Self Hypnosis and Aikido: The Self is a Relationship

The Self is a Relationship
Self hypnosis is a fascinating and complex subject. I believe that most people develop an interest in self hypnosis because they want to be able to live a life of greater fulfillment. People have a desire to accomplish certain goals that they currently seem incapable of achieving, and thus they have an inkling that there must be "a better way." It is important to remember:
THE SELF IS A RELATIONSHIP- BOTH INTRAPERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL.

"Who am I? I am a relationship. I choose to, and I have the right to, feel good and be respected. I am."

When we are feeling stuck we might think of self hypnosis like this: "There is a part of me that wants to get another part of me to change. And the annoying thing is that the part of me that 'I' want to change does not appear to be open to my suggestions!" In such instances, "What we have here is a failure to communicate."

For instance, people often say to me: "Why is it that when 'I' want to 'lose weight', 'stop smoking', 'get up earlier in the morning', that there is somehow, somewhere a hidden part of me that very much does not want to accomplish these same goals? Why does this conflict exist and how can I get 'myself' to do what 'I' want to do?" Self relations therapy would call this hidden part that is not cooperating "the neglected self." Other forms of therapy would talk about "the subconscious mind" or "the unconscious mind." Seishindo presents the concept of "the somatic self." What we are striving for in self hypnosis is developing a context of cooperative communication. We need to learn how to respectfully communicate with the hidden parts of one's self, and in the process, enlist the resources of the entire self in order to bring about a more balanced life. This is the main task of self hypnosis.

Cooperation
One of the reasons that the martial art Aikido works so effectively (when and if it is done with the proper ideals in mind) is that the practitioner has no intent to harm or force the attacker, and somehow this message gets communicated nonverbally and changes the attacker's mindset.

In Aikido we attempt to cooperate with the attacker and touch their true desire. When we are able to accomplish this the musculature of the attacker softens and their fighting mind is neutralized. The goal is to protect the one being attacked, as well as protecting the attacker. We strive to blend with the energy and attempted goals of the attacker rather than confronting them.

In Aikido we say:
"Change yourself first, before looking to change your opponent, and in the process, you might find that your opponent has changed himself." "First learn to control your self and then look to lead others gently. Help the attacker to get what he wants without his needing to use violence to achieve his goals."

In self hypnosis we can say:
"Change the mindset of your cognitive self first, before looking to change your somatic self, and in the process, you might just find that your somatic self will change itself." "Control your cognitive self and gently lead your somatic self. Help the cognitive self to get the appropriate results it desires, without it needing to resort to manipulation and conflict. If your cognitive self is not getting the results it desires, then what will your cognitive self need to do to change itself, in order to more fully align with your somatic self?"

Or yet another way to say this is: "The solution your cognitive self is attempting to implement is instrumental to the continuance of the problem. If you implement the 'right' solution, you will likely find that there is no problem. With a high quality solution in hand, the problem ceases to exist."

You are invited to experiment with our self hypnosis practices drawing from the wisdom of the Japanese martial art Aikido, the Japanese health management system of "Sei Tai" and melding this knowledge with concepts from Ericksonian Psychology, Self Relations Therapy, and NLP.

Charlie Badenhop is the originator of Seishindo, an Aikido instructor, NLP trainer, and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. Benefit from his thought-provoking ideas and a new self-help Practice every two weeks, by subscribing to his complimentary newsletter for individuals and professionals.

Charlie's Self Hypnosis and Mindfulness Practices can help you to dramatically slow down and experience your life from a heartfelt timeless perspective. Familiarize yourself with the Seishindo approach to Self Hypnosis or try the Somatic Self Hypnosis Practice right now!

Charlie Badenhop, 2005. You have permission to publish this article electronically free of charge, as long as the bylines with the active links are included and you don't sell the article to others.

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