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What is Mindfulness

23-10-2025

Mindfulness is also known as:

  • Present moment awareness

  • Being present

  • Being in the now

  • Attentional awareness / attentional flexibility

I prefer the word ‘Mindfulness’ because the act is in the name itself – we are making our minds full with the present moment and all it entails, good, bad, sights, sounds, sensations, tastes, smells.

 

Mindfulness is simply doing anything that allows you to drop into your body in the present moment, and experience life as it is happening, instead of being lost in memory or fantasy. This might be as simple as stopping what you’re doing/thinking and placing all your awareness on your breath. It might be noticing everything within and without as you walk from one room to the next or from the door to the car. It might be putting your attention fully on the forkful of food you’re currently ferrying to your mouth.

It is anything that brings us out of our heads and down into our bodies.

 

Why is it Important?

In a world that moves ever faster, our minds are often racing ahead or replaying the past. We think about what’s next, what went wrong, what needs to be done — and in the process, we rarely allow ourselves to be here, in this present moment. But the thing is, in the past we usually find regret or sadness. The past is where depression stems from. In the future we usually find some form of angst, fear, anxiety, urgency, longing.

 

Meanwhile, in the present, we’re missing the little things that can make life shine. A bird’s song or comical off-key squawk. A cat’s stretch. Sunlight glinting on a drop of rain balancing on a leaf. The warmth, comfort, and safety of a loved one’s hug.

 

We miss all these shining moments because we are focused on the ever-increasing big things we’re expecting to come later, but that we’re not guaranteed we’ll ever get or get to. The life you’re living is one of “I’ll be happy when”, when it should be, “I’ll be happy then.”

 

A baby’s gurgle, a haunting piece of music, a flag cracking in the breeze - none of these shining moments are the once in a lifetime holiday, that home or extension to our home, that relationship or success, or the better, bygone times. But they are, nonetheless, life. And right now, in the moment, they’re the only life that exists. And they’re ours, more so than that house, relationship, holiday, or success might ever be.

And the thing is, if we’re not present when we are here, we’re not likely to become magically present just because we arrive ‘there’. Being present has to be practiced, and if we don’t practice it now, then we are highly likely to miss the ‘there’ when we get there too.

 

So, with mindlessness not only are we missing out on the here and now, but we’re missing out on the future that we’re preparing, planning for, working towards, and looking forward to.

 

And sure, things are not always rosy in the present. There may be pain, physical or emotional, but if we’re not present with that, if we push it down as we humans so commonly do, it’s like trying to hold a ball under water. Rather than bobbing along with us through life, it is a constant struggle to keep down. And then, one day, it will burst forth, drenching us in an unmerciful shower.

 

Not only that – mindlessness can even be considered dangerous if you’re prone to depression or bouts of unhappiness, or addictions, because you’re missing out on triggers and signs that you are slipping into one of these spirals. Depression can sneak in when your mind is somewhere else.

 

Mindfulness allows us to pay attention to what’s happening in our minds and with our emotions, and gives us a chance to notice what we’re struggling to hold under the water before it becomes too strong to contain.

 

How to do mindfulness

Three of the best tips for mindfulness are:

  • As many times in a day as you remember, turn your attention solely to the present moment. Come down out of your head, into your body, and be with what you’re doing and where you are. You can plan everyday mindfulness moments such as walking from the door to the car, from room to room, or through a doorway. Brushing your teeth or showering. Preparing food. As many mouthfuls of a meal as you remember to do. When you take a sip of your drink, put your whole focus on that.

  • The trick to doing mindfulness is to use the senses. What does the glass or cup feel like in your hand? What does it sound like as you lift it from the surface? What are the sensations in your body, muscles, tendons, ligaments as you bring that drink to your lips. Notice how your image of it changes as it gets closer. Notice the smell as it draws closer. Then the taste and sensations as it hurts your tongue and flows down your throat.

  • If you’re noticing you’re getting a bit tight, wound up, something is bothering you. Stop and do a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Notice 5 things you can see. 4 sensations you can feel. 3 things you can hear. 2 things you can taste or smell. 1 emotion.

What is NLP?

16-10-2025

NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a psychological approach that helps people change unwanted thoughts, feelings, and behaviours by altering how the brain codes and interprets experiences.

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By far the best ‘layman’s’ description of NLP that I’ve come across to date is from Lynda Hudson in her book, Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy with Children, so I’ll paraphrase that here.

 

NLP works by breaking up or altering the original coding of events and memories in our brains.

We usually remember experiences in order, storing them as a mix of images, sounds, sensations, emotions, and sometimes smells and tastes too – ever catch a whiff of an old perfume and you’re immediately transported back to teenage discos or childhood Christmas’s?

 

It’s also worth noting that memory storage is not uniform. How I remember (store) something may be totally different from how the person who was standing beside me when the event occurred stores it. This is why there are often arguments about what actually happened, leaving you second guessing the memory you have stored and held for years.

We all tend to have preferences over the different senses. When it comes to memory storage, it’s usually sight, sound, and feeling that we deal with most. Smell and taste, not so much. Some of us prefer sound, while others deal more in visuals, maybe with a splash of kinaesthetic  (feeling). Others still may be stronger on the kinaesthetic side with some visuals, slight auditory, and so on. According to our unique preferences we will all store different concoctions of the memory.

 

By adjusting variable such as the colour, size, sound, sequencing, the memory itself will be altered, thus reducing its emotional impact.

 

NLP in Action

NLP doesn’t require a trance state like hypnotherapy, meaning it can be quite quick.

 

Using the NLP technique of ‘Submodalities’ on vaping as an example:

  • The NLP practitioner will get the client to close their eyes and recall the feeling or urge state of the moment when it’s time to vape.

  • Once they’re so immersed in this feeling state that their fingers are practically twitching for the vape, the practitioner will elicit the submodalities of that feeling state – the colours, the size, location etc of any images associated with the feeling, the direction, volume etc. of any sounds, and the shape, movement, weight, temperature of that feeling in the body.

  • The practitioner will then alter all these modalities. Changing colour to black and white, turning down the volume on sounds, and encouraging and guiding the client’s chosen action with the feeling.

 

Giving the urge ‘physical’ representation first, then altering those physical attributes beyond recognition can break its hold on us. The effect can often be dramatic in itself, but when combined with hypnotherapy it makes for a very powerful intervention. Once that hold is broken the subconscious is extra willing to replace the habit or pattern with something new and healthier.

How Did I Get into this Gig?

09-10-2025

In honour of World Mental Health day I thought I’d change up the format, get a little bit personal, and talk about how I got into this gig.

 

Like anything in life there was no real direct path from A to B. But it probably came from being a bit mired in a lot of the issues I work with most of the time.

 

When my dad passed away in 2020 I found myself at a bit of a loss. I’d been caring for him for a long time, and when that watch was ended I didn’t really want to go back to what I’d been doing before. Everything had gone on without me and I’d moved on too. So, I was struggling quite a bit with finding my place in the new way.

 

And of course I’d looked into this and that and brainstormed a few schemes but something always seemed to be holding me back from making a go at any one of them.

 

Then one day I was on a trip to the vets. I knew it wasn’t going to be a happy ending, this trip. So, I was anxious and I was down in the dumps about that on top of everything else. The problem of what I was going to do now had been weighing on me for a long time at this points.

 

On my way to the vet's I drove by a woman on road, walking her dog, and I remember being struck by how grey she looked. And not even in colour really, just sad and washed out. No glow. And all of a sudden I had this whole body thought, that came to me not just in my mind but all over, and loud!

 

“I just want to take the pain away.”

 

And that was how it started. From there I found myself looking into psychology, which was something I’d been interested in in secondary school but it wasn’t cool enough then. I’d looked into counselling and the likes. Somehow I ended up on a Mental health and Wellbeing Coaching Diploma course.

 

From there, somehow, came NLP, hypnotherapy... I don’t even remember all the tiny links in that long chain that got me here.

 

I’ve always been interested in self-development; I’ve a whole library of books on the subject. I’d spent years doing meditation, yoga, tai chi, law of attraction and manifestation exercises, and all that kookie stuff. While others were drooling into the 50 Shades of Grey books, I was getting my rocks off to the Dalai Lama’s books.

So, it just seemed right, how it came around full circle back to that uncool idea in the end.

 

And that’s how I ended up in this gig!

Watch in video on Youtube

Seasonal Affective Disorder

02-10-2025

As the darker months set in, many people notice changes in mood and energy. For some, this goes beyond the ‘winter blues’.

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What is SAD?

SAD is a form of seasonal depression, often appearing in autumn and winter when daylight hours are shorter. It’s thought to be linked to the reduction of sunlight affecting melatonin, serotonin, and circadian rhythms (internal body clock).

Some symptoms of SAD are:

  • Low mood

  • Lack of energy

  • Disrupted sleep

  • Poor concentration/focus

  • Carb/sugar cravings

  • Withdrawal from usual activities/apathy

 

How Can Hypnotherapy Help with SAD?

The most important thing to note is that seasonal affective disorder is real! You don’t have to simply ‘push through it’. Hypnotherapy can help by:

  • Balancing Mood: Hypnotic trance naturally elevates serotonin, which is known as the ‘happy hormone’. The more you experience positive hypnotic trance, the more that balanced serotonin levels become the norm.

  • Resetting Natural Rhythms: Hypnotherapy can address insomnia or irregular sleep patterns, supporting healthier circadian cycles.

  • Reframing Thoughts: Shifting negative thought patterns creates a steadier mood overall, and boosts resilience.

  • Calming the Nervous System: Leading to a reduction in stress and anxiety.

  • Boosting Energy and Motivation: These natural effects lead to improved daily functioning and increased drive.

  • Reframing Winter: Perhaps best of all, hypnotherapy can help you create more positive associations with winter, transforming it into a season of rest, comfort, and cosiness.

 

If you find the winter months especially difficult, hypnotherapy offers a natural way to manage the effects of SAD, so that you can move through the season with more lightness, balance, and inner warmth.

What Does Hypnotic Trance Feel Like?

18-09-2025

The word ‘trance’ can give a misguided idea about what to expect when you come for hypnotherapy. It paints a picture of being outside of ourselves, of someone else pulling the strings. In the media we see protagonists pulling off heists and all sorts of nefarious deeds at the behest of the hypnotist.

The reality is far different. Everything we do is already stored in our subconscious mind. And yes, this includes anxiety, depression, addiction, insomnia, even pain – how we ‘do’ these things is subconsciously stored, so that once we’re triggered we don’t even have to think about how to react, we just follow the path we’ve worn in the past.

Now, in our daily lives we generally don’t access our subconscious minds. Many people aren’t even aware that we have a mind besides the conscious mind we use to think with all the time. Put simply, hypnotic trance is parking the noise and distraction of the conscious mind, so that we can step into the realm of the subconscious.

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So what does this actually feel like?

There is no right or wrong way to feel during in trance, and it can be different each time we go into trance. But from personal experience and client feedback, the following are some common experiences:

  • Feeling fully aware of everything that’s going on, as though you’ve just closed your eyes for a moment.

  • Drifting in and out of thoughts or daydreams, like a mini sleep cycle.

  • Deep relaxation of the body that often feels too relaxed to be bothered to move.

  • A busy mind - wondering if you’re doing it right, if it’s working, or analysing the words of the hypnotherapist - is also perfectly normal. And it means that the conscious mind is good and busy, leaving the path to the subconscious wide open.

  • You may feel as though your body is completely still, but to the hypnotherapist there is a lot going on. The subconscious will be communicating with the hypnotherapist through movements and cues. You might feel some inner sensations, tingles, warmth, things shifting.

  • Most importantly, there’s always a sense of awareness, so you don’t feel lost, or gone, or that you’re being taken over. It is just another part of your mind stepping to the forefront.

 

Basically, hypnotic trance is another level of awareness we don’t often tap into, and however it goes for you in each session is what’s right for you in that particular session. And the more you do trance, the easier it becomes, and the deeper you generally go, quicker.

What is Hypnotherapy Used For?

11-09-2025

There is a notion that hypnotherapy is used only for mental health issues such as:

  • Anxiety

  • Depression/Negativity

  • Fears and Phobias

  • Insomnia

  • Stress/Overwhelm/Burnout

  • Stuckness

  • OCD/Tics

  • Confidence/Esteem issues

  • Addictions

  • Trauma/PTSD

  • Night Terrors

  • Grief

  • Anger Issues

  • ADHD

 

While hypnotherapy is an incredibly effective (and fast) tool for dealing with these issues, did you know that it can be just as fast and effective on physical issues like:

  • Chronic Pain

  • Weight Loss

  • Fibromyalgia

  • IBS

  • Tinnitus

  • High Blood Pressure

  • Nail Biting

  • Blushing

  • Stammering

  • Allergies/Skin Conditions

  • Teeth Grinding

  • Snoring

  • Eating Disorders

  • Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

  • Infertility

  • Erectile Dysfunction

  • Migraines

  • Arthritis

 

Hypnotherapy can also be used quite effectively with:

  • Parkinson’s Disease

  • Cancer

  • Menopause

While hypnotherapy doesn’t promise to cure these, when used on the issues surrounding them (stress, anxiety, depression, fear, loss of identity, insomnia, etc., and the management of tremors in Parkinson's) it can help to boost immunity and positivity, which in turn promotes healing and a greater sense of wellbeing and life fulfilment.

Hypnotherapy = Therapy * Hypnosis

05-09-2025

What is the State of Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention where the subconscious mind becomes more open to positive suggestion.

There are many levels to hypnotic trance. Level one is Waking Hypnosis. This is the level that advertising works on. It’s also the level that the addictive TV shows work on – we’re taken in by the drama, and allow an external stimulus to change how we feel and act.

Level two hypnosis is any state where we’re not ‘out for the count’ but not really tethered in reality either.

Common examples of level two, everyday trance are:

  • Anything we do on autopilot.

  • That state just after we wake up. Our awareness is running but we can’t seem to open our eyes.

  • The ‘trippy’ state just before we fall asleep.

So you see, we all ‘do’ hypnosis daily. We can slip into ‘trance’ many times in a day. The older we get, the more time we spend in the trance state of automatic pilot unless we practice mindfulness techniques to ground us in the present.

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What is Hypnosis/Trance in Hypnotherapy?

There is a myth that hypnotic trance looks like a zombie, or a robot following the will of the hypnotist. In reality, a hypnotherapist simply induces a deeper level of the trance we do daily, and uses this as a highly effective vehicle with which to deliver therapy. We open up this receptive state, and then drop in the suggestions of your preferred reality.

After all, if it can get you to buy the latest iPhone when you’re wide awake, scrolling, then it can get you to find and install new, healthier ways of doing that thing you’ve been doing that’s been causing you such anxiety or unhappiness.

The compulsive habit, the unconscious behaviour, the addiction, anxiety, depression – these are the things you do automatically; this is the hypnotism. The goal of hypnotherapy is to de-hypnotise you and free you from the trance.

In short, hypnosis is a natural state we all enter every day. Hypnotherapy makes use of this state to reprogram unhelpful patterns, helping you overcome habits, anxiety, or depression, and create deeper, lasting change.

What Hypnotherapy is Not

28-08-2025

Hypnotherapy is often misunderstood. It is not mind control, talk therapy, meditation, or putting you to sleep. Here’s what hypnotherapy is not — and why that matters.”

  • Psychotherapy/Counselling

  • Mind Control

  • Meditation/Bodyscan

  • Mindless ‘Trance’

 

Hypnotherapy is not Psychotherapy/Counselling:

While it is common to have a brief conversation before the hypnosis session about the problem and the ideal outcome, with hypnotherapy even this short conversation is not necessary. So long as the client knows what the ‘problem’ is and has a vision of what life will be like without it, the hypnotherapist does not actually need to know.

So which one to choose, Hypnotherapy or Psychotherapy?

That depends on the issue and personal preference. Usually one wouldn’t visit a therapist for something like insomnia or weightloss. In this case, hypnotherapy is the way to go. When dealing with deeper mental health issues like depression, anxiety, trauma, some people don’t want to take the easy route and would prefer to work through the problem over time with a therapist, getting right down to the core wound. But others - particularly those who have suffered intense trauma - just don’t want to ‘go there’. And other people simply prefer a quicker fix to longer term counselling sessions.

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Hypnotherapy is not Mind Control:

While undergoing hypnotherapy, you are in control at all times. You may feel deeply relaxed, lazy, even, to the point where you can’t be bothered moving, but if the hypnotherapist were to suggest something you don’t like or agree with, your subconscious mind will move you to action straight away. So, despite what the movies would have you believe, a hypnotherapist cannot induce you into a bank heist!

Hypnotherapy is not something that’s done to you. It’s something you and the hypnotherapist do together, for your greater good.

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Hypnotherapy is not Meditation/Bodyscan:

Even though, initially, it can seem quite similar to a bodyscan. As the session progresses, however, it grows a lot more technical in terms of the techniques and suggestions the hypnotherapist will use. Remember – a hypnotherapist understands

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the code of the subconscious mind. The purpose of a hypnotherapy session is not to relax or ground you in the present moment, as with many meditations, but to unlock that door to the subconscious, communicate directly with it, and get it to reprogram those patterns, habits, and behaviours at a deeper level.

There many recorded hypnosis videos online, and while repeated use of these can sometimes help foster change, they are a one-size-fits all deal and work in the same vein as repeating affirmations than hypnosis. These generic recordings miss the subtle nuances of a real-time session with a hypnotherapist. At Om Shanti Wellbeing and Fulfilment, sessions are tailored specifically to your case, personality, desires, and issue.

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Hypnotherapy is not Mindless ‘Trance’:

While the state a hypnotherapist aims to induce is called ‘trance’, that word tends to paint a different picture to what trance is - a mindless zombie, for instance. The actual fact is, we spend a large percentage of our days in trance without ever

having to visit a hypnotherapist. Level 1 trance is known as ‘waking hypnosis’, and is the level that advertising work on. Just before we fall asleep and wake up is level 2 trance. We operate at level 2 trance anytime when we’re not ‘out of it’ but we’re not consciously present either. i.e. autopilot.

Hypnotherapy doesn’t put you to sleep. It wakes you up from the automatic (subconscious) patterns you’ve been running.

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In summary: Hypnotherapy is not counselling, mind control, meditation, or mindless trance. Instead, it is a collaborative process that works with the subconscious mind to create positive, lasting change at a deeper level, and generally works quicker than alternatives based on conscious reasoning and analysis.

What is Hypnotherapy?

21-08-2025

Hypnotherapy uses guided hypnosis to work with the subconscious mind to change unwanted behaviours and habits, reduce anxiety, release phobias, manage pain, and improve overall wellbeing.
We all have two levels of mind -

  • the conscious mind, and

  • the subconscious mind.

When we first learn something, we focus on it consciously. Over time it moves into the subconscious mind so it can run automatically. The best example of this is with driving. When we're first learning we are hyper-aware of every aspect. But after a while we can make an entire journey and not remember a moment of it. Driving has become sub or un-conscious.
The purpose of this is to free up mental space in the conscious mind so it can focus on present tasks. It's like a computer - if we had all that stuff running on the desktop at once it would freeze. So the things we don't need to focus on are moved to background processes.
The same is true of behaviours, patterns and beliefs. With beliefs it can be as simple as seeing something, forming a judgement, and the subconscious stores it as a belief without us even knowing. This can make certain habits, fears, or behaviours difficult to change consciously.

Why Does the Subconscious Create Problems?
Everything the subconscious mind does is to keep us safe. Anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, pain, phobias or addictions are examples of the subconscious mind's solutions to underlying problems. These solutions may not make you happy or healthy, but, from the subsconscious perspective, they've kept you alive.
The subconscious is very literal, and very helpful. With the right guidance it is more than willing to swap out the old ways for new ones that fulfil the original, positive intention of safety, as well as put your health and wellbeing at the forefront.
A hypnotherapist's skill is in understanding the code of the subconscious mind.. Using relaxation, guided imagery, and focussed attention, they bypass the conscious mind and. slip in the 'back door' to the subconscious, where lasting changes are made. We don't even need to understand what those underlying problems are. The subconscious knows. And it knows more solutions than we could consciously think of.

In short, hypnotherapy works by guiding the subconscious mind to replace old unhelpful patterns with new, healthier ones. This makes it a powerful tool for creating lasting change in both mental and physical health and wellbeing. 

 

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