0:02Hi, everyone.
0:03Welcome back to the Change Your Mind podcast.
0:05I'm your host, Kris Ashley.
0:07I explore the intersection between personal development, spirituality and science.
0:12And today I have a guest.
0:13So that's gonna talk about a topic that I'm really excited about and that is hypnosis and hypno birthing.
0:19So, Patty Castellano, a mom of two with a master's degree in mental health counseling, a certification in clinical hypnosis from the International Association for Counselors and Therapists and a certification as a hypnobirthing, childbirth educator through hypnobirthing.
0:37International Patti empowers individuals to break through subconscious patterns of behavior and limiting belief.
0:43So, welcome Patti.
0:44I'm really excited to have you here.
0:46Hi, I'm Kris.
0:47When I was younger I went through trauma that caused me to feel broken and lost.
0:52But my life changed after I had a spiritual awakening.
0:55Since then, I've dedicated my life to studying and learning from masters all around the world that have helped me to create a life of fulfillment and abundance beyond my wildest dreams.
1:05Now I'm dedicated to sharing everything I've learned so that you don't have to suffer for decades.
1:09Like I did, I've seen people's lives completely transform and I share it all right here.
1:17Hey, Kris.
1:18Thank you so much for having me.
1:20I absolutely love talking about hypnosis, the power of the mind and how it empowers women and mothers to use it for birth.
1:29So, thank you so much for having me.
1:32Yeah, absolutely.
1:33So hypnosis that I love talking about as well and it, it's a tool that I've used throughout my healing journey.
1:42Over the last two decades, I've used it in, in various ways through past life progression, hypnosis through, I work with a hip hypnotist.
1:52I have for several years now just on whatever's going on in my life.
1:56She, I go and see her for a session.
1:58We record a little track, a 20 minute track and then she hands it over to me and I get to listen to it over and over again.
2:06Actually, my husband has it like memorized because I usually fall asleep to it and he like knows it by heart now.
2:12And yeah, and also, you know, no secret on the show.
2:16I'm pregnant and I'm gonna be doing hypno birthing myself.
2:20So I'm really excited to dive into all of it with you.
2:23And, you know, let's, let's talk about hypnosis as if the audience doesn't know anything about it because sometimes, you know, I, I like to demystify a lot of the things that we have on the show.
2:37So can you tell us a little bit about, you know, the process of hypnosis what it means to hypnotize someone.
2:45Absolutely.
2:46And I love how you said, let's talk about it as if most people don't even know what it is because the truth is a lot of people think about hypnosis through the myths and the misconceptions that are out there.
2:59Right.
3:00I mean, stage hypnosis is a lot of fun and everybody loves going to stage hypnosis shows.
3:06But the truth is that's only one part of hypnosis.
3:11And many of us are actually in hypnosis throughout our day and we don't even understand what it means.
3:21I mean, have you ever gotten into the car and started driving somewhere?
3:26Maybe you got a call from somebody and all of a sudden you get into this awesome conversation, you get to where you're going, you don't even realize how long you've been driving.
3:37But that conversation was so good that it really helped you get where you were going faster and easier.
3:45Yeah.
3:45That's,, it's funny you said that that's actually one of the examples I give when I try and explain what the alpha brainwave state to people.
3:53So, yes, absolutely.
3:56That's the process of hypnosis.
3:59Another thing.
4:00Have you ever started reading a book and all of a sudden you're like, oh, ok.
4:05Fine.
4:06I'm just gonna read like a chapter or maybe two and before you know, it, you're completely sucked into the book and you can't even put it down and, you know, it's two o'clock in the morning.
4:16You should get to sleep, but you really can't put it down.
4:20That's a process of hypnosis.
4:22Or how about Netflix?
4:25Netflix is really that thing that gets you hooked.
4:31Right?
4:31You start watching one episode and you're like, oh, you know what, I'll just watch an episode maybe, maybe two if time permits.
4:39And before you know it, you've been binge watched the entire season and you don't even want to go to sleep.
4:47Well, that's a process of hypnosis or how about that time that maybe you turned on, you know XM radio or you popped on a song from your playlist and all of a sudden you're transported back to an incredible time in your life that triggered a memory that's tapping into your subconscious mind.
5:09OK.
5:10So, so I think all of these examples are things people can totally relate to.
5:14So, you know, if someone's listening to this and they're like, how's that hypnosis explain that that's the process of tapping into your subconscious mind, you see, our memories are stored in our subconscious mind through that process of mental, emotional, physical, and sometimes even spiritual connections.
5:37So therefore, when we go back and we really understand what that subconscious mind is.
5:45It's essentially that part of us and it's kind of working in the background, right?
5:50It's a collection of our habits, our experiences and our patterns that really create where we are now.
5:57So nobody had to teach us how to drive.
5:59Nobody had to teach us how to get hooked onto a song that is tied to a memory.
6:05All of those things are experiences that become a part of us and we're able to use the resources that we have, which are things that helped us get through experiences in order to help us really manage whatever stressors we have in our lives.
6:25Yeah.
6:25So that's so it's interesting.
6:27So, you know, when I think when I teach about the subconscious mind, a lot of what I teach about is, you know, we we often need to reprogram it, right?
6:36Because so much of what is our subconscious mind is built around is what happened before the age of seven, right?
6:44Because kids until they're the age of seven are in a theta brainwave state.
6:47So they're just, they're like literally sponges, they're just soaking it all up.
6:51It's like they're programmable, they're just downloading information.
6:55So, you know, can you talk a little bit about like, can the subconscious mind be reprogrammed?
7:00And is that what you use hypnosis for?
7:03That is what we use hypnosis for.
7:06And hypnosis is something that of course you can do with a practitioner such as myself, such as, you know, anybody that you would meet with.
7:17But it's also something that we can do on our own.
7:20Like you mentioned the recording that then your hypnosis practitioner gives you, right?
7:26And after the age of seven, we really are functioning on a lot of patterns and habits that we go through.
7:35So therefore, when we talk about rewiring the mind or even reprogramming the mind, it's about really breaking through some of those patterns that have been created.
7:48And if I can be honest, some of those patterns aren't even our fault.
7:53They can be things that absolutely, they can be things that maybe we've heard right.
8:00Things that somebody else said experiences that we've seen or maybe even things that we perceived.
8:11The truth of the matter is that the patterns that we experience at the time aren't even our to begin with.
8:19Absolutely.
8:20Especially when we're talking about a child.
8:21Right?
8:22Your, your inner voice, your lens, your belief system is formed from the opinions of the adults.
8:29You grew up around cultural conditioning, that teacher that said, hey, you're a really good singer or you're not that good at math.
8:35So, absolutely.
8:37And I think I really love that you use the word perception.
8:40Can you talk a little bit more about what you mean by that?
8:42Because I talk about that a lot too.
8:43And I think it's important to, to repeat as many times as needed.
8:50Absolutely.
8:51You see, we have a lens, we have a viewpoint from which we see the world and that lens can be clouded depending on the experiences that we've had, whether they have been, you know, difficult experiences, experiences, I have called resentment.
9:11Maybe things that we're holding on to that create that viewpoint.
9:17And in order to be able to shift into a new way of thinking, a new way of experiencing a new perspective, we have to be able to think beyond whatever, you know, is potentially blocking that viewpoint.
9:34Maybe that is a fear or a stressor, maybe that's something that we've created for ourselves as a sense of protection that is keeping us safe or maybe that's just something that we're holding on to because it's easier to hold on to than to do something else.
9:56So therefore, when we begin to break through some of those patterns, some of those experiences that we've had when we get, when we begin to actually shift into a new way of thinking a new way of believing, then we actually begin to reprogram our minds, reprogram our experiences so that we begin to create new neural pathways in our brain to be able to build that new source of safety.
10:26I love so much of what you just shared.
10:28So I, I like that you, you mentioned that it might have kept us safe at one point.
10:32You know, sometimes I talk about it, it's like we have this armor we put on ourselves and it might have, it might have kept you safe at one point.
10:40But maybe now it's not doing so much for you.
10:43Right?
10:43It's getting rusty, it's getting stiff, it's getting stuck and sometimes it's hard to take that armor off.
10:49So, you know, do most people understand that this, that they have these perceptions or are most people just kind of like living their life through this filter?
11:01And you're nodding already?
11:03So, I want to hear what you have to say, maybe, you know, where I'm going with it?
11:07E exactly, most people actually don't know what they don't know.
11:14Right.
11:15They're living their lives and they're doing what they're doing half the time.
11:19They're like, well, why do I keep meeting the same kinds of people?
11:24Why do I keep doing the same things over and over again?
11:28Why do I keep pleasing other people and breaking, you know, my own boundaries when the truth is I just want to live my life.
11:39Why, why, why, why, why?
11:41And those whys are usually the reason why people actually say I've got to do something different, but people have no idea that they're living their lives out of a particular filter that usually isn't serving them until all of a sudden it's like, whoa, hold on.
12:02This is all making sense now.
12:04And that typically happens when somebody begins to say, hey, how about we look at this, this and this that's actually going on in your life?
12:17And what if we instead consider this and then all of a sudden everything opens up for them?
12:26Yeah.
12:26You know, I was literally right before this having a conversation with someone.
12:30So I have you read the book how to win friends and influence people.
12:34I have actually a couple of times.
12:38Yeah.
12:38So, exactly.
12:39So, I, I had read it once and it's, it's been a while and I was just the other day, like a week ago, out of nowhere.
12:45I was like, oh, you know, I'm gonna re listens to it and I, I've only listened to the first part of it so far but I had this moment where it was almost disheartening because,, who is it?
12:57Dale Carnegie, right.
12:59Yeah.
13:00It's Dale Carnegie for listeners,, was saying that, you know, we, we all validate ourselves, right?
13:08It's very, very rare that someone, if they screw something up or they mess up or they make a mistake, thinks in their mind.
13:16Oh, that was my fault.
13:18I made that mistake instead, they're thinking they're, they're thinking about how it's not their fault, how it's someone else's fault, how they did everything, right?
13:27How, maybe they're being blamed unfairly or, you know, whatever it is, but they're, they're not taking the responsibility onto themselves.
13:37Right.
13:38And, and, and as you know, maybe a third party knowing that someone made a mistake and, and not being able to, like, own up to it is kind of a, it's, it's an interesting, we'll say, kind of a psychological thing to witness.
13:55So, you know, how does that play into all this?
14:00Well, when somebody begins to take personal responsibility for their actions, then they can take accountability.
14:10And you see one thing I tell people all the time is that just because something is happening doesn't mean that you can't influence it, right?
14:24Because the truth of the matter is when we accept things for what they really are, then we can make the next best intentional choice for ourselves and accepting something doesn't mean we like, it doesn't mean we don't like it, it just means that it is what it is.
14:45So therefore, when we begin to accept things for what they are, we can then take personal accountability, personal responsibility for whatever it is that we need to do in our lives.
15:01And when we begin to do that, then all of a sudden we stop the blame game, we stop pointing fingers and instead we begin to let go of the things that we can't control to be able to take back control of the things in our lives that we in fact can control.
15:26Yeah.
15:27And I think I, I love what you said and I think, II, I think that's an issue happening with society right now is that it's almost become trendy to be a victim and to place blame on others and to put everything on an outside force, whether it's a person or a situation or a circumstance, rather than stepping into your own power and taking responsibility for your life.
15:54So OK, so here's a question for you and you, you and I'm asking because you were talking about once you see things how they really are, do you think people can ever see things how they really are?
16:05Like the, the pure objective truth?
16:07Because we all see things through our own lens, like we've been talking about like, right.
16:11That's why eyewitness, testimonies are so unreliable because 10 different people could witness something and see it from 10 different points of view.
16:18Like, can people ever get to that objective point?
16:22Well, that objective point is yours and yours alone and it's mine and mine alone and it's, you know, individual to whoever it is because the truth of the matter is, it can absolutely be subjective.
16:41But it's your truth.
16:42It's my truth.
16:43It's our truth.
16:45And when we are able to live and own our truth, then we're able to take personal responsibility to make the best choices for ourselves.
16:55Because here's the thing, everybody is gonna come at us with their own opinions, their own expectations and their own ideas of how we should all live our lives.
17:07And then we turn around and we blame other people when things don't work out for us.
17:13But we never did it according to what was right for us, we did it according to what was right based on everybody else's expectations and opinions.
17:23So when we're able to take personal responsibility and accountability based on what is right for ourselves, then we can actually do things that are based on our reality, our truth and move from there.
17:39Not because somebody else told us what we had to do.
17:43Yeah.
17:43I mean, it's interesting, like every time you have a conversation with someone you're not having a conversation with that person, you ever having a conversation with their lens, their belief system, the opinions of the adults, they grew up around, right?
17:54Their, their perceptions.
17:57So, ok, you're talking about everyone has their own truth, but someone's truth can be a delusion, right?
18:04Because there is like an ultimate truth, like if there's a car accident, right?
18:08And, and I'm, I'm just genuinely curious about this.
18:11I'm not trying to put you on the spot because it's just a fascinating, you know, thing to think about, let's say there's a car accident, there's, there's very specific truth, but all of these different people are seeing it through their own lens.
18:23So, so how can how can each person have their own truth when there is a truth?
18:30Well, how are you choosing to relate to the world?
18:33Right?
18:34And from a mental wellness perspective, you also have to look at how are you feeling internally?
18:44How are you relating to the world?
18:46How are you relating to yourself?
18:49Do you feel congruent with the way that this truth is affecting you?
18:54And also how are all of the different patterns and habits that you're creating in your life aligned with the way that you're living your life?
19:04Because you're right.
19:05There can be a lot of disparities that if you're living according to a delusion, then that absolutely is not mental wellness.
19:15Instead that is something that is very different than, you know, somebody who's living according to their truth.
19:25But if you're living in a way that is authentic and it's healthy and is relating to other people, both socially and also personally, then in that case, you absolutely are living about a truth.
19:46All right.
19:47So I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna ask one more question on this to play devil's advocate and then we can move on.
19:52And again, it's just because I'm super curious and I was just having a conversation with someone about all this beforehand and I just think it's really fascinating to think about.
20:02So if someone is blaming a person for something that they perceive that person to have done and that person didn't do that thing, but the person a who's blaming them is living according to their truth and their perception.
20:22How does, how does, how do you, how do you how do you come to terms with that?
20:29How do you deal with that?
20:31How do you, how do you, how does that person ever find healing?
20:34How does the person who's being accused of something ever find justice?
20:39How do you, how do you navigate all that?
20:42That's a really good question.
20:45And it always goes back to one very important part, right?
20:53As a recipient of something that for whatever reason is being said to you that is untrue or that is invalid.
21:05The truth is not, everybody is going to provide you with what you need.
21:13Not everything is gonna be valid or fulfilling.
21:19And sometimes if whatever it is that you are the recipient of whether it's a blame.
21:28Sometimes it's about recognizing and owning your story, owning who you are and also being ok with the fact that not everybody is gonna understand what your story is.
21:47Some people for whatever reason are gonna have their very own version of what a story is and they're never gonna be able to meet you halfway or even provide you what you need.
22:03So at that point, I'm gonna be honest with you, healing comes from the ability to recognize boundaries, right?
22:12To be able to go back to like we were talking about self hypnosis earlier and owning your source of safety almost as if you can imagine it as a bubble that you create around yourself and recognizing that there are certain things that you can absolutely let go of and that's it, let go of the fact that that person is never gonna give you what you need and they are never gonna be able to provide you with that truth.
22:44And that's ok.
22:46You can let go of that.
22:47You can choose to leave them just outside of that, you know, life, that daily life that you live.
22:55If it's somebody that for whatever reason you need to interact with on a regular basis, then you can just choose to remain civil and make sure that you understand what you can and you can't receive from that person.
23:15Yeah, thank you so much.
23:18OK, so let's get back to hypnosis.
23:20Thanks for indulging me because it's just, it's so fascinating talking about psychology and perception and lens and I just, I love hearing people's perspective on it.
23:32So, thank you.
23:33So you mentioned use the phrase you can build new neural pathways.
23:38You can you talk a little bit about that?
23:40Is that something that hypnosis helps you do?
23:42And what does that look like inside your brain?
23:45Absolutely.
23:46Well, here's the thing, our nervous system is actually very much connected to our experiences, our thoughts, our actions and the way we relate to the world around us.
24:02So therefore, when we are able to actually recognize our thoughts, that's just a thought such as OK, there's a thought or a feeling, recognize it for what it is.
24:16Oh, that's a feeling.
24:18Oh yeah, that feels a little heavy or wow, that feels exciting.
24:24Recognizing the way our body actually relates to these things such as noticing any stress, tension, you know, anxiety within our body, any heaviness, any sort of feelings within our body.
24:40And of course, the way that we choose to relate to the world, we then begin to see how those interactions work.
24:47And when we affect free a change in one of those areas, the amazing thing is that neurologically, we begin to create change in other parts of our bodies.
25:00So therefore, when we are able to then create a change in our thoughts, we're able to naturally create a change in our feelings.
25:11When we're able to change a feeling and see things like, you know, we were talking about from a different perspective, then we're able to affect the way that our body moves, does things and relates.
25:26So we are able to create that change and create those new neural pathways based on the way that we create change in our thoughts, our feelings, our bodies and our behaviors.
25:41It's so fascinating, right?
25:42You can literally reprogram your brain and like you said, it can start from a thought alone.
25:48You know, our thoughts are so powerful and like you said, when we started our subconscious mind is so so powerful.
25:55So how does hypnosis work?
25:56Is that how it works?
25:57Does it create these new neural pathways or is there something more to it?
26:02Well, the hypnosis really is a process of focused attention, right?
26:09And when we continuously focus on those things that we don't want, then we're actually gonna get more of those things that we don't want.
26:21So in hypnosis and you're not and you totally get this right.
26:26in hip in hypnosis, what we are doing is that we are giving our bodies and our brains permission to receive a new way of thinking, a new way of being, to then be able to experience a new way of believing.
26:45So, what does this actually look like?
26:48Well, the truth is some people are gonna experience a very deep state of relaxation.
26:57Some people will experience maybe a light bloating sensation and other people might experience absolutely no change whatsoever.
27:08And they might feel just like they're sitting in a chair having a normal conversation just like you and I are right.
27:16And there's no right or wrong way to experience hypnosis.
27:21What is important is that you're open to the changes that you're looking to create.
27:29Yeah.
27:30Yeah, I love that.
27:31And as you were talking, I was thinking, I was thinking back to something I haven't thought about in a while was that I was so afraid of hypnosis before I knew what it was because I was, I was thinking either one of two things, one, someone was gonna plant these subliminal messages into my brain and I wouldn't have control over it because I would just be out or two.
27:51And it's so funny to like, think about now because it's just so ridiculous or two.
27:55They were going to get me to admit to all of these things while it was like in this trans state.
28:00And I just want to say for listeners, neither those things happened.
28:05Neither of those things do happen.
28:06It's not like you know, you might have heard in the movies.
28:10But I've experienced a couple of different kinds of hypnosis.
28:12One where I was doing most of the talking and one where the practitioner was doing most of the talking.
28:17So is there, is there a difference between those two or is, is it just like practitioners, whatever expertise they're doing?
28:27Here's the thing in, at least in my practice, hypnosis is a collaborative experience, right?
28:35Some sessions, it's gonna be more of the practitioner talking and I will lead that client in whatever it is that they need to be, you know, supported and guided through.
28:48And there's always a collaboration which means I will, you know, set up what we call d motor signals, which is just a fancy word for saying, I'm gonna tell you, give me a nod or give me a thumbs up whenever it is that you're feeling this right?
29:10Or I might say be in this experience now, notice what you're noticing and share with me what this is like for you.
29:21Now, what are you seeing?
29:22What are you experiencing?
29:24What's going on?
29:26And I will give those clients that place and space to be able to share, right?
29:32That's really beautiful.
29:33I don't, I don't know if I've ever been in one where it was collaborative like that.
29:36That's really interesting.
29:38That's cool.
29:39You see the reason why I love doing collaborative hypnosis sessions is because at the end of session, I always let my clients know, you can always return to this experience to be able to re experience whatever it is that you need to receive from this and all you need to do is and I'll give them whatever it is that they need to do, right, based on the session.
30:10And because they experienced it with me, because they were able to share their story because they were fully in the moment, it makes it that much easier for them to be able to go back into that experience.
30:26Yeah, that makes sense.
30:27So, you know, I also another tool I've used a lot throughout my life is self hypnosis.
30:33I don't.
30:33Are you familiar with Jose Silva?
30:35Because I am the silver method?
30:37Absolutely.
30:38Yeah.
30:39So that's, that's been something that I've used.
30:42I read his book, you the Healer like 20 years ago.
30:46And II, I practiced it exactly how it told you to and I've got it down and it's something that I've used in my, in my own healing journey.
30:56And, and a lot of times when, when I say that I'm meditating, I'm really using the Jose Silva method to like get down to that alpha theta brainwave state.
31:05And then I go into meditation.
31:07So is, is self hypnosis kind of like meditation?
31:11Is this like a guided meditation when you work with a practitioner?
31:14What are the differences?
31:16OK.
31:16So I really believe that all hypnosis really leads to self hypnosis and what does that really mean?
31:28That means that the more you practice it, the more you are able to go into that state of self hypnosis where you create change and meditation, guided meditation, yoga practices, things like that really are able to then help you learn the process of self hypnosis.
31:55And what's the difference a goal?
31:59What is your goal?
32:01Ok.
32:02Really self hypnosis is that process of meditation with its work boots on, right?
32:11You're going in with a goal, you're going in deeper into that state of mind to really create that change into that goal.
32:24And when you're in that process, you're also able to future pace.
32:31What does that mean?
32:32That means you're able to see yourself doing whatever it is that you need to do that you're able to actually create those experiences, feel whatever you need to feel and pull the resources to be able to help you create those successes.
32:55I love that you just brought that up because we're, you're using the law of attraction.
32:59You're using the quantum field to literally envision, you know, I say the life of your dreams, but it could be healing, it could be whatever a peaceful birth, whatever it is.
33:12And when you have that clear vision, when you feel you put yourself in that feeling state, you really close your eyes and visualize it and you put yourself in that alpha brainwave state or theta brainwave state, that's when that magic happens.
33:25Right.
33:26That's when, oh my gosh.
33:27Yeah.
33:27Start conscious creator.
33:28Yeah.
33:30Absolutely.
33:31That's where that magic happens because that's when it becomes a true multi sensory experience.
33:38And that's when you're able to see it, feel it, experience it, know what it really means for you.
33:46And the interesting thing is that some people might not be able to see something visually but they can feel it so deeply.
33:57It's almost as if they're there, right?
34:01You might be able to pick up the sense of your surroundings or maybe whatever it is that that means for you and it becomes a part of who you are.
34:13Yeah, that's interesting that you brought that up.
34:15I remember being in yoga teacher training with someone who couldn't visualize.
34:19He was like, oh, like what do you mean?
34:21He was like, I would close my eyes and it's just black like there's nothing there.
34:25I can't imagine anything and it just blew my mind that someone doesn't have an inner vision like that because I have like such a strong inner vision that's actually called.
34:35Yeah.
34:36And that's actually called a Fantasia, right?
34:40And many people out there don't know that it's actually a thing.
34:47They actually think that there's something wrong with them because oh my gosh, why can't I see this?
34:52Why can't I visualize it?
34:54And the truth is some people are perfectly normal because that's just the way that they experienced life.
35:03And appia does it mean that you can experience hypnosis.
35:08It just means that you need to be with a really skilled,, practitioner that is gonna be able to help you do things in a way.
35:17That's right for you.
35:19Yeah.
35:20It's, it's funny.
35:21I was, I was just thinking my husband took me for an anniversary once to a dining in the dark restaurant where all the wait staff is blind and it's pitch black in there and it tries to give you the experience of what it's like to be blind.
35:35And you can't see, you can't see your hand in front of your face.
35:39And in my head, I had this just vivid imagery of what our table setting looks like.
35:47I could see what the the bowls looked like and the plates and the silverware and where it was all placed in the cup and like all the food and I could see what the restaurant looked like and it was just all visualization in my head.
35:59And then at one point, my husband, we were some of the last people in there and he cheated and he got in trouble for cheating.
36:04But he turned his cell phone light on really quick and it looks nothing like what I had imagined, right?
36:08Like nothing at all but in in it was just like how my mind coped with it, right?
36:13That I had just created this vivid seen in my head because my eyes were open.
36:18But I couldn't see anything and it was just wild.
36:20So it's, it's almost like the opposite of a fantasia.
36:24Oh, absolutely.
36:26And the truth is you had that incredibly vivid experience and for you, you were able to visualize it completely different than what it actually was.
36:37But in the way that was right, for you, right, you made that beautiful visual connection to that experience in a way that was 100% unique to you.
36:51And exactly in that same way, somebody that may have a fantasia might be able to connect with the smells that they smelled with the textures on the table, with the heaviness in the room, or the lightness with the temperature that they feel in the room, maybe even any sounds that they experience in that room, maybe even the way that they were spatially sitting at the table created their experience.
37:27And then rather than being able to visualize what they experience, it was instead about noticing what that experience meant for you.
37:41Notice what that feeling is like, notice what the surroundings feel like.
37:51And it's about creating a heightened sense of awareness to all of the other things that you're surrounded by, to create whatever it is that you need to create in that moment.
38:03That's so beautiful.
38:04I love everything you just said.
38:05That was just such a lovely depiction.
38:08And it, you know, there's 11 million sensory receptors that humans have and 10 million of those 11 million are dedicated to sight.
38:16So it's like when we turn off our site, everything else lights up and maybe that's your internal vision, but maybe it's every other sensory receptor that like you just mentioned.
38:25So that's really cool.
38:26I loved, I loved what you just said.
38:28That was beautiful.
38:30Ok.
38:30So, you know, we know there's so many benefits to hypnosis.
38:36How have you personally seen people change using hypnosis?
38:41Oh my gosh.
38:42So many incredible experiences and I really work with women and mothers in that space between preconception and parenting.
38:55So for me, it's beautiful, being able to see all of the different things that they have been able to experience, you know, create their very own successes in whatever way is unique to them in their motherhood journey.
39:13And in my life, in particular, hypnosis has been fantastic for building my confidence, decreasing stress and anxiety.
39:24And of course, hypnosis was actually my gateway into hypnobirthing.
39:31I actually was the one that became trained in hypnosis.
39:35And I said, wait a minute, if it's creating so many great success stories for my clients, what about using it for my own birth?
39:45And it was actually my birth experience personally that that led me into helping my clients with hypnobirthing.
39:54So did you have a birth experience that was stressful?
39:59And then you were like, I need to do something different next time or were you just like, oh, before I go into this first one, I wanna see if I can do this with myself.
40:08OK.
40:08So I wish I was that second story.
40:12And I actually constantly tell people when they come to me as first time moms.
40:18And I say I am so incredibly thrilled that you're here because you are really the ones that are creating new experiences to be able to go out into the world and tell people from the very first time that you can birth in a different calmer, more informed way because you have, it was actually that first story that got me where I, where I am today, right?
40:48I did, you know, do the cliche stuff.
40:52I read what to expect when you were expecting.
40:56I followed all of the rules.
40:58I did what my doctor said.
41:01I took the 30 minute hospital class and the truth of the matter is I didn't do much else.
41:09And, you know, my first baby actually just turned 12 and 12 years ago.
41:16I didn't know what I didn't know.
41:20So I had an uninformed birth.
41:23I had no clue about the mind body connection.
41:27I had no idea that my body and my baby actually worked together for birth.
41:35I just thought, well, you know what, when the time is right?
41:38When those contractions start, I call my doctor, I go into the hospital, you know, a few hours later, my body basically births a child and I'm good to go.
41:49Well, didn't happen that way.
41:52I got to the hospital, the nurses said, oh, honey, you know what?
41:57You don't need to experience pain.
42:00We'll just give you an epidural and you can just rest.
42:04Well, I did that.
42:06I got the epidural eight hours later.
42:10My doctor comes in taps on his watch and says, you know what?
42:15You haven't progressed any more past the 44 centimeters.
42:20It's time to take you back to a Cesarean section.
42:25And I was left feeling like an absolute failure.
42:29What did I do wrong?
42:31Sure.
42:31Of course, I was relaxing.
42:33I was laughing.
42:36But the last thing I wanted was to have a Cesarean section.
42:40I had difficulty nursing my baby.
42:44I had a tough recovery.
42:46It was not fun.
42:48And needless to say all of the things that I thought I was gonna get to do didn't quite work out that way.
42:57And that's when I said, hold on, what could I have done different?
43:02What could have changed his experience?
43:06And that is when I started learning about the mind body connection.
43:11That's when I started learning about the fact that our babies and our bodies and our minds are connected for birth and we don't even give our babies credit for the fact that they're active participants in birth.
43:30So then that led me to hypnosis and I became certified in hypnosis.
43:36And I said, all right, you know, I'm helping clients to reduce stress and anxiety.
43:43I'm helping clients to work through traumatic experiences in their own lives.
43:50And I said, wait a minute if this is working so great, how about for birth?
43:55And that's when I took a hypno birthing class.
43:58And that's when I became informed, that's when I learned how the body really worked, that brain body connection and the fact that our babies intuitively work with us for birth.
44:14And I actually then had a vaginal birth after Cesarean, many people don't even talk about V backs, right?
44:22So like, wait a minute, you know, the standard in the United States is once a Cesarean, always a Cesarean.
44:31But the reality is a healthy mother with a healthy baby and a very supportive provider is actually able to have a vaginal birth after Cesarean.
44:45And when you begin to do the research and find out more information about it.
44:50Hypnobirthing is incredibly supportive of many birth choices that people don't really learn or know about.
45:03So thank you for sharing your story.
45:05That's I I appreciate it.
45:08You know, I was like on the edge of my seat while you were talking, I can't believe that they gave you ac section after only eight hours of pushing that.
45:15That seems crazy.
45:17Eight hours of labor not even pushing.
45:20Yeah, that's insane.
45:23Can you talk more about how our babies and our bodies are connected because I've never heard anyone say it like that.
45:28And I, I just wanna know more because that's really fascinating.
45:32Absolutely.
45:33Our babies in utero from the day of conception, they are actually receiving everything that we put into our bodies, right?
45:46We're constantly talking about nutritious food and clean water and you know, those kinds of things.
45:53But our babies are actually receiving also our hormones, whether it's, you know, cortisol, which is a stress hormone or Oxytocin, which is our love hormone or happy hormone, endorphins, which are able to relax us and you know, adrenaline, which then goes into that fight or flight.
46:19Our babies are receiving everything that we put into our bodies and they are active participants, our babies are listening, they are thriving, they are moving, they're receptive to light, they're receptive to motion, which is actually very often why when moms pause, breathe and connect with their babies, their babies usually get more active because all of a sudden they're paying attention, they're noticing and they're able to then be able to get mom's attention, right?
47:01It's so cool because when we go through that hypnosis process, many people say, wow, I was able to feel my baby moving, interacting so much more.
47:13And that's because parents build their connections with their babies when they are intuitively listening and connecting totally.
47:26And it's so interesting and fascinating and I'm curious in the birth experience specifically, how are babies and bodies connected?
47:34What is the babies?
47:36You said they're active participants in the birth?
47:38Tell me more about that.
47:41Well, and you mean in the actual birth process like when baby is being born.
47:47Yeah.
47:47Yeah, because that's what you said, right?
47:49That they're active participants.
47:51Yeah.
47:52Well, they're active participants all the way from the very first day of conception, right?
47:58As they're growing and as they're developing, they are listening, they are, you know, connecting with mom, they're looking for that connection to the external world.
48:08But in the actual birthing process, the uterus, which is made up of three different muscle layers actually begins to surge, right?
48:22And in typical, you know English language, we talk about them in contractions.
48:28But in hypnobirthing, we talk about them as surges or weight.
48:34Why?
48:35Because it's just easier to understand what's going on, right?
48:39So therefore, in that actual labor and birth process, the muscles begin to search and as they move in and out that baby is engaging, moving down that birth path and moving squirming down and engaging down through that birth path.
49:05Every surge moves that baby closer and closer to those perennial tissues.
49:13And as that happens, mom is breathing, breathing through different breathing practices and helping that baby.
49:22And that body work seamlessly together.
49:26As that happens, the cervix softens and begins to open and move out of the way baby engages, continues moving down that birth path with that breathing techniques, right?
49:39Those breathing techniques that help baby move down.
49:43And the incredible part is that when that breathing and the baby are working together, then the natural explosive reflex kicks in.
49:53Right.
49:54And that natural explosive reflex is exactly that.
49:58It is a reflex.
50:01It is a natural process that as the baby moves down, the muscles soften, relax, move out of the way and essentially are helping to push baby down and through.
50:17Yeah.
50:17Thank you for explaining all that because I'm pregnant.
50:20But I'm freaking clueless right now.
50:22I, I'm like, I've been, I was just telling someone, I've been so busy.
50:25I haven't read a book.
50:26I haven't, I haven't had a chance to do anything yet.
50:29I'm only a month six so I have time.
50:31But it, it's interesting that you were talking about the muscles needing to soften because when, if you think about labor and delivery oftentimes it's like clenching and screaming, right?
50:41So it's like that sense of relaxing and, and you were talking about specific breathing techniques.
50:46So, are there specific breathing techniques that are, are there breathing techniques that are specific to hypno birthing or are they the same as Lama's breathing?
50:56They're a little bit different.
50:58And the interesting thing is that the hypnobirthing program was actually based on a lot of the different things that were researched in the sixties and the seventies and the Hypno birthing techniques.
51:12There's three main breeding techniques that are used and the way that they're used is both individually and collaboratively, right?
51:22In the different stages of pregnancy, labor and delivery and the way that those breathing techniques work is actually by helping to relax the body, refocus that body and the mind to then help that pelvic floor completely release and relax.
51:44And one of the interesting thing is that most people, like you said, think about, oh tiny, tiny, tiny and every movie that we see out there.
51:55What do they talk about?
51:57Hold your breath, hold it tight.
52:00Count to 10 and put.
52:04Right.
52:05But have you ever done an exercise where you held your breath?
52:12I didn't even know that they told you to hold your breath.
52:15That's, that's kind of wild to me that they tell you to hold your breath, they tell you to hold your breath, maz they tell you that.
52:23No, no, no, no, no, not in the mosque.
52:25In the standard birthing practices.
52:28That's what they do.
52:30They tell you to hold your breath, count to 10 and push, but that's not effective.
52:36Is it, have you ever exercised where you held your breath and it worked?
52:41No, of course not.
52:42Of course not.
52:44So, just like in martial arts or yoga or in exercise, the idea is that you use the power of your breath to help relax that pelvic floor, relax your muscles and bring that power all the way down so that you can take that breath in and imagine that breath flowing all the way down to those perennial tissues to help them open release and relax.
53:17So what is the biggest benefit of hypno birthing is it, helping people get rid of fear?
53:22Is it helping them release muscle tension?
53:24Does it actually,, reduce pain?
53:28Does it get rid of labor pain?
53:30Totally.
53:30And I know we're getting close to time.
53:32So,, hopefully that's ok to answer that.
53:36Absolutely.
53:37Completely.
53:38Ok.
53:38And here's the thing, what does pain even mean?
53:43Right.
53:44Have you ever been running out of your house?
53:47And maybe you were grabbing everything haphazardly, you ran out of the house, you know, you bumped your hand on the way out and all of a sudden you just kept going, you locked the door and got to wherever you were going.
53:59Right?
54:00And then maybe you, when you got home you took your clothes off, you just were relaxing.
54:05Right?
54:05And all of a sudden you look at your head.
54:07Oh, why does this feel sore?
54:10Right.
54:11And that's typically because, you know, you didn't even realize that you bumped your hand on the way out and you were going through the hustle and bustle of your day that you didn't even realize it.
54:25But when you were actually home, able to actually notice what was going on in your body, that's when you were able to really hone in on what happened.
54:36And it's very similar to the process of labor and delivery.
54:43Many people think that it's gonna be something very painful, very difficult.
54:48Very awful.
54:49Right.
54:50Because that's what society talks about.
54:52But when you're able to focus on one surge at a time, use your breathing techniques fully relax into the process.
55:03And here's the key in my experience.
55:08Surrender, really surrender to your body, your baby.
55:15And the experience so much so that you're able to fully let go and trust the process, right?
55:22One surge one minute at a time where nothing else matters, that there is where the process completely takes shape and changes.
55:33Because at that point, you're able to let go of all perceptions of what you thought it was really supposed to be.
55:41Like, I love how we totally circled back to perception.
55:44I was saying the same thing.
55:45I was like, wow, we really did circle back.
55:47Yeah.
55:48Yeah.
55:49And really be able to be fully present and in the moment anybody can do anything for one minute, right?
56:00That's all it is.
56:01Yeah.
56:02And, and you know, I feel like that's such a great metaphor for life too, like going with the flow, trusting the process because life is so much smoother when you're just going with it and relaxing into it versus like clenching your jaw and tightening your shoulders against it and trying to overly control everything.
56:20So I love that.
56:21That's, I think that's a really beautiful message to leave everyone with whether you are an expectant mother and are interested in hypno birthing or you just want some really good life advice.
56:30So, Patty, thank you so much for coming on today.
56:33Can you tell listeners where they might find you if they want to work with you.
56:37Absolutely.
56:38Thank you so much for being able to have me today to be able to share my story with everybody and you can find me on the Expression center.com.
56:51I'm also on Instagram @PMCExpression and you're able to connect with me whether it's on Instagram or on my website.
57:00And I'm happy to be able to talk to you more about whether it's hypnosis to be able to decrease stress, anxiety or overwhelm to become confident moms or to talk about hypno birthing and to be able to support your beautiful birth.
57:20Thank you so much and thank you everyone for tuning in.
57:23Please like share, subscribe, check out my book, it's called Change Your Mind to Change your reality.
57:28All the links are below in the show notes for both Patty and myself and this podcast is part of the Los Angeles Tribune Podcast network.
57:37Check us out.
57:38We do a lot of really fun stuff coming up this coming weekend.
57:41Well, by the time this airs it'll be passed.
57:44But October 14th to 16th, we, we are partnering with the Think and Grow Rich Institute to put on an amazing event, think and grow rich virtual summit.
57:532023.
57:54We have some amazing speakers.
57:56Les Brown, Mary Morrissey Bob Doyle and Neil Donald Walsh.
58:00I'm so honored that I'm going to be a part of it.
58:02I'm gonna be on a panel, so stay in touch, check out what we're working on.
58:06There's a lot of really great personal development to learn.
58:10Thank you so much.
58:10Everyone have a beautiful rest of your day.