Graduate Spotlight
Dianne Kapral, N.D., R.H.A.
"Envision the body that feels good and feels right."
This advice sounds simple but speaks volumes. Her soothing words, spoken during a hypnotherapy session, come from a naturopath who once shaved her head in order to reach her own conclusions about the use of essential oils for the growth of hair before recommending them to a client. She also felt that experiencing baldness would help her relate more deeply with a certain population of her clients.
Dianne Kapral is both bold and nurturing. Her California-based wellness consulting company, Peak Performance Unlimited, helps people in tense situations to become more at ease - empowered by becoming emotionally calm and less aware of physical discomfort - during childbirth, dental procedures, public speaking and smoking cessation, among others.
"I suggest that clients choose their words carefully, so that they don't become permanently defined by a temporary challenge," she explains. "If there is illness, don't own it. You may observe, for instance, that 'the body is having difficulty with breath' but always, always acknowledge that the body is perfectly designed for healing and perfectly capable of overcoming discomfort. All of us can substitute the word 'pressure' or 'discomfort' and remove the word 'pain' from our vocabularies."
Kapral's CCNH dissertation discussed the benefits of aromatherapies for individuals who are severely immuno-depressed. She has since studied Flower Essences with a fourth-generation Australian naturopath, toured sacred healing sites in England as part of her Vibrational Aromatherapy certification, and practiced in Belgium.
She participates in sweat lodges and journey quests to constantly clear out and heal her own issues. Worldwide studies have also introduced her to exotic herbs from the South American rainforests, such as summa for immunity building. With under active immune systems playing a key role in Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, CFS, fibromyalgia and cancer, among others, more and more people seek natural immuno-therapies in helping their bodies to regain homeostasis.
Aromatherapy in conjunction with hypnosis becomes a mind/body modality, Kapral explains. It can help clients enhance their memory, reduce stress, change their eating habits, even become better athletes.
Among Peak Performance Unlimited's most popular offerings is Hypno-anesthesia, which prepares women for drug-free pain management during childbirth. Affiliating with innovative birthing centers as well as enabling more confident home births, Kapral's six-class course helps mothers to give birth awake, alert and relaxed. Classes include teaching relaxation techniques to use during the stress of taking care of a new baby, along with herbal tea and aromatherapy synergies to use before, during and after birth. A birthing partner joins in for the last two sessions.
Kapral has practiced Hypno-anesthesia for more than 10 years, and has assisted in many drug-free births. Certified by the San Diego School of Healing Arts for Hypnotherapy, she is registered by the National Board of Hypno-Anesthesia, and teaches Aromatherapy classes at the annual NBHA symposium. She is also a member of the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapists, and has been featured on ABC's Alternative Medicine Review.
The perpetual learner is also a perpetual mind/body teacher. Kapral is now working on an "Herbs for Women" class, and her daily recipe to maintain robust physical health offers simple nutritional advice that anybody can use: drink plenty of pure berry juice, such as cranberry or black cherry juice; consume one tablespoon of olive oil each day to keep the body lubricated; and drink one ounce of apple cider vinegar, by itself or diluted with water.
Kapral's recipe for a healthier mind involves daily heartfelt affirmations; from her CCNH studies, she quotes Louise Hay's famous "little blue book," Heal Your Body, for affirmations that address specific areas of physical challenge.
"I constantly experience blessings and grace," is Dianne Kapral's mantra.
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