Mesmerizing The Cats?

Written by: Debbie

While wandering through the Blogoshere a while back, I happened upon a blog named Henson’s Hell. The humor caught my eye as I do love to laugh and believe so much in the healing power of laughter. Furthermore, the author Henson Ray tells of his misadventures in a sleepy little town called Plainfield N.J. The place of my birth! OK, I was hooked.

Henson creates adorable videos. Today, he has gifted me with a video. It involves his infamous cats and the use of hypnosis. You may recognize the voice that is not the cats!

The Gift Of Hypnosis

Written by: Debbie

While I believe that the ability to make changes in our lives so beautifully through hypnosis is amazing, I understand that it is not, in fact, a magic wand. If only it was, I would create world peace in the swish of my wand. There would be no hunger, grief or illness anywhere. Then again, it is probably best I am not in control of the world, because not everyone really wants a shoe shrine built or a wardrobe of mostly pinks and purples.

In the past few weeks, I have been blessed by a flurry of interest in hypnosis related to smoke cessation from the local media. It seems that with the rise in prices and taxes threatening to bring the costs up even higher, the quit lines around the country are seeing huge increases in the number of inquiries. So am I and I imagine every hypnotist in the country! Hypnosis is recognized by the I.R.S. as a tax credit, so even better for smokers who want to make a change.

The calls that make me sad, however, are the desperate calls from loved ones who want their smoker to quit. They want to purchase a gift certificate from me, to encourage their smoker to quit. That is a lovely intention. I understand, as my husband smoked for many years, while I helped others quit.

But, the bottom line is, the smoker has to want to quit, they have to be ready. So, I will not sell the gift certificate. I can’t in good conscience. When the smoker is ready, I tell the caller, have him/her call me and we can make arrangements. Perhaps I am making a mistake, but to me, it just doesn’t seem right to do otherwise.

Friday Silliness…

Written by: Debbie

Wednesday evening I decided to go to a local comedy club for some hypnosis. I had heard that a traveling hypnotist was going to be there, to put on a show. How could I resist? I sent this gentleman a note on one of the online boards for hypnosis mentioning that he was going to be in my neck of the woods and I would love to see him. When I didn’t hear back, I figured he was busy with the show and probably didn’t even see the comment. Besides, I am sure I am not the only hypnotist to watch his shows.

So, I set off for the event with my dear, long time friend and webmaster Dona. Did I mention that she is a very dear friend and very loyal, too? (This becomes important soon.) Thinking I am flying under the radar, we arrive at the club (Coconuts) and the owners know me. They know me not as a hypnotist, but rather from my teaching days, so they were pleased to have their daughter’s former teacher visiting. I settled in, incognito as the former teacher, happy as a clam.

When the show began, there was the usual call for volunteers. This particular crowd was going to be a tough sell. So, with the encouragement of my very dear (and loyal) friend, I went up on stage to volunteer. After all, I love hypnosis and I know it is safe, fun and natural. When Patty McGee began his induction, I went down like a brick. Oh yea, I love this feeling and my shoulders were feeling better already.

The fun began. Patty McGee had me convinced I was on a trip into outer space. I was so excited. I love flying of any sort, planes, jets, hot air balloons, so why not a rocket? There I was floating, weightless, in space. Oh my, that felt good.

He did ask me to eat jello that was floating around. Poor guy didn’t know that I HATE jello. You see, I had ponies growing up. My father told me that jello was made from the hooves. Well, if you have ever cleaned a horse or pony hoof before shoeing, you know that jello could never be appealing again. Not to mention, in later years I realized the hoof wasn’t just the shavings. But, I digress.

The time progressed (I’m really not sure how long) and I had a blast. Upon my return to planet earth I showed everyone how Martians dance. Apparently it was quite impressive and this is where I know that if film of this ever shows up anywhere, my dear and loyal friend Dona will make sure it is eliminated and not posted on my site.

A few more tricks and it was time to emerge. Everyone seemed to enjoy the show. After the show, when I was leaving, Patty told me he knew who I was. He was very gracious about my attending his show. I believe he will do very well on the circuit and he will represent hypnosis proudly.

There are those in the hypnosis profession who practice in an office that don’t approve of stage hypnosis. They feel that it gives our chosen vocation a black eye. I disagree. When done properly it is a great tool for educating the public while having a rollicking good time. Patty McGee is very professional. He has a baby face that you want to trust and he is true to his word. He did not ask me to do anything that I would be ashamed of. (Although I am not so sure I am proud of the dance, simply because I was once asked to leave dance classes as a child and haven’t improved much since!)

Did I mention that Dona is a very dear and loyal friend?

Things Are Looking Up!

Written by: Debbie

Last Saturday I was scheduled to give a 2 hour talk on making your mind recession proof. This was a free talk I was giving in honor of World Hypnotism Day. It was held at Oak Trail Books, a lovely book store that hosts this event annually for me.

Press releases were sent out in advance and the result was amazing. I am still receiving calls from folks who saw articles written about the event in newspapers and periodicals I was unaware of. Our local CBS affiliate had me on in the morning show, at 5:45 a.m. and 6:45a.m.! (That was a testimony to my dedication to hypnosis, trust me. I drove an hour to be there, getting me out of bed at 3:20 a.m. I believe my son was just going to bed as I was waking up.) The interviews were fun, I was given the opportunity to put two different producers into trance, live on the air.

The phone at the store rang off the hook. There were so many people calling to say they would attend, we decided to break the hour into two one hour segments. That way, more could attend comfortably, we figured. The building was filled to capacity. The second event, we moved outside to a lovely garden area the store has, it was full. I ended up giving a third talk on Sunday, so those who could not fit into the first two were able to attend.

At the end of each talk, I did a short hypnotic journey. Reminding people of times they felt happy, safe and content. I asked that they make the memory as real as possible, recalling familiar smells, sounds and images. We intensified the memory as if we were creating a movie in our minds. When the moment of contentment arrived, we placed our index finger and thumb together to make a physical anchor for that moment. Breathing it in and feeling our contentment, we felt our fingers. We repeated this process 3 times. Now, the simple memory of that moment, touching the fingers together and a deep breath will help us handle any situation life may hand us with calm grace.

For me, the pleasure was seeing so many people walk away with some new idea that they could use in their own life to better their thoughts. I tried to fit as much into each hour as I could. Perhaps my favorite suggestion for one and all is to look up. That’s right, look up. You see, when we look up as we discuss a concern, the emotion drains and we can get into fact finding and solution creating. Think about it this way, when we pray, we look up to the heavens. When we feel optimistic we say, “things are looking up”. Where does a person who is depressed look?

So my friends, look up! Speak your concerns while looking up, then breathe deep and close your eyes. Allow your eyes to relax and begin to imagine a future moment where the concern is behind you. You are now looking ahead, fear is behind you. Breathe into that moment, that solution and realize that fear only exists in your thoughts.

World Hypnotism Day

Written by: Debbie

Time for the fifth annual celebration of World Hypnotism Day. Tomorrow, January 4th is the official day, however, my event is being held today. As I have traditionally done in the past, I am holding my event at Oak Trail Books. We will be addressing how to Recession Proof Your Mind.

This event is a great chance for the world to see how safe, natural and life improving the practice of regular self-hypnosis is. It is amazing how our bodies are built to help us, if we just pay attention. Deep breathing, helps us to relax, think clearly and even lower our blood pressure. Exercise releases endorphins, those feel good chemicals. Visualization sets the mind on the road to success.

I must keep this short, as I am off to Oak Trail Books. Here are some links to interviews I did on television (local CBS affiliate, 10Connects) This was fun, I was asked to put two different producers under on the air! The St. Petersburg Times reporter wrote a lovely article as well.

If you are local, please stop by, this promises to be a fun event. if not, check out http://www.worldhypnotismday.com/ for an event near you.

Ringing In The New Year

Written by: Debbie

I have not posted much recently. In answer to Ms. Eleni, yes I am still alive. I simply have been taking my own advice and spending time with my family and fun. I love hypnosis, live hypnosis, breathe deeply hypnosis, however, I must take a break to play, if I am to be any good at what I do.

I have been fortunate, I was invited to see Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang performed on stage at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. I watched my beloved Lightening Hockey team win while sitting in a private suite. I am attending the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day. So, all in all, some pretty fun stuff.

My wish for all my friends near and far is a glorious New Year’s Eve, filled with love and laughter. Start 2009 with a healthy mind set. Look forward to all the possiblities that life has to offer.

I will keep this short and sweet for now. Just take a moment and breathe in all that helps you feel good. Reflect on what progress you have made in the past year, what you did right and who in your life brings you joy. Then, take those feelings forward with you, imagine a time in 2009 where you enjoy the fellowship of these same people and begin to create possible events in your life where you can spend that precious time with them.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Monday Morning Musings….

Written by: Debbie

Want to know why I am musing on Tuesday instead of Monday? Possibly because I was so amused yesterday with my new toy. I bought a webcam, finally. I feel like a dinosaur compared to so many of my blogger buddies.

I am preparing to offer online groups to help my readers handle stress better. So, I decided I needed the camera. It is wayyyyy too much fun. I keep it on (offline) and catch my family doing the silliest of things at my desk. I am just too lucky when it comes to reasons to be grateful after watching my guys on film!

Anyway, after they sign releases, maybe I will load them up. In the meantime, here is a quick shot I took yesterday while being interviewed on Skype by Andrew Wilkie. We chatted about hypnosis marketing and just generally had a great time.

Why You Should Quit

Written by: Debbie

I just wanted to say a quick thank you to my friend Cecilia Sherrard for sharing the news about why you should quit smoking from a very practical view point. Her blog is a real estate blog, Cleveland Ohio Real Estate, or Youshouldown.com. Her take on smoking? The cost and negative effect on your home, when looking to resell. When you want to sell your home, doesn’t it help to have every advantage?

It is a wonderful article and Cecilia generously shares with her readers about how they can get help through hypnosis phone sessions with me. Thank you!

Please, take the time to read through her blog, there are fabulous tips on caring for your home. Her cleaning tips are a great resource for me. Please stop by and read her article,

Negatives Of Smoking In The Home & Why You Should Quit. Leave a comment, say hello and let her know I sent you!

The Cost Of Smoking & The Great American Smoke Out

Written by: Debbie

Yesterday I had a blast at Palm Harbor University High School. The kids there are great and the teachers so willing to lend me their imaginations. We had teachers singing, dancing, looking for their missing feet and all sorts of fun. I was able to get the message across about the power of your mind and using it to create your future starting now. I also addressed the Great American Smoke Out.

So here is a little information I would like to share with you my readers. I have taken a post I wrote previously and edited it slightly, just a reminder, you can change your life starting today!

It isn’t necessary for me to go into all the research that has been done connecting cigarettes and various forms of cancer, emphasema and heart disease. Not to mention what fun in the chemistry lab one could have analyzing all the chemicals in cigarettes. Let me list just a few: ammonia, carbon monoxide, nicotine, nitric oxide, hydrogen cyanide, mercury, tar and toxic trace metals (nickel, lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic and selenium). Of course men (in their 30s and 40s) should be particularly interested in the fact that smoking increases risk of impotency by 50%!

Enough of old news, however. There is another reason to quit. Cigarettes are expensive. Not just the per pack cost at the store, but the per pack cost overall. Increased health risks will result in increased visits to the doctor and medications. Insurance companies are aware of this and therefore have an increase in the premium costs of medical coverage (not to mention homeowners insurance). Life insurance surges as well with smokers.

The extra dental bills, cleaning and whitening your teeth is more frequent with smoke dulling and coating your mouth. The extra breath mints a smoker buys to keep “kissing” sweet adds up.

Dry cleaning bills are higher with smokers because of the lingering smell left by cigarettes. Homes that smell of smoke don’t sell as easily, so if you want top dollar on your home, you have additional painting and cleaning costs before placing it on the market.

Hypnosis helps with smoke cessation, according to a study presented at CHEST 2007, the 73rd annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), hospitalized patients who smoke may be more likely to quit smoking through the use of hypnotherapy than patients using other smoking cessation methods. Results showed that hypnotherapy resulted in higher quit rates compared with NRT alone,” said Faysal Hasan, MD, FCCP, North Shore Medical Center, Salem, MA. “Hypnotherapy appears to be quite effective and a good modality to incorporate into a smoking cessation program after hospital discharge.”

The I.R.S. recognizes the value of stopping smoking. Tax laws passed for 2003 onwards means you can get a tax credit for money paid for hypnosis smoke cessation programs. The nicotine gum is not accepted by the I.R.S. Neither is the patch! Hypnosis is. This is a tax credit – not a tax deduction, so that means 100% credit on your taxes of the total amount spent for the entire program! You Can Get 100% tax credit for your Stop Smoking program when using Hypnotherapy.

I.R.S. information is here:
http://www.hsainsider.com/pdf/treasurypublications/TreasuryPub_23.pdf

Here’s to breathing clean, fresh air in your lungs everyday, the rest of your life!

Monday Morning Musings….

Written by: Debbie

It was a fabulous weekend. The temperature dropped and it is nice and crisp out when I walk. I love that! This week promises to be fun and exciting for me.

On Wednesday, I am giving presentations to the Palm Harbor University High School, for the Great American Teach In . They have informed me that I will be in the main auditorium, presenting all but one period. I expect to see every student in the school! As the very next day is the Great American Smoke Out, I have to work that message into my talk.

(AS a side note: I am offering discounted sessions this week for smoke cessation. Time to quit!)

On Thursday, I am speaking for a group called Working Women Of Tampa Bay. It is a girls night out/networking event. I will address how to survive and enjoy the holidays.

On Friday morning I am speaking to a group of students at East Lake High School about hypnosis. The young lady who called and invited me said, “the kids are excited to meet a real hypnotist”. Wait until they find out I am just an ordinary person, a mom like they have at home, even. Hopefully, I will bring them laughter with learning.