“Keep drumming,” the teacher repeats.
by Shana Heatley, Northport, NY
We've entered the season of turning inward. Winter's shortened days usher in a quieter, more introspective rhythm — a slower, more reflective, even dreamier quality to life. Yet this same darkness can sometimes obscure our vision, making it harder to see beyond the heavier edges of the season.
Meditation offers a powerful counterbalance to this seasonal pull. Through practice, we learn to intentionally enter the deeper parts of our consciousness. Instead of being obscured by darkness, we move into it with purpose and awareness, transforming what might feel oppressive into something illuminating.
"I Can't Meditate"
Of course, this is easier said than done. Since I started teaching meditation in 2012, I've heard the same confession countless times: “I can't meditate.” The frustration is real and valid. In our anxiety-driven world, finding stillness feels nearly impossible. Racing thoughts, persistent worries, constant mental noise; they conspire against the quiet we're truly seeking. This is why hypnosis has become essential to my practice.
Hypnosis: As a Bridge to Meditation
Hypnosis is a wonderful tool for quieting the mind. When you struggle to get still, there's usually something distracting you: anxiety, stress, or even something bigger weighing on your consciousness. These difficulties might actually be a sign there's inner work that needs to be done.
While in a hypnotic trance, you enter brain wave states that are very similar to meditation. The key difference? Hypnosis is guided. Through this guidance, you can be helped to release what's holding you back and clear away the obstacles preventing you from emptying your mind and resting in quiet contemplation. It addresses those fears and stresses directly before they can surface and disrupt your peace. And when this clearing happens, a natural state of calm emerges.
Beyond Stage Hypnosis
There has been a lingering misconception about hypnosis, born from old stage-show antics with people quacking like ducks or acting as if they’re glued to their chairs. But that's not the real work of hypnosis. True hypnosis is about guiding someone into a meditative state so they can access the subconscious mind for healing.
While pure meditation doesn’t usually target a specific issue, hypnosis can. Meditation helps us maintain calm and presence by emptying the mind long enough to simply be. Hypnosis, on the other hand, helps release the blocks that keep us stuck so we can truly access that deeper calm. And when we're fully present, the past loosens its grip on us, and the future can't disturb our peace.
The Connection Between Hypnosis and Meditation
Over the years, I've discovered that hypnosis serves as an excellent introduction to meditation. Interestingly, many meditation teachers actually use hypnotic techniques without labeling them as such. They count, they use inductions, they guide you deeper, they employ affirmations and repeat certain phrases. If you've experienced guided meditation, you've likely encountered these hypnotic elements.
The Drum and the Journey: A Teaching Story
There’s a shamanic tale that illustrates an important truth about learning. A young man attends a sacred circle and hears a shaman’s drumming. The music is so powerful, that he desperately wants to learn to play like that.
He picks up a drum and begins to play. But it sounds nothing like what he heard. Frustrated, he goes to his teacher.
“Keep drumming,” the teacher says simply.
The boy practices and returns, still dissatisfied.
Keep drumming,” the teacher repeats.
Again he practices and returns with the same frustration.
“Keep drumming,” the teacher says once more, “but this time, try not to think about drumming. Play without thinking about what you want.”
The young man returns to his practice and releases every trace of desire. Before long, he’s able to truly play the drum. He slips into a trance and awakens new understanding. His rhythm grows more soulful, weaving richer melodies and harmonies, and he begins to journey inward with each beat. He perceives hidden energies in the earth beneath him, encounters animal spirits who arrive as teachers, and receives profound knowledge of deeper mysteries. In time, he even learns to travel to the upper world.
The Practice Makes the Path
This is the essence of the journey: practice. Whether you begin with meditation or need a helpful tool like hypnosis to reach that place of stillness, what matters is showing up consistently. Sometimes we need one tool to learn the thing we ultimately want to learn. Hypnosis can be that bridge.
Over time, meditation brings you into a serene, calm state where your fears, anxieties, and worries become more manageable. A calming mindset starts to radiate through your day and into your life, making everything more manageable, more peaceful, more intuitive, and ultimately more healing.
And so, the darkness of the season invites us within. Answer that call with intention — whether through hypnosis, meditation, or both. Soon, you'll discover that peace has been waiting inside you all along.
Shana Heatley, CH, NBC-HWC, RYT, RMT- is a soul coach, hypnotherapist, and meditation guide dedicated to helping others find inner peace. Teaching meditation since 2012, she discovered its power to calm the nervous system and open intuitive awareness. Her work expanded into hypnosis and past life regression, using altered states to release old patterns and stored emotions. Shana weaves guided meditation, hypnotic journeying, and energy work into grounded, mystical experiences. Her compassionate approach centers on slowing down, listening within, and discovering our inner landscapes. Find her at www.ahhtherapy.com
