Animal Hypnosis, Part 1

(This blog was originally posted on March 16, 2014)

Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan

Every so often, someone asks me if I can hypnotize the family dog to stop barking so much or get the cat to stay off the kitchen counters. After all, if I can help a human client to rewrite a mental script and change an unwanted behavior, surely I have a similar technique that will make Max a little quieter and give Rex better table manners? Surely, I must have some technique in my hypnosis toolbox that will convince the champion show horse at the barn that the flower-boxes in front of a jump are not monsters. No, I don’t. But—and?—yes, I can.

In addition to my certifications in hypnotherapy and therapeutic guided imagery, I trained in Reiki energy healing with Tanya Nord, a Reiki Master and hypnotherapy instructor at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute. When I earned my certifications as a first- and second-degree Reiki practitioner, Ms. Nord told the class that from now on our touch would have healing power. In addition to offering energy treatments for my clients, I also wanted to provide these natural healing techniques to help quiet and relax my equestrian clients’ horses and to ease my senior animals’ discomfort from arthritis pain. A few years ago I finally took an animal-communication class with Lydia Hiby, and a new world of sensitivity, communication and healing opened up for me.

Lydia is a former veterinary technician, so in addition to teaching her students how to do what she does as an animal communicator she also provides a lot of general information about animal behavior, general first-aid and conflict resolution techniques. One of the first things she teaches in her communication class is how to do an intuitive body scan to detect physical discomfort in an animal. I now use this skill every time I do Reiki to find out whether and where I should specifically direct this energy to relieve stress or tension in my clients (human and non-human). This technique is not a substitute for medical or veterinary care! Like hypnotherapy, I provide Reiki to complement traditional medical care/treatment. However, this technique can provide useful clues about where the medical or veterinary expert should focus the examination when the client confirms that he or she (or the pet) experiences physical discomfort in a specific area.

The most important skill I have honed through Lydia’s animal-communication training is to use and trust my intuition. I do not “know” where the information comes from when a dog tells me she wants to eat steak and peas or that a cat wants to be a pirate like Johnny Depp but is far from the brave, swashbuckling rogue that his humans believe him to be. I have no way of knowing that when the big horse I’m talking to says he loves apples, he has only just been introduced to this new delicacy two days ago. When I do these readings, Lydia or the owner (i.e., human “parent” or guardian) is usually present to confirm or dispute the accuracy of the information I picked up during the conversation. More often than not, I come up with otherwise obscure details that I should not have known about an animal I have never met before—but I have learned to trust my gut instinct and just go with what I am picking up.

I will discuss how people can apply the self-confidence and behavior-modification skills they have learned through hypnotherapy and the (animal-)communication skills I am honing with Lydia Hiby to help change a pet's unwanted behavior in tomorrow's blog.

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015

Animal Hypnosis, Part 1

Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan

Me and Lydia Hiby in 2012.

 

Every so often, someone asks me if I can hypnotize the family dog to stop barking so much or get the cat to stay off the kitchen counters. After all, if I can help a human client to rewrite a mental script and change an unwanted behavior, surely I have a similar technique that will make Max a little quieter and give Rex better table manners? Surely, I must have some technique in my hypnosis toolbox that will convince the champion show horse at the barn that the flower-boxes in front of a jump are not monsters. No, I don’t. But—and?—yes, I can.

In addition to my certifications in hypnotherapy and therapeutic guided imagery, I trained in Reiki energy healing with Tanya Nord, a Reiki Master and hypnotherapy instructor at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute. When I earned my certifications as a first- and second-degree Reiki practitioner, Ms. Nord told the class that from now on our touch would have healing power. In addition to offering energy treatments for my clients, I also wanted to provide these natural healing techniques to help quiet and relax my equestrian clients’ horses and to ease my senior animals’ discomfort from arthritis pain. I finally took Lydia Hiby’s class on animal communication a few years ago, and a new world of sensitivity, communication and healing opened up for me.

Lydia is a former veterinary technician, so in addition to teaching her students how to do what she does as an animal communicator she also provides a lot of general information about animal behavior, general first-aid and conflict resolution techniques. One of the first things she teaches in her communication class is how to do an intuitive body scan to detect physical discomfort in an animal. I now use this skill every time I do Reiki to find out whether and where I should specifically direct this energy to relieve stress or tension in my clients (human and non-human). This technique is not a substitute for medical or veterinary care! Like hypnotherapy, I provide Reiki to complement traditional medical care/treatment. However, this technique can provide useful clues about where the medical or veterinary expert should focus the examination when the client confirms that he or she (or the pet) experiences physical discomfort in a specific area.

The most important skill I have honed through Lydia’s animal-communication training is to use and trust my intuition. I do not “know” where the information comes from when a dog tells me she wants to eat steak and peas or that a cat wants to be a pirate like Johnny Depp but is far from the brave, swashbuckling rogue that his humans believe him to be. I have no way of knowing that when the big horse I’m talking to says he loves apples, he has only just been introduced to this new delicacy two days ago. When I do these readings, Lydia or the owner (i.e., human “parent” or guardian) is usually present to confirm or dispute the accuracy of the information I picked up during the conversation. More often than not, I come up with otherwise obscure details that I should not have known about an animal I have never met before—but I have learned to trust my gut instinct and just go with what I am picking up.

I will discuss how people can apply the self-confidence and behavior-modification skills they have learned through hypnotherapy, and the (animal-)communication skills I am honing with Lydia Hiby, to help change a pet's unwanted behavior in tomorrow's blog.

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

For more information about Lydia Hiby and her work as an animal communicator, visit her web-site at www.lydiahiby.com.

© 2014

Chilling Out With My Boy

Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan

Hanging out with my horse puts me in a
"zone" of compete peace and relaxation.

                Riding is great, but one of my absolute favorite things to do is to just hang out with Galahad. One of his favorite things to do is to get groomed and loved on. Win-win! Not only is this activity enjoyable for both of us, it is a great opportunity to spend quality time getting to know each other better. I tell my horse what I have been up to since I last saw him (yesterday) and what is on the agenda for our day. I alternate grooming with providing a gentle massage and/or do a light Reiki treatment to help him release any physical tension held over from the previous training session. I find the physical action of grooming—using the hoof pick, curry comb, dandy brush and soft brushes—very calming and, dare I say (write) it: hypnotizing? I completely get into a zone of peace and relaxation. I take this “zone” with me as I go about the rest of my day, and even something that might have annoyed or frustrated me earlier in the day is barely a blip on my radar.

                Whether you have a horse to chill out with or a dog, cat or some hobby or sport that you are passionate about, it is very important to devote some time during the day to it. Go out and get into your own zone of peace and relaxation. The expression, “All work and no play….” is an important reminder that we all need to have a balance in our lives. This balance helps us to stay happy and motivated to do what we need to do and to enjoy doing the activity that makes us happy.

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

Energy Exchange

 

 

Photo courtesy of Microsoft 

You have the power to change (raise or lower) the energy in a situation
so you feel more relaxed and comfortable. 

                Perhaps you have heard or even used one of these expressions: “He has great energy”; “You give off a good vibe”; “there is a charge in the air when you’re around”; “she rubs me the wrong way”; “I have a very bad feeling about this”; or, “I feel very comfortable when I am around you.” These are just a few examples of how people experience emotional energy in their environment.

                I am not talking about energy in the context of lightning or electricity as depicted in the photo that accompanies this blog. Rather, “energy” in this context refers to that primal and subconscious reaction to another person or a situation. This reaction may be one of attraction or repulsion; it may change (positively or negatively) over time. Whenever energy is very big and not controlled, even positive energy can overwhelm, confuse and frustrate you. Low energy can make you feel depressed, anxious and suffocated. The great thing about energy in either context is that you have the power to change (raise or lower) it so you feel more relaxed and comfortable. Here are a few easy techniques to help you do this.

·         Square breathe. Draw a deep breath through your nose and hold it for the count of 4, 3, 2, 1…and release the breath slowly through the mouth. Continue breathing like this to/until you feel centered (relaxed, patient, focused and confident) to deal with the person or situation that is affecting you.

·         Use these seconds that you are drawing and expelling each cleansing breath to think about what you will say or do in response to the emotionally charged person you are dealing with and/or to actually change the energy around you.

·         If you feel overwhelmed (negatively or positively) by the energy around you, hold your right (or left) forearm in front of you and make a quick slicing motion in front of you. (You can also perform this action to each side and behind your body.) I use this technique every time I conclude a Reiki (energy) healing session to ensure that I separate from the other person or animal’s energy, when we are done. You should immediately notice a sensation of release and greater relaxation once you have literally cut off the connection with the intrusive energy.

·         Match your level of activity (tone and cadence of speech, intensity of the same behavior, etc.) and then slowly, gradually start to lower or raise your level of energy. As you change your energy level, the other person(s) will subconsciously start to match your behavior in a similar way to how you consciously matched their behavior to effect this change.

 

 Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.