Someone wrote in with the same insight I’d had after watching the film Precious - that what kept the protagonist alive at her core, in spite of the way she was used, abused, derided and devalued on a daily basis, was the imagery she created to sustain and feed her.  I meant to write about it, but never got around to it.  But that’s just as well - this note, from someone who just discovered guided imagery, is far more eloquent, thanks to her fresh perspective. 

We got this enthusiastic email not too long ago from a woman who used guided imagery to help with her cancer diagnosis and subsequent mastectomy.

Not a question, but a BIG THANK YOU to Belleruth.  I have used your imagery CD's sporadically for the last 5 years or so, being a very healthy individual.  However I recently underwent a Mastectomy and am about to undergo Chemo treatment, and your CD's have been a Godsend to me. I am healing faster, gaining strength and mobilty, and have much greater peace of mind than I thought possible after receiving the diagnosis of breast cancer.

I have just purchased a lot of other CD's for family members and clients (I am a Reflexologist and able to get back to work 4 weeks after my surgery - very impressive!) and now recommend the CD's at least 3 times a week to various people I'm talking to.

I am definitely walking proof that your guided imagery processes WORK EXTREMELY WELL. Thank you so much and warmest wishes,
Sarah

Therese Borchard has made some terrific Youtube videos for her blog, Beyond Blue.  This one features Laura Oliver, her writing teacher, talking about Writing to Fill a Hole in the Soul. And I love what she has to say about jealousy!   

If you enjoy this video, check out the others on humor, anxiety and letting go that appear along the right side of the page. 

We got this wonderful note from a man who recently underwent hip replacement surgery.  We appreciate his giving all the credit to our imagery, but we have a sneaking suspicion that having a great surgical team, terrific attitude and a strong body also had something to do with the successful outcome!

Dear Belleruth,

I just underwent a complete right hip replacement last Tuesday, March 2.  I was released from the hospital three days later, and today, day 8 post-surgery, I'm up and about and walking with no walker, crutches, or cane.

Three weeks before the surgery, I downloaded your pre-surgery guided imagery and affirmations.  My wife and I listened to them every night for those three weeks, including the night before surgery.  Let me tell you, I am not a great fan of going "under the knife."  But the entire experience has been positive and amazing!

This amazing Hot Mamma is 92.  Her dancing partner, (who also happens to be her great grandson), is 29.   They’re dancing “hot salsa” together and, at any age, they’d be judged a super-talented pair.

If you haven’t already seen this video, which has been making the rounds at AARP and other appreciative venues, do watch this graceful, flexible dame with the terrific moves and jaw dropping stamina, and jettison any age-related excuses you've been counting on to get out of doing stuff!

According to the e-rumor fact-checking website, Truth or Fiction, this touching story is the truth.  Check it out - it’s good to remember that, along with all the mayhem and madness going on in Iraq & Afghanistan, there’s quite a bit of this happening too.  Here’s what the site says:

Summary of the e-Rumor:  

A picture is attached to this e-Rumor.  It is that of an American soldier holding and comforting a small girl who is resting in his arms.  The email says the soldier is John Gebhardt and the little girl was the victim of insurgents who shot her in the head and executed her family.  It is said that she cries and moans and that John seems to be the only one who can calm her down.  

Dear BR,
Enjoyed your email about helping the military with Guided Imagery.  Having experienced a lifetime of depression, your Depression tape has been the most valuable tool I have found.  With that and medication, the last 7 years of my life have been the best by far.  I am 58.  In my case, life began at 50!

My husband and I are enjoying a wonderful life as retirees near Hilton Head, SC. One year ago, shortly after retirement, my husband was diagnosed with celiac disease, an auto-immune condition where one cannot tolerate gluten, which is in wheat, oats, barley, and rye.  With an excellent GI specialist, help from a mentor, and finding a newly organized support group in Savannah, we are managing fine.  I enjoy cooking more now with this challenge than I ever did before when we could both eat anything.

We were told about this posting, from a really impressive woman who has some great suggestions here for recovering from any surgery (she also was kind enough to give guided imagery a shoutout), in response to an interview with E.D. Hill which she saw on The View.  Hill is a TV journalist who chose to have a prophylactic  double mastectomy in order to prevent getting breast cancer, because of her intense family history.  You can see the original interview here. Here are her comments, written directly to E.D. Hill:

We got a big kick out of this posting, which, as luck would have it, is from the one and only M.A. Bjarkman, one of the founding goddesses and leading lights of The ConferenceWorks!, the generous hosts of so many of my weekend trainings.  (They’re currently featuring the awesome likes of Greg Braden, Donna Eden and David Feinstein, Joseph Chilton Pearce and Geneen Roth.)