Hypnotherapy Marlboro

Have you ever been hypnotized? Whether you’ve been to a hypnotherapist or not, the answer is still “yes.” You might not know this, but you are in this state every single day. You’ve probably “woken up” on the highway at least once, realizing that while you were in that trance-like state, you missed your highway exit. That is hypnosis! Or, here is another example. Years ago, I used to paint. One day, as I was painting, I lost track of everything around me, aside from my creation. I tried to put my arm down and could barely move. I looked at the clock and was shocked to see that six hours had flown by, and I had no idea. It might as well have been five minutes. When we “zone out” and act out of habit, we are hypnotized. Or, tell me if you’ve ever done this: you drive to work…and then suddenly work yourself into a panic about forgetting to lock the door of your house, because you have no memory of doing it. No matter how much you have convinced yourself that the door is unlocked, you return home to find your house secure. This is because you are so used to repeating the same activity, it has become ingrained within your subconscious to do so. In short, you were in a mild hypnotic state when you left your house, acting out of your subconscious rather than your conscious mind. 

CAN I UTILIZE THE POWER OF HYPNOSIS MYSELF?

You don’t have to be a hypnotherapist to put yourself into a trance state. There are tricks that you can use at home to create changes in various areas of your life. What can you use it for? Well, the list is endless: weight loss, anger issues, smoking, phobias, fears, hair pulling, nail biting, procrastination…anything that you have a desire to shift, can be treated with this process. The first step to self-hypnosis is identifying what you would like to change. Be very clear and precise. For example, it is much more powerful to set an intention to stop eating late at night, than to simply want to “lose weight.” Focusing on the behavior rather than the result is essential. Once you know what you want to work on, it can be helpful to focus on motivational factors. Motivation for change is extremely important. If true desire is non-existent, it is very difficult to create change. I often have people come to my office and ask, “How do I know you won’t make me do something embarrassing?” I wouldn’t do that, but even if I did, it wouldn’t work. The subconscious mind will only accept the concept of change if it is one that is truly desired. This is why, when someone calls to quit smoking, I always ask, “Are you truly ready to quit?” Quite often, even though they have called me to book an appointment, the answer is no! People attempt changes for all kinds of reasons: pressure from loved ones, cost of the habit, feeling as if they SHOULD do something, out of fear of judgment. But if they don’t have the honest desire and motivation to let go of the habit, the changes will not last.

HOW DO I GET MYSELF INTO HYPNOSIS?

Hypnosis is not sleep, but it is a state that is CLOSE to sleep. When you’re in that floaty place right before drifting off to sleep, your subconscious mind is able to be accessed and shifted, just as when you are attending a hypnosis session. When you are just waking up and aren’t fully “conscious” yet, again, you are in a mild trance state. You can utilize this state to start reprogramming your subconscious mind to change your thought patterns. Here is how: as you are settling into sleep, lie face-up in your bed. Place both of your hands by your sides so that you can feel all of your fingers touching the mattress.

Think of the change you want to make in your life. Whatever it is, phrase it in the present tense. For example: “I feel wonderful and light because I no longer eat sugar,” rather than, “I will not eat sugar.” The subconscious mind exists in the present. It does not recognize the past or the future. Every statement that you decide upon should be spoken in the present tense. Now, as you lie there, press your pinky finger on your left hand into the mattress and say your phrase, either out loud or silently. Repeat, and press with the ring finger of your left hand. Then the middle finger. When you work through all of your fingers and thumb of the left hand, move on to the right hand, starting with the thumb and working your way to the pinky. You may fall asleep doing this exercise at night, and that is fine. You can repeat this exercise in the morning, just as you are waking. You won’t typically fall back to sleep in the morning.

As you utilize this technique repeatedly, you are creating new patterns in your brain through repetition. With repetition and desire, these beliefs become reality.

HOW ELSE CAN I USE HYPNOSIS TO IMPROVE MY LIFE?

Another way to take advantage of the power of self-hypnosis is to create positive affirmations to start your day. When you begin your day with positive thoughts, you are preparing yourself to have a happy and productive day. Affirmations can be done by themselves, but anything that is ingrained within your subconscious mind will have a more profound effect. To set your affirmations, think about what you WISH you could believe about yourself. We are all such beautiful, powerful, unique creatures, and this alone is reason to wake up feeling good about ourselves every morning. Unfortunately, we absorb many negative messages throughout the course of our lives. We hear criticism from family members, sometimes well-meaning, sometimes not. We spend our lives immersed in the false world of media, where we are subject to constant images of the desired yet unattainable. We compare ourselves to others and find ourselves (falsely) lacking; we get hurt and betrayed and exist under false assumptions that we are treated in certain ways because we deserve it. With all this constant negative chatter in our brains, it is no wonder that we have difficulty embracing who we are. But, this too can change. The first step is to define what our limiting beliefs are, and where they may have come from. Perhaps you grew up in a family where beauty was prized, but you were the smart one. Hearing your family talk about your more attractive sibling with admiration, and feeling neglected, over and over, creates a firm belief in your mind: “I am not attractive. No one will find me beautiful. I am not enough.” The more you think about it, the stronger this belief becomes. And eventually it becomes your truth. Your lack of confidence sends out a message; it tells those around you that you don’t feel worthy of being seen. People pick up on that message, either consciously or subconsciously, and ignore you in return. This furthers your belief: you are not worthy of getting attention. Well, it’s time to finally let go of those false beliefs, and hypnosis with affirmations is a great way to do so. Awareness of WHERE your beliefs have come from should be followed by repetition of words that are of the opposite belief. Replace “I am not beautiful,” with “I possess endless beauty, both inside and out. I attract attention for my light, beauty, and spirit, wherever I go.” Again, repeat this affirmation as you are drifting off to sleep, and as you are just awakening, pressing your fingers into the mattress with each repetition. Click here to book now.