Inspiring Others With What's Possible!

"Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things." "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Alice in Wonderland

David Hamilton, Ph.D. wrote the first edition of "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body" ten years ago. He put out a call for healing stories from people who healed themselves through visualization.

Here is what I sent to him:
Eleven years ago I was diagnosed with Post Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine Standards. My life came to a screeching halt. I was at the height of my award winning career as a VA social worker yet was told if there were any "hope" of stabilizing the symptoms where they were I needed to quit my job, be prepared to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair possibly needing a feeding tube because I would aspirate my food due to weakness on the left side of my esophagus. I was weak and in chronic pain, anxious and depressed.

I got still and asked for Divine Guidance and I began writing poetry in which I imagined myself being whole, healed and free in my body. My first poem was "Running the Race" - yes I know pretty incredible as I sat in a leg brace using a cane and at times a wheelchair for mobility. I went on to run the 2009 Boston Marathon as a mobility impaired runner. In addition to using poetry as a vehicle for visualization, I meditated several times a day imagining God as my master electrician rewiring my neuromuscular system and healing the effects of both childhood paralytic polio and severe childhood trauma that manifested as Post Polio Syndrome.

Three years ago, my left knee "blew out". I was pushing myself way too hard in my running without cross training. MRI indicated an atrophied gastroc muscle, bone spurs, degenerative changes due to osteoarthritis and multiple knee surgeries, shredded cartilage and a fatty lipoma. I was told to stop running and prepare to need a total knee replacement in a few years.

I returned to visualization and found my way to a wonderful chiropractor who supported my using visualization and a set goals not limits philosophy. He was also a personal trainer who prescribed exercises to support me as a runner. We used KT tape and the power of visualization to heal my knee and grow a new gastroc muscle.

I upped my game of time spent in meditation using visualization harnessing the power of my mind and the Divine within and around me and in January crossed the finish line of my 3rd Bermuda Half Marathon in as many years.

At the age of 64 years old not only am I not in a wheelchair and have not had a total knee replacement but life a full, vibrant life through the power of visualizing myself from illness to wellness claiming my birthright to be healthy.

After I sent him additional information about the specifics of how I turned around my prognosis, he wrote,
Thank you so much, Mary. What wonderful use of visualisation!!! I LOVE it. :-)

I love how creative you were and also how committed you were. I think your examples of visualisation will give many other people hope, who have none!

I’m meeting with my publisher at the end of the month to go through the examples I’ve been sent. Is it OK if I get back in touch with you then to confirm if we’ve been able to use your example? Personally, I really love it so I’m pretty sure it’ll make the final edit. :-)

Thanks again, and have a lovely day,

I am so excited to share with you that my story is going to be included in the newest edition of David's book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body."


You can pre-order it on Amazon.

An authoritative and accessible book by a qualified scientist, showing incredible proof of the mind-body connection.

There is no longer any doubt that the way we think affects our bodies: countless scientific studies have shown this to be true. For former pharmaceutical scientist Dr David Hamilton, the testing of new drugs highlighted how profoundly the mind and body are connected. Time and time again, the control group of patients in drug trials improved at similar rates to those who actually received the medicines. Astounded, Dr Hamilton decided to change the direction of his work to explore the relationship between the mind and the body.

This bestselling acclaimed book was first published 10 years ago. In it, Dr Hamilton explores the effect of visualization, belief and positive thinking on the body, and shows how using our imagination and mental processes can stimulate our own defences and healing systems to combat disease, pain and illness.

In this new edition, Dr Hamilton has added four new chapters to discuss the latest cutting-edge information and extraordinary new techniques. These include using imagery to stimulate the immune system - a method that can benefit cancer patients undergoing conventional treatment - effectively using the mind to speed up rehabilitation from stroke, and powerful visualization strategies to help facilitate recovery from injury and illness.

While I share my story on Facebook, in this blog and in my books, having my story included in David's book is going to have a wider audience reach. He has appeared in the movie Heal Documentary, and is an internationally renowned speaker and author. His publisher is Hay House UK.

So often people do not know what is possible when it comes to healing our bodies harnessing the power of our minds.

I've heard many stories of people who say, "Oh I tried this or that and it doesn't work."

During these past 11 years I have experienced and experimented with many different paths to healing. I am so blessed and grateful that I found my way to chiropractic care with Dr. Lizzie Sobel. I meditate 3 times a day. My morning and evening meditations are 20 minutes each; my afternoon meditation is a 45 minute meditation. I use either a meditation from Dr. Joe Dispenza, Dr. Bernie Siegel or the soundtrack from Heal. It has taken me persistence and dedication to maintain momentum on my health and wellness journey healing the effects of childhood paralytic polio and severe childhood trauma. I work out five days a week; two days of running, two days in the pool and one day strength training on land.

My dedication is to myself and my own well being but it's also to send a message of healing, hope and possibility to others inspiring them to know just what is possible despite all appearances to the contrary!

From my heart to yours,
To your health and wellness,
Mary

My healing journey is going to be featured in David R. Hamilton's soon to be released book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body." It's available for pre order on Amazon.

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):


Coming soon *** The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953 ****

Countdown to Bermuda: Believe

I am deeply grateful to Beth Jordan, a nurse who I was blessed to meet at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in 1982 when I was hospitalized with a bone infection in my shoulder. She was a nurse in every sense of the word. She tended to my wounds mind, body and soul and brought me cassette recordings of Dr. Bernie Siegel.

Through the years Bernie, and the wisdom he shares, has helped me to transcend the wounds of paralytic polio and trauma. However, we often joke that I am a slow learner. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, I reached out to Bernie through his Forum back in the day. He helped me to believe in my body's ability to heal. Bernie also helped me to tune out the doctor's words that instilled fear and doubt in me and to tune into the Divine Intelligence within me.

After a very serious knee injury in December of 2014, I returned to Western Medicine to see what needed to be healed. I had to tune out the voices of the doctor, the physical therapists and the nay sayers that seemed to surround me and believe as I believed so many times before that I have the power within me to heal.



I was blessed to find my way to Dr. Ryan J. Means, a chiropractor healer who shook me out of my fears and doubts with loving hands, heart and soul (and a whole lot of kinesiotape) and leading me to the teachings of Dr. Joe Dispenza:



and even though he moved to China to practice, he taped my left leg in a NY deli when we met in New York City for a whirlwind time together:


It gave me that extra boost of confidence as I finished my training for Bermuda Half Marathon II last year.

Last weekend Team McManus ran 11.5 on the road to Bermuda Half Marathon III. As Ryan and I were messaging back and forth on Facebook I said, "I can't believe I'm training for another Half." "Of course you are," he said to me. "You are an unstoppable rockstar."

Whenever I get those twinges of doubts or fears or begin to experience different sensations in my body especially as we build mileage, one word keeps coming to me, "Believe!"

It's a wonderful time of year to be training for Bermuda again. It's the holiday season - the season of miracles. The perfect time of year to Believe!


A clip from the movie classic Miracle on 34th Street:



I believe!

To going the distance with strength and courage
From my heart to yours,
Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Going the Distance: One Enchanted Evening in January 2015

The New England Patriots were playing in the playoffs in January of 2015. The weather was cold with slush, snow and ice everywhere. Yet the plan was already made for the book release party of my book "Journey Well" and we were not going to postpone it. {Bloggers note:I decided to unpublish Journey Well and incorporated much of the running content and my healing journey into "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance."}

The small crowd thinned out and I found myself standing in front of Ryan Joseph Means, DC - a doctor of chiropractic medicine.



In December of 2014 I sustained a very serious knee injury. The you never should have started running in the first place; you certainly shouldn't run now and if you do no more than a 5 miler and probably prepare to have a total knee replacement in a few years and by the way why don't you come back to see us at the Post Polio Clinic for a reevaluation and see if we can help you...I'll give you a script to see a physical therapist ... who turned out to be the physical therapist from hell....

The Universe was orchestrating everything that would lead up to that moment when I would meet a healer who would change my life.

His passion for healing and the power of chiropractic care shined through his sparkling blue eyes. He was enthralled with what I was able to do thus far on my healing journey healing the effects of paralytic polio and trauma. He reached out to me on Facebook and asked if we could have coffee. I decided to interview him for my blog.

Spirit urged me to set up an appointment with him right then and there.

There was an incredible chemistry between us.

In addition to all of the tools in his chiropractic toolbox, Dr. Ryan was reading "You Are the Placebo" by Dr. Joe Dispenza. He told me I HAD to get it. In the meantime, he sent me this photo via email from Dr. Joe's book:


I printed it out and as you can tell, it's well worn from keeping it up on my refrigerator as a reminder that whatever I may be experiencing in my body, I AM the placebo.

As he worked on my feet using Graston technique and as he taped my knee and gastroc muscle (to stimulate the growth of a new gastroc muscle that had atrophied as a result of the polio virus I contracted at the age of 5), he asked me a critical question for my life, "Why set limits?"

Even though Dr. Ryan moved to China in August of 2015, we stay in close touch on Facebook and figure out a way to meet up when he comes to the States from China where he is practicing chiropractic as part of an integrative medicine team.

He is with me on every training run and every cross training and strength training workout. His words echo in my ears and his touch and Being have left footprints on my heart.



Whenever I have fears or doubts about what my body is capable of doing, I think back to our work together.

We continue to talk about Dr. Joe's work and share in the excitement of the release of his upcoming book, "Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon."

I follow Dr. Joe on Facebook and every evening meditate with his Rest and Renew Meditation. His work continues to inspire me on my healing odyssey.

This Thursday he is offering a 3 hour live stream event that will end with a global meditation. I look forward to continuing to create the change I want to experience in my life, mind, body and soul with the energy from the Divine that flows whenever we gather together with the intention for healing and transformation.

I am so blessed and deeply grateful for the portal to healing that opened that one enchanted evening in January of 2015 especially as I train for Bermuda Half Marathon III and continue to heal the effects of paralytic polio and trauma.

Whenever we ask for Divine Guidance and set a powerful intention for our lives, which I had done through writing inspirational poetry and continue to set through my writing and meditation, the Universe reminds me to believe in something more and experience the power and love of grace.

To going the distance with strength and courage
From my heart to yours,
Mary

Be sure to listen to my interview with Keith Cartwright, "From Polio Survivor to Boston Marathon Finisher" by following this link.

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):