SPIRIT

Spiritual Health

When we do not allow our minds and spirit to experience stillness, the mind and spirit become a turbulent ocean of chaos.

It is in this sea of chaos, that illness, disorder and dis’ease,  collects to pollute the spirit, then pollutes the mind, and eventually pollutes the body. 

The silence and stillness  of meditation acts as a cleanser to allow pure energy to fill your spiritual ‘hunger.’  This silence is the bridge to cleansing the spirit which quiets the mind that will ultimately heal the body and remove the junk.  This peaceful process truly starts the healing process. 

One does not need to be religious to meditate.  Meditation is not associated with any particular religion yet is a healing process by experiencing stillness within.  

What Is Meditation?

Meditation is a name given to a 'silencing' of the mind using different techniques for accessing inner peace.

In general, to meditate you sit relatively still, and let yourself pay attention to some aspect of the way life renews itself. There are thousands of variations on the techniques.

How does life renew itself?

Life is energy and is always in motion; it is a rhythm like the tide with an ebb and flow.  Energy and body renewel pulsates as it heals and evolves itself.

Meditation allows us to access a long forgotten naturally-occurring rest state.  In these active times, it is vital to rest yourself while remaining awake and alert. Meditation can happen spontaneously and takes only a few seconds.   Or it can be more intentional gazing lasting a few minutes or hours, like when we gaze at the horizon, enjoy a sunset, connect with a calm river, flow with the tide, or lie on our backs and gaze upward at the sky.

What Are the Benefits of Meditation?

Finding just a few minutes a day to create stillness within, meditation, has a powerful beneficial effect on your physical health.  Your ability to heal emotionally, and your ability to function at your best depends on this silencing of the mind.

These benefits are measurable, and scientists and doctors the world over have been researching them for decades, by having people come into medical labs and meditate. 

Meditation benefits all levels of life simultaneously and in balance. That is, when you set aside intentional time of silencing the mind that really fits your individual nature and your daily life. You'll have to fine-tune any silencing practice to get this kind of fit.

Physically, the muscles relax, the organs rest, the circulation of life energy is stabilized and tuned, and the body tunes itself up for action.

All of the senses become awake, alert and ready to appreciate life with zest. The brain and nervous system review past experience, heal and let go of painful memories, and prepare to enter healing action in a balanced, adaptive, successful manner.

This is very healing emotionally, because you take refuge in your own creation while getting centered and accessing inner peace.

Most people notice slight improvements in their ability to communicate with others and work more effectively.

Why Do People Say Meditation is so Healing?

There are at least three ways that meditation helps with healing on a physical and emotional level.

• Meditation lets the body rest more deeply on a subconscious level than sleep, even though you are awake.
• During meditation your body-mind system lets go of the baggage from the past, and of the hurts of the past.  
• After meditation, you are better able to handle stress and less likely to anxious over little things; this effect is less stress-related illness.

Rest is important for healing, weight loss and rejuvinating the body.  When we rest, the body (including the complete nervous system and brain) gives itself a tunes-up, repairs mental and physical damage, gathers better healing energy, and gets you ready to get up and go.

How is meditation performed?

As a natural healing gift, meditation is innate within all of us.  Your body already knows how to do it and has an instinctive ability to shift into profound restful mental states in order to heal, energize, integrate, tune itself up and enhance learning.

It is almost a sure bet that you have already experienced this many times in your life. Meditation can happen spontaneously, as when you are sitting on a hill daydreaming or looking at a sunrise or sunset, or when even listening to music. 

Meditation is giving full attention to one thought or sensation while giving your body a chance to explore its full range, both inward and outward. It is a conversation between your mind and body; your inner and your outer life will connect.

Silencing the mind and resting the body through meditation sounds simple, and it is.

Meditation was probably discovered independently by ancient hunters, singers, dancers, drummers and hermits.

People tend to encounter hightened awareness and meditative states whenever they throw themselves with total intensity into life’s callings. The formal meditative process was then cultivated and passed down from generation to generation from the enlightened ones.

Meditation does not come from India or Tibet -- those are just places the knowledge was formally introduced and expressed.  

Human beings have been using tools for hundreds of thousands of years, according to the archaeologists.

Is meditation a 'frue frue' past-time?

NO!  Even men who consider themselves 'manly men' such as hunters, for example, are already practicing meditators.  Hunters sometimes have to make themselves still for long hours while patiently waiting for the prey . They have to merge with the forest and not even think, lest they scare away the hunted. All at once, they leap into action with total precision at a moment’s notice -- that’s Zen in a nutshell.

In fact, great warriors and hunters teach each other these skills, through verbal instruction and example.

How Do I Know Which Technique To Do?

Explore and find out what works for you. Everyone is different. Some people can learn from a book, other people learn better from an audio program.

We offer several opportunites for you to experience this healing and silence within at the Reston Wellness Center.  Call us for a FREE initial consultation to see If you can swing it.

cristi@envisionmyself.com
703-589-8766

MIND

Mental Health

Thoughts matter. 
What you mentally focus on is relevant to every cell of your body.  Every thought you have instigates your every habit.  Your thoughts are at the root of every one of your underlying behaviors.  

Why do thoughts matter?  
Thoughts create physical change.  You literally become what you most often think about, on a cellular level.   

How do thoughts create and change 'matter'?
Your thoughts and feelings  expand in the mind then create a response that sends a parade of 'neuro-substances' (in the form of chemicals & hormones) to motivate a physical reaction.  This physcial change happens by a nerve/cell exchange and can then be recognized as anxiety, nervousness, calmness or anger.  

These neuro-substances are the intricate, but eloquent language used in the mind and body's ongoing communication. 

'Matter' is effected by these various reactions and exchanges in not only an immediate reaction, but also in long term transformation. 

Over time, this physical manifestation of your thoughts are reflected in how you feel and how you behave.  It is in this way that your thoughts direct the physical 'matter' of your body and you literally become what you most often think about.

You have all the power within you to direct this physical transformation.  Thus, it is of the essence that you have an aresenal of tools at your disposal to reach the health, serenity and mental make-over you deserve.  

In fact, the more often you intentionally create total tranquility and experience the mental sensation of inner peace, the more your body constructs an environment which supports optimal health and wellness.  

Hypnosis is an ancient Greek tool for tranquility and transformation which is possibly as old as mankind. 

The basics of hypnosis go back to ancient times.  In fact the earliest reference of hypnosis use was by the ancient Greeks and the term Hypnotism was derived from the Greek word for sleep.

American Hypnosis Hystory...
In the early centuries of our own land, the medicine men of Indian tribes performed seeming miracles.  Hypnosis.

In World War II the use of hypnotherapy proved especially helpful to surviving battlefield casualties suffering from shock, injury, battle fatigue, and various psychological disorders.

What is Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy?

Hypnosis is a state of focused consciousness often associated with deep relaxation. Hypnosis is a naturally occuring state of mind. In fact, you've probably already experienced a light level of hypnosis in your daily life. Missing an exit while you are driving is an example of hypnosis called highway hypnosis.

Or, have you ever watched a movie and been surprised to find out that three hours have just flown by?  This is time distortion, another phenomena that is common in hypnosis.

Hypnotherapy is the use of hypnosis to move someone towards health and wellness. Hypnotherapy uses the naturally occuring state of hypnosis to allow you to make changes in your life.

Can anyone be hypnotized?

Anyone of normal intelligence can be hypnotized and benefit from hypnosis. Using modern hypnosis techniques, anhyone who can follow instructions can experience the benefits of hypnosis.

What is hypnosis like?

Each person has a different experience with hypnosis. Some common elements of the experience include:

• A deep sense of relaxation
• Feeling at peace or serenity
• Increased ability to visualize
• Increased memory
• Complete memory of the hypnotic experience. This is a surprise for many people.

Other experiences during hypnosis may include a feeling of weightlessness or the opposite, a feeling of heaviness. Remember, each person's experience is different. If you try to compare your experience with someone else's, don't be surprised if each experience has some commonality and some differences.

What are the benefits of hypnosis?

Hypnosis has a large variety of benefits such as:

• Stop Smoking
• Weight Loss
• Stress Management
• Improve Self-esteem
• Eliminate Fears
• Reduce anxiety
• Improve Self-discipline
• Sports Improvement
• Eliminating roadblocks to success
• Headaches
• Chronic Pain Management
• Bed Wetting
• Bruxism - Teeth grinding
• Anger Management

And these are just some of the ways that hypnosis can help.

If you're not sure whether or not you can be helped by hypnosis, give us a call at (730) 589-8766 or send us an email at Cristi@envisionmyself.com.
 
We'll be happy to discuss the possibility of using hypnosis for your benefit.

Is Hypnosis safe?

Yes, hypnosis is safe. Modern hypnosis has been used for over 200 years and in this time, no one has ever been hurt.

The American Medical Association sanctioned the use of hypnosis in 1958. Since then, millions of people have used hypnosis to overcome a variety of challenges.Hypnotists commonly receive referrals from medical and psychological professionals.

Can I get stuck in hypnosis?

No! Hypnosis is a condition of mental and physical relaxation. The worst thing that can happen to you during hypnosis is that you fall asleep. If this happens, you'll wake up normally and have enjoyed a very relaxing, enjoyable sleep.

Will I do anything silly or embarrassing?

For most people, their first introduction to hypnosis is at a comedy club or other entertainment venue. The purpose of hypnosis in this instance is purely entertainment. That's why they have the participants do all kinds of "crazy" stunts, it entertains the crowd.

A therapeutic hypnosis session is quite different. When Hypnosis is used therapeutically, the purpose is to create a change in the persons behavior. All clients are treated in a professional manner just like you are treated when you visit a doctor or dentist.

If I'm hypnotized am I under the control of the hypnotist?

This is a fear that stems from too many "D" movies. Hypnosis is a collaborative process. Think of it as a dance in which the hypnotist leads and the client, the partner, follows. Just like in a dance, the partner has the ability to quit at any time. You are never under the control of the hypnotist. In fact, in order to be hypnotized, you must mentally give permission to the hypnotist. No permission, no hypnosis.

Can I be made to do something I don't want to do?

Another fear stemming from "D" movies. The answer to this is a simple "NO".

First, the hypnotist is a professional and will never suggest something that will be immoral or illegal.

Second, your own moral programming is too deep for the hypnotist to overcome. Any attempt by the hypnotist to give a suggestion that goes against your programming will be rejected by your subconscious mind. A suggestion that violates your values can even terminate the hypnosis if your subsconscious mind believes that terminating the hypnosis is appropriate.

Remember, you mentally have to give permission for the hypnosis and can withdraw this permission at any time.

Can I be hypnotized against my will?