Rock Corral Recreation Site, Mineral Mountain, Utah
When you see the title of today's update, you may wonder, "What do you mean? Am I supposed to sleep through the holidays?"
Well, not quite. You see, I was talking with Ran D. Anbar, MD, during my podcast interview for December 1. He wrote a fascinating book entitled, Changing Children's Lives with Hypnosis (to be published November 15, 2021).
We discussed how he helped pediatric pulmonary patients avoid life-threatening breathing dysfunctions by decreasing their stress through hypnosis. Our discussion also inspired me to try and reduce stress for my patients through hypnosis.
Read on for some simple ways to apply self-hypnosis and decrease your stress over the holidays.
Hypnosis for the Holidays
Creating calm within the chaos
Pelicans surrounded by desert (Minersville Reservoir, Beaver County, Utah)
Dr. Anbar explained to me that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. He also emphasized that everyone already engages in self-hypnosis effortlessly. It's just that when we are doing it, we don't realize that we are in a hypnotic state.
Some examples of being in a hypnotic state are: 1) being deeply immersed in a book and losing oneself in the story, 2) daydreaming, 3) visualization, 4) driving without consciously focusing on the process.
Dr. Anbar is a pediatric pulmonologist, so he teaches children hypnotic techniques. His clinical anecdotes demonstrate how our subconscious can powerfully affect our physical and mental health. He'll be sharing some amazing stories on our podcast coming out soon.
If it's possible for a four-year-old patient to use visualization to stop his seizures from spreading, why can't we also learn how to tap into the power of our minds?
Dr. Anbar's powerful use of hypnosis is just a half-step beyond what I already do with the Infinite Intention Technique. The main difference appears to be an emphasis on using intention and imagination to create a deep state of relaxation rather than doing specific healing work.
It's really quite simple. I ask my patients to begin with Energy Breaths, which allows the addition of Life Energy to support this process. Then, like many meditative techniques, you imagine being in a beautiful, peaceful, safe space where you can feel relaxed and free from your worries.
Using your imagination, you immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of that space. You slow and deepen your breaths to help you relax.
Some people imagine being on a beach by a turquoise ocean. Some like to imagine sitting on a porch overlooking a lush valley, surrounded by abundant, tropical vegetation. Some like to imagine resting in bed with their family quietly sleeping beside them. It's up to you what you want to imagine as your perfect, peaceful place.
Once you are deeply relaxed, you can set an intention to link the relaxed (hypnotic) state to a signal. Dr. Anbar suggests that his patients choose a hand signal. However, I suggest that my patients link their intention to return to the relaxed place with a hand signal, rather than trigger the state accidentally with only a hand signal.
In this hypnotic state, which is just another name for a deeply relaxed state, you can access your subconscious wisdom easily. So, you can ask your subconscious questions and get helpful information, which is exactly what Dr. Anbar likes to do with his patients.
I like to think of this deeply relaxed state of mind as our "Soul Mind," a name that was mentioned in our podcast on Emmanuel's Book (Part 1). Calling it "the subconscious" is like calling the Himalayas "a pothole." As the part of us that runs our bodies in the background, the Soul Mind is filled with incredible wisdom, power, and divine/spiritual connection.
Once you are ready, you can come "back" to your regular, conscious state of mind by imagining yourself leaving your perfect, peaceful space and returning back to your current physical place.
The next time you feel stressed, you can use your hand signal with the intention to trigger your peaceful, relaxed state of mind, and you will be able to return to that state of peace instantly—just in time for the often hectic and demanding holidays!
Have an awesome week!
The Holistic Psychiatrist Podcast (Ep. 40):
Emmanuel's Book: Answers to
Controversial Issues (Part 2 of 2)
Check out the teaser here.
This podcast is a lively discussion about answers to controversial issues provided by Emmanuel. These issues include spiritual channeling, the Holocaust, suicide, child abuse, disabilities, and parenting.
What is the spiritual perspective on these issues? How can humanity acknowledge their existence and still believe in a Divine Source and Divine Love?
Listen to how answers in Emmanuel’s Book help us to reconcile injustice, cruelty, and suffering with our ultimate growth, freedom, and divine purpose.
Click here for the full episode available on Wednesday.