Horizon Clinical Hypnotherapy

USE THE KIDS’ SPORTS PRACTICE TIME PRODUCTIVELY

2010-08-10T02:37:00.000-07:00

Is it 100% necessary for you to sit still the entire time, avidly watching or chatting away at your children’s sports practice?
Exercise while your children do:
• Walk the perimeter of the sports field a few times (get some other parents to join in!)
• Don’t sit on the bleachers during swimming lessons, do your own work out in the gym or in another pool
• Even if you’re not keen on exercise, a walk will give you great thinking and problem solving time.

This article is copyright to Debbie Mayo-Smith & SuccessIS. You may use it for your newsletter, website or as an article. It can be reproduced - but in its entirety and with inclusion of Debbie Mayo-Smith as the author and the weblink www.successis.co.nz

Al Pacino's Motival Speech: Any Given Sunday

2010-08-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

I like this so much from the position of a football fan and as a hypnotherapist I thought it was worthy of a repeat (yes I’ve blogged it before). I hope you enjoy this as much as I did the first time ......

Quote-un-Quote

"I'll tell you this, in any fight it is the guy who is willing to die who is going to win that inch. And I know if I am going to have any life any more it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch because that is what LIVING is. The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can't make you do it. You gotta look at the guy next to you. Look into his eyes. Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you. You are going to see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows when it comes down to it, you are gonna do the same thing for him. That's a team, gentlemen and either we heal now, as a team,or we will die as individuals. That's football guys. That's all it is. Now, whattaya gonna do?

"http://essaysfromexodus.scripting.com/stories/storyReader$1492

Excerpt from Pulling Together...10 Rules for High Performance Teams, by John Murphy

2010-07-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

This was sent to me by a great friend - it resonates as I feel it works on the friendship level as well as the intended teamwork.... thanks Nicola - message received, understood and appreciated immensely

Consistent application of the 10 rules of high performance teamwork ultimately generates trust, respect, unity and power within any team. Conversely, consistent violation of any one rule destroys this bond. While the author of the following is unknown, "Lessons From the Geese" is a powerful illustration from nature of the rules of high performance teamwork. As you read about the natural unity that exists among this species remember - this same unity can exist in your organization!

As geese flap their wings, they create an uplift for the bird following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if any bird were to fly alone.

If we share a common direction and a sense of community, we can get where we are going more quickly and easily because we are traveling on the thrust of one another!

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.

If we have as much sense as geese, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go, and we will be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.
When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position.

If we take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership as with the geese, we become interdependent with one another.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. If we "honk," we need to make sure it is positive and encouraging.

When a goose gets sick or wounded or is shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. They then launch out on their own, with another formation or catch up with the flock.

If we have as much sense as geese, we too will stand by each other in difficult times, as well as when we are strong. Let us all try to fly in formation and remember to drop back to help those who might need it!

BEHOLD THE POWER OF TEAMWORK

The greatest accomplishments in life are not achieved by individuals alone, but by proactive people pulling together for a common good. Look behind every winner and you will find a great coach. Look out in front of every superstar and you will see a positive role model. Look alongside every great achiever and you will find caring people offering encouragement, support and able assistance.

Rising to this level of interdependent thinking can be challenging and difficult. Looking beyond oneself, asking for help or accepting help can feel risky. But people are not given life to simply take from one another. We are here to give. Our mission in life is to offer our gifts to benefit one another, to create mutual gain in the world. This is called teamwork, a win/win mindset stemming from a genuine commitment to the rules that allow it to happen.

Why Not Try Hypnotherapy?

2009-06-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hypnotherapy is slowly but surely becoming an acceptable method of treatment for both the alternative and conventional medical industries. Hypnotherapy is a proven means of dealing with physical and emotional conditions and problems. Some of the areas I have personally worked in include pain control, insomnia, sports improvement – in actuality hypnotherapy can assist in any condition, situation involving the mind, body or mind and body…

Hypnotherapy is a simple process in which a person enters a trance, or a state of deep inner focus. It is that state or place where you aren’t asleep nor are you fully awake – I often refer to it as the ‘Sunday Morning Lay In State’ where you are conscious of your surroundings, you aren’t asleep but no way do you want to break the spell and wake up. It may well surprise you that even though you may not want the spell to be broken and wake up you are fully in control (i.e. you can come out of hypnosis any time you want), you are aware of your surroundings, you are very attentive - although your focus is liable to be directed in the direction of the hypnotherapist who will be providing you with satisfactory / acceptable suggestions.

I can’t force you into hypnosis I am merely guiding you into the state so I see myself as that - a guide. This becomes obvious when dealing with a client who is initially a little wary of the process but as they soon learn who actually has the control their hypnotic ability rapidly improves as they gain confidence in the process. Anyone can also learn how to guide themselves into hypnosis and on their own or with the aid of a hypnotherapist organize their own suggestions to change whatever they want to change. This is obviously called self hypnosis.

Self hypnosis is similar to meditation both bring about an altered inner focus however the purposes couldn’t be more different. When meditating your major aim is to quieten the mind however the suggestions you use once in the hypnotic state are used to bring about the positive behavioral, mental or physical changes you seek.

There are countless ways to bring about the hypnotic state, it even happens spontaneously as our brain crosses from consciousness to unconsciousness and when we day dream. The end result however is just the same with the hypnotized person going to a very calm relaxed often happy place, where the conscious mind lets go for a while allowing the subconscious mind to be addressed directly.

It is known that the subconscious mind is more receptive to suggestions than the conscious mind, allowing change to occur more rapidly – advertising companies and salesmen have used this for years without many realizing it. We also find ourselves learning songs quickly due mainly to our inadvertently going to that very calm relaxed place while listening – the amazing thing is we can use this powerful tool anytime we like.

So hypnosis isn’t that mysterious. It’s just a very credible, gentle option you can use to make positive change in your life.

Seven Great Points

2009-06-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

The following comes from a Facebook group I am a member of – I didn’t believe in all 11 points of the article but I would like to present what I believe are the top 7 that really resonated with me

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone.I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

3. When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think. There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

4. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

5. Take things a day at a time.No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

6. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving yourself or your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

7. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you’re doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth.

... compliments of Bryan Dulaney.

Feel Success

2009-06-23T21:13:00.001-07:00

The world does not owe you joy or pleasure or fulfillment. Rather, the world gives you ample space in which to create as much joy, pleasure and fulfillment as you wish. Those who find a way to enjoy whatever life has to offer are the ones who get to enjoy the very best that life has to offer. It's a matter of choice and the choice is up to you. It is easy to feel sorry for yourself, and not at all effective in moving you forward. Yet just as easily you can instead choose to feel joyful for yourself. The way you feel has a powerful influence on what you do and how much you achieve. And the way you feel is whatever you decide to feel. Instead of struggling to work against your feelings, put your feelings to work for you. Truly and authentically feel success, achievement, fulfillment and joy, and you'll naturally put those feelings into effective action. Yes, you most certainly can feel precisely the way you wish to feel, at any time, in any place. Feel the life you wish to live, and you're solidly on your way there.

-- Ralph Marston

A Beautifil Aim

2009-04-28T14:06:00.001-07:00

Those of a sporting ilk may want to check this out. The subject is a football enthusist whose aim is to become a Premier Footballer in 12 months using various modalities (Feldenkrais, NLP etc) in addition to the expected training. Clinical Hypnotherapy could easily provide the same positive benefits as would NLP.

http://www.thebeautifulaim.com/?page=Home

Al Pacino's Motival Speech: Any Given Sunday

2009-03-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

I love the motivational power of this both as a hypnotherapist and as a football (soccer) fan

Quote-un-Quote

"I'll tell you this
in any fight it is the guy who is willing to die who is going to win that inch.
And I know if I am going to have any life any more it is because,
I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guywho will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows when it comes down to it,you are gonna do the same thing for him.
That's a team, gentlemen and either we heal now, as a team,or we will die as individuals.
That's football guys. That's all it is. Now, whattaya gonna do?"

http://essaysfromexodus.scripting.com/stories/storyReader$1492

Getting A Great Nights Sleep

2009-03-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

Are you one of those lucky people who can fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, consider yourself lucky. If so consider yourself very lucky for a lot of the population getting to sleep easily can be a fraught process.

Most times it’s the obvious, namely your mind consciously or otherwise mulling over the day's events. It can be the end result of a tension filled day but you may be the type that the smallest thought can keep nagging away, keeping your mind active making it hard to fall asleep. Which is where hypnotherapy can help you!!!

Pills and potions may not be necessary to get you to sleep - You just need to relax your mind completely, getting it to blank out your day to let your body get the rest it so deserves. Unfortunately laying there concentrating hard on getting to sleep, ain’t going to work (you probably have realized this already having experienced it a few times). But we all fall into that trap every once in a while even though the answer can be so easy.

Most times you can help yourself to sleep by watching the stimulants you may be tempted to have just before bed time (that last cup of coffee can be a deal breaker) and spend a bit of time winding down to reduce your difficulty getting to sleep. For me this means not watching the late news, getting away from the xBox or putting the internet to one side for a while. You may be different as what works for me may not for you but should the gods smile you will sleep.

But for those times when it doesn’t work clinical hypnotherapy can work a treat!!! Simply listen to a 20 minute mp3 track with suggestion to help you if you with and sleep based problem you may experience and you can fall asleep 100% naturally. Often before the track reaches the end to wake up .

Could Lily Allen’s hypno-diet get you slim?

2009-01-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

Weight loss is a big industry with various pills and potions being produced to help you shed those unwanted kgs. Clinical hypnotherapy can help you in a natural way. This article from Britans Mirror website details the success singer Lily Allen and actress Jo Somervell have had with Clinical Hypnotherapist Monica Black from Hampstead Hypnotherapy...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/life-style/dieting/2009/01/26/could-lily-allen-s-hypno-diet-get-you-slim-115875-21073506/

Have You Been Made Redundant?

2008-12-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

Or do you know someone who has been made redundant?

While it is the festive season, sadly there will be some anxiety for many people who have been laid off work.

1) WORK & INCOME
Please be aware that there is some help for people who have been made redundant. If you know of someone who is in this position do tell them to make contact directly with the Work & Income agency.

I attach the fact sheet for your info. However, do encourage the person to make contact with Work & Income.
http://beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/files/ReStartFactsheet151208.doc

2) Redundancy - Check Insurance
A reminder also to look at the insurance as there may be mortgage protection triggered by the redundancy.

"Is hypnosis good with phobias?"

2008-10-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

I was asked the hugest of questions recently, "Is hypnosis good with phobias?". I was able to give the questioner a resounding "yes" with the belief that we were talking about a sufficient time frame but when less than a week was mentioned subconsciously I fell back to the well known Tui Billboard . . . "yeah, right"! But at the point in time I had discounted the amazing progress people can make when they so definitely want change combined with the high success rate that hypnotherapy can have with phobias. Successful people can go about their lives well thought of in their careers, personal lives and no one would be aware in all but certain circumstances that they may be dealing with huge fears that could hinder their career paths, stymie relationships even affect their health by restricting possible options......

One of the areas that people "just deal with" is the fear of flying. Thousands of planes take off and land around the world everyday without crashing and with way more successful flights than unsuccessful what is there to be afraid of. It safer than driving down the public highway... isn't it??

But Clinical Hypnotherapy can help by getting to the core of the problem. Rather than taking a sedative and masking the fear, by enlisting the subconscious mind, Clinical Hypnotherapy can diminish the fear of flying and get you to the airport, into the plane and through the arrival hall to your destination without turning your self into a shaking sweating wreck.

Its the same story for any fear or phobia a person you may have. If you want the positive change, Clinical Hypnotherapy will assist you in getting that change!!!

For instance, if you've been afraid of rough seas since childhood, you can listen to a hypnotic therapy and your fear will over time devolve. It doesn't mean that you loose the inbuilt fear that kicks in when you are in true danger but you will be able to enjoy the ferry trip or speed boat ride that previously was a "white knuckle" experience. Public speaking is another area I have worked in. Truth be known, most of the audience are probably happy that it's you up on stage rather than them but the use of Clinical Hypnotherapy will boost your level of confidence, relaxation and make recall easier so you don't become tongue tied in a quivering cold sweat next time you have to do a presentation.

And as for my questioner, they did very well. Having decided that sedatives weren't for them 3 days of intensive Hypnotherapy had a claustrophobic falling asleep in an MRI machine ... which goes to prove when the desire is there Hypnotherapeutic magic is possible!!!

Are You A Prisoner Of The Shopping Malls??

2008-10-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

If your ears prick up each time you hear a advert pushing the next big sale as others get restless when the next cigarette is mentioned it maybe time to do something about your possible shopping addiction. You could be really really harsh on yourself and go cold turkey by cutting up all of your credit cards but in todays free spending society it's easy enough to get another one (and if your were that proactive you probably wouldn't be spending like there was no tomorrow anyway).

So exactly where to start? Like most problems the best place to start your change is admitting you have a bit of a problem with money, that you have an addiction to shopping. Until you sincerely take this on board nothing is going to change. Go through your house, do you have cupboards full of things that haven't been opened let alone used, clothes still unworn, shoes still in their original boxes with the tissue still stuffed in the toes? Thats a sure sign that something is not quite right in your fiscal world. Recognition is only the first step. Yes it can be one BIG frightening step but it's important to follow it up with some constructive action. Which is STOP... Stop beating yourself up about the shopping as you are likely or not going to be looking for something to fix the hurt and that could well be ... more shopping. Thats only going to hurt your more and the spiral downwards is only going to get faster. Next important move is to not give yourself an excuse enhancing label like "I'm a compulsive shopper" because you are in danger of creating a feeling of victimhood that could well give you permission to continue on with the unwanted behaviour beating yourself up even more than you deserve. Instead give any label a positive slant - calling yourself a descerning shopper who can see advertising and marketing for the potential trap that it is will free the pressure on you, as will the fact you can analysie your wardrobe, kitchen, workshop etc allowing you to buy what you need. But watch it - a born again shopper like anyother born again is potentially a boring person.
The next trick is to stop using shopping malls as a social event. This is differcult when at times we have 24 / 7 shopping but just keep in mind the world is a big wonderful place with plenty to occupy the soul - you only need to keep your eyes open and go exploring elsewhere to keep your shopping desires at bay. Finally giving yourself both a financial and time budget for shopping that you or better still a freind / family member / partner can enforce making sure that should you go over budget one week you trim your expenditure the next. Above all else do whats best for you as there is no one magic bullet - it's a case of finding a means that works best for you... But please remember unless you are a super hero you are likely to fail one way or another and should you do so the world ain't going to swallow you up, learn from it and start over. If you truly want change mistakes are there to be learnt from.

Clinical hypnotherapy can help you with these or any changes!! By assisting you to deal with the stress / tension of your situation and addressing the problem with appropriate theraputic suggestions you can defuse the built up habit in a natural fashion. Should you have any questions or if you would like to organise an appointment please contact me on 09 620 9386 or 021 059 331 or email me on hypno.assist@gmail.com

Mental Toughness In Sport - Staying Ahead Of The Game

2008-10-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

This article is the third in a series about the mental aspects of sport, and the second and final part of a series on mental toughness and overcoming obstacles, by one of Amazon's top sports psychologist authors and regular Tri247 contributor, Jeremy Lazarus. So if you're looking for that edge over your competitors in 2009 read on!

To recap on the previous article, in sport generally, as in life, we are bound to be faced with setbacks and difficulties. How we handle them psychologically is an essential factor in our results.
I suggest that setback can be grouped into three categories:
Defeat and/or poor performance
Injury
Difficult relationships

The first point was dealt with in a previous article. This article will deal with some aspects of the final two points.

Dealing With Injury
As well as physical aspects of injuries, there are mental aspects.
The first point I wish to make very clearly to the reader is that this article is absolutely NOT intended to replace medical advice from a qualified medical doctor, specialist or physiotherapist. I would strongly recommend that you take appropriate, professional advice. One of the challenges that faces some athletes is persistent injuries and/or a long-term or serious injury. Apart from receiving appropriate medical treatment, athletes can assist themselves by maintaining a positive mental approach. There are a couple of ways to do this.

Firstly, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT. Keep seeing, hearing and feeling what it will be like when you are fit and recovered. Do this visualisation every day. It will assist you in maintaining motivation to regain fitness.

Norwegian international footballer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a centre forward for Manchester United FC, scored his first senior goal for three years on 23rd August 2006 after a succession of injuries over a three-year period. Solskjaer was quoted in a UK National newspaper as saying, “the prospect of doing it was one of the major things that motivated me over the past three years.”

Secondly, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence of the ‘mind-body link’, in other words, what and how we think has an impact on our body. With this in mind, it has been known for athletes and non-athletes to accelerate the body’s natural healing process. One approach would be to work with a suitably qualified and experienced hypnotherapist on this. In any event, please make sure that you consult your medical practitioner regarding the suitability of seeking any complementary health treatment. Whilst some readers may be skeptical, there is a significant amount of evidence to support the acceleration of the natural healing process using hypnosis and similar forms of visualisation.

Dealing With Difficult People
This section provides some other tips on dealing with difficult people who are supposed to be on your side, such as team-mates and coaches.

When competing, it is not uncommon for our opponents to be difficult and to use gamesmanship and other tactics to put us off our game. In fact, in some sports it is an accepted part of the game.
Challenges can come when we have difficult relationships with, or feel intimidated by, people who are supposed to be on our side, such as coaches and team-mates. Ideally, we would simply 'have a chat' and it would all be resolved. If dialogue does not work, there are other ways that we can alter our perceptions of the person(s) so that we have a more useful response to them.
One of my former clients was a very successful young tennis player. She was about to play a mixed doubles final, partnering the club coach. She felt extremely nervous about playing with him. Another former client was a highly promising female middle-distance runner, who was often teased by a male athlete, which had a strongly adverse impact on her performance.
Whenever we think of something or someone, we have internal pictures, sounds and feelings, and the meaning we place on the person, situation or event depends on the internal 'representations'. It is completely possible to change these representations, which changes the meaning and hence the responses we have.

As a guide, the impact of something will be lessened if we make our internal pictures smaller, darker, and more distant, our internal sounds softer, in a different location relative to us and further away, and our internal feelings still, warm, smooth and in a different location in our body.
With the tennis player, because she wanted to still think positively of her tennis coach, she made some tweaks to the volume and tonality of his voice in her head when she thought of him, and small shifts in the brightness and location of the picture. This had the impact of changing the way she felt about him, which enabled her to ‘put him in perspective’.

With the runner, because she had no reason to want to like the male ‘tormenter’, she was more extreme in the way she changed her internal representations. She imagined him speaking with a Donald Duck voice, and changed her internal picture of him to be like a ridiculous cartoon character. She continued to make changes until she laughed every time she thought of him, which completely changed the impact his words had on her.

Summary
We may not always be able to get the results that we want, but we can manage the way we respond. This article has given some tips how to deal with difficulties that many athletes will face at some point.

About the Author: Jeremy Lazarus is a High-Performance Sports Coach, and a Certified Master Trainer and Master Practitioner of NLP. He has coached a top five Ironman athlete. He has been coaching since 1999, and is the author of the best-selling book ‘Ahead of the Game: How to Use Your Mind to Win in Sport’ (Ecademy Press, ISBN 9-781905-823093), a practical guide for athletes, coaches and players of all levels. He can be contacted on: 020 8349 2929, jeremy@thelazarus.com, or by visiting http://www.thelazarus.com/, http://www.winningatsport.com/
He is also an associate of TriSport Coaching UK, which offers the full range of coaching and support for tri-athletes of all levels. For more information go to http://www.trisportuk.org/ or call Martin Allen on 020 8722 4617.

Mental Toughness

2008-10-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

Last month, in the second article of a series of sports psychology articles written by Jeremy Lazarus, we talked about creating the right mindset for success in sport. This month, Jeremy, who's book, Ahead of the Game: How to Use Your Mind to Win in Sport was ranked number one on Amazon in sports psychology, takes a look at mental toughness and overcoming obstacles, so if your looking to get an edge on your competitors read on!

In sport generally, as in life, we are bound to be faced with setbacks and difficulties. How we handle them psychologically is an essential factor in our results.I would like to suggest that setback can be grouped into three categories:
Defeat and/or poor performance
Injury
Difficult relationships

This article will deal with some aspects of the first point. Other aspects, and the other two points, will be dealt with in subsequent articles.

Dealing with Defeat and/or Poor Performance
Clearly, losing is part of sport. Some people are better at handling it than others. And playing at our best every time, never making mistakes, is something that is clearly unrealistic. Many sportspeople get upset about mistakes and defeat – whether the upset is some form of anger, or sadness, and possibly leading to some fear of repeating it and/or guilt for letting people down in the future.

So how can we handle this? There are four key ways to do this, and they are not mutually exclusive:
‘Acknowledge and learn’
Just ‘let it go’
Get back into the same state as when you were playing well
Focus on what you want

It is important to say that if you are already happy with the way you handle defeat and/or poor performances, just keep doing it! If you are not, or if you are a coach who wants to have more ‘tools’ in your toolkit, then read on.

Acknowledge and Learn
Often the reason athletes struggle to overcome defeat or poor performances is that they become emotional about it. Rather than remain upset, it is more useful to step back (mentally) and ask themselves, “what can I learn from this situation, such that if I learned it and incorporated it into future situations this could be a blessing?” If that is too difficult, the athlete can ask themselves what advice they would give someone else who had experienced the same situation.
It is probably also useful to do some mental rehearsal, seeing themselves in that future situation doing it perfectly (Mental rehearsal, a major element of successful sporting performance, will be covered in a subsequent article).

Let It Go
Another way, once you have taken all the necessary ‘learnings’ from the event, is to allow the picture that you have of it in your mind to float off into the dim distance. For most people, a small dim picture in the distance will have less impact than a big bright one very close to us.
A slightly more rigourous way is to remember an old event which was disappointing, and which is now virtually insignificant. Notice the qualities of the picture (for example its size, location in relation to your field of vision, and brightness), sounds (for example volume, speed and direction of movement of the sound) and feelings (for example where are the feelings when you think about that event, what temperature are they, what shape, are they still or moving etc). Put that event to one side. Then, think of the recent event, and once you have taken all the ‘learnings’, alter the mental image (especially the picture) of that event to be the same as that of the old event, so that you relate to the recent event in the same way as you did the old event i.e. it is virtually insignificant.

Change Your State
By changing your state, you will be able to perform differently, mainly because of the (proven) link between the mind and the body. One way to do this is to fully immerse yourself mentally in a situation when you performed excellently.

Another way is by using the ‘physiology of excellence’ principle. Spend some time to relive events when you were in a good state and an unuseful state. You will notice the subtle differences in your physiology between those two types of events. There will be changes in aspects such as your posture and breathing rate and location. By being clear on your own ‘physiology of excellence’, you can then replicate it and use it to get into an excellent state.

Focus on your Goal
Often when faced with situations not going well, we can find ourselves thinking about what we don’t want to happen, for example:
losing/not winning
performing badly/not performing well
feeling bad/not feeling good

The principle of The Law of Dominant Thought says that what we pay attention to will increase. By paying attention to what you DON’T want to happen will paradoxically make it more likely to happen! In such situations, keep thinking about/focussing on what you DO want to happen, such as winning, performing well and feeling good.

Summary
We may not always be able to get the results that we want, but we can manage the way we respond. This article has give some tips how to do that. Future articles will cover ways to deal with other forms of setback.

He is also an associate of TriSport Coaching UK, which offers the full range of coaching and support for tri-athletes of all levels. http://www.trisportuk.org/ 020 8722 4617, ask for Martin Allen.

Goal Setting: Get Ahead Of The Game

2008-10-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

The author of this article works with Neuro Linguistic Programming - Clinical Hypnotherapy will produce similar results ...

With the start of the triathlon season proper only a couple of weeks away, most of you will have been working hard during the winter months and have your physical preparation well under way, but have you thought about your mental preparation? This article is the first in a series on the ‘mental’ aspects of triathlon competition from Jeremy Lazarus, High-Performance Sports Coach, and a Certified Master Trainer and Master Practitioner of NLP.

To get you up and running with your mental preparation we are going to start by taking a look at goal setting: specifically, how to set goals properly, the three main types of goals, and some key considerations when setting goals. This article will cover some key elements of goal setting, some of which you may be aware of, and some you probably will not. The article is written from the perspective of an athlete but it is easily adaptable for use by a coach.

Why set goals properly?
There are three main reasons for setting goals:
It provides you with a sense of direction. If you don’t know exactly where you’re going, how will you know whether you’re on track or not, and whether you’ve arrived or not?
It provides a focus for energy, attention and motivation. Having clear goals helps you to focus your energy and attention, and helps to maintain their motivation during the difficult times, either when training or competing.

It helps you to avoid wasting time and effort on a ‘wrong’ goal. Your sense of motivation will almost certainly rise if you have a goal or series of goals which are truly appropriate for you. Similarly, by having a goal, or series of goals, which are not right for you, you could spend many hours, weeks or even years, not to mention money and energy, chasing after something that you don’t really want, or which for some other reason is not right for you.

Types of goals
Within the sporting world it is generally accepted that there are three types of goals:
Outcome goals are the ‘big picture’ goals, ones which send shivers down the athlete’s spine when they think of them, for example to win a specific race.

Performance goals recognise that the outcome goal may not be under your control (for example, one of your rivals may run the race of their life). So the question is, “what performance (time) would you need to do in order to give yourself a realistic chance of achieving your outcome goal?” For example, you could specify an overall time, or the individual splits, or both.

Process goals are the specifics of the activities, such that if you get these right you will have the best chance of achieving your performance goal, which in turn will give you the best chance of achieving your outcome goal. For example, improving a particular/stated aspect of your swimming technique.

It is useful for athletes to set these three types of goals, but first we need to understand the key elements to consider when setting goals.

Setting goals
In Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), which is a highly-respected series of approaches to achieving success in all aspects of life, there is a concept of having a ‘well-formed outcome’ (WFO). Setting WFOs is extremely useful if you want to give yourself the best chance of success. That is not to say that people must follow the principles that will be outlined in this article in order to succeed, only that when they do follow these principles they significantly improve their chances of success.

Here are the main factors and considerations that make goals and outcomes ‘well-formed’. You will probably have heard of SMART goals – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed. The areas below add some essential points to the tried and trusted SMART goal process.
When setting your goal, ask yourself the following questions.

Is the goal stated in the positive (towards what you want)? Your energy flows where your attention goes, and what you focus on increases. If you think about what you don’t want, you are likely to attract that into your life. If I ask you to set a goal to stop eating (for example) chocolate (ie stated in the negative), you have to think about eating chocolate in order to think about not eating it, and therefore are more likely to want it! A more useful way of expressing this might be, “I eat only healthy foods.” .... Is the goal stated simply? The part of our mind that takes action likes simple statements, and even mental pictures/sounds, so that it is easy to process and keep focused on the goal.

Is it stated specifically and measurably? Does it describe the evidence procedure that would let you know UNDENIABLY that you have achieved your desired outcome? At the very least, even if the goal does not describe it, would you know UNDENIABLY when it is achieved?
Is there a target date? Is it timed? ‘Within six months’ is not acceptable – the goal always stays six months onto the future. Put a specific date on it.

Is it self-initiated, self-maintained and within your control? The more you can determine whether something happens, the more likely it is that it will happen. If you are relying on other people, then there is more ‘noise’ in the goal-achieving process.

Is the context clearly defined? Where, when, how and with whom do you want this? This point may be irrelevant for some athletes, and for others it can shed some useful light on the goal, and how to achieve it.

Is it ecological and responsible for you and the people in your life? Is it in keeping with your sense of self, and worth the time, effort and energy? What will you gain, and what will you lose, if/when you achieve the goal(s)? In sport generally, and particularly in triathlons, athletes will need to make sacrifices in order to be able to train and compete. What are the implications for other areas of the athlete’s life, for example family, career, relationships etc. To the extent that the people close to the athlete are supportive, or at least not unsupportive, the goal will be easier to achieve compared to if the athlete’s boss/partner/children are really against the athlete competing.

Is there a purpose/goal beyond the goal? One reason why many people ‘sabotage’ themselves is because they do not have a goal beyond the goal. As they approach the achievement of the goal, they may unwittingly sabotage it because there is nothing beyond it. If an athlete has a big-enough reason to achieve something (ie a goal beyond the goal), they will run through a brick wall to do so!

Is the goal achievable and realistic? Is there more than one way to achieve the goal? Do you know the first step to achieve the goal? This is fairly subjective. Do you, the athlete, believe you can do it? Has someone in a similar position to you done it? Coaches need to believe that their athlete can do it, otherwise they could (unwittingly) put doubts in their mind. Make the goal a stretch, which often makes it motivating; yet too much of a stretch makes it de-motivating. And to highlight the power of beliefs, some doctors ‘knew’ it was impossible to break the four minute mile, and so it remained a seemingly ‘impenetrable’ barrier, yet once Bannister did it, numerous people were able to do so.

Do you have the resources to achieve the goal, or do you know other people who have those resources and who either could help you or who you could ‘model’? Why re-invent the wheel?
Is the goal stated in the ‘now’? All successful athletes and business people see themselves achieving the goal as if it were happening now, not at some point in the future.
Example of a ‘well-formed outcome’

It is 6 June, and I have won the Longlife Triathlon. I have done this in a time of 2:01:35. I am particularly pleased that my swim, which I have been working on for six months, worked so effectively and that my swim split was 19:00.

Provided that the statement meets the other criteria stated above, then this is an example of a goal stated in a way that gives the athlete an excellent chance of success.

Whilst setting goals in an appropriate way may not guarantee success, it is far more likely that goals will be achieved this way than if goals are not set. Of course, setting goals is one thing, and taking action and overcoming challenges along the way is something else - subjects for future articles!

Jeremy Lazarus is a High-Performance Sports Coach, and a Certified Master Trainer and Master Practitioner of NLP. He has been coaching since 1999 and includes a top-five Ironman athlete among those he has helped. He is the author of Ahead of the Game: How to Use Your Mind to Win in Sport (Ecademy Press, ISBN 9-781905-823093). He can be contacted on: 020 8349 2929 or jeremy@thelazarus.com or visit his website: http://www.thelazarus.com/

He is also an associate of TriSport Coaching UK, which offers the full range of coaching and support for triathletes of all levels, for more information go to: http://www.trisportuk.org/ or call 020 8722 4617 and ask for Martin Allen.

The Mindset For Success In Sport

2008-10-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank the author of this article

in giving permisson to have this displayed

on my blog. While NLP is the 'tool of choice' used by Jeremy, Clinical Hypnotherapy is a robust process that will produce similar results

Last month, in the first article of a series of sports psychology articles written by Jeremy Lazarus, we talked about goal setting, this month we take a look at creating the right mindset for success in sport. Jeremy, who's book, Ahead of the Game: How to Use Your Mind to Win in Sport is ranked number one on Amazon in sports psychology, takes a look at some of the beliefs and attitudes that will help you create 'the winning mindset'. So if you are looking to get ahead of your game, read on!

This article covers one of the foundations for success in sport – a winning mindset. Valeriy Borzov, the 100 and 200 metre Gold medallist in the 1972 Olympic Games, and Sally Gunnell, the 400 metre hurdle Gold medallist in the 1992 Olympic Games, sum it up:
Gunnell: “The mental side of it played the biggest part; that was the difference between silver and gold. For any athlete who stands on the starting line, as much as 70% of the race outcome is shaped by the mental aspects.”
Borzov: “For success, first performers must have talent, then they must work and third they must have control of their mind”.

This article will cover some of the beliefs and attitudes that can be considered as forming ‘the winning mindset’. These beliefs are not ‘truths’, merely beliefs; if we act as if they are true, our results will improve. The following is written for both athletes and coaches; please apply them to your particular situation.

Belief 1 – There is no failure, merely feedback
Billy Jean King and Roger Black are two champions who have publicly stated this to be a belief they hold. In essence, if we do not achieve what we want in a particular race or competition, we could either see that as ‘failure’, or that we simply have not succeeded YET. Either could be ‘right’, and I would suggest that the latter is more empowering. By treating ‘non-success’ as simply feedback, we are more able to learn from these situations, however disappointing they might be, and hence we can improve, grow and develop.

Belief 2 – Flexibility rules, OK!
Generally, the more flexible we can be, either as an athlete or a coach, the more chance we have of getting the result we desire.
As a coach, the more flexible you can be the more likely it is that you will be able to find an approach that works for your athlete or player. Similarly, the more options you have as an athlete or a team, the more likely it is that you will get the result you want. The ability of players and teams to adapt to weather conditions, the oppositions tactics, referees’ decisions, the crowd atmosphere, the playing surface etc, is a crucial factor in success.

Belief 3 – The mind and body are linked
There is a huge amount of evidence that the mind can and does impact on the body. Many athletes train their body, without paying attention to their mind. Champions recognise the importance or training the mind - the quotes by Sally Gunnell and Valeriy Borzov above illustrate the point.

Belief 4 – I am in charge of my mind (and therefore my results)
Given that there is a mind-body link, if we can control our mind (which we can, with a little practice and guidance) then we can influence our results. There are numerous techniques from the field of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) which can assist us to do this.
Much of the negative impact on athletes of so-called ‘external’ influences, such as pressure, and the crowd, can be minimised or managed by using one’s mind effectively. Put another way, if you are not in charge of your mind, who is?

Belief 5 – Be ‘at cause’
The above can be usefully summed up by the concept of ‘cause and effect’. In essence, we can either be ‘at effect’ of some ‘cause’ over which we have no control and which ‘makes’ us respond in some negative way, or we can be ‘at cause’. Being ‘at effect’ means that we make excuses, have lots of really good ‘reasons’ for not getting the results we want in sport or life generally and generally don’t get enough of what we want. When we are ‘at cause’, we take full responsibility for what happens on our life and the way we respond to it; we make no excuses, and tend to get better results than if we are ‘at effect’.

Yes, maybe performances have been under our normal standards lately, maybe the other team has more money to spend, maybe it is really windy. And? Who is in charge of our mind and how we respond to situations? WE ARE! Whether you are a coach or an athlete, are you ‘at cause?’ Do you repeatedly make excuses?

Clearly even with an ‘at cause’ attitude we may not always get the results we want in the short term. However, competitors who are ‘at cause’ will usually get better results over the long term than those who are ‘at effect’.

Summary
The five beliefs outlined above form the cornerstone to having a winning mindset, the foundations of excellence in your sport. This is not to say that by having this mindset you will always win, but it will give you the best chance to do so; if you do not have this mindset, you are unlikely to win or perform at your best.

About the author
Jeremy Lazarus is a High-Performance Sports Coach, and a Certified Master Trainer and Master Practitioner of NLP. He has been coaching since 1999 and includes a top-five Ironman athlete among those he has helped. He is the author of Ahead of the Game: How to Use Your Mind to Win in Sport (Ecademy Press, ISBN 9-781905-823093). He can be contacted on: 020 8349 2929 or jeremy@thelazarus.com or visit his website: http://www.thelazarus.com/

Professional Development

2008-10-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited along to the LivingWorks ASIST course (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) the main purpose of it is to provide "enhanced suicide intervention knowledge and competence". More importantly (for me), it also invited an amount of reflection on certain parts of my own attitude toward suicide and how this could impact on a potential intervention. The focus of ASIST is suicide first aid recognising and responding to people at imminent risk. Originally developed in Canada in the l980s, this two day programme has been progressively modified taking on a suitable New Zealand mantle.

ASIST is a 2-day skills-based workshop that helps equip people for suicide first-aid. Facilitated by registered LivingWorks trainers the emphasis of the course is on increasing carers' ability to promote the immediate safety of someone who may be at risk of suicide and providing links to further help. ASIST has been highly valued by all kinds of carers. Workshop participants include people concerned about family members or friends, along with those in public contact, volunteer or professional helping roles and in this instance your freindly Clinical Hypnotherapist..

This workshop goes beyond suicide awareness programs which tend to provide a general orientation to suicide, intervention tips and exploration of attitudes about suicide.

ASIST helps increase people's ability to recognise when someone may be at risk of suicide and reach out in a supportive way that links them with further resources. The importance of linking people to informal supports (such as family and friends) and options for professional help is emphasised. The general comment from my fellow participants say the workshop increased their confidence and ability to recognise and approach someone who may be at risk of suicide and provide links to further resources. This is a good course with on going evaluation ensuring course effectiveness.

I came away from the course happy to find that the course generally mirrored the training I had in the past along with a few extra ideas. Such reinforcement does not go amiss. Workshops occur nation wide - anyone interested should check out the website http://www.livingworks.org.nz/, Ph: (09) 909 9206, e-mail: mailto:livingworks@lifeline.org.nz

Improve Your Lawn Bowls

2008-10-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

If you want to improve your performance on the bowling green why not look to your subconscious mind for help? We are born with certain abilities and while Sports Hypnosis will not add to those abilities it can help you make the most of the abilities you are born with ....

The game of bowls requires great mental concentration, coordination and above all else consistency. Your mind and body have to get in the zone and work in sync to get your bowl to the very spot you require and this skill requires concentration and focus in truck loads. For some of us this can be difficult to achieve in the heat of the moment however Sports Hypnosis is a very effective approach due to the fact it trains your mind to work in sync with your body. You remain focused on your target no matter how many people are watching you or the stress of the particular competition.

Getting Rid Of The 'Yips'
No matter who you are your mind and body responds to any stress or nervousness you experience. In a sporting event this may well show it's self as higher than normal feelings of apprehension which can hinder both your decision making and your movements hence interfering with your ability to hit your mark. The merest muscle tension or shaking may not be obvious to you but it will have an effect on both your action and it's consistency. Sports hypnosis will help you stay as calm and focused as you need to be. Your physical responses can be set to getting into the zone and focusing on playing as best you can on a particular day rather than focusing on your surroundings, your opponent or worse still, thought of failure. Staying focused (i.e. in the zone) better than your opponents is often the key to sporting success.

Improving Your Technique
A skill based sport like Bowls requires good technique which like most sports is learnt through good coaching and plenty of practice. Sports Hypnosis will not help you if your technique is bad or you never practice but once the required skills have been achieved to your satisfaction the consistency of those skills along with robust thought can be reinforced with the use of an appropriate Sports Hypnosis therapy (thus maximising your potential). With Sports Hypnosis this is easily done as while in the hypnotic state we are laying down positive changes and removing negative actions, attitudes that have built up over a period of time.

Coaches and players alike would agree that consistency is perhaps the most important action of any successful sport. You may play a shot that successfully snuggles up to the kitty one end and be off the mark the next. By developing the consistency of your play your accuracy will more than likely improve. Sports Hypnosis can ensure that by getting your mind right your arm (and the rest of your body) will follow through with ease and consistency. Instead of winning an end easily once and thinking you aren't going to be able to do that again for the rest of the match your subconscious mind will feed you the belief that you can. This improved inner belief will help your performance in Bowls improve.

You Can Block Out Those Distraction !!!

Like it or not there are many distractions when we are playing our chosen sport. Sports hypnosis can help you block out distractions on the green while you're contemplating or taking your shot. Your mind will be completely focused on the target and the path you want the bowl to take to get there so your moves occur consistently with confidence and without hesitation. Hesitation can be your worst enemy when you are playing any sport. A split second of doubt can interfere with a shot you play. This can send your bowl deviating from your desired course. Being able to block out distractions and completely focusing on what you want to achieve helps you stop hesitating giving you a smooth seemingly effortless technique.

Your bowls game will improve when you get rid of the jitters and develop a consistently smooth technique. You can play your very best without hesitation because instead of the zone being accidental you will put yourself there anytime you want. Sports hypnosis can improve your bowls performance - you just need to believe ...

Are We A Nation Of Wasters?

2008-09-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

The following press release relates to a UK based mind coach but I include it here as much of what is said applies here. If you want assistance in any life change big or small contact me on email: hypno.assist@gmail.com or mobile 021 059 3331 to discuss just how Clinical Hypnotherapy can help you and see just what the possibilities are;

Over a third of the public feel as if they are wasting their life and not fulfilling their potential both in terms of personal life and career, according to research of over 3000 Brits.

Recent research by a leading UK celebrity life coach has highlighted a huge national lack of confidence and happiness, with 36% of people claiming to be ‘wasting their lives’, and over a fifth of the public claiming not to attempt to better themselves for fear of ‘not being good enough’.

According to the results of the research, in which 3,252 members of the British public took part, a staggering 94% of us have issues with confidence in some aspect of our lives, from appearance worries to financial fears.

The research was commissioned by leading mind coach Joseph Clough of http://www.empoweringsounds.com/, who sought to investigate whether or not Brits are being their full potential, something he works with celebrities and members of the public alike to achieve.

39% of people claimed to have confidence issues regarding approaching people they’re attracted to, and 26% asserted that they would not go for jobs they were qualified to apply for because they didn’t feel they’d get the position on a personal level and didn’t want to be rejected. 94% of people said that they had confidence issues regarding their appearance at some point in their lives.

When asked “If you are not fulfilling your potential, what is the main reason?” 21% of the public answered that they ‘did not feel good enough’ to better themselves, something Joseph is adamant about changing. 11% of people said that they feared failure, and other reasons given included ‘time-management’ issues and ‘lack of motivation’.

Joseph Clough said,

“It is obvious from the results that the British public are affected greatly by confidence issues, whether it’s going for a better job, speaking in public, approaching people they are attracted to and more. It is my goal to teach people that this does not have to be the case, that confidence is a matter of believing in oneself. Everybody can be more confident, and strive for better; it’s just a matter of changing personal perceptions.”

“I work with celebrities and members of the public regularly who I teach to see their goal, whether financial, or careers based, and envision achieving that success, thereby reinforcing positive thoughts and ignoring negative ones. It is well documented that sports stars such as Jonny Wilkinson and David Beckham mentally rehearse their actions, which has been proved to reinforce the physical actions they perform, and has been shown to improve their accuracy.”

Joseph had the following advice for members of the public who feel unconfident or feel that they are not achieving their potential.“When you wake up every day, write down 5 aspects of your life that you feel positively about. Every day for a week, as soon as you wake up, write the same five aspects down, and add one as and when you think of it each morning. Eventually, through writing them down, the very fact that you are concentrating on positive aspects of your own life should have you in a better frame of mind, and more willing to see the good in what you can do. You could try variations of this, such as by writing down 5 things you’ve done successfully in life to this point, or 5 things you wish to achieve in life, and repeat the process, again for a week, then see how you feel. By focussing on these points, you will subconsciously try to make the difference, and be on your way to achieving your potential.”

Joseph Clough is widely regarded as the UK’s leading Mind Coach. He has worked with chart stars, TV presenters, nobility, national journalists and members of the public to help people overcome issues such as lack of confidence, phobias, anxieties, eating disorders and more.

Joseph has just released his audio and e-book programme ‘Being Your Potential’, which features many more tips and methods he uses with celebrity clients to improve your confidence in life. His programmes, including self-hypnosis CDs can be found at http://www.empoweringsounds.com.ends/

For further information or to interview Joseph Clough, please contact Rich Leigh, 10 Yetis Public Relations Agency on 01452 348 211 or rich@10yetis.co.uk

EDITORS NOTES:Joseph Clough has appeared in many nationals such as The Daily Express, The Metro, The Mail on Sunday and The Daily Mail to name a few.Joseph is the resident life coach expert for Soul and Spirit magazine.Joseph has written expert comment advice columns for women’s glossies such as Look.Joseph is a Master NLP Practitioner, NLP Trainer and Hypnotist Joseph has helped celebrities and members of the public alike recover from many issues, including depression, anxiety, lack of confidence, and phobias.Joseph works with people to envisage their goals, whether financial, career or sports based success

Bodybuilding Hypnosis: Mind Over Muscle

2008-09-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

http://bodybuilding.fitnessinfoguru.com/uncategorized/bodybuilding-hypnosis-mind-over-muscle

Those rugged individuals who pursue bodybuilding and other strength related sports are known to be a group bordering on the fanatical-and they often cross over that boundary. Whether it is a new diet or exercise regimen, they are always on the lookout for whatever will give them the extra edge. Bodybuilding hypnosis is another tool that can have considerable potency.

Contrary to the image of hypnotism in funny stage shows or scary movies, a hypnotized person does not become unconscious or out of control. Rather it is a relaxed state of awareness where an individual learns to better activate his full mental and physical potential.

Clinical hypnosis is often used to help people successfully overcome fear, pain, lack of confidence, stress and unwanted habits. There are also three primary areas where hypnosis can help the bodybuilder as well, these being relaxation, breaking past barriers and maintaining focus.

Relaxation. As every strength athlete knows, muscle is actually built during the resting phase. Exercise that progressively increases in intensity places stress on the muscle fibers. During rest the body adapts by making them larger and stronger in preparation for future challenges.

Although regular exercise is a great stress-buster, it is a rare individual who can relax deeply and completely at will. A lack of sleep and rest interferes with the hormonal system?s ability to respond to stress; dampening energy, immunity and yes, muscular development. Hypnosis has a well deserved reputation for helping people to develop deep relaxation skills.

Breaking past barriers. Are the limits on your potential solely physical or is there a mental aspect involved as well? Sports history tells us the story of Sir Roger Bannister, the first human to run a mile in under four minutes. Prior to that, many ?experts? proclaimed that this feat was impossible and possibly life-threatening. What is most interesting is that after Bannister smashed that barrier, several other runners followed suit soon after. Nothing had changed about them physically. Rather the collective belief system of those athletes had undergone a transformation for the better. Hypnosis enables you to overcome self-imposed limitations.
Maybe your potential is greater than you have suspected?

Increasing focus. It has been noted that successful people are usually both confident and intently focused on what they truly want. The word ?confident? itself is derived from the Latin for ?with faith.? If you can persistently focus on a compelling goal image, your behaviors will unconsciously change in order to turn that picture into reality. Most people lack focus and are vague as to what they want out of life or from their training routine for that matter. As a result their efforts tend to be scattered and inconsistent. Is it that you want greater size, strength or definition? A few minutes spent every day relaxing and focusing on your desired outcomes will pay handsome dividends.

If mind over matter is possible, certainly mind over muscle is as well and should be considered when putting together a well-rounded training program.

Hypnotherapy Is Natural

2008-09-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

Hypnotherapy is a natural way to assist you to achieve your goals and improve your life in many ways.

Hypnotherapy can help you in any area where the body, mind or body and mind is involved in career, personal, sporting and educational areas. Examples being shooting a lower golf score, improving your relationships, raising self self esteem, weight loss and much more.

Is it for everyone? Probably not as studies show it works for a high percentage of people and then another study comes out and states that it doesn't work for most. My personal belief is that hypnotherapy is capable of assisting anyone so long as they want that help - 99 times out of 100 you are going to be hypnotised so long as you want to be.

So successful hypnotherapy depends on the desire of the individual to overcome their particular 'quest'. Anyone really wanting to succeed or improve their life (and not leaving it to their therapist) needs to be 100% positive that they will succeed.

Unfortunately it's a fact that that many people who have issues need more than advice to over come 'the issue'. Often they are dealing with years of negative thought and programming that is hard to reverse this habitual attitude / thinking without assistance and the best placed tool to deal with this built up habit is ..... you guessed it HYPNOTHERAPY.

Hypnotherapy can assist you to reprogram all those negative thought processes you have built up over the years and build them up to into positive thoughts. Once these positive thoughts take foot watch out success is sure to follow.

Only You Have The Power

2008-09-16T18:13:00.001-07:00

Recently I read an article written by a well known hypnotherapist. The following extract took my attention;

For example, many hypnotists believe that they can hypnotize anyone, anywhere, and anytime. But some say that not everyone can actually be hypnotized, that some people have a stronger will that can go against the hypnotists strategies.

Isn't that FANTASTIC?? While the writer seemed to class this as a negative point I really do like it as if you do not feel safe nothing is going to occur. In any form of therapy 99 times out of a 100 you (the client) comes first and in no way would you be forced into situations that you wouldn't willingly proceed with. Yes there are exceptions to every rule but why would you willingly throw your self into a situation if you weren't happy, and wouldn't you be less happy if you were taken unawares??

If you are not happy with your hypnotherapist, or the environment you are in, or for that matter, you aren't 100% sold on hypnosis you are not going to get as big a bang for your buck as you would if totally comfortable. So talk to your hypnotherapist when you see them, ask any questions as many times as you feel you must. Because hypnosis is a personal thing where you have the power, the happier you are the better the connection with the hypnotherapist and the better the hypnosis will be - you have the power and you can make it happen!!

Uses for Hypnosis

2008-09-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hypnosis, the modern name given to an ancient art by the great Dr Braid comes from the Greek word hypnos or sleep. It is the method of creating what at face value is an almost sleep like state in people who are open to being hypnotized. It's worth noting that everyone should they so desire can be hypnotized, although some people can be guided to a deeper state of hypnosis than others. The only people who maybe unable to be hypnotised are the very old or young or those who through intellectual frailty can't focus sufficiently.

While often I may talk about sleep Hypnosis is not actually sleep, but rather an altered state of consciousness, where the subject is still alert, and able to speak / hear and if necessary move around while in their state of trance.

The techniques of hypnotic induction have been in use in one form or another for thousands of years dating back to the sleep temples of Egypt, the Greek Oracles, the old Indian Fakirs to medieval magicians. The first hypnotherapist of 'modern' times is said to be Franz Anton Mesmer with the use of this marvelous tool continuing on today in wide use in clinical self-help and therapy programs. Hypnotherapy can be used in any situation where the mind and body come into play some being;

Sports
Performance Anxiety, Coaching Skills, Overcoming Barriers, Concentration and Increasing Focus, Relaxation

Business
Goal Setting, Stress Management, Communication Techniques, Assertiveness Training, Problem Solving, Direction and Motivation

Education
Increased Concentration, Enhanced Memory, Study Techniques, Pre-Exam Nerves

Personal
Self Esteem and Confidence Therapy, Phobias, Anxiety, Depression and Mania, Addictive and other Problem Behaviors, Sexual Problems, Eating Disorders, Psychosomatic Complaints, Pain Management

Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool that can be used in any area effected by the mind/body connection. It promotes a better level of health and well being and has helped thousands overcome both physical and mental difficulties and meet their varying goals. Hypnotheraputic techniques have been proven to help you get what you want out of life, letting you be the real you.

It’s All In The Suggestion

2008-09-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

In previous entries you may have noticed that I talk about both the hypnotic state and also the use of suggestion while in that said state. Hypnotic suggestions are the “tool” that a Hypnotherapist or a practitioner of self hypnosis uses to initiate what ever desirable change that is required while in the hypnotic state. The hypnotic state is simply that – the state of mind that allows any suggestion to be taken up effectively without the conscious mind intervening.

Suggestions used in hypnotherapy should be structured in a way that will enhance their effectiveness. I try and keep within some simple rules, these being;

Any suggestion should be made in a positive fashion – it’s kind of obvious I know, but I can tell you as a newbie Hypnotherapist this took some practice before I got out of bad habits. Words that we use so often like don't, can't, won't seem only to bring into sharp focus the very thing you are trying to change.

An example of this was one of my very first clients who came to see me for help in coping with sea sickness. My initial draft therapy had me saying “You don’t feel discomfort at the increasing motion of the boat” which would have had him noticing each and every little movement (probably before the craft left the trailer). A better suggestion (thankfully it came to me well before I saw him a second time) went “as the boat moves away from shore you are comfortable with each and every movement the boat may make and the further you travel the greater these feelings of comfort become”.

Suggestion should be based in the not too distant future as the client needs to be able to see themselves taking on their chosen behaviours. For example my boatie should be able to see himself sailing comfortably ‘now’ not sometime in the future. I always discuss with my clients about ‘shooting for mars but being happy landing on the Moon’ when I write therapies – once again to look at the boatie he believed a measure of caution was required to ensure his personal safety so although his discomfort decreased an amount of wariness remained that he was happy with.

Imagery should be used that engages all the senses allowing the client an easier route to buy in to what we are trying to achieve. Using the example I have shown so far some of the very things that reinforced the discomfort in my client he enjoyed on a different level so in the therapy his enjoyment of the spray and wind was amplified as his comfort level in rough weather increased.

It’s possible to use these patterns in your everyday speech and thoughts moving you from a potentially negative frame to positive until it becomes second nature. This attitudinal change will be beneficial not only to you but also those around you….

The Mind Is The Builder

2008-09-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

I found this article on http://www.aweber.com well worth a look at if you want to learn more about hypnosis and meditation;

Edgar Cayce once said, "The mind is the builder". The mind is a powerful instrument, capable of building our reality. And one method of tapping into the powers of the mind is through the use of hypnosis. Once you identify your negative thoughts, moods or habits, you can then replace those undesirable traits with positive beliefs.

By using the healing power of hypnosis, it's possible to go directly to the subconscious mind to alter most any condition that is troubling us. You see, the mind acts upon the forces of our physical body through the controlled use of suggestion. Self hypnosis is the tool we can use to feed our subconscious with helpful, life changing commands to achieve our goals.

Hypnosis is simply the means to allow our bodies to become relaxed and receptive to the positive ideas we wish to receive in place of our negative thoughts. Being hypnotized is an enjoyable state of heightened awareness. This is a natural condition, a mental state we all experience two or more times a day - when we fall asleep and then again when we wake up.

It is rare for a person to fall into an extreme, deep trance or sleep. Most people will become very comfortable and relaxed, similar to a condition known as natural hypnosis (day dreaming??). If you've ever been so engrossed in a project, or concentrated so intently on a book you're reading that you block out everything around you, then you already know what natural hypnosis is. It's a way to allow our subconscious mind to achieve the goals that our conscious mind desires.

Is Hypnosis Good For Me??

2008-09-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

You may not believe it, but hypnosis and self-hypnosis have well documented beneficial effects on both the body and mind with an increasing number of medical professionals vouching for the effectiveness of hypnosis and self-hypnosis in assisting with the management of various conditions and ailments. Various professions both conventional and complimentary use hypnotic like text in their tools (often without realising it) for the benefit of their client’s personal development.

However (as previously discussed) to most people hypnosis is still snugly wrapt up in the myth and fable of media script writers and stage hypnotists building the image of conmen or cheap performers taking control over your conscious morals and ethics with the aim of making you do something you wouldn’t do under normal circumstances (which is a lie that pays their bills quite nicely)

In fact be it hypnosis or self hypnosis you the subject are hypnotising yourself as you are in control and give yourself permission to go into ‘that’ state (if you don’t feel ok about it, it’s never going to happen). Not only that, while in hypnosis you remain in control being able to accept or not accept any proffered suggestions or indeed deciding to come out of hypnosis anytime you want (much like pulling out of a day dream). The fear is still there however until with a little first hand experience people find out just how comfortable and indeed familiar being in hypnosis can be (so many clients of mine have agreed with my definition of the sensation of hypnosis as that heavy ‘Sunday Morning In Bed’ feeling).

For all my stage brethren and Hollywood would have you believe for nigh on all of us hypnosis and self-hypnosis is as dangerous as relaxing at your favourite beach being safe for all age groups and can be used anywhere the mind or body is involved in a particular problem, ailment or condition. The only time hypnosis isn’t advisable when a potential client is dealing with serious mental health conditions (although experienced Clinical Hypnotherapists with sufficient psychological back ground have used hypnosis when assisting clients in serious states). Overall simply spending time in the hypnotic state has wonderful therapeutic effects on mind and body.

Forgetting about any suggestion you may make for self-improvement or assistance with ailments / medical conditions hypnosis in itself is good for you bringing on improvement in creativity, mental clarity and ability to focus.

I admit I am a little biased but hypnosis in any form is the best form of self improvement a person can take on because it’s safe and completely natural (you are not bending your mind into directions that it doesn’t naturally go itself already). You are always in control with your free will always being there with you at all times. Should you strike suggestions that you find unacceptable or you sense that your personal safety is in question you can wake from hypnosis at any time clear headed and ready for action. Waking up from a deep sleep is much harder!!

Four Hypnotic Questions

2008-09-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

I get asked so many questions about hypnosis and many do seem to be about the supposedly negative aspects of it. Just for a moment I'd like to address four of them;

Am I in control when in hypnosis?
We are all hard wired with a base set of rules known as the critical factor - these are the things that are so reinforced that you won't do certain things (unless you are of 'that' kind of mindset). Examples of people who are given suggestion that they find unacceptable show that they either ignore the suggestion or immediately come out of hypnosis. Always remember that stage hypnotists are looking more for a certain kind of personality (definately extraverted) rather than great hypnotic subjects (because most people can be hypnotised if they want to be). To sumarise, when in hypnosis you cannot be made to perform like a mindless robot - that idea is made up by fiction writers!!!

Will I loose my memory when in hypnosis?
I don't know where this one came from but it is completely wrong, wrong, wrong... The only time there is any form of memory loss is when a subject has accepted a suggestion usually seen in stage hypnosis. (note that the subject has to accept the suggestion) At the end of the session the person is back to normal and every thought and memory is back....

Can I be hypnotised against my will?
Totally 100% myth!!! Lets put it this way - I have colleagues that I simply enjoy working with and find I go into the hypnotic state so easily with their assistance. One in particular can by pointing and using the word 'now' and I will go particularly deep into the hypnotic state. The funny thing is I only have to decide that it isn't going to happen and nothing they say or do will change that. You will never be hypnotised against your will - they can be direct and it won't work, they can try and sneak it on you and when you realise whats happening you can end it (similar to breaking a day dream). In fact you have the power of coming out of hypnosis and / or refusing and suggestion or instruction anytime. You are in control - it's all myth!!!

The Hypnotic Coma?
Somedays when I am in self hypnosis I wish this was possible but that is due mainly to the fact that being in hypnosis feels so great and relaxing. The fear of the hypnotic coma is another myth brought about by good fiction writers. Should you be hypnotised and your therapist leave you, you would naturally wake after a short length of time (or longer if you manage to fall asleep during the session). I would have to say that 99% of the people I have dealt with really enjoy the feeling of being in medium to deep hypnosis and a small fraction may well resist the call to 'wake up' at the end of the session - this is because the feeling is so good and they would like to stay longer but they are not stuck there. They come out of the session after a reminder and or slightly louder instructions. You are still in control - just remember how hard it is rolling out of bed some mornings after a good nights sleep and you will get the idea how these people feel...

Top 7 Tips To Treat And Prevent Cancer Pain

2008-09-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Author: Raymond Lee

Treating cancer pain depends on a variety of factors such as the type of cancer you have, the extent of the disease, and your individual tolerance for pain. But while the source of the pain can vary, one thing is for certain. Most of the time, it can be controlled. Cancer pain can stem from physical factors such as a tumor pressing on nerves or bone or from side effects from treatments such as chemotherapy. It may also be aggravated by anxiety or depression. The pain can be chronic or acute. To conquer the pain, here are some tips that you can consider to adopt to manage the pain effectively.

1. Heal Your Veins
To help ease tenderness and swelling caused by repeated injections. Apply aloe vera straight from the plant, if possible to the injection sites. Or make a paste of goldenseal powder and water and pack it onto the affected areas before you go to sleep, leaving it on all night. Both treatments can help soothe the pain.

2. Try Hypnosis
Hypnosis has long been known to control pain. Hypnosis can help you dissociate from the pain. It is like turning down the dial from 10 to 2. You can find a qualified hypnotherapist through the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis.

3. Honor Your Emotions
Anxiety, depression, worry, fear, all of these emotions can influence how much pain affects you. Recognize that these emotions play a role in the perception of pain and, if necessary, ask your doctor to refer you to a psychotherapist or counselor. You may also opt to join a cancer support camp.

4. Learn to Relax
Stress-management techniques such as visualization and meditation may help reduce the sensation of pain. The most basic relaxation technique is to sit quietly and focus on your breathing for 5 to 10 minutes at a time. Or ask your doctor or nurse to recommend a relaxation audiotape.

5. Take A Stroll
Walk regularly, if possible. Even taking a brief walk around your room can improve your circulation and help your body metabolize pain medication, thereby controlling any side effects.

6. Get A Massage
Massage can help reduce emotional stress and thereby lessen your perception of pain. Massage can also relieve tight, tense muscles and help maintain your flexibility and range of motion.

7. Exercise, If You Can
Even gentle exercises can help release endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers. Get whatever exercise you can, within reason.

How to Quantify Your Health and Fitness Goals

2008-08-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Author: Annie Robinson
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/how-to-quantify-your-health-and-fitness-goals-353634.html

We all strive to be healthy, however unless it is right at the top of your list of priorities you will always give in to temptation, whether that is a slice of mud cake or sleeping in and missing your morning fitness session. So first of all we must make health and fitness a goal that has priority in out lives. How?

First of all let’s define, what exactly is a goal? The word goal is defined as a purpose to which your energies are directed toward a specific outcome. Whew! How about this a goal is an intention you have to create a specific result within a particular time frame. Goals can either short term, or long term and the time frame you set needs to be in direct proportion to the goal set. There is no point setting a goal to lose 20 kilos in a week, as this is near impossible and if it is, it just might kill you.

Setting a goal with intention gives you direction, clarity and a quantified outcome. Think of it as dangling a carrot in front of you – and for this reason goals need to be something you really want or the payoff will not be enough to keep you motivated and on track. You have to want it. One way to do this is to make your end result clear; it must also be reachable and very importantly exciting for you. So if the idea of being healthy doesn’t light you up, what will that gives you the same result?

Could you give yourself the goal of being fit and healthy enough to run your local annual marathon? Or to play soccer on the beach with your kids? What about being able to run to the top of your stairs without puffing, or dance the night away without feeling completely washed out and sore the next day, or fit into your favourite sexy jeans?

Find something that is exciting to you as your goal that represents the more mundane goal you really have in mind. Remember, all goals need to have a payoff, something you want enough to keep you motivated and a way for you to reward yourself at the end.

Let’s get some clarity on each of the facets of good goal setting:
- Your health goal must be clear State your goal clearly. If your goal is to lose weight, in which part of your body do you particularly want to lose weight and how many kilos do you want to lose and by when? Clarity prods you on your path to create a strategy.
- Make your goal reachable Our goals also have to feel and be reachable for us because if we don’t meet up, we run the risk of tripping up and beating ourselves up. And we lose momentum, could end up as couch potatoes and run far from the goal. So, start with the end in mind and work back from there giving yourself smaller steps until you are back to now. You will now have a calendar of events to reach for that makes it seem so much easier to do.
- Be focused Be clearly focused on the goal you want to achieve, know exactly what you want and why you want it and then know what your reward is for hanging in there. Lack of focus or too many choices leads to indecision and poor results.
- Make your goal exciting If the goal doesn’t motivate you to get up, energise you to get into action and get into momentum, then I don’t think it will take you a long way. You’ve got to want it so much you can imagine it happening and how great your going to feel when you achieve it.

Now you know this, go out and set your goal. Write it down. Stick it on your wall, put it on your computer. Be reminded of your goal and most importantly, take action on the strategy to achieve your goal. Most of all spend 5 minutes morning and night imagining your end result in every detail to keep your motivation high.

About the Author:
Annie has been a natural practitioner for over 20 years and also holds a Masters in NLP, Results Coaching and Eriksonian Hypnosis. Her focus is now on Wellness Consulting, Life Strategies and Success facilitating and training and her presentations and workshops are both entertaining and knowledgeable. Participants find themselves growing, learning and laughing as Annie tells her story "from wheelchair to entrepenuer" and facilitates their personal development and motivation.

Famous Sports Celebrities Turn To Hypnosis To Better Their Performance

2008-08-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

About The Author
Terry Doherty is a world renowned Hypnotherapist and life coach. Find out more about his Hypnotherapy in High Wycombe practice, go to http://www.mind-works.com. He is also the creator of a range of Hypnosis Downloads at http://www.double-powered-hypnosis.com

Hypnosis has been used by a number of sportsmen and women over the years to improve their sporting performance. It has been well known that the various techniques used in hypnosis, including NLP and visualizations have positively affected the state of mind and performances of many an experienced player, as well as the amateurs. Though a lot of famous sporting celebrities and athletes have used hypnosis techniques in the past, it is not a very well known fact because of the stigma attached to hypnosis.

Pulp fiction and movies have added fuel to the fire in portraying hypnotherapy as a load of mumbo-jumbo, coupled with Machiavellian hypnotists who are out to control your mind. The truth couldn t be more different. Over the years researchers have discovered the true potential of hypnosis and recommend it as a one-stop remedy for any malady in life, sporting performance included. A player s performance in a game is directly related to his/her state of mind; the more confident and calm the subconscious, the better the performance, and vice-versa. Recently ace golfer, Tiger Woods acknowledged the fact that he uses hypnosis and its various techniques to calm his mind before any game. The results of these hypnotherapy sessions are out there for all of us to see. He along with his mental coach Jay Brunza work towards making Tiger Woods mind controlled, relaxed and composed. Their one point agenda is to increase Tiger s concentration and focus, by succeeding in blocking distractions and disturbances. Golf as a game requires a great deal of focus, and if this focus wavers the game is lost.

Hypnosis works towards recreating images of the perfect move or the perfect stroke required of a player to win a match. The images are visualized by the player in his mind, and repeated over and over, till it has made an imprint in his subconscious. Tennis star, Jimmy Connors is said to have used hypnosis techniques to practice his winning strokes prior to the US Open Championship, which went a long way in sealing his victory at the tournament. Hypnosis also goes a long way in soothing a player s nerves through calming audios and takes care of the performance anxiety which so many players face before a game. A great sportsperson might fail to leave a mark at a game, if he is anxious and tense. Hypnosis helps them deal with these jitters by smoothening the rough edges of their subconscious mind. Kevin McBride, the celebrated Irish heavyweight boxing champion summons his hypnotist before every game, to get into the right frame of mind. Even golfer Jack Niklaus lauded hypnotherapy and visualization techniques as the sole reason for his improved concentration, which has led him to numerous victories. He says that his game of golf is only 10% physical, and 90% mental; he further adds that he visualizes each of the holes on a course, especially the tough ones and rehearses in his mind the right stroke to master them. He even says that he whenever he plays a shot; he knows exactly the movements he is making and the outcome of each move in his mind, before he hits the shot.
It sounds incredible that hypnosis can help a player in his performance to such an extent. But it is true, and a number of sporting legends owe their pioneering performance to hypnosis. Boxer Ken Norton used hypnosis prior to his penultimate game with Mohammad Ali, where Norton ended up breaking Ali s jaw; even cyclist Lance Armstrong is said to have used visualization techniques to overcome obstacles.

About The Author
Terry Doherty is a world renowned Hypnotherapist and life coach. Find out more about his Hypnotherapy in High Wycombe practice, go to http://www.mind-works.com/. He is also the creator of a range of Hypnosis Downloads at http://www.double-powered-hypnosis.com/

Hypnotherapy - What's It Really Like?

2008-08-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

It’s a question that always comes up ....

Thanks to my stage ‘breatheren’ even after I have explained that hypnotherapy is nothing like stage hypnosis, and is actually a natural ocurance where you the subject has all the control, people are obviously still wondering when I am going to trigger them into behaving as if they are strippers or drunk etc etc. Well folks I’ve got news for you – you don’t have to bend to the will of the stage hypnotist if you don’t want to and when you come and see a Clinical Hypnotherapist you are in for an experience completely removed from the unfortunate best known example of hypnosis (i.e. stage shows)

Clinical Hypnotherapy is so far removed from stage hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is not a trick and actually has a long track record of assisting people to deal with various problems (right up to hypno anaesthetic). For this reason I am more than willing to explain to people what it's like.
When working with me the first thing I will have you do is to relax by way of a short relaxation exercise. It sounds easy but in today we pay mere lip service to real relaxation as life is one big deadline, usually when we are stuck in traffic. The word ‘relaxation’ usually conjures up an image of a good meal or a glass of wine but it’s more than that - the skill we neglect the most in relaxation is breathing. The relaxation is a bit of homework I will have you do between sessions and an activity that you will benefit from even if you do not follow through with any actual Hypnotherapy.

Now you’re current wondering what I am going on about… how can breathing, something we do instinctively be considered a skill? Proper breathing is a skill as when we are stressed our breathing can become become shallow and too fast. And it's a vicious cycle as breathing fast and shallow activates our sympathetic nervous system, which produces adrenaline, which brings on more and more stress and on we go until the physical symptoms build up to such an extent that the stress makes us ill. Try it now ….. concentrate on your breathing now. Not great big breaths. Just deep enough to be comfortable, and, most importantly, nice and slow. Count in for five, hold for five and breathe out for five. Breathe from your belly. Even thirty seconds of this can make you feel better.

And what does this do when you breath properly? Quite simply you relax, and when you relax your brain calms down. It stops being busy. And when it stops being busy it stops stressing out. When the brain is relaxed then with the correct suggestion the Hypnotherapist can guide you into the hypnotic state and talk to your subconscious (if you want them to). That is the key to Hypnotherapy - it's all about the hypnotherapist talking to the subconscious.

For example, say you want to lose weight. Your conscious mind knows that if you lose weight you will feel fitter, your clothes are going to fit better and this is going to make you feel happier. But your subconscious mind remembers just how much you enjoy fast food. You enjoy it A LOT and your subconscious is very persuasive. It’s a winner, it loves winning and getting it’s own way as it’s built up quite a track record over time as every enjoyable moment experienced eating burgers is stored in your subconscious. So what the Hypnotherapist does is reason with it in a very clever way, for example getting you to visualize looking at yourself in a mirror, imagining your reflection is fitter and slimmer than you and you know that your body is working to equal your new svelte reflection. Or get you to see the outfit you would like to buy when you loose a few kilos. This is because the subconscious responds and accepts this kind of reasoning best and you are replacing your love of burgers with a desire to be fitter and healthier. If you just tell it to don’t eat burgers, it will simply see that ‘don’t’ and take it as a ‘do’ and the next thing you will have the urge to run to your nearest burger joint. All the while your Hypnotherapist takes you on this journey, they will make sure you stay relaxed.

Clients are amazed at just how good it feels being in hypnosis with one telling me that after a 25 minute session they felt more rested and relaxed than after an evenings sleep. Having questioned a number of clients (both my own and others) the last majority say it's half-way between being awake and asleep. What ever your experience with Clinical Hypnotherapy (if you choose to take that route) you will hear everything that's being said and you are in total control. No ethical Hypnotherapist will tell you you're a naked alien from Mars and if they did you are more than likely to come out of hypnosis and starting asking them very hard questions.

So, next time you watch a stage hypnotist don't let it put you off hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy can help you.

Many thanks to Jo Wills at http://www.johypno.com/ for the inspiration for this article

Pole vaulter Steve Hooker shows nerves of steel after hypnosis

2008-08-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/227524,pole-vaulter-steve-hooker-shows-nerves-of-steel-after-hypnosis.html
Author: DPA

Beijing - A hypnotherapist cured Steve Hooker's fear of pole vaulting a few years ago and the success was visible on Friday when the Australian soared to Olympic gold in dramatic fashion. Hooker required a third attempt over 5.65 metres in qualifying to make the final, and on Friday also left it to the final jump to clear 5.80m, 5.85m and 5.90m, which earned him the Olympic title.

That he then went on to cleared an Olympic record 5.96m on his final try also fitted the picture.
"The whole competition was mentally and physically the hardest thing I have done in my life. It was more boxing than pole vault.

"I should have skipped the second jumps altogether. They were not working for me. I should have gone straight to the third," Hooker said light-heartedly after becoming the first Olympic champion from Australia in the discipline.

Such stamina on the world stage was impossible for Hooker in his younger days.
He told Friday's edition of The Australian daily that he was close to quitting in 2001 after throwing tantrums in training and not fully coping with the mental aspect of the tough discipline.
"I would run through a lot and not take off and it got to the point, by the end of it I thought about giving it in. It was so mentally draining going to training not knowing if I would be able to jump or not.

"I was throwing poles, cracking tantrums, I was in a miserable bad mood. Your whole life, it really brings it down when it's really what you want to do and you can't do it just because it's not clicking in your brain," Hooker said.

Hypnotism and visualization techniques from his sports psychologist brought the now 26-year-old Hooker back on track.

"I would talk to her at the start of the session and say, 'I want to talk about lowering the pole vault in my last couple of steps and jumping off the ground.' I would tell her the cues I wanted to work on, so she'd work it into the things that she was saying while I was under hypnosis," he told The Australian.

The results came gradually and Hooker joined the elite 6.00m club earlier this year before he peaked in Beijing.

But he did it the hard way before realizing that the third attempt over 5.90m would give him gold because Russian rival Evgeny Lukyanenko had already missed.

"It took a moment and I realized I could do something every kid dreams of. Evgeny was out and it was in my hands. I thought I was the person who could do it," he said about his thoughts before soaring to gold.
Copyright, respective author or news agency

Dying man who taught America

2008-08-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

5:00AM Saturday March 29, 2008
by Tim Walker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Randy Pausch has touched a nerve in the United States with his life-affirming lecture.
These days, most people imagine that when they succumb to the inevitable and utter what must be their "last words", they will have time for little more than a brief, faltering sentence. If they are lucky, it will be shared with a few close family members before being swiftly consigned to the scrapheap of history.
Professor Randy Pausch is not most people, though. In September, the computer science expert delivered a remarkable lecture to students at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh. Thanks to the wonders of technology, the hour-long speech did not disappear into the ether but went on to be heard by millions. It has since changed lives, touched American politics, and is about to spawn a publishing phenomenon.
At the centre of Pausch's remarkable tale is "The Last Lecture", an old academic conceit whereby teachers are asked to imagine they're near death and must therefore sum up the entire collection of wisdom they wish to pass on to their students in a single lecture. Pausch, a 47-year-old father of three, didn't have to imagine anything when he gave his own "last lecture" on September 18. He had just been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.
In a little over an hour, to a packed lecture-hall, Pausch delivered a deeply moving speech on the subject of "really achieving your childhood dreams". The optimistic philosophy he espoused, in a lecture punctuated by both laughter and tears, resulted in scenes resembling a real-life version of the film Dead Poets Society.
To Americans who have recently, through the likes of Barack Obama, learned to love public speaking, it has provided a timely reminder of how life ought to be lived.
The first public mention of Pausch's lecture appeared in The Wall Street Journal, whose columnist Jeff Zaslow heard about it on the grapevine. "I almost didn't go," Zaslow recalls. "I live in Detroit, about 300 miles away and I ended up driving to save the cost of a flight. It was like watching Babe Ruth hit his last home run, or Michael Jordan hitting his jump shot at the end of the NBA finals. It was electric in that room. I knew it affected everyone that was there. But I could not have foreseen what followed, even in my wildest dreams."
Zaslow decided to write about the lecture in his next column, and put together a five-minute highlights video of it for the Journal's website. And so a monster was created: readers passed the clip to their friends and it became a viral hit, receiving hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and other platforms in a matter of hours.
"It just took off," says Zaslow. "The ABC TV network's Good Morning America show saw it in the Journal and had Randy on the following morning. Immediately after that, a million people logged on to the ABC website just to find out more about him.
"I've since had thousands of emails from people saying how much it moved them and how it has changed their lives."
Soon the video of the entire, hour-long talk was available online. More than six million people have watched the life-affirming lecture in full on YouTube.
In October, Pausch was invited to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show where he gave an edited reprise of his talk to Winfrey's audience of 10 million. Next month, his thoughts will be published in The Last Lecture, a book co-written by Zaslow, for which the US publisher Hyperion forked out a reported advance of US$8.4 million ($10.5 million) after a bidding war.
In a market crammed full of questionable self-help tomes, Pausch's honest and humble life lessons are expected to top bestseller lists in America and have already been translated into 18 languages. "They keep taking the Oprah clip down off YouTube because of copyright infringement," Zaslow says. "But it gets a million views every time before it disappears."
Meanwhile, on March 13, still alive against the odds, Pausch appeared before a congressional subcommittee on behalf of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (Pancan). Chemo and radiation therapy have kept him alive long enough to demand that Congress set aside US$170m to find a cure for the disease, but the treatment has led to congestive heart and kidney failure.
It was a harrowing testimony. There's little or no way of preventing pancreatic cancer. Though smoking or poor diet, for instance, can increase the risk of contracting it, little is known of the disease's causes. Only one case in 10 is attributed to hereditary genes. Pausch has never smoked or drunk heavily, and used to exercise every day. When he first developed symptoms, he thought it was hepatitis.
"When we got the diagnosis, my wife said, `Gee, I guess you'd trade for hepatitis,"' Pausch told the subcommittee. "I said, `Honey, I'd trade for Aids. In a heartbeat."'
Adding grist to Pausch's mill was the fact that, although two-thirds of sufferers are over 70, he's not the only young victim to have brought pancreatic cancer to public attention recently. At the beginning of this month, the actor Patrick Swayze announced that he had been diagnosed with the disease and was undergoing aggressive chemotherapy treatment.
SO what of the speech itself? Pausch begins his "last lecture" by introducing the elephant in the room: the CAT scans of his liver, and the 10 or so tumours that are attacking it. He apologises to those who think he should be more depressed and morose. Then he does some press-ups. This is typical of the persona that has made him so popular in his final months.
"He's a showman," says Zaslow, who has become a friend as well as a colleague. "The first time I spoke to him was on the phone the day before the lecture. He was cycling and speaking on his cellphone headset, and I said, `Do you want to stop and call me from a landline? I don't want you to get in an accident.'
"He said, `So I get in an accident. What's the difference?' So I could tell that he had a sense of humour before I even got there."
"I don't know how to not have fun," Pausch tells his audience. "I'm dying and I'm having fun, and I'm going to keep having fun every day I've got left."
Pausch was a founder of CMU's Entertainment Technology Centre and created a pioneering computer science course, Building Virtual Worlds, which he taught there for 10 years. It sounds like the most fun a programmer can have: his students were taught how to turn virtual reality technology into entertainment, in video games and amusement park rides.
However, his last lecture, which Pausch entitled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, takes as its theme his youthful ambitions, how he achieved them, and how he helped others to achieve theirs.
He doesn't discuss spirituality or religion, but speaks with the simple authority of a man who is looking death in the face and assessing what's really important about life. "Never lose the childlike wonder," he advises. "Show gratitude ... don't complain; just work harder ... never give up."
"I think we're hungry for something that's real," Zaslow says. "Celebrity today is so plastic and doesn't resonate with people, but there's something about what Randy had to say that really touched a nerve. He's real; he's just telling it the way it is. Many people have known someone that died, or are dying themselves. All of us want to live and live life to the fullest. He articulated that in a way that captured people's imaginations."
Most of Pausch's successfully realised dreams were gloriously nerdy, like seeing his name in the World Book Encyclopedia, floating in zero gravity and meeting Captain Kirk (or, at least, William Shatner).
He also describes how not achieving a dream can be as enriching as achieving one. "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted," he says, reflecting on the fact that he never made it as a gridiron player. Three weeks after his lecture, however, the Pittsburgh Steelers invited him to take part in a practice session, so fulfilling his dream of joining the National Football League, if only for a day.
The team weren't the only ones to demonstrate such generosity. J.J. Abrams, director of the new Star Trek film, heard about Pausch, learned that they shared an obsession with the sci-fi series and invited the professor to the Los Angeles set to film a cameo appearance.
One of Pausch's aspirations was to become a Disney "imagineer", one of the elite who dream up, design and manufacture the magic in Disney's magic kingdom. He became a part-time member of the team that created Disneyworld's Magic Carpet Ride (based on the movie Aladdin) and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Pausch's positive outlook seems to have come from his family. One of his lecture slides shows his mother go-karting on her 70th birthday; another shows his father riding a roller-coaster on his 80th.
The most touching moment of the lecture comes when Pausch announces that the previous day had been his wife Jai's birthday. The audience of 500 sing Happy Birthday as a cake is wheeled out and Jai tearfully blows out the candles.
"It was such an emotional moment," Zaslow says. "I've seen it 100 times now and it doesn't move me so much, but to be there on the day was incredible. It was a remarkable act of love. Jai told me later that she whispered in his ear, `Please don't die.' It sounds like Hollywood dialogue." That piece of Hollywood dialogue is inaudible on video but will make it into the published version.
The book had to be completed in record time, for obvious reasons. Zaslow visited Pausch three times, but mostly they talked on the phone, one hour a day for 53 days straight _ Pausch pounding the asphalt on his bike, Zaslow tapping at a keyboard on the other end of the line.
Until very recently, Pausch was in great physical shape, cycling every day, running somewhat faster than the majority of his countrymen and, of course, interrupting his lectures to do a few quick press-ups.
But now Pausch has stopped the palliative chemotherapy intended to extend his short lifespan for as long as possible. He spends many days confined to bed. "He's not riding his bike any more," Zaslow admits. "The appearance before Congress took a lot out of him. He almost died in a car accident that day when their limo driver hit a truck. He joked about that, too."
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-deadliest cancer, killing 75 per cent of sufferers within a year. Only 4 per cent make it to their fifth year.
According to Pancan, more than 37,000 people are diagnosed with the disease and more than 33,000 die from it each year in the US.
Pancan hopes the attention being paid to pancreatic cancer will at least result in more effective early detection. At the moment, less than 2 per cent of the American National Cancer Institute's budget is allocated to pancreatic cancer research.
Pausch's fame may help to change that. He has appeared in TV spots for Pancan, explaining the state of research funding. "I'm a professor," he says in the advert. "I know that people in research labs can do miraculous things if they're given the resources."
Pausch talks about his students, friends and colleagues with great warmth and humour. Their tributes show that the professor is much loved.
He ends his last lecture with a couple of confessions, however. First, the lecture isn't really "about how to achieve your dreams. It's about how to live your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself; the dreams will come to you."
Second, the life lessons it contains are really meant for his three young children as they grow up.
In the advertising material for his book, he admits that "the lecture was only for three people, my kids". As for the book: "It's only the first three copies I really care about." The other people he has touched are just a wonderful side-effect.
"Judging by the emails I get and the comments on the thousands of blogs devoted to it," Zaslow says, "young people love him, old people love him, academics love him, parents love him, cancer patients love him."
His passing may be private, but Randy Pausch will be mourned by millions.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Randy Pausch's "final" lecture was given on September 18, 2007, as part of a series at Carnegie Mellon University. A full transcript is at http://www.randypausch.com/. Here are some highlights:
* "It's wonderful to be here. What they didn't tell you is that this lecture series used to be called `The Last Lecture'. If you had one last lecture to give before you died, what would it be? I thought, damn, I finally nailed the venue and they renamed it."
* "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand. If I don't seem as depressed as I should be, sorry to disappoint you. I assure you I am not in denial. It's not like I'm not aware of what's going on ... The other thing is that I am in phenomenally good health right now. I mean, it's the greatest thing of cognitive dissonance you will ever see: the fact that I am in really good shape. In fact I am in better shape than most of you. [Pausch starts doing push-ups.] So anybody who wants to cry or pity me can get down and do a few of those."
* "How do you get people to help you? By telling the truth. Being earnest. I'll take an earnest person over a hip person every day, because hip is short-term."
* "Apologise when you screw up and focus on other people, not on yourself. How do I make a concrete example of that? See, yesterday was my wife's birthday. If there was ever a time I might be entitled to have the focus on me, it might be the Last Lecture. But no, I feel very badly that my wife didn't really get a proper birthday, and I thought it would be very nice if 500 people ... [a birthday cake is wheeled on to the stage]."
* "Remember, brick walls let us show our dedication. They are there to separate us from the people who don't really want to achieve their dreams. Don't bail. The best of the gold's at the bottom of barrels of crap."
* "Show gratitude. When I got tenure I took all of my research team down to Disney World for a week. And one of the other professors said, `How can you do that?' I said, `These people just busted their ass and got me the best job in the world for life. How could I not do that?"'
* "Don't complain. Just work harder [shows slide of Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player]. It was in his contract not to complain, even when fans spit on him."
* "Work hard. I got tenure a year early. Junior faculty members used to say to me, `What's your secret?' I said, `It's pretty simple: call me any Friday night in my office at ten o'clock and I'll tell you."'
* "Find the best in everybody. You might have to wait a long time, but people will show you their good side. Just keep waiting, it will come out. And be prepared. Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity."
Pancreatic cancer kills 75 per cent of sufferers within a year. Two-thirds of patients are aged 70 or over.
Some notable victims:
LUCIANO PAVAROTTI
Operatic superstar Pavarotti died last September after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Despite successful surgery to remove tumours in 2006, his condition worsened and he was forced to call off concerts. He was 71.
SYD BARRETT
Roger Keith Barrett, known as Syd, was the iconoclastic former frontman of Pink Floyd. A recluse, he died of pancreatic cancer in 2006, aged 60. The original acid casualty was supposedly the subject of his bandmates' anthem Shine on You Crazy Diamond.
DIZZY GILLESPIE
Jazz trumpeter John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie died of the disease in 1993, aged 75, in Englewood, New Jersey. Englewood Hospital established the Dizzy Gillespie Cancer Institute and Memorial Fund in his memory.
RENE MAGRITTE
Magritte, the Belgian surrealist known for his witty paintings of pipes, apples and bowler hats, died of pancreatic cancer in Brussels in 1967, aged 68.
MILES KINGTON
The journalist and satirist Miles Kington, a contributor to the Independent and the New Zealand Herald, died in January aged 67, after a short battle with the cancer, soon after filing his final column.
PATRICK SWAYZE
The Hollywood star best known for Dirty Dancing and Ghost announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this month. He is now undergoing chemotherapy. Swayze, 55, plans to continue working despite his condition.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow, Hodder & Stoughton.

GPs urged to help cut kids' TV time

2008-05-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Simon Collins
New Zealand Herald 24/03/2008

Doctors are being urged to help parents reduce the amount of time their children spend watching television.

Dr Shari Barkin, an American paediatrician visiting New Zealand for the Brainwave Trust, says preschool children who watch TV for more than one hour a day, and older children who watch for more than two hours, are more likely to develop aggression, learning difficulties and attention-deficit disorders.

She has just led a five-year experiment across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico in which paediatricians cut children's TV viewing by an average of 45 minutes a day.

They used a technique called "motivational interviewing" where they asked parents whether they were concerned about their children's TV viewing, talked about what the parents could do about it, and then gave them free minute-timers to help them enforce viewing time limits.
The idea that watching TV makes children more aggressive is still controversial. Waikato University media studies professor Geoff Lealand, who has just co-authored a study of media use by 860 children aged 8 to 13, said he was sceptical about the claim
"There is a naivety to it in that parents will be distracted from their serious family problems and blame TV.

"The two primary sources of violence in society are two things we are unwilling to do anything about - private car ownership, which causes more violence than anything else, and alcohol."
His local study found an even split between families who laid down rules about their children's TV watching and those who did not, and found that 47 per cent of children had personal access to a TV set - often in their own bedrooms.

In Dr Barkin's US study, only 36 per cent of children had TV sets in their bedrooms and only 7 per cent of parents said they did not impose any limits on their children's viewing.
A quarter of the parents (23 per cent) restricted what children could watch, and when, on TV, 11 per cent only discussed things their children saw on TV, and 59 per cent used a mixture of restrictions, discussion and simply watching TV with their kids.

Dr Barkin said children's brains developed by "serve and return", as in a tennis match, where their experiences built up brain connections, and that inbuilt "wiring" then encouraged them to respond to new experiences in the same ways.

She said the blue range of the light from TV and computer screens affected a child's hormones.
"If you look at what's going on in your brain [when watching TV], your brain waves move into stage one hypnosis," she said. She cited other studies showing that TV exposure was associated with aggression, desensitisation, poor moral reasoning, obesity and a lower attention span.
However, other studies found TV associated with more positive social interactions, higher intelligence and better school performance.
"The difference exists in the content of the programming and the time spent engaged in media use."

SCREEN TEST
* The American Academy of Paediatricians recommends zero TV for infants under 2 and no more than one to two hours a day of educational, quality programmes for older children.
* In fact, US children aged 2 to 18 use TV and other electronic media for an average of more than four hours a day.
* Ratings show that NZ children aged 5 to 14 watch TV for two to two and a half hours a day.* No data is available for NZ preschoolers.

Fortune 500 Companies Turning To Hypnosis!

2008-04-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.adam-eason.com

At the end of last month, I read a very interesting article in the online magazine BrandWeek.com. I have been meaning to write about it for a while now…
Now this may not seem like the usual online environment for me to be quoting, however Kenneth Hein wrote an extensive article about how major bluechip and fortune 500 companies are using hypnotists to elicit more accurate and ‘deeper emotional’ information from their focus groups.

I love reading about these new ways that hypnosis is being used to advance buiness as well as within the usual herapeutic environment. It is like the corporate world is getting a therapeutic hand along…

When New Labour were relatively new and Tony Blairs leadership was embryonic, they had lots of focus groups that got lots of media attention and I reckon they’d have benefited greatly from this process.

Now this is good… Forget your truth serum…Get your focus groups into hypnosis to tell you what they really think and how they connect with your brand… Apparently Euro RSCG Worldwide, New York, got fed up with the focus groups telling them the same thing time after time and so they called in a hypnotist to find out what people really thought of the Volvo brand.
Uh-oh.

Members of these unique Volvo focus groups were asked to test-drive the car. Immediately afterwards they were hypnotized and asked their true feelings about the brand. It wasn’t pretty: Many revealed that Volvo also equals being middle-aged. That idea “for some people was suffocating,” said Michael Fanuele, head of planning at Euro. “Hypnosis helped get past the clichés. We needed the conversation to get to a deeper, more emotional place.”

Isn’t this great? This hypnosis article continues:
Volvo’s not the only one going to that place. Focus group hypnosis is increasingly becoming a “secret weapon” for Fortune 500 companies and ad agencies alike, said Susan Spiegel Solovay, owner of Brandvisioning, New York. A former Grey exec, Solovay has been hosting such groups for a decade. Her clients include about dozen brands including blue-chip beer, soda and telecom companies as well as 20 different agencies.A session, which consists of no more than eight subjects, takes two hours. The first 25 minutes are dedicated to introducing them to the process and getting them relaxed. “We need to ease the nervousness of what they’ve seen on television,” said Solovay. “Everyone asks if we’re going to make them quack like a duck. I wish stage hypnotists would stop doing that.”Once they are in an “alpha” state of relaxation, the hypnotist will ask them individually about topics like the first time they experienced a product. “We want to find out the imprint of the brand,” said Hal Goldberg, owner of Qualitative & Quantitative Research, Laguna Hills, Calif. Goldberg, who trained Solovay, is a former Leo Burnett exec who has been conducting these groups for 35 years. “People can describe the cookies their mother made them when they were 5 in great detail. This drives adult behavior.”Avrett, Free & Ginsberg, New York, has been using focus group hypnosis for clients like Dewar’s and Domaine Chandon for more than a decade. “I reach for this, depending on the client, whenever I can,” said president Stuart Grau. Later on in the article, one of the companies expresses that there could be ethical concerns? And promotes a little skepticism… Oh stop it!

Bu they do make a good joke about it:
It’s not for every client though, said Grau: “Some aren’t comfortable with it. To some extent there could be some ethical concerns associated it.” Goldberg and Solovay both stressed that being under the power of suggestion can’t prompt consumers to say or do anything against their will. “It’s not like we’re asking people to take off their clothes and crumble Ritz crackers on their bosoms,” said Fanuele, whose clients include the cracker brand. “It’s about getting emotional content that is so much more vivid and colorful.”

Hahahaha… Crumbling Ritz crackers?? Where i he get that idea from?? Great images conjured up… Maybe that was content from his own subconscious! Haha.

How deeply ingrained taglines and ad jingles are into people’s minds was one surprise for O’Neill when he began working the field. “You ask them what the first thing they remember is and they say, ‘Plop plop fiz fizz’ or ‘Where’s the beef?’” Solovay uses Coca-Cola as a warm-up exercise because “everyone has Coke memories.” Fanuele understands the skepticism. “A year ago I thought it was a silly little gimmick, but now I’ve been converted.”

Great. I am off to have a word with Richard Branson and Bill Gates… Seriously, they need some hypnotised focus groups.

EWAN MCGREGOR - MCGREGOR FINDS QUALITY OF LIFE AS AN EX-SMOKER

2008-04-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Movie star EWAN MCGREGOR has a better quality of life now he has quit smoking because he no longer has to hunt for cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters before he can sit and relax.The Scottish actor quit just over a year ago with the help of hypnotherapy and now he can't believe he had so many problems giving up in the past.He says, "The idea of life without cigarettes is terrifying but it's so much better... and it's so easy - you just don't smoke."I found the most annoying thing about cigarettes - apart from the fact that they give you emphysema and cancer and it makes you stink and not have any money, and you have to stand outside in the snow, and all of those things - is that you couldn't do anything without them."I couldn't stand the fact that I couldn't just sit down - I'd have to go and find my cigarettes and, 'Where's my ashtray and my lighter?' I'd always be looking for things... Now I can just sit down."And MCGregor insists that, if he can quit, anyone can: "I did it as a second profession; I used to act and smoke."

22/04/2008 01:48
www.contactmusic.com

Hypnosis in Contemporary Medicine

2008-04-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

With so much of hypnotherapies 'positives' coming from anecdotal discussion or old research here is a great piece of information

http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/pdf%2F8004%2F8004r2.pdf

Sports Hypnosis – All About Me Or You?

2008-04-09T01:04:00.000-07:00

For When It Comes To Competition The Mind Matters

For most people the first image in their minds or the first comment they may make at the mention of Hypnosis will be something to do with the classic stage hypnotist reducing sane adults to chickens. This image couldn’t be further removed from the truth. Clinical Hypnotherapy is a recognised complementary medical modality that can (if the subject desires change) assist over a wide spectrum of medical / personal conditions. Dealing with the ‘deeper parts’ of the mind (a.k.a. the subconscious) when practiced by a well trained practitioner it is an ideal means of dealing with conditions such as Phobias, Stress, Insomnia, Relaxation, Stopping Smoking, Stuttering, Migraines, Teeth Grinding, Bed Wetting, Shyness, Swearing, Nail Biting, Memory Recall, Motivation, Concentration / Focus and more.

Clinical Hypnotherapy has a history of assisting sports people to be the best they can be on competition day. A competitor can learn to leave their weeks worries on the start line, improving their focus / concentration. The perfect example of this is the marathon runner motivated to push through those long dreary miles of training and have that personal best event “hard wired” in their mind, killing off the evil ‘wall’ making it easier on race day. For us mere mortals these effects can be used in everyday life with hypnosis going a long way to increase our confidence / assertiveness and comprehension bringing benefits both personally and professionally.

But Just What Is Hypnosis Anyway??

The hypnotic state is completely natural state you are guided into somewhere between being fully conscious and unconscious – although the word sleep is used you are not asleep as you are focused on the words used (so many of my clients comment on being surprised that they can hear during the session). As said previously it’s a natural state of mind, completely safe that you go through it at least twice a day without realising as you go through the hypnotic state as you go to sleep and as you wake up. When day dreaming or in deep thought it has been found that brain waves equate to the hypnotic state and when performing a repetitive process or finding yourself ‘in the groove’ when playing sport your mind has ‘clicked’ naturally into a hypnotic state.

What Can Hypnosis Be Used For ….

Clinical Hypnotherapy can be used anywhere that involves the mind so just for a moment imagine;
Finding the motivation to train better and more consistently than you’ve ever trained before
Breaking those time barriers that you’ve previously only flirted with
Staying cooler and calmer at those times when you need to
Naturally changing any doubt to an optimistic attitude
Clinical Hypnotherapy can help you with this and more as newly found confidence and relaxation is easily used in other areas of you life

What Does It Feel Like In Hypnosis.

Bluntly, hypnosis feels fantastic!!! During hypnosis you can hear the Hypnotherapist clearly and you are able to talk with the Hypnotherapist. It is sometimes referred to as a ‘mind awake, body asleep state’ as although you are physically and mentally very relaxed, almost sleep-like you are actually, mentally very alert. A hypnotic session may feel as though it lasted just a few minutes while others may seem like it has gone on for ages – it’s all perfectly normal - hypnosis can be so relaxing, you can lose track of time! And what does it "feel" like? At its best I can only describe it as total and utter tranquillity... if that's not highly enjoyable nothing is!

So no matter what you may have been told when you are in hypnosis you are conscious, you are aware, and totally in control, and while a small proportion of people actually perform embarrassingly stupid tasks for a stage hypnotist, you will not undertake dangerous things or act on suggestions which are against you moral code. Unless you are of a criminal mind you will not steal, cheat, murder or do anything else ethically / morally distasteful. Any suggestions that you disagreed with may well result in you opening your eyes and coming out of hypnosis. To sum it up hypnosis is a conscious state where the body is asleep and the mind is awake and in control.

In ending, no matter what you may hear on the news or see in second rate Hollywood movies or witness on stage, it pays to remember that you the client are totally in control, not the hypnotherapist (however you are after my skills to guide you there). There is a phrase you often hear in stage hypnosis that a person is "under hypnosis". This is 100% wrong. You the client are never "under hypnosis", however a stage hypnotist likes his subjects and audience to believe that they are under his or her power. It is not my hypnotic power that puts you into the hypnotic state, but rather the consent of you the subject that results in hypnosis.

So in a nutshell hypnosis is all about you and just a little about the hypnotherapist (kind of like the athlete, coach relationship). Hypnosis is safe, kind of enjoyable and when used by a motivated individual very useful addition to your training.

Shame on you TVNZ

2008-03-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Having seen our “premium” news service take two bites of the cherry with the Italian ‘Hypnotic Robber’ (man it must have been a slow news day). I’ll be damned if I’m not going to at least comment in my own blog …

WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH

Once again for the record HYPNOSIS IS NOT DANGEROUS. As I have previously posted hypnosis is totally safe and you will never, ever go into hypnosis if you do not feel safe. The girl concerned was the victim of an ordinary con and has taken the easiest and erroneous option namely the good old fashioned Evil Hypnotist. However in the video released by Italian police the perpetrator had an accomplice blocking the view of others in the queue while he kept up a patter and at the last moment made a reasonable grab for the till.

You the client are totally in control, not me the Hypnotherapist, you will never, ever do anything in hypnosis that you wouldn't think of doing in the conscious state and if while you were in hypnosis you were given suggestions you considered disagreeable you are more than likely come out of hypnosis on your own….

Did you realise??

2008-01-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

In 1958 a report published by an AMA advisory committee on hypnosis, stated: "The use of hypnosis has a recognized place in the medical armamentarium that is a useful technique in the treatment of certain illnesses".

The Wall Street Journal in the October 7th, 2003 issue stated, "Numerous scientifc studies have emerged in recent years showing that the hypnotized mind can exert a real and powerul effect on the body."

In 2005, Harvard did a study regarding the use of pre-operative hypnosis to relieve anxiety and a similar study was done in 2007 at Mt. Sinai Hospital regarding the use of pre-operative hypnosis for breast biopsy patients in speading up healing and reducing the amount of pain medication needed during and after surgery.

many thanks to http://www.hypnotherapyforhealth.com/

Did you know?

2008-01-30T15:44:00.000-08:00

Did you know that celebrities are using hypnosis? Ellen Degeneres, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck,Samuel L. Jackson and Winona Ryder stopped smoking with hypnosis. Kevin Costner used hypnosis to stop his sea sickness. Martha Stewart stopped her nightmares of jail with hypnosis. Fergie has used hypnosis to deal with stress and Tiger Woods gains the mental edge.

courtesy www.hypnotherapyforhealth.com

FERGIE TURNS TO HYPNOTHERAPY

2008-01-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

Posted in: Entertainment — PR-inside Entertainment News @ 9:16 pm

THE BLACK EYED PEAS star FERGIE undergoes regular hypnotherapy sessions in a bid to help her find balance in her life.The LONDON BRIDGE singer admits she will never forget how terrible her life was when she was in her mid-20s - she was a 90 pound (40.8 kilogram) drug abuser - and she uses hypnotherapy to make sure she never returns to that hell.She says, "It’s like regular therapy. For the first 50 minutes I’ll vent, and for the last 10 I’ll do deep breathing to get into a more relaxed state."I’m always looking for ways to help me find balance. I’m lucky I got through the rough times. Now I’m able to enjoy life again."

http://www.pr-inside.com/entertainment-blog

Hypnotherapy

2008-01-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

The simpliest definition of hypnotherapy is "the giving of therapeutic suggestions to a person while they are in a state of hypnosis".

But why would you ever want to do this?

It's a fact that everything that we have learned has been learned by suggestions, those suggestions lodging in the subconscious mind becoming our knowledge. That knowledge in the subconscious mind, is what causes us to behave the way that we do.

The conscious mind is the thinking part of the mind, while the subconscious mind could be said to be a big VCR of the brain, recording all the things that we experience through our senses. Absolutely everything we touch, taste, smell, hear and see, every experience is recorded and stored in the subconscious mind and this begins to occur the moment that we are born. Initially the suggestions we experience through the senses is taste and touch and that occurs when we are put to the breast or the bottle. It goes in the mouth and tastes good and feels good. That experience is hardwired into the subconscious - it's the reason why babies put everything that is put in their hands straight to their mouths.

This learning carries on and every time they experience something through the senses like touching, smelling, tasting, seeing and hearing, it's filed away in the subconscious mind. Each time the experience is repeated it's reinforced in the subconscious exactly what muscles, nerves, bones etc it needs to move in order to accomplish what they wish to do.

From this point the subconscious will always answer to the call of the conscious mind. Where problems arise is when the programming of the subconscious mind is such that it overrides the intention of the conscious mind. A person may decide that they will stop smoking this decision being made by the conscious mind which is the thinking mind. However, if the person's subconscious mind is programmed for smoking by consistent use, a conflict arises between the two minds and it is the subconscious mind that always wins for it overrides the conscious minds decision to stop smoking. This person could end up seeking the assistance of a hypnotherapist because they think they have a weak will.

However it’s not a matter of weak willpower but rather the programming of the subconscious mind. Now if the subconscious minds views on smoking are re-programmed, you are in the position where the conscious mind and the subconscious mind are in agreement. When the two minds are in agreement, they are working in unison, and then ladies and gentlemen ‘We Have A Winner’.

The easiest way for client and therapist to re-programme the subconscious mind is to talk to it directly by bypassing the conscious mind. The most sure fire way of doing this is by the use of hypnosis with the suggestions being useful only if acceptable to the client (i.e. as previously written although we are talking about re programming it’s only going to be effective if agreeable to the client). In fact the bypassing of the conscious mind, and talking directly to the subconscious mind, is the one and only reason why we use hypnosis. Thus it can be seen that hypnotherapy is the name given to the giving of suggestions directly to the subconscious mind.

It is very important that in order to help people with hypnotherapy, the hypnotherapist must be able along with the client, to decide on the real problem rather than trying to deal with a symptom of the problem and often the presenting problem is a symptom and not the real problem. Having ascertained the real problem, it then behoves the hypnotherapist to make sure the suggestions given are appropriate and compiled in proper therapeutic language.

Thus it is very important for the public good that hypnotherapists are well trained in all aspects of human behavior and all aspects of physical and mental activities both normal and abnormal. There are times when hypnotherapy is not appropriate and if hypnotherapist's are not adequately trained, they would be unable to decide when hypnotherapy is appropriate and when it is not.

Therefore, the public should use care when choosing who to consult with and whether that hypnotherapist has been trained in a hypnotherapy training programme which is of sufficient length and depth, for there is no way that a qualification is bona fide if it was completed in a matter of a few months or in some cases a few weeks.

Just what is Hypnosis... (are you really in my power) ???

2008-01-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind where the body is very relaxed, often deeply so. In a clinical situation as you are sitting in my chair you would look like you were asleep however when a person is asleep at night they are unconscious and unaware. Unaware that they are asleep and unless there is a major disturbance unaware of what is going on around them - this is because the conscious mind is asleep and while in this state of sleep incapable of reviewing any thought, feeling or sensation.

A person in Hypnosis will experience something completely different .....

When you are in hypnosis or in the hypnotic state, you are definitely conscious. You will hear very clearly and be aware of where you are and who is there with you. You are very conscious, you can think and reason and you have full control of yourself.

By now you may be wondering about those people in hypnosis on stage and how they seem to be under the control of the hypnotist with their willpower completely overcome. Up on stage in the bright glare of show business each subject knows full well what they are doing and if they needed to they could control themselves (i.e. they could refuse a 'command'). However, they are volunteers in the performance. In addition if you have ever been to a performance of stage hypnosis you may have noticed that not everyone who volunteers gets to perform and are sent back to their seat. This is because the hypnotist through observation is looking for a particular kind of personality (an extraverted kind of person who may well perform the same kind of stunt after a drink or two). So no matter what you may have been told when you are in hypnosis you are conscious, you are aware, and totally in control, and while a small proportion of people actually perform embarrassingly stupid tasks for a stage hypnotist, you will not undertake dangerous things or act on suggestions which are against you moral code. Unless you are of a criminal mind you will not steal, cheat, murder or do anything else that ethically / morally distasteful. Any suggestions that you disagreed with would result in you opening your eyes and coming out of hypnosis. To sum it up hypnosis is a conscious state where the body is asleep and the mind is awake and in control.

You the client are totally in control, not me the hypnotherapist (however you are after my skills to guide you there). There is a phrase you often hear in stage hypnosis that a person is "under hypnosis". This is 100% wrong. You the client are never "under hypnosis", however a stage hypnotist likes his subjects and audience to believe that they are under his or her power. It is not my hypnotic power that puts you into the hypnotic state, but rather the consent of you the subject that results in hypnosis. All hypnosis is self hypnosis and any reputable hypnotherapist knows this*.

* A subject can be taught the skill of Self Hypnosis enabling them to provide their own clinical hypnotherapy

Professional Hypnotherapy

2008-01-29T15:15:00.001-08:00

Ten Hypnotherapists will give you ten different explanations of what hypnosis or hypnotherapy is all about with much of the confusion brought about by the lack of knowledge about the phenomenon of the hypnotic trance, ill-trained therapists pushing their own misconceived theories and the misuse of this trance state for the purpose of entertainment and the making of money that goes with entertainment.

'Professional' Clinical Hypnotherapists do not discredit their work (and their professional ethics / image and fellow colleagues) by performing for comedic value where people are made fun of in various embarrassing scenarios. In much the same way can you imagine a member of the conventional medical professions charging money for people to come and watch their clients make fools of themselves?

Currently in New Zealand there are a large proportion of existing Hypnotherapists, many highly experienced who compare themselves as being superior to their peers openly endorse stage hypnosis and indeed perform on stage regularly and train others in stage processes. This attitude serves only to continue and reinforce the public's attitude that (clinical) hypnotherapy and hypnosis is a gimmick that benefits only the therapists bank balance.

The organizations to which I am aligned have always and will continue to be opposed to stage hypnosis and are intent on promoting the training of Hypnotherapists who believe 100% in the paramountcy of their clients. It is my belief that for the public and health professionals to have faith in the potential of hypnotherapy it is important for those of us wanting to advance the profession to vocally separate themselves from those calling themselves Hypnotherapists who continue to want to have a buck each way for the benefit of their financial bottom line.

Lily uses hypnotherapy to quit smoking

2008-01-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

Monday, January 7 2008, 11:23 GMT
By Alex Fletcher, Entertainment Reporter for Digital Spy http://www.digitalspy.co.uk

Lily Allen has decided to use hypnotherapy to help her quit smoking, claim reports. The singer used Harley Street hypnotherapist Susan Hepburn to help her shed two dress sizes last year and is planning to use her again to aid her attempts to give up cigarettes. Allen is reportedly struggling to ditch her 20-a-day smoking habit, despite announcing her pregnancy last month. A source told The Sun: "She wants to crack this. She realises it will be a struggle but her baby is more important." Lily is aware that she is a role model and wants to portray a positive image of herself for young people to look up to."

Turbo Charge Your New Years Resolutions

2008-01-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

What Becomes Of A New Years Resolution? Every year people make new years resolutions, swearing to make changes to their lives only to fall back into the same old rut within a few days or weeks.

Think about some of the changes you'd like to make, behaviours you'd like to eliminate or goals you'd like to achieve going over the list to be sure you 'really' want to. You may want to take one of your goals & work through all the tips, or just choose the ones you are drawn to. Set aside some time if you wish to really turbocharge your goals, dreams & desires for a super-successful & fulfilling 2008. Remember Clinical Hypnotherapy can help you. Here is a few tips to help you .....
· As I have previously said, just don't fire off blank. Sit down and think about not only what you want from your year but what steps will help you get there. Think big to really give your aims substance and really get yourself excited by it.
· Frame your goals in the positive rather than negative for the human mind is more open to positive goals. The perfect example of this is "By ###/2008 I will be smoke free rather than " I want to stop smoking. Framing your goals in this manner makes them more compelling and easier to achieve.
· Eliminate obstacles that without your realizing maybe diverting you from your goal in the form of “secondary gain” (you benefit from the easy goal rather than your harder but more desirable target). A similar situation is when you might limit your opportunities due to limited self belief of not deserving what you want or that it’s not actually possible for you. Know that your focus has already been at work and now you are simply refocusing yourself on things that are more important and positive to you.
· Create & maintain your motivation for your goals by focusing on the benefits of achieving it in part or completely and/or the disadvantages of not achieving it.
· Detach yourself from your results a little – yes this may seem a little results in the reverse logics stakes here but when we think things have to be a certain way in order for us to be happy, it's actually a recipe for unhappiness.
· The use of gratitude to help create the positive energy that is said to attract abundance and wellbeing into you life along with the people & experiences you want (ref “The Secret”)
· Above all else accept, respect and love you – the person you see in the mirror everyday

The Costs of Smoking

2007-10-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in New Zealand with an estimated 4700 deaths each year which equates to roughly 10 times that national road toll. Even then this doesn’t take into account an extra 388 people dying due to the effects of second hand smoke – 100 of these that would have been attributable to the work place.

In addition to the $3000 a year that smoking would cost a pack a day smoker – money that could surely be better spent on themselves or their family the economy spends over $200,000,000.00 treating smoking related illnesses. Over all the costs to society are an estimated $22.5 Billion Dollars in lost productivity, welfare costs and costs relating to environmental damage caused by smoking.

On a psychological level smoking deprives New Zealand families of mothers, fathers, close relatives and friends due to avoidable smoking related deaths. Smoking is also the cause of 31 percent of all Maori deaths threatening whakapapa, leadership and the continued passing down of Maori culture to future generations (other cultures may well be drastically effected).

Smoking – it’s just not worth the cost

Do you love the body you’re in?

2007-10-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

Clinical Hypnotherapy amplifies the positive. Watching a recent TV show where ordinary women were shown how to make the most of their own personal beauty (and to avoid the trap of comparing themselves with the air brushed “teenage” images of most womens magazines) it occurred to me that Clinical Hypnotherapy is ideally placed to help reinforce a faltering self image. Imagine being happy in your body not comparing yourself with anyone or worrying unduly about your shoulders, backside or legs – just loving what you see in the mirror.

At the same time consider the sudden urge to eat more of the food that’s good for you and only small amounts of the bad, or how about some suggestion to make getting to the gym that much easier. Off the shelf hypnotic CD’s and tapes most often deal with the face value requirement or symptom while a clinical hypnotherapist will talk to you extensively endeavouring to find the underlying cause of your problem. Yes if you came to see me for weight loss I would spend time with you exploring exactly why you want / need to loose weight. Sometimes it may be about an over intake of calories and before hypnosis is used we would discuss and try and work out why food is the answer. But what about women who want to loose weight when at face value they are often perfect, but feeling guilty of being and looking their age or not having the ultimate body shape but since when are genetics a crime?

Should you come and see me at my clinic I like to think that I work from the inside out (well with hypnosis we are dealing with the subconscious). Any hypnotherapy starts with gaining a great level of relaxation using a short recorded exercise that you use initiall over a period of a week to ten days. During the first session apart from a lot of discussion we concentrate on ego and confidence. Sessions following will work on a therapy written for your particular circumstances. I don’t work on the desirability to loose a certain number of kilograms but instead assisting you to attain a fit and healthy lifestyle (and in the process learning to love the body you inhabit).

Where does this get you? Well you and I know that diets don’t work long term so taking on a fit and healthy lifestyle will undoubtedly involve an amount of weight loose (depending on what your aims are) that are likely to become a natural part of your life rather than the gains of a short bout of enforced starvation. Yes you will get skinnier if you are a marathoner compared with a recreational walker but with suggestions based on confidence and ego you will learn to love your fit and healthy body in whatever form it comes.

For anyone considering seeking the assistance of a Clinical Hypnotherapist their training is the key. In addition to their skills in hypnosis, what else is covered by their training ciriculum? What is their experience and backing in the modality – are they well versed in the field? Do they have the support of their peers in the form of a strong professional society (with the expected ethical and disciplinary support). Finally do you feel comfortable with the therapist? The failure to connect at the expected client / therapist level lessens the opportunity of a successful treatment plan. A good client / therapist relationship will see the client comfortable enough to willingly provide answers to the therapists questions and empowered enough to ask questions of the therapist while they seek insight into their reasons for seeking therapy assistance.

I obtained my practicing certificate in Clinical Hypnotherapy in June of 2004 having enrolled in the most comprehensive course in the country gaining my Diploma in 2006. Considering my self a complementary therapist I enjoy working not only with the established modalities but other complementary modalities giving people the opportunity to maintain their bodies holistically (by way to relaxation, nutrition etc) rather than wait for the emergence of illness. Should you have any questions regarding Clinical Hypnotherapy and what it can do for you please contact me on;
Hypno.assist@gmail.com or 021 059 3331

How Cigarette Smoking Contributes to a Loss of Health and Wealth

2007-09-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

This article is obviously from an American blog but the thought behind it applies very well to the NZ experience - if you are interested in stopping smoking email me at hypno.assist@gmail.com and we can discuss the possibilities and set up an appointment or if you want a Hypnotherapist from outside of Auckland I can refer you on to some great people.

Smoking is the #1 preventable cause of death in our society. According to the Surgeon General, approximately 1200 people die each day as a result of smoking. Medical costs due to smoking account for 6-9% of the total national healthcare budget.

Smoking Complicates Existing Conditions:
Dana C., 43, has been smoking for 24 years. Dana also has diabetes. This combination is equivalent to playing Russian roulette. Her risk of complications is significantly increased with the addition of cigarette smoking, and her life is in danger. The most important step she can take is to quit immediately.
John W., 56, has been smoking two and a half packs per day for the past 40 years. Recently, he had suffered a heart attack and was told by his doctor to quit right away. John continues to smoke, using the excuse that he enjoys it too much. It seems as though he looks forward to his demise... These examples illustrate the following facts:
Smokers have higher hospital admissions, take longer to recover from illness/injury, and have higher outpatient healthcare costsTen percent of smokers alive today are living with a smoking-related illness

Smoking in the Boardroom:
The estimated expense due to nicotine addiction is staggering, and often underestimated. These effects are felt across the board on many companies balance sheet.
It is estimated that companies lose an average of $3400 per year for every employee that smokes ($1600 for direct medical costs, and $1700 due to indirect costs).
Nearly twice as much production time is lost as compared with employees who do not smoke. Smokers have, on average, up to sixty percent more missed days from work per year than non smokers. Add to this the amount of extra breaks, which average a cost of $5,625 per smoker. Michael Seserman, Director of cancer prevention strategies for the American Cancer Society states that "smokers get an average of an extra three weeks vacation per year!"
Statistics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), comparing smokers with non smokers:
Lost production time is 75% higher
Annual workers compensation costs are up to 12 times higher
Smokers are absent from work an extra 2.9 days
Healthcare costs, are on average, thirty percent higher
Every pack of cigarettes sold creates more than $7 in medical care expenses and lost productivity

You could be funding your IRA account:
If you smoke around a pack a day, that adds up to approximately $2000 per year. This is a reasonable figure to contribute annually towards your retirement. And besides, you will be in much better health to enjoy it when the time to retire rolls around.

The CDC recognizes that paying for tobacco use cessation treatments is the single most cost-effective health insurance benefit for adults that can be provided to employees.
While almost two thirds of Americans under the age of 65 are insured through an employer, only 24% of employers offer any coverage for tobacco-use treatment. Considering that tobacco cessation is more cost-effective than other common and covered disease prevention interventions, such as the treatment of hypertension and high blood cholesterol, the benefits of offering employees assistance and incentives to quit smoking will help cut expenses by reducing employee absence and turnover, increasing productivity, and saving on health and life insurance premiums.

In addition, every employed smoker that quits will, on average, have less years of disability, improved productivity, less sick days, and will live a longer life.

Annette Baril is a NYS Licensed Acupuncturist. If you would like to learn how your company can benefit from a customized smoke cessation solution, or if you are a smoker and would like to improve your health and financial well being, contact Nicocess at (516) 741-6944 / (888) 320 Quit for further information, or visit http://www.nicocess.com/.
Free to reprint if authors name and website link follow, and content remains unchanged.

Is there anything good about men?

2007-09-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

This article is very, very interesting. Adds a flavor to the discussion of Celia Lashlie and others;

http://denisdutton.com/baumeister.htm

Hypnotherapy for Sport and Life in General

2007-08-23T18:16:00.001-07:00

For most people the first image to flutter into their minds at the mention of Hypnosis is the classic stage hypnotist reducing sane adults to chickens. It needn’t be this way as Clinical Hypnotherapy is a recognised complementary medical modality that can (if the subject desires change) assist over a wide spectrum of medical / personal conditions. Dealing with the ‘deeper parts’ of the mind (aka the subconscious) when practiced by a well trained practitioner it is an ideal modality for such problems as Phobias, Stress, Insomnia, Relaxation, Stopping Smoking, Stuttering, Migraines, Teeth Grinding, Bed Wetting, Shyness, Swearing, Nail Biting, Memory Recall, Motivation, Concentration / Focus and more.

Clinical Hypnotherapy can be used to amplify the positive. A rugby player can learn to leave their weeks worries on the sideline. A cricketer of tennis player can improve their focus / concentration. A marathon runner can be motivated through those long dreary miles and have that personal best race “hard wired” in their mind making it easier on race day. For us mere mortals these effects can be used in everyday life with hypnosis going a long way to increase our confidence / assertiveness and comprehension bringing benefits both personally and professionally.

The Collins Dictionary describes Hypnosis as, “an artificially induced state of relaxation and concentration in which the deeper parts of the mind become more accessible.“ As a Clinical Hypnotherapist using different methods of induction when working with clients (and have had many more used on me when hypnotised by other therapists) an induction is not necessary as at times we unknowingly go in and out of a hypnotic like state at least twice a day.

This hypnotic like state occurs naturally as going from deep sleep to full aware and awake and vice versa, we experience the entire range of mental consciousness. Research has shown the brainwave patterns at this half awake / asleep point to be similar to those of a subject that has been guided through a hypnotic induction. Additionally at one time or another we all daydream, miss an exit on the highway, pray during our religious practices, or ‘loose’ ourselves at group events and in doing so we enter a state of mind that can be considered hypnotic.

Hypnosis is a “state of consent” – if you don’t feel comfortable with your hypnotherapist they will loose their voice before you will enter the desired hypnotic state. In addition the better the buy-in and understanding of the process and the greater the desire for change the higher the chance of success. So although the media and stage hypnotists love giving people the impression that the best use of hypnosis is to manipulate others against their will this is not the case, hypnosis is not about mind control. Yes we see similar processes being used by the advertising industry and others to influence our behaviour, the fact is that the desired action will not occur unless there is a tendency towards that particular behaviour. For this reason when a client wants a behaviour change a well trained hypnotherapist’s role is to aid the client in achieving their desired goal, assisting them in the reprogramming of their subconscious. For this reason the client needs to be in full agreement and totally comfortable with any therapy suggestions the therapist may present. In other words a clinical hypnotherapist is there to give the subject more control of their life, not to take it away.

For anyone considering seeking the assistance of a Clinical Hypnotherapist their training is the key. In addition to their skills in hypnosis, what else is covered by their training ciriculum? What is their experience and backing in the modality – are they well versed in the field? Do they have the support of their peers in the form of a strong professional society (with the expected ethical and disciplinary support). Finally do you feel comfortable with the therapist? The failure to connect at the expected client / therapist level lessens the opportunity of a successful treatment plan. A good client / therapist relationship will see the client comfortable enough to willingly provide answers to the therapists questions and empowered enough to ask questions of the therapist while they seek insight into their reasons for seeking therapy assistance.

Paul Brown obtained his practicing certificate in Clinical Hypnotherapy in June of 2004 having enrolled in the most comprehensive course in the country. Study has continued along with support of the professional society which I am aligned with. Having a particular interest in stress and the conditions stemming from it Paul would like to work not only with the established modalities but other complementary modalities giving people the opportunity to maintain their bodies holistically (by way to relaxation, nutrition etc) rather than wait for the emergence of illness.

So what is clinical hypnotherapy??

2007-08-23T18:10:00.001-07:00

Throughout our lives we all attempt to choose the best of options for ourselves but often the way out of a problem appears to be insurmountable or the solution we seek to the problem is unclear to the point of appearing unworkable.

Worse still are times that we choose to take the path of least resistance and seek to minimize or solve a problem in a way that is less than satisfactory due to it’s inappropriate nature or we fail to see the most obvious or sensible options. Some people fail to see our way around a problem so they feel that there is no other option than to continue to live with the problem even though the consequences of doing so may result in the disruption of their lives personally, socially, professionally or emotionally.

Clinical Hypnotherapy is a different approach that can help anyone wanting to take a greater control of their lives. When practised by a well-trained, competent practitioner it is a safe, natural and effective way to help eliminate unwanted behaviours or in turn enhance a persons natural abilities.

Clinical Hypnotherapy is suitable for Adults, Adolescents and Children and can be used in Medicine, Sports, Business, Education and for Personal use, for example:
Sports
Performance Anxiety, Coaching Skills, Overcoming Barriers, Concentration and Increasing Focus, Relaxation
Business
Goal Setting, Stress Management, Communication Techniques, Assertiveness Training, Problem Solving, Direction and Motivation
Education
Increased Concentration, Enhanced Memory, Study Techniques, Pre-Exam Nerves
Personal
Self Esteem and Confidence Therapy, Phobias, Anxiety, Depression and Mania, Addictive and other Problem Behaviors, Sexual Problems, Eating Disorders, Psychosomatic Complaints, Pain Management

A Serious Look at ‘Mind over Matter’

2007-08-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Say the word ‘hypnosis’ to most people and the first thoughts would likely to be a stage performer getting their subjects to perform any number of embarrassing ‘acts’. Funny to some but Clinical Hypnotherapy has a serious side that can assist people who want assistance with conditions or to change habits.

‘Want’, from the client side is the key to it all with a hypnotherapist being more a guide than a person exerting any form of power over the subject. In other words if you want it to happen you may well be surprised by the results.

So what happens once you have been guided into this state where you aren’t awake and you’re not asleep? Hypnotic suggestion has been found to alter a persons brain pattern – research has shown that people viewing a range of colour or black and white photos have been shown that their brains react to the suggestion rather than what they are actually seeing. In other words show a person a black and white photo and give them a hypnotic suggestion that they are seeing colour and their brain is seeing colour. People using hypnosis to deal with pain go through a similar situation with studies showing that hypnotic suggestion prompts changes in the parts of the brain that process pain sensation so when people are hypnotized before painful procedures, the areas of their brains that process pain are less active. In other words a persons perception of their pain has changed, they really are feeling less pain! Is it an actual deadening of the pain perception areas of the brain or just a subtle (but effective) redirection of attention science has yet to confirm.

Historically, hypnosis has been used for pain control with James Esdaile one of the better examples successfully performing the most complicated surgeries in the 1800’s. Recently a successful surgery was filmed and shown on Englands Channel 4 such is the re found interest in the possibilities of hypno-analgesia. In between it has been used by dentists and doctors on a spasmodic basis due to the fact chemical relief was ‘easier’ and due to a lack of understanding of exactly what hypnosis was and how best to apply it. Lately there is an increased interest in the use of hypnotherapy in many areas, such as migraine where the condition needs to managed rather than cured.

Lack of consistent training ensures that practitioners can vary in skill and experience so if you consider seeking hypnotherapy it is important to talk with the therapist about their qualification and experience. Ascertain if they are members of a society and what level of support they have from their peers. Most importantly you must be comfortable with the person you are dealing with for without sufficient rapport / empathy between client and therapist the chances are that success will be limited or denied completely.

If you have questions relating to any area of Clinical Hypnotherapy please feel free to email me

Fancy a dip? The power of the mind

2007-07-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

by Dave Sabat on Fri 20 Jul 2007 14:30 BST Permanent Link
Earlier this week, British endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh became the first man to swim at the North Pole. He spent almost 19 minutes at minus 1.8C as he front crawled for one kilometre - more than half a mile in the coldest water a human has ever swum.
Lewis Pugh's incredible ability to withstand the icy cold has been developed over years of training. Before he dives in, he spends around 15 minutes using mind power alone to superheat his body. His pulse rate shoots up from 70 to 160 a minute and his temperature rises from 37C to 38.4, causing him to sweat profusely.
This is all without moving a muscle - and something which would take an ordinary person around 30 minutes of hard exercise to achieve.
This is a wonderful example of the power of the human mind. We are all capable of so much more if we are prepared to leave our comfort zone and make the effort to make that beneficial change that we seek.
If someone can superheat their body in 15 minutes using mind power alone, is it possible that we could use our mind to increase our learning potential, boost our immune systems and increase our health or improve our sporting performance?
I firmly believe that the power of our minds is incredible, we are all capable of incredible things, the question is will we allow ourselves to trust the power within us?
Lewis Pugh is a great example of a man who not only believes he can, but actually does it. He doesn't just dream about it or talk about it, he does it. Fair play that man.
Be happy and have a great weekend.
Dave.

What is Clinical Hypnotherapy?

2007-06-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

What is Clinical Hypnotherapy?
Clinical Hypnotherapy is the use of Hypnosis by a trained therapist to create and supply a suitable environment and instruction, allowing a motivated client the focus of mind and body at which point, by way of agreed suggestion (or therapy) behaviours or conditions can be modified. It's not about 'mind control' as strong willed people are excellent candidates for hypnosis. While in the hypnotic state you are aware and in control in a state where the subconscious mind becomes more receptive to positive suggestions that are more easily accepted and acted upon. You are in a state of consent, i.e. No one can be hypnotised against their will. You are part of a co-operative effort. (Client and Clinical Hypnotherapist need to work as a team for the hypnotherapy session to be successful)(Please note: - Hypnotherapy is not an alternative to seeking medical advice, in fact you may be asked to visit your Doctor first to confirm that a condition has no organic base. Hypnotherapy can be very successful in rehabilitation and it compliments the treatments of other health professionals).

Why choose Hypnotherapy?
As I say at the top of this page "letting you be the REAL you", Hypnotherapy is about training the mind! The subconscious part of the mind contains our fundamental thoughts, beliefs and convictions, which our conscious behaviors stem from. Our subconscious mind is at work 24 / 7 without our being aware supplying our self-limiting or self-defeating beliefs as well as our true aspirations, intuition and mental drive. Our moments of insight, wisdom and creativity all come from within the subconscious mind. Hypnotherapy will assist you in getting rid of these unwanted thoughts, behaviors and actions (habits).

What does it feel like to be in Hypnosis?
In a word "WONDERFUL"!! Hypnosis feels like a deeply relaxed state. During hypnosis you hear the Hypnotherapist clearly and you are able to talk with the Hypnotherapist. While feeling incredibly relaxed both mentally and physically you are actually mentally very alert and still in control.

What is Clinical Hypnotherapy used for?
Hypnotherapy is used in Medicine, Sports, Business, Education and for Personal use, for example:
SportsPerformance
Anxiety, Coaching Skills, Overcoming Barriers, Concentration and Increasing Focus, Relaxation
Business
Goal Setting, Stress Management, Communication Techniques, Assertiveness Training, Problem Solving Direction and Motivation
Education
Increased Concentration, Enhanced Memory, Study Techniques, Pre-Exam Nerves
Personal
Self Esteem and Confidence Therapy, Phobias, Anxiety, Depression and Mania, Addictive and other Problem Behaviors, Sexual Problems, Eating Disorders, Psychosomatic Complaints, Pain Management

Hypnotherapy for Surgery and Healing

2007-06-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

This article comes from Lisa Smith of Virginia USA

In 1996, my friend Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer and told she would need surgery and radiation treatments. She confessed to me that she was nervous about the procedure and having to go under anesthesia. Knowing that I was a hypnotherapist and had worked with others to produce dramatically positive outcomes from their surgeries, Mary asked me to do some hypnotherapy with her before the surgery and the radiation treatments.
“On the day of the surgery,” Mary recalls, “I went into the operating room feeling very calm and peaceful. I did not need any pre-op medication to relax me. In our second session, Lisa and I discussed my outcome goals for my radiation treatments and visualizations for getting the most benefit and least negative side effects from the radiation. I am happy to say the surgery and treatments were very successful.”
For Mary, as well as the other clients I have worked with prior to surgical or dental procedures, the surgery went smoothly with less anesthesia, minimal bleeding, and fewer complications; post-surgical pain was minimal and required little to no pain medication; healing was noticeably more rapid; and additional treatments such as physical therapy or radiation/chemotherapy took less time and fewer visits. These all led to reduced costs.
This is just one of the many applications and benefits of modern hypnotherapy. Emerging from its misunderstood beginnings as “mesmerism,” through its popular use and later denouncement by Freud (because of his lack of skill with it), hypnosis is at last being acknowledged by the medical community for the powerful healing modality that it is. This recognition by medical and psychiatric practitioners has been rather slow considering that both the British and American Medical Associations have endorsed its use since the late 1950s.
Though hypnosis techniques have been used for thousands of years, the term “hypnosis” was coined in the nineteenth century by Dr. James Braid from the Greek word “hypnos,” meaning “sleep,” because the person in a hypnotic trance was so relaxed they appeared to be asleep. However, recently studies of brain wave comparisons between the sleep state (delta) and the hypnotic state (theta) show this assumption to be incorrect. Hypnosis actually occurs at that same brain wave levels as meditation. The difference between the two is that in meditation, one is opening his or her mind up to receive Divine or inner guidance, while in hypnosis, one is opening the mind to receive guided suggestions for positive change or control of bodily functions.
Thanks to the expanding science of mind-body medicine, the tremendous potential of hypnosis is being recognized. Most people have heard the statement that we only use 10% of our brain’s capacity. By utilizing hypnosis, we are tapping into that other 90% of our potential to improve our health and well-being.
Known most popularly for its success in helping people manage stress, stop smoking, or lose weight, hypnotherapy is now being used as an alternative to or complement of the psychological as well as medical and dental fields, in such areas as counseling, behavioral medicine, neurology, obstetrics, emergency medicine, burn therapy, oncology, pediatrics, dentistry, and surgery. Doctors and dentists are increasingly referring their patients to trained hypnotherapists, and many of the country’s leading hospitals have recently hired on-staff hypnotherapists or begun a referral program with area hypnotherapists.
Dr. Andrew Weil (author of Spontaneous Healing, Eight Weeks to Optimum Health, and other books on mind-body medicine) often recommends hypnotherapy in his practice at the University of Arizona’s Integrative Medicine Clinic and included an article on its benefits in the June 1999 edition of his newsletter, “Self Healing.”
Impressively, Dr. Weil states, “In general, I believe that no condition is out of bounds for trying hypnotherapy on.”
Although hypnotherapy is not a miracle cure for everything, the areas in which it has been a tremendous help to hundreds of thousands of people are virtually endless. I have been privileged to use my training as a hypnotherapist to assist many people to change their lives and health for the better.
Perhaps the most rewarding areas in which I have worked with people are: pain management, surgery, dental work, phobias, childbirth (free of fear and discomfort), and cancer (improving immune functioning, lessening side effects of radiation/chemotherapy, improving hopefulness and self-esteem). In many cases, you don’t even need to come to my office for me to work with you. Are you dealing with an issue requiring surgery, dental work, or in need of increased healing potential? If so, give me a call for a free consultation (via phone or in person).
Lisa Smith is a Certified Master Hypnotherapist, Wellness Coach, and NeuroLinguistic Programming Practitioner in the Virginia Beach area. She is a sought-after speaker, workshop presenter, and group coaching facilitator for creating health and self-fulfillment.
Her private practice, Life by Design Coaching and Hypnotherapy, offers coaching, hypnosis, NLP, and other options for health and self-improvement. In her 11 years as a hypnotherapist, she has conducted over 8,000 hypnosis sessions with children and adults for weight loss, addictions; stress and anxiety; phobias; childbirth; surgery preparation, cancer, pain management, and other mind-body healing. Sessions can be conducted in person or by phone. Visit her website at hypnocoachlisa.com for contact and other information.
Tags: chemo, pain, mind-body medicine, hypnosis, surgery, mind-body, cancer, hypnotherapy, visualization, healing

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

2007-06-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

This Article comes from David Holmes
The Watford & District Hypnotherapy... - http://watfordhypno.blogspot.com/

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) consists of a series of gastrointestinal (GI) problems, which aren’t caused by a physical illness. People with IBS may suffer from stomach pain, extreme abdominal tenderness, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea and other symptoms. Medication has proven relatively ineffective in treating this disorder (Blanchard & Malamood, 1996).However, psychotherapy has been demonstrated to be more effective in reducing the symptoms of IBS than regular medical treatment (Blanchard, 1993). Among different types of psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) stands out as the treatment of choice.People with IBS may also experience anxiety and mood disorders. As a result, CBT for IBS uses relaxation training as well as changing negative thoughts, treating both physical and psychological symptoms.Patients begin by learning how to monitor IBS symptoms and negative thoughts by using a diary form. During early treatment sessions, patients learn about bowel functioning, IBS, and how their symptoms are not "all in their head." Patients then receive training in muscle relaxation to increase their control over their body’s response to stress. Home practice of these techniques is important, and an audiotape may used to assist in guided relaxation. Gradually, patients are taught to use rational self-talk to change the negative thinking that can lead to increased anxiety and IBS. In the final step, they learn to identify and change negative core beliefs that are related to their IBS symptoms.Although the discomfort of IBS is difficult to treat with drugs and general medical treatment, it can be treated through CBT

Keep It HypnoticDavid

Hypnotherapy and Sport

2007-06-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

This article is by Nigel Pond of England

Often refered to by sports people as ‘The Mind Game’ sports psychology is now a major component in the competitive athlete’s preparation. This weekend I was lucky enough to attend a series of lectures by Dr Karl Morris (www.Golf-Brain.com) who is a leading expert in the field of sports psychology.
Dr Morris’s approach to helping Golfers, Cricketers and other athletes achieve their best is based on his extensive experience as a professional golfer. He is aware that athletes are interested in only one thing ‘performance’ and that all athletes need evidence. Using simple NLP and Hypnotherapy techniques Dr Morris was able to demonstrate to us that we could all improve our performance essentially providing us (those present at the lectures) with evidence that these techniques work.
The Four Sporting Types
The first link to NLP is how Dr Morris categorises the different types of athletes. Here they are relating to golfers:
Untrained Swing/Untrained Brain
Trained Swing/Untrained Brain
Untrained Swing/Trained Brain
Trained Swing/Trained Brain
At position one we have the beginner, neither their swing or mind game have been developed. At position two we have a golfer who’s worked on their swing, they have ‘functional technique’ and probably spent some time at the driving range and may have had a few lessons. Position three is the golfer that appears to not be able to hit the ball but still gets around the course in a consistent number of shots. Lastly we have the golfer that has a trained swing and is on top of his or her mind game.
The Four Quadrants to Mastery
Dr Morris then goes on to partition the times where the mind game comes into play:
Before Sport
During Sport
The ‘In Between’
After Sport
In golf the position three, the ‘in between’ stage is probably most interesting in that this is where the golfer is walking between shots. Just watching golfers physiology between shots is often enough to tell whether they’re having a good game. Dr Morris has a very simple technique for helping golfers work on their ‘in between’ stage - by simply telling them to keep their eyes above the level of the flag. If, for instance, a player has had a bad shot you can often tell this by the fact that they’re looking down at their shoes - by actively changing their physiology they’re changing their mood and thoughts. There is a famous quote that goes:
”Look up towards the Sun and your shadows will fall behind you.”
Dr Morris quoted Shane Warne who said that the most important change to his game was learning how to control his bodylanguage. By doing this he has managed to create an impressive fear in his oponents as he comes out onto the pitch.
Before Sport
When an athlete goes out to compete they take with them three things: Their Beliefs, Their Expectations and their level of confidence. So, before sport they need to bolster all of these.
Effective Practice: Training both the mind and the body in the practice arena.
For practice to be effective it requires three key elements:
Consequence - don’t avoid pressure.
More difficult than the game/event itself (stress the system)
Be based on Facts NOT Feelings
One thing that most of us are guilty of is negative self-talk. We’ve all experienced negative thought chains that are triggered by small minor things that go wrong but end up as major catastrophies. The golfer may experience a bad shot which escalates in his mind into “I’m rubbish always rubbish at this hole” and then to “I’m rubbish at putting” then “I’m rubbish at golf!”. This is where it’s important to base practice on facts and not feelings - having a bad shot at a particular hole should educate the golfer to question, constructively, ‘why’ they’re always bad at this hole and how they can build some practice routine around improving this specific area.
Here’s a simple visualization and action exercise for developing a new skill or move:
Think of someone in your sport whom you admire and respect for being an expert in the specific area in which you wish to improve - we’ll call them your model.
Be in the standing position and see, feel and hear your model.
View your model from numerous angels.
See your features on your model.
When you’re ready, step into your image.
Physically make the move or skill.
Step forward to a future time and see, hear and feel yourself making that move or using that skill - see, hear and feel yourself making this move or using this skill in COMPETITION!
Step forward in time again and see yourself making this move or using this skill whilst under pressure.
Now, step backwards in time and bring all that learning with you…
During Sport
Dr Morris explains that there are two twins in sporting disaster and these are: Nervousness and Anger.
What is nervousness?
Physiologically it is an increase in heart rate.
It is a FEELING
Golfers have all been conditioned to believe in ‘First Tee Nerves’, just as actors have all been conditioned to believe in ’stage fright’. When Carly Simon stopped performing because she’d developed (learnt) stage fright she described her feelings in detail. When Bruce Springsteen read the description of how Carly Simon felt he exclaimed that those exact same feelings are what enable him to perform and that he absolutely could not perform without them. So, what would it be like if golfers were conditioned to believe in ‘first tee energy’?!
Dr Morris has had great success in helping athletes deal with this nervousness with the Heartmath Solution. This works by concentrating on the body in order to bring the mind to the present time. The athlete practices to become aware of their heart and breathing and how their body feels. Taking a moment to feel how good it is to be alive…
I had an experience at the conference which put this in perspective for me:
Dr Morris requested some volunteers to come up on stage and help him with a demonstration and although I attempted to avoid his gaze he selected me. Now, being on stage is something with which I’ve personally struggled with before and this time was no different. I coped with being in front of 190+ people by playing the fool a little. Dr Morris then got each of us to imagine we two buttons, one on each side of our heads. One button which would switch our attention inwards and one which would switch our attention externally. When I had my attention focussed inwards I was completely aware that my left leg was starting to twitch, my heart was pounding and my palms were sweating. Upon switching to an external focus I was aware of the light in the room and features of the decor I hadn’t noticed before. Once again switching back to an internal focus I was still aware of my heart racing etc. but it was as though I was looking at it from a different perspective - by looking at the crowd of onlookers when externally focussed they were not percieved to be a threat.
Here’s another method for focussing your energy (this is very similar to the NLP Fast Phobia Cure):
Focus on the feeling of nervousness so that you take your attention away from the story as to why you’re nervous.
Where, in your body, does the feeling start?
Where does the feeling move to?
Take the feeling out
Give the feeling a colour
Ask yourself “Is this feeling useful?”
Take the feeling and throw it away.
Dealing with Anger
Darren Clarke is famously quoted as saying “My temper has cost me well in excess of five million quid!” and because of our evolutionary learning we all contain a certain level of aggression. This is sometimes referred to as ‘The Caveman Within”.
Dr Morris goes on to explain: It is very difficult, if not impossible, to talk ourselves out of our anger but in just the same way that we could fly into a rage it is possible to ‘fly into a calm’ with the use of symbols.
In your mind, before you play, create a symbol of calm. This can be anything you like and is unique to you. Then simulate anger, imagine and really try to remember every detail of a time when you experienced anger. Then activate (imagine, see, hear & feel) your image of calm.
In a similar way to the NLP Swish technique (see previous article) you can learn to activate a trigger which fires you from one (undesired) state to a more positive (desired) state.
The ‘In Between’
Imperative to the ‘in between’ game is the ability to switch on and off. Sports like Tennis, Snooker and Golf all require bursts of focussed concentration and then the need to switch off.
Dr Morris has found that the analogy of the mind having two channels is a very useful and practicle metaphor:
BBC1 is the Outside Broadcast
BBC2 is Internal Affairs
This is a simple ‘picture’ to which Fritz Perls notable quote is apt:
“We need to STOP thinking and come to our Senses!”
Again body language is a very important part of the ‘in between’ game. In order to relax between shots start with your body language - relax your shoulders, open your eyes and take in the scenery. Look for something that you’ve not noticed before. Look up.
If you’re playing a team sport then the dynamics are no different except that you have to be careful not to mirror those on your team who are not displaying a positive physiology. If you’re the team captain for your soccer squad you’re feeling crap because you’ve just missed a goal then be very aware of how your body language is sending signals to the rest of your team.
After Sport
Tiger Woods is quoted as saying:
“The SECRET to the mental game is the ability to INSTANTLY recall past successes and LET GO of failure.”
The basic message here is to make sure that you anchor and enforce any and all successes and don’t anchor the mistakes and failures. Tiger Woods twists his club twice for every successful shot; what do you do?
At the end of your day make a good shot diary and make sure that you re-live at least three of those good shots. Write down, in detail, everything about those three shots. This will help you solidify your memory and create those positive anchors as well as providing that all important EVIDENCE.
Final thoughts:
You create your thoughts…
Your thoughts create your intentions…
Your intentions create your reality.

Hypnosis and IVF treatment - 2004 research

2007-06-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

This article was uplifted from the blog site of Keith Chopping of England

If Israeli professor Eliahu Levitas has his way, women undergoing IVF treatment will all have the benefit of a hypnotist at their bedside.According to Levitas’s team from Soroka Hospital in Beersheva, hypnosis can double the success of IVF treatment. Levitas’s study of 185 women found that 28% of women in the group who were hypnotized became pregnant, compared with 14% of those who were not.6.1 million American women and their partners experience infertility, according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Of those about 5% choose in-vitro fertilization treatment.IVF is a method of assisted reproduction in which the man’s sperm and the woman’s egg (oocyte) are combined in a laboratory dish, where fertilization occurs. The resulting embryo is then transferred to the uterus to develop naturally. Usually, two to four embryos are transferred with each cycle.According to the latest statistics, the success rate for IVF is similar to the 20% chance that a healthy, reproductively normal couple has of achieving a pregnancy that results in a live born baby in any given month. IVF was successfully used for the first time in the United States in 1981. Since then, more than 114,000 babies in the US have been born as a result of the technique.The Israeli study - the first of its kind - was presented last month by Levitas to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Berlin. According to Levitas, the findings will be published shortly in an American medical journal.The Israeli researchers were looking to see if hypnosis could make the embryo transfer stage of IVF more successful.“We gave hypnosis to a group of our patients during the most stressful part of IVF treatment - the transferring of embryos into the uterus,” Levitas told ISRAEL21c. “It’s a crucial point of the treatment, and the point in which the embryos comes in contact with the womb of the woman. It all builds up to that special moment, which is not very painful but is very stressful.”According to Levitas, that stress can cause complications during the transfer that can put the procedure at risk.“Studies have been done before which claim that during this short period, there’s so much stress in the woman’s body that it may induce contractions, albeit tiny ones, which may interrupt or even expel the embryos from the uterus at the same moment we’re introducing them,” he said.“Other techniques have been employed like relaxants and tranquilizers, but nothing has worked well. On the other hand, hypnosis has been known for many years for producing central relaxation, and has even been used before surgical interventions to calm patients,” said Levitas.Women undergoing IVF were assessed to see if they were suitable to be hypnotized.“Those women that were interested signed a consent form and underwent hypnosis by Soroka’s Dr. Aldo Parmet, a gyncelogist who’s licensed to perform hypnosis. All the patients were interviewed prior and Dr. Parmet established which patients where more likely to be hypnotized,” said Levitas.Eighty-nine women were then given hypnosis while their embryos were implanted. Some underwent more than one cycle of IVF treatment. Ninety-six other women underwent embryo transfers without hypnosis. All received one cycle each.The results showed that the hypnotized women resulted in double the amount of pregnancies of those that weren’t hypnotized.“Performing embryo transfer under hypnosis may significantly contribute to an increased clinical pregnancy rate,” Levitas told the conference in Berlin.Given logistical and financial constraints, Levitas sees no reason why hypnotism shouldn’t be an option for all woman undergoing IVF treatment, and he hopes the publication of the Soroka study will raise enough interest to spark continued investigations of the approach.“The bottom line is I think it’s a good thing, it will work. Patients should be given the option if the facilities are available.”