MY QUARANTINE EXERCISE

by imagineer7

During the quarantine lockdown I became very frustrated at not being able to do the work I love. I had difficulty reimagining how to do and enjoy my work during this national lockdown. Then I remembered an idea suggested by St. Ignatius Loyola (some 500 years ago). He suggests using your imagination to look back at life and decisions from your deathbed as a basis for trying to make a current decision.

This exercise follows an idea suggested by St Ignatius Loyola (some 500 years ago).

Begin by relaxing in a calm, quiet environment then:

1. Imagine your infancy, in your imagination think back to when you were a small, helpless, dependant, infant born into a particular environment.

• Imagine being 5, imagine you are now 5, how did it feel to be 5? Can you picture images and memories from that time.

• Imagine being 12, 25, 40, 65, after a few minutes, project your imagination to what you were like when you were 12, did you worry? What was important to you? What was your world like? Using the same method of thinking ask yourself the same questions for age 25 and 40 and 65.

• Imagine being very, very old; imagine looking in the mirror when you are very old. What do you see? How you feel about yourself? Who are you? Take a retrospective look over your whole life – what really mattered? What would you have like to have done differently? Are you ready to die?

• Imagine your death, what are your thoughts as you imagine yourself dying? Imagine your closest friends and relatives, what would they be thinking about you?

Imagine being reborn, after a few, or when you feel ready, imagine you are going to be reborn. You can be reborn, anywhere at anytime as anything you desire. What would your choices be?

Return, When you feel ready to open your eyes, gradually look around you as if seeing everything for the first time.