Mind Over Matter

Pain is such a monster.  It can surround everything in a person's life.  It spills over on all beings and objects in a person's life.  That is how she found herself in 1985, engulfed in pain.  Years passed with pain meds taken in prescribed doses.  There were good and bad days.  Most days were good.  The children were raised though at times the children had to help a little too much.  But, always, there was that unwelcome companion, pain.

She sought help from different sources.  Each in turn helped to alleviate the pain to a level of manageable discomfort.  Then came that one too many long auto trips.  She was trapped in a body once again engulfed in spasms of pain.  The doctors prescribed injections in the back and a pain clinic.  The prescription was approved by the insurance company.  A month's leave from work was required.  The leave was, likewise, approved.  With full pay.

The pain clinic was the most amazing buffet of pain management techniques.  Therapy to retrain the use of the body.  How to walk.  How to get in and out of a bed, a car, a chair ... everything.  Meditation and self hypnosis training set a new direction in her life.  She could actually control the pain instead of the pain controlling her.

She wanted to learn more.  Dr. Hagi, one of the therapists, told her of his experience in Tibet.  He saw monks with such mind control they could fill a cold room of the monastery with the warmth of their own bodies.  All in the room experienced such warmth, as if a huge fire were in the middle of the space.  The monks used their minds to overcome the matter surrounding them.

So she worked at the concentration of mind over matter.  She used breathing techniques to relax the tension in all parts of her body.  Rose petals she breathed in to envelope each area of pain.  The roses absorbed the pain.  She exhaled the thorns of pain and saw them turn to butterflies.  The pain transformed from an ugly, bitter being into flights of beauty.

Each morning she would lie in bed, stretching, relaxing muscles and visualizing.  Finally after retirement she could travel.  Long rides no longer meant excruciating pain, just viewing the Creator's beauty.  She traveled to Tibet to see for herself.  She studied under the monks.  Her mind grew ever greater at managing the matter of her being.

On days when she might have difficulty moving her mind and body into the state of relaxation, she would imagine beauty.  She would remember the beauty of the mountains of Tibet.  Her spirit would fly down the the valleys just above the green fields.  Then she would soar upward to the snow covered mountain tops.  Some days to relax she would imagine ice cream melting in a bowl.

As she lay on her bed stretching and relaxing she imagined a chocolate bar melting in the hot sun.  She told her muscles to relax like chocolate melting in the sun.  And her body melted into the sheets.  Her husband found her.  Nothing but a pile of chocolate melted onto the bed.  His thought was simply, "She always said she could never have too much chocolate!"

Chocolate melt down

This week's Spin Cycle prompt is tall tales.  Join the fun by sharing your tall tale with all us Spinners over at Gretchen's or Ginny's!  Or just enjoy reading our crazy tales!