At the very center of our being

is rhythmic movement,

a cyclic expansion and contraction

that is both in our body and outside it,

that is both in our mind and in our body,

that is both in our consciousness

and not in it.*


 

In a room of white she stands alone, dressed in brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange. I’m drawn to her, but as I move more closely into the scene, the colors become alive – they flicker and dance – and, suddenly, she is awash in flames. They climb higher and higher, engulfing her, until she herself no longer exists. Only the fire remains. I begin to panic. My breath quickens. I gasp for air. I cannot breathe. I cannot cry out. As the pain in my chest begins to mount, abruptly, I open my eyes.

The mind’s eye has a special relationship with the healing system. A great deal of the cerebral cortex is devoted to vision. Located at the back of the head, this part of the brain mostly occupies itself with processing of information from the retinas of the eyes, but when it disengages from that task and turns inward, one of the most important channels for mind/body communication becomes available.

The charm, slowly swinging back and forth, comes to a stop above my chest. I blink my eyes, trying to return to the present, trying to remember where I am. In time, I begin to recognize the room around me; its soft light and soothing scent are familiar – burnt sage and lavender surround me as I lie on the portable examination table. This room isn’t white; instead it’s filled with calming colors and artifacts – smooth stones, stacks of books, pictures of water and trees, soft music in the background. My breath becomes more even as we discuss in a rational way what has just occurred. The healing essences must be working, I am told; the emotions, the issues, are coming to the surface. Our goal is to determine why these symptoms are captured in my chest. Why is my breathing affected?

I continue to lie on the table in my healer’s home, my head held softly by a pillow, but my mind and my body still restless. Tonight, our work is not yet done. There is more for me to see – not only visions, but also memories. Once again, I close my eyes, and although the world is dark, I can clearly see these moments in my past...