Introducing Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)

. NLP and language
The language that we use has an impact on the way we think, the way we act and the way we feel, and in turn the way we think, act and feel has an impact on the language that we use.

Language is much more than a means of communication – it’s also the raw material of thought.

How we communicate through language is a key area of NLP. What you say and how you say it affects other people and can influence or persuade them in different ways. You need to listen very clearly to what is being said, to notice the style of phrases and words used by other people.

Language patterns, known in NLP as meta programs, develop throughout your life. Different life experiences will often change how you use these patterns.

Have you ever noticed that when you feel depressed you tend to mope around with your head hanging, dragging your feet? Try feeling depressed while skipping and smiling – you’ll find it’s not possible. It’s important to remember that your emotional state is closely tied to your physical state.

you want to create rapport with someone, it’s as simple as this: you have to enter their world. Once you enter their world you can see things from their perspective, feel the way they do, and from there enhance the whole relationship.

The process by which you enter somebody else’s world is called mirroring. The mirroring technique was created by Milton Erickson in the early 1970s in his work with clinical hypnotherapy.

Mirroring is basically copying the other person’s body language, breathing and voice patterns to become like them. It’s literally becoming a mirror image of the other person. When you do this, you will both feel like you’ve known each other forever. It seems a little hard to believe at first, but once you try it, you’ll see for yourself how true it is.

Each of us has a thinking preference – to ‘think’ in images, sounds, or feelings, for instance. What’s more, your speech is an expression of the way you think.

Using NLP ensures that you don’t need to rely on willpower. When you know how, change becomes easy.

Despite its origins in computing and linguistics, NLP is really about graceful human change.

congruence, the perfect alignment of our desires and values with our capabilities.

Don’t think about ‘giving up smoking’ (pain) – focus on ‘gaining health and well-being, energy and vitality’ (pleasure). The gain will outweigh the loss.