After getting Long Covid, I started following the Annie Hopper positive memory meditations, which were so powerful for me. I now want to share the experience with others! Free, 15 minute positive memories I lead you through. Sign up today!  

What is the limbic system? 

The part of the brain called the limbic system or “emotional brain” creates bonds with people, groups, and controls our emotions, memories, social bonding, and attachment. It includes the amygdala (fear alert center), hippocampus (memory storage), hypothalamus (regulates involuntary nervous system functions that lie below consciousness, and acts as a control system for homeostasis or life balance and stability (body temperature, blood pressure)). 

Amygdala acts as an alarm for fight or flight, alerting the hypothalamus to spring into action. It learns through associative memory. 

The hippocampus encodes details into experience, putting it into long term memory, and the amygdala tags it with a specific emotion. 

What are we doing to the brain processes when we do the positive memory meditations? 

We are creating new, positive emotional associations to formerly difficult experiences, reminding the body and mind of a different way of processing the world. We do this by first consciously bringing up negative ways our brain is functioning, and then leading it through a new way of associating. Getting into a safe bodily space teaches us that we don’t have to have negative, danger responses to certain stimuli. 

Script:  

Your brain is in a rut and it’s sending your body false messages. 

An overactive limbic system in the past would cause  your body and brain to _______________ (say what your body and brain are thinking and feeling) 

Now you know that this is due to cross wiring in your limbic system and you can choose to rewire your brain. 

___________ (your name)- that’s amazing and so powerful and I’m so proud of you!

Limbic system, thank you for trying to keep __________ (your name) safe. You’ve been working overtime and now you can just relax and let a new system take over. 

____________ (your name), what do you choose?

“I choose_____________________________. (say what you choose to believe, could be a mantra, of the specific situation, etc. ex: I choose to believe I am safe and happy and loved regardless of what I do.

“I’m going into a memory_______________ (detail the memory completely, what you see, who is there, what you’re doing, say the colors, smells, tastes, etc)”

“I’m going into a future memory ____________ (detail the memory completely, what you see, who is there, what you’re doing, say the colors, smells, tastes, etc)”