THE SACRED CENTER – Happy Places, Real and Imagined

Some years back, I was due to undergo major back surgery down at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. To prepare myself emotionally—and, some sources claimed, physically—I looked into hypnosis. As luck would have it, my next-door office neighbor at the time was one of the preeminent experts in the world on what’s called alert hypnosis—also called self-hypnosis.

He coached me a bit and then steered me to a former colleague’s video series developed specifically for patients facing surgery.*

One of the techniques taught in the program is, after a pretty standard meditation prep, to create a special place in one’s own mind, one of peace and contentment. Then the therapist describes how to attach a sort of “switch” to instantly call up that virtual escape, bypassing all the prelims. (My switch was simply to tap together the tips of my right index finger and thumb.)

        My happy place affected, as the surgeon 
        was soon to exclaim, a remarkably quick 
        and thorough recovery. 

INCISIONS, DECISIONS
So, as they wheel me to the operating room, I trigger my escape using that cue…and there I am in the little utopia I’d created, a beautiful, isolated northwoods lakeside cabin. 

So, at least till the anesthesia sets in, there I am, moving through my structure, experiencing each space and each view, examining every detail. Some features I still love; others, I move around or swap out for different styles or colors.  

I’m convinced that my self-hypnotically-induced happy place not only helped me remain calm, but also affected, as the surgeon was soon to exclaim, a remarkably quick and thorough recovery. 

I’LL HAVE THE SHRIMP
Another fantasy escape that takes me occasionally away from the clamor of real life finds Sally and me one night on a Brazilian beach. (I employ this one to cheat when they take my blood pressure.) 

The Milky Way is strewn across the pitch black sky. Delicious sea breezes stir the flames of a small bonfire I’ve built. Somehow we’ve managed to bring all that wood, a blanket, some food and, of course, a jug of caipirinhas** to sip on. 

Just down the beach a hundred yards away there’s a party going on. They have their own fire and some really nice live music. The small acoustic combo performs a mellow playlist inspired by samba icons Jobim and Gilberto. 

And they’re grilling shrimp, whose inimitable garlicky aroma just happens to be wafting our way. We soak it all in, appreciating each delicious sensation as a gift.

WHERE THE HEART IS
Like those Mayo Clinic and doctor’s office diversions, some happy places are imaginary. But I have a few that are real too. 

There are the exotic ones, like some of Sally’s and my travel destinations. Like a few little towns I've visited in Latin America. And places closer to home, but which still require a bit of effort to reach. Like my beloved St. Croix River and its backwaters, where I canoe and commune with Nature.

And then there are others that require no effort at all. Places most people would consider mundane, like our own living room where we simply sit, with our sweet little mini-Schnauzer, Sylvia, listen to music and talk.

         Near or far, solitary or with someone 
         else, they’re all really the same place. 

DO NOT DISTURB
I’m sure people's happy places vary greatly, depending on our personalities and tastes. Far away or close to home; out in Nature or indoors; summoning all the senses or just vision. 

The more I ponder the idea of happy places, the clearer it becomes that, whether near or far, solitary or with someone else, they’re all really the same place. And that’s a quiet little corner of our own minds and hearts, which, with a bit of self-discipline and a little imagination, we’ve cordoned off and marked: Busy taking care of myself. Do not disturb.

How about you? I'd love to hear about the places, real or imagined, in which you escape stress. Won’t you please share them in the comments below?

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* The program—on CDs—is Smooth Surgery, Rapid Recovery: A Systematic Approach, by Dr. Carol Ginandes, a health psychologist affiliated with Boston’s McLean Hospital and Harvard University.

** The caipirinha is kind of the national cocktail of Brazil. It’s simply cachaça (a white rum), fresh lime juice and sugar.