How the Lady Terps Achieve Zen

The Lady Terps won both the Big 10 regular season title and the conference tournament.

The University of Maryland’s women’s basketball team is loaded with the talent.  The coaching staff is exceptional.  And the school’s athletic department invests in the facilities and support to create a winning environment.
 

Yet, when the Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg spoke with players about the team’s success this year many attributed their 32 win and 2 loss record to something beyond the ability to make jump shots, rebound or play stingy defense. 

 For the past two years, the Lady Terps have worked with a performance enhancement coach who helps keeps the players’ minds in the right place.

Through team discussions and one-on-one sessions, the Terps’ mental advisor helps each player sharpen their focus, achieve balance in all aspects of their life and prepare themselves to perform on the court.

“It’s obviously helped us,” senior Laurin Mincy told the Post’s Steinberg.  “We got to a Final Four last year, and we’re to a Sweet 16 now.  So I say keep it going.”

Although the article doesn’t specifically mention the practice of hypnosis, I suspect stress management and positive visualization are a core part of how the Terps prepare their minds for high level competition.   

Its how winning franchises like the Seattle Seahawks and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls of the 1990s elevated their physical performance.

If you are interested in learning more about how hypnosis empowers athletic performance, check out these blog posts:

Hypnosis Sharpens an Athlete’s Mindset for Recovery

College Basketball Star Sharpens Performance with Hypnosis

Hypnosis for Athletic Success, Capitals Style

5 Star Performance

To be successful, entertainers must subscribe to a core belief:  it’s all about the audience.

There is ego involved, as well as an absolute requirement for preparation and professionalism.  Yet, delivering an applause worthy performance demands an intimate understanding of the expectations of those who are giving up their time and money to attend a show.

That’s why the feedback I have received from my “Hypnotic Experience” show this past Sunday for the 20s/30s Meetup Group is so gratifying.  Rated a top level five star event by attendees, a number of people were also kind enough to provide specific words of encouragement on the promotional Web page for the event.  (See below.)

It was a fun evening.  I introduced some new material.  And, most important, a majority of the audience had a great time.

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Maria K.

Very interesting. It was my first meetup with this group, and my first Hypnotic Experience. I learned what hypnosis is and isn't, and I'm probably going to do more research about the topic.

Rose

Thanks for organizing! It was great!

Kristi

I had such a great experience! Thank you for organizing JT and thank you Marc for coming out and sharing your gift and knowledge!

Chase B

Amazing event, thanks Marc and JT!

Hypnotized in the City: Recap of Last Night's 20s/30s Event

When the organizer asked me to hold off on the start of the event for a few minutes to accommodate a few late arriving guests, I jumped at the opportunity to test out some new stand-up material I’ve been working on.

Disney shtick.  Check.  The trials and tribulations of performing at a high school after prom party.  Done.  Ridiculous stereotypes in stand-up comedy.  Gotcha.

Ten minutes later I had a sobering reminder of why I perform “Hypnotic Experience,” rather than focusing solely on stand-up.  It’s hard…and I am only kind of amusing.

So…on with the event!  It was hosted last night in Washington, DC by one of the largest and most active meet-up groups in the country.  I have a long-standing relationship with the group’s founder and lead organizer.  In fact, this is our third year collaborating.

A couple of thoughts in follow-up to what was an incredibly successful evening:

1. Insightful Pre-Talk.  During my pre-talk, I now do a better job of setting audience expectations about the program.  Much of this is based on feedback I’ve received in the past from performances for this group. 

Rather than a comedy hypnosis show one might find at a club or casino, Hypnotic Experience is designed to a fun and entertaining exploration of how a person can use the practice of positive visualization for health, wellness and exceptional living.

My goals are to engage the audience, educate them about what hypnosis is and its meaningful applications, and have those who are interested give a basic hypnotic induction a try.

In no way do I knock comedy hypnosis.  There is a well earned place for that at appropriate venues and I perform a pure-play comedy version of my show, when asked.  Here is an article I wrote last year about a hypnosis show on the Carnival Cruise Line.

2. Exceptional Guests = Totally Awesome Vibe.  The event last night attracted wonderful guests.  It was a group of culturally diverse professionals who work in an interesting mix of careers, including law, music, arts and education.  This contributed to a positive vibe in the room throughout the evening.

Interestingly, the nearly 50 guests were split evenly between men and women.  A typical Hypnotic Experience show tends to attract a predominantly female audience. 

3.  Volunteers Galore.  The organizer arranged 12 chairs up front for guests who were interested in trying a hypnotic induction.  This was a totally appropriate number, based on our past events working together.

So…imagine my pleasant surprise when we needed to add chairs to accommodate volunteers.  Plus, I had a handful of people who were in the audience also go through the hypnosis process.

4.  Colors, Smells and Smiles.  So…what was the volunteer response to hypnosis?

Just as I had hoped, it was predominantly positive and unique for each individual.  Some volunteers experienced colors during the confidence visualization, including blues, greens and reds.  One participant reported a heightened sense of smell during the relaxation induction, which is a response I seldom come across.

All in all, the guests who were open to hypnosis came away from the experience feeling energized, confident and stress-free.  That’s exactly what I aim for!  

This is a photo from last year's "Hypnotic Experience" show for the 20s/30s MeetUp group.  Last night's event attracted an equally fun and engaged group of guests.

Personal Stress Management Plan for Health and Wellness

Wisdom found in a fortune cookie.  Positive visualization is a powerful tool for health, wellness and exceptional living.

Stress is a scrooge.  It is negative energy that can limit our body’s ability to self-regulate, optimize performance and maintain health. 

 

It's for this reason it is so important for each of us to find and develop a personal stress mitigation plan.  You may like intense and competitive activities such as kick-boxing, basketball or weight lifting.  Or you might prefer more mindful oriented endeavors like yoga, meditation and knitting.

The activities are up to you…just discover something that works and stick with it.

In the years I have performed Hypnotic Experience, I have had a myriad of people approach me after a show to inquire about self-hypnosis as a tool for stress management.  They’re often at a point of total frustration resulting from stress-induced phobias and other destructive behavior.

Insomnia…teeth grinding…skin picking…nightmares…panic attacks…I’ve heard it all.  My advice is always the same:  visit a medical professional to make sure stress is truly the culprit.  And, if it is, consider giving self-hypnosis a try as part of a personal stress plan.

Recently, I came across two articles that I reminded me how devastating stress can be on a person’s wellness.  Each of these stories relay extreme measures taken to alleviate the symptom.

Yet, the root cause still remains.  Rather than taking on the symptom, make personal stress management the goal.  The body will most likely take care of the rest in a positive and productive way.

  

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