We have a primitive reflex that activates to protect ourselves from danger. This is normal and natural, but sometimes our bodies and our minds think we are constantly in danger and we can’t shift out of that fight or flight or freeze mechanism.  That energy, let’s just call it what it is: anxiety… gets stored inside our body and shows up as muscle tension, shallow breathing, panic attacks and even as headaches.  Learn to relax yourself into hypnosis and finally release that anxiety, allowing your body to soothe in to peaceful comfort.

Let’s start by taking a very deep breath. Inhale. Now exhale.

Did you notice if your chest and shoulders stiffened up and rose up towards your ears?

Did you notice maybe you were biting down and clenching your jaw? Maybe your neck stiffened up?
Now, just simply push your tummy out and notice how you automatically suck air into your lungs. The reason for this is the negative pressure created when you push your belly out. Your diaphragm drops down creating a negative pressure in your chest, which automatically expands the lungs, sucking in air.
The lungs have five lobes and when you take a very deep breath, you actually only bring air into the two upper lobes of the lungs. The reason is because you’re pulling you tummy in rather than pushing it out. The two lower lobes of the lungs have more blood vessels; therefore more oxygen can get into the tissues.

Oxygen is relaxing and healing and allows a major decrease in stress.

So now, when you take a deep breath in, imagine your belly getting bigger. We’ll call this the Buddha Belly. And now, when you let all that air out of your lungs, feel your belly button move towards your spine, hollowing out your belly.

The Vagus nerve runs through your diaphragm and when your diaphragm is hyper stretched, as in Buddha Belly, it activates the Vagus nerve, which stimulates anti-stress hormones. The Vagus nerve is the primary nerve in the Parasympathetic Nervous System, which is the Rest and Digest part of the Autonomic Nervous System. This is the automatic part of the nervous system.

By taking the abdominal breath, as taught here, at least once per hour, will create significant changes in your stress level. The best way to do this is to breathe in for a count of three, hold the breath three counts and breathe out for six counts, and do this hourly. Also, find some time in the day when you can take ten breaths just like this. This type of breathing is a major component of your success.

According to the American Medical Association, approximately 80% of the patients who visit an internal medicine doctor are there due to the long-term effects of stress. Long term chronic stress or a person’s perception of the stress causes a great deal of physical damage and is underlying almost all disease. Symptoms like headaches, back pain, stomach problems, rapid heart rate, fatigue, nervous habits, cognitive problems, and the list goes on and on.
Stress is a normal physiological response to an event or problem that makes you feel threatened or overwhelmed. Our nervous system is sensitive to danger in order to keep us safe. But the same system that helps us avoid physical danger can be the system that creates long-term chronic stress and damages our mind and body.

When the fight or flight response kicks in, we are sent into a focused, energetic and alert state. This state can help you to meet challenges, make you sharp when doing presentations, help you to react quickly in an accident, or other dangerous situations. However, the problems arise when we stay in this state too much or when every little thing that goes wrong sends us into hyper drive. When adrenaline and cortisol are released constantly, the damage it does to the body is extreme. Over time, it will damage and inflame every system of our body and this includes the brain. Things like memory problems, the inability to concentrate, seeing only the negative and constant poor judgement are directly related to chronic or high level of stress.

To break this pattern, it is important to take back some control. Using hypnosis to calm the central nervous system is the first step I take with my clients. Then, we work to change their thinking regarding the stressors in their life. Alleviating negative habits like procrastination, too much alcohol, improving sleep and connecting more with others will make a big impact on the perception of stress. Also, to be able to self-soothe is incredibly important to the reduction of stress. Studies show that 8 minutes in hypnosis is equivalent to 3 hours of sleep.

You have more control than you might think. The simple realization that you are in control of your life is the foundation of stress management. So, do something that makes you feel in control and you will feel your sense of well-being grow.

Simply setting this intention before going to sleep each night may result in a more restorative rest and awaken feeling more alert to start a brand new day.

Because I want to get a full night’s sleep, and because I want to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, rested and full of energy, each night as I retire, I relax every muscle in my body by taking three deep breaths. After each breath I say “sleep now” and let every muscle and nerve go loose and limp. After the third breath, I am so completely relaxed, I immediately drift off into a deep, restful sleep, which remains unbroken until morning. Only an emergency awakens me, and if this happens, I return to bed after attending to it and go to sleep within sixty seconds. It is easy for me to relax and go to sleep because I expect to sleep.

Throughout my sleep, I am completely relaxed.

I always relax completely upon taking three deep breaths, and at bedtime I always go to sleep as I relax. I sleep soundly and comfortably and without effort and I carry this calm, contented sense of relaxation over into my waking state. I always awaken at my usual rising time and feel wonderful! Completely rested, alert and cheerful! I thoroughly enjoy my deep restful sleep.

At bedtime I just take three deep breaths and think “sleep now” after each one and I go to sleep automatically. All of these thoughts come to me when in hypnosis when I think the code word “bedtime.”

1) The third step in self-hypnosis is to be started one week after you complete the exercises for step 1 and step 2. Once you start step 3, you no longer have to do step 2.

2) For step 3, you need a 3x5 card or a business card, which you can easily carry with you at all times. You are to write the suggestion you’ve prepared for yourself which meets the criteria of being:

a. Positive,
b. Simple,
c. Believable,
d. Measurable – and it should carry a Reward.

Always state your suggestion in present tense.

3) Again, sit down and choose a spot opposite you, slightly above eye level.
Hold the card in front of the spot and read the suggestion to yourself 3 times.
Make sure the words on the card are believable to you and allow yourself to imagine accomplishing what is written on the card. Use your imagination.

4) You’ve written your suggestion on a card – chosen your spot – read the suggestion to yourself 3X – now, drop the card and take your first deep breath. Exhale. Take your second deep breath. Exhale. Now, take your third deep breath – hold it – close your eyes – count backward from 3 to 1. Exhale, and go deep into hypnosis.

5) At this point, instead of counting backward from 25 to 1, allow the suggestion to repeat over and over in your subconscious mind. At the same time, imagine that you are carrying out your suggestion.

You’ll find that at times, the words start to break up and become fragmented. That’s perfectly okay. The important words or phrases will come through to you.

In approximately 2-3 minutes you’ll have a feeling it’s time to stop and wake up.
(Note: this time was set when you established a habit pattern in step 2.)

At this point, just count forward: 1…2…3… open your eyes and go about your business, feeling refreshed and relaxed in every way.
(Note: Give yourself time to allow the suggestions to take hold. It can take up to two weeks to start getting the benefits related to your suggestion.)

1) Continue doing Step 1, the Pre-Sleep Technique you learned last week.

2) In addition, you are to do the following: Twice a day – once in the morning or at noon, and once in the early evening – you will hypnotize yourself, stay in hypnosis for 2 – 3 minutes, and then wake yourself up.

Here’s how:

Sit in a comfortable chair with your back supported.

Focus your attention – effortlessly- on a spot opposite you, slightly above eye level.

Take 3 deep breaths – slowly. As you exhale your third breath, hold it for 3 full seconds as you count backward: 3…2…1

Close your eyes, exhale, RELAX and allow yourself to go into a deep, sound, hypnotic rest.

3) You are to remain in hypnosis for approximately 2 – 3 minutes by counting down slowly from twenty-five (25) to one (1).
(NOTE: It will help if you allow yourself to visualize or imagine each number being written on a blackboard or shown on a computer as you count backward.)

4) To awaken, just count forward from one (1) to three (3) – and you will awaken refreshed and alert, ready to go about your business in an energetic way.

5) Do this exercise twice a day for seven (7) days, after which you will be ready to give yourself beneficial suggestions.

Self Hypnosis  Prepare your mind to shift into a transformative and relaxing state of mind with these suggestions.  It is best to turn off any screens with blue light within 30 minutes of self-hypnosis.  Perhaps try reading a fictional book to shift into a deeper state of relaxation prior to listening to your hypnotic experiences.

1) When you go to bed, starting tonight and continuing for the next 7 days, just before you are ready to fall asleep – give yourself the following suggestion
10 times:

“Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.”

While you are saying the suggestion, imagine yourself in any way you can, getting better and better.

2) In order to not fall asleep and not to lose count, every time you say the suggestion, press down with each finger of your right hand. Then continue with
each finger of your left hand until you’ve completed the suggestion 10 times.

3) This may be your first attempt at learning to effectively program yourself through suggestion. It is of the utmost importance to do this exercise every night
without falling asleep until you’ve completed the 10 repetitions.

4) You are beginning to establish a habit pattern of properly programming yourself by giving yourself positive suggestions before going to sleep. The next day, you’ll find yourself reacting very positively to that suggestion.