Somana Wellness Journal & Mindful Learning Lounge
his space invites you to connect deeply with your body, breath, and mind, using journaling as a tool for healing and self-discovery. With practical resources and gentle guidance, it supports the cultivation of mindful, embodied practices.
Somana Wellness Journal & Mindful Learning Lounge blends science and soul, offering a compassionate, curious approach to somatic healing. It’s a place to nurture an authentic path toward balance and presence.
Step inside, breathe fully, and let this space inspire your journey to embodied wellness and your highest self.
Table of contents
From Overdrive to Inner Oasis: How Breathwork Activates the Trance State for Busy Minds
In today’s fast paced world, many of us are living in a chronic state of “on“. We’ve normalized nervous system dysregulation thinking it’s just anxiety, ambition, or the price of productivity. Our minds stay in loops: overthinking, planning, analyzing. Even when we want to relax or meditate, we can’t drop in.
But here’s the truth:
The doorway to peace, clarity, and insight isn’t through thinking harder.
It’s through the body.
It’s through the breath.
🔥 The Science of the Overstimulated Mind
When our nervous system is stuck in sympathetic activation (fight or flight), our cognitive and emotional centers shift into survival mode. Cortisol floods the body, and the amygdala (the fear center) becomes more active, while access to the prefrontal cortex, responsible for regulation, reasoning, and reflection diminishes (Arnsten, 2009).
This means we literally lose the ability to think clearly when we’re stressed.
The body doesn’t know the difference between a trauma trigger, a packed schedule, or a real threat. It just knows: I don’t feel safe.
🌬️ Why Breathwork Works, Especially When Nothing Else Does
Breathwork offers a direct pathway out of this loop. Unlike the mind, the breath is both automatic and voluntary. When we consciously shift our breath especially in a rhythmic or diaphragmatic way we signal to the autonomic nervous system that the danger has passed.
Research has shown that slow, deep breathing activates the vagus nerve, stimulating parasympathetic (rest and digest) activity and reducing anxiety, blood pressure, and cortisol (Jerath et al., 2006; Zaccaro et al., 2018).
In other words:
Breath = Safety.
Safety = Trance accessibility.
🌀 Breath & Brainwaves: Accessing the Trance State
When we engage in conscious breathwork, brainwave activity also begins to shift. Studies using EEG recordings have shown that slow breathing increases alpha and theta brainwave activity (Fumoto et al., 2004) — the same frequencies associated with deep meditation, hypnosis, and flow states.
- Alpha waves create a calm, alert state ideal for intuition and creativity.
- Theta waves allow us to access the subconscious where memories, emotions, and repressed material live.
This natural descent into the trance state is why breathwork is so powerful for those who struggle with “monkey mind” or traditional forms of meditation.
🌱 For the Ones Who Can’t Sit Still
This is for you if:
- Your mind races when you try to meditate
- You crave spiritual connection but feel blocked
- You feel like your body is constantly bracing
- You want to trust your intuition again
Breathwork creates a bridge — between the busy mind and the deep self. It initiates the trance state organically, without needing years of stillness practice. You don’t have to be calm to begin. You breathe your way there.
🌸 Final Exhale: Returning to the Garden Within
As the breath slows, the nervous system settles. The soil of your inner world softens. And beneath the surface noise, something ancient stirs your truth, your knowing, your peace. This is your heart’s garden.
You are the gardener. The breath is the tool.
And the trance state? That’s where the seeds of transformation begin to bloom.
🧠 Science Sources (APA Style)
- Arnsten, A. F. T. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 410–422. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2648
- Fumoto, M., Sato-Suzuki, I., Seki, Y., Mohri, Y., & Arita, H. (2004). Appearance of high-frequency alpha band with disappearance of low-frequency alpha band in EEG during forced attention. Neuroscience Letters, 367(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2004.05.080
- Jerath, R., Edry, J. W., Barnes, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts autonomic nervous system. Medical Hypotheses, 67(3), 566–571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2006.02.042
- Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353
Written by:
Seattle Z. Jones
Founder of Somana MindBody
Hypnotherapist • Bodyworker • Nervous System Guide
Trust, Intelligence, and Hypnosis: What the Science Says About Entering Trance
By Seattle Z. Jones | Somana MindBody
🌿 Why Trust Matters in Hypnosis
In the field of hypnotherapy, trust isn’t just “a nice to have” it’s foundational, in fact hypnotic trance will be ineffective without it. But what exactly is trust?
While psychologists have explored various definitions over the years, a particularly useful one comes from Schlösser et al. (2015), who describe trust as a two-pronged concept:
“Trust is the act of making oneself vulnerable to another with sufficient positive expectations that the trust will be reciprocated.”
This isn’t just about trusting people in our daily lives. Researchers distinguish between:
- Generalized trust — trust in society or strangers
- Interpersonal trust — trust in close relationships, like friends and family
Why does this matter in hypnosis? Because entering a trance state requires a willingness to let go of control, even briefly. That’s an act of vulnerability and it can’t happen without trust.
🧠 Trust, Intelligence & Openness: The Cognitive Link
Research by Carl & Billari (2014) shows that trust and intelligence are significantly correlated. In their study, they found that individuals with higher intelligence also tended to be more open to experience and both traits correlated with a higher baseline of trust.
Let’s connect the dots:
- High intelligence → more openness
- More openness → more trust
- More trust → greater capacity to relax into trance
This suggests that trust isn’t just emotional it’s also cognitive. People who score high on openness and intelligence may be more receptive to the hypnotic state, simply because their internal framework is wired to be curious and less guarded.
🔍 Expectancy Theory & Hypnosis
But trust is just one part of the equation. Another key factor is expectation.
Expectancy Theory, as studied by Wilson (2013), proposes that a person’s belief about how hypnotizable they are can actually affect how deeply they enter trance.
In Wilson’s experiment with 90 undergraduate psychology students (all new to hypnosis), researchers tested how verbal and experiential suggestion could shape a subject’s hypnotic experience.
🧪 The Four Experimental Groups:
- Verbal Manipulation Only: Participants were told (via fake psychological tests) they were highly hypnotizable.
- Experiential Manipulation Only: During hypnosis, subtle lighting shifts simulated a “rosy glow” to trigger a false hallucination.
- Both Verbal + Experiential Manipulation
- Control Group: Received no manipulation.
Afterward, all participants took the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: Form C (SHSS:C).
📊 Results:
- Verbal manipulation alone didn’t significantly affect hypnotizability.
- Experiential manipulation did—participants truly felt more hypnotized.
This reveals something powerful: our sensory environment and expectations influence trance more than words alone.
🌀 What This Means for Healing Work
At Somana MindBody, we understand that hypnosis isn’t magic—it’s biology, belief, and relationship. Your expectations, your nervous system state, and your trust in the guide all impact how deeply you journey inward.
As a practitioner, I take that seriously.
- I build trust first—through presence, safety, and consent.
- I help shape expectations—explaining the science and mystery of trance.
- I use the environment—lighting, tone, scent, and breath—to create somatic cues that ease you deeper.
Because the truth is, your body already knows how to heal—we’re just learning how to listen.
🌿 Ready to Explore Hypnosis?
If you’ve ever felt curious but unsure about hypnosis, know this: you don’t have to be “suggestible” or “easily influenced.” You just need a nervous system that feels safe enough to soften.
✨ Book a virtual or in-person session at SomanaMindBody.com
✨ Follow us on IG @Somana.MindBody for somatic tips, nervous system support, and healing rituals
🧠 Science Sources (APA Style)
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Hypnosis. Retrieved October 14, 2020, from https://www.apa.org/topics/hypnosis
Aguado, J. F. (2015). Psychological manipulation, hypnosis, and suggestion. International Journal of Cultic Studies, 6, 48–59.
Carl, N., & Billari, F. C. (2014). Generalized trust and intelligence in the United States. PLOS ONE, 9(3), e91786. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0091786
Curtis, J. W. (1943). A study of the relationship between hypnotic susceptibility and intelligence. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 33(4), 337–339. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0057673
Davis, L. W., & Husband, R. W. (1931). A study of hypnotic susceptibility in relation to personality traits. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 26(2), 175–182. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0074985
Glisky, M. L., Tataryn, D. J., Tobias, B. A., Kihlstrom, J. F., & McConkey, K. M. (1991). Absorption, openness to experience, and hypnotizability. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(2), 263–272.
Marcinowicz, L., Jamiolkowski, J., Gusnowski, Z., Standberg, E. L., Fagerstrom, C., & Pawlikowska, T. (2017). Evaluation of the Trust in Physician Scale (TIPS) of primary health care patients in north-east Poland: A preliminary study. Family Medicine & Primary Care Review, 19(1), 39.
Milling, L. S., Miller, D. S., Newsome, D. L., & Necrason, E. S. (2013). Hypnotic responding and the Five Factor Personality Model: Hypnotic analgesia and Openness to Experience. Journal of Research in Personality, 47(1), 128–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2012.10.006
Schlösser, T., Mensching, O., Dunning, D., & Fetchenhauer, D. (2015). Trust and rationality: Shifting normative analyses of risks involving other people versus nature. Social Cognition, 33(5), 459–482. https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.2015.33.5.459
Schretlen, D., van der Hulst, E.-J., Pearlson, G., & Gordon, B. (2010). A neuropsychological study of personality: Trait openness in relation to intelligence, fluency, and executive functioning. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 32(10), 1068–1073. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803391003689770
Wilson, K. S. (2001). Response expectancy and experimenter bias as factors affecting hypnotic responsiveness(Doctoral dissertation, University of Tennessee). https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/3005
Written by:
Seattle Z. Jones
Founder of Somana MindBody
Clinical Hypnotherapist, Bodyworker, Nervous System Guide
The Hypnotic Journey: My Truth, My Tools, My Transformation
By Seattle Z. Jones | Founder of Somana MindBody
I’m writing this to share the experiences that have changed my life for the better. My hope is that these words offer inspiration for your own hypnotic journey or at the very least, serve as a gentle antidote for change. A nudge toward commitment. A whisper reminding you of your purpose, even when the odds feel stacked against you.
This is my truth.
My story.
My mission.
And by putting it into words, I hope others can build upon what I’ve learned gleaning insights, avoiding the mistakes I had to live through, and perhaps walking their own healing path with just a little more grace.
🌿 What Is the Hypnotic Journey?
The hypnotic journey isn’t for the faint of heart. It asks something deeper of you. Not perfection but presence. Not performance but permission to feel, release, and begin again.
Those who truly walk this path are brave hearted. They are visionaries, innovators, and quiet revolutionaries in their own lives. People like Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein understood the power of altered states to unlock creativity and solve the unsolvable. Today, leaders like Tony Robbins and Dr. Joe Dispenza speak openly about the role of trance, visualization, and subconscious reprogramming in achieving breakthroughs.
Why?
Because hypnosis works.
✨ You’re Here for a Reason
Maybe you’re a healer, a coach, or a committed hypnotherapist looking to deepen your practice.
Maybe you’re a curious client who had one powerful experience and can’t stop thinking about it.
Maybe life cracked you open through loss, confusion, heartbreak and now you’re searching for tools.
Perhaps you’ve hit rock bottom.
Or maybe you’re standing at the edge of something new, and this blog post is your sign.
Whatever brought you here, know this:
You’re not alone.
You are exactly where you need to be.
🌀 The Journey Has Many Faces
The hypnotic path isn’t linear. It might look like:
- Recovery from trauma or addiction
- A quest for deeper self-awareness
- A desire to expand consciousness
- A longing to finally feel free
Some days, it feels like soaring.
Other days, like shedding skin with every breath.
But over time, it brings you home to your essence.
🛠 What I’ve Learned (and Still Am Learning)
Throughout my journey, I’ve gathered tools that keep me grounded, empowered, and aligned:
- Breathwork to regulate and reconnect
- Self-hypnosis to rewire my thoughts and beliefs
- Somatic practices to release trauma stored in the body
- Journaling and guided trance to integrate and expand
- Community—because healing isn’t meant to be done alone
These are more than techniques. They are rituals of remembrance.
They help us remember who we are underneath the layers of conditioning, fear, and societal noise.
🌺 A New Beginning Starts Here
If you’re feeling the pull to begin or begin again let this be your invitation:
✨ You don’t have to have it all figured out.
✨ You don’t have to be fearless just willing.
✨ The hypnotic journey doesn’t ask you to be perfect. It asks you to be present.
So close your eyes. Take a breath.
Imagine a new path.
A new freedom.
A new opportunity to meet your highest self.
Welcome to the hypnotic journey.
You belong here.
Written by:
Seattle Z. Jones
Founder of Somana MindBody
Hypnotherapist • Bodyworker • Nervous System Guide
🌬️The Breath of Life: Mindful Transformation
Mindfulness is the art of becoming the observer, and through intentional breathwork, we gain the expanded awareness to feel, witness, and transmute the full spectrum of what it means to be human.
With each inhale, you receive life.
With each exhale, you surrender.
With each breath, you evolve.
As you allow yourself to soften and settle into this rhythm, you’ll begin to feel the interconnectedness of all living things—the pulse of peace, the vibration of aliveness
🌱 Neuroplasticity & The Heart’s Garden
Modern science meets ancient practice here.
Breathwork activates neuroplasticity your brain’s ability to rewire itself.
As you breathe consciously and move through trance, dormant areas of the brain awaken. Old stories soften. New neural pathways form. This is somatic alchemy: the breath becomes the bridge from survival patterns to soul expression.
In the metaphor of the heart’s garden, breathwork helps:
- Illumine what no longer serves (the weeds)
- Create new pathways (the soil)
- Plant intentions (the seeds)
- Anchor inner wisdom (the roots)
Through this process, the body releases stored trauma and emotional residue from the chakras making space for the highest version of yourself to rise.
🌹 Stand in Your Excellence
Let this be your invitation to:
- Reclaim your breath as a sacred tool of transformation
- Experience the power of hypnotic meditation + Breath work
- Activate your body’s natural rhythm and intelligence
- Embody self-actualization through the power of presence
- Plant new seeds of potential in your life’s garden
You are worthy of standing in your full light.
You are worthy of breathing into your truth.
You are worthy of growing something beautiful within yourself and in your world.
Somana Mind & Body 