—In the introduction to the Healthy Pregnancy and Successful Childbirth CD, Belleruth Naparstek suggests, “Try not to have a fixed idea of how you think the labor and delivery should go. The more flexible you can be, the better off you are.”

This month's Alternative Health Magazine digs deep into guided imagery. The feature looks into this often discounted form of healing, presenting it as a method of treatment that is not only non-invasive and free, but that can also be done anywhere at any time.

Advances in MRI testing have shifted guided imagery from just another hokey new-age modality to a legitimate method of brain stimulation. Martin Rossman, MD, cofounder of the Academy for Guided Imagery details what scientists have discovered: “Imagery activates the parts of your brain that process the type of information you are imagining. For instance, when you are told to hear birds chirping, the auditory part of your brain gets active; when you are told to feel the warmth of the sun, the sensory part of your brain gets active . . . Since the image looks, sounds and feels like a safe place, your body interrupts the stress response and goes into relaxation . . . This form of purposeful daydreaming . . . has been proven to shift mood, improve circulation, enhance immune responsiveness, lower heart rate and decrease blood pressure, among other things.”