Claudia Rosenhouse Raiken is my guest today to share birth conversations. She is a senior teacher at the School of Images (www.theschoolofimages.org) where she runs their DreamBirth™ Program. In that capacity Claudia has trained professionals world-wide and works with women and couples from all continents. She is a world expert at facilitating communication between the parents and the baby in the womb. She communicates with the souls planning to come, still not conceived, and even those that were miscarried or aborted. It is these conversations that led to the writing of Messages from the Womb. Claudia is a Childbirth Educator, a Birth Doula, an Alexander Technique Teacher, and a Biodynamic CranioSacral Practitioner. She holds a Masters from NYU in Kinesiology and Dance, and has assisted in over 300 births. Listen & Subscribe on: iTunes / Stitcher / Podbean / Overcast / Spotify Contact Info Website: https://www.claudiaraiken.com/  Most Influential Person Catherine Shainberg (one of the creators of Dreambirth) Effect on Emotions First of all, I tend to see life and emotions on a larger scale, especially when I get deeply involved, as I have a lot of passion. I feel my emotions intensely. When it’s a positive feeling, it’s not so bad. But if it’s anger or fear, I make a conscious effort to take a step back. It's like a mental exercise in visualization. I literally imagine myself taking three steps back, which helps me calm down instantly. Sometimes I even call upon my inner guidance, saying, ‘Help me calm down,' and then I tune into my body. I’ve learned how to let my body give me ‘yes' or ‘no' answers. I teach this method to many people, as there are several ways to do it. It’s almost like my body becomes a pendulum. I ask questions like, ‘Is this something I should be scared of?' If the answer is no, I feel reassured. For instance, if I experience a strange pain, I might worry initially, thinking, ‘Is it something serious like cancer?' But I quickly calm myself and ask my body, ‘Do I need to worry about this?' If I get a ‘no,' I can relax. Thoughts on Breathing When you imagine a beautiful garden, your breathing slows down. You don't have to do anything. I actually don't work with breathing specifically, except for knowing how to calm a person through my hands. If you think your house is about to burn or a tiger's coming, the breathing gets very shallow and you have to run. If you feel like the universe has your back and everything's really going to be okay then your breathing gets to be what it needs to be. And in birth, some women will still take slow breathing. You know, that's what they're learning in their birth education class, but whenever they do the imagery, it kind of gets there naturally. Suggested Resources Book: Messages from the Womb: Babies Talk Through Guided Visualizations Expanding Our Hearts and Minds by Claudia Rosenhouse Raiken Book: DreamBirth: Transforming the Journey of Childbirth Through Imagery by Catherine Shainberg Ph.D. Book: The Nature of Personal Reality: Specific, Practical Techniques for Solving Everyday Problems and Enriching the Life You Know (A Seth Book) App: n/a