A Jane Doe's Story
By: Simran Bhui
" What if we could heal the core of all our issues? What kind of a freedom would we experience then?”
In the hustle-bustle of a big city where time waits for no one, there is a place where people go to rediscover themselves, to get in touch with parts of them hitherto unknown and to leave with a sense of rejuvenation. In the “B” block of Rajouri Garden in Delhi, behind the walls of a play school called “The Little Kingdom”, Amrisha Ahuja is the proud owner of “The Healing Island” which runs as a centre for healing, meditation and life messages after the school hours. As we enter the room where she conducts her sessions, we are greeted with the aroma of freshly lit jasmine candles. On the board, a scrawl reads, “…Somewhere near you, ‘YOU’ reside”. The desks and chairs for the students have been shifted to the adjacent classroom to make space for mattresses and cushions to be placed here.
At 27, she has a Master’s in Social Psychology from Mumbai University and a degree in Integrated Clinical Hypnotherapy from the California Hypnosis Institute of India. “The Healing Island was a gift,” she recollects with a smile. At around 2 years, the institute has made its name in dealing with issues of addiction, adjustment, phobia management, relationship and family issues, interpersonal conflicts, eating disorders, speech problems, behavioral dissonance and the like. Apart from personal sessions, THI is involved in teaching various workshops ranging from Reiki, Access bars, Angel healing, Theta healing, tarot reading and the like. They have different courses designed for children and adults. THI has now also ventured into corporate and hotel sector with the aim of empowering a large number of people who serve them at a given time.
Explaining the concept of hypnotherapy, she states that it can heal a person’s physical, psychological, emotional and/or any other issue. Hypnosis, as she tells us, is simply a very relaxed state of being, in which the therapist seeks to make some suggestions to heal the said issue. “This state feels the same as when you are just about to wake up or go to sleep. So we could say that everyone undergoes hypnosis at least twice a day,” she says. What intrigued her most about hypnotherapy was the fact that almost all issues are created by the mind, be it a physical illness, an allergy, a relationship issue or a financial constraint. “Hypnotherapy helps heal all,” she says simply. It reaches the root of the issue ensuring there is no relapse. “So what if we could heal the core of all our issues? What kind of a freedom would we experience then?” she asks. “Yes, that look on your face is the reason why I took it up,” she continues chuckling.
She admits to being eyed with doubt by some. “Yes, of course. Just like we, the people in this profession doubt the diagnosis given by the doctors and choose to ignore to give it as much fear as they do, others too doubt us the same way,” she tells us laughing. She doesn’t choose to debate the legitimacy of her profession. She chooses to tell the skeptics about what hypnotherapy is and what it does and then leaves it up to them to believe its efficacy. “More than doubt, it is curiosity that makes people ask questions like ‘how is it possible?’. I invite them to fully allow the process to happen in the therapy room with full faith. If I get a real yes, we carry on,” she explains.
Hypnotherapy isn’t the only arena of interest for this young, dynamic personality. She is also a part time actor who loves writing, painting, music, watching movies and the like. “I am currently learning how to play the drums. I also love to indulge in brainstorming sessions to come up with new ideas to help people see their true selves and to get in touch with the light that’s present in each one of us,” she says animatedly.
As the bell rings, she announces the arrival of her client, politely declining our request for observing the session to protect their privacy. Making her way towards her client, she turns and with a mysterious twinkle in her eye says, “Heal thyself, and in that acceptance, you are already healed.” With a smile and a wave of the hand, she walks on.