Releasing Stress: Do You Need to Relax in Hypnosis?

Anything you can do to help a person to relax is going to support them in healing.  This is also true of hypnosis.  The problem is that not every client is able to relax.

A highly analytical client will find a slow, progressive relaxation induction boring and irritating.  A high anxiety client can’t stop fidgeting.  They can’t focus their attention long enough to get where you need them to be. Their brain is firing on all cylinders.

This is a problem a lot of people have when they take up meditating.  They’re too keyed up to settle down for more than a few seconds.  So what do you do?

 Match the frequency by working quickly.   Rather than trying to make them slow down match their speed and use a rapid induction.  Get them into hypnosis.  Then bring up the feeling.  If they’re all wound up they’re already half-way there, anyway.  So just bring up the feeling. Then bridge back and resolve the problem.

The trick is to work quickly.  

You need to by-pass the Critical Faculty of the Mind quickly.  Then, immediately bring up that feeling, quickly and powerfully and bridge back off it.  Keep talking so that the client doesn't have time to think.

Rapid induction and regression requires skill.  You can’t do a rapid induction and then s-l-o-w-l-y guide them back to a past event.  The client will emerge themselves if you give them time to think. 

You need to by-pass the Critical Function quickly.  Then immediately move to the next step.  Bring up the feeling – quickly and powerfully.  Then bridge back quickly so that the client has no time to think!

Forget about suggestions for relaxation.  

Just fire the suggestions in so quickly that they don't have time to think about it.  And keep coaching to the positive. “Do this.  Good! Now do this. Good! ” It's very staccato.  

Get the client into a past event as quickly as possible.  That’s where all the tension is coming from.  Get to where all the internal stress and tension is coming from and release it there.  Do that and the client will feel an immediate shift for the better.  That's when they’ll begin to relax. 

When the energy system of the body lets go of the pressure, it starts to relax.  It happens automatically.  So the client will start to feel better right away.   That's the Relaxation Response.  It happens automatically.

The Relaxation Response is a by-product of releasing.

Now, obviously relaxation hypnosis requires less skill than rapid regression.  This is why we learn relaxation techniques to begin with.  They’re easier.  But rapid regression is necessary with clients who can’t relax.  

You’re going to get clients who won't respond to relaxation techniques.   They’re not difficult clients.  They’re not resistant clients.  They’re scared human beings who are under WAY too much pressure and stress.  

You can help them to get out from under all that pressure.  So if you get a client who is too wound up . . . not able to relax . . . can’t pay attention . . .  doesn’t understand or follow instructions . . .  use a rapid induction! 

If you’re pressed for time, use a rapid induction.  

If you’re bored with doing long-winded inductions, start using rapid inductions because you don’t need relaxation.  

You can let relaxation be a wonderful side-benefit of the healing process because a person doesn't need to be able to relax to enjoy all the benefits.