Health Journeys: A Meditation for Relaxation & Wellness

I love Bellaruth. I have used many of her tapes for relaxation groups that I run. Bellaruth's voice is so soft and comforting and the background music is so soothing. This tape was very general as the name implies. It wasn't too long - maybe 15 minutes (after the introduction). I used it at a support group for patients to give them a demonstration of what guided imagery is. I liked it very much and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a general relaxation or guided imagery tape.

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A very restful listening experience

After dealing with months of exhausting, emotional stress that left me numb and depressed, I came across this series of guided imagery CD's. "Relaxation & Wellness" was the first that I purchased and the experience was transforming. The author/reader's voice is soothing, once you get used to it (which only takes a minute or two). At first, it sounded monotone, which wasn't what I expected. But soon I accepted it, began listening to her words instead of the voice and relaxation set in. As recommended, I listened to the CD every day for a couple of weeks. One part of the guided imagery on this CD takes you (through the author's suggestion and your imagination) to a safe and happy place. You'd think each time my journey would be the same, but it wasn't! After a day or so of listening to the same guided imagery, I'd look forward to the journey and began thinking of different places to go. Sometimes it was a favorite spot from my childhood and at others it would be a vacation destination or sometimes the peace & quiet of one room. My favorite was a trip to Hobbiton in the Shire of Middle Earth! My point is, that even with repeated listening, I continued to enjoy the experience and was never bored.

Since this first purchase, I've collected several from this series and love them all. The others in my collection are more specific to certain conditions or illnesses that I must live with every day (such as diabetes and sleep difficulties), and I have found each CD different enough to warrant the multiple purchases. Currently, I try to listen to one of my CD's most every day and the positive change in my attitude, my ability to cope and overall reduction in my stress level is quite noticeable. After a listening session, I feel just as calm and focused as when I've done yoga and meditation in the past. My opinion is that the guided imagery experience is quite similar and offers a benefit equal to meditation, in particular.

The second half of each CD are what the author calls "Affirmations," which are statements you are asked to think about and repeat to yourself that are meant to "reprogram" any negative thoughts you might be experiencing to a more positive outlook. It may sound weird, but it does work! After just a couple of days I found myself repeating certain affirmations that spoke particularily to my situation and finding comfort or strength.

Overall, I am very pleased that I found this soothing, helpful series of CD's and I recommend them. The prices are quite fair, considering that if you paid a professional for therapy or similar guided imagery experiences you'd be paying $90+ an hour! This way you can turn it on and reap the relaxing benefit of meditation as often as you need... at one reasonable price.

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A Remake of an Earlier Product

Don't bother with this tape. I really enjoyed Naparstek's previous tape, Healthful Sleep, Guided Imagery. Having listened to that tape at night for years, imagine my surprise when I order "another" of her tapes to find this is just a remake of the earlier tape. (A way to sell more, just repackage but put the same thing inside!) But it's worse than just a remake. The tape is minimally changed, but all changes are for the worse. Her voice and intonation on this new tape are not nearly as good or soothing as the previous tape. She has also changed phrases here and there; just enough to jar someone who has listened so much to the original tapes. The background music is also not as soothing as the original. WHY REMAKE and then remake less well? (It's like getting a new CD by a favorite artist, but find the "new" CD is full of all old songs, sung not as well as the original, with just a few new words and inferior backgound music. Disappointing!)

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