“Everything you can imagine is real.” —Pablo Picasso

When we are children, our imagination is boundless. A box becomes a castle; an eraser can be a racecar. As we age, however, we let conditioned thinking, societal pressures and the influences of our surroundings inhibit our imagination. Our thoughts become cluttered with limiting beliefs that distance us from our imagination’s creative power and ability to enhance our reality. Evoking our childhood imagination can be part of a powerful healing technique. Here’s how it works:

1. Relax Think of a situation you would like changed in your life or body. Set an intention of healing. Take a few minutes to relax your body, breathing deeply. Close your eyes.

2. Feel the negative Envision yourself as you are now; feel what is not working in your life. Let your body connect to the negative feelings and emotions you experience.

3. Connect to the positive Next, allow yourself to connect to your boundless childhood imagination. Create a version of yourself that is healthy and joyous, free of your current entanglements. Place this joyous version of yourself a few feet in front of you.

4. Let the energies merge Take a deep breath, and allow the two versions of yourself to embrace. Let the “two of you” conjoin, gracefully swirling your two energies together. No need to force any connection—let the mingling energies just happen. Stay in this state until your energies feel harmoniously combined into one. Then take a few moments to curiously observe how you feel. Express gratitude for the gifts that your imagination has allowed you to access. In somatic healing, techniques like this can be used in a variety of ways: to help resolve past traumas, to heal ailments and to empower a more positive, creative future.

Scott Clover is an intuitive energy healer and a somatic and trauma-release expert based in New York City. His work focuses on helping people feel better in their bodies and align with their creative energies. For more information or to contact him, visit ScottClover.com.