Friday, October 26, 2007

The Charisma Tape

Last night in my mailbox was the tape from somewhere in the UK by the Confidence Club on "Physical Presence."

This is the one I reported ordering to help me develop some Bill Clinton-level charisma. So of course I broke into it first thing.

It's a hypnotic induction, therefore I listened in headphones, lying on the floor with my eyes covered. Total attention, insofar as I can manage that.

The assignment is to listen two or three times a week for a month. Here's my response on my initial run: First, it's an excellent relaxation induction. I zoned out pretty quickly. Became altogether still.

After the tone-setting came the material to establish what I think of as a powerful calm. The image that I remember--and I know there's some material I don't recall--was of a majestic tree on a hill that has seen a lot of human problems come and go. The listener practices being the tree, deeply rooted and weathering everything. Good image, I think.

Also--just now when I went to the website to get the link, it reminded me of a piece that had drifted from my consciousness: the part about posture and bearing. I don't remember exactly what was said, but that can be a good sign.

My take at this point: this has a lot of potential. Maybe to help me stop fiddling with this and that while I talk.

I'm going to be interested in what my husband Bob thinks of it. He's a clinical psychologist and last night was busy prepping for a seminar he's giving today on, as it happens, self-hypnosis.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Peggy,
The confidence tape sounds very interesting. What you said about it that struck a chord with me was about posture and bearing. One of my favorite sayings is "Chin up". I often say this to myself and to friends experiencing difficulties in life.

I have found that by literally raising up your chin, there is a very subtle but distinct change that takes place. I believe it comes from 2 sources: the first one is the meaning you are probably familiar with, to keep your head high and self esteem intact during times of distress.

The second is a literal change in one's posture. I believe that as with the chi flow in martial arts, correct posture gives us an unobstructed flow of fresh air and energy to all parts of the body. When a person has their head down or sagging shoulders, a real feeling of weariness can take over. Try "chin up" sometime for yourself and see if it works for you.

I enjoy reading your blog. Thanks for all the cool ideas.

Kay

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this cool idea, Karen.

I'd always heard the phrase Chin Up used synonymously with Tough It Out. I'll bet you're right about the flow of chi. Are you a martial artist--or trained in reiki?