Calming the Anxious Mind

I'm going to hypnotize you now. [4 second pause] You are already ready for this. [5 second pause] You know it, don't you? [6 second pause] Settle into your position, whether sitting or lying down, and let your hands rest naturally at your sides or on your lap. [5 second pause] You can begin with your eyes open or closed, whichever feels right. [5 second pause] During this session, you will experience a focused state of attention where your mind becomes highly receptive to calming suggestions. [5 second pause] You will remain aware and in control at all times. [5 second pause] Your mind may accept the suggestions that serve it now and set aside any that do not. [6 second pause] Any sounds you hear, inside or outside, simply help you relax more deeply. [6 second pause] You are safe here. [5 second pause] Let's begin. [8 second pause]

Focus your eyes on a point in front of you, real or imagined, and keep them there. [6 second pause] As you hold that gaze, notice your breathing becoming slower and slower. [7 second pause] Each breath you take draws you inward. [6 second pause] Your eyelids are growing heavier. [7 second pause] Wanting to close. [6 second pause] You can always open your eyes, because hypnosis is a state of mind, not a state of eyelids. [7 second pause] But for now, let them drift closed. [8 second pause] Close them now and feel the wave of relaxation wash over you. [8 second pause] Starting at the top of your head, a warm, soothing energy begins to spread. [6 second pause] Down through your forehead. [5 second pause] Your temples. [5 second pause] The muscles around your eyes releasing completely. [7 second pause] Your jaw loosening, teeth slightly apart. [6 second pause] Down through your neck and shoulders, letting them drop away from your ears. [7 second pause] Heavy and relaxed. [8 second pause] Down through your arms, all the way to your fingertips. [6 second pause] Your chest rising and falling with each calm breath. [7 second pause] Your stomach softening. [6 second pause] Your legs growing loose and limp. [7 second pause] All the way down to your toes. [8 second pause] You are relaxing deeply now. [8 second pause]

Imagine standing at the top of a beautiful, gentle staircase. [7 second pause] There are ten steps leading down, and at the bottom is a large, welcoming door. [6 second pause] Behind that door is the most peaceful place you can imagine. [7 second pause] With each step down, your relaxation doubles. [8 second pause] Ten. [8 second pause] Stepping down, feeling heavier and more relaxed. [7 second pause] Nine. [7 second pause] Sinking deeper. [6 second pause] Eight. [6 second pause] Letting go more and more. [7 second pause] Seven. [7 second pause] Deeper still. [6 second pause] Six. [6 second pause] Halfway there, completely calm. [7 second pause] Five. [7 second pause] Further down. [6 second pause] Four. [6 second pause] So loose and limp. [7 second pause] Three. [7 second pause] Almost there. [6 second pause] Two. [6 second pause] Sinking into pure peace. [7 second pause] One. [8 second pause] You reach the bottom and the door opens before you. [8 second pause] Step through into your peaceful place. [8 second pause] Notice what you see around you. [7 second pause] The colors, the light, the shapes. [7 second pause] Notice what you hear, perhaps a gentle breeze or distant, soothing sounds. [7 second pause] Feel the ground beneath your feet, solid and supportive. [8 second pause] Breathe in the air here. [6 second pause] It smells fresh and clean. [8 second pause] You are completely safe, completely at peace. [10 second pause]

In this peaceful place, find a comfortable spot to rest. [7 second pause] Perhaps a soft bed of moss, or a warm, supportive cloud that fits your body perfectly. [8 second pause] As you settle into it, feel it conforming to your shape, holding you gently. [8 second pause] With every breath out, you sink a little deeper into this comfort. [7 second pause] Every exhale carries away any remaining tension. [7 second pause] Like a white mist leaving your body. [8 second pause] Sinking deeper. [7 second pause] Deeper still. [10 second pause] Your heart beats steadily, rhythmically, and each beat takes you deeper. [8 second pause] You may feel tingling, warmth, or a pleasant sense of detachment. [7 second pause] All of these are good signs. [7 second pause] Signs that you are letting go. [10 second pause] Letting go of worry. [7 second pause] Letting go of tension. [7 second pause] Letting go of the need to control anything at all. [10 second pause] Just resting here. [12 second pause]

Your mind is powerful and wise. [7 second pause] And right now, your mind is learning a new way to respond. [8 second pause] You know that your breath continues on its own, without effort. [7 second pause] You know that your heart beats without you thinking about it. [8 second pause] And in the same way, you can trust your body to find calm and ease, naturally and automatically. [8 second pause] Anxiety is just energy, and that energy can flow. [7 second pause] It can move through you and away from you, like a river passing by. [8 second pause] You don't have to hold onto it. [7 second pause] You don't have to fight it. [8 second pause] You can simply let it pass. [10 second pause] You see through the eyes of someone who is calm and at ease. [8 second pause] You are someone who handles life's challenges with a quiet, steady confidence. [8 second pause] Your nervous system is rebalancing itself right now. [7 second pause] Learning that safety is your natural state. [8 second pause] Peace is your natural state. [10 second pause] Each time you listen to this session, you go deeper, more easily. [7 second pause] Each time, the calm grows stronger. [8 second pause] Self-confidence is steadily building within you. [7 second pause] Calm, clear thinking is replacing worry. [8 second pause] You are feeling better each and every day. [10 second pause]

In a moment, we'll imagine a time in the near future. [7 second pause] See yourself tomorrow, waking up and starting your day. [8 second pause] Notice how different it feels. [7 second pause] There is a lightness in your chest. [7 second pause] Your breathing is easy and natural. [8 second pause] You move through your morning with a quiet sense of confidence. [8 second pause] And if a challenge arises, you meet it with calm clarity. [8 second pause] You don't react with fear or tension. [7 second pause] You respond from that deep, centered place of peace within you. [10 second pause] Now see yourself a week from now. [8 second pause] You're even more relaxed. [7 second pause] More at ease in your own skin. [8 second pause] The people around you notice it too. [7 second pause] You are more present, more engaged, more yourself. [10 second pause] And a month from now, that anxious energy feels like a distant memory. [8 second pause] Not because you fought it, but because you let it go. [8 second pause] You replaced it with something better. [7 second pause] With ease. [7 second pause] With trust in yourself. [8 second pause] With a deep, abiding sense of peace. [12 second pause]

Before you return to full awareness, I want you to know that you can access this calm state anytime you need it. [8 second pause] Simply take a slow, deep breath, silently count three, two, one, and touch your thumb to your forefinger. [8 second pause] Your mind and body will remember this peace and begin to return to it. [10 second pause] Now, it's time to come back. [7 second pause] One. [6 second pause] Returning to awareness, feeling your body resting where you are. [7 second pause] Two. [6 second pause] Whole body comfortable and at ease. [7 second pause] Three. [6 second pause] Refreshed in mind and body, calm and clear. [7 second pause] Four. [6 second pause] Eyes feeling sparkling and clear, ready to open. [7 second pause] Five. [6 second pause] Fully aware now. [5 second pause] Take a deep breath and have a gentle stretch. [8 second pause]

You have done wonderful work here today. [7 second pause] Remember that the calm you've accessed is always within you. [8 second pause] It's not something you have to create. [7 second pause] It's something you simply allow. [8 second pause] Return to this session as often as you like, and each time, you'll find it easier and more natural to let go. [8 second pause] Be gentle with yourself. [7 second pause] You are doing beautifully. [8 second pause] Until next time, be well. [10 second pause]