fortwayne-hypnosis.com Blog

Many people that I run into these days, claim that they do not experience the kind of sleep that their body and mind craves. They know that they are sleep deprived, running on empty, exhausted at almost a cellular level and concerned about the impact on their health. I, too, was a chronic insomniac until I started practicing self hypnosis for deep relaxation. Calming the mind and spirit is a blessed practice. Perhaps in the past when there was much less daily stimulus people slept better, generally. No cell phones, televisions, online gaming, internet, facebook, and less noise in general can be peaceful. People spent less time in their cars, I think, and more time at home. Sitting on the front porch on a summer evening watching your kids catch fireflies was a common form of recreation. Not so now! Like the modern format of setting a specific time for exercise, at the gym, for instance, more and more it has become necessary to set a specific time for unwinding and calming the mind and spirit. I am so thankful that I sleep well! It makes all the difference in my state of mind, level of concentration, moods, and general sense of well being. It is my desire to share this skill with others so that more and more people can experience the best sleep possible.

It seems that the little word “stress” carries a lot of weight these days. Just about everyone claims that stress is a regular part of their modern life. There is also a lot of research suggesting that sustained stress is not good for our health or state of well being. Yet, insomnia, anxiety, and even physical manifestations of too much stress appear to be prevalent in our society.

My next round of classes will deal specifically with the benefits of hypnosis for relieving stress, resulting in better sleep and a state of relaxation that truly benefits mind, body and spirit.

For more information on the upcoming classes call 260-918-0458. These two evening classes will teach you how to use self hypnosis effectively. Hope to see you there!

Something really unique is taking place at Fort Wayne Hypnosis, Inc. That’s right, something almost revolutionary! There is an opportunity developing for a new supportive approach to weight loss and better health. It started last Wednesday at 7PM with the first of a series of wellness classes. Kim Hiatt, a Certified Health Professional, Dave Elder, a Certified Fitness Trainer, and me, Teresa Roberts, NGH Certified Hypnotist are collaborating on what we think is a really NEW way to think about achieving better health. We are most excited about encouraging people to approach their weight loss problem in a different way. By bringing health and well being to a more conscious awareness, our aim is to focus on life style changes that support sensible weight loss and better health forever. Thinking and living like naturally healthy people think and live is the answer. Diets are not the answer.

Please call 260-918-0458 to talk to Teresa about being a part of these ongoing Wednesday night classes. We will be starting the official weight loss program soon, too!! If you want more information about our weight loss program please ask about WOW PLUS!!!

My clients sometimes worry about how deep or how light they go into trance. That’s why I usually build into a script certain phrases that reassure the individual that there is no right or wrong way to do this. People can not help but have preconceived notions or expectations in regards to the hypnotic phenomena even before they settle into my leather recliner in my office for a private session.

So often in life, we become anxious about the need to do something in the correct manner. There are a lot of rules, regulations, guidelines, and procedures that we feel compelled to follow or meet in our daily lives. It can be surprising to discover that unlike most other things, the time spent in my office is truly only about pure relaxation. That sounds simple enough, but in fact, many people, perhaps the vast majority, are relaxation challenged.

I have been hypnotized many times in my life, either formally or through the process of self hypnosis. What I have discovered is that each experience is always uniquely different. I have been known to go so deep that I no longer heard anything that the hypnotist was saying. At other times, I was able to repeat over and over again an affirmation or a thought that I wanted to deliberately feed to my subconscious, of course, at the exclusion of all other thoughts. Sometimes, I wandered in and out of trance. At times, I knew that I was only in a very light state. Each a bit different, but none wrong or right, because you can’t mess it up.

It has been said that you could easily sit in a chair with your eyes wide open, watching a hypnotist on a TV screen and the hypnotic suggestions would still work for you. There are really only two things you must do. One, you must be open to relaxing. Two, and most important of all, you must want it to happen. Only you can make it happen!

So relax! Sit back and enjoy the experience. Choose to let yourself become relaxed. Accept the mutually agreed upon hypnotic suggestions for the changes in your life that you are seeking. You can not fail!

All hypnosis is self hypnosis. As a practicing hypnotist, I merely guide a client into a state of deep relaxation. Through the power of mutually agreed upon hypnotic suggestions, the client and I are then better able to reprogram the subconscious part of the mind. When self limiting beliefs are replaced with thoughts and beliefs that support the conscious mind’s desire for change, it becomes much more likely that personal goals will be met.

Like anything in life, individuals can improve their self-hypnosis skills. It takes practice! Although the hypnotic state is a natural state, to use these skills with deliberate intentions to change a habit, thought pattern, belief system, or merely to improve any aspect of day to day living, a certain amount of commitment is required in order to manifest the desired results.

I practice daily self hypnosis. I do not necessarily assign a specific time every day for this practice of deliberate focus, but it is rare that I do not eventually find the time to sit quietly and enjoy this feeling of deep relaxation. Sometimes, I have specific things that I want to accomplish and my concentration is then directed toward that intention. At other times, I allow my mind to merely blissfully float. Either way, I always feel better after a fifteen to twenty minute session.

In a day and age when one of the key words seems to be the word STRESS, I am extremely pleased to have a simple, inexpensive, and effective tool that when used can deliver immediate relief.

I have embraced the concept that every morning when I open my eyes, the world that I see is the the world that I have created with the thoughts that I think. Therefore, my world is different than yours. By the same token, you also see a world that is unique to your own thoughts. It has been created by the culmination of all of your thoughts and experiences. The beauty of this concept is that if I don’t like the world that I see, then I have the choice to change it by merely changing the thoughts that I think. That is a very powerful idea. Don’t you just love knowing that?

Many people do not seem to fully understand that you can not get what you want by only thinking about what you don’t want. Thinking about what you do not want serves a purpose. It helps us define what we do want, but most people tend to dwell indefinitely on the things in their life that they dislike. The energy that it takes to complain, commiserate  with other complainers, argue, resist, and generally wallow in self pity is a waste of our resources. It does not help us to easily attract the things we want into our life. Furthermore, if the things that we want suddenly come to us while we are in this negative place, we are often unable to even recognize that what we were asking for had, indeed, been delivered.

Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of people who have been telling the same old, tired story since they were in high school? Forty years later, the story is still the same? Those people are classic examples of individuals who have been unable to give their attention to the things in life that make them happy because they are continually distracted by the things in life that disappoint or bother them. They need to change their story by deliberately directing their thoughts in a new direction.

So how does a person begin doing this? Well, the best place, in my opinion, is to start with practicing appreciation. That may feel awkward at first to those who have been stuck in the naysayer mode for a long time, but it will become easier and easier as you put it into practice. Get a piece of paper and a pen and start making lists of what you appreciate right at this moment in your life. It may be challenging at first to even come up with a list, but the more you deliberately apply your attention to this exercise, the less you will be thinking about the stuff that you don’t want in your life. Another little tip that may sound strange goes like this………….after you finish the list, read it out loud. While you are reading your list out loud…. smile. It may feel fake, but your mind has no way of distinguishing whether your smile is genuine or not. It responds to the smile as though you are truly feeling good and soon you actually are feeling better and better. Try it!

Later, when you get really good at the appreciation game, you can take the next step by trying to imagine your life the way you actually want it to be, and then talking about it as though it is already that way. Every time you have moved your attention away from negative thoughts toward positive thoughts, you will feel better. Appreciate how you feel as you are feeling better. Acknowledge that you like that feeling of well being and make a point of feeling that way as often as you can.

Remember, we always move in the direction of our most dominant thoughts! Be deliberate! Choose the direction you want to move toward by choosing the dominate thoughts that govern your life.

Positive Thinking…….Yes, You Can!!!!

by Dawn Jepson, CH

Franklin County Hypnosis, Wilton, Maine

This subject is near and dear to my heart (as a Consulting Hypnotist of 14 years) … along with deep breathing … it is one of the single most powerful tools we carry with us everywhere we go.

Whether you want to become more confident, develop a new skill, be rid of excess weight or all of the above; thinking positively gets you started. Belief in your positive thoughts also plays a big part in helping you reach your goal. To get started with this process (and this is probably the most important part) you need to get yourself thinking about what you DO want to accomplish, and let go of what you don’t want. The reason for this all important first step is: what you choose to focus your mind on, will be what you begin to move toward. This can’t be stressed enough, so it bears repeating. What you choose to focus your mind on, will be what your mind begins to move you toward. This often happens without you consciously even realizing it. So let’s start to take charge right now.

What is it that you want to do? Or, what change do you want to make in your life? Perhaps there is something you would like to do differently? Choose one thing. If you are having a hard time maybe you need an example of how to focus on the positive and let go of what you don’t want. How about this? You want to shed some pounds and you know that not going to the fridge and cupboards would help. Well, instead of thinking about not visiting those two spots concentrate on what you want to do instead – read a good book or magazine, pick up a craft or project, call a friend, or go for a walk.

If you are having any trouble with this that’s okay. Maybe you are like many people who find themselves thinking more about what they want to stop doing, rather than what they really do want in their life. If you are doing that, or are thinking negatively in any way, stop right now and sweep those thoughts away. That’s right – imagine a big, huge, push broom. Take that broom and sweep away any thoughts about the things you don’t want. And while you’re at it sweep away any thoughts that say; “I can’t.”

Now think about the thing you DO want to be doing. Go ahead, pick one really positive item you would like to change or bring into your life. Remember that this must be about you – not anyone else. You can’t get Aunt Sue to stop smoking by visualizing it, or your teenage kids to pick up after themselves either.

This technique of positive mental imagery is for you to use on you.

Now you are ready to let yourself begin imagining that you are doing or changing what ever you’ve chosen. That’s right, in your imagination, see yourself, feel yourself and even hear yourself making whatever change you’ve chosen to bring into your life. This is your positive imagery! From now on your goal is going to be to get yourself to replay this positive imagery as often as you can throughout the day. It is especially important to get it in place whenever any negative or self-defeating, “I can’t do it” thoughts rear their ugly heads.

Another helpful piece in all of this is to choose a simple mental phrase that represents your faith in yourself, like; “I can do it,” “I am accomplishing this goal,” or “I am worth the effort and have the ability to stick with it.” If these phrases don’t work for you, create your own. Just remember to be positive! Combine your positive mental imagery with your simple positive phrase and you are off and running. Try it and find the change happening in your life almost magically.

YES YOU CAN!!

Do you ever feel like there is a little gremlin sitting on your shoulder, whispering things in your ear, things that keep you feeling hopeless about making those changes that you know you ought to make. I suspect just about everyone has had this feeling at one time or another in their life. There are so many things that we want to change, thoughts or habits that the conscious or thinking part of our brain accepts as not in our best interest, but no matter how hard we try, we always end up back where we started.

Maybe it is that diet that you implemented every year, twice a year, but quit only to gain back the ten or more  pounds that you had struggled to drop. How many times have you decided to quit smoking? When was the last time that you made up your mind that you would exercise at least three times a week?  How about paying off your credit cards? Perhaps you have decided that you have to do something about your temper, nagging, complaining, or worrying! How long have you carried around forgiveness issues even though you know full well that the only person that you are hurting is yourself?

I think you may be getting the idea. You may already have thought of something that your own personal gremlin has managed to sabotage. That little gremlin is your subconscious brain. Your subconscious brain is the part of the brain that stores every thought that you have ever had from the beginning of time. Whenever we think a thought over and over, it eventually becomes a belief. Your subconscious can not differentiate between what is true or not true. It merely validates your most dominate thoughts. So if you believe that smoking is an addiction that will be HARD, almost IMPOSSIBLE, to quit, then your subconscious supports that dominate thought. Your conscious mind, the critical thinking part of your brain, knows that smoking is not good for your body, contributes to more lines on your face, and robs you of tons of money, but your subconscious mind immediately kicks up a fuss. It tells your conscious mind that you have tried before and failed, that the cravings are too strong for you to beat, and that you will get fat. When there is a struggle between your conscious mind and your subconscious mind, the subconscious ALWAYS wins!

Belief systems are part of how we define ourselves and the world around us. However, all belief systems are not created equal. Many beliefs that we have been carrying with us for years and years and years, are not getting us what we want in life. They may have worked for us 20 years ago, but are outdated now. They may have never worked for us! They may have even been detrimental from the beginning. So what do we do about these pesky gremlins?

Hypnosis is a very effective way of convincing our subconscious that certain things that we have been thinking for a long time need to be replaced with new dominant thoughts that will serve us better. Our subconscious is not our master. It is there to serve us. By suggesting new thoughts during a hypnotic state, the subconscious can actually be reprogrammed. New dominate thoughts can emerge and with those thoughts a brave new world can be ours! We always move in the direction of our most dominate thoughts!

Don’t you just love knowing that there is a way to manage your thoughts?

I will be starting group sessions very soon! Group sessions are delivered as a series of three evening events each month.

What are the benefits of joining a hypnosis group? First and foremost, the sessions are a guided hypnosis session where I actually teach everyone self-hypnosis skills. This is accomplished through progressive relaxation, a method used in hypnosis to release tension and relax the body. After our bodies are relaxed, we give our attention to relaxing the mind, emptying it of all of the monkey chatter that has persisted throughout the day. This monkey chatter in our minds can really keep us worried, anxious, and unable to relax enough to fall asleep. It is such a treat to be able to turn it all off for a while each day and concentrate on something as simple as our breathing and letting go of all resistance and tension in our minds and bodies. I think that is the single most amazing benefit to learning the skill of self hypnosis in a group session. Wouldn’t you just love to be able to do this every day once you have learned the steps?

The rest of the session is devoted to the use of imagery and hypnotic suggestions. The imagery gives an individual a gateway to access and communicate with their subconscious brain. The hypnotic suggestions are merely an attempt to reprogram our subconscious brains to accept new ways of thinking in order to reach our goals. Self limiting beliefs can be replaced with better thoughts, which will then give us the life we really do want. The whole class lasts about an hour.

Other benefits to joining a group are the cost effectiveness of being in a group. I charge $60 for three sessions. I have a minimum requirement of two people other than myself to consider it a group. So bring someone with you and we are golden!

A third possible benefit to group work could be the opportunity to actually be with other people. We have very rushed, frenetic lives today and people simply do not gather with others as much as they might like to do. It is very therapeutic to have other people of like minds in our lives. I am always uplifted by the group dynamics at these sessions. When a cluster of people are together thinking positive thought, which hypnosis supports, wonderful things happen to the energy in the room.

Last but not least, it is said that 30 minutes of hypnosis is equivalent to a 2 hour nap. I do know that when I spend 15 minutes a day applying my self hypnosis skills, I am much refreshed and better able to make decisions based on grounded connected thoughts and feelings.

If you have any questions about my group sessions or anything else pertaining to what hypnosis can do and what it can’t do, call me. 260-918-0458.

I officially opened for business the day of the blizzard! Not only was I in my warm cozy house for the duration of opening day, but just about all of Fort Wayne was tucked safely away, too. That’s fine. It is my hope that everyone used the snow day as a precious gift for rest and relaxation.

So what are my plans? Well, first of all my office is set up and ready for private sessions. I have a lovely space with a comfortable leather recliner for clients to enjoy. I also have purchased and learned to use a nice sound system. Any client who sits in my new recliner will have the option of using headphones for their hypnosis session. It isn’t mandatory, but I really do believe that the headphones and mic system will make the hypnotic session very special. I will induct clients into a wonderful stage of deep relaxation as I speak through the mic and headphones while layering carefully selected binaural beat music under my voice. This should create a unique experience!

I will soon be starting a group called WOW (Working on Wellness) which will be hosted every Wednesday night in the conference room where my office is located. This group will focus on all kinds of wellness perspectives. Of course, I am most anxious to present what I have learned about the benefits of hypnosis, particularly self hypnosis, but it is my intention to have a wide range of guest speakers joining me. There are many ways to increase our sense of health and well being, reduce stress, live happier lives of deliberate intentions, and reach our goals. Pick one that works for you, commit to it, believe in it, and it will make a difference.

I will be posting several times a week to my blog.