Center Switch Practice
In the last weeks of your pregnancy, it's good to get a lot of center switch practice in. Not just for the practice but, I think, for how relaxing it is too! I was always on the look out for new ways to practice center:
Practice while you:
- Watch TV - Sit down to watch TV, Get comfortable and supported and turn your switch to off. When your show comes on, go into center and practice saying "deeper and deeper with eyes wide open" a few times. Turn your switch off for commercials.
- Wash Dishes - Practice turning your lightswitch off and getting deep into hypnosis before you turn your switch to center and wash dishes. There was something about washing dishes in Center that's really pleasant. Maybe it's the feeling of the water on your hands, or the sounds or fluid movement of the hands but it's kind of extra relaxing.
- Get up to pee in the middle of the night - You know you're doing it a lot at this point, may as well make it work for you!
- Go for your doctor's appointments - Getting your blood drawn, being examined, having your blood pressure taken. It's perfect practice - plus those quiet 15 minutes when you're in a gown and waiting for your doctor are perfect for practicing with your switch off!
- Get a spa treatment done - Massages, Pedicures, Waxing!
- Ride public transportation - this only works when you get a seat. And sometimes it needs to be "the right seat".
On a similar topic, preggers or not, the Peace cue comes in super handy in extremely stressful meetings at work!
Here's a link to a story about a Hypnomama using her Hypnobabies for the glucose test.
Here's how some other Hypnomamas practiced center switch:
"I just practiced each night in bed."
"I always forgot I was in center unless I constantly repeated "deeper and deeper." I mostly did it in the shower, but I found it worked best if I picked a specific, short task and counted up as soon as that was finished (like not the whole shower, just washing my face, for example)."
"I made more levels on my switch. It wasn't just all the way on, middle level and off. I put a level in between the middle and on as well as between the middle and off. I didn't use those as much but I liked having more options."
"I practiced the center switch during prenatal appointments."
"I would practice while making my daily RRLT. When my two children were napping/having Rest Time, I would go into hypnosis with my light switch Off, then go to Center Switch to turn on the water and get the tea. While waiting for the water to heat, I would turn my light switch back to Off, coming back to Center when I noticed the water boiling to steep the tea. I would usually tidy up a bit and check the mail, all while in Center. After 10-15 minutes, I would "Release" into the Off position, then count myself back to On to drink my tea."
"I practiced quite a bit in the tub during my pregnancy, and the water was VERY effective in keeping my comfortable during labor."
"Not really but once you master it, it's wonderful! I use it for dental work now (I really despise the dentist.)"
"I never felt like I did Center Switch very well so I listened to Creating Anesthesia several times at the beginning of labor to get used to it. Although it didn't feel like I was doing it right, I continued to go to Center between waves in hopes to not override the off position"
"This one I struggle with!"
"I had trouble, or at least felt like I had trouble with center switch. I relied mainly on my off switch during pressure waves.