Before beginning my journey into hypnotherapy... I led meditation training, yoga classes and yoga therapy while practicing as a Massage Therapist through ayurvedic philosophy. I was trained by a brilliant Hatha teacher that focused on the foundation of yoga as much as the Asana. After yoga training I was led to become a Teacher of Mantra and trained with the Nama Deva Archarya. I discovered Paramhansa Yogananda at the same time and began the SRF teachings that eventually led to my Kriya Yoga Practice. I decided to align my massage practice with my yogic philosophy by studying the David Frawley Ayurvedic Lifestyle Certification Training. In my massage and yoga practice the most common refrain I heard from my clients while discussing or practicing meditation was… ” My mind is too busy to meditate. ” This was a close first to the yoga complaint “ I am not flexible enough to do yoga .” Most new meditators do not sit long enough or sit regularly enough to get past the busy mind stage to find peace in meditation. Even while in Sivasana, at the end of class, as good as students feel, they are already thinking of the “To Do” list. I began my exploration into Hypnotherapy during this year’s Covid Crisis, after a message during meditation to do so. After extensive training at an acclaimed Institute , I soon discovered that hypnotherapy is technically the same trance state as meditation. I also discovered that it is a wonderful precursor to meditation in that it clears up the busy mind allowing a higher union with the superconscious. I often receive wisdom via guru texts. May I suggest “Merging With Siva” By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. The text is 365 short daily enlightenment lessons revealing the depths of Raja Yoga. I mention it specifically because the daily passages, often mention the conscious, subconscious, and superconscious mind and how to work with them while developing a state of awareness. Hypnotherapy is the science of using the knowledge of the conscious, subconscious and superconscious mind to empower one to create their life's fullest potential. I have found enormous gratification in realizing that hypnotherapy is often an answer for the struggling meditator that needs to weed out the subconscious weeds blocking the light of the superconscious before they can fully appreciate or make real progress while meditating. Here are a few passages from Subramuniyaswami that you may find interesting… Lesson 141: “It is to waste the guru’s time to give training in meditation and contemplation before the heart has been softened through Bhakti. The patient guru will wait until this has happened within the devotee. Otherwise any accomplishment attained through intense Raja Yoga practices will not be sustained ” ….Hypnotherapy helps to establish healthy lifestyles that produce harmony in self and towards others. “The guru will then have to act as the psychiatrist to solve the problems arising from the forced awakening. Whereas a mature bhaktar takes such problems, or negative karma, which are sometimes aroused because of deep meditation, to the temple of Deities, placing them at their fee to be dissolved. This will not happen for the devotee who has not experienced living in the state of Bhakti, because the relationship has not yet been established between himself and the Gods. Therefore the wise guru starts his devotees at the beginning of the path, not in the middle. That path begins with charya, getting to know the Gods and developing a relationship with them through service. Charya is Karma yoga” …Hypnotherapy helps to bring awareness of karmic patterns and make a break from self-defeating thoughts and habits to clear the road for healthy karma and habits. “Then Kriya is experienced. Kriya is bhakti yoga. Once bhakti yoga has melted the heart, then the deep yoga concepts and meditation techniques of raja yoga may be practiced. They are to be understood within the internal mind, not just memorized. The wise guru will never teach deep meditation techniques to angry, jealous, fearful devotees…” ….Hypnotherapy helps to bring awareness to unhealthy emotions and dissolve them creating the opportunity to feel love and connection with others beginning the path towards union with all. Lesson 142: “Many Hindu teachers in the West teach purely Advaitic meditation, with no theism or religious practice, but most who have come to the West from India were raised in Hindu homes. They have within them a firm religious, cultural foundation for yoga. Many do not pass the religious culture on to their Western devotees. In an orthodox Hindu community they would most likely teach in a more traditional way. Advaita philosophy is appealing to the Westerner. It does not require a change in lifestyle. The nondual, Advaita-based meditations do bring the devotees out of the conscious mind, but often lead them into the subconscious. It is here, within the subconscious, that unresolved problems with family and one’s own personal ego begin to appear. Without a proper religious-cultural background and traditional Hindu belief system, these problems are difficult to handle. This turmoil is certainly not the purpose of Advaitic meditation, but it is a by-product.” …Hypnotherapy helps to adjust subconscious programming, developed before the age of 11 years old in Western homes. A client can their subconscious to new beliefs that are symbiotic with ayurvedic lifestyle and traditions in mind body spirit that have not been the foundation for an aspiring Western potential yogi. What hypnotherapy is… …a natural relaxed trance state where selective focus is established. Additionally, quite often the same process of deep breathing and relaxing are incorporated while encouraging a state of attention. The differences…. Additional practices in hypnotherapy include: • Color therapy on aura, and chakra • Healing or learning to move and control the prana and energy of one’s body • Awareness of the language in which the superconscious speaks through the subconscious- better facilitating communication • A beginning practice of awareness and looking inward • Developing a daily self- hypnotherapy practice that naturally evolves into a daily meditation practice as the subconscious mind clears. • Creating the behavioral traits and habits in oneself that will create an environment for higher growth, karma, and joy. • Helping one discover the higher Purpose of One’s Life as a motivating source of change. • Creating harmony within relationships in small and large universal ways often initiating forgiveness and compassion. • A development of self-esteem and empowerment of one’s own abilities while opening a door to see oneself as an extension of an unlimited source of potential. Hypnotherapy is a tool just like other careers I have endeavored in…I have been an artist, art teacher, nanny, framer, concierge, massage therapist, nutritionist, yoga instructor, meditation teacher, speaker, tarot card reader, author, and more. Each has been used as an opportunity to facilitate my purpose to bridge a gap of divine wisdom: healing, teaching, and serving - creating a space, business, or opportunity that develops higher purpose for myself and others.