Years ago, when I was able to arrest my alcohol use disorder (with help from others, of course), I was introduced to mindfulness meditation. When I found that I couldn’t sit still and felt like I was about to bust out of my skin, my instructor suggested that visualize myself sitting in nature (a lake instantly came to mind, not doubt a manifestation of Blue Mind), surrounded by similar souls.
This mental image worked then, and it works now. When I’m struggling with issues related to my relinquishment and adoption, like loss, rejection, guilt/shame, grief, identity, intimacy, and mastery/control, and I’m feeling isolated and misunderstood, I call upon this technique to ground myself. And when real-life experiences mirror my visualizations, I lock them into memory as firmly as I can, sit back, and smile (as you can see from the photo taken at the recent 2nd Untangling Our Roots Summit).
I’ve shared this technique with others and can report that many have benefitted from this as well.
Photo courtesy National Association of Adoptees and Parents and Right To Know.
