Hypnotherapy and Self-Hypnosis

There is nothing mysterious about the hypnotic trance state. People enter it all the time, relaxing after a good exercise workout, while listening to soothing music, or even driving on a long road trip.  Hypnotherapy is simply a way to intentionally relax your body and calm your mind. In this way, you can access information that is usually kept hidden below the level of conscious awareness by the incessant chatter of the thinking mind. For therapy purposes, hypnotherapy is best facilitated by a certified hypnotherapist so your particular issues can be safely addressed. For relaxation, self healing processes, and stress management, hypnosis is something you can learn to do for yourself.

Self-hypnosis begins by finding a place you won’t be disturbed by phones, children, etc.  Lying down is preferable – a bed, couch, or recliner works fine. Start by taking a few full breaths into your abdomen and as you exhale, have a sense of sinking deeper down into the chair as you let all the tension dissolve and release right out of the body. Follow the inhale and exhale of your breath for awhile, allowing your breathing to be soft and easy as you sink deeply into your body. You can then begin a process of progressive relaxation. To do this, tense and then relax the muscle groups of your body from your head to your toes. Start with the scalp and forehead muscles, tensing and then releasing them in relaxation. Next, squint the eyes and then relax them, including the eyelids and muscles behind the eyes so they feel very soft. Continue with the jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, chest and abdomen, thighs, calves, and finally the feet and toes, tensing the muscles of each body part and then totally releasing them. Allow a softening of the whole body, letting go of tension more and more as you progress. This process can also be done without tensing the muscles first by just going through your body in the same way from head to toe, giving suggestions for each part of your body to become soft and relaxed as you do.

In this state of deep relaxation, you can make positive affirmations for your health, successful outcomes in your life or for staying calm during the day. For example, “I give thanks that I am experiencing more and more love in my life each day.” Doing this process before bed can help you unwind and prepare for sleep. If you do it during the day, give yourself time to come all the way back up to conscious awareness. To make sure you’re out of trance; simply tell yourself you’ll be alert and awake on one. Then count yourself up to the waking state saying, 5-4-3-2-1. The more you do this type of self-hypnosis, the easier it is to eliminate stress and access this calm relaxation whenever you need to throughout the day. For more information on the effectiveness of hypnosis go to http://www.soultranceformations.com/ or http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_statistics_on_the_effectiveness_of_hypnosis?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d1793cdcf2ee960,0