I am currently reading a fascinating book called ‘mindfulness and hypnosis’ by Michael Yapko, an American psychologist/hypnotherapist.

Mindfulness is sometimes known as meditation, but tends to be without the spiritual context which is usually referred to with meditation.  It involves being fully present in the moment, in other words focusing solely on what you are doing at that particular time and you can apply it to anything that you do, whether that is eating, driving, reading etc.  In essence it is ‘being’ not ‘doing’ so it involves endeavouring to switch off that part of the brain which over-analyses, cogitates, ruminates and so just allowing yourself and your body to be totally aware of that one thing that you are doing.

This type of technique is very difficult in our technology-driven, 24/7 world, as we often feel that we need to be doing and thinking about lots of different things at once in order to be efficient.  Women in particular are known to have ‘multi-tasking’ abilities, and this is seen as an advantageous, as time can be saved if you complete more than one task at a time.

However, I tend to feel that this way of living and working can lead to us being overburdened and stressed, and whilst a bit of stress is sometimes a good thing, if we are constantly on the go, trying to do several things at once, then our minds and our bodies can sometimes start to tell us that it is all too much, resulting in mental or physical illness.

I encourage all my clients to try to have a little time each day when they can just be still and quiet, not having to think about anything in particular, or do anything at all.  If you make a regular habit of having this peaceful time to yourself then you will really start to notice the benefit, mentally and physically.   If you really do not have time for this then the alternative is to be mindful in the things that you do – when you are eating, for example, completely be aware of all the tastes and sensations in your mouth.  Perhaps when you go for a walk, be conscious of the rhythm of your steps, the air on your face, the feel of your arms moving by your side.

Nowadays we all have a tendency to ‘live in our heads’ and I think that this means that much of what is there to be enjoyed and experienced to the full passes us by.

Consciously developing a mindful attitude will enable your mind to feel clearer, you will feel lighter and freer, and you will tend to feel a much deeper sense of well-being.  Mindfulness is now beginning to be recognised by mainstream medical professionals in the treatment of depression, resulting in many people achieving lasting relief from this debilitating illness.

Hypnosis, as Michael Yapko explains, is very similar to mindfulness in that the individual is going into a state of focused attention, but in hypnosis this tends to be a focus on the hypnotherapist’s words, so in that sense it is like a ‘guided’ mindfulness.  I feel, however, that it can definitely give the same benefits, just by having that period of time when all other distractions are ‘switched off’, so that the mind can be allowed to rest and relax during the process.  In my opinion, in this way, hypnosis can be very powerful in that not only is the mind given chance to rest and recuperate, the suggestions made by the hypnotherapist gently guide the client to achieve their particular goals for treatment.

If you would like to book a free consultation, at which you can discover more about hypnosis and how it can help you, please ring me on 01449 780352 or 0781 7158429, or you can email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.

All the best,
Wendy