Listening to: The birds! They chirp!
Outside: Time to get the flip-flops out
Well, folks, there's a first time for everything.
It all started with our most recent meeting of our local writers' group. One of our members asked if anyone would like to be a guinea pig. I, of course, raised my hand. Would I be trialling makeup application in zero-gravity? Perhaps trying out a new bronzing fake tan? Maybe testing some new and brilliant type of medication, a dot in the palm that renders me into a sudden da Vinci genius?
No!
I was going be hypnotized!
Wow! Wow wow.
How terrifying. (Why do you put yourself in these situations? I grudgingly asked myself.)
So yesterday I arrived at my appointed time. 1 o'clock. I made my way into my favourite hair salon (dual appointment for hypno and hair, bargain). And then the hypnotist-in-training introduced herself, and asked if I would follow her. I would. I did.
And suddenly I was in a room alone with a woman I didn't really know, explaining to me what hypnotherapy really is. She would not, she assured me, make me walk around like a chicken. Or eat a raw onion that she's made me believe is an apple. Oh no. She said that's just hypnotism. This is hypnotherapy. A whole different (and much more useful) ballgame.
And so she switched on the relaxing music, and made sure I was comfortable sitting in the cushy chair, and then we began...
An hour later, I walked out of the room feeling almost tipsy. Like I'd had a glass or two of wine. Or like I'd just woken up from a really pleasant, restful nap. That kind of feeling that followed me for the rest of the day and into today.
Of course, there are varying opinions on hypnotherapy. Some (perhaps the small percentage of people who can't be hypnotized) think it is hokum. And some believe it is real.
For real: I know someone who was hypnotized out of smoking and didn't touch another cigarette for almost 20 years.
I believe that the mind is a very, very powerful thing. It can make you quit when the going gets tough, or it can make you push on, getting you to the finish line despite everything. It can be your worst enemy or your best friend. It can add to stress, pain and misery, or it can calm you down, decrease stress, and keep you focused.
It's been used for a long time to help reduce things like: anxiety, depression, insomnia, back pain, anxiety/pain during childbirth, eating disorders, OCD, IBS, irrational phobias, obesity, and addiction.
If it takes hypnotherapy to discover and unlock hidden potential within yourself, then go for it. After all, the mind is a terrible thing to waste.
On that note, have a very Happy Sunday, everybody, and enjoy your Bank Holiday Weekend if you're in the UK and your Memorial Day Weekend if you're in the US!
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