You’re free to experiment with different environments when applying self-hypnosis techniques – but make sure that you never use hypnosis tapes and recordings when you are operating machinery or when you are out driving. Since you will be inducing a hypnotic trance, it would be best if you do hypnosis at home where you’re safe from any accidents.

The room where you will be holding your self-hypnosis sessions should be a bit warmer than what you are used to (the extra bit of warmth will facilitate the hypnosis, since you will be more alert when it’s warmer).

The air in the room should be clean and free from potentially distracting smells. As for your position during the hypnosis, it would be best if you used a reclining chair. You can recline during the hypnosis, but your arms should be placed at your sides to increase focus and discourage sleeping during the session.

If possible, place both feet on the ground (keep them flat and steady) and do not cross your legs during the session. Maintain a straight and firm posture during the hypnosis session to facilitate hyperawareness and to enter the hypnotic trance more easily.

During your first attempts at self-hypnosis, your hypnosis recordings should be played for at least twenty minutes per session. If you can have two or more hypnosis sessions throughout the day, that would be great – repetition gradually raises anyone’s success rate as long as the sessions are done properly.

Notes on Using Your Own Hypnosis Tapes

Since you will eventually be creating your own hypnosis tapes to focus on different issues affecting your life, here are some easy tips to maximize the effectiveness of your self-hypnosis sessions:

1. If you can only listen to your hypnosis tapes during midday or evening, then stick to these times. This is part of the mental conditioning necessary to make the repetitive hypnosis work.

Building a routine would also make self-hypnosis more convenient for you, because you won’t have to sacrifice time for other things to give a bit of time for self-hypnosis.

2. Avoid lying down during hypnosis sessions – you might fall asleep!

3. Some people prefer making “bedtime hypnosis tapes”. If this is your preference, by all means, pursue it. But instead of adding a section to the recording that actually wakes you up from the hypnotic trance, simply add a suggestion that will allow you to sleep immediately after the hypnosis session.

Do not be overly concerned if you feel bored or tired when listening to hypnosis tapes. Because as long as you are hearing these tapes, your subconscious will be absorbing and processing the positive suggestions contained in the recording.

There will also be times that you feel that you have instantly forgotten what you have just heard. This is actually a good sign ­because this signals that your conscious mind has entered a deep level of hypnotic trance and it was unable to analyze the input.

4. A hypnosis recording can be as long as thirty minutes and can contain many hypnotic suggestions and affirmations. Each set of hypnotic suggestions is called a section.

So if you have five groups of affirmations or suggestions, you have five separate sections.

It is highly recommended that you add some music in between the sections of the recording. The additional music will help you focus, help keep you in trance, and also help deflect any distracting stimuli from the external environment.

5. There are no special requirements when it comes to who will read and narrate the contents of a hypnosis recording. As long as the person can read clearly, he can be assigned the task of reading through an entire hypnosis script.

6. Excessive effort on the part of the subject to enter a hypnotic trance is counter-productive. Ease into the trance – don’t force yourself to accept hypnotic suggestions.

7. Avoid creating hypnotic suggestions that sound domineering – these will most likely be rejected by your subconscious.

8. Your motivation level has a large bearing on how effective self-hypnosis can be.

9. Instead of working on multiple issues at a time, focus on just one problem you are currently facing and work on that every day. When you have resolved that problem, move on to the next.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

The mind-body connection is one of the most important guiding principles of self-hypnosis. That’s why before any induction to a hypnotic trance, the body must be relaxed through a series of short exercises.

The following steps will help you perform progressive muscle relaxation, which will not only relax your body but will also help relieve tension and stress, and will ultimately calm your mind as well:

1. Lie on a couch or bed. Make sure that your back is completely flat. Straighten your arms and legs and just fall into a comfortable, natural lying position.

2. Clench your right hand for twenty seconds. Note the tense muscles in your right hand all the way to your right shoulder.

Release the tension after twenty seconds and compare the feeling after you’ve released the clenched fist. Make sure that you take a deep breath before releasing your right hand. As you exhale, allow all the muscles in your right arm to relax.

3. Now clench your left hand. Repeat step # 2.

4. Next, let’s work on your leg muscles. Start with your right leg – straighten your leg and use your right heel to press against the material beneath it.

Hold this position for twenty seconds and release. Compare the feeling you get after releasing the tension to the sensation of having all the muscles in your right leg contract all at once.

5. Repeat step # 4 on your left leg.

6. The next area is the calf region of your legs. Once again, begin with your right leg. Point your feet and curl all your toes so that the underside of your leg will feel some pull/tension. Hold this position for twenty seconds. Repeat with the left leg.

7. The last region is near the shin bone. What do is simply point your feet and curl all your toes upward instead of downward. This will produce muscular tension on your shin region. Hold for the twenty seconds and repeat this step with the other leg.

8. Moving upward, it’s time to relax the abdominal region. Pull the muscles in your abdominal region inward and hold this position for just ten seconds. Release.

9. Squeeze your gluteal muscles (buttocks) together and hold for ten seconds. Release.

10. Move your head up as far as you can go so that the neck muscles become tensed. Hold for ten seconds and release.

11. Point your chin downward so that the muscles at the back of the neck become tense. Hold for a few seconds and release.

12. Your facial muscles should also be relaxed. Make different facial expressions to exercise each muscle group in the facial region. Hold for a few seconds each time you do and release http://www.roseannstreasures1.com/astral-technique-2-visualizing-the-astral-double