“This was a great introduction to the group. Thank you Nejla
for organizing this meet up. Thoroughly enjoyed it!”
Comment from an attendee
I have a life plan. It
is flexible. It evolves and shifts. It focuses on my physical, emotional and spiritual
points of fulfillment – marriage, parenting, family, career, mentoring and
caring for others.
“Hypnotic Experience” was born from this plan. It’s what brought me to the Friendship Heights
Village Center
on Tuesday evening.
I was fortunate to have connected with Nejla Routsong who founded
and directs an 1,100 person Meetup group called DC Global Adventurers. Unlike other social groups that focus solely
on single-centric activities (i.e. bar trivia, Karoke, etc.), Nejla creates
unique and health-oriented events, such as nature retreats, meditation and
yoga.
Together, Nejla and I co-hosted an event entitled “New Year,
New You: How Self-Hypnosis Can Help You Say True to Your Resolutions.” Sixteen members of the group braved a rainy,
cold and unpleasant evening in Washington,
DC to attend.
Here are a few initial observations from the two hour event:
1. Consistent with past
events I have hosted or participated in, the people who seek new approaches
for improvement tend to already lead exceptional lives. The group this evening was professionally
oriented, altruistic and socially conscious.
Plus, it was a stunningly attractive group of people. Different looks and different cultural
backgrounds, yet I suspect each attendee is someone who is noticed when she
enters a room.
2. Notice I wrote “she.” That’s because 15 of the 16 participants were
women. Again, that is right in step with
what I have found in my other group sessions.
During my introductory remarks, I acknowledge that in my
experience practicing and teaching hypnosis I have found that women put more
pressure on themselves to be perfect in all aspects of their life. This self-induced intensity can create
stress-related issues and negative outcomes.
I wrote about this issue last year in a blog post I titled
the “Impossibility
of Perfection.”
3. I do my best during
the pre-talk
to set realistic expectations about the hypnotic process, what it feels like to
be hypnotized and anticipated outcomes. Yet, there is often a sense of disappointment
in the experience from some attendees when they realize it’s not magic.
Hypnosis is refreshing, relaxing and incredibly positive for
most. Yet, there’s no loss of self or
time.
I now tackle this issue head on by encouraging each attendee
to incorporate self-hypnosis into their daily routine for a two week period. Will they achieve a more positive
outlook? Can they sleep better at night? Display improved self-esteem?
You bet. While the
changes may be subtle, they are real and meaningful.
Positive change is in each of us already and hypnosis is
merely a tool to re-shape how we subconsciously view ourselves and the world
around us.
When a person comes to this realization I feel a tremendous
sense of fulfillment. It’s all part of
my life plan.
