Paradise

      Have you ever found yourself in a stressful or painful situation and had someone tell you, "Close your eyes and think of something peaceful or soothing. Think of your favorite place to be and imagine yourself there."  In medicine we call this guided imagery.  Its the process of taking yourself out of the present and guiding your thoughts to a more pleasant state of mind.  We use this practice of guided imagery in the health care setting as an alternative form of pain management.  It is thought to calm the mind and distract the person from the current pain they are experience.  It can also be used as a distraction for those dealing with addiction or mental illness.  The mind is a wondrous thing.  And quit mysterious if you ask me.

      You may wonder why I bring the topic of guided imagery up.  The reason I speak of this is because at times when I am in a great deal of pain, I wish I was anywhere but in the present.  And I try to imagine myself somewhere else.  A place where no pain is felt and all I feel is joy and peace deep into my soul.  The place I choose to imagine would be atop of a mountain side.  It would be chilly and the wind would blow my hair and enter my lungs with ease.  The air would be crisp and smell fresh like it had just rained.  The only sounds I would hear are the wind passing swiftly by and a melody of all creation as it resonates and echoes. The brushing of the tree branches back and forth, the sound of the stream as its moves along by the slow and steady current. Birds would be singing in the distance and I could feel the warmth of the sun shine upon my face.  I would look down over the edge to take in the majestic view from above.  I would look right and left to survey all the beauty surrounding me.  I would lye down on the ground staring at the sky inhaling and exhaling slowly, deeply.  I would be above it all. Above all the troubles of life. Above the pain, sorrow, pressure of society.  Nothing would be able to get to me or take away my peace. And with eyes closed and arms out stretched I would just feel.  Feel the wonder of all God created. O the wonder to simply feel.  To feel no pain. To move freely; to feel free.  To be free. This is my guided image.  The place I go when the present is too hard, too painful, and too imperfect.  Some day I will make it to a place such as I have described.  Some day I will make it to my paradise.

     This week's song is Paradise by Coldplay.  I feel like this song could be written about me.  The lyrics are so perfect.  When we are young children our minds are so vivid and our imagination endless.  And as we become older things change.  We are overwhelmed with life's stuff. Reality hits us and we see the imperfections of the place in which we live.  We have these expectations of what our lives should be like. And for most we come to the realization that those expectations are unreasonable. So I guess what I am trying to say is take time each day to guide your mind to a better place.  A place free from all your stuff.  For me its living with RA and escaping from the pain that I know too well.  Find your paradise in a dream and promise yourself to one day go there in reality.  Whether it be on a beach with the ocean and sunset as a back drop or on top of a mountain side.  Find it, go there and simply feel.  Just feel.

"When she was just a girl 
She expected the world 
But it flew away from her reach 
So she ran away in her sleep 
And dreamed of 
Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise 
Every time she closed her eyes 

When she was just a girl 
She expected the world 
But it flew away from her reach 
And the bullets catch in her teeth 
Life goes on, it gets so heavy 
The wheel breaks the butterfly 
Every tear a waterfall 
In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes 
In the night the stormy night away she'd fly 
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/coldplay/paradise_20980626.html ] 
And dreams of 
Para-para-paradise 
Para-para-paradise 
Para-para-paradise 
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh 
She'd dream of 
Para-para-paradise 
Para-para-paradise 
Para-para-paradise 

And so lying underneath those stormy skies 
She'd say, "oh, ohohohoh I know the sun must set to rise" 

This could be 
Para-para-paradise 
Para-para-paradise 
This could be 
Para-para-paradise 
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh 
This could be 
Para-para-paradise 
Para-para-paradise 
This could be 
Para-para-paradise 
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh-oh"