John & Anna (Heart Centred Meta Hypnosis)

Some sessions are about doing; this one’s about softening. Anna Bella-Haines and John Richardson work together on a heart-centred session that brings hypnosis and loving-kindness meditation into the same quiet space, and they’ll be running it at the Guildhall in September.

Anna practises as Amazonite Griffin. John is a master hypnotist and holistic analytical hypnotherapist who also works as a psychic medium and spiritual healer, and who runs the Feel Better Fast Clinic. Between them they’ve built a session around Metta, the meditation tradition of goodwill and loving-kindness, held within a relaxed, guided state.

What Metta means here

Metta is an old idea, and a simple one. It’s the practice of deliberately directing warmth and good wishes, first towards yourself and then outwards to other people, including the ones you find difficult. In this session it’s paired with hypnosis, which really just means you’re guided into a settled, focused state where that practice can land more easily. Nothing is done to you, and you stay aware throughout.

What to expect if you join

You sit or lie comfortably and you’re talked through it, step by step. There’s nothing to memorise and no right way to feel. People often describe it as a chance to put down whatever they walked in carrying, and to feel a bit more generous towards themselves by the end. If you’ve never tried either hypnosis or meditation, having two facilitators leading a group can make it feel a good deal less exposing than going it alone.

Who tends to come along

This kind of work suits people who are worn thin, or quick to be hard on themselves, or simply curious about what loving-kindness practice feels like from the inside rather than on the page. You don’t need any background in meditation and you don’t need to believe anything in particular. It’s offered as a way to rest and reset, not as a treatment for anything.

Something to try before you come

Here’s the core of Metta in miniature. Once today, take a slow breath and silently offer yourself a plain, kind line: “may I be well, may I be at ease.” Then picture someone you care about and offer them the same words. That’s it. It can feel awkward the first few times, which is normal. Doing it for a minute a day is a gentle way to get a feel for the practice before you sit down with Anna and John.

Anna Bella-Haines and John Richardson are among over 70 readers, healers and stallholders at the Mind Body Spirit & Wellness Weekend, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September 2026, at Stockport Masonic Guildhall. Their session, like every session across the weekend, is included with entry.

Search: Rosemary Douglas Tickets — or book at rosemarydouglas.com/tickets