Men have been conditioned to believe “real men do not cry” they have learned to minimize pain. Messages received as boys is; “tough it out,” never allow others to see you might be in pain, physically or emotionally. Learning to override the signals of the body as a little boy continues into adult life. “Men are as likely to seek medical assistance, particularly pertaining to emotional health, as they are to stop and ask directions.” They have learned that they can fix problems, they are not the problem.
The basis of many health problems whether they are men or women is lack of education around self nurturance and caring for self. In general most people fail to recognize the true gift of giving is from a fullness of self, otherwise giving is a reaction to a place of emptiness within.
Men and women complain of lack of time and then they feel guilty for taking the time when they do something for themselves. Poor nutrition, and lack of proper exercise are a couple of areas that lead to health issues, these areas however appear to be related to stress as a result of too much to do in a society that values productivity. “Stress has been defined when circumstances place people in situations where there are not enough resources.” (Brannon, 2007) Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, only recently medical professionals are acknowledging this fact pertains to women as well.
Both men and women struggle, we are all on the same battle field and for reasons beyond our understanding we think we are fighting a different battle. Men and women hold high expectations of each other and self resulting in tremendous amounts of stress. Learning to ask for help from others is a sign of strength that many perceive as weakness. “The biggest problem that men have is not so much a specific disease, says Bonhomme, but the diseases are the result of lack of health care monitoring earlier in life.” (Zamora, n.d.) Monitoring health care is a sign of self-care and self-nurturance, something that both men and women fail to do well.
Women’s Health versus Men’s Health
Major areas of concern in the area of male health are:
Mental Health Issues
Depression
Anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Physical Health Issues
References
Brannon, L. (2007). Genders: Psychological Perspectives (5th ed.). : Pearson.
Zamora, D. (n.d.). Mens Top Five Health Concerns. Retrieved from http://men.webmd.com
Visit our website for some non-invasive and non-disclosing self-care options.
“For depression, flotation was equal to counseling at near 70%, with relaxation training at 53% and physical therapy and medication at 20%.”
Flotation REST in Applied Psychophysiology Thomas H. Fine, M.A. and Roderick Borrie, Ph.D.
Thomas H. Fine is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry of the Medical College of Ohio. He began his research and clinical work with Biofeedback in 1975, and, with John Turner, initiated the Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy research program at MCO in 1978.
Roderick A Borrie, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist at South Oaks Hospital, Amityville, New York. He began his exploration of therapeutic uses of Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy at the University of British Columbia with Dr. Peter Suedfeld, and continues to use it in current work with patients suffering chronic pain and illness.
Introduction
Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) has fascinated many researchers, clinicians, and explorers of consciousness, promising something special - a powerful transformation, a mystical peak experience, an intense change in biochemicals, improved performance, or a healing of our ills. Beyond the fascination, Flotation REST has established itself as a unique method in the field of applied psychophysiology. Flotation REST has proven to be a technique with predictable psychophysiological effects and powerful clinical and performance applications. This article will provide the reader with an introduction to the basic research into Flotation REST’s psychophysiological effects, and a brief overview of the clinical and performance applications currently in use by REST clinicians and researchers. The article will examine in greater detail the use of Flotation REST as an intervention for chronic pain.
REST is an acronym for Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique, a name developed in the late 1970s by Peter Suedfeld and Roderick Borrie for a technique that had previously been called Sensory Deprivation (SD) or Sensory Isolation. Since much of the early SD research had been misinterpreted, especially by writers of introductory psychology texts, a widely accepted myth developed that SD environments were highly stressful, even models for producing psychotic like experiences. This led to difficulties with the Sensory Deprivation concept. Ultimately Suedfeld and Borrie proposed that, since the process involves restricting the environmental stimulation that the patient or subject experiences, REST would be a more accurate and less provocative acronym.
Flotation REST is a special type of REST popularized by John C. Lilly, M.D. Lilly developed an immersion system in the late 1950s at that was used in early SD experiments. In the 1960s he developed a flotation system in which a person floats in a light free, sound reduced chamber in a highly concentrated solution of Epsom Salt and water maintained at a constant temperature of 9,4.5 F (Lilly, 1977, p. 118).
Both Wet and Dry REST systems have been utilized in research and practice. Wet-REST systems utilize flotation in salt water, and Dry-REST systems utilize a modified REST environment in which a pliable 15 mm. polymer membrane separated the floater from the fluid (Turner, Gerard, Hyland, Neilands, & Fine, 1993).
At the Medical College of Ohio, John Turner and I conducted a series of studies investigating the psychophysiological effects of brief sessions of Flotation REST. The REST environment used in all of these studies was a plastic or fiberglass chamber, approximately 1.1 m. x 1.3 m. x 2.5 m. filled to a 25 cm. depth with saturated epsom salts (Mg SO) solution having a specific gravity of 1.28 and temperature maintained at 34.5 C. The chamber was light-free and the sound level was less than 10 decibels, with further attenuation due to submersion of the ears in the solution. The general protocol consisted of 30-40 minute sessions repeated approximately every third day with a total number ranging from 4 to 20 sessions per study.
The first parameter we addressed was the subjective report of the REST experience. We utilized several indices of subjective reports including the Spielberger state anxiety scale, Zuckerman multiple affect adjective checklist (Turner & Fine, 1990a), profile of mood states (POMS) (Turner, Fine, Ewy, Sershon, & Frelich, 1989), and subjective rating scales of emotion and relaxation. All of the initial studies found marked pre-post and across-session changes indicating relaxation, an increase in positive emotion and a decrease in negative emotions. In addition, an analysis of well over 1,000 descriptions of the REST experience indicated that more than 90% of subjects found REST deeply relaxing.
Psychophysiological Effects of Flotation Rest
In choosing physiological parameters of the REST effect on relaxation, we examined the basic physiological and biochemical hormonal changes associated with stress responding. Physiological parameters measured included blood pressure (BP), muscle tension (EMG), and heart rate (HR). Hormonal parameters included both adrenal axis hormones such as ACTH, epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol and aldosterone, and hormones not mediating stress responding (luteinizing hormone and testosterone). Both within and across-session decreases have been observed in various hormones. Hormones directly associated with the stress response. Cortisol, ACTH and epinephrine showed decreases during REST sessions, whereas luteinizing hormone, which is not associated with the stress response, showed no change (Turner & Fine 1983). Likewise, across-session decreases were observed in adrenal-associated hormones (cortisol, aldosterone, renin activity), while a hormone unrelated to stress response (testosterone) did not shown across-session changes (Turner & Fine, 1990a). In a separate study, we examined the across-session effect on both mean cortisol values and their variability, observing a decrease in both parameters (Turner and Fine, 1991). This suggests the possibility of a resetting of the regulatory mechanism of cortisol across sessions. Furthermore, cortisol, which has received more attention than the other hormones, and Blood Pressure, have been shown to maintain the REST effect after cessation of repeated REST sessions (Turner & Fine, 1983). This phenomenon suggests that the REST effect may be more than a simple, immediately reversible response.
Interestingly, in comparing hormonal and BP changes in REST with these changes in another relaxation condition (biofeedback), REST consistently showed greater hormonal effects but similar BP effects to biofeedback assisted relaxation (McGrady, Turner, Fine, & Higgins. 1987). These results led us to consider that REST affects different mechanisms than the biofeedback (since it affected cortisol levels when other methods did not) or was simply more powerful (i.e. REST reached the threshold for cortisol change but biofeedback did not).
Clinical Applications of Flotation REST
These results provide strong support for the hypothesis that Flotation REST serves as a powerful relaxation inducer and has clinical potential in working with patients who have stress-related disorders. There have been several clinical studies that have employed REST as a treatment. The disorders treated include essential hypertension, muscle tension headache, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, psychophysiological insomnia, PMS, and rheumatoid arthritis (Fine and Turner, 1985; Rzewnicki, Alistair, Wallbaum, Steel, Suedfeld, 1990; Fine and Tumer, 1985; Goldstein and Jessen, 1990; Turner, DeLeon, Gibson, & Fine, 1993). The treatment paradigms used in these studies were similar, with REST serving as the primary method of relaxation induction and training. All of these studies demonstrated positive results from the use of REST. One of the unique effects of REST demonstrated in these studies was that chronic pain patients frequently experienced an absence of all pain during flotation, and that this spontaneous anesthesia could remain for up to several hours after the session. Unfortunately, as with many bio-behavioral treatment approaches, the large scale controlled trials have yet to be undertaken.
Flotation REST and Performance Enhancement
A separate, exciting area is the use of Flotation REST in the enhancement of human performance. Several studies, carried out primarily in the research programs of Peter Suedfeld at the University of British Columbia and Arreed Barabasz at Washington State University, have demonstrated enhancement of scientific creativity, instrument flight performance, and piano performance. Several studies of sports performance have had positive results including studies of basketball, tennis, skiing, rifle marksmanship, and dart throwing. In several of the studies the Flotation REST condition was varied with relaxation, or imagery training and always had a more powerful effect. Often, Flotation REST was used with imagery or without imagery, and no difference was, found. Flotation REST, either wet or dry, was sufficiently powerful to affect a change in performance. Barabasz suggests that because REST potentiates imagery while disrupting over learned psychological processes, the technique is especially suited not only for the acquisition of new im- proved skills but the unlearning of less adaptive ones.
Flotation Rest and Pain Management
An in depth examination of the role of Flotation REST in the management of pain can provide us with a clear picture of the psychophysiological nature of the treatment. Pain programs are generally used as a last referral resort for patients whose intractable pain has not responded to the traditional medical treatments. Biobehaviorally based pain management utilizes counseling and behavioral medicine techniques such as relaxation training, meditation. biofeedback, guided imagery, and self-hypnosis. The goals of such treatment are the development of pain avoidance skills, the establishment of routines for optimal fitness within the limitations of a disability, the reduction or elimination of pain, when possible, and/or the patients acceptance of some level of pain.
Flotation REST can have an important role at several stages of the pain management process. By reducing both muscle tension and pain in a relatively short time and without effort on the part of the patient, flotation provides a dramatic demonstration of the benefits of relaxation. Relief is immediate and, although temporary, offers promise of further relief from REST and other relaxation-based strategies. Symptom reduction gained from flotation can increase a patient’s motivation and interest in the remainder of the therapy plan. Pain patients generally come into treatment feeling suspicious and skeptical, requiring a clear demonstration that they can be helped. Flotation can be the vehicle for that demonstration.
Cara floating for peace
The relaxation following flotation can be used to facilitate relaxation training. In the treatment reported here, training in relaxation and other psychological pain control strategies occurred during the flotation REST sessions as well as in counseling sessions. Specially prepared audio programs introduced patients to breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, guided imagery and hypnotic suggestions for pain reduction while they floated. Training and practice in those same techniques followed in counseling sessions and at home.
The most common etiologies of pain in this group of patients were from motor vehicle accidents, work accidents, or chronic illness. Most had endured their pain for longer than six months and had also suffered various levels of anxiety, anger, and depression. These emotional problems must be considered in the treatment of chronic pain patients.The first data are pre-post pain ratings from 16 patients who floated from one to 16 flotation sessions. Each patient reported on up to four body areas, providing a total of 253 pre-post , measures. The average percentage of relief, as measured in decrease from the pre-session value, was 31.3% for all sessions and all measures. To determine whether flotation REST provides more pain relief to some parts of the body as opposed to others, these measurements were examined by body area. Pain reduction in most body areas was close to the overall mean of 31%, except the upper back, which showed a 63.6% pain reduction, the arms which showed a 48.2% reduction, and the legs, which showed a 15.3% pain reduction. The duration of relief varied from two hours to seven days.
A second set of data came from a survey mailed to patients who had completed the program. The questionnaire asked patients to assess how much pain relief they received from the various components of the pain program (Flotation, relaxation training, and counseling) and from other treatments they had received medication (pills and shots), physical therapy, chiropractic, and surgery. Short-term pain relief, long-term pain relief, relief from anxiety or stress, and relief from depression were indicated separately. Additionally, they were asked whether each treatment improved their outlook and/or helped them cope with their pain.
All 27 respondents had received treatments other than those from this pain program: 81% had used pain medications; 56% had had some form of pain injections; 70% had received physical therapy; 59% had received chiropractic treatment; 22% had undergone surgery. These patients reported more short-term and long-term pain relief from flotation than from the other therapeutic modalities.
For non-pain symptoms, the comparisons were even more striking. Patients reported far more relief from anxiety and stress from flotation than any other modality. For depression, flotation was equal to counseling at near 70%, with relaxation training at 53% and physical therapy and medication at 20%.
Enjoy your unique experience.
Patients also claimed to have reaped a variety of other benefits from flotation, reporting improvements in sleep (65%), mental concentration (77%), energy (46%), interpersonal relationships (54%), ability to work (35%), ability to cope with pain (88%), ability to cope with stress (92%), and feelings of well-being (65%) resulting from flotation REST.
In answering the question, “Did this treatment improve your outlook toward your pain?” 96% responded positively for flotation, 100% for counseling, 100% for relaxation training, 50% for physical therapy, 24% for pain pills, 17% for pain shots, 15% for chiropractic. To the question, “Did this treatment help you cope effectively with your pain?” 96% responded positively for flotation, 92% for both relaxation training and counseling, 50% for pain shots, 44% for pain injections, 38% for physical therapy, and 17% for chiropractic. It is clear that flotation was rated on average as more effective than other treatments with respect to pain, anxiety and depression relief.
Flotation REST and Chronic Illness
Summing up thus far, the data are supportive of flotation REST being useful in pain reduction, stress and tension abatement, and mood enhancement. Besides chronic pain, other patients treated at our facility were those with chronic physical illnesses, those with cancer, those with trauma to the nervous system, those with depression or bipolar mood disorder. anxiety disorders, and those suffering overwhelming stress.
Uniquely, Flotation REST provides an effortless introduction to deep mental and physical relaxation. The majority of our chronic illness patients suffered from autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and Reiters syndrome. For these patients, discovering relaxation meant a dramatic reduction in symptoms, such as joint pain, headache, fatigue and depression. Several patients with lupus reported that regular flotation permitted them to reduce their dosage of prednisone while experiencing less frequency and severity of symptoms. Two patients with scleroderma reported relief from flotation. One reported relief from pain and stiffness that lasted almost a week after her third flotation session. As this patient continued she also experienced relief from her depression about the illness, a dramatic reduction in her use of steroids and other medications, a reduction in joint pain and swelling, and less frequent heartburn and headaches. After a three month course of treatment with flotation and counseling she was able to return to her job.
Flotation REST and Depression
When depression is in reaction to the circumstances of a physical injury or illness, Flotation REST can produce an immediate elevation in mood, probably due to the mood enhancing effects of deep relaxation as well as the optimism that occurs with the experience of physical relief. When depression is the primary diagnosis, flotation is best used as an adjunct to counseling and then only after the patient has gained a modicum of feeling in control. Caution is necessary in administering REST with depressed patients due to the often obsessive nature of negative thinking that will continue during the REST session. Once these patients have developed a better understanding of their disorder, flotation REST can be a mood elevator that speeds the course of therapy, especially when combined with positive guided imagery during the sessions.
REST and Applied Psychophysiology
The REST environment can be viewed, from a biofeedback perspective, as a system that enhances the connection between consciousness and physiology by reducing external information rather than amplifying internal information. We describe biofeedback as a process of amplifying and displaying information about processes that we normally do not attend to or are unable to discriminate from the wealth of informational noise always present. REST reduces environmental noise, and in a flotation environment one is able to be aware of all sorts of physiological information, (i.e. muscle tension, heart rate, etc.) that we are often not aware of in normal quiet environments.
REST is an ideal environment for the acquisition of biofeedback based learning. Many years ago Lloyd and Shurley published a paper demonstrating its effect on the acquisition of single motor unit control. Acquisition of single motor unit control was superior in the REST chamber (Lloyd & Shurley, 1976). Our investigations found the same advantage with heart rate control. Similarly Dry-REST environments might be exceptional environments for neurofeedback training. While we have learned much about REST in the last twenty years, its potential in applied psychophysiology has barely been exploited. In this age of cyberspeak, we might begin to think of expanding the clinical bandwidth of applied psychophysiology by taking another look at REST. References
Fine, T.H., & Turner, J.W., Jr. (1983). The Use of Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) in the Treatment of Essential Hypertension, First International Conference on REST and Self-Regulation, 136-143.
Fine, T.H. & Turner, J.W., Jr. (1985). Rest-assisted relaxation and chronic pain. Health and Clinical Psychology, 4, 511-518.
Goldstein, D.D. & Jessen, W.E. (1987). Flotation Effect on Premenstrual Syndrome. Restricted Environmenntal Stimulation: Research and Commentary, 260-273.
Lilly, J.C. (1977). The deep self. New York: Simon & Schuster.
McGrady, A.V. Turner, J.W. Jr. Fine, T.H. & Higgins, J.T. (1987). Effects of biobehaviorally-assisted relaxation training on blood pressure, plasma renin, cortisol, and aldosterone levels in borderline essential hypertension. Clinical Biofeedback & Health, 10(1), 16-25.
Rzewnicki, R. Alistair, B.C. Wallbaum, Steel, H. & Suedfeld, P, (1990). REST for muscle contraction headaches: A comparison of two REST environments combined with progressive muscle relaxation training. Restricted Environmental Stimulation: Research and Commentary, 245-254.
Turner, J.W. Jr. DeLeon, A. Gibson, C. & Fine, T. (1993). Effects of Flotation REST on range of motion, grip strength and pain in rheumatoid arthritics. In A. Barabasz & M, Barabasz (Ed.),Clinical and experimental restricted environmental stimulation (pp. 297- 336). New York: Springer-Verlag.
Turner, J.W. Jr. Fine, T.H. (1983). Effects of relaxation associated with brief restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) on plasma cortisol, ACTH, and LH. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 9, 115-126.
Turner, J.W. Jr. & Fine, T.H. (1990a). Hormonal changes associated with restricted environmental stimulation therapy. In P. Suedfeld, J. Turner, & T. Fine (Eds.), Restricted environmental stimulation theoretical and empirical development in flotation REST (pp. 71-92). New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.
Turner, J.W. Jr. & Fine, T.H. (1991). Restricting environmental stimulation influences variability and levels of plasma cortisol. Journal of Applied Physiology, 70(5), 2010-2013.
Turner, J.W. Jr. Fine, T. Ewy, G. Sershon, P. & Frelich, T. (1989). The presence or absence of light during flotation restricted environmental stimulation: Effects on plasma cortisol, blood pressure and mood. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 14, 291-300.
Turner, J.W. Jr. Gerard, W. Hyland, J. Neilands, P. & Fine, T.H. (1993). Effects of wet and dry flotation REST on blood pressure and plasma cortisol, In A. Barabasz & M. Barabasz (Ed,),Clinical and experimental restricted environmental stimulation (pp. 239-248). New York: Springer-Verlag.
Author’s address for information:
Thomas H. Fine, M.A.
Department of Psychiatry
Medical College of Ohio
Richard D. Ruppert Health Center
3120 Glendale Ave.
Toledo, OH 43614-5809 [email protected]
Schedule your REST session in combination with any other therapeutic service to maximize results. Hypnosis, Energy Work, Polarity, Massage, Coaching, Meditation, you design your experience.
Training in Clinical Hypnosis is much more than one would ever imagine.Training with me, Tina, is more than just hypnosis, it’s learning how to work the energy of the session in addition to learning techniques. You will see here that I will challenge you in creating your own change. You may experience personal as well as professional growth as a result of taking this course with me. It is my goal that I support your growth, help you to be confident in putting yourself out in the world in your unique individual way utilizing your gifts and talents with the integration of hypnosis as a tool. These sample video’s here give you an idea of the depth of this training. You will understand the energetic principles to support your clients to successfully reaching their goals while also reaching your own through the process of learning.
The application of hypnosis is so diverse, simply; you can create the application that best suits your current skills, and get your work out to the masses. Psychologists take hypnosis to provide clients with more tools to success, nurses take hypnosis to integrate with clients for pain management, massage therapists train to support the emotional aspect of their clients.
If you cannot help your clients to lose weight, process grief, eliminate anxiety, move them past fears and phobia’s, and wish you could; this is the program for you. Your clients are waiting.
If you have been putting this training off, you may be putting off your own success. Therapists who have taken this course have implemented strategies into their own lives and made changes they have been trying to make for a long time. This course isn’t just about your clients, it’s about you being the best you can be and creating success in all areas of your life.
When you consider education, you want to consider return on investment. How many times have you heard someone ask if you can help them to lose weight, improve performance, relieve anxiety, get better grades, help their kids self-esteem, and said “no”? This is opportunity you may be passing up to someone else who has the skills to support these clients. ROI is equivalent to 13 1/2 clients to break even if you charge $100. per session. This doesn’t include the money you are saving on your own self-improvement.
Is it time to take action and begin your own journey to experience your BEST SELF ever? Register now and save your seat for this fall! Seating is limited, the course is exciting, and the tools will support you in so many ways. Ready?
An integration or stand alone and create your hypnosis practice. Take a look at these, and take it from here. Next session begins in September 2015. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Register today while there are seats open.
A look at some recent grads:
Lynsey Smith-Practioner/Yoga Instructor
Karen Woeller-Practitioner/Instructor
Susan Bloomburg-Practitioner
Nancy Sciore-Practitioner
Bill Forsman-Manager
Angie DiBedidetto-Research Psychologist
Deb Kilzican-Massage Therapist
Pam -Practitoner/Instructor
Brooks-Marketing Specialist
Nancy Chapman-Senior Analyst
Karen Cawrse-Business Owner
Ally Ferruccio-Practitioner/Instructor
Christina X. -RN
Pat Delaney-Student Advocate Special Services & Energy Worker
The foundation of all my work is polarity therapy. It really doesn’t matter what path a client decides to take when they are faced with a challenge in life. Some come in wanting to try hypnosis, another conscious coaching, another enzyme therapy, and sometimes massage therapy.
Polarity Therapy is one modality that stands powerfully on it’s own. Addressing so many challenges from anxiety, depression, back pain, neck pain, structural alignment, sciatic pain, headaches, to empty nest syndrome and life changes such as divorce, grief, to job changes.
For those of you who took the time to respond to the survey, a huge thank you! The percentage of people who responded was great and gives me some great information. The surveys are still coming in, at the moment these are the results.
Cara floating peacefully.
Here is what you had to say:
How interested are you in using the floatation tank for health benefits?
Very Interested 78.4%
Interested 17.0%
Somewhat Interested 1.9%
Not Interested 1.9%
Please rate the following based on importance to you: (This was a scale of 1 least important and 5 most important)
Flexibility of schedule 4.0
Price 4.0
Professional Environment 3.8
Member Options 3.4
Would you float more frequently if there was a yearly membership fee with unlimited float sessions?
You answered:
Definitely Yes 35.4%
Possibly 58.3%
No 6.2%
If you were to purchase a yearly float membership for unlimited floats; how often would you float?
Daily 0%
Weekly 34%
Monthly 46.8%
Bi-weekly 14.8%
Bi-Monthly 17.0%
How likely are you to combine services of polarity, hypnosis, or other bodywork sessions to your float session?
You answered:
Highly Likely 33.3%
Less Likely 64.5%
Additional feedback from you and my answers:
What you are looking for?
No light coming in
Please know that you can request all exterior lights off while floating. There are no windows in the new space which support the darkness.
Shower & bathroom in same room
In the new space you will have the shower in the same room, the bathroom is right next to the tank room.
No chlorine smell
I don’t blame you on this one. We now sanitize the tank with commercial grade hydrogen peroxide. This is safer and better for the everyone.
More than one tank
I hear you on this and appreciate your request. For the past thirteen years of providing floating the number of times people bring a friend still does not justify the expense in doing this. I will keep my eye on it and when timing is right will work to provide the second tank.
Reward for cancelling early
I believe that everyone needs to honor and value the time of other people. The reward for cancelling in advance is that you will not be charged. This also allows another person to schedule that time slot.
Free first float
Sorry on this one. I can’t provide this as I need to pay people to supervise floats and do orientations. The first floats will continue to remain the same full price as they are more time consuming. You may however stop in to see the tank and ask questions, please let me know when you would like to come by and I will meet you.
Discounts for bringing a friend
We currently provide a monthly membership where you can float once a month for the cost of $40. per month, if you choose to share your membership with a friend, they too can float for $40. If you float more than once a month, you still get that same price, your second float in the same month is an additional $40.. This a a monthly auto bill to your credit card when you sign up.
Member Yearly Discounts
There seem to be quite a few floaters who would float weekly or bi-weekly if the yearly membership was available.
*****Yearly Float ONLY Member: Cost $ 650 (If you float 26 times in a year this package will save you $910.) For the committed floater, you cannot beat this deal.
Terms: Must be paid in full, upfront and non-refundable. May bring a friend for an additional $30 for 50 minute float. May upgrade to an 80 minute float for an additional $10.
*****Yearly ALL Services Member: Cost $1200. (This membership provides you with one monthly bodywork session of polarity, massage, hypnosis, unlimited floats, free yoga, qigong, meditation, and 50% off workshops & certification courses.) Your savings will depend on how many services you use and what certification or workshops you attend. If you are highly motivated, the savings is HUGE.
MORE MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE. YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF USING PAYPAL’S NO INTEREST SIX MONTH PAYMENT PLAN IF YOU QUALIFY. Personally, I use it when I make larger purchases, beats credit card interest and I get my product right away.
What is the secret to manifesting? What if the mind, nervous system, and energetic systems impact the other?
The answer is; they are all interconnected, one effecting the other, like the ripple from a wave, nothing can remain the same.
You cannot change your mind without changing the energy systems and you cannot change the energy system without changing the mind. The nervous system is the bridge of synchronization.
While the law of attraction is focused on the power of the mind, hypnosis is the tool to getting past the conscious mind and into the sub-conscious mind where change occurs. Think for a moment of a situation where you wished to change something. Maybe it is manifesting a relationship, quitting smoking, losing weight, working out, whatever the case may be; there is usually something we wish to change about ourselves. Now ask yourself honestly if this change is something you truly want? Did you, like most people, hear two different answers? This is common and this is the reason it is critical to create synchronization of all parts in order to manifest change.
Two different answers can make you feel like two different people; the reality is that there are different parts of self, the part that wants to and the part that doesn’t. We can compare this to the conscious and the sub-conscious mind. The part that wants to is the mind of reason, the part that doesn’t is more powerful and therefore change is difficult.
If change is to occur these minds must agree on one thing, the goal. When the sub-conscious mind or sub-part aligns to the goal the ability to change is greater. These sub-parts of self have the power to help you to succeed or to sabotage your visions.
Hypnosis combined with energy systems work aligns the energy systems of the sub-parts allowing the powerful sub-conscious mind to take the necessary steps in attaining the goal.
Hypnosis for therapeutic benefit provides many options to the therapist working with clients. Therapist of social work, psychologists, nurses, psychiatrists, massage therapy, and more.
Your clients will at some time or another require hypnosis as a therapeutic tool to overcome something in their life. As a polarity therapist I have added hypnosis to many sessions for added support. In a polarity session clients have the option of addressing anything from emotional to physical as well as spiritual. Polarity therapy supports clients in finding the emotional balance, spiritual connection, as well as physical balance as a result of balancing each element to support energy flow.
Listen to the PODCAST for insight into the field of holistic therapies.
A Seamless Integration
Hypnosis as an added tool to Polarity is a seamless integration during an intake, while the client is in a tasmic (parasympathetic) state, or during the closing part of a session. Due to the nature of hypnosis there is much flexibility for integration through creative visualization methods, deepening techniques, trauma resolution, age regression, channeling and more. A massage therapist as well as any type of bodywork therapist will inevitably work with clients in physical and emotional pain. Understanding how to integrate hypnosis into the session would be incredibly useful in supporting their clients.
Psychiatry / Hypnosis
One of my instructors for hypnosis was a psychiatrist, he uses hypnosis more than psychiatry to support his clients. Why? Because it gets the results the clients are seeking.
Results are what your clients want.
In the medical profession the number of clients who could use this type of support is astronomical in relation to not only the patient but the loved ones who are dealing with trauma associated with their loved ones. Physical and emotional pain can be addressed through hypnosis whether you call it hypnosis or creative visualization, it really doesn’t matter as long as it supports the patient.
Focused
Opportunity is limitless!
Opportunity for creating a practice is expansive. You may be someone who loves to work with athletes and may do “performance” hypnosis. Or maybe you are more like me, and love to work to alleviate pain and suffering of past trauma. Typically clients coming in with anxiety or panic disorder are also dealing with multiple layers of trauma, deal with the trauma and the anxiety disappears.
Once certified as a hypnotist you would naturally continue your education in either a field of expertise or to expand your practice to work with multiple challenges; from addiction, recovery, relationship, performance, hypno-birthing, pain management, and more.
It’s exciting to vision the possibilities of supporting others in the medical field, education, social services, and many other areas of helping people to experience quality of life. Take a listen to our blog here for the integration that is so needed for higher levels of health.
In addition to using hypnosis techniques to support the many challenges we face during this human experience, learning neuro-linguistic programming is beneficial to both the practitioner and the client. Understanding how to feed back to your client what they are seeking to change is pivotal in creating success.
There are hypnotist doing some incredible work with corporations in motivation technique, sales techniques, stress management, creative or guided visualizations, and team building. Your previous experience and knowledge of hypnosis opens the doors for you to create the practice you desire.
Create Your Vision
You may want to work with groups, individuals, families, corporations, medical, dental, or plastic surgeons. There is a lot of work to do to support people. If you are ready to integrate hypnosis or begin your journey in creating a practice, the next step is to schedule an appointment to discuss your options and your visions for success. Hypnosis Certification is only 100 hours and recognized nationally through the National Guild of Hypnotist.
Feel free to call 508-612-7488 or simply schedule through our appointment schedule on line. I am excited to bring this work to you to support your vision.
Hypnosis is helpful when dealing with anything that is not working in life. One of the biggest reason people come to hypnosis is that they are struggling to change behavior and have been unsuccessful in doing it on their own. Behavior can also in this case be considered a physical reaction brought on by circumstance whereas the nervous system is out of balance.
The nervous system is out of balance whenever a person experiences difficulty in managing everyday life. This presents itself as panic, anxiety, migraines, fears, compulsive disorder, weight management, anger, depression, relationship challenges, excessive control, and more.
When and where this imbalance was created is something that needs to be determined during the session. Simply suggesting to a client they will no longer have migraines is as non-effective as taking medication to providing long term relief. The effectiveness in reducing the number of migraines is enhanced when the origin is addressed. For some, this may be childhood, past trauma, and others a past life experience. Solving the mystery through hypnosis is most effective to support the potential break through.
Client & Therapist Partnership
It is important to recognize that most successful hypnosis stories are a result of working together for a period of four sessions. There are situations and circumstances where one hypnosis session is the answer, most however require more to allow the story to unfold. Here is an example of peeling the layers of an onion, when the top layer is gone you see the next.
Clients typically find their way to hypnosis as a last resort. I hear often that they have tried everything else and finally find their way to hypnosis as a final attempt.
The partnership begins in the first session where the client is understands the process of allowing the process of recovery to unfold. I suggest the client make their appointments within two weeks of the other to stay on track with progress. If they wish to do them closer together, this is their choice. The closer the better, more than two weeks can be disruptive in the flow and the client may lose focus.
An integration of hypnosis with energy work, polarity, E.F.T., or conscious coaching is typically the structure. It is not necessary that the client understand the differences, it is only that they are willing to participate in the journey to wellness. Clearing the energy, either through the sublime energetic system or through physical contact of polarity or E.F.T. is extremely helpful in facilitating the release of any holding of past trauma.
Schedule an appointment with Tina Brigitini or to learn the work of hypnosis, click here.
I am excited to start the next Hypnosis Certification course. The 100 hour certification begins May 5th and is just the beginning of creating positive change. Not only will you be trained to work on others to assist them in creating change, you too will work on your own challenges throughout the training. This is double the excitement as you begin to understand the power of the mind as you begin to tap into the power of your own sub-conscious mind.
The first 100 hours of training will provide you with the skills to support many people with everyday challenges. Once we have set the ground work for your work as a clinical hypnotist you are ready for advanced training. The advance training includes working with old trauma’s, understanding and identifying entities, working to resolve sub-parts, and more.
This training holds a foundation of energy awareness to provide a deeper understanding to getting at the root cause of the client’s challenge. When clients come in to relieve anxiety, panic, stress, migranes, etc.. you will have the tools to learn and address the underlying cause.
Hypnosis is widely used in the world of psychology, some psychologist use it more frequently that behavioral techniques they have learned as it provides faster results. Integrating hypnosis with any practice in the healing arts is beneficial for your clients.
If you have put this process on hold, it’s time to act on it now. Come and learn why hypnosis is effective and how you can create a practice as a clinical hypnotist.
The next class is starting soon. Schedule an appointment to discuss payment options, course outline, and more.
If you are looking for the ideal certification, well utilized by medical professionals to everyday people, this is the course for you. Two days to certification for both levels.
What you can do with your Reiki certification? Anything you choose, from a private practice in Reiki offerings to working in hospice, or just taking care of your own family.
Pam Carlson is one of the few Master Instructors in the area, we are blessed with her teaching at Crystalline / AWAKEN. If you are looking for a great training with an awesome Instructor, this is the program you are looking for.
Click here to register for your Reiki Certification.