Chronic disease affects so many people in America. These complex problems - cancer, diabetes, and heart disease - require complex solutions. Part of the solution involves people learning to help themselves by creating health-promoting states of consciousness - this is the inner game of health.

Many tools are available, including meditation, guided imagery, yoga, and visualization. Visualization is a powerful method for improving your health and for achieving your goals in life.

Sit quietly and close your eyes. Create a mental image of the tissue, organ, or structure you want to help heal. If you have chronic muscular pain in your neck and shoulders, visualize those muscles as being loose, relaxed, and limber. Visualize plenty of blood flowing to those muscles. Visualize the tension in those muscles dissolving.

If you have painful arthritis in your  hands, visualize your fingers and wrists moving through a complete and pain-free range of motion. Visualize the swelling in those joints dissolving. Visualize yourself as being healthy and pain-free.

Allow these visualizations to occur without any stress or strain. Your body is designed to respond to mental commands. Engage in the process and alllow the results to happen over time.