Hypnosis is a natural, safe, non-drug induced state where you feel very calm, peaceful and deeply relaxed. It is a very focused, trance like state similar to meditation and prayer.

Going into hypnosis feels similar to how you feel falling asleep at night when you are tired. It is an experience that we all have right before sleep and are in hypnosis when we first wake up. The zoning out that can occur when you are driving on the highway and miss your exit, that is also a hypnotic trance like state.

The experience can vary from person to person. Some report feeling lightness or buoyancy in their body and others report heaviness in their head, chest, arms and/or legs. Your eyes usually feel drowsy while some can feel a tingling or even numbness in their hands or feet. Your breathing usually deepens and slows down and your mouth may begin to feel dry.

Your body becomes more relaxed as your muscles get loose; tension is released and your neck assumes whatever position feels most comfortable. While you are able to talk and move your body, you may prefer being quiet and still. When asked questions during hypnosis, you can respond.

You may be listening actively at first, and then only hear my voice in the background. Your attention shifts as you allow your conscious awareness to float about. Your conscious mind tends to drift back and forth during hypnosis.

This is precisely what we want to happen, since in this state your subconscious becomes directly accessible and highly open to the ideas being presented.

You may see colors and imagery more vividly. Long forgotten memories may be recalled. The experience of time may slow down or speed up, this is called time distortion.

Most clients report feeling relaxed and peaceful while in hypnosis. Some continue to feel that way for a little while after coming out of hypnosis. Immediately following a session, you will feel very open and raw so it is best to limit stimulation and interactions with any potentially triggering content or individuals. This is where using your self-soothing and self-care tools come in.

Days, weeks or sometimes even months after you may have increased sensitivities, thoughts, recollections or make connections about your life that you haven’t made before. Some report feeling easily triggered. After gaining access to your subconscious during the Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy session, you may experience intense feelings and emotions that hold deep healing information regarding your self-operation. Keep a journal and/or process what comes up for you with your therapist or life coach.

Nearly everyone, whether aware of it or not, has experienced hypnosis naturally, at least once, during their waking life. Your ability to go into hypnosis quickly and deeply depends on a variety of factors with openness to trusting in the process being the biggest determining factor of whether or not you will go into hypnosis. There may be some who resist at first, since the mind tends to be cautious of the unknown, but as you allow yourself to relax and experience the peace, calm and harmony it instills, your resistance dissipates.

A few factors that go into how deep of a hypnotic state you will experience and how effective it will be are listed below:

• Trust of the therapist and your willingness to follow their guidance

• Belief in your ability to go into hypnosis

• Desire to go into hypnosis

• Any fear of loss of control

• Ability to surrender to the experience rather than fight it

• Readiness to change

• Any subconscious resistance you may have

• Past experiences with hypnotherapy

Hypnosis requires your full cooperation, so you will never be compelled to accept or do anything under hypnosis that violates your moral or spiritual beliefs, core values, ethical standards or personal preferences.

• Hypnosis is not a form of mind control

• You are always in full control

• No one can force you to act against your will.

• No one can make you do anything under hypnosis that you do not want to do

• You are free to come out of hypnosis at any time you want

• You can talk, walk, and move your body as desired

• Hypnosis is not a miracle cure or magic button that instantly wipes away all emotional blocks or problems.