Athina May
Under the spell of hypnosis we may have witnessed friends cooing like birds or expressing their heart’s desires to a stage audience, but Table View hypnotherapist, Claudia Klein says hypnosis is not all performance and can be used for the health and wellbeing of all.
Many of us may seek answers to our emotional and physical illness in formal institutions of psychology or medical centres, but Claudia says that alternative methods of healing can also be accessed for healing, if the mind is open.
Claudia is the director of the South African Institute of Hypnotism (SAIH) in Table View and has been teaching the art of hypnosis since 2005.
She will now be hosting an “open heart” day to allow the public to experience and learn about various ways of healing.
Table View resident Michelle Vooght will be doing Angel readings, by getting in touch with the angels in our midst; Mel de Jager, a medium, will connect with the departed to assist with the grieving process, and Heidi Kilbride will be doing tarot readings among other activities.
“You need to exercise to have an open heart when you come here. I wish people wouldn’t be so scared of hypnosis. We won’t make you cluck like a chicken, it’s not stage hypnosis.”
“We are in a state of hypnosis on a daily basis like when we are absorbed in day dream.
“As you become absorbed into a book and feel emotion, you buy into the story, like you can buy into self hypnosis, you just need to know what to do when you’re in that stage,” says Claudia.
Sitting on a black couch wearing a tie dye shirt and a yin and yang necklace clustered among others around her neck, a feathered braid curls onto her neck from her short black hair which has silver accents.
Claudia says her first experimentation with hypnosis began during her pregnancy.
“It started in 1998 when I fell in love with hypnotherapy. I had two children with the help of hypnotherapy because my gynecologist introduced me to it, and helped me to have my babies without pain.
“At the time I was looking for a deeper meaning in life, like most of my students do.
“I did my training at this school, and now here I am, the head of the school,” said Claudia, a smile spreading across her face.
Claudia explains that hypnosis is a combination of arts and science and that one does not need to be gifted to pursue the craft.
“All you need is a keen interest to assist others to help themselves. We know beautiful techniques, but we don’t find solutions for our clients, they find it themselves,” says Claudia.
She explains that no diagnosis is given and no counselling is administered, but the hypnosis practitioners try and assist individuals in areas of their life they’re unhappy with, and miraculous life changes have been witnessed.
“Any sub-conscious programme can be reprogrammed and we can use hypnosis for that. You can sleep better, work through depression and the only tool we have is language. We give you suggestions which you can follow as long as you enjoy them,” said Claudia.
She said many individuals have limiting beliefs about themselves which hypnosis can help them overcome.
“Why do you have limiting beliefs about yourself? It’s such a pity, we shine light on that. There is a difference between positive thinking and belief. One is simply wishful thinking,” said Claudia, fetching her pendulum.
Claudia admits that the use of a pendulum is old school, but demonstrated the power of the mind through it.
“You tell the pendulum through your thoughts to move backwards and forward.
“Your thoughts create electric impulse which moves through your body to your fingers, this moves the pendulum. If you’re attached to an outcome, your emotions will manipulate it,” said Claudia, as the crystal pendulum swayed forwards and backwards.
The open heart day will exhibit the various mediums and uses of hypnosis to help individuals understand the craft. An educational talk zone will be held as well as experimental zones where demonstrations will take place.
There will also be stalls and lectures with firsthand information about modalities will take place every hour on the hour.
“All non-mainstream modalities will be under one roof. We’re all connected,” said Claudia.
* If you would like to know more about the “Open heart” day, contact Claudia Klein on 082 676 7919