Is Mind Over Munchies Possible?

This past weekend I presented to a group of professionals about hypnosis as a tool for health, wellness and exceptional living.

After the 90 minute talk and demonstration, I had the pleasure of speaking individually with a number of attendees about the specific outcomes or changes each hoped to achieve through the power of visualization.  Weight management and making healthier eating choices was top of the list.

I then came across this interesting article in the Washington Post entitled Why People Regain Weight After Dieting.  The author – an interventional obesity medicine specialist -- contends that for those who struggle with their weight sustained loss through exercise and diet is an unachievable goal.  Metabolic surgeries and bariatric procedures, along with medications are a better path for more desirable result.

“The reality is, the body fights against calorie restriction and new exercise,” David Prologo writes.  “This resistance from the body can be lessened using medical procedures, by new medications or by increasing one’s exercise capacity to a critical point.”

While this may very well be true, my experience has been that the practice of self-hypnosis can be an effective and empowering tool to help a person:

--Eat only when hungry, rather than as a coping mechanism for stress or boredom

--Make smarter eating choices (i.e. vegetables and fruit, rather than sugary or salty snacks)

--Continue to enjoy food, rather than feeling guilty after a meal  

Smarter eating choices through the practice of hypnosis.  (Photo:  Nutrimight.com)

  

Healthy Eating with Hypnosis Explored in NY Post

Hypnosis is a tool to help a person make healthier eating choices.  (

In June the New York Post published an interesting article entitled The Newest Dieting Trend Includes Hypnosis.  Yes, Really.

I wanted to share the article on this blog for two reasons:

1. Making healthier eating choices is one of the top three requests I receive from people who are interested in the practice of self-hypnosis.  (FYI, sleeping better at night and managing stress are the other two.)

2. The author does a nice job of setting realistic expectations about what hypnosis is and how it can help a person achieve meaningful outcomes.  Yet, it’s not magic and – like all things in life worth achieving – takes commitment and effort.

Here is a good quote from the story: 

Positive self-talk can help guide you toward making more healthy choices. But expecting that you can do a 180 on your lifelong eating habits within a matter of minutes is unrealistic and will probably set you up for disappointment.

Positive Change Starts with a First Step

The Facebook post had an ominous start:  “To the fatty running on the track this afternoon…”

Yet, the author takes an unexpected turn and proceeds to shower the jogger with compliments for taking actions towards self-improvement.  “I have nothing but respect for you,” he concludes.  “You got this.”

Each month, I have the opportunity to meet individually with people who have an interest in using self-hypnosis as a tool to make positive changes in their life.  Some desire to be more focused at school or on the job.  Others hope to overcome an unwanted habit.  While still others are seeking a higher level of confidence, self-esteem and happiness.

Regardless of the reason, I have the utmost respect for their willingness to take action and seek empowerment.  It’s always the first step that is most difficult.

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Interested in learning more about hypnosis for health and exceptional living?  You can join me on Tuesday evening, April 22 at 7 PM at Finn and Porter in the Embassy Suites Convention Center.  The venue is walking distance to both the Metro Center and Gallery Place metro stops.  The show is hosted by Professionals in the City.  You can learn more and register at this link.

3 Images of Hypnotic Experience

This past Sunday I performed my "Hypnotic Experience" show for one of the most active and profile social groups in the Washington, DC area.  The event organizer took a couple of photos that I wanted to share, along with a brief description of what is happening.

Far from magic or illusion, hypnosis is a process and a tool that can be used to better manage stress, grow self confidence and achieve a more positive view of life.

Suggestability demonstration helps audience focus and prepare for an induction.

Hypnosis induction based on guided meditation; visualization for focus and to reduce stress.

Sleep suggestion deepens the trance and opens the sub-conscious mind to positive imagery.

My Impression of Hypnosis for Health at Whitman High School

From time to time, I fondly recall my high school experience in the late 1980s. 

I was fortunate to be a multi-sport athlete with a great set of friends.  In fact, I still meet-up every few months with a group of guys who I have been close with for more than 30 years.

Pressures were few and stress was relatively low.

Oh my, how the world for teenagers has changed.  A recent article in the Washington Post entitled “Stressed out teens, with school a main cause” cites a recent survey from the American Psychological Association that found many teens feeling overwhelmed or depressed because of high stress levels.

Forty percent of teens surveyed said they have felt irritable or angry during the previous month and more than one in three reported having trouble sleeping because of stress.

This study was top of mind as I arrived at Whitman High School this week to lead a series of discussions about hypnosis as a tool for healthy living.  My children will one day enroll at Whitman, so I’ve had a keen interest in being part of the community.  I attend a variety of sports events each year and have made it a priority to meet faculty members.

Whitman is not your typical public school environment.  The student population is loaded with high achievers in academics, athletics, music and the arts.  The pressure to succeed is extreme, as is the challenge to be accepted at an upper echelon college.

It’s for these reasons and the stress it produces that the school’s principal has made mindfulness a priority.  I recently wrote about Whitman’s mindfulness initiative in this blog post.

So…how did it go?  Here are a couple of observations after five presentations over two days to more than 120 students:

--Similar to my experience in December at Walter Johnson High School, I came away incredibly impressed by the maturity and intellect of the kids.  Every class was engaged in the presentation about hypnosis and I had a wonderful set of volunteers.

--In a classroom environment with a limited amount of time, I have to move quickly through a basic hypnotic induction.  This limits the experience and doesn’t afford me the time to incorporate simple suggestions or convincers (i.e. heavy eyelids).  I considered using a rapid or shock induction to save time, yet ultimately decided to stick with an approach similar to guided meditation.  It ensures a more positive experience, even if a volunteer doesn’t reach a state of hypnosis.

--After my pre-talk and a basic hypnotic induction, there wasn’t a lot of time for volunteer or audience questions.  This is personally disappointing because I always enjoy this interaction.  The exception was the demonstration for the last class of the day, as I had a couple of students stick around for a few minutes to chat.  Our discussion about focus in the classroom and after school activities was fascinating.

--Ultimately, my message to the kids is relatively simple – success and happiness in life is about confidence and empowerment.  Hypnosis is merely a tool that can help a person achieve that understanding.

I’d like to personally thank Nikki Marafatsos, the teacher who hosted me during the past two days.  Similar to the other educators who I’ve met, she is invested in the health, well being and success of her students.   

That’s inspiring!  

This week I led a discussion about hypnosis for health for more than 120 students at Whitman High School.  (Photo Source: Bethesda Magazine)

3 Shows Next Week - Each Fun and Unique

Like most entertainers, my performance schedule during the year is characterized by a series of peaks and valleys.  The peaks are stretches when my calendar is booked, while the valleys are times with few (if any) shows on the docket.

Of course, this is influenced by the timing of events and activities that are open to adding a hypnotist to the line-up of entertainment.  May and June are hectic for me because it is high school after prom season.  Fall fills up fast due to community festivals and street fairs.

Although a historically slower time for performances because of the weather, this year February has been incredibly fast paced.   Last Sunday night I headlined an event hosted by one of the most profile social groups in the Washington, DC area.  The discussion of hypnosis for healthy living drew rave reviews from the attendees.

I have three performances on the schedule next week, each unique in its focus.  I’ll visit with a group of high school students to discuss hypnosis as a tool for stress management, spend time with a lacrosse team to visualize success in athletic competition and then deliver an entertaining version of my show for a cub scout Blue & Gold banquet.

Please be sure to check out this blog later in the month because I’ll post recaps and lots of photos.

Simple focus exercise prepares volunteers for the Hypnotic Experience.  (Photo source: 20s/30s Group)

Student Stress - One School's Focus on Mindfulness

On Friday I had the pleasure of spending an hour with an educator at Walt Whitman High School as part of my preparation for a presentation I’ll give later this month to a 150 of her students enrolled in honors health education.  The theme of my talk:  hypnosis as a tool for stress management and healthy living.

A couple of interesting observations about this productive conversation:

-In general, high school students today deal with a myriad of personal stressors (real and perceived) that can impact their academic success, personal relationships, and overall health and well being.  This is particularly true in high performance school environments, where the expectations for excellence placed on kids by their parents and peers can be extreme.

-School administrators and educators have taken action to help students more effectively manage this environment.  Whitman High School’s principal has made “mindfulness” a priority and has encouraged teachers to incorporate appropriate discussion into their curriculum.

-At Whitman, mindfulness is viewed as a “powerful tool to help students manage their stress by becoming more aware of personal thoughts, feelings, and perception, and not passing judgment on them.”  A few days prior to my visit, the school’s speech and debate team is hosting a fundraiser entitled Lower Stress & Greater Motivation: Why a Sense of Control is the Secret to Teen Success.

-The practice of self-hypnosis as a tool for stress mitigation and healthy living is an unfamiliar approach for the majority of the students.  Accordingly, much of my presentation will focus on defining hypnosis and its applications, and addressing misconceptions portrayed in movies, TV shows and Vegas-style acts.

My visit to Whitman later this month builds on the excellent relationship I’ve established with high schools in the Washington, DC area.  Last November I presented to a group of athletes in a leadership class at Whitman and in December I gave a demonstration of hypnosis to more than 100 students at Walter Johnson High School. 

Today, students deal with a myriad of stressors. (Photo source: Oregonlive.com)

    

It's Magic, Right? More on Hypnosis for Healthy Living

Each January finds a renewed commitment to health and wellness.  Gyms fill up, more veggies and fruits get consumed, and undesirable habits like smoking get kicked.
 

I also find a higher level of interest in hypnosis as a tool for healthy living.  This time last year I co-hosted an event entitled “New Year, New You:  How Self-Hypnosis Can Help You Stay True to Your Resolution.”   

Here is a link to my write-up about the session, and here are comments from attendees:

Marc did a wonderful job of leading us through a powerful hypnosis session and teaching us the tools to use self-hypnosis in our daily lives! I will definitely repeat this event in the future. (From the event organizer)

This was a great introduction to the group. Thank you for organizing this meet up. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thanks for a nice introduction to hypnosis!

On February 5, I will be featured speaker at an event in Bethesda, Maryland hosted by the Wednesday Morning Group.  I’ll focus on the practice of hypnosis to empower health and take volunteers through a basic hypnotic induction.

If you find the topic of hypnosis for health and wellness interesting, I encourage you to check out this article published yesterday by USA Today.  One of the hypnotherapists interviewed echoes what I preach during my shows:  Hypnosis is not magic.  Meaningful change takes work and commitment.  

Volunteers at last year's fundraiser for Operation Renewed Hope Foundation.  A deeply relaxed hypnotic trance.

Health and Wellness at the Century Mark

Florence Greco has been on this planet for nearly 100 years.  She is active, mobile and intellectually engaged.  Her secret:  daily exercise.

Florence’s daughter penned this wonderful article for the Washington Post about the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of exercise.  As you may have suspected, Florence served as the inspiration.

The article includes an interview with Ronan Factora, a gerontologist at the Cleveland Clinic.  Here’s a compelling quote from Dr. Factora:

People at any age benefit from exercise and the frailest residents in nursing homes benefit the most. Exercise helps keeps aging bodies healthy by increasing blood flow to the brain, carrying extra oxygen and other nutrients. It also helps keep blood pressure and blood sugar at normal levels, lowering the risk for vascular dementia.

I share Florence’s commitment to physical exercise and its role as an important part of a healthy lifestyle.  In fact, I play pick-up basketball three or four times a week, which also provides me with a productive competitive outlet and a channel for stress relief.

When combined with my practice of self-hypnosis for focus, sleep and stress mitigation, I feel like I’m on the right path.  With a bit of luck and good fortune, I will hopefully be as active and engaged as Florence when I hit the century mark.

Greco pumping iron.  Photo:  Washington Post