By Judy Sharp Dip Hyp; Dip PLT
GHR and CNHC registered

Hypnotherapy is simply the therapeutic use of hypnosis as a way of accessing the unconscious to resolve a very wide range of issues ranging from irrational fears and phobias to anxiety and depression; from emotional trauma to weight management; from challenges with relationships or money to giving up smoking. Or it can be used to harness the potential of the unconscious to provide motivation and positive suggestions to overcome stressful situations: exam nerves, driving test blues, yips on the golf course, giving presentations to large audiences ….

Have you ever been mesmerized by flames in a log fire? Or been lost in a beautiful piece of music? Have you been in a car on a rainy journey as the wipers slip-slapped against the windscreen? Then you have slid into “an altered state of consciousness” – precisely the “trance state” that is induced in a session of hypnotherapy.

The mind is like an iceberg

The mind is like an iceberg, with the 10% that shows above the surface of the ocean being the conscious mind, controlling our day-to-day activities and rational, cognitive functions. The 90% of the iceberg sitting quietly below the ocean equates to the unconscious mind. This is the control centre, the computer hard drive, and by by-passing the conscious mind, the hypnotherapist can access the unconscious mind. Not only does it monitor all the physical and biochemical processes that keep us alive, such as breathing and temperature control, it also influences our overall health and wellbeing. It is in the unconscious mind that all memories and traumas, feelings and emotions are stored, and it is here that the therapist works to find the real underlying emotional root cause of an issue.

“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much” – Helen Keller.

Returning to this occasional series on the basic psychological needs. Today the focus is on our need for community.

Human beings are essentially social animals. Throughout history, from the earliest times we have lived in groups and depended on each other. This has been part of our success, if we can call it that.

To varying degrees, people need people. One of the basic psychological needs that must be fulfilled to keep you free from depression and anxiety is that  sense of community. More than this it is about making a contribution to others.  Essentially, you need to feel part of something larger than yourself, part a community of people, working for something that has meaning and significance. 

The Art of Self Care:  Herbal and Holistic Wellbeing
by Vinings’ Herbalist, Ms Yaso Shan

Introduction

Our world is moving quickly. Many of us have very little down time and lots of pressure to constantly perform at a high level. We need to have a great career, be in the best shape, and have a fabulous marriage. Our kids need to be academic geniuses, athletically gifted, and get into prestigious colleges and universities. Having the latest designer clothing and the most expensive car we can afford (or not) proves our success. We then post it all on Facebook so we can compare ourselves to each other.

In reality, our job isn’t the dream we thought it would be, and we are working long hours. Our second job as parents includes shuttling kids all over town and finding time to cook and eat dinner.

What can all this frenzy lead to? Stress. We are frazzled, rushed, and trying to do it all. As a result of all this stress we can experience weight gain, anxiety, fatigue, depression, and digestive issues. The physical symptoms of stress become normal and the doctor prescribes medication. Long term chronic stress can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other serious illness.

Even though we cannot completely eliminate stress from our lives, the good news is that there are better ways of coping with stress in order to reduce the effects on our health. Self-care is essential for your physical and mental health and well-being. Self-care is at the bottom of the list for most women, giving way to the mother, wife and any other role that needs to be filled. So how do you keep up?

We all have a basic psychological need to look after our minds and bodies. This is one of the prime directives of our unconscious minds and mentioned in the list of basic needs identified by the Human Givens Institute

It stands to reason that we have evolved this as a psychological driver. If we were not intrinsically designed to look after ourselves then surely, as a race, we could not survive. This drive exists across the natural world, every living thing lives with the overall drive to survive physically and mentally (within its capacity to do so).

What is amazing is the extent to which we, as humans, appear to push against this need!