Or the Little-Known Story of How I Became the Content Creator for One of the Top Sleep and Relaxation Apps
The truth is that arriving at this moment seems like the most unlikely outcome I could’ve imagined for my life. I am a mother of four, a journalist by trade, and a multidisciplinary artist by practice. But underneath all these labels, I’ve always held, almost secretly, spiritual practices that have carried me throughout my life. I mean, it’s not something I’d advertise on my résumé since meditation and self-hypnosis are hardly selling points in today’s job market. And yet somehow, it is this very private part of me, that has become the driving force behind the work I do today for BetterSleep.
Flashback to 2010. Pregnant with my second son, I was deathly afraid of reliving the trauma of my first childbirth. I wasn’t able to receive the epidural and was told I’d never be able to receive it for subsequent births. I had been ill-prepared to embrace a medication-free childbirth the first time and truly, had never even conceived the notion that I would be able to. So there I was the second time around, on a mission to find some miraculous formula to save me from the pain. A sort of magic spell or, perhaps, some sacred ancient mantra. Something a lot more powerful than my usual meditation techniques that did nothing to relieve my suffering during my first childbirth.
Of course, I would eventually find out that these “same old techniques” can be just as powerful for pain management as hypnosis, but I was in a panic here. Not calm, not centered, not focused. How could I disconnect my mind from my body long enough to have this second baby? How could I appreciate the miraculous moment of giving birth instead of being engulfed in the pain itself? This was my quest.
Cue self-hypnosis. Known as Hypnobirthing (1989), this method—which was developed by Marie Mongan—has been around for some time, but hypnosis as pain management goes back even farther. In fact, it may have been around since the beginning of humankind across all cultures and time.
I began reading on the matter and soon, it became obvious that I had to try it. With the help of a coach, I learned to put myself in a deep state of relaxation and to induce myself into hypnosis—to detach myself from pain.
I practised relentlessly. For the remaining three months of my second pregnancy, I subjected my mind to all kinds of self-hypnosis techniques. My favorite technique involved hypnotizing myself into believing I could put a glittering silver glove onto my right hand and once I had this imaginary glove on, I could lessen the pain anywhere I touched. I also learned to detach myself from my body and observe myself from a neutral, painless position. Sounds wild? Well, it is. And you know what? It worked.
I was acutely present during the birth of my second son, but I was beyond the pain. Throughout the period of learning self-hypnosis, I had also redefined my mindfulness meditation practice.
The day my son arrived, I was calm, I was centered, I was focused. I was ready.
Being unable to receive pain medication was a blessing in disguise. My mind was put to the test and this time, it won. The potential is in all of us, we simply have to will it enough to see the results. I went on to have two more sons and I delved further and further into fascinating and transformative mind practices.
It’s within the things that go most unnoticed that our true power lies. It’s in the breath. It’s in the silence, the concentration and the deepest will to effect a change inside us. It’s in our mind. We can actually learn to master our mind in order to make transformative changes in our lives.
Fast forward to 2017. While working as a full-time copywriter in advertising and juggling other writing and creative gigs on the side, I received a call from Ipnos’s Head of Talent. They were looking for a Public Relations Director to help them spread their world-famous app, BetterSleep, in the media. Would I be interested in working for a wellness app, which helped millions of people fall asleep every night? Um, yes. Yes I would. Did I have any interest in meditation and relaxation practices? Cue heavenly skies opening and angelic voices singing. Take me now!
In the span of a few months working at Ipnos, I quickly transitioned from PR to content creation. Somehow, it all just fit. Today, I use my hypnosis and meditation knowledge to guide people into relaxation and slumber via BetterSleep. It is an honor to bring my experience to the service of countless people around the world. And in this time, I have also made discoveries of other techniques and forms of art. Like writing and narrating bedtime stories for children and adults alike, or finding out how a 30-minute session of the ancient practice of yoga nidra could help me recuperate from four hours of lost sleep. But that last one's for another story.
If you haven’t tried it yet, tune in to BetterSleep and explore a different way of going to sleep tonight. I’ll see you there.
More on BetterSleep’ guided content. Not sure where to start? Download the app on the AppStore or Google Play and try Rainbow Hypnosis, State of Stillness, Yoga Nidra, or a bedtime story like Starship-28.
