Long covid is a condition where people continue to experience covid symptoms for several weeks or months after the infection has gone. Some common symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, chest pain and mental health concerns¹.

According to some sources, hypnotherapy may help with long covid by alleviating pain, triggering internal healing and accelerating recovery. Hypnotherapy works with the subconscious mind to make positive changes that may not be possible with other therapies¹. Hypnotherapy can also help with managing the psychological effects of long covid, such as anxiety, depression and stress².

Hypnotherapy may be used as a complementary therapy to support your recovery process, however, hypnotherapy is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. 

If you are interested in trying hypnotherapy for long covid, please make contact with us.

(1) Can hypnotherapy help with long covid? - Hypnotherapy Directory. https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/blog/2021/07/07/can-hypnotherapy-help-with-long-covid Accessed 30/06/2023.
(2) Can Hypnotherapy Help Me Overcome Long COVID? - LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-hypnotherapy-help-me-overcome-long-covid-helen-birch Accessed 30/06/2023.

Anxiety can significantly impact our daily lives, but there is hope for a brighter future. In this blog post, we'll explore how hypnotherapy empowers individuals to overcome anxiety and embrace a life of calm and confidence. Discover the transformative potential of hypnotherapy in addressing anxiety triggers, rewiring thought patterns, and fostering inner resilience. Let's embark on a journey of empowerment and reclaim control over anxiety.

Hypnotherapy and anxiety:

1. Identifying Anxiety Triggers: Hypnotherapy can help you identify and understand the triggers that contribute to your anxiety. By delving into the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy brings awareness to underlying causes and patterns. Through this process, you gain insights that empower you to confront and manage anxiety triggers effectively, leading to a more peaceful and balanced state of being.
2. Rewiring Thought Patterns: Negative thought patterns can perpetuate anxiety. Hypnotherapy works by rewiring these thought patterns and replacing them with positive and empowering beliefs. By accessing the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy helps reframe negative thoughts, cultivate self-compassion, and nurture a more optimistic outlook. This transformational process allows you to build resilience and approach life's challenges with greater confidence.
3. Fostering Inner Resilience: Hypnotherapy provides powerful tools to cultivate inner resilience, helping you navigate anxiety-inducing situations with grace and strength. Through relaxation techniques, visualization exercises, and positive suggestions, hypnotherapy empowers you to tap into your inner resources and develop coping strategies that enhance your overall well-being. You can reclaim control over anxiety and embrace a life of calm and confidence.

Remember, hypnotherapy is most effective when facilitated by a qualified hypnotherapist. They will work closely with you (and, if you wish, with your doctor and any other therapists - for example psychologist/psychiatrist etc) - to tailor the sessions to your specific needs, providing a safe and supportive environment for your transformation.
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Embrace the empowering potential of hypnotherapy and embark on a journey of overcoming anxiety, reclaiming your inner strength, and living a life of tranquility.

​In this post we're discussing: Harnessing the Power of Hypnotherapy and Exploring its Benefits for Grief, Anxiety, and Stress

Introduction:

Hypnotherapy offers a powerful tool for addressing various emotional challenges and improving well-being. In this blog post, we'll explore how hypnotherapy can provide relief and support in coping with common issues such as grief, anxiety, and stress. Discover the transformative potential of hypnotherapy and how it can help you find inner peace and emotional balance. Let's embark on a journey of healing.

Grief:

Grief is a complex emotional journey that can significantly impact our lives. Hypnotherapy can offer support and facilitate healing during times of grief. Through accessing the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy can help you process emotions, find comfort, and promote acceptance. It can assist in releasing emotional blocks, transforming pain into healing energy, and guiding you towards emotional resilience.

Anxiety:

Anxiety can be overwhelming and disrupt daily life. Hypnotherapy provides effective tools to manage anxiety by addressing its root causes. By accessing the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy can help reframe negative thought patterns, reduce anxiety triggers, and by providing a sense of calm and relaxation. It can empower you to develop coping strategies and enhance your overall well-being.

Stress:

​Stress is a prevalent issue in today's fast-paced world. Hypnotherapy offers a holistic approach to manage stress and promote relaxation. By guiding you into a state of deep relaxation, hypnotherapy helps reduce stress levels, reprogram stress responses, and improve overall resilience. It can assist in developing healthy coping mechanisms, fostering a sense of inner peace, and restoring balance to your life.

Remember, hypnotherapy is a complementary approach that works in collaboration with other therapeutic modalities. It is important to consult with a trained hypnotherapist who can tailor the sessions to your specific needs and goals.

Experience the transformative power of hypnotherapy and embark on a journey of healing, emotional well-being, and personal growth.

Welcome to the world of hypnotherapy! In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at what hypnotherapy is and how it works. Discover the fascinating potential of the subconscious mind and how hypnosis can help you overcome challenges and create positive change in your life. Let's dive in!

Hypnotherapy is a powerful therapeutic approach that taps into the subconscious mind to bring about positive change. It involves inducing a relaxed state of focused attention, often referred to as a hypnotic trance. During this trance-like state, the hypnotherapist guides the client through various techniques to access the subconscious mind and address underlying beliefs, patterns, and emotions.

Contrary to popular misconceptions, hypnotherapy is not about mind control or manipulation. It is a collaborative process where the client is an active participant, working in partnership with the hypnotherapist to achieve the desired outcomes.

Hypnosis works by bypassing the critical conscious mind and accessing the subconscious, which is more open to suggestion and change. In this state, the hypnotherapist can help you reframe negative thought patterns, release limiting beliefs, and empower you to make positive changes in your life.

Through the power of suggestion and visualisation, hypnotherapy can help you:

• Manage Stress and Anxiety: Hypnotherapy techniques can promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and help you develop effective coping mechanisms for stress.
• Overcome Fears and Phobias: By accessing the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy can help you uncover the root causes of fears and phobias and guide you towards releasing them.
• Enhance Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem: Hypnosis can assist in building a positive self-image, boosting self-confidence, and cultivating a strong sense of self-worth.
• Support Weight Loss and Healthy Habits: Through hypnotherapy, you can address emotional eating patterns, rewire your relationship with food, and develop healthy habits that support your weight loss journey

Remember, hypnotherapy is a personalised process, and the number of sessions needed can vary depending on individual circumstances. Working with a skilled and certified hypnotherapist ensures that you receive tailored support to address your specific goals and needs.

Unlock the potential of your subconscious mind through hypnotherapy and embark on a transformative journey towards positive change.

​We are offering a Zoom based yoga package for complete beginners. Suitable for all ages, levels of fitness, and body types.

Yoga personalised for your needs and available in the comfort and privacy of your own home. In this package Shanti will gently guide you through your very own yoga classes, designed with your needs in mind. She will work with you, and your needs, to provide live online Zoom classes that will help to achieve your objectives, whether this relates to asanas (physical yoga), Pranayama (breathing) yoga, meditation, or relaxation.

The package includes: initial Zoom meeting to discuss your needs (approximately 20 minutes), plus 4 live online 1-to-1 Zoom yoga sessions (up to 40 minutes each), plus email support. Please email to book: yogawabisabiauckland@gmail.com​

Wellness from your garden?

If you have medicinal, spay free plants, good guidance, and a good recipe, it is quite possible to use your garden as a kind of medicine cabinet. We made calendula oil for a family member who suffers from eczema, and whose body was reacting to years of steroid treatment.

​We support allopathic medicine, but there are times when it doesn't help, or when a two pronged approach may be helpful. We have been influenced by the writings of Dr David Servan-Schreiber, and the oral history passed down from Shanti's grandmother, who taught Shanti the wild plants that could heal. Shanti's grandmother's instructions were practical. In a large field of what looked like identical looking grasses, Shanti's grandmother would pick out that one leaf that could heal a sore stomach. There were many other similar lessons too. Have you used traditional medicines?

We offer Yoga Nidra (for sleep or relaxation), Yoga for Beginners, and Breathe Well (Pranayama) through Zoom. Please email Shanti to book, or if you have any questions. We will arrange a time and content to suit you. All time zones are welcome. Or please visit our EventBrite links for more details: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/o/wabi-sabi-wellness-14925336095

Famed film director, Peter Jackson, recently disclosed that he had considered having hypnotherapy so that he could forget Lord of the Rings, so that he could watch it again as if it was the first time. Although Sir Peter didn't go ahead, it's an interesting story which illustrates the power of hypnosis. 

​Hypnotherapy works! You can feel it!
 
Think about it …
 
• Who would you be if you truly believed in yourself?
• How much better would you feel if you just stopped beating yourself up?
• What if you finally got rid of fear, anxiety, self-doubt?
• What if anger and guilt no longer had any power to control you?
• What if you could finally lose the excess weight?
• What if you could reduce or eliminate physical pain – without any of the negative side-effects of drugs?
 
What if you could start feeling better – physically, mentally, emotionally – right away?
 
Remember: “If you don’t look after your body you’ll have nowhere to live!”

Hypnosis works.

​Contact: yogawabisabiauckland@gmail.com

We've spent some time researching the impact of yoga on the immune system (very good by the way), and one key point is that there are several research papers that show that the use of nasal irrigation (through a special plastic pot from the pharmacy, or a neti pot, and a saline solution) can make a big difference to how many symptoms people get, and how long those symptoms stay. Some of the research involved Corona viruses (not Covid-19 as it is too new) and the results were promising.
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For example, this very recent research from Edinburgh academics shows that nasal irrigation and gargling produced less severe Corona virus symptoms and shorter symptom times. For now New Zealand is in the clear with Covid-19, but this research may also be useful for dealing with colds and flu:

We're taking bookings for in person yoga and hypnotherapy from mid July onwards.

Some of our events are listed here, but please get in touch to discuss your needs. We offer yoga on a 1-to-1 basis or in a small group. We specialise in working with people who have other health needs (for example: breathing issues, cardiac rehabilitation, cancer, depression, substance recovery, trauma, significant weight issues, older adults and people who are unfit and unused to yoga). We are happy to work with your doctor or therapist so that you get the help you need. We use a trauma sensitive approach and we adapt our work to your needs, rather than the other way around. Of course, if you're looking for a high energy approach, we'll happily accompany you to 108 rounds of Salute to the Sun.
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We also offer relaxation and regression hypnotherapy for a wide range of needs including anxiety, stopping smoking, reducing drinking, weight management, and stress.

​Pranayama (or breathing correctly) is central to a well rounded yoga practice. It ranges from simple practices like slowing down your breathing, or counting your breaths in sets of 10, to more advanced practices. What they all have in common is that they lead to better physical and mental health, according to many scientific studies.
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This is a question and answer that we agree with:

As fitness and yoga classes start to reopen we came across this interesting article from the Centers for Disease Control. In the yoga group, no students caught Covid-19, even though their instructor was infected. Other factors may be relevant, and the study isn't definitive, but it does suggest that low intensity yoga is relatively low risk, compared to vigorous group exercises in a confined space. This is reassuring news.

New research indicates that yoga and medication provides significantly better relief for migraine sufferers than medication alone. In this study, the people who participated in yoga had a mix of taught classes and practice at home, and the yoga practice included asanas (physical yoga), breathing, and relaxation. One of the study authors noted that:

There is increasing evidence that yoga may help with depression. In a recent study, discussed on Medscape, it was noted that:

"Yoga appears to improve mood through increased activity of an amino acid neurotransmitter known to influence mood, anxiety, and sleep"

The type of yoga practice explored for this study was a traditional one that combined physical asanas, breathing (pranayama), and relaxation practices. One class per week with shorter home sessions were used.

The lead investigator was Chris Streeter, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts who stated that:

"I think clinicians should consider this as a kind of a 'whole package. It shouldn't be just 'take the pill,' it should be 'take the pill and do some type of stress reduction,' and yoga is certainly acceptable," in terms of doing stress reduction.

Depression is serious. Consulting with your medical doctor is recommended, however, yoga may have an important role to play as part of the package of care.

Please note that we are yoga professionals and not doctors.

If you are reading this, your brain waves are in the beta state. Most meditation involves slowing down the alpha brain waves. This usually produces a relaxed mental state and, over time, a greater ability to not be dominated by our thoughts. Very experienced meditators may reach brain waves at the gamma level.
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Yoga Nidra is a super charged form of guided meditation. It takes you from the beta state through the theta, alpha, and delta brain wave states. At the delta level, you should not be asleep, but in a state of deep calm and relaxation. Yoga practitioners often say that 1/2 an hour of Yoga Nidra is the same as about two hours of actual sleep. Not only can it help you to sleep better, once the Yoga Nidra session is finished, you are likely to feel a deep sense of calm at the same time as feeling refreshed.
Please ask if you have any questions about meditation or Yoga Nidra, or send a message.

In an interesting article, Dr Howard Luks discusses the necessity for exercise, especially for older adults. The loss of muscle, and balance, are factors that can increase the risk of serious falls for seniors. If the fall leads to a broken hip, this may accelerate ageing and the loss of independence.

An exercise programme can include aerobic exercise, resistance training, balance training, breath work, and mobility exercises. A properly designed yoga session can provide some or all of these elements at a level that suits the person, their current level of fitness, and any existing disabilities or illnesses. Chair yoga, and adapted asana poses, are commonly used for older people.

Please note that we are not doctors and we recommend that you take medical advice before beginning a new exercise programme.

A recent study from the University of Edinburgh shows how beneficial yoga is  for older adults.​

Even if you're an older adult who has never practised yoga before, it's never too late to start. Yoga is likely to improve your physical and mental health as long as it is at the right level for you.