Change your Thoughts To Change Your Life With Hypnosis

Change Your Thoughts To Change Your Life by Stephanie MacLennan

Use Hypnosis to Create Emotional Wellbeing
Though it may be difficult to believe it at times, we are all responsible for our own emotions. How we view and think about ourselves, others and the world around us can have a profound effect on our mental and physical well-being. To be mentally fit it is important to use positive and encouraging self-talk. Sometimes we are unmerciful in the mental abuse of ourselves. We fire words at ourselves that we would not dream of aiming at another because they are too harsh: How often have we called ourselves "stupid idiot" "brainless twit" "complete and useless failure"!? How often have we looked in the mirror and thought, "I look gross/ hideous/ unattractive!"? How often have we blamed ourselves for something that was outside our control, or carried guilt for someone else's bad behaviour and so on? Not exactly ego-boosting stuff! We all understand that if we mistreat our bodies by unhealthy eating or excessive drinking then, most likely, we are going to end up with an unhealthy body. Sometimes we forget that the mind is not any different. If we mistreat our mind by feeding it with unhealthy negative thoughts, then we are going to end up with a mindful of unhealthy thoughts leading to emotional problems such as anxiety, poor self-image, low confidence, stress and unhappiness. In addition, emotional problems can have physical manifestations, for example, weight problems, IBS, skin disorders, bruxism (teeth grinding), headaches, lowered immune system and much more.
Our emotional wellbeing is not something that others give to us; it is something we create ourselves. We create it by using positive words (our self-talk) and by harbouring healthy thoughts. Our way of thinking determines our emotional states.
We can have healthy negative emotions and unhealthy negative emotions. Anger, for example, is an unhealthy negative emotion which can lead towards aggressiveness to self or others, whereas, its healthy counterpart, annoyance tends towards assertiveness.
We were not born to be continuously unhappy and anxious. Do not become accepting and resigned to unhappiness. We are responsible for our own emotions and therefore for our own mental wellbeing. Our emotional well-being stems from our thoughts. Shakespeare very aptly expresses the concept of how we are responsible for ourselves:
"Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings" Julius Caesar (Act 1)
The first step in controlling your emotions is to change the mindset that holds the belief that others are responsible for how we feel. Even if someone has done "something" dreadful to us, our response to that "something" is within our control. Once we understand and believe that fact then we are in the position to start discarding the unhealthy thoughts. Of course, we need to want to do that! Though it is understood and accepted that we need to discard unhealthy thoughts, it is not always easy to do so. Thoughts of hatred, jealousy, low self-worth and feeling hard-done-by thoughts can be very deeply embedded. We need to motivate ourselves to put the effort into bringing about the change. To be motivated to do anything we have to believe wholeheartedly that there is some benefit in it for us; in other words, it needs to have appeal to our survival instinct. Good physical and mental health is necessary for a long, healthy and happy life. The need to survive drives us to maintain a healthy lifestyle and is the motivation to discard unhealthy and destructive emotions.
Hypnosis can help us to develop a positive and healthy lifestyle. Hypnosis is a means to communicate with the unconscious mind. Hypnosis is a key to the door of unconscious mind. The unconscious mind knows everything about us; it is our personalised brain. Because hypnosis gives us that access, therapy under hypnosis (hypnotherapy) is enormously helpful in bringing about beneficial changes. Hypnotherapy can be much more therapeutically effective than traditional psychotherapy. In addition, hypnotherapy can be considerably less costly in both monetary and time terms.

About the Author

Stephanie MacLennan PDHyp, DHyp, BSCH, GHR a Clinical Hypnotherapist and a CBT Hypnotherapist practising In London and Berkshire, England. To find out more visit http://www.stephaniemaclennan.com

Diabetes, Depression, Sleep and Hypnosis

Diabetes, Depression, Sleep and Hypnosis by Devin Hastings

"You cannot always control circumstances, but you can control your own thoughts."
Discussed in this article:
1) The Sleep-Diabetes Connection. 2) Sleep and Depression--A Brief Overview 3) How A Hypnotist Can Help.
The Sleep-Diabetes Connection
"Declare the past, diagnose the present, foretell the future; practice these acts. As to diseases, make a habit of two things--to help, or at least to do no harm." (1)
Unfortunately sometimes a solution to one problem creates another. This means that, in some cases, to help is to inadvertently invite harm. Doctors are faced with this dilemma everyday.
For example, if a diabetic patient is depressed then, anti-depressants may be one solution. The challenge is that anti-depressants and many other medications can cause insomnia. (2)
This brings us to this article's main point: The 'Hidden Condition' that frustrates doctors and hurt diabetics---Sleep disorders.
Sleep disorders have been linked to exacerbating or even precipitating diabetes as well as depression.
Allow me to explain more fully: It is known that poor sleep robs people of their health in general. But, for diabetics, it can actually cause a worsening of their condition. In the 2001 annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, a study was presented that warned that a chronic lack of sleep may cause far more serious problems than a tendency to get sleepy behind the wheel.
The study found that people who do not get enough sleep on a regular basis tend to become less sensitive to insulin over time. This can raise the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. In fact, according to Bryce A. Mander, the study co-author, it turns out that chronic sleep deprivation--6.5 hours or less of sleep a night--has the same effect on insulin resistance (3) as aging.
Furthermore, according to the study director, Dr. Eve Van Cauter of the University of Chicago, healthy adults who averaged 316 minutes of sleep a night--about 5.2 hours--over 8 consecutive nights secreted 50% more insulin (4) than their more rested counterparts who averaged 477 minutes of sleep a night, or about 8 hours. As a result, "short sleepers" were 40% less sensitive to insulin.
What is fascinating is that the poor sleep/excess insulin (hyper-insulinemia) connection has not received the attention it deserves. Even the Mayo Clinic is apparently unaware of this connection. Please review the following definition of hyper-insulinemia given by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER): "The term hyper-insulinemia means abnormally high levels of insulin in your blood. It's not a disease. Instead, it may indicate an underlying problem that's causing your pancreas to make and release too much insulin. Insulin helps regulate blood sugar.
Causes of hyperinsulinemia include:  Insulin resistance. This occurs when your body doesn't use insulin properly. Risk factors include a family history of insulin resistance, lack of activity, obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome.  A tumor of the pancreas (insulinoma), which secretes excess insulin.
Hyper-insulinemia doesn't cause signs or symptoms. But if it leads to abnormally low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), signs and symptoms may include sweating, weakness, slurred speech, confusion and seizures.
Hyper-insulinemia is often associated with type 2 diabetes" By Mayo Clinic staff ---December 10, 2003" (http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ00896)
Here is the challenge with the preceding information: It seems that it may not be fully accurate. This idea is put forth because the preceding Mayo definition states that: (a) Hyper-insulinemia is not a disease and that (b) Hyper-insulinemia has no signs.
Addressing the first point that hyper-insulinemia is not a disease: Hyper-insulinemia is a now well recognized to be a predictor of diabetes. Also important to note is that excess insulin can cause or significantly contribute to the onset of heart disease and premature aging as well as diabetes. Also bear in mind that insulin is a storage hormone produced by the body to lower blood sugar by sending it into the cells. Over time, excess blood sugar and insulin stresses the system and the cells become less responsive. This condition is known as insulin resistance. Also note that in his best-selling book Protein Power, Dr. Michael Eades wrote:
"When insulin levels become too high... metabolic havoc ensues with elevated blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, diabetes, and obesity all trailing in its wake. These disorders are merely symptoms of a single more basic disturbance in metabolism, excess insulin and insulin resistance."
It is also understood that excess insulin promotes smooth-muscle growth in blood vessel walls, which contributes to the formation of plaques. Artery walls become thickened and stiff, causing blood pressure to rise.
So, to classify hyper-insulinemia as a non-disease seems a bit short sighted when, if it was treated with more concern and urgency as a disease, then perhaps other disease states could be avoided.
Now, let's look at the second point that hyper-insulinemia has no signs. Wouldn't it make sense to think that perhaps it has symptoms and signs not yet recognized or associated? In my opinion, this condition does have plenty of symptoms: Low blood sugar reactions (moodiness, irritability, sweating, confusion, etc..), weight gain, elevated triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
And there are probably a host of other signs and symptoms that accompany excess insulin levels. The question to ask is Who is looking for them? The answer? Not too many people. Hence, no generally agreed upon signs or symptoms.
If nothing else, the preceding should challenge those who can, to seek to eliminate or validate the idea that hyper-insulinemia is indeed a health crisis of a significant degree and, that it's treatment could have untold benefits.
Sleep and Depression--A Brief Overview
Poor sleep and depression form a very vicious circle.
It is well noted that poor sleep contributes to depression. During a webcast on August 21, 2003, James C. O'Brien, M.D., FCCP, ABSM stated that:
"During REM-stage sleep is where we learn situations and incorporate situations and deal with emotions that, unless we deal with it properly, will affect us in terms of our daytime functioning on a mental, emotional level."
The point is that feelings of depression that can be caused just by poor sleep, can adversely affect a person's ability to take proper care of their health. Hence, good sleep is especially important for diabetics because sadness or depression induced by poor sleep can have deleterious consequences never mind the actual physical problems noted earlier.
Health care workers should also note that according to the National Sleep Foundation 2002 Annual Sleep Survey, almost 74% of Americans do not get enough sleep each night. The survey also found that those with sleep problems are twice as likely to feel stressed and tired.
The preceding facts are pointed out to alert those who treat diabetics that: (a) There is a very good chance that their diabetic patients are suffering from a sleep disorder and (b) A sleep disorder can frustrate their attempts to treat their patients for diabetes.
Something else that may interest those who treat diabetics is that sleep apnea treatment can lower glucose levels in diabetics. (5)
How A Hypnotist Can Help
All the preceding information and discussion takes us to our next point. Now that it is recognized that good sleep is utterly essential as an adjunct treatment for diabetes and pre-diabetes, doesn't it make sense that a non-medicated approach to good sleep for these conditions would be reasonable as an important, first effort treatment?
I state 'first effort' because the dictum, "First do no harm" would seem to indicate that drug therapy should be a second treatment approach because some drug medications can sometimes cause other problems.
So what is a safer, first approach treatment for good sleep? Hypnosis.
William S. Kroger, M.D., states in his book Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis that "Hypnosis effects improvement in acute cases of insomnia. Often a single session is effective in restoring the sleep cycle, particularly if auto-hypnosis has been taught on the initial visit."
Karen Olness, M.D. and Daniel P. Kohen, M.D. in their book Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy With Children, note the following:
"Hurwitz, Mahowald, Schenck, Schulter, and Bundlie (1991) described the successful use of hypnosis in 27 adult patients with sleep terror disorders. Seventy-four percent reported much or very much improvement with the use and practice of self-hypnosis."
Bear in mind that if you go to see a hypnotist for a diagnosed sleep disorder (or any other diagnosed medical condition) the hypnotist must have your doctor's consent before treating you. In this referral, it must be clear that you have been cleared of any disorder that a hypnotist cannot or should not treat that may be causing your sleep problems.
As a final note: A hypnotist truly can make an enormous difference in a person's quality of life and health simply by helping them to sleep better. If you have not been sleeping well and, it seems to be worsening other conditions than, at the very least try a hypnosis for better sleep CD. The are hundreds available on the internet.
Warm Regards,
C. Devin Hastings "Speak well to yourself because your deep mind is always listening."
BIOGRAPHY
C. Devin Hastings, a diabetic, suffered from depression for over 20 years and is dedicated to making information available to others that can help them to change their lives. To learn more about Devin and hypnosis, please visit: www.MBH4U.com
REFERENCES:
(1) Hippocrates in his Epidemics, Bk. I, Sect. XI. (2) National Sleep Foundation Sleeptionary TM About Insomnia. URL: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleeptionary/index.php?secid=&id=19 (3) Insulin resistance is a major factor in most cases of diabetes. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body cannot properly utilize normal amounts of insulin. (4) The more insulin a person's pancreas has to produce, the more likely it is that eventually the beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas, will break down. (5) Archives of Internal Medicine--February 28th, 2205

About the Author

Devin Hastings is an international speaker on the medical applications of hypnosis to diabetes, depression and other problems.
Please fee free to visit either: www.MBH4U.com or www.depression-hypnosis.com

Anchoring For Emotional Balance

Anchoring For Emotional Balance by Karen Hastings, Hertfordshire

Most people experience life as a roller-coaster of different emotional states, accepting without question that emotions are something that just happen in response to life events. In any given day, you may experience a range of states, some positive and some that are negative or distressing. The emotional state we are in is so important as it affects how we behave and the results we get. If you are feeling positive and happy, of course the whole world seems better and more interesting and the way you behave will reflect this.
In fact emotional states are not something that happen to us, rather we create them based on how we view the world. We all know a really positive person who takes everything in their stride or a friend who seems to get upset at the slightest concern. In these modern times, it is how we respond to perceived threats that cause us stress and problems.
Imagine being able to control and regulate your emotions so that life is more balanced or being able to access resourceful emotional states when you need them. Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) therapy is a way that you can learn to manage your emotional state and change it at will in order to experience emotional freedom. When clients come to see me for NLP Aylesbury, Herts, I am able to teach them the tools of anchoring so that they can bring harmony and emotional balance to their life.
Anchors are naturally occurring associations between an external stimulus and a behavioural or emotional response. They occur because the human mind constantly seeks to make sense of the environment by looking for patterns and associations between things. It is likely that you have had the experience of hearing a certain piece of music that reminds you of a person or event from the past or have smelt perfume or some other smell that reminds you of someone you know. Hopefully, most people see a red traffic light and automatically know to stop! Not all anchors are positive. People learn to make negative associations between things, such as feeling anxious or worried when they are asked to go to their bosses office or when they are required to give a presentation to colleagues.
NLP deliberately makes use of anchors in order to empower people to have control over their emotional states. There are specific NLP techniques in which a stimulus is used to trigger and link an emotional state. The stimulus is usually external and may be a sound or touch. Through these techniques it is possible to for an individual to build up a resource of positive emotional states, which they can access in any situation in which they need them. It is also possible to completely collapse negative anchors so that external stimuli that cause you negative emotional states will no longer be a problem.
You will already have all positive emotional resources within you that you need. NLP, Aylesbury, Herts, can enable you to make use of these. Having this control will have a profound effect on all aspects of your life, particularly your relationships. You will find that you are able to behave in new and flexible ways. If you feel learning to use anchors would benefit you, it would be advisable to see an NLP practitioner. Anchoring is something that you can learn to self-administer and is a life-long skill that will get you better results.
The process involves remembering specific times in the past when you have experienced the emotional resource you wish to anchor. What great is that you can borrow positive emotional resources that occur in response to certain situations in your life and use them in other situations where wish you had them! So, the motivation that you felt in planning a particular holiday can be borrowed and used as the motivation you need in order to get you to the gym!
Why not spend time now thinking about specific times in the past when you have felt happy or have been laughing so hard it hurts! You will be amazed at all the positive emotions you have experienced and how it is possible to re-create these feelings again just by thinking about them. Do this and you are well on your way to being the boss of your emotional state.
Karen Hastings is an NHS experienced occupational therapist and master NLP practitioner. NLP, is available at NLP, Aylesbury, Herts.

About the Author

Karen Hastings is an occupational therapist and runs a private therapy practice in Hertfordshire. Karen has worked in the NHS with individuals with acute and chronic mental-health problems. She is also a master NLP practioner and offers cognitive based therapy, visit http://www.karenhasings.co.uk

Weight Loss With NLP

Weightloss With NLP by Karen Hastings, Hertfordshire

NLP can be useful for people struggling to lose weight. In fact, wanting to lose weight is a fairly common reason for why people seek NLP, Herts. Whilst NLP is by no means a magic diet pill, it can be very useful in addressing the issues associated with over-eating such as confidence, self-esteem, motivation and negative coping strategies. This article discusses seven NLP tools, which can help you in being slim and healthy.
1. NLP Communication Model - This model underlies any change work in NLP and a good therapist will explain this model to you. It is very important as it tells us how people use language in specific patterns, during thinking. Depending on the nature of the way you talk to yourself when thinking, you could be undermining the efforts you make to eat healthily and be slim. The NLP communication model can help you to begin to be much more aware of the language you use during thinking, in order that you can develop positive thinking habits. Since how you think has a massive effect on how you feel, it also effects how you behave. Change your thinking patterns and you will get different behavioural results. In the case of weight loss, this can be a change in your eating or exercise habits.
2. NLP Presuppositions - These are a set of convenient beliefs which if you subscribe to them, can lead to you feeling much more empowered. For example, one of the presuppositions is that all behaviour has a positive intention. This does not mean that everything a person does it morally good or good for society. It means that each person, only always carry out behaviours that are positive for them in some way, i.e. meet some higher human need. So, if you feel frustrated at yourself for overeating when you feel you really shouldn't, its time to begin to think about what needs you meet through food. Only, then can you acknowledge that you have been doing the best with the resources available to you at the time and begin to plan how to meet the need met by food in a more positive way.
3. NLP Frame - Cause is greater then effect. NLP frames are frames of reference that guide the individual towards taking responsibility for themselves, how they feel and what happens in their lives. During NLP therapy you will be encouraged to BE at CAUSE. This means that things happen in your life because of you, not too you. NLP does not claim this to always be the case, it asks you to try to live your life guided by the frames. Being at cause means you get the credit for all the great things you achieve, of course, it also means that you have to take responsibility for outcomes that your not so proud of. How does this relate to dieting? Well as a person who used to smoke and who tried to stop for several years before I was successful, I know that I felt much more comfortable about lighting up, if I had a reason (excuse). So, it was the fault of my stressful day, argument with boyfriend, because I'd had a glass of wine, because I needed to relax and not because I was choosing to smoke over other behavioural options. This can be the case, with bingeing or snacking. Once you begin to stop kidding yourself during thinking and actually begin to stop and say, actually I don't have to eat this, I can act in a different way, I take responsibility, you have taken a big step towards the slimmer you.
4. NLP Formal Change Techniques - There are several formal change techniques, which are useful for helping with weight-loss. The most appropriate technique will depend on your unique problem. Here are a few: 1) The Swish Technique can be used if you wish to replace a highly contextualised problem behaviour with a more positive behaviour. It works to eliminate behaviours that occur in specific situations after specific triggers. 2) Parts Integration is very useful at uncovering the positive intention of your unhelpful eating habits and dealing with incongruent behaviour and feelings. If you've had the experience of thinking 'how have I just eaten that, I've been doing so well', this technique could help you! 3) Like To Dislike - This technique is based on information about how we code memories in our brain. We tend to code things we like in a different way to things we don't like. So, if you have a particularly problematic food type, its possible to change the memory of the problematic food type into the memory of a food you can't stand. This technique works really well if you have a food that you really hate! 4) Hypnosis with positive suggestion - many NLP therapists will have studied hypnotic techniques based on the Ericksonian model, during NLP training and will utilise these techniques during therapy sessions.
5. Getting Leverage - NLP therapists are skilled at getting leverage. This basically means helping the client to recognise and experience the impact of the problem behaviour, such as overeating, on themselves and those around them. It will help you find your motivation and will identify those who are not motivated.
6. Setting Well Formed Goals. NLP takes goals setting seriously and has developed criteria for goal setting that results in the goals being much more achievable and likely to be reached. Your therapist can support you in working towards your weight loss goals.
7. Developing Positive Coping Strategies. Acknowledge that your problematic eating has served a purpose in the past, in that it has likely been a method for coping. Now you want to develop positive coping strategies that serve you in the present and future. When would now be the right time to be good to yourself?
These are just a few of the ways that NLP can help you develop new options in thinking and behaviour. I have found these techniques effective during NLP, Herts at my NLP practice, Herts, when supporting clients in losing weight.

About the Author

Karen is a mental health occupational therapist. Karen practices privately in Hertfordshire, where she employs NLP and Hypnotherapy techniques to help people with weight loss, as well as many other emotional, psychological and behavioural issues. Visit http://www.karenhastings.co.uk


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How To Use Self Hypnosis To Harness One Of Natures Most Powerful Forces For Your Own Personal Development

How To Use Self-Hypnosis To Harness One Of Natures Most Powerful Forces For Your Own Personal Development by Adam Eason

My brother and I were on a 20 mile marathon training run together this weekend just gone and I was telling him that a very momentous thing happened to me this week and I am going to tell you about that thing too. Ready? ....I threw away my big duck-down, red puffer jacket - a big winter coat that I have owned since I was 16 years old. I bought it from my Uncles shop in Nottingham as a young man and have now owned it for more of my life that I have not owned it.
My brother laughed and asked why I had done such a thing. So I explained to him that I really ought to have a new winter jacket and that someone of my resource ought to have a fine new one. He asked me why I couldn't just buy a new one (or two or three) and still keep the old jacket.
My answer to him was one word - Vacuum.
Let me explain... When I had been skiing and left footprints in any patch of snow, you can bet those footprints were covered up by wind, snow and other footprints and I wouldn't find them again. When I have been walking on the beaches outside my home or anywhere else in the world, I am sure that you have seen what happens when you leave footprints in the sand on the beach - the sea and the wind soon fills them in.
Nature does not stand for a vacuum. It does not let it go too long without being filled. I can remember the impressions I would get on my face from sucking all the air out of plastic drinks bottles or cups when I was younger. Nature rushes to fill that vacuum. Now since the inherent nature of the universe is good, a vacuum will always be filled with good. So when you need more of something that you are after - create a vacuum. You can apply this principle in so many areas of your life.
A vacuum is a natural law and learning how to create and use a vacuum is a very powerful thing to do.
If you want some new shoes, simply give some of your old ones to charity. If you feel stressed and busy, tidy up or dispose of some of the clutter in your immediate environment. Simply cleaning off your desk, sorting out all that paperwork, picking your clothes up off the floor or making your bed can bring lots more harmony into your life. Cleaning out the bathroom cabinet, a wardrobe or storage cupboard, not to mention the garage, is going to do the same thing.
This does not only apply to the physical things in life of course.
Letting go of thoughts of hate, lack, guilt or revenge creates a vacuum for hope, joy and happiness to return and flood your heart with well-being. If you are not experiencing all that you want in life, it often means that you are holding on to something that you should be released.
You can use this notion to bring more wealth, confidence, courage, motivation and inspiration into your life. Anything you like.
You know that you well and truly are surrounded by good everywhere. It is all around us and within us and the universe is poised to fill the gaps with it. The only lack is the lack in your mind. Open your mind to receive whatever you want, create a vacuum to hold it, and you are going to attract it.
To create a really powerful vacuum in your life, follow these simple steps:
Step One: Get relaxed and at ease. Breathe easily and deeply, pushing your stomach out as you breathe in. Tune in to the moment and engage with it. As I seem to say each week - get my self-hypnosis book, or use whatever form of trance induction, meditation technique or relaxation method you know and generate a nice receptive state. Enjoy it and imagine being in your favourite place in nature, whatever or wherever that might be.
Tune in to nature in this place. Create a natural, nurturing environment that is going to be really responsive to the vacuum that you are going to create. See the sights, hear the sounds, feel the feelings of being in your favourite place or a wondrous place in your mind. Once you feel nice and settled you can begin to contemplate.
Step Two: In this wonderful place, think about what you want more of in your life. Think about why you want more of that, think about how much better life is with more of that in your life.
Now think about all the things that you are holding on to that you need to let go of. What is blocking your way, or what can you release to create the space? Identify that. It may be more than one thing. Think and contemplate what you can free yourself of and let go of to create a vacuum in your life and to allow more good to fill that vacuum.
Step Three: In this place in nature, imagine that you are standing. Imagine feeling the ground beneath your feet, smelling the fragrances and the breathing the air. See the sights and hear the sounds of nature.
Then, imagine yourself surrounded by all the things that you need to let go of. They can be actual; things or symbolic representations of those things all surrounding you in a circle. Or if it is just a single thing, it can be opposite you.
Imagine that there is a cord that ties you to each thing. See the cord and feel it, maybe imagine it made of gold, silver or something natural and appealing to you.
Step Four: Now comes the fun. Cut the ties that were binding you to those things and choose to let go of them. You can have a pair of scissors or a knife, or you can zap them with your imagination or do whatever else pleases you. Just cut those ties and watch that thing getting smaller and smaller until it is gone.
Notice what it feels like to have let go of that. Be open to good coming your way from here onwards and be thankful and comfortable that you did that.
Step Five: Think and about and meditate on how good it is to have released that from your life and think about how you will know that you truly have released it. Think about what you can do this very day to show yourself and the universe that you have let go, released and zapped away that old thing and that you are now open to getting more of what you wanted in your life.
Be open and ready to receive.
Step Six: Relax, open your eyes. Now go and take some action to confirm that you have let go and released this thing. Maybe you openly forgive someone, behave differently, do a particular action that shows that you have let go of that thing for good.
This is important. You have to show the universe that you actually did create the vacuum. It needs to be there. You don't get those marks on your face unless you really suck all the air out of the bottles! You don't get a new jacket until the old one is properly gone! You have to make sure the universe has proof that you created the vacuum and then you let the laws of nature do their work!
So there you go - see how you can create a vacuum of any kind in your life and start allowing nature to fill that vacuum with more and more wonderful helpings of good and more of what you want!

About the Author

Adam Eason is a UK based, renowned consultant, speaker and best-selling author. Please visit his website for a vast range of personal development resources and to receive your amazing free, instantly downloadable hypnosis session for ultimate relaxation and the sensational free ebook 'The Happy Brain Manual' filled with techniques, tips and strategies to make more of your brain: http://www.adam-eason.com Thank you.

Improve Your Memory Recall With Hypnosis

Improve Your Memory Recall With Hypnosis by Alan Crisp

Have you ever noticed how you sometimes have trouble remembering something and the harder you try to remember it the more difficult it becomes? Then later that day, when you'd forgotten about trying to remember, the name, answer or information you wanted just popped into your head?
The information was there the whole of the time of course but you were experiencing what Emile Coue called the "Law of Reversed Effect".
And of course we all know how the mind can wander when we are feeling relaxed and all sorts of memories can flow up into conscious awareness. This will happen even more easily using hypnosis.
How memory works
The latest thinking on how memory works is that there is a three stage process:
* Accepting - a memory into your memory system and filing it away safely. * Storage - Keeping it safe and in a place where it can be found easily when wanted. * Retrieval - Finding the memory again and bringing it back into conscious awareness.
Types of memory store
There are thought to be two of memory store:
* Short term or working memory * Long-term or permanent (we hope) memory
And maybe two types of memory, 'Explicit' (which country do you live in?) and 'Implicit' (How do you tie a shoe lace?).
So, using hypnosis to improve your memory makes sense. In fact, many accelerated learning programs such as speed reading and photo-reading actually use a state of altered consciousness similar to hypnosis. They won't call it hypnosis but instead they may talk about
Alpha and Theta states
So, hypnosis can provide a lot of help with improving memory because it can help to overcome some of the problems associated with poor memory such as:
* Good perception of the object or thought you want to remember in the first place;
* Having a good route and system of storage so you can find that memory again really easily and quickly when you want or need to;
* A system of linking one memory to others that may be in the same catagorie or group (very useful for exams and tests).
. However, once in a hypnotic state of mind there are some really excellent memory techniques that can be learned, or as a hypnotherapist may say "installed". You will learn to use them far more quickly if the initial understanding is gained at both conscious and subconscious levels as in clinical hypnotherapy.

About the Author

Alan Crisp DHP is one of London's leading Hypno-Psychotherapists and has a busy practice in Beckenham on the borders of West Kent, South East London and East Surrey. http://www.hypnoseek.com

How Are You Maintaining Your Anxiety?

How Are You Maintaining Your Anxiety?

by Karen Hastings, Hertfordshire

Worries and anxieties are normal and familiar to all of us. They are necessary to our survival as they prepare us for coping with stress and danger. When we perceive danger, changes take place in our body, in how we think and also in how we behave. These changes are triggered by the release of the hormone adrenalin and are crucial as they prime us for action.
Problems arise when the stress response becomes chronic, or excessive and symptoms of long-term anxiety include the following:
Muscular discomfort - headaches - difficulty swallowing - chest pains - stomach cramps - blurred vision - ringing ears - nausea - dizziness - shortness of breath.
So what causes chronic anxiety?
The actual trigger for the stress response might be real or imagined, for example, a person with a social phobia may feel just as panicky at the thought of having to walk into a big party as actually walking into a big party. Whether the trigger is a real or imagined threat, the key to persistent anxiety is you and the cycle that you maintain. This usually takes three forms,
1. Bodily symptom cycles: worrying about the physical symptoms of anxiety so much that this worry re-triggers the stress response and the physical symptoms.
2. Biased thinking cycles: overestimating the threat of danger and underestimating your coping resources. Common thinking biases include; black and white thinking, catastrophising; exaggerating, ignoring the positive. Biased thinking can further increase distress and anxiety, which in turn enhances thinking distortions even more!
3. Behavioural response cycles: avoidance is a common response to anxiety, it is natural to want to escape to somewhere safe and comforting. The problem with this is that avoidance keeps the problem going as the you will never get to learn that you can cope.
Which of these cycles best describes how you keep your anxiety going? Once you have identified which cycle you tend to maintain you can begin to plan to break the cycle.
When clients come to see me at my practice in Aldbury, Hertfordshire. I have a range of techniques in my toolbox that are useful in breaking the anxiety cycle the person is maintaining. An example of techniques include the following:
1. Bodily symptom cycle: controlled breathing, relaxation training, expanding awareness techniques, hypnosis, psycho-education, introducing exercise as a coping strategy.
2. Biased thinking: belief change process, thought challenging, distraction, teaching use of clean language, communication model, sub-modality work, hypnosis.
3. Problem Behaviour: graded exposure, goal setting, swish process, fast phobia cure, problem-solving strategies.
I also work with clients to develop coping strategies, during NLP and hypnotherapy Herts, so that can be used in the longer term. If you are experiencing anxiety that is impacting on your functioning and well-being it may be useful to see a cognitive therapist. Therapies that focus of changing negative patterns of thought are now considered key methods in overcoming anxiety, phobias and depression.

About the Author

Karen has a degree in Psychology and is also a professionally qualified mental-health occupational therapist, with NHS experience. Karen is registered with the HPC and is a member of the BAOT. Karen practices privately and offers NLP and Hypnotherapy, Herts. Visit http://www.karenhastings.co.uk

Take The Edge Off Stopping Smoking

Take The Edge Off Stopping Smoking!

by Richard MacKenzie

Each and every year in my private practice in Oxford, I see hundreds of people wishing to stop smoking. Along with doing Hypnotherapy with them and teaching them Self Hypnosis, I also give them a few tips to make sure that the transition into a happy and content non-smoker is a happy one. I recommend that the tips below be used following a session of Hypnosis or the use of a high-quality Stop Smoking Hypnosis recording.
So if you have picked your day to quit, you're ready to begin. Here are my tips on becoming a happy and content non-smoker.
1.Drink plenty of water. By increasing the amount of water that you drink you will be increasing your chances of an easier transition to being a non-smoker. The nicotine (the drug which you are addicted to) that is in your body needs to be flushed out and an increase in the amount of water that you drink helps you to do just that. It also hydrates your body, which in turn will give you a greater sense of wellbeing and allow you to feel healthier - this could benefit you if you tended to feel a bit crabby after giving up previously.
2.Do something different and keep busy. In those first vital days, make sure that you keep busy, and do stuff that you like doing as this will keep you occupied and less likely to think about smoking. Maybe spend some time with your friends or family and go out for the day. To make sure that your habit stays broken, it may be helpful to break your routine for a few days. During their day a smoker will associate a lot of things with his or her smoking, such as, having a beer, driving the car and after having sex. Still do all of these things, however do them differently! For example - have your beer at a smoke free bar for a few days!
3.Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Just like drinking more water, eating healthily allows you to feel healthier and gives you a greater sense of wellbeing. This is great as in this frame of mind and body you are more likely to succeed as you are giving yourself more to loose! Try it - you will feel great!
So there you have it. These are not all of my tips; however they will certainly help to take the edge of giving up smoking for you. Good luck and enjoy your new healthier lifestyle!

About the Author

Richard MacKenzie is an expert on Self Hypnosis. He is also the bestselling author or a book called Self-Change Hypnosis.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Mind

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Mind.

by Dr Phil Hariram

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common chronic condition with symptoms of abdominal pain, altered bowel habit and form, and bloating. Even though up to 20% of people globally suffer from IBS, no one knows the true cause, there is no physical abnormality, no treatment works for a large group of patients and there is no cure.
The mind connection begins with the potential causes. There is a higher incidence of childhood abuse in IBS group. Talley et al said that 50% of IBS sufferers reported abuse in childhood. Drossman said the more severe the IBS, the more severe the abuse.
All new IBS books dedicate at least one chapter on the Body Mind aspect of IBS. The suggestion is that the Brain-Gut Axis is faulty in patients with IBS.
In addition treatment with cognitive behavioural therapy, psychotherapy, biofeedback and hypnotherapy are producing surprisingly encouraging results.
Technology has isolated areas of the brain that trigger specific effects on the gut. A highly developed Scanner has shown during emotional distress, a part of the brain, the mid-cingulate cortex being stimulated. When this area is over stimulated, abdominal pain and/ or diarrhoea develops.
Studies have shown that hypnotherapy works extremely well. Some cases of refractory (nothing works) IBS, following hypnotherapy are able to lead normal lives and eat food that were previously triggers. Hypnotherapy adjusts information in the subconscious mind.
If a person with severe IBS suddenly decides that she can control her IBS symptoms, specific sequence of activity will follow. Surrounding the subconscious mind is the Critical Factor. It permits information to go pass if it is in line with stored information and refuse entry to contrary information.
The information "I can control my IBS" reaches the Critical Factor. The Critical Factor will now do a search just like Google. It will search the vast information highway of your subconscious mind. The search result: There is no info that you can control your IBS in your subconscious Mind. You have been Googled. This information will be blocked. It will reside only in the conscious mind. In other words the control will not be forthcoming.
During hypnotherapy, you are put into a deep altered sleep. During this trance state, the Critical Factor relaxes and allows the hypnotist to plant and remove information. After several sessions all the negative messages about IBS is removed and replaced by positive ones. These patients are now able too lead normal lives.
Some hypnotists plant images in case symptoms such as pain develop. If this patient developed gut pain, and she puts her hand on her tummy, she can create a picture of her gut as a smooth lazy river slowly flowing along with no kinks or white water rapids. Through the mind, these patients are programmed to control their symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Your mind and IBS are closely interconnected. Your symptoms and specific triggers depend on information in your subconscious mind, and this information is gathered from past event and knowledge. In time this becomes a conditioned reflex and your IBS will react like before because the body remembers. This reaction will be specific to you and different from other IBS sufferers because of different stored Information.
Remember you are not alone. There are millions of Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers globally. Take a positive attitude and create positive expectation for your IBS. Surround yourself with people that inspire you. Talk freely about your IBS. This could be your important step towards gaining control of your IBS.

About the Author

Dr. Phil Hariram is retired General Practitioner. He believes that Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Mind are strongly interconnected and control is possible by harnessing the power of the Mind. Learn more at http://www.healingibs.com