'Listen to me (please)' says your body

Do you 'listen' to your body? Do you pay attention to sensations in your body? Are you sat for ages at a desk or slumped in a chair and not taking breaks or getting up and moving around? If so, your body will not thank you for it. You probably have not been aware of the impact on your muscles, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels or major organs in your body. 

If you've ever woken up after a nights sleep and wondered why your neck muscles are tight, then you may have forgotten to listen to your body. Perhaps you held your shoulders unevenly, or were sitting with your feet tucked underneath you and were twisting your spine. Perhaps you were breathing very shallowly and getting insufficient oxygen into your lungs and then anxiety affected you, without 'real' awareness of what happened to cause it. 

We only get that one, precious, body to see us through all our life. Our brain that sits inside our body, it thinks it's in charge sitting right at the top. Well it is in charge, mostly. We need to remind it that being at the top also means being totally responsible for the miraculous thing that is our own, unique, vehicle in life. It might not be the perfect body, but it is the only one we will get. If we don't look after it, eventually we will become less efficient, less able to move and unable to do the things our brain needs and wants us to do. We must take time to repair, refresh and keep the moving parts, moving. 

Conversely, we need time to 'rest' the brain and let it 'free-wheel' for a while. To close down awareness on constant noise, thoughts and input that the brain receives 24/7 is a feat that challenges us, unless asleep. Learning to connect what is happening between your mind and body takes time. I see and experience a link between physical activity and calming of the mind. I've had those sudden solutions to things I've been mulling over, all because I have taken a break or done something physical after being static for a time. 

I really enjoy the physical challenge of yoga and swimming. I'd love to swim every day if I could! Yoga is something I do easily at home and sometimes I attend a class, subject to work commitments. I find both activities give me something different and both really clear my mind to allow a natural 'pause'. I find that because my body is active, my mind is quieter. For most people this makes exercise a big 'plus' and it's why sports are great for releasing tension and building stamina. 

I wonder if you have reminded your brain of it's responsibilities as your vehicle (body) owner of late. If not, is it time for an overhaul of your mind and body? 

I run 6 session HypnoShape ® weight programmes in Norwich, UK. It's a programme that helps you get back in touch with your body (and mind).  It's particularly helpful if you notice sometimes you eat for emotional reasons. It's not a diet, it's about getting a healthy lifestyle. It'll help you find ways to manage stress, improve how you feel about yourself and deal with emotion too. Contact me or info@hypnoshape.com for more information on daytime and evening classes running at the Norfolk Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich. 

Angie
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About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich. 

Call Norfolk Clinic reception on 01603 660792 or Angie directly on 07773 610816. She loves helping other people achieve their potential at work, life and finding greater happiness using a range of therapeutic techniques. 

         

More than first aid...hypnosis being used in French fire service

I recently had a conversation with a man who had worked in the police for many years. 
He had often been first to witness the aftermath of traumatic accidents or finding people seriously injured. Throughout his career he retained an ability to remain calm, stopping the more disturbing things he'd seen from affecting him. I asked him about how he thought he had been able to deal with that and he told me he always thought of the family of the individual and focused on looking after their needs. He said this had allowed him to deal with the more challenging experiences whilst he had been in service. 

I've worked with other people who haven't been quite so unaffected either as a professional or after being involved in a serious accident. I would always suggest not 'burying' a problem if it's affecting you now. Seek help to deal with any emotional or physical problems if time has not yet been successful at healing those emotional 'wounds'. 

For those who are involved in dealing with traumatic experiences, I was interested to read about a technique being pioneered in eastern France during the last half of 2013.  120 of the local fire brigade crew have been trained in 'basic hypnosis techniques' to ease pain and anxiety of trauma victims alongside traditional first aid whilst they assist them or extricate people involved in accidents.  

As firefighters arrive at the scene of an accident perhaps cutting a victim free from wreckage, those staff who have been trained in hypnosis establish a more personal link with the person. They work to divert attention away from the trauma itself and instead onto the person's wellbeing.  The fire station manager, David Ernenwein, is convinced that the method is useful. He says, "We have all noticed that when we hold someone's hand, things go better, even if we did not label it as 'hypnosis'. The first thing that we can do to help people is to calm them down, and this technique has given us the tools to be able to do that, to help people suffer less".  The firemen were also taught techniques to control their own stress response. 

The 'trial' continued to the end of 2013, with the fire brigade keeping a record of the heart rate, pain levels or emotions of victims they help. These results will be compared with stats of victims treated by firemen who have not used hypnosis with them. so I will be interested to know if the training has been rolled out beyond that one area. 

As another side to this, many people who are given positive suggestions in hospital tend to need a shorter stay. If you are feeling nervous about an operation or staying in hospital, hypnotherapy could help you to feel calmer about it. By calming your mental state before you go in, you can reduce the physical stress on your body and can increase your capacity for healing whilst there and when comfortably back at home.

If you would like to know more about how hypnotherapy might help you, contact me at info@angiegiles.co.uk or call 07773 610816