Parenting Your Immature Self

Earlier we touched base with the importance of INTENTION & DESIRE. It's logical that if you want to achieve something, first you need to know what that is & then you need to truly want or desire it. The thing that you want is called your "goal" & the desire is the push to get to the goal. If you want to lose weight or curtail disorderly eating issues, you will have to take aim at many different goal-aspects. Not doing so will make it much more difficult to achieve your over-arching goal, whether it be losing weight, maintaining a healthy weight or managing emotional or compulsive/stress eating. This is why we're working with developing numerous Pods on the time-line. But even when Pods are super-clearly defined & the desire to achieve is present, there will be moments in time when the old, stand-by disorderly patterns will appear in full-force. This usually happens when the level of stress is high.

If you've been reading along, you will remember the image of the "circus of the world" & the "golden egg shape." The circus symbolizes stressful living & the golden egg shape is where you go to separate yourSelf from the stress, but also to be in direct communication with your HigherSelf. When you are present in the circus, or stressful life experiences, your level of desire tends to break down. Your HigherSelf, on the other hand, has the direction, stability & power that you need in these moments, but in order to access it, you must have open communication.

But first....NOTE TO NEW READERS:

This experiential blog/workshop is based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to my writing, you might want to read the earlier mini-chapters. They are available on FaceBook, The PublishersMarketPlace & at the following link. Remember to scan down to find the earliest chapters & work your way up. http://beyonddisorderlyeating.blogspot.com/
A bit of background.... we are working with creative Interactive Self-Hypnosis imagery, planting suggestions directly into the creative subconscious mind as you read along. What appears like a story is a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes. The inner mind is creative & rather child-like, loving to play with images, especially when they are emotionalized. Just like the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", well-planted mind images, can be worth hours of therapy. We can actually change or motivate in 1/200th of a second. So come along & look forward to some lifestyle-changing events.

ENTER THE IMMATURE SELF

When disorderly eating behaviors are present, the immature Self is usually front & center. It's possible that you may not have been properly introduced to your immature Self, but if you just stop & listen to your words or thoughts, you will be able to identify this part. If you have ever spent time with a teenager, you will be able to identify the adolescent values & goals, with the teen pretending that these are adult approaches to life, which of course, they are not. The immature Self does not want to change the many lifestyle areas that need to be changed in order to go towards health. In fact, there may be little interest in health, or at the most, the interest is simply "lip service". Disorderly eating usually means that there are many areas that are in disarray. This, of course, makes the immature Self more defensive, looking for excuses at every corner. The presence of this immature part of the personality is usually the reason for procrastinating about getting started with bringing order to disorder. Just think about the average teen's room & you'll get the idea. The desire & motivation to put things in their place is usually not present.

So, what now? Well, obviously you are not going to leave the future status of your health to your immature Self! You might have done that in the past, but remember, the past is past & now is now. Your future is unfolding on your time-line & you are the writer, director & producer, not your immature Self. You are the Parent, not the child or adolescent. Just the fact that we are bringing this "knowing" to the light, will make a difference in what happens next. The immature Self is no longer incognito & you truly get it. Just getting it will make living inside your Pods much easier, but sometimes it still isn't enough. When stress gets high, the immature Self attempts to take back control, pushing you, the Parent Self. If you have children, then you have experienced this. You know what it is to throw your hands up in the air, simply giving up & giving in. But, once again, that was the past & now is now. You have your HigherSelf who will take over for you while you recover.

COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR HIGHER SELF

Communicating is not something you do just when the going gets difficult. This would be tantamount to having a great friend or mentor, but only being in touch during difficult times. It's important to practice this special kind of communication. Like anything else, the more you practice, the better you will get at accessing this important part of yourSelf. In fact, you can do it in any moment you choose, for the HigherSelf is always present. It's just like making a phone call. You have the desire or need to phone someone & so you get your phone & call the number. You are quiet & focused. You tell the person on the other end why you are calling, perhaps asking questions or relating something. Then...you listen to what the other party has to say. Go ahead & practice this right now.... Make it real for you. It truly isn't complicated. As for mySelf & what I teach my clients....we're in touch with our HigherSelves at least six times a day & then some. The regular "calls" are programmed throughout the day & are called "fractionation", meaning that the day is broken down into parts. Sometimes the call is just about wanting to hear the breathing of the HigherSelf....a grounding or centering exercise. Other times it is for something more specific. However, one never has to wait for the next fractionation. If, for some reason, the immature Self is trying to take over, that is the moment to make the call! You are never alone!


( continued in next blog/workshop)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
May not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author.

Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is author of Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. She is also the writer/producer of over 350 mp3/CD programs in the areas of medicine, health, prevention, addictions, self-development & sports for adults & children.

http://www.hypnosis-audio.com
http://www.sugar-addiction.com
http://www.international-medical-health-writers.com

HouseWork

Pods give us a place to organize, self-discipline, as well as to motivate. It is here, within their walls, that we clean & clear disorder & as well as bring in new choices. Pods save us decision making time & for most of us, that can mean a lot. Pods give the different areas of our life, including our goals a home, a place to live & to grow. Every goal has many parts & it's not uncommon for certain parts to have their own Pod homes. In the last blog/workshop I invited you into my breakfast Pod, one of the most important Pods on my path, for it was in this area of my life, that disorder disassembled the rest of my day, almost ruining my life.

In my own quest for balanced eating, I decided to build Pods for each meal, as well as for snacks. I also have specialty Pods for eating out in restaurants, as well as socializing around food. I have Pods for food shopping & food preparation. The reason I place so much focus on the habits surrounding my eating is because these very habits took me to the door of the killer diseases. While my habits are much better now, I still keep the Pods for motivation & self-direction. Their interior decor has changed over the years, but I still have some of the same pictures on the walls.

Pods are like little rooms or houses. They don't stay clean & orderly by themselves. This means "inner housework." Oh no...!! More self-work? Yes & why not? We're talking about your life, not just for today or tomorrow or until you fit into those jeans in your closet. That's not what this is about. The reality is that if you do not get your ducks in a row, you stand a very good chance, just like I did, of developing one of the killer diseases. And, if you are a parent, you are also responsible for your children's Pods. Trust me...I can read your mind. "My kids will never agree to this." "I can't do more than I'm doing." "I'll think about this, but this is not a good time to make changes." "I'm too stressed to address any of this."

Let's step back for a moment. If this is what you believe, then this is what you will receive. That would be fine if this were only about your jeans, but it is not. I'd like to suggest that you practice a little future-paced imaginology here. Relax & bring yourSelf inside your physician's office. The mood is a bit grim. You can feel it. You are being handed the results of some tests, either for yourSelf or a family member. The words you hear are somber."I wish I had better news for you. If only you had changed some of those things we talked about last year. It could have made all the difference, but now, there is nothing much that can be done." Now, bring yourSelf back to the present & take a relief breath. It's time to do some housework...

But first....NOTE TO NEW READERS:

This experiential blog/workshop is based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to my writing, you might want to read the earlier mini-chapters. They are available on FaceBook, The PublishersMarketPlace & at the following link. Remember to scan down to find the earliest chapters & work your way up. http://beyonddisorderlyeating.blogspot.com/
A bit of background.... we are working with creative Interactive Self-Hypnosis imagery, planting suggestions directly into the creative subconscious mind as you read along. What appears like a story is a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes. The inner mind is creative & rather child-like, loving to play with images, especially when they are emotionalized. Just like the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", well-planted mind images, can be worth hours of therapy. We can actually change or motivate in 1/200th of a second. So come along & look forward to some lifestyle-changing events.

PRIMARY OR DEEP DIRT

Anyone who ever cleaned house knows that there is a difference between deep dirt, surface dirt & clutter. When we enter a new Pod, we may be surprised to find out that it really isn't new. Take my breakfast Pod as an example. I've had breakfast habits from the time I was a child. If I look around, I can find all of them. My childhood breakfasts were about what my mother gave me to eat. I can still taste the hot, grainy cereal & looking forward to summer when the cherrios box would appear. In those years I deplored hot cereal. Eggs were for Sunday only.This had nothing to do with cholesterol, for no one ever thought about that in those years. Eggs were special & were always counted. It was in these years that I developed a deep love of cheerios & can still taste them, even though I haven't eaten them in decades. If my childSelf was to do the shopping, there would be several boxes in my cupboard....just so I wouldn't run out. I'd eat them for breakfast, for an afternoon snack & have a big bowl before going to sleep. This is an example of "primary or deep dirt." There is a rule in my breakfast Pod regarding cereal. The only one allowed is steel-cut or Irish oatmeal...it holds the blood sugar stable & is high in fiber.

I have plenty of "deep dirt" areas, much of it primary, meaning that it comes from way back in my life. Here's a glimpse at some of mine. Perhaps we share some of the same dirt. Donuts, especially jelly with powdered sugar, waffles, pancakes, chilled chocolate covered donuts & left over pizza. As I entered my teen years I started to skip breakfast & had a candy bar in the middle of the morning, preferably a frozen milky way that was a bit soft, but still cold. Notice how special some of these choices were. " These foods & I had & still have a special relationship. That's a part of the "deep dirt. As I entered college & nursing school, I still skipped breakfast but started drinking lots of black coffee. By lunch time I was a starving, jittery mess, but would only allow myself a small lunch, UNLESS I binged. That's another Pod history of "deep dirt."

SURFACE DIRT & CLUTTER

Lighter or surface dirt tends to appear when life is disorderly & lack of planning has slipped in the door. For example, if I ran out of my healthy breakfast choices, especially the steel oats. It takes a good half hour to cook them & if I'm not paying attention, I may run out. I certainly could substitute an egg or make a small omelet, but it's usually on those days that the "deep dirt" returns, suggesting that I just forget about breakfast & grab some coffee on the way to work. This is an example of how something so simple, yet so important can fall apart & how the subconscious mind can be pulled into the "dirt" by those pernicious emotions. Another kind of surface dirt that comes to bother me is a lack of appetite in the morning, especially if I've binged the night before. Now you can begin to see how everything is connected & how easy it can be to fall back into disorderly eating.

In the next blog I'll clean up some of these areas hypnotically, so you will get the idea.


( continued in next blog/workshop)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
May not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author.

Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is author of Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. She is also the writer/producer of over 350 mp3/CD programs in the areas of medicine, health, prevention, addictions, self-development & sports for adults & children.

http://www.hypnosis-audio.com
http://www.sugar-addiction.com
http://www.international-medical-health-writers.com

Interior "Pod" Decorating

In the practice of Interactive Self-Hypnosis we work within specialized images or FRAMES or PODS that help us to contain a goal or activity. These are extremely useful, especially if a particular goal has many parts to it. Eating issues & addictions always fall into this category because there is so much to orchestrate. What's interesting about PODS is that they are connected to each other by the "over-arching goal", thereby sharing positive energy, success & motivation. Let me paint the picture with some clearer colors. In your mind's eye, notice a series of separate small buildings or PODS sitting along a path. Each POD has it's own name of address, for example breakfast, lunch, dinner, exercise, snacks, etc. The sky above is labeled "healthy weight management." That's the over-arching goal. As you enter each separate POD, the focus in only on that particular building, for example "breakfast." With the focus being only on this meal, it is much easier to deal with what needs to happen here. Once you are finished in this particular area, you can go on to the next....& ....your success will attach itself to you. You then enter the next POD with heightened positive energy & motivation. Today, we'll work on decorating the interior of some PODS, making them independent subconscious mind programs.

But first....NOTE TO NEW READERS:

This experiential blog/workshop is based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to my writing, you might want to read the earlier mini-chapters. They are available on FaceBook, The PublishersMarketPlace & at the following link. Remember to scan down to find the earliest chapters & work your way up. http://beyonddisorderlyeating.blogspot.com/
A bit of background.... we are working with creative Interactive Self-Hypnosis imagery, planting suggestions directly into the creative subconscious mind as you read along. What appears like a story is a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes. The inner mind is creative & rather child-like, loving to play with images, especially when they are emotionalized. Just like the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", well-planted mind images, can be worth hours of therapy. We can actually change or motivate in 1/200th of a second. So come along & look forward to some lifestyle-changing events.

INNER DECORATING

While everyone's Pods will be different, I highly suggest that you place your most important lifestyle needs in place on the Pod Time-Line. In addition to the suggestions above, I have Pods for shopping, managing foods within my home, including alcohol, restaurant eating, daily exercise & socialization in regard to food & drink. How the Pods are decorated will depend on what kind's of self-discipline you choose for yourSelf. Obviously, my decor may be very different from yours because my disciplines will vary from yours. Also, you may find yourSelf redecorating, especially when you find out that you have set your expectations a bit low for yourSelf. This is because you might have failed in the past, but most likely that was because your planning was faulty.

Once your Pods are in place, it's important to know how to work with them in order to creatively activate your subconscious mind. Here's a mind exercise that I utilize for mySelf.

MIND EXERCISE

Take a moment to relax deeply. Remember, you want to slow your brain waves, turning off & releasing all stress chemicals. This is a centering exercise, making yourSelf ready for new mind programming. Each time you enter a Pod, you are re-etching a new subconscious mind program.

Outside each Pod is a chair. I ask you to sit in the chair, inviting stillness to enter your mind & body. There are many ways to do this. A simple technique is to breathe from your lower belly, just as if it contained a balloon of any color you desire. I like to sense my body being gently pulled down by magnets. You also might like to employ your "Golden Egg." When you are ready, enter this particular Pod. For sake of discussion, let's enter my breakfast Pod, remembering that yours may be different. Sense that you are now inside. It helps to look outside a window. This will deepen the focus, making it easier to program the subconscious mind. The table is set with the very healthiest breakfast foods in the right proportions. Go ahead & mentally sit down with me. Feel the table, the utensils, the dishes, cups, etc. I invite you to taste my foods, noticing that you can enjoy them, even if they are different from what you usually eat.

When you are finished eating, I'll direct you to look at pictures on the walls of this Pod. Here is a picture of me at my healthiest weight. The numbers are written on the frame. I show you how to "tap tap" on the frame & now....the me in the photo is speaking to us, telling us how wonderful it feels to experience this healthy body & mind. Let's visit some other photos. There is one of mySelf of next month & one of next year. I rather like the photo of my oldest Self who is very healthy....still exercising with plenty of energy. All of these photos are motivators connected to breakfast only. Of course, similar photos will be found in the Pods for other meals. I also have a picture over here of my emotional children, all healthy & energetic. These are positive emotions that share my life. We have a wonderful time together. You might notice that everything in the Pod is about me & my health. This is my life & I get to choose how to manage it. My Pods have nothing to do with anyone else & no one else enters my Pods. These are private & personal areas. When it's time to leave, we do so with respect to the Pod, showing gratitude. Notice there is a space between the exit door & the entrance to the next Pod, just like houses in a neighborhood. We take some time to relax & breathe, before heading forward to our next focus area.


( continued in next blog/workshop)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
May not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author.

Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is author of Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. She is also the writer/producer of over 350 mp3/CD programs in the areas of medicine, health, prevention, addictions, self-development & sports for adults & children.

http://www.hypnosis-audio.com
http://www.sugar-addiction.com
http://www.international-medical-health-writers.com

Introducing Pods & Habit Review

There are many parts to planning. In the last blog/workshop I invited you into a simple, self-hypnotic planning session. Today I'd like to address another inner technique that my clients & I find very useful. It's an inner organization tool that I call "daily pods." It's a great way to add definition & self-discipline to each separate area of life practice. The more detailed your self-discipline, the higher your level of success, something we all chase after. Let me give you a bit of introductory background.

Each morning you wake up to your daily life. most of your activities will be on automatic pilot. you might not even remember doing some things, such as brushing your teeth, drinking coffee or driving to work. Automatic pilot is a trance state that can be very useful for what is considered the habitual activities of life. After all, it would be exhausting to be aware of each & every moment of life that transpires. As you go through life, many new activities are placed on automatic pilot as their level of proficiency is raised. Learning to driva a car is a good example. In the beginning, the student driver is hyper-aware of all aspects of driving. Once experience sets in, the driver may not be aware of driving from point A to point B. Of course, the subconscious mind is programmed to awaken the individual if danger is noted, or if the journey becomes rough for some reason.

NOTE TO NEW READERS:

This experiential blog/workshop is based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to my writing, you might want to read the earlier mini-chapters. They are available on FaceBook, The PublishersMarketPlace & at the following link. Remember to scan down to find the earliest chapters & work your way up. http://beyonddisorderlyeating.blogspot.com/
A bit of background.... we are working with creative Interactive Self-Hypnosis imagery, planting suggestions directly into the creative subconscious mind as you read along. What appears like a story is a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes. The inner mind is creative & rather child-like, loving to play with images, especially when they are emotionalized. Just like the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", well-planted mind images, can be worth hours of therapy. We can actually change or motivate in 1/200th of a second. So come along & look forward to some lifestyle-changing events.

IMPORTANCE OF REVIEWING HABITS

Sometimes we forget to review habits, leaving them in their original automatic pilot mind file. It's a good idea to review these mind files, even before wake-up calls. Sometimes we get sloppy in our self-care. Habit review is a form of prevention, keeping you free of bringing complication into your life. Not paying attention to automatic pilot files can get you into trouble, especially if new information is needed, or if the direction is off-course. Keep in mind that habits are re-etched in the subconsicous mind each & every time they are performed. Some are very deeply ingrained, perhaps originating in early childhood. Some habits are triggered by emotional crayons, often as stress releasers, even if they are unhealthy. Smoking, sugar, food addiction, bingeing & alcohol fall into this habit category. Of course there are other habits for managing stress. Look around & see if you can notice some that belong to others. Compulsive gambling & shopping are two common ones.

It's especially important to review habits, especially those that are related to health outcomes. Once you begin to look in a focused way, many will come to your attention. Some may apppear innocent, even silly, but that is an illusion. Take flossing your teeth for example. If you do not pay attention to consistently flossing well, not only can you lose teeth, but ongoing, sub-clinical infections can lead to serious & even life-threatening diseases.

There are additional benefits to paying attention to already formulated automatic pilot programs. These programs already have a level of self-discipline in place that has been ingrained through continuous etching or repeating of the habit. Ingrained self-discipline is like gold waiting to be discovered. You are now ready to capture this gold through the use of PODSS. Pods are very special interactive self-hypnotic images that encourage the subconscious mind to participate in your life discipline.

INTRODUCING PODS

Pods are like rooms that hold the particular discipline or activity. These can be automatic pilot activities or those that are especially important for initiating a lifestyle change, or for enhancing health & performance. They are particularly important for the management of disorderly eating & addictions. Health & performance Pods can include breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, teeth care, exercise, water, meditation, to name a few. When you set up a Pod & then work with it, your subconscious mind sees this as a very important focus & will work with you by sending creative suggestions to your consciousness. Your subconscious mind will program for change, bringing forth details that might have slipped through the cracks. You may experience some Eureka or serendipitous moments.

( continued in next blog/workshop)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
May not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author.

Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is author of Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. She is also the writer/producer of over 350 mp3/CD programs in the areas of medicine, health, prevention, addictions, self-development & sports for adults & children.

http://www.hypnosis-audio.com
http://www.sugar-addiction.com
http://www.international-medical-health-writers.com

Planning Hypnotically

If you wanted to go on vacation, first you would have to decide where to go. Then, you would visit the place in your "mind's eye", most likely reviewing the smallest of details, even if you have never been there before. You would also eyeball obstacles, finding ways to climb over them...especially if you really wanted to go. So, why then, would it be different when deciding to "travel" to a healthy weight? Unfortunately, most people who decide to lose weight, simply say "I want to lose weight" & then spend little to no time working out the plan. It's as if the decision alone should be sufficient for success, but that's not the way the mindBody works. Just like with the vacation, the desire must be there followed by a strong commitment, then a plan has to be designed, as well as a review of possible obstacles with a plan for over-coming them. Then there needs to be an additional plan for inner & outer motivation to keep you going over the years. Years??? Yes, years & then some. It's always best to bring out the truth....unless you never want to be finished with this particular life project.

How come some plans work & others don't? To my mind, planning should never be done "on the run." In fact, no serious planning should be done in this way. You are a very important person & your health should be paramount. If it isn't this is the time to ask the question, "Why isn't it?" For myself & for my patients, all planning is accomplished through self-hypnotic suggestion. As the plans are being orchestrated, the subconscious mind acts as a powerful assistant, not only helping in the design, but planting them as we go along. Just a side-note here; while the book I'm writing is focusing on obtaining & keeping a healthy weight, scale issues do not stand alone. What I mean by this is that having a healthy weight means living a completely healthy lifestyle & in so doing, other areas of your life will be changed as well....of course, for the better.

NOTE TO NEW READERS:

This experiential blog/workshop is based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to my writing, you might want to read the earlier mini-chapters. They are available on FaceBook, The PublishersMarketPlace & at the following link. Remember to scan down to find the earliest chapters & work your way up. http://beyonddisorderlyeating.blogspot.com/
A bit of background.... we are working with creative Interactive Self-Hypnosis imagery, planting suggestions directly into the creative subconscious mind as you read along. What appears like a story is a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes. The inner mind is creative & rather child-like, loving to play with images, especially when they are emotionalized. Just like the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", well-planted mind images, can be worth hours of therapy. We can actually change or motivate in 1/200th of a second. So come along & look forward to some lifestyle-changing events.

SELF-HYPNOTIC PLANNING

Where do you start? Actually, you start at the end. For most people this is a rather strange place to begin, but remember that the subconscious mind works backwards. It sees the "end goal image" & then works to develop the plan to reach it. I'm going to take you into one of my planning sessions with mySelf, so you can better understand how the mind works in this regard.

I'll begin by relaxing deeply, making certain that I won't be disturbed. All time spent on mySelf is preserved time & is always honored. This is a matter of self-respect & is extremely important to the subconscious mind. This is about elevating my self-image & self-esteem. Remember the affirmation "I AM." To the subconscious mind, that underscores my value & sets the stage for what I expect in the way of help with my planning. I only expect the best.

I'll work with an image I designed many decades ago of mySelf at my ideal body fat percentage & lean body mass. I place those numbers on my mindScreen or on my imaginary table. I do have an ideal scale weight number as well, but it did take me some time to choose a healthy one for me, the reason being that I was so poorly educated about scale weight, that I had always picked numbers that were too low. This caused me to lose valuable lean body mass & led to decades of yo-yo weight issues. So, now the numbers are in place & an image of my healthiest Self is coming down the Path & is now sitting directly across from me. We are joined by my Highest Self & my Therapeutic Self. These parts of me are energized by my Highest Power or Universal Self. Your choices will depend on your own personal beliefs. The reason I bring in these parts of mySelf is to truly empower me on the deepest levels. This is important work. It has to do with the quality of my life...today, tomorrow & up the future path. It also impacts the lives of my family & as I always say, we do share our lives with others.

There are many images to utilize in planning. Remember that planning is fluid & so there will alwyas be both old & new plans on the table. The ideal healthy Self already knows the plans & what has "already" been edited. These are now being presented to me. Since I'm a very visual person, mySelves know to take me directly into the plans, as if we were back in the "theater of the mind." When I first started managing my health purposefully, the images we entered were different from those we'll enter today. However, many of my very first planning images are still active. The shopping plans have remained the same for decades. Come in with me & I'll share parts of these with you. There I am, in my home with an ongoing shopping list that lives on my fridge. I am showing you an additional list that lives in my daytimer. Sometimes I think of something during the day, but then transfer those items to my main shopping list. I don't purchase anything that isn't on the list. If I see something in the supermarket that I might like to purchase, my rules are that I don't purchase it until the next week. This has kept me out of compulsive purchasing & dealing with the tantrums of my "inner compulsive, demanding childSelf."

Today I'm being invited into some new planning areas. One has to do with changing breakfast foods. My physician has suggested that I integrate a whole grain & so I'm being shown how to get this cooked & ready for the week. In the past, I'd make excuses that I didn't have time, etc. While this is just a small plan, it will have a big impact on my health. I've thought about doing this for some time now, but now the plan is set & it's so easy for me to change. I'm also going into another planning area...this has to do with my being out of the office for many meals during the week. I'm being shown many possibilities & I'm actually participating inside those images now. My helpers are by my side...


( continued in next blog/workshop)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
May not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author.

Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is author of Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. She is also the writer/producer of over 350 mp3/CD programs in the areas of medicine, health, prevention, addictions, self-development & sports for adults & children.

http://www.hypnosis-audio.com
http://www.sugar-addiction.com
http://www.international-medical-health-writers.com

Self -Questioning

We tend to want everything right now, but it's not just impatience that keeps us locked up inside our problematic issues. Problems or obstacles that are not clearly defined cannot be solved. On a conscious level, it's like we keep tripping over stones as we try to accomplish what we think we want. For some reason, the things we want won't show themselves to us with any clarity, as if we didn't have a right to know them or have them. See if you recognize any of these thought/beliefs: "I can't imagine myself thin." "I can't see myself eating a healthy diet for any length of time." "I know what I should do, but for some reason, I can't." "The idea of changing frightens me more than staying just like I am."

NOTE TO NEW READERS:

This experiential blog/workshop is based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to my writing, you might want to read the earlier mini-chapters. They are available on FaceBook, The PublishersMarketPlace & at the following link. Remember to scan down to find the earliest chapters & work your way up. http://beyonddisorderlyeating.blogspot.com/
A bit of background.... we are working with creative Interactive Self-Hypnosis imagery, planting suggestions directly into the creative subconscious mind as you read along. What appears like a story is a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes. The inner mind is creative & rather child-like, loving to play with images, especially when they are emotionalized. Just like the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", well-planted mind images, can be worth hours of therapy. We can actually change or motivate in 1/200th of a second. So come along & look forward to some lifestyle-changing events.


THE SECRET POWER OF ASKING QUESTIONS

If we are to succeed, we need to uncover whatever is blocking. Once a block is brought to the surface, it tends to disappear. But, if we don't know what's blocking, how can we bring it to the surface? We can do this by asking questions to ourSelf. These are best asked when we are deeply relaxed, either first thing in the morning or before going to sleep at night because this is when we are in, what is called, the hypnogogic state. This means that our brain waves are slow & it's easier to access our subconscious mind, for this is where the answers are found.

I'll invite you to visit as I ask some questions regarding my own eating issues, especially those having to do with recurring stress eating. I know from my practice of hypnotherapy that we can learn from others & so I'm happy to share my experience with you. Here's where I'm at. Although I've had my compulsive eating under control for several decades, I still fall back into certain behaviors when I'm under high stress. I'd truly like to know why this is & what I can do to erase some of these repetitive programs from my subconscious mind files. In other words, I don't want my old secret eating to pop up on auto-pilot when I'm stressed.

First, I'm going to relax very deeply. I'm in a quiet place where I know I won't be disturbed. I'll do a quick bodyscan & then enter my Golden Egg space, leaving the Circus of the World outside. No one is in the Egg except me. All emotions are down in the playground becoming balanced. It's just me, now contacting the Higher Part of me. This is the part that I believe is connected to the Universal Mind, a place of great inner wisdom. This connection will be very helpful in re-editing those unwanted programs, once they are located.

My breathing is slow & quiet, but my mind is very keen & alert. Although I've planned my questions in advance, they seem to form themselves. I know that I'm in the area of my "secret eating behaviors" & I can visualize them in front of me. This is something that I can only achieve in an hypnotic state, the reason being that these behaviors don't want to show themselves to me because they leak "power." I decide to spend some time observing them from my disassociated or observing position. It's interesting to me that there aren't many & the rituals that they perform tend to be repetitive. That tells me that they have been there for a very long time, most likely from my early childhood.

I've decided to ask for some direct help from my Higher Self. Earlier on I helped you to build an image of a Therapeutic Self that is connected to a Higher Self, but since I'm in an excellent hypnotic state, I'm going to work directly with my Higher Self, asking my questions to this Part. I can do this "right in the moment" or I can utilize "automatic writing." Since I'm on the computer writing this, I'll use automatic writing.

Eliz: Why do my secret eating behaviors come forward when I'm having high stress?
HigherSelf: You call them "my" & so they belong to you. You have connected them to "high stress." The words you use to define your life, call them forward.

Eliz: What do they need to know so they won't come forward?
HigherSelf: They are NOT in charge, so they don't need to know anything. They are followers & need to be properly directed.

Eliz: Don't you mean re-directed?
HigherSelf: No, they need to be "directed." Re-directing connects the old response with the new & that is where your mistake has been. Life begins anew in this moment & nothing from the past will be connected.

Eliz: So, you are suggesting that I design a brand new program for these behaviors.
HigherSelf: Please design a new program for each of these, not one for all of them. Keep them separated, for in this position they have less residual power.

I thank my HigherSelf for showing me the way. I can now see where I made my mistakes. In the past, I held ownership by calling them "my", this encouraging them to come forward. I also saw them as a group & not separate. I know from my experience as a hypnotherapist, that it's best to isolate behaviors into units & in this case, I hadn't done this in a hypnotherapeutic exercise, but I will do this right now. I will take each of the behaviors, one by one, instructing them to follow a specific program. My HigherSelf helped me to understand that because the behaviors were so old, it was important to completely walk away from any old history, so this would not undermine the new program. When old programs are so embedded with emotion & so practiced, it's important to wipe the slate clean before bringing in the new program. I'm doing that right now.


( continued in next blog/workshop)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
May not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author.

Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is author of Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. She is also the writer/producer of over 350 mp3/CD programs in the areas of medicine, health, prevention, addictions, self-development & sports for adults & children.

http://www.hypnosis-audio.com
http://www.sugar-addiction.com
http://www.international-medical-health-writers.com