We know the benefits of mindfulness meditation: “mindfulness” fights mood disorders during menopause, helps children to better overcome their school difficulties, participates in balanced weight loss, soothes the anxiety, pain and tinnitus … This technique which consists in being “simply” present to oneself has long been validated by Science.
Many scientific studies have also looked at the therapeutic virtues of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy, for example, has been found to be effective in stopping smoking, alleviating chronic pain and improving sleep disorders – in addition, doctors are increasingly using medical hypnosis in the operating room, to replace some anesthesia!
Researchers at Baylor University (in the United States) now recommend combining hypnotherapy and mindful meditation to combat stress and anxiety. Their argument is simple: while mindfulness meditation is indeed excellent for health and well-being, this practice is not easily accessible to the general public …
Hypnosis to prepare for mindful meditation
The American researchers (who published their work in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis) therefore suggest using hypnosis as an “introduction” to mindfulness – to maximize its benefits!
For 8 weeks, a group of 42 intensely stressed students benefited from hypnosis sessions for 1 hour per week. The topics covered were intended to familiarize the students with mindfulness meditation: awareness of the present moment, awareness of its 5 senses, compassion for oneself and for others …
Result: After 8 weeks, participants reported lower stress rates and were able to initiate mindful meditation on their own. Hypnosis + meditation: the winning duo!
Read also :
3, 5 or 15 minutes of meditation: the procedure to follow
Meditation at home: 5 tips for getting started
4 ways to manage your anxieties