Therapy in Thoughts

Runners often achieve clarity in thought when on the road.

A friend who is a marathoner once told me distance running is the best (and most affordable) type of therapy.  When it’s only you and your thoughts, you’re able to work through a lot of issues.

Although running isn’t my thing, I had a similar experience this week when a snow storm blanketed the Washington, DC area.

My home sits on a major road, yet is buffered by a long driveway.  With each passing winter, that driveway seems to extend a bit further.  In my mid-30s it took about 90 minutes to shovel out from more than six inches of snow.  Fast forward 10 years and the same job requires more than two hours.

As I pushed and tossed Monday’s wintery mix, I found myself lost in my thoughts.  My “real” job as owner of a marketing services consultancy has been quite stressful late as I’ve wrestled with the classic entrepreneurial dilemma of when to invest in hiring additional staff.

Admittedly, I have fallen into the trap of inaction.  Doing nothing by hesitating to make a decision is still doing something, right?

Hours later I had accomplished two things:  1) a freshly shoveled driveway and walk; and 2) a decision to invest in the business.

I’m anxious for spring to arrive, yet thankful for Monday’s snow.

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On Sunday, March 16 at 6 PM I am co-hosting an event in Washington, DC about hypnosis for healthy living.  Check out this link for more information and to see the nearly 40 professionals who have already signed up to attend.  The venue is metro accessible and the event includes dinner. 

Insomniac Turns to Hypnosis to Re-discover Sleep

After trying acupuncture, yoga, herbal teas and a regimented bedtime ritual, a chronic insomniac turns to hypnosis to find sleep.  Here’s what happened next…

Here is a link to an interesting article published a few years back about how a woman was able to overcome sleep challenges through hypnosis.

Hypnosis as a tool to achieve a peaceful night of sleep is one of the most frequent requests I receive from volunteers at my shows, as well as people who have an interest in learning self-hypnosis.  It’s a frequent topic on this blog:

Over the Counter Sleep Aids or Hypnosis – Which is More Effective?

New Research Reinforces the Importance of Sleep

More on Sleeping Well with Hypnosis

While it’s absolutely critical for a person to consult with a medical professional about any change in sleep patterns, hypnosis is a natural and empowering method to re-discover a peaceful night of rest.

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)

Emotional Visualization

Visualization of emotions in the human body.  (Source: PNAS.org)

Anger...resentment...anxiety...love...empathy...joy...it's well understood that our emotions have a physiological effect on us.

Finnish researchers recently published visualizations of how emotions look inside of our bodies.  It's based on interviews with more than 700 participants, each of whom was shown different pictures of facial expressions, words, movies and stories.  

The emotional impact is both immediate and lasting, which is why strategies and tools (such as hypnosis) to manage how we perceive and control our environment are so important. 

It's also why Bobby McFerrin's song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" is so popular.

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)

Hypnosis for Healthy Living a Hit with Social Group

Volunteers give hypnosis a try at Sunday's event.  (Photo source: 20s/30s Going Out Group)

“I really want to try it,” she wrote in the comments section.  “I am just scared after watching ‘Stir of Echoes.’  I will wait to see the feedback after the event.”
 

Released in 1999, Stir of Echoes stars Kevin Bacon as a husband and father who through hypnosis enters a violent world of ghosts and spirits.

The misconceptions about hypnosis propagated through movies and television continue to dampen enthusiasm about the power of positive visualization to achieve meaningful change.  In addition to Bacon’s Echoes, films like The Manchurian Candidate, The Shadow and Trance portray hypnosis as a vehicle for the devious and crooked.

This past Sunday I presented at an event hosted by the 20s and 30s Going Out Group, one of the largest and most profile social organizations in the Washington, DC area.  Rather than an entertainment-oriented stage show, this version of my “Hypnotic Experience” show focused on health, wellness, self-confidence, stress management and empowerment.

Numbering nearly 60 young professionals, the audience was fabulous – engaged, attentive and genuinely committed to positive living.

After a 45 minute pre-talk with plenty of entertaining anecdotes, I took a group of about a dozen volunteers through a basic hypnotic induction.  To my pleasant surprise, nearly every attendee in the audience also participated in the induction.

What was the response to hypnosis?  I’ve included below comments from attendees post event.

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“Great time!  It was done in a very mature and professional way, and I was extremely relaxed at the end.”

“Fun, excited and opened our minds to practice positive thinking whenever we can.”

“I've had problems falling asleep before midnight, but I was able to fall asleep at 11pm and sleep like a baby after the event. Marc was an excellent presenter. He was engaging and entertaining, and I highly recommend this to anyone interested in improving their lives.”

“Good tips on a breathing and getting a better night sleep.”

“No expectations going in. Learned a lot hope to build on it.”

“Excellent workshop, will recommend hypnosis to anyone looking to improve their lives.”

“I came in a skeptic without any expectations, but I had a great experience & it was fun! This actually worked on me from the very first demonstration. I look forward to using hypnosis to enhance various aspects of my life.”

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)