What is an Expansive Mind.
The Expansive Mind is at the heart of what I do. I am after all the Expansive Mind Hypnotherapist. Since I came up with the term myself, it might be wise for me to better explain what an expansive mind actually is. I know you know – you will have felt it at some stage in your life: a deep and layered and boundless connection to more.
It's more than just the expansive mind (and more than the brain).
You’d be forgiven for thinking that an expansive mind is related specifically to the mind and perhaps to the brain. What we now know in the fields of neuroscience and neuropsychology is that the mind and body are inextricably linked. When I refer to the mind, I am referring to the part of our thinking consciousness that we are aware of, as well as to the unconscious component of our being. The brain part of the equation is the functional and anatomical component – the white and great matter, the neurons, the synapses, the glands, etcetera, and the functions they all perform.
It's...complicated.
I learnt this year, doing research on how emotions are formed or created, that your brain processes a multitude of stimuli from your environment and from your body and, combined with previous experience, decides on an emotional reaction. This reaction is then chemically discharged to your body. We decide our emotions. And the brain, mind and body all play a part. Wild!
As you can see, it’s not the simplest set up we have as a human. But that’s where the magic lies, in the complexity.
So what is the expansive mind, really?
The Expansive Mind concept came to me as I tapped into the possibilities that are open to all of us. When you connect with what is completely aligned with you, on every level, in every cell, there is a chest-bursting connection with everything that is beyond your current self.
An expansive mind is not confined by limitations or restrictive, maladaptive patterns. You’ve probably come across the ‘growth mindset’ idea in some corporate teambuilding workshop – it’s more than that. A mind that can embrace being expansive is characterised by openness, curiosity, and flexibility. Unlike a mind (and therefore a person) that has a fixed mindset, with its static beliefs and thought processes, unwilling to adopt change. An expansive mind is always growing, open to challenging the current norm so that it can be open to more opportunity.
Is it as exhausting as it sounds?
When you consider the openness to new ideas, shifts in perspective and experiences, I can see why you’d think it sounds, frankly, like a lot of work to have an expansive mind. An you’d be right, but also not right…
Change is scary.
It might seem exhausting to you because we tend to not like change very much, And that’s because change represents, in the scariest cases, a whole heck of a lot of what is unknown to us. And all kinds of disasters could potentially happen in the unknown.
The sweet spot.
The unknown is the sweet spot for the expansive mind. When you’re able to learn to function in the unknown, overcoming the discomfort of getting there – that, my friend, is the sweet spot. This is where you have an openness to new ideas, a curiosity that seeks out knowledge and understanding, and flexibility lets you adapt and change. Because without change, there is stagnation, and sameness and illness and dysregulation.
Little changes rather than one big reveal.
As far as change goes, incremental change is much less scary than a massive complete makeover. I’m not going to say that some people don’t go all in and cold turkey change everything. It’s a choice. It’s your choice.
Generally, a few small positive changes are enough to create the momentum you need to start making whatever other adjustments you want in your life.
Hypnotherapy helps you embrace your expansive mind.
Of course, I am biased in my view that hypnotherapy is the key to collapsing time, getting the most value, and making the most of the changes you make. But that bias comes from a deep understanding of the alternatives. I have a background in psychology, mental health research and counselling. I too have been on the receiving end of various talk therapies and coaching. I have a feeling you have also run the gamut of personal development and mindset strategies.
Hypnotherapy cuts through the fluff of the push and pull of your rational, analytical conscious mind, and gets right to what the actual problem is, at an unconscious level. You can’t think your way to that! Working with a hypnotherapist guides you to let go of stagnant patterns or maladaptive behaviours, release emotional baggage and instead shift to creating a more expansive mind, allowing for new opportunities and possibilities.
Key benefits of using hypnotherapy for an Expansive Mind:
- Increased creativity and innovation: An expansive mind allows for out-of-the-box thinking, leading to new products, services, or marketing strategies.
- Enhanced problem-solving abilities: A broader perspective enables you to find creative solutions to challenges and overcome obstacles.
- Deeper connections with others: Empathy and understanding fostered by an expansive mind build stronger relationships with clients, colleagues, and loved ones.
- Greater personal growth and fulfillment: A lifelong learning approach and a sense of adventure contribute to a rich and meaningful life.
- A sense of freedom and empowerment: Overcoming limiting beliefs and embracing possibilities leads to a greater sense of control and autonomy.
The question to ask yourself.
The most powerful question you can ask yourself, if you are unsure about hypnotherapy, is “What if…?”
What if you can finally be free of what has been holding you back for years?
What if you can turn your health around, and get and stay healthy?
What if your current life is not the one you have to be stuck in?
What if, my friend. What if…?