I wrote this as a Bradley teacher, years ago, in response to an email regarding the relaxation techniques and guided imagery taught in Bradley classes, as concerning Christian teachers and students. The curriculum hasn’t changed since then, so I think most of this will still be relevant. In any case, it addresses some fundamental issues that Christian parents-to-be need to deal with when learning relaxation techniques for childbirth.

As a side note, I have to also mention that Bradley and Lamaze are VERY different in this area. Yes, some teachers of both methods use guided imagery, because they are New Agers. But the upthrust of true Lamaze is NOT relaxation (or guided imagery for that matter). It is distraction and self-hypnosis. Interestingly, under hypnosis people don’t relax their muscles. The Bradley Method® teaches relaxation. Dr. Bradley knew that hypnosis is ineffective for labor - and we as Christians know it is a spiritual danger. In both “methods” of childbirth preparation, there are sure to be some guided imagery techniques because they are not Christian methods. We teachers have to adapt them to our own beliefs. Some add more of the New Age nuances, others throw them out and “Christianize” them as best we can to our secular classes, and without openly “mixing causes” as that is against Bradley policy. (Although adding extra guided
imagery from the New Age agenda is clearly also against policy…and I know of one teacher in my area who got a complaint from a Christian student about it…)

Firstly, I need to explain about the relaxation techniques we are given as Bradley teachers, and our contract. We are under a contract that says we are to teach the classes exactly as designed, and (in another section) not to “mix causes” (i.e., no religion, no other businesses,
etc.) This is obviously very hard to do for anyone who has a spiritual life, whether Christian, Jewish, New Age, or otherwise. For me, two of the relaxation techniques are spiritually dangerous, and I won’t do them. One other is suspect, and I tend to mention it in passing and
don’t actually “teach” it. If they ever found out, I might get booted, but I don’t care. I answer to a higher call!!

In our curriculum there are 12 techniques. The first two, “Tense & Relax” and “Progressive Relaxation” are purely physical - training your skeletal muscles to do a new trick. No different than doing bicep curls, just the opposite goal! Then we go to “Massage” - again, mainly
physical, but now adding the dimension of physical contact between husband and wife, one of the aspects of the sexual side of birth, wherein the husband’s gentle touch causes physical reactions and the release of oxytocin in the woman’s body, which help labor to progress. Obviously there is an emotional and mental aspect to this also, but it is primarily to encourage physical relaxation.

Then we have the 1st mental relaxation exercise. Note that in our material, the description begins like this: “Now that your have mastered several techniques to achieve physical relaxation, we will begin working on the next step, mental relaxation. Mental relaxation has to do with
what you are thinking about.” It goes on to suggest music, prayers, poems and stories. It ends with: “Many women like this technique because when they concentrate on the music or story, time seems to pass more quickly.” This is still pretty innocuous, and it’s easy as Christians to
plug in Scripture, praise music, devotional readings, etc. (In class I use music, and point out the contrast between the past weeks when they were relaxing in silence.) We are given a poem to read in class. I personally don’t use it. It’s fairly mild, but IMHO it’s still a form of guided imagery, at least toward the end of it, because it goes into this “picture a soft kitten in your hands…” or something like that. Now I feel it’s passed reality and gone to fantasy. I just skip it, and use music instead.

The next techniques are “Stroking” and “Muscle Observation” - both are stricly physical techniques. Now I realize someone could get suspicious about “stroking the tension down and out of her body” but let’s not get paranoid. God has given us a mind that is capable of much, and one of the things it can affect is our bodies. Think about the hypochondriac who is actually sick because he’s so busy thinking of things that can go wrong, he talks himself into the actual symptoms! In labor this is very true. For example, my doctor was unavailable over the weekend, and my dad was out of town. When I went into labor Friday night, I insisted I wouldn’t have the baby until Monday. I didn’t!!! Boy, do I kick myself for that now. I was literally (unconsciously) shutting down my own body’s natural processes with my mind, and I payed the torturous
consequences.

Next we have the “Positive Expectations” exercise. This is where you make up a birth plan, and read it while relaxed to see if it’s comfortable, or if there are parts of it that are still scary or cause tension. Again, there’s no hocus-pocus going on. You aren’t letting your mind go into strange, uncharted territory to see what might be out there. This is basic, real-life stuff. If you picture how you’ll handle an upcoming confrontation with a brother who has wronged you, and
rework the situation in your mind until it feels right, is that guided imagery? Or appropriate mental preparation for a potentially difficult situation?

“Emotional Relaxation” is next. This is about protecting and supporting your wife in labor so she feels safe and secure. It includes talking about your fears and feelings, and making back-up plans in case any of the fears become reality. No spiritual problem there.

OK…now I hit a serious wall. The “Rainbow” technique. This one involves picturing different colors as they change from red to purple to blue to green… It specifically says it’s for mental relaxation (see the difference??) and it also claims quite unashamedly to be guided imagery! This one is dangerous. I don’t do it.

Here’s the next WALL. This one is the “Warmth Relaxation”. Somehow here the baby is pictured as becoming a warm feeling, which moves through the body, and creates a sense of warmth and peace. Sorry. That’s gone WAY too far for me.

The next one is “Sensory Recall”. This one is border-line. It involves recalling a pleasant experience (such as a peaceful place you’ve visited) and all the sights, sounds, smells, feelings and impressions associated with it. I don’t care for it, because it can so easily become a fantasy place. And I know some people use it this way on purpose. I can’t say I’ve ever actually used this in class, but I do know of some Chrsitians who’ve found themselves using a variation of
this in labor. My sister, for example, (without planning or practicing ahead of time) saw herself riding on an escalator up and up, as the contraction got stronger. At the top, the Lord Jesus was holding out his hand, encouraging her onward. He’d help her over the top and then
she’d go gently down the other side. Guided imagery? Not in the New Age sense. Imagery to be sure, but if it was “guided”, it was from the Lord, something to let her know He was with her through each contraction, and that His strength was perfect for her.

OK, last one

Gee, now that I’ve bored you with the entire Bradley relaxation curriculum, I hope it has at least served to make some sense of this relaxation thing. We have an amazing God-given ability to birth, but it is quite hindered if we can’t also use our God-given ability to relax. This can be hindered by fear, of both the birth process AND the spiritual realm.

If we enter into relaxation and birth with the Lord as our Shepherd, and pray continually for His strength and grace to complete the task before us, and if we honor Him in our thoughts and with our physical bodies (by keeping our spiritual eyes on Him, and our bodies doing what He designed us to do) then we have confidence that He is there with us. We have the choice to keep our minds on Him, or to let them stray. So we must be self-controlled, and be alert - but being relaxed doesn’t preclude those things. We are capable of being physically relaxed, mentally relaxed, and emotionally relaxed, without opening our minds to dangerous spiritual practices or intrusions.