Dubai: A Dubai-based trainer claims he is raising the bar – quite literally – to help people overcome challenges in the UAE.
Muneer Samnani, a management consultant who works with various organisations, said he uses the principles of NLP or neuro linguistic programming, an approach to personal development and psychotherapy, and conducts workshops at the end of which participants can actually bend a solid steel reinforcement bar.
“The bar is nothing but an action metaphor for breaking through one’s limiting beliefs,” said the 40-year-old Indian, who claims he has trained scores of teams across companies to achieve their targets and goals.
How the mind works
The principles are applicable to any situation, where individuals are fraught with fears and doubts that come in the way of realising their potential, he added.
Samnani said the aim of the workshops is to help people understand how their mind works and change the way they think to create the results they earlier deemed impossible.
“Everything ultimately depends on your mind. If your brain can perceive it, you can achieve it.”
The workshop entails a set of exercises where participants spell out what their goals are and what stops them from achieving them.
Subsequently, they undergo training in three specific areas to understand their state of mind, skill sets and beliefs. By the end of the two-hour session their fears and doubts are replaced with a focused, positive line of thinking. It is at this stage that the rebar bending is achieved to reinforce the belief that nothing is impossible.
“The bar is an outer obstacle used as a symbol for the inner obstacle and participants learn how to access their personal power and energy to move through the limitation and transform it into a tangible success,” said Samnani, demonstrating how the rebar is bent along with a trained participant Sangeeta Kalsi.
Standing two metres from each other, the duo took three deep breaths and held the fourth one. Taking a two-metre steel bar used in construction, they placed its edges at the base of their throats.
“The throat is a very sensitive and vulnerable part of the body. The rod is deliberately kept at its notch because it can harness the fear and create the required power,” explained Samnani.
After holding their breath, he and his partner began to move towards each other. As they came closer, the bar started bending. Within seconds, they stood face to face and the straight bar was magically transformed into a well-defined arch.
“It’s all about being able to think positive, connect with others and build trust to channel creative power and achieve the desired results,” said Samnani, who charges an average of Dh250 per person for a two-hour team workshop.
