Is Adele's Weight Loss Down to Hypnotherapy?
Adele's recent weight loss could be down to hypnotherapy. Cognitive hypnotherapist and transformational life coach Jessica Boston explains: '90% of our behaviour is unconsciously programmed.
Hypnosis and trance states are really effective ways to access parts of your unconscious and reprogram them with new messages in line with who you are today and want to be in the future. 'It helps people move into a powerful state where the mind is focused, but the nervous system is relaxed and you are calm and suggestible.
In this state, we can make sense of unwanted feelings, thoughts and patterns and explore your own solutions. In a sense, we are 'rebooting’ our mental software to put us back in control of our lives.
In this article for Red Magazine, Jessica spoke to Anya Meyerowitz about how it works. First of all, what is Hypnotherapy? It is often confused with the sort of hypnosis that you might have seen on stage that time your parents took you to Blackpool, but it's actually a form of therapy known for its positive impact on those struggling with anxiety and depression, amongst other things. 'It helps people move into a powerful state where the mind is focused, but the nervous system is relaxed and you are calm and suggestible. Many people who go through hypnotherapy report finding a new, deeper sense of self-worth, while also finding letting go of 'bad' habits becomes easier.
How can it be used to support weight loss?
Though Adele hasn't confirmed whether or not hypnotherapy is behind her weight loss, this form of therapy is used by many people who are looking to lose weight. Singer Lily Allen, ex-plus-size model Sophie Dahl and Girl Power extraordinaire Geri Horner (aka Halliwell) have all used hypnotherapy to help them transform their attitude to food and lose weight. Jessica, who herself lost five stone using hypnotherapy, comments:
'Everybody is unique and there are so many different reasons why someone might hold onto unwanted body weight. Carrying extra weight in itself is not negative, what is negative is when people find themselves eating without a sense of personal control and feel as if they are losing a battle to unconsciously programmed lines of their thinking. 'During a hypnosis session, we explore the reasons why that individual might be sabotaging or punishing themselves by eating food they know isn’t good for them. In many cases, women I work with are afraid of being too visible, or seen, because something in their past has led them to believe that visibility is dangerous – and that by being heavier they are less likely to draw attention to themselves. In other cases, they feel undeserving of better. ‘It can be an emotional emptiness inside of them that drives them to eat until they experience a sense of "fullness". 'Once someone has been made aware of why they are doing what they are doing they can start to develop a deeper awareness about what they need to be doing instead.'
Jessica makes her clients a personalised hypnotic meditation which they listen to in between sessions. 'This works behind-the-scenes to help them become more aware of the choices they are making, and start to find themselves more drawn towards better habits,' Jessica explains.
