[g_podcast id="9314576"]
Today I have an exciting interview about hypnosis for you! I have Mike Schwarz as my guest. He is a certified OMNI hypnotherapist and also an OMNI hypnosis instructor and head of the OMNI hypnosis training center in Constance, Baden and Gran Canaria. He has also developed his own therapy method called "Soul & Parts Therapy".
His areas of specialization are: Burnout/stress, sleep disorders, panic attacks, addictions, children's hypnosis, learning/school, nail biting, stuttering, allergies, migraines and pain.
Interview topics include:
Mike: I had a company in the net sector for a long time. My job was pretty stressful and I never had the chance to slow down, I always had to be present during the vacations.
This took a toll on me physically. I had trouble sleeping, was very nervous in the stomach area and had pressure on my stomach. It got to the point where I had massive digestive problems.
The doctor diagnosed me with classic irritable bowel syndrome. He advised me to take care of my lifestyle and exercise. I decided to leave my company to take more care of myself and give myself a new direction in life.
This change led me to hypnosis and with self-hypnosis, hypnosis meditations and a change of lifestyle, my gut was fine again after a few months. Today I know that I am a gut person. I feel any stress or strain through my stomach. That's how I finally came to hypnosis, which I now do full-time.
How did you get into it?
My partner once said to me, 'Haven't you noticed that you're still biting your fingernails when you could be taking it easy?'
I then googled what could help and that's how I came across hypnosis.
When I started self-hypnosis, I realized that it was very effective. I no longer chew and my stomach is also relaxed.
But I also approached the whole thing very freely, which was my advantage. Many people are anxious or skeptical.
I can imagine that many people think they are being manipulated or losing control.
Are these typical fears that can occur?
Mike: You've hit the nail on the head. These are the main fears. The biggest fear is not being able to decide freely. What's even more exciting is usually the reason for bowel problems. If you feel like you control everything with your head and your mind, you don't listen to your gut and your heart and that's why you usually get these physical symptoms. For all those who have concerns: Hypnosis is an absolutely natural state. Hypnosis is not mindless, has nothing to do with manipulation and you are not asleep.
Does it have anything to do with the subconscious?
Mike: Definitely! And it's important to understand what a subconscious mind is. If I say now that you should raise your arm, you do it consciously. But how high and which arm you lift is unconscious.
Is it a good option to consider hypnosis if you want to do something good for your digestion?
Mike: Definitely! This is where the aspect that we are always emotionally controlled comes into play. The gut reacts quickly to stress. That's why there are so many sayings such as 'The way to the heart is through the stomach' or 'This is causing me stomach pain'. Hypnosis has the aspect that it is a very conscious relaxation method, where the vegetative nervous system calms down - stress is reduced. If you practise hypnosis regularly, you are doing something good for your stomach!
Is self-hypnosis something that is easy to learn? How do you go about it?
Mike: If you have massive bowel problems, I recommend visiting a hypnotherapist who works in a cause-oriented way.
You try to find out which emotions stress you in general and why they stress you in the first place. Imagine if I took you by the hand and we went into your internal library and went from bookcase to bookcase looking for that one book of yours in your life where these emotions were first noted/experienced.
Once I have found this book, I then try to re-evaluate these emotions with you. Back to your question - for self-hypnosis there is an audio that you can listen to and then it is similar to meditation.
Basically you can do it yourself at home and teach yourself (audio, books), but you can also go to a hypnotherapist and have them teach you.
Mike: Basically I always recommend therapists who do cause-oriented regression. There is a standard training program that is very well known throughout Switzerland and Germany. It's called the OMNI method - you can find trained therapists who work in a cause-oriented way at omnifinder.net.
But what I personally find more important is likeability.
Hypnotherapy only works well if you can build a rapport with your therapist and feel comfortable.
That's a very good tip. I've also been hypnotized once, and it was about fear of dogs. I now have a dog myself. I think hypnosis is particularly suitable for fears (fear of flying, etc.).
Mike: There are now over 250 topics that people can solve using hypnosis. It can be used to treat anxiety, eating disorders and addictions. Basically anything that is psychosomatic.
I always recommend that my course participants meditate. There are always people who say 'It's not for me' or 'I can't do it'. I think self-hypnosis would be a good alternative for those who can't just sit still and have to listen to something.
Mike: Exactly! With mediation, the aim is to generate clarity. With self-hypnosis, the aim is more to let yourself sink - to get into this relaxation. But there are a lot of parallels.
When we change our diet because we want to do something good for our gut, in most cases it's a new habit. It works quite well at first, but then there comes a point when old habits come back. I assume that this also has to do with the subconscious. Would hypnosis also be helpful to permanently change these habits?
Mike: Exactly, people often talk about the so-called inner bastard. It's definitely helpful! I'll give you an example of how you can imagine it:
When I was a child, I used to visit my grandma. Every time I went there, she gave me chocolate with a 5-franc piece. And that stuck in my mind - my subconscious always knew 'it's nice at grandma's, there's chocolate'. I once caught myself thinking that if I got my hands on a bar of chocolate, I wouldn't just eat a small piece of it, but almost half the bar. My head told me 'Stop it, Mike. It's too much', but my feeling was different. At some point in my practice, I held this chocolate in my hands again, broke off a row of it, stuffed it in my mouth and was already on the second one - then suddenly the situation with my grandma came to my mind. It just came flooding back. I then put the chocolate down and sort of went into this feeling and then realized 'Aha! Every time I eat chocolate, I basically take back this good feeling that is connected to my grandma! And then I agreed with myself that it didn't have to be that way. And the moment this situation occurred to me, I immediately felt that the feeling had changed. Since then, eating chocolate has been a completely different story for me - I'm no longer in the habit. It's a different feeling and therefore a different behavior. I have a little experiment for you to try. You can see how deep our habits run. Rearrange a few things in your kitchen (move drinking glasses further to the right if they are on the left, or rearrange knives and forks) and see what happens. This is very important. They say it takes between 7 and 21 days to get used to it. With hypnosis, on the other hand, it happens much faster.
You told me that you also offer training courses. Who are they suitable for? Are there any prerequisites?
Mike: I offer 2 training courses. One is basic training and the other is advanced training. The basic training is an intensive training that lasts around 120 hours.
Around 50 hours of this is self-study, 60-70 hours is face-to-face teaching and practising, which we do together.
This basic training is for anyone who wants to change something in their life and/or wants to develop their personality. The training goes so far in terms of knowledge that you can offer therapies yourself afterwards.
The other training is for existing therapists, there are certain requirements for prior knowledge.
Anyone who is interested is welcome to find out more or ask me.
Is there anything else you would like to mention at the end?
Mike: My message to everyone who actually has problems with digestion and bowels is: you can heal yourself. The body has everything it needs to bring everything into balance. The important thing is to perhaps look a little deeper, instead of always "just" changing your diet and running to the doctor to ask yourself, are there perhaps certain issues in my life (ex-relationships, mom, dad) or stress in my life in general.
And in general: trust your body, listen to the signals and symptoms it sends you, these symptoms are just a cry for help and the signal is "Please take care of me". The body is phenomenal at what it can do, and you can give it trust.
So that was our interview! I hope you enjoyed it!
The subject of hypnosis and self-hypnosis is very close to my heart, as I think it is a great way to support lifestyle changes and self-healing powers.
The subconscious mind is a powerful ally in our lives and that's why we address the topic in our Gut Happiness online course, where we also provide all participants with a self-hypnosis audio recorded especially for Gut Happiness.
Because Darmglück is not just about gut cleansing and dietary changes, but also about changing habits and lifestyle so that you don't just feel better in the short term, but so that you have your health under control once and for all.
Now I recommend you subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode, and if you like what you hear, I really appreciate a review on iTunes or Apple Podcast. Because these reviews also help other people find the podcast so we can spread the knowledge about gut and health more.
Today I have an exciting interview about hypnosis for you! I have Mike Schwarz as my guest. He is a certified OMNI hypnotherapist and also an OMNI hypnosis instructor and head of the OMNI hypnosis training center in Constance, Baden and Gran Canaria. He has also developed his own therapy method called "Soul & Parts Therapy".
His areas of specialization are: Burnout/stress, sleep disorders, panic attacks, addictions, children's hypnosis, learning/school, nail biting, stuttering, allergies, migraines and pain.
Interview topics include:
- How his own physical ailments led him to hypnosis
- What the typical fears or prejudices about hypnosis are
- Why hypnosis is such a good method, especially for intestinal complaints
- The difference between hypnosis and meditation
- And: why hypnosis is a great tool for changing your habits quickly
How a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome led to a new career
Mike: I had a company in the net sector for a long time. My job was pretty stressful and I never had the chance to slow down, I always had to be present during the vacations.
This took a toll on me physically. I had trouble sleeping, was very nervous in the stomach area and had pressure on my stomach. It got to the point where I had massive digestive problems.
The doctor diagnosed me with classic irritable bowel syndrome. He advised me to take care of my lifestyle and exercise. I decided to leave my company to take more care of myself and give myself a new direction in life.
This change led me to hypnosis and with self-hypnosis, hypnosis meditations and a change of lifestyle, my gut was fine again after a few months. Today I know that I am a gut person. I feel any stress or strain through my stomach. That's how I finally came to hypnosis, which I now do full-time.
How did you get into it?
My partner once said to me, 'Haven't you noticed that you're still biting your fingernails when you could be taking it easy?'
I then googled what could help and that's how I came across hypnosis.
When I started self-hypnosis, I realized that it was very effective. I no longer chew and my stomach is also relaxed.
But I also approached the whole thing very freely, which was my advantage. Many people are anxious or skeptical.
I can imagine that many people think they are being manipulated or losing control.
Are these typical fears that can occur?
Does hypnosis mean losing control?
Mike: You've hit the nail on the head. These are the main fears. The biggest fear is not being able to decide freely. What's even more exciting is usually the reason for bowel problems. If you feel like you control everything with your head and your mind, you don't listen to your gut and your heart and that's why you usually get these physical symptoms. For all those who have concerns: Hypnosis is an absolutely natural state. Hypnosis is not mindless, has nothing to do with manipulation and you are not asleep.
Does it have anything to do with the subconscious?
Mike: Definitely! And it's important to understand what a subconscious mind is. If I say now that you should raise your arm, you do it consciously. But how high and which arm you lift is unconscious.
Why hypnosis can also support our gut health and digestion
Is it a good option to consider hypnosis if you want to do something good for your digestion?
Mike: Definitely! This is where the aspect that we are always emotionally controlled comes into play. The gut reacts quickly to stress. That's why there are so many sayings such as 'The way to the heart is through the stomach' or 'This is causing me stomach pain'. Hypnosis has the aspect that it is a very conscious relaxation method, where the vegetative nervous system calms down - stress is reduced. If you practise hypnosis regularly, you are doing something good for your stomach!
Is self-hypnosis something that is easy to learn? How do you go about it?
Mike: If you have massive bowel problems, I recommend visiting a hypnotherapist who works in a cause-oriented way.
You try to find out which emotions stress you in general and why they stress you in the first place. Imagine if I took you by the hand and we went into your internal library and went from bookcase to bookcase looking for that one book of yours in your life where these emotions were first noted/experienced.
Once I have found this book, I then try to re-evaluate these emotions with you. Back to your question - for self-hypnosis there is an audio that you can listen to and then it is similar to meditation.
Basically you can do it yourself at home and teach yourself (audio, books), but you can also go to a hypnotherapist and have them teach you.
What should you look for when looking for such a therapist?
Mike: Basically I always recommend therapists who do cause-oriented regression. There is a standard training program that is very well known throughout Switzerland and Germany. It's called the OMNI method - you can find trained therapists who work in a cause-oriented way at omnifinder.net.
But what I personally find more important is likeability.
Hypnotherapy only works well if you can build a rapport with your therapist and feel comfortable.
That's a very good tip. I've also been hypnotized once, and it was about fear of dogs. I now have a dog myself. I think hypnosis is particularly suitable for fears (fear of flying, etc.).
Mike: There are now over 250 topics that people can solve using hypnosis. It can be used to treat anxiety, eating disorders and addictions. Basically anything that is psychosomatic.
I always recommend that my course participants meditate. There are always people who say 'It's not for me' or 'I can't do it'. I think self-hypnosis would be a good alternative for those who can't just sit still and have to listen to something.
Mike: Exactly! With mediation, the aim is to generate clarity. With self-hypnosis, the aim is more to let yourself sink - to get into this relaxation. But there are a lot of parallels.
Why hypnosis is a great tool for changing your habits quickly
When we change our diet because we want to do something good for our gut, in most cases it's a new habit. It works quite well at first, but then there comes a point when old habits come back. I assume that this also has to do with the subconscious. Would hypnosis also be helpful to permanently change these habits?
Mike: Exactly, people often talk about the so-called inner bastard. It's definitely helpful! I'll give you an example of how you can imagine it:
When I was a child, I used to visit my grandma. Every time I went there, she gave me chocolate with a 5-franc piece. And that stuck in my mind - my subconscious always knew 'it's nice at grandma's, there's chocolate'. I once caught myself thinking that if I got my hands on a bar of chocolate, I wouldn't just eat a small piece of it, but almost half the bar. My head told me 'Stop it, Mike. It's too much', but my feeling was different. At some point in my practice, I held this chocolate in my hands again, broke off a row of it, stuffed it in my mouth and was already on the second one - then suddenly the situation with my grandma came to my mind. It just came flooding back. I then put the chocolate down and sort of went into this feeling and then realized 'Aha! Every time I eat chocolate, I basically take back this good feeling that is connected to my grandma! And then I agreed with myself that it didn't have to be that way. And the moment this situation occurred to me, I immediately felt that the feeling had changed. Since then, eating chocolate has been a completely different story for me - I'm no longer in the habit. It's a different feeling and therefore a different behavior. I have a little experiment for you to try. You can see how deep our habits run. Rearrange a few things in your kitchen (move drinking glasses further to the right if they are on the left, or rearrange knives and forks) and see what happens. This is very important. They say it takes between 7 and 21 days to get used to it. With hypnosis, on the other hand, it happens much faster.
Where can I learn more about hypnosis?
You told me that you also offer training courses. Who are they suitable for? Are there any prerequisites?
Mike: I offer 2 training courses. One is basic training and the other is advanced training. The basic training is an intensive training that lasts around 120 hours.
Around 50 hours of this is self-study, 60-70 hours is face-to-face teaching and practising, which we do together.
This basic training is for anyone who wants to change something in their life and/or wants to develop their personality. The training goes so far in terms of knowledge that you can offer therapies yourself afterwards.
The other training is for existing therapists, there are certain requirements for prior knowledge.
Anyone who is interested is welcome to find out more or ask me.
Trust your body and its signals
Is there anything else you would like to mention at the end?
Mike: My message to everyone who actually has problems with digestion and bowels is: you can heal yourself. The body has everything it needs to bring everything into balance. The important thing is to perhaps look a little deeper, instead of always "just" changing your diet and running to the doctor to ask yourself, are there perhaps certain issues in my life (ex-relationships, mom, dad) or stress in my life in general.
And in general: trust your body, listen to the signals and symptoms it sends you, these symptoms are just a cry for help and the signal is "Please take care of me". The body is phenomenal at what it can do, and you can give it trust.
So that was our interview! I hope you enjoyed it!
The subject of hypnosis and self-hypnosis is very close to my heart, as I think it is a great way to support lifestyle changes and self-healing powers.
The subconscious mind is a powerful ally in our lives and that's why we address the topic in our Gut Happiness online course, where we also provide all participants with a self-hypnosis audio recorded especially for Gut Happiness.
Because Darmglück is not just about gut cleansing and dietary changes, but also about changing habits and lifestyle so that you don't just feel better in the short term, but so that you have your health under control once and for all.
Now I recommend you subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode, and if you like what you hear, I really appreciate a review on iTunes or Apple Podcast. Because these reviews also help other people find the podcast so we can spread the knowledge about gut and health more.
