Massage for the Mind - Review

I love the idea of a holistic approach to health and wellbeing and a large section of my bookshelves is dedicated to this. I dip in and out of books on Pilates, Indian Head Massage, Crystal Healing even Sacred Drumming. I love them all, they all have a place in my life but that place is disappointingly small at the moment with the demands of my two babies, my grown up girls, a new(ish) husband and a house that still needs some work done on it. There will come a time when life doesn't keep getting in the way of all the things I want to do, but for now it is very much a juggling act and trying to find a good balance.

I was delighted to be given the opportunity by Peggy Melmoth (Clinical Hypnotist, Blogger, Poet, Writer) to try out  "Massage for the Mind".

This is what Peggy says about it:

Massage for Your Mind is a hypnosis MP3 program for being more mentally calm, physically relaxed, confident, and competent. It promotes better quality sleep and better quality hypnosis. It can also be used simply as a relaxation session. Spending twenty minutes in hypnosis is a great way to recharge your mental and physical energy. Give your body and mind permission to relax.

At just over 18 minutes long I felt sure I could find the time for it and it was exactly the sort of holistic, self help, life affirming idea that I try to embrace.

If I'm honest (and I'm in danger of sounding very close minded and a bit sexist) I wasn't too keen on the idea of it being a woman's voice. As a general rule I find the deeper tones of a male far more relaxing and easy to listen too. There was the added complication for me that the voice sounded disconcertingly like my Auntie Dorothy - not there is anything intrinsically wrong with that, it was more a case of I stopped listening to the words to listen to how much like my Auntie Dorothy she sounded. I chastised myself for being an idiot, got over it and allowed the words to wash over me. 

It being a woman's voice really wasn't an issue at all. I quickly found myself obeying her suggestion to go deeper and deeper into relaxation. The music accompanying the dialogue was a perfect addition. 

The next part of the recording was about visualising a relaxing place - a forest, a beach, a hill or a bed. My mind always settles on the "big four poster bed with the most wonderful comfy duvet you've ever seen or felt". Maybe for this reason, I had never actually heard the rest of the recording. I fall asleep. Blissful sleep. The ultimate relaxation! 

I must point out that I use the recording quite late in the evening after all the children are in bed and I am tired after a busy day.

For the purposes of this review, I have now listened to the end of the recording without letting myself be seduced by the hypnotic power of it. I would hate to recommend it without having listened consciously  only to find out that there was some evil dark plan to take over the minds of mummy bloggers one MP3 at a time. I can assure you that there is no such conspiracy!

The end of the recording that I regularly sleep through is simply a section of affirmations that you can be mentally calm, even under pressure, to give you clarity of thought and a feeling of wellbeing and peace. Mental calmness naturally leads to physical relaxation and all the benefits that can bestow. 

I thoroughly enjoy using this recording as a relaxation aid. I am hopeful that at some point, I will be able to take some quality me time, switch off the ever alert ear that is tuned in to the slightest baby whimper and totally lose myself in the hypnotic loop. I know it will be fabulous.

If you think you could benefit from all that Massage for the Mind has to offer or would like more information visit Holistic HeartBeat. (Download available for £8.99)

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