Friday Silliness

Written by: Debbie

It is Friday, Friday the 13th no less! According to the superstitious, that is supposed to make today unlucky. Watch out for ladders. Beware of black cats crossing your path. Watch out, the number 13 is unlucky. I am afraid I don’t buy into that, not even a little. In fact, my house is numbered 14. My neighbor is 12, 13 was skipped. I should be number 13.

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So, I asked the post office to please change my address to the proper number, they refused. Often now, I will use the number 13 on mail that I want to see if they sell my name on lists. Seems like a lucky opportunity to me.

I asked my cat, Sassy her opinion of Friday the 13th. This was her response.

So, I went downstairs to look for ladders. This one might be a bit hard for me to walk under, I am not sure how I can test my luck with this.

OK, so maybe I should spill some salt. Drat, we don’t have any in the house, do you suppose I could use the bag of tablets from the water softener? If so, I will have to wait until my son gets home, the bag is pretty heavy for me to lift. I know, I will just continue with my day and my life. So far, thinking positive thoughts have helped. Why change now?

Medical Benefits Of Hypnosis Revealed

Written by: Debbie

Dear Debbie,

Written by: Debbie

It is time for part two of the last letter I was addressing.

My mother died very recently after a long and not very pleasant illness, and this coincided with a change in job for me and a house move, so I’ve found the time stressful to say the very least. In order to get to sleep at night I’ve been imagining or reliving something pleasant that happened. It sounds as though I’ve been taking almost the right approach, if I’d used different thoughts.

I’ve been having concentration problems quite a lot, and if there is anything I don’t really want to address I can almost physically feel my mind pulling away. But there are things that do have to be sorted out and I need to be able to concentrate better.

You are absolutely on the right track with your reliving pleasant thoughts. You have been experiencing a tremendous number of outside stresses. I often use pleasant memories to fill myself with good feelings as I fall asleep. Once I feel the powerful positive emotions, I can allow my challenges to enter into my thoughts. Releasing any emotion or expectations to how these events turn out, I focus on the good feelings I have just created and know that always my life turns our for the best. I then fall asleep, feeling good and asking what my next step is, what I want to do in this matter. It is amazing how I often will either dream my solutions or awaken with a thought that helps me move forward .

Allow time each day to “detox” from the stresses and pains of the day. Take two minutes to breath deeply and as you do, listen to your body. Notice how you feel, become aware of your heart beat, develop a sense of your body occupying the space you are in. Continue to breathe deeply and begin to affirm to yourself, “I deserve peace, serenity and joy. My thoughts are clear and I remain focused.” Do this through out the day as needed.

Monday Morning Musing….

Written by: Debbie

Saturday morning my husband and I went on our favorite bike ride to the park, where we walk the park and then ride home. It was hot out, even early in the morning. The ride there was great, if uneventful. I was not fully myself however and considered if I wanted to do the whole walk. Not being one to give up easily, I decided to go ahead and walk the whole walk. Around these parts, hills are not common. Part of the walk includes a sandy hill, with tree roots all over. It is a challenge on a normal day, a real challenge on a hot day.

I was sweating and working my way up the hill when suddenly I felt weak. I attempted to push through it. It became too hard and I felt my head swimming, so I stopped. My husband looked behind to see me bent over, breathing heavy. He asked me if I was OK. I replied that I was fine, just needed to rest a moment. Then, I closed my eyes and for the first time understood the many references to seeing stars when feeling faint. I did not faint, however.

My husband asked me if I needed to sit. I was afraid if I did, I wouldn’t be able to stand back up. I thanked my husband for helping me. He laughed at that and said, “Well, gee, I thought about telling you to keep up or shut up, or maybe ditching you here for a golf game. I even thought it might be a good time to say I’m not calling any damn ambulances, so don’t even consider getting worse!” I started to giggle, he continued with further such ridiculous threats. The more he said, the more I laughed and my focus changed.

Next thing, I felt much better and we were able to continue. On the ride home, a gentleman was watering his flowers with a hose in his front yard. My husband called out and asked him to spray us. He did, it was amazingly refreshing. When we got home, my husband told me he had been quite worried, I was very pale and my lips were without color. His jokes helped me. He said, “laughter is the best medicine.”

Indeed, it is.

Friday Silliness

Written by: Debbie

I do my best to remain professional, on this blog and in my work. Much of the time, I can at least say that I maintain some modicum of professionalism. In fact, having just been sent feedback from my seminars in Daytona Beach(with the International Association of Counselors and Therapists), I had a momentary burst of pride in this area. However, life is meant to keep me humble. What is more, I have sons and a husband who help me remain humble (for lack of a better term.)

As I was showing off my rave reviews, I was reminded of a time, not all that long ago where I taught one of the classes to another group, The Hypnosis Education Association, at their convention in Orlando. It started out so very well, too.

I had prepared all the handouts for my little class, bought the chocolates that I give out as bribes and even purchased the surprise gift for one lucky participant. Normally, when traveling, my darling husband (ever so aware of my capabilities and lack there of) will check the oil and tires for me, check to make sure I have driving directions and even double check reservations. When we travel as a family, those are all his domain. When I travel alone, he acts as my back up. On this particular trip, he was otherwise directed. However, I was so proud of myself. I checked oil and tires, I had packed all my clothes, arranged reservations (even printed them out) and printed directions to the convention. There was to be a social function the first night I was there that included a gift exchange. I had bought and wrapped my gift.

I arrived at my destination, without problem. I checked in, freshened up and attended the evening function. My gift was wildly popular. I was feeling hot. I knew I was prepared for teaching the next morning, life is sweet.

So as to be fresh and ready in the morning, I went back to my room early to retire. I read over my notes and fell asleep. I must have been asleep for an hour when suddenly, I sat bolt up right in bed and I was wide awake. it couldn’t be true, no I had not done this. I checked my bags. What I was looking for was not in them. I went down to my car, what I wanted was not there. So, with trembling hands, I dialed my husband’s cell phone. It rang twice and he answered, “hi honey, what’s up?”.

I asked him if he was able to check something out for me in our bedroom. He agreed, so I said, “Did I leave clothes hanging together on the bedpost?” He answered, “I wondered if those were meant to go with you!” My heart sunk, my clothes for the weekend were still back at my home. I had nothing but what I wore up and jammies to wear for the next several days! However was I going to present?

My husband kindly offered to drive up with my clothes. A 2 1/2 to 3 hour trip, late at night! I said no, I will figure something out. Then the two of us laughed at my silly predicament. Leave it to me. He had a neighbor over, who was worried that I was upset, he was ready to leave with hubby to bring me my clothes. He thought I was crying and upset. My husband explained to him that not only was I not crying, I was laughing my fool head off.

The next morning, I put my old clothes on and drove down the road. Thank heavens for Wal-Mart. It is open 24 hours in Orlando. I found clothes that would carry me through the weekend (although I did find a mall later in the afternoon to get proper dress for a more formal function I was to attend.) There was still time for me to go back, shower and dress properly and even eat breakfast! I was able to incorporate my adventure into my class. All things happen for a reason, even if it is just to give people a chance to laugh.

Ironically, I was awarded the Hypnosis Achievement Award by this group at the convention. Good thing the plaque had already been made, they might have changed their mind’s otherwise.

Perhaps, you no longer see me as the ultimate professional, but then again, if you have been reading this blog for any length of time you realize I am very human and live to laugh. I hope you are able to make your mishaps into adventures as well.

p.s. I did manage to pack and bring all the shoes I needed for the weekend.
After all, it is all about the shoes, right ladies?

Thanks to Chantix, Quitting Smoking May Be Hazardous, Too

Written by: Debbie

Just a quick link to an interesting article.

Thanks to Chantix, Quitting Smoking May Be Hazardous, Too

I have heard incredible stories from my clients who have tried Chantix. They call me and say, “you are my last resort. I’ve tried everything! The tales of woe, including some pretty rough nightmares and other side effects from Chantix have them in totally desperation. After quitting with the help of hypnosis, I usually hear, “you should have been my first attempt. From now on, I will tell everyone about hypnosis!”

Hypnosis for smoke cessation, what a concept?

Dear Debbie,

Written by: Debbie

No, I am not writing myself a letter. Not that I am against that. In my morning journaling, I often write letters. Sometimes to God, sometimes to someone I need to get clear with (in my head) and sometimes to me (Debbie)! This time, however, I am including some questions that have been sent to me. I have been receiving questions for awhile now. Usually, I write an email back. It can be a few lines in a quick response or a missive, depending on the question, the day and my mood.

I have decided to start including some of the questions here when appropriate.
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Hi Debbie

A few further thoughts of mine.

If I settle down in the way you describe I’m liable to fall asleep. Is that always so? If so, how do you waken yourself up?

How do you keep your mind concentrated on the thoughts you want? Are there any particular techniques? This is linked really to falling asleep, because when my mind wanders off, that is when I fall asleep, at least when I’m lying down!

Many of my clients are concerned that if they take the time to relax and focus they might just fall asleep. I often have clients in my office voice the same concern. I jokingly tell them, I am not that nice, they won’t be permitted to sleep. In all truth, there are times I have seen that a client would benefit from a few moments of sleep, so I do some of the work we need to do, let them go deeper into a sleep state briefly, then bring them back up for some final thoughts as they return to awareness.

If you find that you are concerned about falling asleep, perhaps it is the time of day you are practicing self hypnosis. You may want to try early morning when you feel fully rested, or just before lunch, perhaps right before dinner. You know your patterns, find a time of day when you feel most alert. Secondly, sit upright in a chair, as opposed to laying down. This will help prevent going to sleep.

I often tell my clients who listen to audios I prepare for their use at home, that if they fall asleep listening to it, they won’t hear what is said once they are asleep. However, the good news is, the last thing their subconscious heard as they fell asleep was positive and empowering and now part of their new habits, behaviors, etc!

The subconscious mind knows exactly how to wake you, if you set the intention. Remember, the number one job of the subconscious mind is to protect you. So, if finishing in, let’s say, 20 minutes is best for you, you will awaken in 20 minutes. As a precaution, use a timer at first. Set it for the amount of time you wish to dedicate to the exercise and then when it goes off, you will hear it, even if you have heard nothing else the entire time!

Allow normal thoughts to pass through your mind. If you fight them, that becomes your focus. Remember, what you resist will persist! As you allow a thought to occur and then release it, remind yourself what it is you want to accomplish, eventually, the mind will do this with ease. Perhaps a white noise machine or music without words will help. (I have music dedicated to this for both home and office.)

Hopefully these ideas will help you as you begin on your journey. On my website there is a free download for stress reduction. It is a great way to begin using self hypnosis. Go to this link, try it out and let me know what you think!

Stress Reduction Free Download

There was more to this letter, I will address the rest in another post.

For now, happy stress reducing!

IBS Relief

Written by: Debbie

It was just a little more than a year ago that I became known as the Hiccup-notist. That is, I helped a young girl overcome her hiccups of 38 days. The case made international headlines. It resulted in my working with others with similar ailments. I often refer to the individual who had severe, chronic burping for two years solid and another hiccup case, that individual suffered for four years, not to mention work I have done with sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS consists of abnormal changes in the way the gut normally functions, without any detectable structural changes. IBS is diagnosed by physicians based on the symptoms described by the patient, it is one of the most common functional disorders of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. IBS is characterized by symptoms including diarrhea, pain and bloating. The condition can seriously affect sufferers’ quality of life and finding treatment can be difficult, leading many doctors to feel they can do little to help. These symptoms are often intermittent, however they can last for years.

I have taken further training in the area of IBS, there is so much research into the effectiveness of hypnosis for this condition. Hypnosis is one of the most successful treatment approaches for chronic IBS, the response rate to treatment is 80% and better in most published studies to date. Research by Peter Whorwell, Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology in the University of Manchester, Medical School (in the UK) and Director of the South Manchester Functional Bowel Service, has been researching the use of hypnosis for over 20 years. Whorwell is quoted as stating, “IBS is ideal for treatment with hypnosis, as there is no structural damage to the body. During the hypnotherapy, sufferers learn how to influence and gain control of their gut function, and then seem to be able to change the way the brain modulates their gut activity.” This program is done in workshops, including ten one-hour sessions. During the sessions, participants are given an explanation of how the gut works and what causes their symptoms, and then utilizes the healing power of the person’s own mind. The treatment sometimes results in improvement in other symptoms or problems such as migraine or tension headaches, along with the improvement in IBS symptoms. I will be holding workshops starting the end of June. I will post the announcement soon.

Meanwhile, perhaps you recall my mention of Seth-Deborah Roth, the nurse hypnotist I had the great pleasure of meeting in Daytona. It just so happens she came upon an interview with Dr. Mayer of UCLA regarding the body mind connection and pain and IBS! Apparently, Dr. Mayer studied hypnosis in his fellowship. At any rate, here is the link to Seth-Deborah’s blog with a great interview! http://hypnotichealth.blogspot.com/

Monday Morning Musing….

Written by: Debbie

It is time for me to get back on track. I have missed posting lately, in two ways. I have missed the opportunities to post and I have missed getting my posts up and responding to the resulting comments.

I have been a bit busy, with husband, visitors and end of school year for my youngest son. Now, all of that is behind me. What happened on Friday, however, was I hit the wall. I had been saying how I needed rest, felt drained and that I was tired. Gee, how my words got the best of me. On Friday, I got home from my last session to collapse on the couch. I was asleep for the night by 8:30 p.m. I slept until 9:30 (or later) the following morning. This normally would have me up and ready to take on the world the next day. This time, (remember my words) I felt drained all day. I even took time to go to my favorite store in the world (next to a shoe store that is) Home Depot and could not muster up enthusiasm. I fell asleep in the truck (no I wasn’t driving) on the way home. Neighbors invited me over in the evening and I declined, choosing to sleep instead.

This time I told myself that I was getting better and better every moment, in every way. I repeated that I was healthy and full of energy. I fell asleep thinking of all the energy I would have and use the following day. I even imagined myself stating I feel great today as I awoke the next morning. Sunday morning I woke up feeling great, automatically, without even thinking about it my first words were, “I feel great today!”.

I rode my bike to a nearby park, where I walked the whole circumference of the park. It is a beautiful park, part shaded trees, part beach. I took time as I walked to focus on how lucky I am to have such a place so near to my home. Then I rode my bike back home.

Next, my girlfriend called and offered a ride on her boat out into the Gulf. We saw dolphins playing and enjoyed the warm waters. (I must confess, there is nothing funnier than three blondes trying to anchor a boat near an island without letting the current pull the boat and us into the shallows.) While on the boat, I took the opportunity to feel the waves, hear the birds, enjoy the warmth of the sun. I just remained in the experience of each moment. Now, I have that to take me through this week.

I went to bed last night saying how lucky I am, how healthy I am and how life is great. I awoke, filled with renewed energies, once again. Amazing how much power our words have, isn’t it?

I would like to ask you, dear readers to send me your questions regarding hypnosis, Neurolinguistic programming, positive thoughts or the power of the mind. If you have life situations where you wonder how to apply these principles, send those as well. I will do my best to answer them, or find the expert who can. If you have stories where you overcame an obstacle and want to share, I would love to share those as well.

Take a moment now and breath. Feel the breath in your lungs, filling them up with cool fresh air. As you exhale blow away any imagined stressors and remind yourself that in this moment you are safe.
Breath in the joy that is life, release negativity. Become aware of your body, how it feels in this moment. Wherever you feel discomfort, allow it to fade away. Focus on discomfort being released however release works for you.
Then relax into your breath once again. Find the most comfortable part of you and allow that comfort to become very real. Expand that comfort, spreading it through out your body.

Imagine if you could take this moment with you all day long, how much easier your day would be?

What Hypnosis Is And Is Not

Written by: Debbie

Often I am asked about hypnosis. Just this weekend with the college kids, they wanted to know all about what I do. These were bright kids. They all held majors like, math, physics and organic chemistry. Still, they thought of hypnosis the way it is presented in many movies. They thought of it as if it were mind control and very mysterious. (It is neither.)

I had a conversation with a buddy who wants to quit smoking. His wife is due with a baby soon, he has another child and he wants to be around to enjoy them. Plus, the first born is getting to the age where he will figure out why Daddy sneaks out of the house and returns smelling of smoke. This friend is well educated and well read, a bright man. Still, he mentioned concerns about hypnosis, based on misunderstandings about how he would feel and whether he would be safe.

Then I received an email from a reader of this blog, wanting to know how to use self hypnosis to improve her life. Without an understanding first of what hypnosis is and is not, it is hard for me to explain how to use it. So, today I am providing a link to my website. There is a short video my web master and I produced that explains hypnosis better. Please, if you want to learn about hypnosis, watch it, then send me your questions. Perhaps this can create a better understanding for each of my readers and a chance to learn how to make use of this powerful tool in your life.

So, here is the link:

Enjoy and let me know what questions I can answer for you!

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