While most people would associate hypnosis with a client sitting comfortably in a hypnotherapist's office, there are many techniques that can be learned and applied to yourself through self-hypnosis. Through these techniques it is possible for you to gain complete control of your mind, including the subconscious. In this article, we will cover the core techniques which you can alter and adjust to fit your own needs. Many of them are very similar to the ones used by hypnotherapists on clients. It should be noted that care should be taken when deciding what you want to have programmed into your subconscious mind.

The first thing to do is to decide what the desired result, or purpose, of your hypnosis session will be. You should not attempt to change more than one thing during a session since it simply will not work. Once you have decided on your purpose, it is time to devise the statement or suggestion you are going to give to your subconscious mind.

The suggestions you give your subconscious during self-hypnosis need a great deal of thought. They need to be positive, and represent a positive change or something good. Using negative suggestions such as "I am going to fly across country no matter how scared I am." will only serve to increase your fear of flying rather than overcoming it. Instead, focus on the positives involved in flying and how you will feel when you get to your destination and are greeted by your loved ones. The suggestions you devise should be short and to the point, and easily remembered.

When you are ready to do a self-hypnosis session, do so in a quiet, peaceful, and comfortable place. Locking the doors and unplugging the phone will help to make sure you are not disturbed. You may either sit or lay down, as long as your body is comfortable and able to relax along with your mind.

Focus all your attention on a point that is slightly above eye level. Take a couple deep breaths while repeating to yourself the word "relax". As you breathe out, imagine that you are expelling all the bad air inside you and replacing it with nice clean air as you breathe in.

Close your eyes and focus your mind in on a few of the sounds around you like water in the pipes, wind blowing through leaves outside, or rain hitting the windows. At the same time, be aware of your physical body and what you feel such as the temperature of you skin, or the weight of your body against the chair or bed.

Once you are relaxed, start to descend into your subconscious mind. You can imagine you are walking down a short stairway leading to a beautiful garden or any other place that brings you pleasure. Each step you take brings you closer to your goal, like passing through layers of clouds, and all your worries gradually leave. At the bottom step, you are in your garden and can feel the sun on the top of your foot and the grass between your toes.

You should now be completely relaxed in both body and mind. Start the repetition of your suggestions quietly to your self and your subconscious mind. Repeat the suggestion three times, with a short break in between to imagine how your life will be once the change is made. Once you are finished with your suggestion, climb back up the stairway slowly, telling your self that at the top step you will be fully awake and refreshed.

That is all there is to self-hypnosis. The ability to hypnotize yourself is a skill that can be learned by nearly everyone. However, practice does make it easier to accomplish. You may not feel the effects of it immediately, but just do it again and have faith that over time by giving your subconscious mind the right suggestions you will make the changes in your life that you want to make.