapped my legs and sat with them stretched in front of me. I knew the knee was injured but didn’t think it was as severe as all the previous incidents.

And here is where mind action techniques came to my aid. Even as I was driving home, getting ready to get anti-inflammatory meds and ice on board, I started focusing on this being a minor injury that would heal without surgery. I only shared the injury with my life partner, John, and a couple friends that I’d had appointments with that would need rescheduling. I did not want to make a big deal of it that would generate a lot of expressions of concern from friends and colleagues. John, a former ER doc, supported me in only talking about this as a minor setback that would heal itself.

I had exactly two and a half weeks until two big agility events with Olive and I really wanted to be able to participate. I imagined being at those events running with my girl pain-free. Even so, I could not bear weight without crutches the first two days and the stabbing pain in the outside of the knee made it clear some damage had occurred. Adhering to the adage, “Have faith but tie up your camel,” I kept up the visualization and also made an appointment with an orthopedic doctor.

Given all that has happened with my knees I have some type of PTSD and the thought of someone bending my leg around and testing the tightness of the ligaments makes me physically cringe. The ortho appointment was five days off and I had to pull my mind away from the upcoming exam repeatedly. Every time the fear popped up, I imagined the doc saying they didn’t think the injury was severe. In the intervening days I spent time envisioning the tissue healing, inflammation flushing away, and strength returning.

I survived the exam of course, and even though squeamish, it didn’t hurt at all. As I had affirmed, the doc said he didn’t think it was a severe injury and certainly didn’t believe it would require any invasive treatment. I kept up the RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation – treatment and began adding in gentle, low impact cardio exercise and stretching.

Two and half weeks after the collision Olive and I made it through our agility competition. I was a bit hobbled and wearing a protective brace I’d pulled out of retirement from some previous injury, but the knee held up. Another living demonstration that thought patterns have power and can aid in injury recovery and every other type of challenge.

New Thought has transformed my life so profoundly and positively that I love sharing it. I’ll write about other NT tenets in upcoming posts but in the meantime, here are the tools that are helping me become increasingly skilled in shifting my thoughts in directions that are empowering and feel better than wallowing around in fear and negativity. Given all that’s going on in our world, it seems lots of folks might be looking for such just now.

Simple Tools for More Empowered, Better-Feeling Thoughts:

· Start noticing what you’re thinking, especially if you’re feeling uncomfortable, fearful, etc. Don’t judge the thoughts, just notice. Pay particular attention to thoughts you find yourself repeating. Thought patterns are just habits and they can be retrained.

· Learn to “Choose Again”. One of the great tools I learned from A Course in Miracles is simply to say “choose again” when ruminating on an unpleasant or unhelpful thought. Just lightly “choose again” and then shift to thinking about something else. I’ve had periods where I’ve had to do this dozens of times a day but the thinking eventually shifts.

· Wield Imagination like a superpower. Instead of using imagination to torture yourself, spend a little time intentionally visualizing desired outcomes. Visualization effects brain chemistry. The brain doesn’t know the difference between an imagined activity and an actual physical experience of it. This is why athletes visualize making certain moves, jumping certain heights, etc.

And of course, tie up the camel. Do the physical therapy, put the credit card away, say no to another overcommitment. Whatever challenge you might be facing taking steps in the physical realm helps create conditions for positive thinking to have maximum beneficial manifestation.

I just finished writing a piece for Unity Worldwide Ministries on releasing negative thinking and reimaging positive outcomes. Here are two affirmations I created for the project.

Negative thought patterns are simply habits that I have the power to change. I affirm the gentle dissolution of negative thinking and open fully to unlimited potential for Good.

I focus my mind in positive directions. I have this power. I expect positive outcomes regardless of the situation. I have this power. God/Source/Creator conspires for our highest good and I claim that good now.

PS, I’d love to remember who the teacher was that brought meditation into our classroom. I’d love to thank her for the life-improving gift.

Much love peeps.

Cylvia

Life with Livvy

Here are a couple vids of our runs last weekend. This is our winning Champ Agility run. She had naughtily jumped off the dog walk too early the day before, so I gave her extra reinforcement I hadn’t intended to sound quite this stern. She doesn’t deserve that. For safety the dog has to get at least one foot in the yellow at the bottom of the walk before coming off. I wanted to make sure she hit but didn’t realize I sounded this forceful until I watched the vid. I’ll be careful to stay lighter in tone going forward so that she never feels she’s being punished when I know she’s giving her all. This was the last class of the trial and Livvy was tired, and my strained knee ready for a break, but both pulled it together!

This is a second place Speedstakes run.

So grateful to my little partner, the Amazing Livvy Lane, and to my incredibly tough and resilient knees!