Italian
In all psychosomatic illnesses such as headaches, ulcers, colitis, psoriasis, and bronchial asthma, it is noted that those who suffer from them live a repetitive existence, have a strong sense of duty, and force themselves to do things they do not love.
There is a clear prevalence, an almost absolute dominance of the world of thought over that of emotions and feelings. Therefore, a life that is always the same, repetitive, dominated by thoughts that torment, risks being the main reason for the onset of psychosomatic disorders. Far from being a disease, stress can be, however, a warning signal of a need that we are not aware of.
When we are “stressed,” it means that we are subjecting ourselves to rhythms, to situations that are not congenial to our nature. In these cases, it is not stress to be fought against, which instead has the positive value of the “warning light” that comes on and indicates that what we are doing is too tight for us.
The issue focuses on what is “the response to stress”, that is the series of reactions that we put in place to respond to the discomforts that life inevitably brings us. When we feel the presence of anxiety, malaise, a subtle state of sadness, we must reflect. The danger lies in getting used to all this, in not accepting that our lives, at least in some ways, must change.
Those who suffer from psychosomatic illnesses, like those who do not react to stress, find themselves in a closed world where life always flows the same.
One can imagine being enclosed in a fence, unable to find the way out. These are common images for those who struggle to break free from predefined patterns. Every time we picture ourselves in a dead end, it means that stress has taken over. Therefore, it becomes important to break the dominance of thought.
Imagination and imagery are the safest antidotes against stress.
The path “of closed eyes” and of images that emerge while we are lying down and relaxed appears as the main path. For example, the image of a flowing river can be pleasant or show us instead “blocks” that prevent water from flowing freely, from flowing.
The imaginative relaxation allows us to understand how much we are immersed in stress and also enables us to find the way to let images of freedom, of joy flow within us.
It is not so much by making an effort that we can change a world that is too closed, but rather by closing our eyes, letting go, using our imagination, our creativity.
In our imagination, we can retrieve our soul, crushed by a life too focused on reality, on daily life, on work.
Maura Luperto
