What is the correlation between Meditation and Hypnosis?

Recently I received a comment on my YouTube video, A Simple Self Hypnosis Technique: What is the correlation between meditation and Hypnosis?

That's a good question! Both are relaxing; both help reduce stress, and both tend to lead the brainwaves to go down into theta - about 3-5 cycles a second.

There are many forms of meditation, although most are familiar with the concept of following one's breath to feel calm and centered, or allowing one's thoughts to just drift by, with simple awareness, but no attachment to the thoughts themselves. 

Hypnosis also takes many forms, but in essence is a relaxed, focused state of concentration known as going into trance (or the zone). In this state, the mind is open to suggestion, can review past traumas with emotional distance for healing purposes, and reinforce any positive habits or patterns that the client wants, whether the perfect golf swing or giving a public speech. 

In many ways, hypnosis is a guided meditation that has a specific intention. Some examples: age regressions or past life regressions; meet ancestors/guides; change a habit; hypnobirthing; experience emotional freedom; receive messages from the body; pain management; reduce insomnia, etc.

The correlation between them is they are both ways to experience more calmness and peacefulness, allowing the body to get out of "fight-or-flight" and back into the parasympathetic nervous system. They are both wonderful ways to create the mind-body connection as well as more mindfulness; manage emotions rather than having emotions manage you; and for many people, a spiritual practice offering comfort, guidance, and insight.

New Moon in Gemini

New Moon in Gemini today, sign of the Twins. Inward, outward, up, down... feeling like a yo-yo this last month? Or maybe like a slingshot? Where do you find yourself fraternizing, and where do you find those identical to you? Both serve a purpose. Now is a great time to start a journal. Trust your self.

The New Moon in Gemini encourages communication and the disbursement of ideas, particularly over the Internet. What are you doing to feed your head?

Rather than creating soap opera for your mind to feel occupied, challenge yourself to try something completely different, humanitarian, and fun. Remember your connection to the earth, the stars and all that you consider to be divine.

Remember that there is strength in vulnerability. Do you feel like you've been tossed in a pot of boiling water, or you are ready to bust out of your shell? Self care is the best investment, so nourish your body, your skin, your hair, and then radiate.

Dr. Kayla Garnet Rose, CHT has been studying the esoteric art of Astrology since 1990. She is available for astrology readings online with Google Hangouts, by phone or in person. Call or email to set up your appointment for some astrochat with Kayla and discover the secrets of the stars found in your birth chart.

20 Ways to be Clutter Free

Got clutter? What do you consider clutter? Emotional clutter, mental clutter, or just stuff around the house?

One definition of clutter is something that brings your energy down.

The Merriam Webster definition is: to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness, a confusing or disorderly state. Middle English; clotteren to clot, from clot. First Known Use: 1556.

Some key questions to ask yourself - when I think about/feel/hold this item/person/commitment, do I feel light or heavy? Joy or sadness? Energized or tired?

Physical Clutter can be items such as belongings, papers, clothes, and mementos/souvenirs.

“Sentimental items represent love and memories, but those aren’t actually in the items. The items are merely reminders of the love and memories — and expensive ones too, as they take up a lot of space and energy and time. Instead, take a digital photo, put it in a digital slideshow that you play every month or three, and get rid of the item. This is something that it can take a long time to learn, but once you’ve learned it, you let go of your attachment to emotional items.” - Leo Babatua

Hypnosis is effective for:

• Visualizing each room in the house/office/garden/car and imagine how it would look minus certain items, or how you wish it would look if de-cluttered.
• Making a list of items you can release and items you want to hold on to.
• Working with a trained professional for both encouragement and accountability.
• Starting small. Success builds momentum - the more you let go the more you will be willing to let go.
• Breaking things down into reasonable steps. This helps with starting small and eventually completing large organizational projects.
• Allowing a realistic amount of time for each step. For example, one room per month or as Marie Kondo says "one category at a time." In this way you can relax and go through things at your own pace and decide what is worth keeping and what can find a new home.
• This can also be applied to "virtual clutter" such as photos, emails, accounts, social media, files, floppy disks, hardrives, zip disks, cd roms, even what is stored in the cloud. It might be free now, but you will pay for it soon enough.

Emotional Clutter can be past or current relationships, parents ("if it's not one thing, it's your mother"), spouses, family members, lovers, past trauma, grief, or plain old stress. Personally, even reading on Facebook about divorces, breakups, pets dying, has added to overwhelming feelings.

Hypnotherapy works to:

• Visualize solutions to problems in relationships.
• Cord cutting in order to experience complete closure.
• Chakra clearing to make way for new, healthy relationships. 
• Change past stories of being a victim to being a hero of your own life.
• Deal with parents or negative ancestral patterns.
• Let go of unhealthy, outmoded coping mechanisms and replace them with new ones. Such as changing overeating, smoking, and never feeling good enough.

Intellectual clutter can be things such as procrastination, multitasking, getting depressed by online news, spending too much time internet surfing, video games, tv shows, social media, texting, phone calls, over-committing to other people's agendas.

Hypnosis is useful for:

• Discovering your personal productive time in order to complete your Most Important Tasks.
• Letting go of commitments - it is ok to disappoint people.
• Learning how to tap into your personal sense of priorities.
• Letting go of false needs and false approval such as being addicted to social media.
• Creating deeply relaxing times to feel balance in your life.
• Letting go of multitasking. Learn how to focus and simplify through guided meditations.

For more information call, email, or schedule your appointment today!

Five Reiki Secrets: Just for Today

Practice this short simple meditation, based upon the five principles of Reiki, to foster feelings of equanimity, loving kindness and acceptance.

Just for today...

I let go of anger, knowing I can gently express my inner needs
I let go of worry, choosing to trust that I have been heard
I am deeply thankful, to a kind and benevolent universe
I am focused on my work in creative & productive ways
I am kind and loving, to myself and all beings.
Blessed Be.

New Moon in Taurus

New Moon in Taurus today, sign of the bull. Take a journey in the garden of your mind. Take the time to weed out negative thoughts and to plant the seeds of change, seeds of peace, seeds of love, and of course everyone's favorite- seed money.

Taurus shines its' light on all that we cherish - spiritual life, financial stability, healthy lifestyles and concrete choices. Taurus rules the body, health, wealth, your home, garden and finances. Speak your truth on all these matters and ponder, What do you really want to manifest?

How will you harmonize your emotional self with achieving your desires? Remember to value yourself deeply, and never doubt you deserve the very best. Go deep and reap the rewards.

Imagine there are little flames jumping out of your mouth, so sing your truth to rally up change, like grassroots singers bolstering up the unions. Your words inspire, infuse, recharge and even enrage some. Speak gently, listen actively and remember you can always work with a counselor or a trusted friend.

Make new moon wishes out in the brisk April evening. How can you be better friends with money, resources and the distribution of wealth? You'll be attracted to something unusual or quirky, either out of your norm or your comfort zone. Let yourself feel the thrill of the unknown, and trust that this adventure will lead to self realization.Use some self hypnosis to let go of any residual fear of success.

Desiderata
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should...
© Max Ehrmann 1927

Dr. Kayla Garnet Rose, CHT has been studying the esoteric art of Astrology since 1990. She is available for astrology readings online with Google Hangouts, by phone or in person. Call or email to set up your appointment for some astrochat with Kayla and discover the secrets of the stars found in your birth chart.

Powerful Affirmations

Focused Intentions
When a client comes for a session, the first step is to identify their goals and desired outcome. During hypnosis in particular, the client can imagine a new way of being and can take the steps to have it happen, as well as tap into their motivation as a program to success. During trance, the client is given suggestions to support their solutions. For example, I am relaxed and centered, and every moment counts. Affirmations are used in transpersonal psychology, but are also cross cultural. Prayers, mantras, chants, and blessings affirm one's place in the universe. Even something as little as saying bless you or Gesundheit after a sneeze is that affirmation of May you be blessed with health. We are also familiar with the expressions Bon Appetit or One day at a time.

Positive Thinking Works
Affirmations can be found everywhere: fortune cookies, horoscopes, angel cards, bumper stickers, quotes, and even lines from your favorite songs. I recently read that Melissa Ethridge kept a scrap of paper on which her surgeon had scribbled "You will be fine" next to her bed during her treatment for breast cancer, and how important it was for her to repeat those words as part of her healing process.  

Power of Suggestion
 The suggestions used are affirmations, a positive way to reinforce the client process. Affirmations work both during trance and as an anchor in daily life to continue to activate the subconscious mind and create constructive associations. As seen the documentary, What the Bleep Do We Know? it is in this way you can create new neural pathways to release different neuro chemicals then the ones you could be addicted to out of past programming.  

Gentle Reminders
Affirmations can be placed anywhere: in your bathroom, on mirrors, in your car, your fridge, your wallet, your computer screen saver. In my car I have a little dashboard compartment that when I flip up reveals the quote, "She Who Laughs, Lasts."
Affirmations are especially effective when put into the third person, and when put into the past tense. They change wishful thinking into willful thinking. Notice the difference in the saying "I wish I didn't have a broken heart"to "I will heal my broken heart" to "You have healed your heart."

Power of Affirmations
  From the dictionary - To affirm: to state or assert positively; to maintain as true; to confirm. Quite simply to make firm - to use as a foundation or basis for one's beliefs. Affirmations offer comfort, support and motivation.One of favorites, "...you are a child of the universe no less than the trees or stars, and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should... -From 'Desiderata' by Max Ehrmann

Emotional Deposits
When we compliment another person, we are affirming their reality, we build their bank of self esteem by giving them an emotional deposit. Affirmations repeated for yourself add to your own bank of self-esteem for a feelings of confidence and personal success. Practice saying, I am a co-creator of my reality. I am now creating my life exactly as I want it.

Engage Your Senses
Affirmations are especially effective when used with other modalities, for example using a hand mudra or other physical cue, or associating it with a scent. One client had a fear of flying, but through hypnosis she associated the smell of lavender with being relaxed, and before each flight would breathe in a sachet of lavender to feel calm and at ease.
  Change is Our Friend

When you stop seeing your affirmation, it's often because you have incorporated that message, or that message no longer serves you. Change your affirmations as you evolve into who you want to become. As my friend Laurie Biggers says, "Embrace Change as a doorway to a more peaceful existence."

New Moon in Pisces

New Moon in Pisces today, sign of the Fish. Everything is dissolving, or else it needs to, like that lump in your throat. Try some ice cube magic - take a sharpie and write on an ice cube anything that feels stuck, that you feel fixated upon. Put it in a small dish and watch it dissolve. Allow any and all emotions to arise and flow. Take the melted water and pour it down the drain, imagine it leaving you all the way out to the sea. Become fluid in all ways.

Like shafts of sunlight streaming into the sea, there is a hidden opportunity for you to stimulate your deepest self. Will you rise to the challenge? Who could be helpful to you?

They say water and electricity don't mix, but the truth us they are highly conducive to each other. You might feel jolted from your dream state. Use the surge of energy to stimulate your emotional intelligence. Tap into the new moon in Pisces today and ask what does transcendence mean to you? Time to let go of your addictions and start enjoying more vibrant habits and healthier lifestyle choices. Access your inner coach for true motivation... Or your inner couch for deep relaxation, whatever will serve you best.

Dr. Kayla Garnet Rose, CHT has been studying the esoteric art of Astrology since 1990. She is available for astrology readings online with Google Hangouts, by phone or in person. Call or email to set up your appointment for some astrochat with Kayla and discover the secrets of the stars found in your birth chart.

Tips for Positive Transformation

• Drink water: no ice – you’ll drink more; same with using a straw. When you urinate, consciously let go of whatever has been pissing you off lately. Same when you defecate – say out loud, “I now release all this old crap.” Notice that as you release the accumulated emotional and physical toxins, the sense of well being and serenity that permeates your body.

   • Breathe: take in what you need, and let go of what no longer serves you. Take deeper and deeper breaths until you feel the richness in your veins. Laughter is the best medicine – Breathe into your Buddha belly and feel a big belly laugh whenever you want to feel high.

• Purify: hot showers, hot baths, hot tubs saunas: release toxins naturally and effectively. Transmute old poisons, shed your skin, wash away the past to feel cleansed and renewed. Neti pots cleanse the sinuses & clear the head of congested thoughts.

• Cry: with a friend, a counselor, your favorite pet, a sappy movie, or yourself. Release grief, disappointment, guilt, heart break, frustration and the chemical compounds found only in emotional tears.

• Combine modalities: Chiropractic, acupuncture, traditional therapy, Reiki, nutrition and massage support the mind-body connection made during hypnosis. Ask for personal recommendations.

   • Meditate: Start your day by simply stating your intentions, take a moment to visualize them as if they have already occurred, feel that in your body, and breathe it into every cell of your being. To further amplify this frequency, write in your journal, speak your truth, or better yet, sing your truth. Attract what you need in order to grow.

    • Love your body: Feed yourself good, yummy foods that you truly enjoy to nourish your whole being; play with your body, dance, do yoga, go roller skating, get an exercise ball, stretch. Get rid of your scale – you’ll be surprised how much happier you’ll feel.

   • Sleep: as much as you want to. Take naps. Remember your dreams. Your mind and body are doing the repair work. This is where deep healing occurs. Allow yourself to go to bed when you want to, and to wake up when you want to. Get rid of your alarm clock – you’ll be surprised how easily you wake up when you need to, feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and refreshed, ready for a new day.

• Laugh: all the way to the bank, in your car, during dinner. make people wonder what you are up to. Smile at strangers. Make eye contact. Make “I contact”.

• Have fun!

copyright kayla g. rose 2008, 2012

Chakra Balancing Affirmations

I am balanced in my mind.
I am focused and engaged in creative and productive ways.

I am balanced in my vision.
I allow myself to dream and I follow through on my ideas.

I am balanced in my communication.
I listen attentively and I speak my truth compassionately.

I am balanced in my heart.
I am here to give love and I am here to receive love.

I am balanced in my belly.
I am beauty and I am laughter.

I am balanced in my boundaries.
I take in what I need and I let go of what no longer serves me.

I am balanced at the root of my being.
I attract what I need to grow and I fulfill all my desires.

Blessed Be.

(kgr 2006)

Journaling for Success

“The most important promises are the ones I make to myself.”

- Maryanne Radmacher

• I use tarot and astrology as a daily meditation tool, to focus on my career, my relationships, and my creativity. They serve as moment in my journey where I look at the map of my life and decide which direction to take. But I don’t just stay stuck looking at the map - journaling is one of the steps I take to put into action what I have been contemplating.

• You can have many different kinds of journals, that you write in at different times of your life. Just as your checkbook is a record of your spending habits, journals can reflect your patterns and serve as a reminder of the positive “emotional deposits” of life.

• Kinds of journals: Business notes, daily affirmations, dreams (night and day), poetry, sketches, coloring books, blank books or notebook paper put into a binder, a photo album or scrap books, engagement calenders.

• Who is your audience? Well, you, of course, but it also could be your children, your spouse or lover, your business colleagues, your therapist, your best friend.

• Privacy: there is so much temptation to read someone else’s journal. When my lover read mine, I stopped writing for 5 or 6 years. When getting divorced, I read my spouses' journal and found out things I really didn’t want to know. Talk about Pandora’s box.

• There is a lot of power in writing in your journal (or on loose leaf paper) all your thoughts and feelings, and then burning or otherwise destroying them. Recently I drew a horrible picture of myself being controlled by my last lover - it was quite a relief to destroy it.

• Time: even just five minutes a day can grow into a disciplined practice (like flossing your teeth or exercise). This is time for YOU, time to focus on achieving something you desire. keeping a little notebook in your bag is helpful for those odd moments of standing in the bank line. Putting the TV on mute and jotting down thoughts during commercials can reactivate your brain waves.

• Your other favorite tool is your PEN: do you like blue or black ink? Pencil? Colored pencils? Markers? Paints? I highly recommend crayons...

• To quote from the 5 of Wands card - Keep your expression flowing. Stop editing yourself and let go of concern about what comes out. Be playful. The openness of play allows for inventiveness and newness in a way that high expectations do not. (from The Tarot of Transformation by Willow Arlenea & Jasmin Lee Cori)

• You are writing your story and you can change your story - one exercise I did was to divide the page into columns and in the first write a sentence that begins “I wish...” the second column is the same sentence that starts with “I will”. This takes you out of wishful thinking into your will power, because it pushes you to the next step of figuring out HOW to achieve your goal. Examples:

I wish I had more money to I WILL have more money

I wish I was friends with my ex to I WILL be friends with my ex

I wish I had more tome to write in my journal to I WILL have more time to write in my journal

• Other exercises:

- Goals in the next month, year, five years

- List what you are afraid of. Burn it.

- List what makes you happy. Keep it.

- Pull a tarot card, medicine (animal) card, or angel card. Sketch it.

- Cartoons of you

- Songs, poems, quotes by others that inspire you

- Same as above, go from “I fear...” to “I wonder...”

- Pure color (finger painting)

- Create a couples journal, or a friendship journal

- That letter you would never send

- Who am I?

- Love letters to yourself

• Some book recommendations:

Earth Art Critters coloring books by Sue Coccia

The Coloring Book for Big Girls by Sudie Rukusin

When Your Heart Speaks, Take Good Notes: The Healing Power of Writing by Susan Borkin

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity -- by Julia Cameron

The Creative Journal by Lucia Capacchione

“Turn your wish bone, daughter, into a back bone”

- author unknown

Silliest Hypnosis Video

Laughter is still the best medicine. This humorous meditation was inspired by a spelling error in a comment on one of our other videos: "clam" instead of the intended "calm".

Cuddle Meditation

A couple of years ago my sweetie and I went to some workshops on sexuality at our local (and tasteful) adult toy store, Pure Pleasure. The best thing we got out of it was "cuddle meditation" which we have now practiced consistently for two and a half years.

In the mornings, we tend to drink our tea and read/play on the computer for an hour or so. Then we go back upstairs and brush our teeth. Next we get back into bed (no clothes or pjs), and usually I lie on top of (since I'm smaller). We breathe together, hum, giggle, connect chakras, belly laugh, hold silence, and sometimes make love. This can last five to forty-five minutes, depending on work schedules, etc.

The effect has been incredibly positive. We both come from and practice very different spiritual beliefs, and this is way that we can "pray" together. We don't live together and only spend together time Friday through Monday. The first two years of our relationship the distance and separateness was an added strain. Since doing cuddle meditation, we both feel more calm and connected during the week, with much less insecurity and jealousy issues.

Also, when we do have conflict, we both take turns to speak our truth, then end up doing cuddle meditation. The next morning during cuddle meditation we check in to see if we had resolution and completion. This feels very safe, vulnerable and intimate, all at the same time. I highly recommend it.

Have you cuddled mindfully today?

Cooking with Intention

A client said, "I have tried to meditate while waiting for the dinner on to cook, but things could boil over, or burn, and I find it harder to concentrate." For me, meditation is a relaxed, focused state of concentration. In hypnotherapy, we call this going into trance. We go into trances all day long - getting sucked into tv or facebook, reading a good book, driving home getting lost in one's thoughts and suddenly you are there.

This activates the parasympathetic nervous system - our natural state of being, as opposed to the sympathetic nervous system, also known as fight-or-flight. When we are stressed out, blood leaves the belly (poor digestion) and the brain (poor thinking) to go into the muscles in order to run away or deal with a challenge. We don't have tigers and bears chasing us any more, but we do have bills and traffic. Even being under low grade stress can wear out the adrenals, cause poor sleep and assorted ailments.

Being able to return to the parasympathetic is crucial, as we think better, sleep better, digest better - indeed, this is when the body and mind can restore, replenish and rejuvenate itself. Meditation is the deliberate act of intentionally entering this state. It can be done with the eyes shut or open, while sitting or walking, actually at any time you choose to. This, to me, is what being mindful is all about. Thus, one can meditate at any time - from brushing your teeth to cooking in the kitchen

So, I would propose a two minute kitchen meditation. While, cooking, take a few deep breaths. Then focus on the smells of cooking, the sounds of cooking, the colors of the foods, the tastes and textures. Really be aware. I like to visualize the whole chain of people who made the meal possible - the farmer who planted the carrot, the worker who pulled it out of the earth, the trucker who brought it to the store, the market clerk who stocked it, the cashier who sold it, the person who cooked it (myself or the restaurant chef if I am dining out), the person who served it (wait person or my spouse). I feel this is a way to bless the food and really appreciate the simple task of creating a meal.

And guess what, washing the dishes can be it's own meditation too!

Weeding Meditation

Today I did a weeding meditation. Being mindful in the garden is a delight - really noticing the sounds of the birds, wind, my breathing; seeing the colors of the rich earth revealed as I removed the green and yellow sour grass; smelling the fresh air; feeling the roots give way as I gently tugged on the stems, the stretch in my low back, the little wooden stool supporting me; even the taste of a crisp California foggy day.

I found my mind wandering around the metaphor of pulling out negative thinking, the tenacity of old habits, the constant diligence to prune out the what is no longer serving. Even noticing that the big weeds were easier to get rid of then the little ones - just like my habits, some of the big ones are easier to change, more so than the little self doubts that creep in and take hold.

And then allowing myself to simply enjoy the garden, not just work at it - just like in meditation, enjoying the wandering of my mind, with no need to do anything but explore my inner landscape, appreciating the beauty and complexity, feeling whole and healthy - weeds and all.

My First Past Life Experience

The first time I experienced a past life regression was when I was a student at Twin Lakes College in 2005. To begin the trance, I imagined I was in an elevator, the hypnotherapist voice counting down the numbers: from 10 to zero to relax, from zero to negative ten to reach the place where I’d do today’s work. The doors dinged open and I stepped out into the corridor of The Galleria. I moved along to my therapist office, thinking to myself, “This ain’t no past life experience. This is a past week experience.” I stepped into my therapist’s office then literally flew over her head and out the window.

I found myself in a little row boat on a foggy moor, pulling the oars and listening to the splashes. I beached on a small island covered in green grass, a lonesome stone tower the only building in sight. I climbed the stairs to find a single massive bed in a cold chamber, piled high with blankets. I knelt by the bed and took the woman’s thin hand, knowing she had waited for me to come so now she could die.

A long time seemed to pass, and at last I carried her body down the stone steps. I could feel the bite of the shovel, the smell of moist dirt, as I dug deep into the earth. After I had buried her, I simply sat and waited, and after a long time, I noticed the grass was beginning to grow again.

When I came to, I knew the face of the woman, I knew what I felt I needed to do. The trance felt like days and weeks was really only 40 minutes long, and I can still remember it very vividly, as well as still appreciating the insights I gained in that journey, years later.

Transpersonal and Spiritual Hypnosis
“Much of hypnosis is oriented toward identifying and fixing symptoms and developing resources by utilizing the powers and wisdom of the unconscious mind, In this work, the ego or personality finds a particular symptom or behavior distressing, and wants to be rid of it - wants to return to its idea of health and balance, or the client wants to develop a new skill or attitude. This works well for instance, if someone wants to stop biting their nails, or pulling their hair (trichotilomania). Eating habits, sleeping habits, smoking habits can all change easily when the desires of the ego are met by the cooperation of the unconscious.
In Transpersonal and spiritual hypnosis, there is a subtle and radical shift in perspective and focus. The goal is not so much to be symptom free, or even happy, but to achieve higher consciousness. Symptoms are not to be understood as inconveniences or signs of imbalances but rather are appreciated and embraced as important signals from a place of higher wisdom. Carl Jung said “The gods speak to us through disease” but I have also head “All illness is initiation”.

In spiritual and transpersonal hypnosis, the client is searching for meaning. There is often the sense that a symptom that is upsetting for the ego may in fact be just what the soul needs to grow on its life journey. From a place of higher consciousness, change follows acceptance, healing is not always the same as cure, and wisdom is of the greatest value.

Past Life Regression/ Future Life Progression
Just as it is possible to move back and forth in time within one lifetime, it is also possible to move into other lifetimes - past and future - for healing information. A client (or hypnotherapist) does not have to believe literally in reincarnation for this work to be helpful, for it is possible to treat the experience as a meaningful dream. People often do past life regressions to explore persistent physical and emotional symptoms, to understand current life relationships, to access wisdom and skills - and also just for fun.

Some of my Experiences
• The demo in hypnotherapy school was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever witnessed. The teacher led an aide into a past life. Her whole body transformed before my eyes, her hands all bent and twisted, her body curled up almost fetal. In a deep, gnarled voice, she began to pour out a story of being a cobbler whose only daughter had been killed while out to fetch more leather. When she came out of trance, she felt that she had experienced a deep insight into her own personal path of forgiveness.

• I have done around a dozen past life regressions for my clients by now. I have had clients experience themselves as being the captain of a sinking ship, an African woman whose babies were kidnapped and sold into slavery; and one client who simply experienced being literally floating between the worlds. Her whole life was in limbo - job, marriage, etc. - so it ended up being the perfect place for her to hang out in for while, to feel at peace with transitions.
• One client came to see about a past life regression. After initial trance, I initiated ideomotor signals (letting the body communicate “yes”, “no” or “can’t/won’t answer”) and asked his body if it would be beneficial for him now. His body clearly answered “no”. We used the rest of the time to establish more inner resources instead.

• I recently attended Donald Michael Kraig’s workshop on Experiencing Your Past Lives. I thought my current stomach problems I have had this year, and set the intention to discover the deeper cause.

“And when I reach zero, you will be aware of your surroundings. Start by looking at your shoes…” I looked down at the coarsely stitched brown leather that had passed as my shoes for years. I was aware of vivid green grass, gray stones covered with paler green lichen, the feeling of a cow’s warm side, the fact that it was the year 800 in a borderland between France and Belgium (Rouen). I lived a simple life, making cheeses, laid out on wood slabs, needing to be turned each day, slowly ripening for market. “Now imagine it’s the day before your death, and allow an important message to come through…”

Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication about timing and the experience was cut short just when we got to the really juicy part, and I left feeling incomplete. Luckily I’m a certified hypnotherapist myself, and later that night I found it easy to slip into trance and really flush out the details of my experience.

I’m in a tavern, arguing with the inn keeper. I see a bone handled knife, very clearly. I see an abdomen, cut open, slippery guts sliding out - I don’t know if it’s the tavern keepers’ or my own. Later I am with my husband in our hut with no windows, just a hole in the ceiling for the smoke from the fire to escape. It is our last moment together, and I know I have made the right choices.

The message, so simple, so profound: Trust your gut instincts.

How To Let Go of Regrets

zen habits: Why We Have Regret

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Why We Have Regret Posted: 16 Jun 2014 07:01 AM PDT By Leo Babauta We’ve all heard the phrase, “No regrets!”, usually uttered when about to do something a little unwise perhaps. And yet, as alluring as the “Living Without Regrets” philosophy sounds, it’s not always so easy. We regret missed opportunities. We regret things that made us feel dumb. We regret not telling someone we loved them more before they died. We regret not spending our time more wisely, accomplishing more. We regret procrastinating, not forming better habits, eating too many sweets, not writing the novel we always wanted to write, not reading all the books we planned to read, not mastering Russian or chess or the ninja arts. We regret getting into bad relationships, or making mistakes in a past relationship. Yes, we regret things, and sometimes it can be consuming. Why We Have Regret Simply put, we regret choices we make, because we worry that we should have made other choices. We think we should have done something better, but didn’t. We should have chosen a better mate, but didn’t. We should have taken that more exciting but risky job, but didn’t. We should have been more disciplined, but weren’t. We regret these choices, which are in the past and can’t be changed, because we compare them to an ideal path that we think we should have taken. We have an idea in our heads of what could have been, if only a different choice had been made. The problem is that we cannot change those choices. So we keep comparing the unchangeable choice we actually made, to this ideal. This fantasy. It can’t be changed, and it will never be as good as the ideal. The unchangeable choice we made will always be worse. It spins around and around in our heads. Why can’t we let it go? What’s so important that we need to keep thinking about it? Why We Keep Thinking About Regret I’ve noticed that I have a hard time not thinking about a bad choice because of how it conflicts with my self-identity. We all have this idea of who we are: we’re good people. Perhaps we’re smart, or competent, or good-hearted. We make the best choices we can, of course, because we’re good people. Even if you have self-doubt and a bad self-image, you probably think you’re basically a good person. And so when someone else attacks that identity — insults your competence, calls you a liar, says that you’re a cheater — it hurts! We get angry and defensive. We can’t stop thinking about this offense. And when we believe we made a mistake, this also is an attack on that identity. We made a bad choice … why can’t we have been a better person and made a better choice? This bad choice conflicts with our idea that we’re a good person. So the problem spins around and around, without resolution. There’s no way to solve this problem, because the bad choice can’t be changed and we can’t resolve the conflict with our self-identity. How to Let Go of Regret In examining why we have regret, and why it’s so hard to let go, we can see a couple of root causes that we can address: We compare past choices to an ideal. We have an ideal identity that conflicts with the idea of the bad choice. These both revolve around ideals, which are not reality but our fantasies of how we’d like reality to go. They’re made up, and not helpful. In this case, these ideals are causing us anguish. So the practice is to let go of the ideals, and embrace reality. Here’s the reality of those two root causes: The choice we made in the past is done, and we can’t change it. And in fact there’s some good in the choice, if we choose to see it. Being able to make the choice at all is an amazing thing, as is being alive, and learning from our experiences, and being in the presence of other really great people, etc. And we can be satisfied with our choices and see them as “good enough” instead of always hoping for the perfect choices. Some choices will be great, some won’t be perfect, and we can embrace the entire range of choices we make. We are not actually always good, and in fact our identity can encompass a whole range: we are sometimes good, sometimes not, and sometimes somewhere in between. We make mistakes, we do good things, we care, we are selfish, we are honest, we sometimes aren’t honest. We are all of it, and so making a bad choice isn’t in conflict with that more flexible (and realistic) self-identity. It’s a part of it. That’s all easier said than done, but when we find ourselves obsessing over past choices, we can 1) recognize that we’re falling into this pattern, 2) realize that there’s some ideal we’re comparing our choices and ourselves to, and 3) let go of these perfect ideals and embrace a wider range of reality. This is a constant practice, but it helps us not look for perfection, not constantly review past choices, but instead find satisfaction in what we’ve done and focus in what we’re doing now. Regrets are a part of life, whether we want them or not, whether we’re aware we’re having them or not. But by looking into the cause of regrets, and embracing the wide range of reality, we can learn to be satisfied with our choices, happier with the past and happier in the present moment. And that is a choice you won’t regret.

Halloween Hypnosis

        

In the hypnotherapy class that I teach, we did a technique called "container", where unwanted feelings, experiences, etc are either contained and disposed of or shelved for a later date. I was to be the demo person, and thought a lot about this on the way to class.

     The issue I wanted to dispose of was my basic frustration with shlockiness of Halloween and my feelings of turning into the Halloween grinch in the last half dozen years. I so hate the tacky decorations, the clutter of plastic crap and handing out of tooth rot. I have been looking forward to packing up the decorations and gifting them to Amber, who of course loves Halloween as her favorite holiday. I realized I could pack it all up today, even hand out the tawdry snakes and skeletons instead of candy, when I thought, wow, I am a snarky cranklepuss, where is my Halloween spirit?

     I lay down on the futon and got relaxed and comfy while my assistant initiated trance. She brought me to safe space, and I found myself in my office reviewing my last client's tarot reading, the cards very clear before me, my cat June sitting on one of the chairs. She asked if I wanted to do the work there or move someplace else, and my gut said to shift. I found myself being 6-7 years old, living in McLean Virginia. I was walking down the street trick or treating, stopping at the Wilson's house who always had the best candy. Mrs. Wilson served us kids thin slices of candied oranges from a silver tray with tiny tongs. I could feel the saliva in my mouth at this memory.

     Kimberly asked my inner mind to discover a symbol of the frustration and shlock of Halloween. Instantly I saw my hard plastic mask, Cinderella, with her empty eyes and fake blonde hair. I remembered crying as I realized I could never be a real princess because I had brown hair, not blonde hair. I remember the edges to the mask cutting into my face and the thin elastic getting tangled in my hair, the feelings of inadequacy and not good enough.

     Kimberly then asked me to find a container for the mask. I saw a silver chest, four feet wide, two feet high and deep, very streamlined, sharp corners, on four ball and claw feet. Inside was lined with deep purple velvet. After taking out a sharpie and coloring Cinderella's hair brown, I added beads and feathers, personalizing the mask. I placed it in the container, locked it with a silver padlock, then sank it to the bottom of the ocean.

     The lid popped open and I observed fish nibbling on the feathers and mask until it had completely disappeared. It looked more like an aquarium, with a sunken pirate ship in the background, tiny silver bubbles escaping from the chest. Kimberly asked me how it felt to be free and how my life would be now that I was free. I saw myself sitting on the front deck, handing out tarot cards, still some candy for the kids, but really connecting with my neighbors in a way that is meaningful for me. Then I saw his and I creating an altar to honor the dead - a photo of his mom, his dad's ring, a basket from my grandmother, my great aunts locket - telling stories and toasting our ancestors, and for me, honoring the millions of women killed during the inquisition.

     Kimberly had me explore this feeling one year from now, five years, ten years. The word that summarized my feelings was "organic". How can I celebrate this time of year in a more organic way, noticing the pull of the moon, the feel of the fall leaves, the smell of autumn in the air, the patterns of life in the spider webs, the abundance of the harvest. I felt more at peace and more excited about Halloween than I had in a very, very long time. Blessed Be.

Crystal Healing Meditation

I began the meditation by sitting quietly in my office and doing some deep breathing, moving into a body tour for complete relaxation, then finding myself in my usual "safe space" when I go into trance. In my minds eye, I could see myself sitting in the backyard at my favorite table, sun on my skin, the sound of hummingbirds in the air. A dozen strands of gemstones were heaped up on the table, a little knotted and confused. I began to untangle them, separating out the strands and putting them in order of the rainbow.

When I asked for a guide, my friend Cheryl came through the gate. Cheryl and I had worked together at a metaphysical bookstore about twenty years ago, when I first started learning about crystal healing. We held hands briefly, and then she started to pick up the various strands and put then around my neck.

First was a strand of golden amber, and I felt my solar plexus responding to the warm tones, filling me with a sense of timelessness and vitality. My daughter's name is Amber, and I have also been working with the norse goddess Freya, who wears an amber necklace, so there were many layers of meaning to this gemstone for me. Next was a strand of pale purple amethyst, and felt both my crown chakra and third eye vibrating with the soft lavender, feeling a clearing of my mind and all of my worries. I have several large chunks of amethyst in my house, placed according to feng shui principles to enhance the flow abundance and prosperity. Last was a long strand of deep red garnet which went all the way down to my belly button. I felt both rooted and grounded, purified and cleansed. Seven years ago, I choose the name "Garnet" to be my middle name, a stone I have always loved more than rubies, one that I associate with passion, vitality and the ability to thrive.

I wound the three strands together and pondered how I could use these three gemstones on working with my clients. Raising my own vibration to the highest frequency is clearly important, but I could also see myself laying the strands on my clients' bodies during both hypnotherapy and reiki sessions. I saw myself carrying the necklaces down to the ocean and using the salty sea water to rinse them of past vibrations. I thanked Cheryl for the visitation and the messages, pleased to connect with my friends, human and mineral, after so many years. I began my count up, eager to go home and find my gemstone strands.

Over the next three days I made six different necklaces, five bracelets and six pairs of earrings combining the amethyst, amber and garnet chips with crystal, tigers eye, orange carnelian and sterling silver beads. Next I plan to make some jewelry using green peridot and to find some blue stones to complete the chakra set. I really loved this meditation and feel it is one of the ones I will apply the most, both in my personal healing and in working with clients. Blessed be.

The Power of Affirmations

Focused Intentions
When a client comes for a session, the first step is to identify their goals and desired outcome. During hypnosis in particular, the client can imagine a new way of being and can take the steps to have it happen, as well as tap into their motivation as a program to success. During trance, the client is given suggestions to support their solutions. For example, I am relaxed and centered, and every moment counts. Affirmations are used in transpersonal psychology, but are also cross cultural. Prayers, mantras, chants, and blessings affirm one's place in the universe. Even something as little as saying bless you or Gesundheit after a sneeze is that affirmation of May you be blessed with health. We are also familiar with the expressions Bon Appetit or One day at a time.

Positive Thinking Works
Affirmations can be found everywhere: fortune cookies, horoscopes, angel cards, bumper stickers, quotes, and even lines from your favorite songs. I recently read that Melissa Ethridge kept a scrap of paper on which her surgeon had scribbled "You will be fine" next to her bed during her treatment for breast cancer, and how important it was for her to repeat those words as part of her healing process.  

Power of Suggestion
 The suggestions used are affirmations, a positive way to reinforce the client process. Affirmations work both during trance and as an anchor in daily life to continue to activate the subconscious mind and create constructive associations. As seen the documentary, What the Bleep Do We Know? it is in this way you can create new neural pathways to release different neuro chemicals then the ones you could be addicted to out of past programming.  

Gentle Reminders
Affirmations can be placed anywhere: in your bathroom, on mirrors, in your car, your fridge, your wallet, your computer screen saver. In my car I have a little dashboard compartment that when I flip up reveals the quote, "She Who Laughs, Lasts."
Affirmations are especially effective when put into the third person, and when put into the past tense. They change wishful thinking into willful thinking. Notice the difference in the saying "I wish I didn't have a broken heart"to "I will heal my broken heart" to "You have healed your heart."

Power of Affirmations
  From the dictionary - To affirm: to state or assert positively; to maintain as true; to confirm. Quite simply to make firm - to use as a foundation or basis for one's beliefs. Affirmations offer comfort, support and motivation.One of favorites, "...you are a child of the universe no less than the trees or stars, and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should... -From 'Desiderata' by Max Ehrmann

Emotional Deposits
When we compliment another person, we are affirming their reality, we build their bank of self esteem by giving them an emotional deposit. Affirmations repeated for yourself add to your own bank of self-esteem for a feelings of confidence and personal success. Practice saying, I am a co-creator of my reality. I am now creating my life exactly as I want it.  

Engage Your Senses
Affirmations are especially effective when used with other modalities, for example using a hand mudra or other physical cue, or associating it with a scent. One client had a fear of flying, but through hypnosis she associated the smell of lavender with being relaxed, and before each flight would breathe in a sachet of lavender to feel calm and at ease.
  Change is Our Friend

When you stop seeing your affirmation, it's often because you have incorporated that message, or that message no longer serves you. Change your affirmations as you evolve into who you want to become. As my friend Laurie Biggers says, "Embrace Change as a doorway to a more peaceful existence."