Archive for August, 2007

Did you know that we all have the ability to enhance self-healing, increase comfort and improve nutrition, exercise, communication and flexibility? This article explains clinical hypnosis and how it can bring relief to clients suffering from arthritis. Hypnosis is easy to learn, you can do it on your own and it empowers you to take an active role in your healthy well-being.

The subconscious mind has many jobs. It quietly and effectively regulates our bodily functions and stores all of our values, beliefs and memories. It also balances our blood pressure, heart rate and co-ordinates each step we take everyday of our life. The negative effects of arthritis extend into many areas of a client s life, as does the positive resolve and relief of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is the simple process of accessing and directing the subconscious mind to support certain positive changes. It is the language of the mind, it access the most powerful level of awareness and down loads new applications of freedom and relief.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It causes a deterioration of the protective lining of cartilage in our joints. This deterioration occurs due to a breakdown of the chondrocytes that form cartilage. Osteoarthritis affects men and women equally. Most people over 30 years of age have some features of early osteoarthritis. The degree of limitation depends on the location of the inflammation. The major areas of concern are hips, knees and spine. The development of osteoarthritis may be related to trauma, aging or heredity.

The symptoms of stress play a big role in exacerbating the situation. Communication with family and friends plays a key role in managing stress and hypnosis makes this a lot easier. Suggestions offered to a client during a hypnosis session encourage them to share what s on their mind enabling them to offload concern and frustration, giving them more time doing things they enjoy.

It takes energy to deal with any physical or emotional burden. Hypnosis creates ideal sedation allowing for sound sleep. We all follow the path of our most dominant thoughts and if the last thoughts a client has at bedtime involve deep restful sleep, they are in a much better position to recharge their body and mind for tomorrow s challenges.

For those suffering with arthritis it s often difficult just keeping up with the fast pace of day-to-day life. Hypnosis helps individuals adjust to a more appropriate pace and also to release the frustrations and anxiety associated with any limitation. Clients who routinely relax with hypnosis are more centered, balanced and less affected by things they can not control.

Increasing muscle tone reduces stress to affected joints, which increases mobility and comfort. Low impact activities like swimming; walking and range of motion exercises are commonly recommended to clients with arthritis. With hypnosis it s easier to integrate new regimes and to establish positive subconscious connections between healthy activity and improved mobility, comfort and freedom.

The more protection in your joints, the more comfort and mobility you create. Since the subconscious controls the multitude of our bodily function, hypnosis can direct it to increase the production of chondrocytes, which increases the growth of healthy new cartilage. Pain is often the biggest issue with arthritis. Some pain, however, is necessary; it acts as a warning system telling us that something isn t right. The responsible approach with hypnosis is to only reduce unnecessary pain, leaving intact the body s ability to signal us and protect us from further complications.

Hypnosis can also be used to regulate the flow and distribution of endorphins, which are the feel good chemicals the body uses to create comfort and relaxation. Using hypnosis to regulate endorphin production plays a big role in putting the client in control. Hypnosis can also alter the perception of where the pain is located. By redirecting sensitivity away from key areas such as hips, knees and vertebrae to a less critical part of the anatomy like a finger tip, the client has much more control.

The same approach can be used to attach a different quality to pain. A sharp pain can be perceived as dull; burning pain can be perceived as cool. Involving other senses is one of the distinct advantages hypnosis offers in managing the symptoms of arthritis. Another technique involves using one color to represent pain and another to represent comfort, and then blending the two offering instant relief.

Lastly, by attaching a number value to pain creates the option of change. By imagining a yardstick during hypnosis a client can pick the number that best reflects their current level of pain, and then they are directed to different numbers which changes their perceived level of discomfort.

With hypnosis arthritis sufferers gain a distinct advantage in managing and even reversing the limitations of arthritis. Hypnosis is simple, empowering and extremely effective. A few sessions with a hypnotherapist gets you started and with a little practice you begin to effect healthy positive changes in your life. We all have remarkable self-healing abilities and hypnosis is an excellent way to jumpstart a return to a healthier more active life.

About the Author

Paul Gustafson RN, BSN, CH runs HealthyHypnosis.com of Burlington, Massachusetts. His 11 years of acute cardiac and hospice experience offer a solid foundation supporting his clinical approach to hypnotherapy. Visit HealthyHypnosis.com or call toll free at 888-290-3972.

Technorati Tags: Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy, Hypnotism, 5 PATH Hypnotherapy, Hypnotherapist, Hypnotist

“Meditation is merely hypnosis without suggestion..” -is what most hypno-therapists will tell you.

And whilst this in some (very few) instances may well be true, it is unfortunate that this view is promulgated, as this only describes a very limited aspect of meditation, and does not consider the phenomenal number of forms of meditation that are in fact out there. It also does not consider the true nature of most forms of meditation.

To illustrate this I would suggest that one consider the incredible number of guided meditations that are offered, sold, and promoted by various profit and not-for-profit organizations. Of course to fully understand the impact of this one has to consider the makeup of most of these guided meditations, which include a few primary elements :

1. Usually designed to create an alternate state of consciousness.
2. Usually designed with a specific life / meditative objective in mind.
3. These objectives are even sometimes pursued in some form of metaphor, visualized or otherwise.
4. Can be administered by oneself, or by another, or in a group context, with great success.

When this is reviewed, it is clear that there is almost always an objective which is pursued in guided meditations. One then also has to acknowledge that no objectives can be reached without some form of suggestion to prod the practitioner in the right direction. Of course there are various other forms of meditation in which suggestion, in itself, plays a lesser role. It should be remembered though, that meditation without objective is usually fairly pointless, and as such most forms of meditation is practiced with some objective in mind. And not surprising is also then the fairly obvious deduction that there has to be some suggestion, even in these.

A further example of this would be a simple application of meditation for the purpose of relaxation. (a fairly common practice). In this instance there remains an objective. “Relaxation”. And whilst suggestion is not usually passed during the meditation, they are usually pre meditative suggestions, which are then acted out during the meditation, and usually with desired results.

So to reduce in definition meditation to a pointless exercise, would be less than fair. This of course brings to mind another point of consideration.

Is there really a difference between hypnosis and meditation? After all they do seem to have similar primary properties. And if so, wherein lies the distinction, if there is one ?

Whilst the answers to these questions remain somewhat more complex, it should be considered that whilst this may not be recognized at this stage, meditation is clearly a less formalized form of hypnosis, and in fact qualifies as hypnosis in most analogies. Especially when the properties of an average meditation is considered.

In fact when this analogy is considered further, it comes to mind that meditation sets out to do in principle the same as hypnosis. It also focuses on creating mental states within which it is possible to manipulate the mind towards achieving objectives that have been set. One thing to remember though is that this is usually practiced in a far less formal environment, and more so in a solo situation, essentially resembling self hypnosis. Of course there are group environments wherein meditation is practiced, and usually in guided form. These however still maintain similar properties and as such can be as effective as most forms of hypnosis practiced.

With this in mind it would appear that there is virtually no distinction to be made in definition, except for their uses as therapeutic tools.

1. It is possible to therapeutically utilize hypnosis to manipulate and monitor responses from patients. This making it possible to apply direct, and instantly adaptable mental therapy in a controlled environment. This offers therapists an opportunity to treat more severe mental ailments for which meditation would not be suitable. Essentially this is achieved by the creation of externalized control through hypnosis, which is conducive to safe mental healing, of fairly severely ill patients. This also offers a fairly simple alternative to meditation for those who do not possess the inner ability and strength, to self hypnotize / meditate.

2. Whilst meditation can also be used as a therapeutic tool, it requires more practitioner internalized ability. Considering the nature of meditation, and the significant similarities that exist between meditation and hypnosis, meditation can be used as efficiently as most self hypnosis techniques, and even some therapeutic uses like regression and other forms of related hypnotherapies, are available to advanced meditators. It is possible for a practitioner to achieve similar result with meditation as with hypnotherapy, on things like say “helping you quit smoking”. However when it comes to more severe mental ailments / conditions hypnotheraphy is without a doubt better for dealing with the issues that may come forth, due to the externalized ability of the therapist to monitor and improvise a session as needed.

Accepting this I would suggest that meditators should not be afraid to explore their own minds and abilities using meditation as a platform, and expanding it to include what would traditionally be considered selfhypnosis techniques. Noting that if this is done with care, one can achieve a lot more from your meditation, in a lot less time. Especially when combining techniques from both genres when focus is placed on inner self ability, rather than the traditional hypnosis requirement for externalized control. Applying this, one is also offered a unique opportunity to set your own hypnosis / meditative goals, which is not normally possible with hypnotherapists, as they usually want to decide what is best for you.

Of course there will always remain room for externalized hypnosis / meditation, and if the therapist can be trusted, this can also come with amazing benefit, and probably somewhat quicker results, than expected from attempts to do it on your own.

About the Author:

The author, Pieter Heydenrych is a Reiki master who maintains a site which is located at http://www.letsmeditate.net which is dedicated to finding better ways to meditate more efficiently, and with more success.

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Technorati Tags: Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy, Hypnotism, 5 PATH Hypnotherapy, Hypnotherapist, Hypnotist