Steve’s Christian-ized Deep Breathing Relaxation Steps

Fix your eyes on something neutral, without really focusing.

Step 1) Take seven (God’s perfect number) very slow and very deep breaths. Say to yourself as you’re doing this, after each breath, as you try to take yourself further from the present: “Deeper and deeper, more and more.” Close your eyes after the third or fourth breath.

Step 2) After the seven breaths, continue breathing deeply and slowly and count down slowly from 10 to 1

Step 3) Working phase:
(a) Visualize what you want to happen.
SUCCESSFUL AND PAIN-FREE SURGERY AND RECOVERY
or RELAXED, PAIN-FREE BCG INSTILLATION PROCESS or CALM AND RELAXATION DURING CYSTOSCOPY.
(b) Then repeat affirmations – I use Phillipians 4:13 “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHO STRENGTHENS ME.” several times.  I find it helpful to stress a different word each time, such as: I CAN do all things…, I can DO all things…, I can do ALL things…, etc. Next I like to repeat the doxology: “PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW.  PRAISE HIM ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW.  PRAISE HIM ABOVE YE HEAVENLY HOSTS.  PRAISE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST.”  Then I wrap up with a benediction: “MAY THE GRACE, PEACE, MERCY, POWER, AND LOVE OF GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT BE AND REMAIN WITH ME NOW AND FOREVER. AMEN.”

Step 4) Continue slow and deep breathing as you count from 1 to 5. At 3 open your eyes, at 5 you will be fully awake, fully relaxed, and fully confident.


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“New Age Guy’s” Secular Hypnosis Instructions

“My hypnotist is a licensed clinical psychologist, not some night club entertainer. I used to worry about my back going out on long distance motorcycle rides and then having to stay for a week in some motel, ruining the ride for me and my friends (like you). So he taught me to learn to hypnotize myself so that I wouldn’t worry about it. Note that it wasn’t designed to cure me of a bad back, but to let me be tranquil about it. Once I had this technique down, I could just wiggle my thumb while I was actually on the bike to go into the semi-trance – it didn’t distract me from paying attention to the ride, and it calmed down the part of me that was worrying about my back. Anytime I started worrying about my back, anywhere, I could just wiggle my thumb and go into the relaxation mode. Below is a summary from the notes he gave me when we finished working together.

Two choices to start: either 1)Roll your eyes back in your sockets (I never did this) or 2)Fix your eyes on something but sort of do it in a trance, without really focusing.

1. Take six very slow and very deep breaths. Say to yourself as you’re doing this, after each breath, as you try to take yourself further from the present: “Deeper and deeper, more and more.”

2. After the breaths count down slowly from #10 to #1

3. Working phase of trance:
(a) Visualize what you want to happen.
(b) Then, after a while, repeat affirmations (positive self statements)*

4. To come out of trance, count from #1 to #5. At number 3 open your eyes, at number 5 you will be fully awake, fully relaxed, and fully confident.

*Below is what I said, with the hypnotists input, to keep my back OK on long motorcycle rides. You should create your own positive self-statement regarding whatever situation you want to make better. Note that this isn’t religious stuff, it’s self-hypnosis to get your mind and body to relax. It’s part of the mind-body connection.

I DEEPLY AND PROFOUNDLY ACCEPT MYSELF EVEN THOUGH I MAY NOT BE CAPABLE OF RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE FREE OF PAIN AND ANXIETY.

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