Dropping two dress sizes simply by laying on someone’s couch – sounds too good to be true, right? But Lily Allen insists that her newly lean figure was not down to the latest Hollywood diet or being whipped into shape by a sadistic personal trainer, but was actually the result of hypnotherapy sessions. And there’s a ton of scientific evidence to back up the effectiveness of hypnosis – not just for treating weight loss, but for overcoming a range of physical and emotional issues.

Mel B, last week revealed she sought hypnotherapy in a bid to boost her body-confidence, Fergie to quit biting her nails, and nicotine addicts Charlize Theron and Drew Barrymore to kick the habit by being “put under.”

The power of the mind

Since the credit crunch hit, there has been a dramatic surge in hypnotherapy to help people alleviate money worries and curb out-of-control spending habits. But how does it work? By entering the subconscious and creating a state of heightened, focused attention, suppressed emotions are brought to the surface and negative thoughts are turned into positive ones. Susan Hepburn the hypnotherapist responsible for Lily Allen’s new body says, “People imagine hypnosis to be something scary – it’s actually very pleasant.”

Tranceformation

Relax your mind with these top self-hypnosis techniques from certified UAE Hypnotherapist, Alla Tchemodanova...

1 Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and work to rid your mind of any negative feelings of fear, stress or anxiety.

2 ”Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Repeat this slowly out loud to help you drift into a relaxed state.

3 Taking slow, deep breaths, count from 500 backwards out loud whilst letting your muscles relax from the top of your head down to the tips of your toes. Visualise each part of your body becoming lighter as the tension is removed.

4 Next, imagine yourself somewhere you would like to be.

5 Stay there and picture every detail of the scene. Your muscles should be feeling relaxed by now.

6 Take deep breaths and allow the feeling of relaxation to spread all through your body.

7 Now coming back to your conscious and aware state, you should feel calm and relaxed.

8 Any time you feel you want to relax, repeat this exercise and you’ll find it easier to chill out every time you do it.