Happiful August 2020

Time to relax
Are you sitting comfortably? Let’s begin. Hypnotherapist Natasha Crowe talks
us through how we can use self-hypnosis to create a sense of calm, promote
relaxation, and improve our wellbeing
Writing | Bonnie Evie Gifford and Natasha Crowe
We’ve all heard of
hypnosis. Whether
it’s a headline on
the latest celebrity
trying hypnobirthing, or TV
specials on how you can stop
smoking in ‘just one session’. But
have you heard of self-hypnosis?
And how can these techniques
help us in our day-to-day lives?
We speak with hypnotherapist
Natasha Crowe, to find out
more about the benefits of
self-hypnosis – and how you
can try it yourself at home,
right now.
“It’s important to understand
that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis,”
Natasha explains. “We move
through states of consciousness
throughout our daily lives, such as
focused creative pursuits, perhaps
a skill you mastered some time
ago, or simply daydreaming.
“These shifts create
physiological changes in our
nervous system – for example,
if we feel stressed then our body
and mind will respond. If we
experience extreme anxiety,
our body will immediately shift
into its fight-or-flight response,
preparing us for the threat that
we subconsciously fear. Yet more
often than not, the fear is not
actually real.
As Natasha notes, self-hypnosis
techniques can be applied at
any time when we might feel
overwhelmed, worried, or when
thoughts are spiralling out of
control. She says: “Breathing
techniques are key when it comes
to sending our brain messages of
calmness, grounding our bodies
into the present, then allowing
the subconscious to use its ability
to imagine and create a new, more
successful picture or outcome.
When we use these techniques,
we activate the parasympathetic
nervous system – the body’s restand-digest
mode.”
70 • happiful.com • August 2020