Self-Hypnosis
Self-Hypnosis
is another technique of relaxation. First of all some myths about hypnosis need
to be addressed and clarified.Some of us may have seen a show which featured
stage hypnosis: a group of volunteers went on stage, and at the suggestion of
the stage hypnotist started to act like musicians or dancers, or just looked like
they were totally "out of it". Immediately we shake our heads at the
very idea of hypnosis. Brainwashing, losing control and not knowing what we are
doing comes to mind, and this does not sound like a good idea to us. Clinical
hypnosis is not designed to get us"out of control" at
all. We are in control, we are merely allowing our mind to slip into
another ego state. Normally we rely on the left side of our
brain in our intellectual functioning (provided that we are right hand dominant.
If we are left hand dominant, the right hemisphere is the one which is mostly
utilized). If we are allowing ourselves to become deeply relaxed, the other
side of the brain is the active one: if you are right handed, it is the right
side of the brain which is more active in a deep state of relaxation.If we were
hooked up to a EEG machine (which can measure the brain wave activity), a different
wave pattern would be seen by a technician who is trained to read these tests(Ref.
4).This is the technicality. Now we look at the practical side of being in an
altered state. There is nothing complicated about it. It is easy. You have switched
to this state many times in your life. I'll give you one example. You are going
out of the house, and a mile away, you wonder, whether you have switched the lights
off (or the iron or another appliance). You turn around and go back home
to prevent trouble, but when you check, all is well: the lights are off, and the
appliance is switched off. You did it "automatically". A similar event
could be an animated conversation on the telephone or time with some friends.
Before you know it, an hour or more has elapsed. You wonder,where the time went.
It passed, but you did not notice it, as you were entirely focussed on the conversation.
| You can practice self-hypnosis alone or with
the help of a self-hypnosis cassette or disc. |
| Sit in a comfortable recliner chair or lie down in a com-fortable
spot. Close your eyes and breathe in and out slowly and deeply. Visualize yourself
at the most relaxing place you can envisage. You may envisage yourself lying on
a warm,sandy beach or at some other serene setting. Now imagine the clear blue
sky with white clouds high above. Put yourself onto one of those clouds and drift,
slowly and gently into a state of profound and satisfying relaxation. You can
count from 10 backwards to one: Ten...you are letting your muscles in your neck
become soft and let all the tension go. Nine...let the warm relaxed feeling flow
into your arms and all the way to your fingertips. Eight...as you continue to
breathe in and out deeply, the feeling of relaxation flows into your chest and
into your abdomen. All the time you drift more and more, deeper and deeper relaxing.
Seven...allowing yourself to rest, nothing concerns you, nothing interrupts you,
and you enjoy the quiet and peaceful feeling of letting go. Six...the sense of
rest and relaxation fills you with a gentle warmth,which expands to the muscles
of your thighs and your legs,all the way to your toes. Five...as your muscles
are relaxed from head to toe and your mind is free from all daily concerns, you
let the warm wave of relaxation carry you. Four...relaxing more and more. Three...drifting,floating,relaxing.
Two...you are taking all the quiet, the sense of peace and the calmness that fills
your mind, as you are preparing for your work and for returning from your journey
into this relaxed state. You are becoming aware of the sounds around you, as you
are feeling yourself waking up. One...fully awake now, rested and comfortable. |
This would be a suitable exercise for self-hypnosis. You will
soon find out, that it can become like a "power nap". It is a skill
that you can use to unwind from a day and fall into a comfortable sleep. You may
want to use it as a relaxation break after a stressful morning at work. Relaxation
cassettes or discs can be very beneficial and easy to use, as the voice of the
therapist can help you achieve a state of deep relaxation. You should, however,
never attempt to listen to a cassette or disc when you are driving or operating
machinery! If you wonder, how much time you have to invest in such an exercise,
you can be assured, that you will not need hours and hours.Set aside 20 to 30
minutes, which will be ample.Find the relaxation technique that appeals to you
most, or meditate, and incorporate breathing exercises. These would be some
examples for meditation or relaxation. Like with any exercise, you will get better
with practice and will find more benefits to your emotional well being as you
go on. There are many very good relaxation tapes/discs. Personally I like
Dr. Lee Pulos' discs.
See this link for more information.
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