A few weeks prior to writing this post I tried hypnosis for my dance.I am now going to share with you what happened so that you see if it will help you.
I had two issues that I wanted to deal with. One was my motivation to practice outside of class: I was very good at finding other things to do, which might be simply nothing. The other was my lack of focus when dancing under pressure (such as competition); I would often think about things other than dancing, things like the judges, people watching or about why the chose the particular music for the competition. These were all about my attitude toward dance so I figured that the were ideal for hypnosis.
If you have read parts 1 and 2 of my e-book Dance Better Now, then you have read about other techniques to help with your attitude. Hypnosis is like these, but because someone else is planting the the desired ideas in your mind, you do not need to put effort into focusing on maintaining these ideas. This can make it both easier and more effective.
This is certainly what I found.
The next day after my hypnosis session I found that not only was I more motivated to practice dance, but I was also happier to practice. I could feel the link between my practice and my goals with dance (whatever they were at that time - maybe improved foot placement or musicality or balance with a certain step or just feeling comfortable with a routine). This made practice much more enjoyable, easier to put effort into, and much more effective.
What I also noticed when I was dancing in general was a greater focus on my dancing, and less on what was around me. After talking to the hypnotist before the session, he noted that the issue was simply that I didn't focus on my dance. Thus, the idea he suggested was that I focus on my dance. This is more positive and more useful than focusing on not being distracted in competitions or gradings. And I did notice this especially when dancing in a comp'. I felt more relaxed and focused, I enjoyed it more and I won despite the extra competition that I had this time (I still prefer to win by default though).
So I would have to say that hypnosis was really helpful for my dance. And it was quick and easy to do too. I would therefore recommend it to you too. However, you can't expect miracles - if you just don't have the flexibility or fitness for dance, then you probably just need to exercise, and maybe hypnosis can help with the motivation to this.
If you do want to try hypnosis, then how do you go about finding the a good hypnotist for your dance? I asked my hypnotist just that, and this is what he told me:
- Referrals -The best way to find a hypnotist to work with is by a referral. If you have family member or friend who has used hypnotherapy before and were happy with their hypnotherapist, then ask them to refer you.
- Credentials - Some institutions give hypnotherapy certifications after a three-day seminar, while some give only after a 750-hour one-year training course. Typically, the more extensive their training the better a hypnotherapist the person will be.
- Talk to the hypnotherapist prior to the session - A good hypnotherapist will be more than happy to speak with you before you even book a session. Call one up and speak to him or her. Get a feel for the person. Do you connect with this person? Does this person sound like he or she cares about you and what it is you want to improve? How do you feel intuitively? Does the person sound like he/she can help you? Does he/she see you as someone they can help or just a dollar sign?
- Been where you are - If you want to see a hypnotherapist to improve your dancing, it might be a good idea to see a hypnotherapist who has also been in the same ‘shoes’ (pun intended) as yourself, hence a fellow dancer.
He also suggested that you avoid the hypnotist who:
- Guarantees certain results or the number of sessions it will take. The results and number of sessions vary depending on the issue and the person.
- Doesn’t provide you a recording of the session. Most good hypnotherapists will record the sessions for you and email it to you so you can listen later on and reinforce the suggestions.
- Talks about specific details or names of other clients. This is a huge no-no and a violation of client confidentiality.
I can vouch for the need to find someone who understand dance and who gives a recording. I use my recording each time I need a "recharge". I also found that talking to someone who understand dance really helps communicate your needs effectively, which makes for a better experience.
My hypnotherapist, Dustin, has recently made a hypnotherapy product to help with better dance (he is a dancer too). I have tried that along with my specific personal recording from the session with him. I certainly found my specific one was much more useful, but general products are really good too, and I can recommend them. If you would like to try out hypnotherapy to improve your dance, then click here to view more details for a really good example.
Just for disclosure - if you buy something from this link, then I will probably get a commission. In either case, if you feel that you have some beliefs (maybe about how good you think you can be) or an attitude (maybe you just don't really see the value in practicing) that limit your dance ability, then I can really recommend hypnosis no matter where you go.
