Hyp Mama: Lesson 2 - Out Like a Light!

Many of you have seen these posts and expressed interest in finding out more about Hypnobirthing. You can find all the posts I've written about it here:

My Discovery of Hypnobirthing: 

Hypno-What?!

The Hypnobabies Lessons I've blogged through:

Hyp-Mama: Zero Day 

Hyp-Mama: Lesson 1 - The Power of Words

Hyp-Mama: Lesson 2 - Out Like a Light!

Hyp-Mama: Lesson 3 - Blissfully Numb

Hyp-Mama: Lessons 4&5 - Push it to the Limit

Hyp-Mama: The Grand Finale - Ethan's Birth Story! 

And also be sure visit the Hypnobabies website, www.hypnobabies.com, for more great information. (Some of the Hypnobabies links embedded in my posts may be outdated since Hypnobabies has updated their website). If you have any questions or want more details, please feel free to send me a message and ask away!

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Okay, so I know I've been slacking on my hypno-blogging. But better late than never, right? Thanks to my incredibly devoted husband, I'm now back on track and (may!) even get through all the lessons before our little guy makes his arrival.

So without further ado, here's Lesson 2!

In this lesson's the 30-min relaxation sessions on the CDs, "deepening" techniques are introduced. These techniques are meant to help reach the most relaxed state possible more quickly than we would in everyday life, and involve concepts like deep breathing, creating a "special place" and "bubble of peace," and finally, the "light switch" concept. The "special place and "bubble of peace" help create a state of mind where you feel safe and comfortable so you can allow your mind to fully relax and let go of any anxiety; the "bubble of peace," also allows you to create a visual barrier which prevents negative thoughts, stories, and ideas from affecting your ability to stay relaxed and positive.

The kids' lightswitch--cutest
around! If only it
calmed them down too...

The "lightswitch" is another visual used to help a woman distinguish between the three different states of that she may experience during her birthing time (and during practice):

-the non-hypnotic state
-the complete hypnotic state 
-the 'eyes-open' hypnotic state (as Hypnobabies calls it)

The "lightswitch" helps you control the hypnotic state you choose to enter any given time. In Hypnobabies book, there's a great cartoon drawing of a woman with a switch on the back of her neck...almost like a robot person in one of those sci-fi movies. When the switch is all the way up, you're "on," or in the non-hypnotic state. When it's down, you're "off," or in the completely relaxed hypnotic state. In this state, you're in a completely supported position (sitting or lying down), your eyes are closed, all of your muscles are completely relaxed, you feel no need to move (in theory!), and you're completely content. When the switch is in the middle, you're in the "eyes-open" hynotic state, which means that you are still completely relaxed, but can open your eyes, talk, and move around while still maintaining a relaxed and positive state of mind. This is essential for the natural birthing process, which encourages movement (walking, squatting, sitting on a birthing ball, etc.) to help the baby descend and arrive without delay, as opposed to a woman lying down with her feet up in stirrups, which requires her to have to work harder, fight gravity, and possibly delay the entire process. (No, thank you!)

Now in theory, you should feel no need to move around if your lightswitch is off. Not so much for me. Maybe I'm just fidgety, but it's always as soon as I "turn off" my lightswitch that my legs feel jumpy or I need to itch my nose or something. So I make use of the "middle switch" quite often...flip it to "middle" to adjust a pillow, scratch an itch, roll over, whatever. I probably do so more often than I should, but hey, I want to be comfortable! And if my last birthing experience is at all telling, the concepts worked wonderfully even if I was a horrible student!

When the lightswitch is truly "off," though, is the time to practice "deepening" techniques. One of the Lesson 2 sessions devoted to creating that "bubble of peace" as well as a "special place." I spend a good deal of time flipping my lightswitch back and forth to get comfortable, but once relaxed enough, I love drifting off to my special place (or in many cases, off to sleep).

'Home'

As I've mentioned before, one of the most peaceful places I've ever encountered is the Catholic Chapel at West Point. I spent four years of my childhood getting to know the place, and when I returned to West Point for college, it became my second home. I spent many a Wednesday night there in the quiet, dimly lit chapel, pouring my heart out to God with the beauty of stained glass and a few flickering candles surrounding me and a soft glow from the altar in front of me. Just thinking of it now sends a feeling of warmth and contentment through me. Exactly the feeling you want to channel during the most difficult work of your life! When I did this last time during the birthing process--imagining myself in that amazingly peaceful place and remembering with all the sights and smells and feelings--it helped keep me relaxed enough to work with the birthing process and keep my discomfort to a minimum.

The Chapel!

So it turns out that all those daydreams they depict in movies, (you know, when the main character is lying on a pristine beach with a mouth-watering cocktail while island beauties fan him with palm fronds) really are worth something!

Still skeptical? Try it!
(I dare you)!

Next time you have a moment (when you know) you won't be distracted, close your eyes and imagine the last place you felt truly peaceful and comfortable. Picture the details, the colors, all the sounds and smells and sensations. Build it up in your mind for a minute or two, remembering why you felt so peaceful and comfortable there. Chances are you'll find that your breathing is a little calmer, your jaw isn't so tight, and your muscles are a bit more relaxed. Call it what you will--hypnosis, meditation, simple relaxation--but somehow, no matter what stressors you have in your life at the moment, you'll probably feel a good bit lighter after just a few minutes in that special place! Pretty sweet, huh?

You just might have to make a return trip...