Slaying Unwanted Habits with Hypnosis

At the fitness club this morning I linked up with a woman who is one of their most respected instructors.  She teaches yoga, as well as several aerobic and core muscle development classes.

We've chatted in the past about how hypnosis can be a wonderful tool to enhance the physical and emotional benefits of a consistent workout regimen.  Hypnosis helps improve focus, alleviates stress and facilitate more rapid physical recovery from exercise.  

It was perfect timing today as she had just finished teaching a class and had a few minutes to give hypnosis a try.  We set up in one of the yoga studios, and we were joined by her two teenage daughters and another woman who was in the room stretching.

What a fabulous session!  The hypnotic induction was successful as it typically is for practitioners of yoga.  They are open and comfortable with the relaxing, mediation-like process I employ and often have very creative minds.

It was the fourth woman who joined this session that I found most interesting.  She was chewing rather aggressively on a stick of gum and sported band-aids on the tips of four of her fingers.

After bringing her out of hypnosis to confirm she enjoyed the feeling, I learned during our talk that she's been under a considerable amount of stress.  To rid herself of this negative energy, she had developed a couple of unwanted habits:  1) biting at the cuticles on her fingernails; and 2) clenching and making uncomfortable movements with her tongue.

I gently returned her to the hypnotic state and encouraged her to focus on three positive suggestions:

1.  A feeling of confidence, calm and control that surges through her body whenever she feels anxious.

2.  A deep understanding that she is a wonderful mother, spouse and career-oriented professional.

3.  A wonderful sense of relaxation comparable to the soothing effects of a two hour full body massage.


Is hypnosis a cure-all for everything that plagues us physically and emotionally?  Of course not.  And this woman may indeed continue to struggle with these habits. 

Yet, hypnosis is an effective way to manage the harmful outcomes of stress and, equally important, to take ownership of her well being.  That's an important start!   

Anxiety, nerves and stress can lead to bad habits.  Hypnosis can help.  Image:  Bigstockphoto.