Sit comfortably, with your back and neck completely supported. Allow the floor, or chair, or whatever you are sitting on to hold you. Let tension melt away as you bring your attention to your breath. With each breath in . . . feel your diaphragm moving down toward your feet. . . and your lower abdomen beginning to expand. . . With each breath out. . .as your abdomen relaxes. . . feel the muscles in your neck and shoulders drifting down with gravity. . . and relaxing even more deeply. . .

Continue to breath, moving deeper and deeper into relaxation. Imagine yourself at the top of an imaginary staircase or a shallow ramp or even an escalator that leads to an even deeper and more comfortable state of mind and body. . . Notice what it looks like. . . and descend one gentle step or a little bit at a time. . . and with each step down you feel tension releasing, leaving the worries of the day behind you. . . going deeper and more comfortably relaxed with each descending step. . . Let your mind move to a still point, a place of pure peace and calm you have visited before. Ten. . . nine. . . deeper, more comfortably relaxed as you go down the stairs. . . eight. . . seven. . . not being concerned at all with how deeply you go or how you go more deeply. . . six. . .easy. . .comfortable. . . .five. . . just allowing it to happen. . .. and four. . . comfortable and pleasant. . . three. . . two. . . body relaxed yet your mind still aware. . . .one.

Take some time now to simply be with your pain or discomfort. . . Remember that your pain may be physical sensations or perhaps worries or fears. . . .Gather all of your pain into one particular spot, and begin to describe the pain silently. . . . Allow that pain to turn into an object. . . Just see what comes to mind, as there is no right or wrong way to do this. . . As you examine the object that has appeared, notice its size. . . How wide is it from side to side?. . . What is its depth from front to back?. . . .How tall is it from top to bottom? . . inches, feet, or more?. . . Notice the texture of the object, and its color. . . .Does it make any vibration or sound?. . . Do you think it is warm, hot, cool or cold?. . . . Now begin to clearly identify the location of the pain in your body. Is it right on the surface of your skin, just below the surface, or perhaps very deep in your body? . . .Identify exactly where it is. . . .

Keeping your eyes gently closed, cup your hands together, palms up as if you were holding something in them. . . .Allow yourself mentally to place the pain object directly in the palms of your hands so you can examine it even more closely. . . Have another look at the size of the object, its width, height and thickness. . . Feel the texture, and listen and feel for any sound or vibration coming from it. . . .Notice the color and temperature. . . Now that you can hold the object, is it heavy or light? . . . Does it feel warm or cool to your hands?. . . .You may want to turn the object over in your hands to get more information about it. . .

In your imagination, you can explore this image from any angle, and from as close or far away as you like. . . .carefully observe it from different perspectives. . . don’t try to change it. . . just notice what draws your attention.

What seems to be the matter in this image? What is it that represents the problem? . . . . (long pause)

When you know this, let another image appear that represents the healing or resolution of this problem. . . .again, simply allow it to arise spontaneously. . . .allow it to become clearer and more vivid. . . .carefully observe this image as well, from different perspectives. . . .what is it about this image that represents healing?

Recall the pain object and consider the two images together. . . how do they seem to relate to each other as you observe them? . . . Which is larger?. . . Which is more powerful? . . . If the image of the pain seems more powerful, notice whether you can change that. . . imagine the image of healing becoming stronger, more powerful, more vivid. . . imagine it to be much bigger and more powerful than the other. . .

Imagine the image of the pain turning into the image of healing. . . watch the transformation. . . how does it seem to happen? . . . Is it sudden, like changing channels on a television, or is it a gradual process?. . . If it is a process, notice how it happens. . . notice if what happens seems to relate to anything in your life. . .

End this imagery session by focusing clearly on the healing image. . . .imagine it is taking place in your body at just the right place. . . notice whether you can feel or imagine any changing sensations as you imagine this healing taking place. . . let the sensations be sensations of healing.. . affirm to yourself that this is happening now, and that this healing continues in you whether you are waking. . . sleeping. . . .imaging. . . or going about your daily activities. . . .

When you are ready, prepare yourself to return to the room. . . imagine yourself at the bottom of your imaginary staircase or ramp. . . and begin to climb. . . one. . .two. . .allowing this image of healing to continue to work within you. . . three. . . becoming more and more aware of your surroundings. . . four. . . and when you reach ten you may come wide awake and alert, feeling refreshed and better than before. . . five. . lighter and lighter. . . .six. . . aware of the room you are in. . . .seven. . . . feeling refreshed and relaxed and better than before. . .eight. . . almost wide-awake now. . . nine. . . your eyes may want to open now. . . and ten. . . allow your eyes to open and come fully wide-awake. . . feeling refreshed and relaxed and better than before. . . and stretch and smile and go on with your group. . .