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It’s All In Your Mind?
Orthopedic surgeon Bruce Mosely published a remarkable study in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2002. His study has shaken surgical treatment to its core. He selected world war II veterans, men in their 70’s who had major knee problems, pain and had great difficulty in walking without assistance.
He divided the men into three groups.
Group one, following the incision just had the knee rinsed with no further treatment.
Group two had the complete, normal surgical procedure – opening, rinsing, trimming and suturing.
Group three was about to make medical history.
They experienced a sham surgery where the procedure was started as if it were the real surgery and three small cuts were made in the knee. Dr. Mosely then went through the same motions as if he were doing the real knee operation. He had a video tape of an actual surgery running in the operating room so he could simulate each stage of the surgical procedure. As he was going through the sham surgery, he could have for the appropriate instruments and make typical comments and sounds that he would usually make for the full forty minutes. The three small surgical cuts were then sutured and nothing therapeutically had been done to the knee. The results were astonishing! All three groups improved and showed great mobility and freedom from pain. None of the groups did better than the placebo group.
One of the subjects could barely walk, was limping in pain with every step and following the sham surgery had no stiffness, tiredness and he no longer dragged his leg. As a matter of fact, he asked for the same operation on his other knee. The patients were followed for six years and the sham surgery subjects sustained their “improvement” without further medical treatment.
Patients who received the “pretend” surgery did as well as those that received debridement or lavage. Some who were barely able to walk before the surgery were now able to run. In some cases, those who received the placebo surgery, at certain points in their recovery process, their reported results were better than those who had actually received arthroscopic surgery.
The question that must be running through your minds about the effectiveness of placebos, as it has through my mind many times is – why? – how do they work? – what are the underlying biochemical mechanisms? No one knows. Lots of theories – explanatory fictions – but no one knows for certain.
Psychologist Dr. Amir Raz suggests that perhaps some form of suggestive or implicit hypnosis may be involved. Perhaps, but having practiced hypnosis for many years, there is no concensus or agreement amongst clinicians as to what hypnosis is or why it works. So we have one explanatory fiction being utilized to help define and understand another explanatory fiction.
One of my teacher’s, Dr. Lee Pulos, favorite definition of hypnosis is that it is the “induction of conviction”. The power of our beliefs that shape our reality.
Fertility Visualization
This has to be one of the most emotionally capturing videos I have scene that celebrates the miracle of life. If you are intending to get pregnant this is a must see. As you fall asleep each night or in a moment of relaxation, visualize this incredible connection of sperm and egg, the unfolding of cells merging and beautiful, healthy baby growing within the uterus. Utterly Amazing!
Hypnosis in the News
Why Have Ellen Degeneres, Kevin Costner, Matt Damon, and Jackie Kennedy All Used Hypnosis?
Because hypnosis gets amazing results, helping even the most successful people overcome barriers and accelerate their lives and careers.
Since hypnosis was approved by The American Medical Association in 1958, it’s been used to help people: lose weight, stop smoking, end procrastination, reduce pain, increase self-esteem, manage stress, end public speaking fear, and take control over their lives generally.
Hypnosis Is Not a Secret Anymore
“I should have done it years ago. It’s amazing – I didn’t even want cigarettes any more.”
Matt Damon, describing his hypnosis experience to Jay Leno
The Tonight Show, December 2004
“Hypnosis can help adult patients control other forms of pain, relieve gastrointestinal problems, stimulate weight loss, clear up skin problems, and accelerate the healing of bone fractures and surgical wounds.”
Consumer Reports, January 2005
“Hypnosis is not mind control. It’s a naturally occurring state of concentration; it’s actually a means of enhancing your control over both your mind and your body.”
Dr. David Spiegel, Assoc. Chair of Psychiatry
Stanford University School of Medicine
“Hypnosis has gained credibility in the past five years because of research using the latest brain-imaging technology. Studies show hypnosis can help treat a multitude of disorders.”
Business Week, February 2004
“Hypnosis can help. A growing body of research supports the ancient practice as an effective tool in the treatment of a variety of problems, from anxiety to chronic pain.”
Newsweek, September 2004
How Can You Love Yourself Today?
You can love your body no matter what the scale says or what size clothes you wear, and at the same time you can also want to slim 
down. I can tell you from direct experience that the biggest mistake people make in weight loss is that they try motivating themselves by beating themselves up. That will not work for permanent weight loss. If you hate your body there is a good chance that you will unconsciously keep the weight on. You need to begin by loving yourself and your body.
Click here to receive a free soothing relaxation audio-clip, perfect for tuning into on your lunch hour as a mid-day break to change the stress response in your body and keep you energized for the rest of your day.
Register Now for the Love Your Body Workshop beginning Thurs., Oct 6th @ 6:00p.m.
“When You Correct Your Mind, The Rest Of Your Life Falls Into Place” Lau Tzu
The Value of Sleep
There is a direct correlation between the amount of sleep a person gets and the tendency to engage in dysfunctional thinking. You don’t have to be a therapist to know that sleep loss affects your judgment; it greatly affects your perception, even just a little bit of sleep loss. 
There is very compelling research showing that insomnia, a year of off and on poor sleep is the single, strongest predictive fact in clinical depression. We know that there is a profound connection between chronic sleep loss and our physical health. Short sleepers, people who sleep an average of five or six hours or less per night, have a 50% increased risk for viral infection. This is probably true for other kinds of infection too because short sleeping has a profound impact on our overall immune function.
Research shows a very strong correlation now between insufficient sleep and increases in cardiovascular disease. Along with increases of stroke, high blood pressure, and heart attack. There is a strong link between diabetes and metabolic disorders in general and being a short sleeper. The American Cancer Society did a study of a million American adults and found a correlation between being a short sleeper and increases in cancers across the board. So that the big picture is that sleep is fundamental to health, along with exercise, nutrition and stress management.
A natural & effective addition to your night time routine:
Melatonin ~ research that suggests that the pineal gland, which produces melatonin becomes less and less efficient over time, caused by the overexposure to light at night. Light incidentally shuts down melatonin production in the brain.
“Melatonin is the queen of our nighttime neurobiology.”
Melatonin is a fascinating, a very old primordial molecule. What we found in melatonin in fact will delay the onset of perimenopause. Melatonin has been found useful in lowering blood pressure in men. It’s been used to treat macular degeneration. It’s been used to treat migraines. It’s been used to treat depression and the reason it has this wide spread application is because it essentially is the queen of our nighttime neurobiology.
“…low doses, physiological doses of melatonin can help with sleep onset and maintaining sleep through the night.”
When the body understands that it is night out, actually serotonin levels drop. Serotonin is actually converted to melatonin at night and melatonin essentially takes over so it makes sense that it has these profound sort of far reaching effects. With regard to sleep, we have really good data substantiating data showing that low doses, physiological doses of melatonin can help with sleep onset and maintaining sleep through the night.
I think anyone who is concerned with health, certainly people who are concerned with their weight, it’s really important to get good sleep and it’s very, very difficult to maintain normal weight or to lose weight if you’re not sleeping adequately.
There is a profound connection between immunity and sleep. As it kicks in at night, particularly during deep sleep. So when we see compromises in deep stages of sleep, we sincerely compromise immunity.
“…there is a profound connection between immunity and sleep…”
If the immune system gets out of whack, we see increases in a range of inflammatory markers.
Sleep Deeply with Hypnosis
The benefits of hypnosis for balancing sleep disorders is positive & varied.
Insomnia can be the result of worry, fears, anxiety, and badly functioning brain wave patterns.
Using this Brain Sync audio offers you soothing Delta frequencies, associated with deep restorative sleep, ease your brain out of the rapid rhythms of Beta, down through the relaxing states of Alpha and Theta, into the welcoming depths of Delta. As your brain cells resonate with Delta waves, you start to slowly swirl and drift. Pestering concerns are washed away, allowing you to fall into deep sleep states that bring the refreshing slumber your body and mind need for optimum performance.
You can use these CDs for power naps, when you travel, or during times when you can’t get a full night’s rest. Even just one hour of Delta Brain Wave Therapy will reset sodium and potassium levels to refresh your brain and clear away mental “fog.” A few hours of sleep a night with either one of these programs will make you feel as though you had a full eight hours of rest.
Sound Sleep has been successfully used in biofeedback clinics for treating sleep disorders. The Deep Sleep audio has the added benefit of subliminal messages to calm worrisome thoughts and reduce stress.
Love Your Body with Inspired Movement
Nia is a personal growth, body-mind-spirit fitness program. It is a living system that works with the natural wisdom and intelligence of the body, mind, spirit, and emotions. From that perspective, I love how the dance feels. Even with two left feet, like I have, you can’t go wrong! Its about going with the flow of expression.
Nia choreography is adaptable to everyone: three levels of intensity are provided, as well as a variety in range of motion. Nia is for every Body. It is ageless, limitless, and effective for every lover of movement and music. Nia music is uplifting and inspiring blending Eastern and Western styles.
Check Out This Video to see a Nia Class
Nia supports the Pleasure Principle: If it feels good keep doing it, if it hurts, stop! The blueprint of Nia is practical, experiential, and focuses on internal guidance to change and develop awareness.
What I love most about it is Nia reaches people emotionally, in their hearts, motivating them to get fit and healthy by creating a deep personal desire to explore their potential and love not only their growth, but where they are in this moment. Just by how its designed, fitness, health, well-being, and self-love naturally result from the Nia experience.
Many thanks to Nia founders Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, who have essentially transformed the fitness industry in 1983 when they took off their shoes and created a barefoot technique that addresses the whole person, not just the body.
Want to Experience Nia in Ottawa?
Sign up for Steffi’s public Nia class or drop-in …. Click on ‘Free Nia class‘. Print out your voucher and experience your first Nia class for FREE
Steffi Retzlaff ~ Licensed Nia Blue Belt Teacher 
Contact Steffi by phone 613-680-7342 or by e-mail steffiretzlaff@yahoo.ca
As NIA reminds us, “through movement we find health”
Love yourself, love your body & let’s DANCE!
You can listen to some Nia music here. NiaSounds Genres include electro-acoustic, reggae, blues, house, downtempo, lounge, ambient and mellow hip-hop. Featured artists range from Moby, Afterlife, Bliss, DeepDive, Illmume, Purekane, Bassnectar, Thievery Corporation to Ganga Giri. Click on the following link:http://www.nianow.com/sites/nianow.com/files/pages/nia-music-player.html
Hypnosis & Cancer
Hypnotherapy has been shown to offer a number of benefits to cancer patients and cancer survivors. Here’s a look at some key findings:
1) Hypnosis and Cancer Surgery
In a 2007 study of 200 women undergoing surgery for breast cancer, scientists found that the use 
of hypnosis prior to surgery reduced the amount of anesthesia administered during the operation, the level of pain reported afterward, and the time and cost of the procedure. Compared to those who spoke with a psychologist before their surgery, those who underwent 15 minutes of hypnosis also reported less nausea, fatigue, and emotional upset after surgery.
2) Hypnosis and Chemotherapy
A research review published in 2007 shows that hypnosis may significantly reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The review included six randomized controlled trials, five of which involved pediatric cancer patients.
3) Hypnosis and Breast Cancer Survivors
Hypnosis may help cool hot flashes in breast cancer survivors, according to a 2008 study of 60 women with a history of primary history of breast cancer. Results of the five-week study showed that participants who received hypnosis (including weekly 50-minute sessions, plus instructions for at-home self-hypnosis) had a 68% reduction in hot flash frequency/severity and experienced an average of 4.39 fewer hot flashes per day. They also showed significant improvements in anxiety, depression, and sleep.
A problem for many women during menopause, hot flashes are also a common side effect of breast cancer treatment.
Sources:
Elkins G, Marcus J, Stearns V, Perfect M, Rajab MH, Ruud C, Palamara L, Keith T. “Randomized trial of a hypnosis intervention for treatment of hot flashes among breast cancer survivors.” J Clin Oncol. 2008 1;26(31):5022-6.
Montgomery GH, Bovbjerg DH, Schnur JB, David D, Goldfarb A, Weltz CR, Schechter C, Graff-Zivin J, Tatrow K, Price DD, Silverstein JH. “A randomized clinical trial of a brief hypnosis intervention to control side effects in breast surgery patients.” J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 5;99(17):1304-12.
Richardson J, Smith JE, McCall G, Richardson A, Pilkington K, Kirsch I. “Hypnosis for nausea and vomiting in cancer chemotherapy: a systematic review of the research evidence.” Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2007 16(5):402-12.
Love Your Body
” I cannot even believe how my relationship to food has changed since taking the Love Your Body workshop” I 
simply ask my body what I would like to eat and it answers me. The craving, over-eating, feeling guilty cycle has finally ended. My body and I are friends for the first time in a long time. I am so much more relaxed around food.
Thank you.”
Laurie Paulsen
Following trance most of my clients feel an incredible sense of relaxation. They feel energized and refreshed. Some even say, after I bring them back, that they liked the feeling so much that they want to stay in that state of relaxation.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Thank you to my client, Shirley Plant, who contributed this article.
Hypnosis and My Journey to Wellness
I have been ill for the past 26 years of my life and it has been one heck of a journey to say the least.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a perplexing illness with no rhyme or reason. Some people get better, others do not. I am one of the ones who has never gotten my life back, or at least not yet.
I have had some good years, but never in the past 26 years have I been without chronic exhaustion, pain, migraines or other strange body symptoms.
In my path to wellness I have learned so much and have always wanted to share with others what I have learned. Perhaps it will help you or others in your journey to wellbeing.
A few years ago I decided to put some of my recipes together and write a cookbook and dietary guide for others who like me had food allergies. It was a wonderful way for me to share and feel that I was contributing to society. Being sick can leave you feeling worthless every now and then and so putting the book together and bringing it to the public was a wonderful and healing project for me.
I was lucky to find a publisher who published my cookbook, Finally… Food I Can Eat and I had a wonderful time promoting my book through the media. Then I hit a wall and my illness clobbered me once again.
Over the years I have tried homeopathy, naturopathic remedies, different diets, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic work, Tai Chi, bio feedback, and counselling only to mention a few. I have moved half way around the world to see if a different climate might help me to heal. There have been thousands of dollars spent on supplements, H202 IV’s and other environmental cures, but what has brought me here today writing this article, is hypnosis.
I have two wonderful doctors in my life who are relentless in helping me to attain wellness. A few months ago it was suggested that I try hypnosis or hypnotherapy. My first thought was, am I going to do strange things when under hypnosis? How can hypnosis help me?
I soon learned that hypnosis is a totally natural state of mind and that when under hypnosis you will feel very relaxed and calm and may wish you could feel this way forever.
Hypnosis is a way to connect to your inner being. Through hypnosis you bypass your conscious mind, right to your subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is where our feelings, beliefs, emotions and memories are stored.
Hypnosis is a way to turn on the relaxation response in your body. This can help lower blood pressure, alleviate muscle pain and hopefully create a feeling of overall peace and calm in your body. When in hypnosis the body triggers its own powerful bio-chemicals to heal and help the body return to a state of balance.
We are constantly growing new cells in our body. Every new cell gets its instructions from the old cells. Through hypnosis it is possible to send information to your new cells breaking the communication of damage, injury and aging. It is a well researched fact that hypnosis can increase the function of the immune system and affect cancer cells.
Our cells listen to our words, and our thoughts. So if we focus on how sick we feel, that is what you will get. If we decide to be well and focus our thoughts on wellness our cells will follow and will help our body to recover.
If disease is dis- ease in the body, then it only makes sense that hypnosis can help to ease the body back to wellness.
Despite what you have seen on television being hypnotized will not make you quack like a duck, unless you want to quack like a duck. A hypnotherapist cannot make you perform actions that you don’t want to. Therapeutic hypnosis is nothing like stage hypnotists putting on a show for you. You are in complete control during hypnosis and it is so natural that you will be amazed how easy and relaxing a session can be.
It is important to find a trained hypnotherapist to work with. Your first session will probably be more of a fact gathering session than anything. Your therapist will ask you questions about you and your life and what has brought you to hypnotherapy. For me, it was that I had become very ill again and really had no quality of life and I desperately wanted to change that.
When you have been sick as long as I have, thoughts can be very detrimental to your well being and the negativity can be damaging. I needed to find someone to help me overcome this and help me become happier, healthier and more confident in my journey to wellness. When I am in a hypnotic trance I feel hope and an overall sense of wellbeing. This in itself is a gift.
Hypnosis can be very helpful in asking the correct ‘internal’ questions.
What do you want your life to be like? What changes do you need to make to make this happen?
Perhaps you are trying to lose weight and diets are just not working for you. Maybe you want to quit smoking or have chronic pain. Hypnosis has been used for pain relief for centuries and even today is used in surgical procedures. Research has found that hypnosis is useful in the treatment of stress relief, insomnia, physical and emotional healing, easing childbirth and even enhancing fertility.
‘Hypnosis can be the one most important tool to change the way your mind experiences your world. Hypnotherapists know how to gently release blocks and fears, and create a new inner belief that will set the wheels in motion to make changes in the way you think, feel and behave.’
I have noticed that entering my forties I now have more insight and realize we only have one life to live and one body, so treat it with respect. Learn that your body is your guide, your thoughts are key, and giving onto others is so important to your wellbeing.
With the help of my hypnotherapist I now practice a few techniques throughout my day. Perhaps these techniques will help you on your path to wellness.
Upon rising I take 5 minutes to concentrate on my breathing and listen to what my body is telling me. I envision my day filled with peace and energy.
Mid morning and mid afternoon I again take time and tune into my breathing. Am I belly breathing? What is my body telling me? How can I honour this and how is the pain from my body an invitation to heal? Sometimes I simply close my eyes, concentrate on my breath, and repeat one of these statements 3 or 4 times, depending on which statement feels right at that time.
I forgive myself and others for errors of the past
I invite healing into every cell of my body
I allow feelings of peace to infuse my body
Every afternoon I practice some type of mindfulness or meditation for an hour or for however long it feels right.
Just before I am ready to fall asleep I repeat these sentences 10 times.
More & more I feel completely safe & comfortable as I relax
into the rhythm of ease in my life
I accept what I feel & heal on all levels of my body / mind
I love & accept myself
Hypnotherapy just may be the modality for you, so if you like me are on a path to wellness be sure to check out the possibility of healing with hypnosis.
Shirley Plant is the author of Finally… Food I Can Eat, a dietary guide and cookbook for people with food allergies, and those looking for healthy, tasty recipes.
Shirley offers dietary counselling and menu planning through Delicious Alternatives
For more information you may visit www.deliciousalternatives.com
Johanna Lynn is my hypnotherapist, for more information on hypnosis visit www.empowerhypnosis.ca
written by Shirley Plant
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