Hypnosis
Ways Hypnosis Can Be Used To Help with Pregnancy and Birth:
In early pregnancy, hypnosis can be used to:
- Ease morning sickness
- Release fear and worry of miscarriage
As a preparation for birth hypnosis can be used to deal with:
- Releasing fear of the birth
- Releasing fears and trauma from previous birth experiences
- Building self-confidence and self-esteem
- Building confidence in ability to give birth easily and safely
- Anxiety and Panic
- PTSD
- Smoking and other habits
- Relaxation techniques
- Stress Reduction
- And so much more...
During labor and birth hypnosis is helpful in:
- Staying calm and peaceful
- Birthing fearlessly
- Pain management
- A shorter birth experience
- Working with your body, baby and labor
- Enjoying your birth experience
After the birth hypnosis is helpful:
- Process/reframe birth experience
- Breastfeeding success
- Bonding
- PTSD from birth experience
- Time management
- Anxiety
- Stress Reduction
What is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a state of mind that is characterized by deep relaxation,
heightened imagination and a high responsiveness to suggestions. By quieting the conscious mind, the subconscious mind accepts new suggestions for positive change.
When you are relaxed deeply your mind functions more clearly which allows the subconscious to accept suggestions. In order for hypnosis to be successful the client must want change.
You are ALWAYS in complete control; if you don't like a suggestion your subconscious mind will reject it. No one can make you do anything against your will. You are awake, aware and able to accept or reject any suggestion. You can emerge from hypnosis at any time.
How Does Hypnosis Work?
To simplify: The mind has two parts, the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. The conscious mind analyzes, rationalizes, it is where will power lies, there is a working memory and it can only do one thing at a time. It is the part of our mind that chatters to us all day long. It can rationalize any behaviors good or bad and it can solve problems.
The subconscious mind holds the imagination, habits, emotions, permanent memory and controls all the autonomic systems of the body i.e. (regulates heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, etc.) It can do many things at once. Your subconscious is who you are, your belief systems, how your respond to things, every thing that you have ever experienced is stored in your permanent memory in your subconscious.
Hypnosis quiets the chatter of your conscious mind and allows the hypnotist to deliver positive suggestions into the subconscious. Your subconscious is like a computer. It can be reprogrammed for positive change easily and effortlessly.
Everyone enters hypnosis at least twice a day as the mind cycles down into sleep and as it awakens. Maybe you've been so into a book that when someone calls your name you don't even hear him or her. Quite often people drift off into light hypnosis while driving. Let's say you are driving along and your mind begins to daydream, and then before you know it you've reached your destination and you don't even remember the drive there or maybe time has passed so quickly you can't believe you are there already. That is hypnosis.
When you were driving your conscious mind drifted off into a daydream, but your subconscious mind kept you safe on the road. If someone would have ran out in front of your car your conscious mind would have automatically come back into focus and you would have responded to the situation. That is how hypnosis works.
The hypnotist first guides your body into a progressive relaxation, and then distracts your conscious mind, and this leaves your subconscious mind in a heightened state of suggestibility and increased awareness. Next, the hypnotist makes positive effective suggestions for change. Your subconscious accepts the suggestions and this reprograms your thinking. If the hypnotist were to make suggestions you didn't agree with or like, your mind would reject them.
Hypnosis feels wonderful and people really enjoy it. After emerging from hypnosis people feel rested even though they were not asleep. Fifteen minutes of hypnosis can feel like eight hours of sleep.