Pain and Darkness

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From the course by University of Florida

Healing with the Arts

117 ratings

University of Florida

Healing with the Arts

117 ratings

Through art projects—including visual arts, dance, writing, and music—along with spiritual practices and guided imagery, Healing With the Arts gives you the tools to heal what you need to heal in your life: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

From the lesson

Course Introduction

This week will give you an overview of the course, an introduction to your guides, a get-started kit, and space to do art.

Guided Imagery Overview5:03

Reclaim Your Inner Artist8:16

Reclaim Your Inner Healer3:27

Artist and Healer as One3:16

Pain and Darkness6:31

Meet the Instructors

Mary Rockwood Lane, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Professor
College of Nursing
Michael Samuels, MD

Healing with the arts, part of this journey is starting where

you experience your pain, your suffering and your darkness.

Allowing yourself to connect to a part of yourself that needs to be healed.

In this place, you enter this place within yourself and

this is a place that you've been before.

So as we create a sacred place in this healing process,

you return to this place inside yourself with an intention to heal.

It's very different than just returning this place and being there.

So I'd like you to settle into your body and

honor the sacred space that you reside in.

And honor your capacity to live your life fully.

And you've lived parts of your life with pain and suffering.

And you've lived your life with tremendous healing, joy, and happiness.

In this moment I'd like to revisit a place inside of you that calls to be healed.

Gently close your eyes and listen to my voice,

knowing that you are entering the space in a sacred,

loving, compassionate way.

I hold you in my arms and I hold my story in my arms.

I'm holding you right now, so do not be afraid.

As you enter this place, I'd like you to reconnect with your heart.

The place inside of you that is strong,

where there's a wellspring of love, creativity, and healing.

Breathe deeply, breathing into your body,

dwelling in the inner spaces of your very essence.

In this place, return to a place of darkness and

pain, something that emerges that focuses you and

calls you, for now is the time to heal.

Notice whatever comes up and let it be.

Notice how it feels in your body, knowing in this moment you are safe, you are okay.

As the darkness and pain reveals itself,

there is a memory, there may be a memory, there may be a story,

there may be a belief, simply allow that to be.

Allow yourself to connect with this place of suffering.

You are not alone in this moment with your pain and your darkness.

Your experience is not only your experience, but

it's experience of humanity.

In your suffering and in your tears, and in your sorrow,

and in your grief, many others have felt the same way.

What is your story?

What is your experience?

In your minds eye, hold the gift of your own pain.

This gift of pain is the beginning of what you use to make your art.

This is the canvas, the palate,

the experience, in which you can move into

this place inside yourself and make art.

Make it into a poem, experience and

embrace it in a dance, write it in your journal as a story.

Start with this story of your own suffering and

see where it leads you on this journey of healing.

When one person heals their own suffering and pain,

we contribute to the healing of the entire planet and all of humanity.

And your life is your gift and that is where you begin to heal,

not only yourself but when you heal yourself, you heal others.

When you heal others, you heal community.

When you heal community, you heal the world.

And when we heal, we through the power of our own self experience of healing,

we contribute to the wholeness of all.

So starting with your pain, starting with

your suffering, now in your journaling and

in your visual art experience make art.

Make art starting in this place, starting with the pain and see where it takes you.

And have faith in your capacity to create a healing piece

of art through the expression and letting go of this pain,

this suffering, whatever it is that's holding you back.

I hold your life, you are not alone.

We are a community that holds this work together,

so I invite you to share yourself and let it be expressed.

And let it be healed, thank you.

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