A gentle return to calm, connection, and trust. Pregnancy is often described as a beautiful time… and it truly can be. But it can also be a time of change, uncertainty, and heightened sensitivity, both physically and emotionally. The body is adapting. The mind is processing. And the nervous system is often working overtime. This is why pregnancy relaxation classes are not just a “nice extra”… They are, in many ways, a deeply supportive and necessary part of preparing for birth. In fact, this weekend I had the absolute joy of teaching pregnancy relaxation at the Foundation Meet & Master for JOYBirth, my Birthworkers Diploma. Spending the weekend immersed in practice, guiding students through trance, breath, and deep relaxation was a beautiful reminder of just how powerful this work truly is. There was such a sense of calm in the room. A collective exhale. A shared space of learning, connection, and softness. And it reinforced something I see time and time again when we teach relaxation properly, it changes everything. 1. Supporting the Nervous System At the heart of pregnancy relaxation is one key intention: to help the body feel safe. When we feel stressed or overwhelmed, the body moves into a fight or flight response. Muscles tighten, breathing becomes shallow, and the mind can begin to race. Relaxation classes gently guide the body in the opposite direction, into rest and restore mode. Through breathwork, guided relaxation, and hypnotic techniques, we begin to: Activate the vagus nerve Slow the heart rate Soften muscular tension Regulate emotional responses Over time, this doesn’t just create temporary calm, it trains the nervous system to return to balance more easily. And this is incredibly important for both mother and baby. 2. Reducing the Fear–Tension–Pain Cycle Many women come into pregnancy carrying stories or fears about birth. When fear is present, the body naturally tightens. When the body tightens, discomfort can increase. And this can reinforce the fear.

Slowing down is not failure. It is wisdom. Too many options create overwhelm. One clear step creates calm. I honour my body. I trust its signals. I move at the speed of regulation. I do not need to hold everything. Systems can hold structure. I hold presence. From the first click to the first conversation, I create safety. I create clarity. I create space to breathe. What feels like a pause is actually alignment. I am building from calm. I am leading from congruence. I am expanding through softness. And that… is the joyful mind way. 🌿✨

This week, I had one of those moments where you realise you’ve somehow missed something that everyone else seems to already know. You know the feeling, people are nodding along, using the language with ease, and you’re quietly thinking, How have I not come across this before? That was me this week when I properly encountered Yalom’s group factors. It felt surprisingly new to me, not because the ideas were unfamiliar, but because I’d never seen them named, structured, and explained in this way. Once I started paying attention, I couldn’t unsee them. They suddenly showed up everywhere: in learning spaces, support groups, friendships, and communities like ours. And the more I reflected on them, the more I realised how powerful they are, especially when it comes to emotional wellness and group wellbeing. 💛 Why This Matters for Emotional Wellness One of the most important ideas in Yalom’s work is Universality, the realisation that we are not alone in our struggles, our quirks, or even our insecurities. So often, emotional distress grows in silence. We assume our feelings are unique, excessive, or somehow “too much.” When we discover that others feel the same way, whether it’s anxiety, self-doubt, overwhelm, or even feeling too loud or too quiet, something softens inside us. That softening is emotional wellness in action. Shame reduces. Anxiety eases. Self-judgement loosens its grip.We move from “What’s wrong with me?” to “Oh… this is human.” And that shift alone can be deeply healing. From Individual Wellness to Collective Wellness What really struck me, though, is how these ideas extend beyond the individual. We talk a lot about personal wellbeing, and rightly so, but group wellness is something different. It’s about how safe, supported, and regulated a group feels as a whole. It’s about how people show up together. Yalom’s factors give us a beautiful framework for this. - Altruism reminds us that helping and being helped both matter - Group cohesiveness creates emotional safety and belonging - Instillation of hope shows us that growth is possible, even when things feel messy - Interpersonal learning helps us understand how we affect others, and how they affect us

I love this guy Sam Bentley happy news

What an absolute honour! Today, I had the privilege of going to Leeds to officially receive the Hypnotherapist of the Year award from The Prestige Awards! 🎉 It was an inspiring day that allowed me to champion the incredible work being done in our field: 🎙️ Educating the Next Generation: It was fantastic to be interviewed for a video about the Northern College of Clinical Hypnotherapy and the vital work we're doing to educate and train the next wave of clinical hypnotherapists. 🧠 Supporting Mental Health: This is crucial, especially now. We're stepping up to support mental health and well-being through this ongoing "pandemic" of need, ensuring our services are ready for those who need us most. 🌟 My Private Practice: I also loved talking about my practice, Joyful Mind Mentor, where I support individuals one-to-one across the North East (East Boldon) and Harrogate. My Special Focus: Substance Misuse Recovery My passion and specialisation is supporting people with behaviour modification and substance misuse recovery hypnotherapy. This work is more critical than ever: The news is stark: In the past year, there has been an increase in people entering recovery services 6% of adults and a concerning 13% of young people. These are the people whose struggles have become so severe they are now getting help from the NHS. We know many more are struggling without support. It's time that we, as a society, recognise this as an issue and step up to help those who feel abandoned. Hypnotherapy is a wonderful, effective solution. Writing the Book! ✍️ To help even more people, I'm currently writing a book on my own specialised TRANCE protocol. My goal is to support and educate other hypnotherapists so they can, in turn, help countless others on their recovery journey. What an incredible honour it was to be nominated, and to ultimately win Hypnotherapist of the Year! Thank you to The Prestige Awards for the recognition. I can't wait to finish this book and expand our collective impact!