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View from the far side of the recliner
When many people think of body work they assume massage. It turns out that there are many kinds of massage and many types of what could be called “body work” that are not massage and some techniques that seem to be both and neither.
I have some experience in the body work/massage world. I am married to a massage therapist, have friends that are massage therapists and love a good massage. I teach “kinesiology” (movement, bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments) at a massage school. I am not a massage therapist. I am a physical therapist who uses a lot of manual techniques (and exercise) in my practice. I am also a Certified Zero Balancing Practitioner. This is a type of body/energy work that from a superficial view involves a fully clothed (except shoes) person laying face up on a treatment table. No lotion, hot stones, warm towels, just the ZBer applying traction through the legs, gentle lifting with the fingers under the client, some traction at the neck and arms. Oh but there is so much more. Looks can be deceiving and it’s what you don’t see is where the magic happens. Please check out the Zero Balancing website for more information:
http://www.zerobalancing.com
I recommend having a Zero Balancing session to experience it. If you ever get to Flagstaff, AZ find me. I do that.
For those of you who have experienced a good massage/body work, you may have noticed drifting off into a place of profound relaxation. Perhaps kind of a trance state? The skilled use of manual techniques can serve as a very effective hypnotic induction. As I mentioned a few posts back, I don’t typically touch clients when they are in a trance. Zero Balancing where touch is the format can be the entry into hypnotherapy.
How I use Hypnosis during a Zero Balancing session
Occasionally before a Zero Balancing session with an already established client I encounter an issue that may be addressed effectively with hypnosis/visualization. If I get the feeling that it would magnify the experience of the ZB for that person I would discuss the addition of hypnosis/visualization as an option. Sometimes people bring it up when arranging the ZB because they already know about that aspect of my work. If the person would like to experience the directed subconscious technique we talk about what the person’s goal/s is/are, what images, places, experiences that incorporate that goal and any imagery that should be avoided.
As Zero Balancing often induces an altered state of consciousness, it is not necessary for me to go through the usual verbal suggestions to relax. The ZB proceeds normally through the lower part of the session. When I come to the head of the table and assess the person’s condition, I begin offering suggestions, working with the client’s breathing, helping them drift deeper into relaxation then gently guiding them into “imagining, sensing and feeling” the experience that they would like to have with their goal/s attained.
Next time I’ll write about how I’ve used self-hypnosis to deal with an injury, during surgery and at the dentist.
Feel free to contact me with any comments and of course if you know someone who might be interested in these posts please send them on.
Thanks,
Don Berlyn
Flagstaff Hypnotherapy Blog 