Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are supposed to help us tap inner power and intelligence to create a better life outwardly and to experience more enjoyable emotional states inwardly. We can name this power and intelligence, Inner Guidance.

Some people are inclined to have an orientation of Self Power. These people insist on an orientation of self-reliance. Some people have an orientation of Other Power and these people are willing to ask for help.

Self Power people will consider messages from Inner Guidance to be their own inner voice.

Other Power people, while having their own inner voice, are happy and willing to call for aid from other Higher Powers and accept Inner Guidance from Inner Guides.

Both kinds of people may feel blocked from accessing Inner Guidance (of either type) by the chatter of their minds. Both may think, "I have to stop this chatter" when they want to access inner guidance. Such thinking generally just becomes part of the chatter and frustration arises.

The Secret: never fight with your blocks. Never try to stop blocking chatter. Instead shift to thinking about what you want. For example, to access Inner Guidance, ignore your chattering mind, close your eyes, take a deep breath and think, "Guidance" as you exhale. Do this for a few breathes, then rest with normal breathing and calmly think "Guidance" every few seconds with a sense of offering all your concerns to "Guidance."

Notice what comes.

Do this simple practice repeatedly during the day, giving yourself shorts breaks to tap into inner support, however you conceive of it. Find out how you feel at the end of a day of such practice in self care staying attuned to "Guidance."

Jack Elias

Jack Elias is the founder and director of the Institute for Therapeutic Learning, a licensed Vocational School in Seattle, Washington, which trains and certifies Transpersonal Clinical Hypnotherapists. The author of the internationally acclaimed book, Finding True Magic, Jack has been training hypnotherapists and maintaining a private counseling practice since 1988. Mr. Elias presents a unique synthesis of Eastern and Western perspectives on the nature of consciousness and communication. He teaches simple, yet powerful techniques to help people achieve their highest personal and professional goals. Since 1967 he has studied Eastern meditation, philosophy and psychology with recognized masters such as Shunryo Suzuki Roshi and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Mr. Elias offers dynamic experiential workshops, seminars and certification trainings with on-site and distance learning options. His trainings are eligible for credit at various universities, and for RN CEU?s.