377. Gaining Wisdom from His Patients’ Vacations

Mitchell Mays, D.C., C.Ht.

Several years into a successful chiropractic practice, Mitchell Mays puzzled over the patients who kept returning with recurring conditions, no matter what he tried. Then, he had an “ah-ha!” moment that took his practice in a whole new direction.

Dr.Mays is the #1 best-selling author of MIND GATE: Demolish Fear, Overcome Anxiety and Create the Life You Want. He’s been a licensed chiropractor since 1978 and is a certified master hypnotist and hypnotherapist employing functional medicine, biofeedback, nutrition, guided imagery and hypnosis for chronic anxiety, stress and pain. He and his wife Terry, also a hypnotherapist and mind/body practitioner, maintain a busy practice in northern California, and together conduct workshops in intensive awake empowered transformational retreats.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

“Looking back, what fascinated me the most was science and words. I love words, and I love science.” On one hand, he loved hands-on science, like dissecting frogs. “My cousin and I found out that if you sprayed frogs with hairspray, it would paralyze them, and we could actually do a dissection live! I know that sounds horrible, but I was really interested in seeing the inner workings of the body. On the other hand, “Going through high school, I was in speech, and I loved it. I won the Toastmaster’s Award one year.”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

After building a successful chiropractic practice, Mitchell began noticing the many patients who repeatedly came back with the same symptoms. “They were having terrible recurrences, no matter what I did.” He noticed that the symptoms often went away when the patient went on vacation, then recurred when they returned to their daily routine. “That was a huge ah-ha moment that set me off on a whole new stage in studying the mind, and what I can do to make a difference. So, in 1987 I started studying guided imagery, using it on my patients.” He has continued to expand his practice into deeper understanding of the mind. Today, he is especially interested in how people respond to stress and information overload by falling into a trance state, and he regularly uses hypnosis to “wake them up” from their stress-induced state.

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

“I love giving people the idea of waking up to their full potential as human beings. We are magnificent, divine creatures. We’re pure energy, and we’re an extension of that same energy that runs the planets. I love to help people wake up to that fact, and get on with their lives, and see the many gifts available to them.”

Steps to Success from Mitchell Mays, D.C., C.Ht.

Use the processes represented by the acronym, BEAT:

B is for breathe, deep belly breathing
E is for eat. Eat protein every two to three hours to avoid low blood sugar levels, which cause panic and trigger the fight-or-flight response
A is for assess. Assess how you are feeling and just take a moment to become an observer of the emotion
T is to remind you to take action. Move your body, change your physiology, get up, move around, walk outside, go for a short walk.

On His Bookshelf

The Science of Getting Rich: Financial Success Through Creative Thought, by Wallace D. Wattles

The MIND GATE Process of Empowerment: Experience the Awesome Power of Your Subconscious Mind, by Dr. Mitchell Mays

Future Shock, by Alvin Toffler

Connecting With Mitchell Mays, D.C., C.Ht.

Website URL: https://drmitchellmays.com/

Twitter: @mayshypnosis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drmitchellmays