Tag: healing

Specializations

Hypnosis and Discomfort – 4 of 4

Brian Balke

Hypnosis and Chronic Pain Relief

Chronic pain may originate from medical causes. Every sufferer from chronic pain needs to be under a physician’s care.

Pain of any sort, however, is always a signal from the subconscious that our behavior needs to change. The subconscious is shouting, “Hey! Conscious mind! Why are you doing this to me?” When the commitment to change is clearly communicated, the emotional insult moderates – and often the pain.

A direct dialog between conscious and subconscious, of course, is the unique preserve of hypnotherapy.

As in all hypnotherapy, the process starts in discussion that prepares the conscious mind to accept responsibility and to act. The circumstances that created the emotional stress are identified and discussed.

Deep breathing exercises facilitate a healthier flow of resources through the body. Tying to our emotional state, positive anchor words are sought to counter negative mood. “Peaceful” may be substituted for “conflicted,” or “calm” for “anxious.” Both breathing and anchors are tied into the hypnotic induction and reinforced throughout therapy.

Once in hypnosis, rigidity challenges are used to focus stressful emotions and channel them into major muscles, simulating the strain of the fight/flight response. The ancient biochemical need is satisfied, and healing flows can be liberated.

Moving to recovery, the therapy offers healing imagery – light, sensation, or sound – to the affected part of the body. The sensations of self-love flow back from the tissue into the mind, reassuring the subconscious and strengthening it to release the original emotional insult.

Dream therapy can then be engaged to focus the subconscious to turn its energies away from self-protection and toward creating new behaviors that bring greater satisfaction – and increasingly joy – into our lives.

Feeling good is something that many chronic pain sufferers lose sight of. Hypnotherapy’s great strength is that it unifies the mind in an immediate experience of relaxation, release and restoration. As the deepest parts of the mind become accustomed to that experience, they unify in its realization – and almost anything is possible!

Specializations

Hypnosis for Discomfort – 1 of 4

Brian Balke

Hypnosis and Acute Injury

When my sons had a tumble out the playground, I would see them tighten up and suggest: “It’s OK. Just breathe, relax, breathe. Don’t hold on to the pain – let it pass through you.”

We all know that initial moment of physical insult. We stiffen up and try to figure out how serious the damage is. The body has reasons for that: as well as protecting us from further harm, a tight muscle resists the flow of blood. That limits bleeding.

But when the insult is over, that tension causes strain on the surrounding tissues. Not good. And eventually blood must flow to support healing. The sooner we release the tension, the faster we recover.

The sequence of reactions is managed by our subconscious. When properly prepared with hypnosis, those reactions can be fine-tuned for miraculous benefits. During surgery bleeding can be controlled, and the conscious mind focused on pleasing images that greatly reduce the need for anesthetics and pain medication.

In sports competition, anxious stiffness can be replaced with fluidity that allows maximum blood flow and thus maximum performance. And when an injury does occur, in hypnosis we can focus subconscious attention on the site of the injury. Soothing imagery (coolness, comfort, or control-room dials) can be used to release anxiety that heightens our pain. Healing imagery (light, warmth or harmonious vibration) can be used to prompt the flow of resources to promote recovery.

Part 2