SchoolDAZE - Where's the Playground?

Knowledge is King & especially when working to manage a specific area of your life. Here we're working with "disorderly eating" issues & there is much to learn. Many of us think we know it all, but if that's so, then why are we still riding the same merry-go-round? Common threads include, "I know what to eat, but it doesn't work for me." "I'm always hungry & diet foods don't fill me up." "I don't know how to cook, so I have to eat out." "I'm a student & have to eat in the cafeteria." "I'm very social & I can't give that up to eat healthy." "It's embarrassing to eat differently from others."

The above fall into the category of those little " mind-directing or suggestive" stories or metaphors. We've entertained some of these before. If you've been keeping up with the blog/workshop you already know that these are "small belief vignettes", but in the subconscious mind, they appear like "paver stones", lining the path to the doors they support. These particular stories are leading down the path of disease & death. It's a dark path. Each time you step on these paver stones, you get deeper into trouble. They are quiet, dangerous manipulative thoughts or beliefs. Up to today we've been working in the Theater of the Mind. This is an example of a powerful "reframe" for refocusing the subconscious mind & then reprogramming the inner files. Today we'll add another powerful reframer, that of the "school house."

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 SCHOOL HOUSE

If you have been working along with me, you already have an image in your mind for your Goal-den Path & the Gardens. We've been in the major garden, the Mindbody Health Garden & I have given you a brief introduction to some of the other gardens that are found here. You might remember that the Goal-den Path is a metaphor for the different areas of your life. It's an organizational metaphor that allows you to review & to put things in order efficiently & effectively. It's also a tool for managing your emotional childSelves. Remember them? I always walk down the path a bit & then place an image of the School House in it's own distinct area. Since you will be utilizing this focus image over & over, spend a bit of time detailing it so it is pleasing to your subconscious mind. The inner mind is child-like & playful, liking bright colors & inventive design. If you are new to developing mind imagery, relax & just let your creative self put it together for you. If you simply "move out of the way" you may be surprised about what images pop up for you. Take this as a good opportunity to release any need to control.

When working hypnotically, I like to be in a disassociative stance, just like in the Theater of the Mind, when sitting in the Director seat. Since this is a different image, I like to imagine the school house scene on a "model or diorama" board. Then I can observe what's going on, when I'm ready, stop the action & move into the re-programming, just like the Theater of the Mind. Also, it's rather fun to pick up those little emotional childSelves by their shirts & move them somewhere else.

READY....FIRST BELL

The emotional childSelves, both positive & negative-based, have arrived at the "school house." While there is some excitement in the air about attending class, there are several emotions that have little interest in getting down to business, preferring to either be absent or to only play. It's important to know that we all have these emotions, even though you may believe that you are the only one. Keep in mind that these are more obvious in some people, than in others, many living secret lives inside the nicest of people. These are "procrastinating" emotions childSelves, often very subborn, the reason being that they have been left to these games in the past, thereby making them even stronger. But, you already have practice dealing with strong, obstinate emotional childSelves. You know that you are the writer, director, producer of your life & while this is a different focus tool, your position remains the same. You are in charge. This is your life & what you say is the law of this land. This is why we practice disassociation. Once the childSelf lives in an "outside of you image", it is easier to self-discipline. Also remember that you work alongside of your Therapeutic Self who is enlightened by your Higher Self or Power. Your Unbalanced Self is no longer working against you, but instead, delivers ongoing insight in relation to the emotional childSelves.

The Head Teacher is ringing the school bell. All emotional childSelves immediately fall into line. Absolute quiet prevails. The Head Teacher is quietly assertive, leaving no doubt as to who is in charge. I'd like you to look closely at his/her image....closer now....you will see/sense yourSelf; not your actorSelf, but your trueSelf. The emotional childSelves enter the classroom, maintaining their discipline & yes....happy to do so. Emotions prefer to be disciplined because this makes "their" life easier. It is much easier for all parts to be balanced & that includes both mind & body.

School is in session now & the lessons will begin shortly. Everyone is in their seats, ready & attentive. Yes, there is time for play, but that time is not now. Everything in it's correct time-slot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Silly Little Stories or Oreos ARE Food!

When working towards successful outcomes, little " mind-directing or suggestive" stories or metaphors can mean a lot. These are "small belief vignettes", but in the subconscious mind, they appear like "paver stones", lining the path to the doors they support. Good news is they are supporting the path towards health, but not so good news if they are heading down the disease path. Perhaps they are yet another one of those major reasons why certain goals, especially those in the lifestyle change area, are difficult to achieve... for the little stories are not really stories at all, but instead, tripping stones in disguise. Stepping on them changes your direction. Here's another way to think of them....as quiet, but dangerous manipulators. In this area of my book we are working with the "difficult childSelf" who tends to have a whole library full of little stories, some going in one direction, others just the opposite, but unfortunately the difficult childSelf's most favorite stories are those that support unsavory behaviors & that's what makes them so popular with the unbalanced Self. As you become more aware & awake for them, you might find them quite amusin. You may have even caught yourself laughing when they are enacted because what you're admiring is the brilliant creativity of this aspect of your emotional childSelf.

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.

ORIGINAL SILLY STORIES & THEIR AUTHORS

I must admit, I tend to like to hear these silly stories,for many of them are certainly entertaining. The funniest ones are often told to me by people who can hardly keep a straight face. That is the level of their ridiculousness. "Oreo's are food" is one of these examples. Well, of course, we could agree that oreos are food, but that's not the point. Oreos, no matter how much we might like them, are empty nutrition. They not only have nothing to offer, but they can put the body systems in danger, not only in the moment, but down the pike. Remember, everything we eat or drink has a lasting effect. No one gets away free. "So," says the defense childSelf, "are you saying that one little oreo cookie can k-i-l-l you?" Oh the drama of the childSelf? This just adds to the flavoring of the "Oreo as Food" Vignette.

The oreo story has many applications. The choice is determined by what the emotional childSelf, or storyteller of the moment plans to achieve. If in the supermarket, the goal is to get the oreo package off the shelf & into the cart. Sometimes this is easy, other times not so easy. It depends on Your emotional marinade. I know that you know what I'm talking about here. Remember, I've been in this scenario as well. One has to secretly admire the cunningness of the creative childSelf, as he or she pushes your appropriate buttons, sending the near-perfect, emotionally charged messages through your thought channels, even stimulating the body to respond with supreme accuracy. Case in point; you might not even remember putting the oreo package in your cart, only noticing it when unpacking your groceries. Now how did that happen? Another application is convincing you that the oreo's are for someone else. That's a very popular one & is often applied to other empty foods. Then, there is the "shared oreo"....someone else knows you love them & insists that you eat it right in that moment. If not, your friendship is over. Pay attention to the level of drama employed by the emotional childSelf.

While many stories are about food, this is certainly not the only area for their creative development. When learning to become aware of them, you will find them carefully woven throughout your life. Sometimes we label them excuses, but they are much more than that. They are carefully crafted, artistic endeavors that are marinated in pure emotion for great impact. Let me share one of mine with you. In the past, I had developed a phobia to exercise. This followed a serious illness that lasted quite a while. When I was medically cleared to return to the gym, the stories began playing in my head. "You shouldn't exercise yet. They made a mistake. You'll drop dead on the treadmill. You don't have to exercise to be well. You're thin enough. Exercise is not good for everybody. The ambulance will come to get you." These stories were filled with very vivid images built on the titles, some of them truly realistic & frightening. Left alone, my personal emotional childSelf, could have had tremendous impact on my full recovery, even leading me into an untoward medical accident, for make no mistake, we get what we think about!

LET'S GET THERAPEUTIC
READY ACTION

It's time to return to your position as Director. You already know the way & most likely you are already settled in your seat, ready to begin. Direct the curtain to open. Your Therapeutic Self has a list of stories that will be very familiar to you. The difficult childSelf who made up the story is on the stage directing the action. Your actorSelf is present, keenly observing the story in action...in fact, too keenly. This is one of the problems. Play close attention to how intent the childSelf is in getting the idea across. For the childSelf, there are no boundaries.....doing whatever it takes. The amount of fear or displeasure is of no consequence. There isn't any conscience. It's very important to key into this performance, because most likely you have many stories in this same genre. When you feel that you've seen or experienced enough & truly get the point here, direct the action to stop. When you are in the Theater of the Mind, in the Director's seat, all parts of you know that you are in charge; no one else. The action has stopped & the cast is waiting for your direction. If there seems to be too much to change, simply dismiss the whole production. Then, design a new performance based on what you would like to achieve. Pay attention to details....the more the better. Remember, you are programming your mind to take you forward, perhaps to an even higher level than you ever considered for yourSelf. Now & here are your opportunities to gift yourSelf in this way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Nursing a Bad Attitude or Arugula Sucks!

When working towards successful outcomes, attitude can be everything. Attitudes are like marinades, determining both emotional & physical tonality of life. Perhaps this is one of the major reasons why certain goals, especially those in the lifestyle change arena, are difficult to achieve...the marinate is bitter & hard to swallow. Here we are working with the "difficult childSelf" who tends to have a whole stockpile of issues, some going way, way back. Bringing these out of the closet & into the light is key to self-management. And, it's the responsible thing to do. 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/

NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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.

SAVORY & UNSAVORY MARINADES

The childSelf speaks in our thoughts & through our verbalization. It also speaks through our attitudes that can also be read in the level of tension in the body. Since it's difficult for us to see ourselves, it helps to be an observer of others & their attitudes. Then, we can ask our own Therapeutic Self or subconscious mind to classify those attitudes we want versus those that we don't want. Sometimes that's all it takes to "shift" out of darkness & into the light. Like anything else, it takes practice, but you will not be disappointed. As attitudes or moods shift, thoughts change & motivation is enhanced. Remember, it only takes 1/200th of a second to change anything & everything. This is not about judging others; it's about making it very clear to your own Self, as to the direction in which you choose to follow. Here we have chosen to travel towards health & away from disease.

Emotional marinades are also shared in both directions. Your mood or attitude flows towards others, including your environment. You might notice it in your level of organization or tendency towards messiness or clutter. The same happens with moods & attitudes of others. As these flow towards you, your body literally absorbs them.......unless you know how to protect yourself from being dipped in unsavory marinade. I think it's very important to keep an eye on the marinade you are producing, not only because it will reflect back to you in even larger portions, but it blocks your entrance into the "hall of creativity." This is a place we'll be visiting later on in our work together.

When changing lifestyle behaviors, it's so important to stay in good emotional balance. When the unbalanced Self & negative emotional states are running the "show", the body & mind work against the newly installed behaviors. There is a huge tendency to go back to old, destructive mind programs, many of them on auto-pilot. These can be sensed by a compulsive pull towards disorderly behaviors, including bingeing, over-eating, making poor food choices & even secret eating issues. If these are reinforced, they simply become stronger & more difficult to break. The subconscious mind actually believes that this is what you want & the new behaviors you have adopted, are simply not the way you choose to go. Obviously, nothing could be further from the truth, especially if you're reading this book. Who would choose to take the path towards disease or destruction? No one I know.

THE UNDISCIPLINED CHILDSELF & IT'S NASTY MOUTH

Unfortunately, we can get easily zapped by the undisciplined childSelf who can have a very nasty tongue. Some thoughts that get played out in the mind were placed a very long time ago, perhaps by others or by yourSelf. All thoughts have emotional marinade, so if you play a nasty thought, the marinade is bitter. Instead, play a healthy, motivational thought, thereby treating your total mind & body to a delicious bite in the moment. Remember, an emotionalized image is worth hours of therapy. Making your life more pleasant while continually going towards healthy outcomes is all within your power. Let's go ahead & direct some discipline that will allow you to "shift" out of a distasteful marinade & into another more tasty version.


ACT 3 SCENE 1
ARUGULA SUCKS !

Enter the Theater of the Mind & take your Directorial Seat, knowing intuitively that you are in charge here & that you have the power to change what doesn't work & to design your life as you choose it to be. Sense that power now. Even though you are just reading these words, your subconscious mind is busy following your suggestions or commands. It's as simple as that. Your power is hidden in the moments that flow....as you emply Heightened Awareness, the moments are seen with clarity, thereby giving you the opportunity to "shift" & then move forward. Moments following "shifting" are especially creative because they are re-fired with new energy that has been transmuted from the old, tired energy. You can make as many of these power-filled moments as you choose.

Ask the curtain to open now & notice that your Unbalanced Self has ushered in certain emotional children that have foul-mouths. Remember that your Unbalanced Self is now on your side. You have befriended this part of you & it is now open to being helpful, realizing that you are not going to criticize or beat-up on this part of you. Never underestimate the power of this part who knows all the little dark corners that need to be cleaned out for high level success to be achieved. Now tune into the vulgarities of the negative-based emotional children. Some have been ushered to a healthy eating table. You can hear them, as well as read their thoughts. "Arugula sucks! I choke on green stuff. I won't eat any of this !@#$. I want what I want. I'll throw up if I have to eat this." Just a few examples. Others might be a bit more tame, but don't be fooled. "I'll eat it but I won't like it. I'll get something else later. I will go out for a newspaper & eat cookies in the car. No one will know. I'll pretend to be good, but only I know the truth about how incapable I am of eating healthy & exercising. I'll never succeed & I'll never be a healthy weight. I'm a lost cause."

You already know that arguing & fighting doesn't work, so what does work? Notice that your Therapeutic Self has entered. Sense the "shift" of energy. This part of yourSelf is balanced & assertive. Pay attention to the interaction with the emotional children. Peace & gentleness being delivered. The Therapeutic Self engages the Higher Self or Power & healing light fills the stage. Black drops exit the fingers of the unbalanced emotional states & a glow fills them. Sense it yourSelf. In the practice of hypnotherapy, we can change or shift very quickly. This is a powerful exercise & I suggest that you utilize "in the moment" each time you notice an unsavory marinade playing out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Difficult Child Self

Thought we were through with the Compulsive Crazies? Not so fast. There are plenty more hanging out in the wings of the theater. We've been looking around the workplace, but I'd like to touch on some very special personal childSelves that many of you will recognize. All of these Selves & more can be found in 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/

NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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 DIFFICULT CHILDSELF
MIND TEMPER TANTRUMS

BUT I WANT THAT PIZZA!!

We've all had the pleasure to screaming, manipulative, out of control children one time or another. The supermarket is a breeding ground for them, but one doesn't even need to leave the house to experience a good dose of what they have to offer. We all have a sizable group of them hanging out in our very own thought processes. I've introduced you to several in this workshop/blog & we are about to meet up with some other ones you might recognize.

Difficult Child-Selves are triggered by the presence of other emotions & the environment. Some triggers are on auto-pilot. For example, when I go food shopping, I often have compulsive thoughts regarding the purchase of ice cream & bakery goods. I rarely have compulsive thoughts at the fish or meat counters. And, I know I'm not alone. The next time you're in the bakery, observe the behaviors of those around you. It's almost as if just breathing in the sugar sets off some sort of hyper-reactionary behavior. People tend to be impatient, pushy & determined to secure that last brownie. When driving home from work, I often hear the inner screams to stop at the pizza place. That child-Self of mine is so completely obnoxious that I used to stop the car at the side of the road to bring "her" back into balance.

Some of the images I'm presenting may seem a bit "over the top", but for those who know what I'm discussing here....this is not "over the top." Difficult emotional childSelves drive people crazy, keep them on the path to the disease door & take away their right to experience high level health & performance. Difficult childSelves lower self-image & self-esteem & can even destroy relationships. Imagine fighting with someone all day long & then going home to be with family or friends. What kind of energy can one bring to the experience? In addition, when the difficult childSelf is not disciplined, no leadership or parenting exists...to the Self, nor to others. It is simply not possible to teach others, especially children, if one is out of balance, living under the power of the difficult-child.

THERAPEUTIC MATTERS
RETURN TO BALANCE

It doesn't work to ignore or punish child-Self outbursts, yet this is what most of us do. The child can only be put off for so long & can often be heard screaming in the background. Sounds like a real child? Well, yes it is. Keep in mind that more than likely the child has been allowed to get away with all sorts of obnoxious behaviors & each time a behavior has gone undisciplined, it becomes more firmly etched in the subconscious mind. Each time this particular behavior is triggered, it comes to consciousness wearing a stronger coat. Returning to my pizza ordeal, I was guilty of not managing this particular child of mine for several decades. Can you image "her" powerful coat??

Now you might wonder, if a particular child is so powerful, what chance does one have to return to power & balance? If you have asked this question, perhaps you need to go back & review some of the earlier chapters or blogs. Remember, you are the writer, director & producer of your life. You're in charge. You are the leader, not the child. It really doesn't matter how big or how powerful the child's coat has become. Once you take control of your life, then you run the show, not the child. This is accomplished by commiting fully to self-responsibility, then leading & self-parenting with a calm, assertive manner. If this doesn't come naturally to you, then you need to "pretend" that you have these already present.

RE-PROGRAMMING THE ACTOR SELF
READY ACTION

Go back to the Theater of the Mind & take your seat as "Director." You know the routine. Direct the curtain to open & call in your actorSelf. Position your Therapeutic Self over there. That's right. Now, empty the stage of all emotions, both helpful & not helpful. Have your actorSelf stand alone. Pay attention to the details. Direct the actorSelf to stand taller, present confidence & power. Observe this. Direct the script....spoken words & thoughts. Listen to the power of speech & make any changes. You already know exactly what is needed here. And...when you have completed this, ask your actorSelf to leave the stage & then re-enter, presenting the newly programmed Self. Observe carefully & make any further changes you deem important.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Compulsive Crazies - The Office Junk Dealers

I'd like to continue along with the Compulsive Crazies & especially those that are found in the workplace, but before I do that, I'd like to welcome you all back to the ongoing blog/workshop, 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/

NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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.

A BIT ABOUT COMPULSIVE CRAZIES & JUNK DEALERS

Compulsive Crazies do not just live in the office, but meander through our lives. However, remember that one tends to become like the company one keeps & if you are seriously involved with the compulsive crazies in your office, you are going to draw more towards you in other areas of your life. Remember how the subconscious mind works. I've described it as a servo-mechanism, an internal radar. In this instance, if you are involved in compulsive craziness, you will not only attract more towards yourself, but your very own compulsive crazy mechanism will be highly charged, making it easier to become involved in other bingeing or secret eating behaviors. A very dangerous route & not the way you want to go.

In any office setting there are land mines & most of these involve co-workers.The office is a family of sorts, usually dysfunctional. As far as eating issues are concerned, most offices are very dysfunctional. As you become more aware of what's going on, you will see what I mean. Certain people power-broker with food. As ridiculous as this sounds, those who are in charge of something specific like bringing in the donuts have a special status. Pay attention as they go about their donut business. Throughout this blog/workshop I've suggested that you pay attention to small details for these hold tremendous information & therefore value.

I have a special affinity for the donut people because they have brought so much insight into my own eating issues. In one particular workplace, the donut person was a very over-weight woman who I'll call Anita. Now Anita turned from a donut person to a donut pusher. It happens that donuts are a binge food for me. Just like there's not enough cookes, there are truly not enough donuts. For me, there is no such thing as choosing one donut, even if I'm not hungry, even if my stomach hurts after eating one. This is my sad truth. When I started going through my own eating recovery, I decided not to be involved with donuts. Remember Nancy Reagan....just say "no." Easier said than done with the donut woman. Anita decided that my decision not to eat donuts was not only ruining the "social" donut experience for the rest of the office, but for some reason according to Anita, I now considered myself better than everyone else. Unfortunately, since this happened at the beginning of my "recovery", my emotional children were more difficult to manage, making the donut issue into a mental tug of war.

Most of us have been brought up to be pleasers. That means that people like Anita can truly push our buttons & threaten our food recovery plans. Since we are in the workplace for so many hours, it is very important to work out our own details, running our lives the way that we see fit, taking us towards health & not illness. Because so many people have disorderly eating patterns & are obese, it can truly be a challenge to take on one's own weight loss & maintenance in this type of environment.

Once again, I remind you to review the earlier blog/workshop sections, especially the one's having to do with "owning your own path or life." Remember, you are born alone & will die alone. How you experience the time-line between those two life events, will in a great degree be determined by your choices. Just for a moment pretend that you are driving a car & waiting for a safe time to pull out into traffic. Someone comes behind you, honking their horn, trying to push you. I'm certain that you wouldn't allow that driver to put you in harm's way, would you? And, it is the same for the "office junk dealers." Remember the candy jar? There is no such thing as one piece of candy, one piece of pizza, one brownie, one piece of coffee cake or one donut. There just isn't. Here's the bottom line. If you want to successfully lose weight, manage sugar addiction & maintain a healthy lifestyle, you have to manage yourself in the face of the "office junk dealers" & the "compulsive crazies."

ACT 2 SCENE 2
OFFICE JUNK DEALERS
READY ACTION

Ready to direct this very important part of your life? Remember, your future health outcomes depend on how well you learn to do this. OK...let's go. Enter the Theater of your Mind & take your Directorial seat. You know where it is. Take a moment & feel the confidence you are now building. You are no longer new at this....you are already experienced & that is good to know. In fact, you know what I'm going to write here & that is because you already have these programs well-etched in your own subconscious mind. Fix your gaze on the stage curtain, noticing that it knows to open for you. Everything here works to your benefit. You are in charge. Notice the scene is in your office. Your actorSelf is present. As before, take your time reviewing the details of this scene. If you don't work in an office, play this scene out to meet your own personal life experience. Your Therapeutic Self is sitting to the side in a place of Heightened Awareness. This is important for viewing the smallest of details. Pay attention to an Office Junk Dealer who has entered your life scene. Pay very close attention to what's going on. Are other's present or are you alone? Listen to the conversation....noticing your own thoughts that are clear to you, but not to others.

Emotional children have come on stage. Some belong to you, others belonging to the Office Junk Dealer or others present. Notice the exchanges between the emotional children. Realize now that most interactions are between emotional children & NOT between Therapeutic Selves. This will become important later on when we go further into disciplining emotions. When you have seen enough, interrupt the action. You are now ready to re-program this scene. You already know how to do this, so just go ahead. Call in stage hands, script writers, dismiss unbalanced emotions & enhance those which are balanced. Ask your Therapeutic Self to give each balance emotion a picture of your goal. Make it clear to them what you expect, need & demand. When you have finished, have the scene play out again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Act 2 Scene 1 Compulsive Crazies - Office Candy Jar

Welcome back to the ongoing blog/workshop, based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to this area, 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.

COMPULSIVE CRAZIES IN THE WORKPLACE

This is a good time to move into some of those "Compulsive Crazies." While these can be found in many different areas of life, I'd like to get into those that live in the workplace. These tend to come up when I'm working with my patients or students & certainly they are personal favorites of mine. As I've mentioned before, I've been in "disorderly eating recovery" for several decades now & know the importance of having lots of tools at my fingertips. So, even if you don't personally experience the exact scenes we're going to practice, the tools for management that I'm presenting can be applied to other areas of your life experience. What's interesting about working hypnotically with the subconscious mind is that the inner mind will go to connect similar "mind files", especially if your is clear, focused & emotionally energized. Working subconsciously is like having an "inner coach" spot checking you, bringing powerful suggestions that may have never entered your mind, into your view, with an action plan already in process. On another note, the more you work with your subconscious mind, the more it will work with you & with easier access.

Now, about those "Compulsive Crazies." I would like to entertain that candy jar in the office. If you work in an office, more than likely there is at least one candy jar & certainly a kitchen or snack area. In addition, looking at your office-mates, there may be the donut & cake people, the popcorners, the "let's order pizza for lunch bunch" & the "you have to try this from my kitchen or you are not my friend" groupies. If you are in the minority & work alone....good for you. Your life is bound to be much easier in this arena.

A little side-step here. When we have weight or disorderly eating issues, we tend to think of the problem as singular. That is why it appears to be so difficult to manage. In reality, we are dealing a multi-faceted problem that needs to be managed with a multi-faceted approach. While this might sound overwhelming, it truly isn't & the good news is that once we get one area under good self-management, the other areas tend to follow, just like children, along the new path. So, here we're going to address the "workplace candy jar" & the undisciplined, disorderly emotions that hang out in the workplace.

ACT 2 SCENE 1

THE OFFICE CANDY JAR & OTHER JUNK

As before, please enter "The Theater of the Mind." You already know the way to your seat. If you've been following along, your subconscious mind is already primed for the experiential work of today. Remember, just reading suggestion in a relaxed state is sufficient for programming your mind. The goal is to disassociate from the automatic pilot programs, observe them carefully without judging them, gathering information that may be seen or not seen consciously & then re-writing & re-directing the scene so that it benefits your goals. In this book or blog/workshop, the goal is to introduce & maintain healthy eating behaviors. Of course, these tools can be utilized in other areas of your life "drama."

What's interesting about "office crazies" is that we don't only have to manage our own compulsive issues, but those of others. This means some additional skill building. For me, these are tremendous fun & once you get familiar with them, I'm sure you'll enjoy them as well. Nothing beats being totally in sync with your Therapeutic or healthy, balanced Self. You'll sense the soaring of self-image & self-esteem, as well as gaining self-respect & the respect of others, even though it may not seem so in the moment. As you develop & build your own self-discipline, thereby taking a leadership position, others will begin to follow you. Don't be surprised is this carries over to other work-related areas, opening your career-track. I've seen it happen many times, so why shouldn't it happen for you? This is an example of non-verbal or subconscious communication, having very powerful consequences.

While I'm going to utilize images for the candy jar, feel free to change this image for any others that I've identified, or that you have in your work experience.

READY....ACTION

Focus in front of you now. The curtain opens & you can visualize your workplace. Perhaps you are in your space OR in the space where the candy jar lives. Yes, the candy jar "does live." Inanimate things "live." It helps to think in this way, because as I've mentioned before, the subconscious mind loves being entertained with active-creative imagery. The candy jar speaks out, calling to your actorSelf or others who pass-by or even think about it as they sit at their desks. Yes, you do know that this happens because you've heard it calling you, have you not? No more questions about it being "alive." Your Therapeutic Self is standing by the side of the candy jar & making it very clear about what occurs inside your body & mind, even from one sampling, especially without eating protective protein at the same time. Remember, you already know that there are "safer ways" to eat junk.

Your body systems have decided to enter & to speak to you directly about their concerns. You are reminded of how much junk you have already consumed in your life to it's current moment. The junk pile image is clear. What's not clear is how much "negotiating" room you have before a major disease announces itself. Reminding yourself that killer diseases mount one moment at a time & your clock has been ticking for a long while now. Once a disease announces itself, there may be no turning back to it's non-disease position. In other words, once one enters the door of diabetes, it may be very difficult, if not impossible to return to the state of pre-diabetes again. In this position, one has the opportunity to practice prevention & turn back the clock. So, this is not just ONCE PIECE OF CANDY. It's a life choice decision & not just for you, but for all the "future you's" that follow your "today you." Another thought here...."one piece of candy is never, ever enough." Your emotional states will make certain of that & you can see them all gathered around the candy dish....motivating your hand to come forward & reach in. Of course, your emotions are just kids who only care about this moment & not the moments that follow. They are immature & silly....knowing nothing of diabetes or other serious consequences.

I'd like you to tune into the behaviors of your work colleagues. Perhaps notice how they urge you on, rather like your emotional kids. These people are "unbalanced" in this moment in time. They are acting out on the whims of their own emotional children. They are unaware of what they are doing or even saying. They want you to play their game, which unfortunately is a game of Russian roulette. Each of these people walks the path towards the door of killer disease. No one gets away free...the Piper must always be paid. It's just a matter of time.

I'd like you to go ahead & stop the scene now. Go ahead & re-write the script. Perhaps change the set. Edit the emotions. Dismiss the trouble makers & invite in some powerful, postive, focused emotions. When you are satisfied with what you want to happen, go ahead & re-play the Scene. Your subconscious mind is paying close attention to all details.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Act 1 Scene 3 - Dinner & Dining Out

Welcome to the ongoing blog/workshop, based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to this area, 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/

Here 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.

HEIGHTENED AWARENESS

One of the big benefits of working hypnotically is the ability to call up a "frame" for enhanced focus & clarity. This is accomplished through relaxation, as well as the desire, intention & willingness to look at things even if they are unpleasant. In the theater of the mind we are practicing "disassociation." You & your actorSelf are separate. You are boosted by your Higher Self/Power & are working with your intermediary...your Therapeutic Self. Your relationship with your Unbalanced Self is much improved to the point that this part of you has now become helpful, instead of hiding in the shadow of negative emotions. You are now able to identify many of these child-emotional states, even the bigger ones who incidently are still child-emotions even though they believe that they are in charge. I often ask my patients or students, if they would give their car keys or turn over their financial affairs to a child. Of course not & so we do not turn our lives over to our emotional children.

Just like the scene of any movie or play is different from the next scene, the same goes for the unfolding of your life. Every scene or frame is different. Here we are working with scenes related to eating venues. You have come to know that breakfast is different from lunch & snack. Now you will see that dinner is different from all other meals & depending on the venue, the frame or scene will change. The actorSelf will be harboring beliefs related to the frame. Many of these will be on what's called "auto-pilot." That means that the scene has played out before & so the thoughts & corresponding emotions just know their cues, appearing & acting out, as if the actorSelf were simply asleep or a silent observer.

There are many areas to observe. As you learn more about Heightened Awareness, you will be able to key in to what is present or happening, as well as to what is NOT present or happening. All of this gives you, the writer, director & producer a very wide-scope for change & programming what you want. For example, start to pay attention to the time of day, including what happened in the previous scene. This is especially interesting if the dinner meal comes at the end of a work-day. The emotions & thoughts can be very different than those played out on a non-work day. This is an example of what's present one day & not on another day. There are also things that are never present, so you might practice asking your Therapeutic Self that question. "What are other options for this scene?" Obviously, you are only looking for the positive options! There are tools for working with negative options, but that discussion is for another time.

The other actors who are present in the scene also have an impact on the action of your actorSelf. Many actors are triggers for particular auto-pilot behaviors or emotional reactions. Practicing heightened awareness gives you the "ah-ha" or eureka moments that are key to deep understanding, the precursor of true change. You will be learning different tools for interpretation of the behavior & communication with others, but again, that is for another time. Just know it is "waiting in the wings."

As the writer,director & producer of your life, you have the opportunity to interact with these parts of yourSelf. You are coming to understand that there are reasons for certain behaviors & the presence of emotions. Some of these are valid & others not, but no matter what the reason, you can decide to change the behavior because you are not the same person you were yesterday, the day before or last year. You can choose to let go & to program your mind & body for what you want. This is your leadership role & all the assistance you need is now available to you.

ACT 1 SCENE 3
DINNER & DINING OUT

Since this is a blog & not the book, space is an issue for me, so let's go ahead & set the scene for dinner at home & then move into a dining out venue. Keep in mind that each venue is a different scene with it's own auto-pilot programs. While this may seem a bit over-whelming, once you get used to working with your mind in this way, it will become easier & actually entertaining.

READY - ACTION

You are in position as the writer, director & producer. The curtain opens & you recognize the home dinner scene. Notice your actorSelf & details of the environment. It's important to pull into as many details as possible. This enhances the focus & clarity, so take time & look around the room. Notice who is preparing the meal & the energy that is present. Separate negatives from positives. Your Therapeutic Self is present, but is just observing, along with your Unbalanced Self. The Theater of the Mind is an educational tool for change & you already know that your Therapeutic Self is your positive transition Self. Now focus on the emotions that are present. Clarify which are helpful & those that are not. Remember not to dismiss any of them too soon. They have valuable information for you & you will want to glean that while they are still relaxed in their activity. You lead from a position of quiet assertiveness & balance, never threatening or punishing. Since this scene is about food choices & behaviors that surround those, have a look at what's present, as well as consider what's missing. You can now hear the thoughts playing in the mind of your actorSelf.

When you are ready, go ahead & stop the action. Now go ahead & direct the changes.Make the scene exactly as you would like it. Take your time. Take care of all aspects. If emotions need to exit, simply ask them to do so. No need to shout. That's not leadership. And now, go ahead & have the scene re-tell itself. I'd like you to practice this exercise with eating dinner at home, as well as dining out. Remember, you may have many different venues, so in the future, plan to review each of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Theater of the Mind - Act 1 Scene 2

Welcome to the ongoing blog/workshop, based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to this area, 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/

Here 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.

In our last session, we worked directly in the Theater of the Mind. You found yourSelf in the highly regarded position of "writer, producer & director" of a scene depicting you having breakfast. Your actorSelf was present, along with some of your "breakfast-appearing emotional states." This was your first opportunity to work inside the "mind theater" & to personally direct those parts of you that either help or hinder. Uncovering or identifying emotions is key to high level health & achievement. I hope that you noticed how you are respected from this position. Neither emotions nor actorSelves argue with the "writer, director, producer." You are totally responsible & in charge & that is how it should be. You are now learning the mind-editing skills involved with original Interactive Self-Hypnosis & will build on these as we go forward. You are learning that you have the respect & power to change just about anything into what you want. Your opportunities are limitless.

Before we enter Act 1 Scene 2, I'd like to suggest some other mind-editing & mind-expansion tools for you to utilize, not only here, but in other areas of your life. Here you are practicing "reading self-hypnosis". As I write this, I'm practicing "writing self-hypnosis" because I'm writing this from the "theater of my own mind." You are coming to learn that there is no need to be deep in trance while programming changes, but just to be well-focused & directed as I am doing here with you. Your actorSelf, Therapeutic Self, Unbalanced Self & all emotions have important information they can share with you. Even your inanimate objects, such as your refrigerator & even the food or beverage you consume, has messages for you. All you have to do is ask for the information. In the next practice, I'll invite you to do just this.

ACT 1 SCENE 2 - LUNCH & SNACKS

Enter the theater as before & take your same seat. It's always a good idea to take the same seat because your subconscious or creative mind will respond in a positive way to this. The mind already knows that you are writing, directing & producing from this seat & so it will go directly into this mode. Your microphone is already present, as is your mind-notebook. You can feel the seat underneath you actually enhancing your trance-power.Each time you sit here you will be further enhanced & therefore more powerful, efficient & effective.

READY - ACTION

The curtain opens. Your actorSelf is on stage. To the side you can see your Therapeutic Self & Unbalanced Self. They are not participating, but just observing your automatic pilot programs. The scene is set for lunch. Perhaps you eat lunch in more than one place, so you will be able to practice with the variety of places, but one at a time. You might notice that your emotional states will change with the venue. This may be because of peers being present, or just the venue invites different automatic pilot behaviors. Let's have a look as your actorSelf plays out lunch in your first venue. As before, pay attention to the action, the choices, the emotions, the thought's that flow through the mind of your actorSelf & the messages delivered by the particular emotions. Notice which ones are helpful & others that are not. You did all of this before in your "breakfast scene."

Now, before asking for changes, I'd like you to interview your actorSelf. Feel free to ask whatever comes to your mind. Don't hesitate. You are the writer, director & producer & so you will always be respected & the truth is yours to know. That's simply the way it is. When you have finished with this interview you might like to interview a few of the emotions. Find out why they are there & what is their purpose. You may be surprised to find out that even negative emotions are trying to be helpful. I like to ask the emotions "what they need". You might be surprised at these answers as well. Now, ask your Therapeutic Self to tell the emotions what is needed to help you improve your health & move towards your goal. Then, ask for their cooperation & commitment. If you like, have a chat with directly with the food or beverage. Be creative & don't hold back. Now, as writer, director & producer, decide what you want to change here. Go ahead & make that happen. Call in the stage hands, the script writers, etc. Observe all of this being accomplished at your direction. When you have finished, go ahead & review the scene, start to finish. Please do this for all lunch venues & then you can move to formal snacks. Later on we'll deal with walk-by, undisciplined snacking or bingeing. When you are satisfied with the outcomes of your work in Act 1 Scene 2, go ahead & close the curtain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Acting Out in the Theater of the Mind

Welcome to the ongoing blog/workshop, based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to this area, 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/

Here 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 Therapeutic Self has asked me to introduce a very popular IMAGINOLOGY TOOL that I've designed called "The Theater of the Mind." We'll be utilizing this throughout our work here in the Blog/Workshop, as well as throughout my book. We'll be sitting in the audience, near to the back where we can see all of the action very well. Our position here will be as Writer, Director & Producer. You, the reader, will work directly alongside of your Therapeutic Self, of course guided by your Higher Self who is always present, although sometimes not noticed or called upon, but today that will be different.

Although you will see yourself on the stage, that will be the "actor-you". Remember, you are the Writer, Director & Producer & so you are detached from that part of you. You will also be able to recognize the particular emotional-child-states that are looking to direct your choices, as well as your actions. You will be able to hear all of the commentaries, as well as what's playing your own thoughts. You have been handed a program that contains various scenes that will be presented. I've listed some as example, but you are invited to add others. Some of my own personal scenes include "Passing the Pizza Place", "Inside the Bakery", as well as "The Ice Cream Freezer."

As the scenes begin, you notice that you have a notepad, as well as a microphone. It is from this position that you will be making changes in what you observe. While this may sound like childs-play, it is not, but instead, these are self-hypnotic tools for high level awareness & changing mind-programs. You will come to learn that most of your subconscious programs or behaviors are on auto-pilot, making them more difficult to catch & edit. Each time you participate in a negative-based mind program, or entertain an emotion that is disorderly, that particular act, behavior or habit becomes etched. When mind programs are etched over & over again, they not only become deeply ingrained, but even more importantly, the subconscious mind believes that this is what you truly want. Unfortunately, the subconscious mind cannot judge & so the mind believes that this is what you want....your goal of choice. And, this being so, will actually work hard to make it come to fruition for you.

ACT 1 - SCENE 1 - BREAKFAST

READY - ACTION

The curtain opens & the scene is set in your kitchen or wherever else you have your breakfast. Pay close attention to the details. Notice if the table is set in anticipation of this important meal. What exactly is happening. Notice yourself walking around, making preparations, perhaps cooking or opening the refrigerator. How are you dressed? What is your mood? How about your level of energy? Are you relaxed or tense? The more details you can bring forth, the better. Pay attention to any emotions that are present. Remember, they appear like children wearing teeshirts with their names on the front. Keep in mind that there are two general classifications of emotions....helpful & not helpful. In other words, positive & negative. You are now getting a better handle of your breakfast scene. Now notice that you can hear your thoughts & actually feel your energy. You can also identify any stressors being played out in your body. These come from the emotions that are present with you. Remember the DVD's? They're playing out in your thought processes & passing the embedded hormones directly into your body systems. Just sit back & listen as the scene plays out. You can make mind-notes if you like. In a moment, you will be using your microphone to re-direct, but it's a good idea to watch a good segment of the scene before interrupting. The subconscious mind loves to present freely, so give it the opportunity to literally spill the beans.

OK....when you are ready, decide what you would like to change. Remember, your goal is to build a very healthy lifestyle, one that will support weight loss, if that is on the agenda, as well as weight maintenance. Earlier on you learned that in order to practice high level health, many areas need to be in balance & this is exactly how you get to do this....right here in the "Theater of the Mind." Your microphone is on & go ahead with your directing....producing exactly what you want. Perhaps you need the stage hands to make healthier foods availaable or even clear out the cupboards & fridge, especially if disorder reigns in an eating area. Now bring your attention to the emotions that are present. Who do you want to leave & who to do you want to bring in? Go ahead & direct that. If you noticed that you need more time, change the clocks....have them run slower. Remember, this is self-hypnosis & that is possible. Attention now to the script. What sort of thoughts have been playing out in the "actor-you"? Are these helpful? Not helpful? Go ahead & re-write this right now & direct the "actor-you" to present those changes so you can review them. Take your time & make this scene "exactly as you like it." Anything & everything is possible here. When you have finished, observe the scene in it's entirety & at the end, the curtain will close. You have now re-edited a very important program in your subconscious mind.

In the next Blog/Workshop we'll work with lunch, snacks & dinner, as well as with some of the other scenes including The Restaurant, The Shopping Cart, The Party, Out With Friends, Binge Foods, Peer Pressure & The Office.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Belief Coats

Welcome to the ongoing blog/workshop, based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to this area, 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/

Here 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.

HEAVY COATS DON'T WORK WELL

Your Therapeutic Self has noticed that some of the emotions that are related to disorderly eating need to change their coats. Some of their coats are very heavy because they are woven with negative-belief fibers. They are truly weighing the Unbalanced Self down, perhaps making it more difficult to stay motivated & on the path to High Level Health & Peformance. The job of the Therapeutic Self is to stay awake & aware, making necessary changes as we move down the calendar pages. The secret to losing weight in a healthy manner & keeping healthy lifestyles is first, to know what to do & second, to keep doing it. There are many things to learn; not just one. You already know that it's not just about food choices & staying away from the Junk Table. Meal & snack timings, as well as the amount of food needed to fuel the lean body mass do need to be taken into careful consideration, as well as exercise & stress management. These lessons are waiting in the Schoolhouse down the path. We'll be going there soon, but first the Therapeutic Self would like some coat changes to occur.

We all have hundreds or emotional states. Here we are working with Imaginology or Interactive Self-Hypnosis & so we'll image the emotions as children wearing tee shirts with their names on the front. Our job is to identify the specific emotions & then to pay attention to what they need in order to lighten up, if they are negative-based, or to become more powerful, if they are positive-based. Now you may be thinking that you only have negative-based emotions, but that's not so. We all house negative & positive emotions or varying degrees. However, if the negatives are too powerful, then they may appear to block the positive aspects of yourSelf. This is what coat-changing is all about.

Emotions related to disorderly eating are often very specific, especially if eating issues have been a lifetime event, as they were in my own life. I began secret & binge eating around the age of four, so my emotional patterns are very deeply engraved. My life history was one of yo-yo dieting including on-off exercise. Knowing this, you might think that it would have been an impossible task to change, but this was not the case. Once I acknowledged my Higher Self, I worked to strengthen my Therapeutic Self, then allowing me to parent or lead my emotional states to balance, where I could keep them motivated with ongoing Interactive Self-Hypnosis.

EMOTIONS & BELIEFS

On-going failure with trying to lose weight builds those heavy strands woven into the coats. Remember that the emotions have DVD programs that they play in the mind, both consciously & subconsciously. Some of the more common emotions related to eating issues include, fear of failure, sadness, guilt, shame, victim, lack of confidence, procrastination, anxiety, uncooperative, empty, defeated, stuck, uptight & others related to low self-image & esteem. Emotions are also reinforced or re-etched in the subconscious mind by messages sent by the Self, as well as by others. That's why it is so important to learn to listen to your own thoughts, as well as to language that comes to you from others, both verbal & non-verbal. These are all mind programs looking to enter your subconscious mind. In an earlier blog I iintroduced you to the issues of co-dependency. Here we meet up with those concepts again. Other people, perhaps meaning well, trying to direct your life, perhaps motivating in manipulative ways to meet their own needs. Judging, criticizing, skilled put-downs can all re-inforce beliefs about what you can & cannot achieve. When heavily etched mind-programs are hit with this type of negativity, either from others or self-inflicted, then the Unbalanced Self is fed at the expense of the Therapeutic Self.

The good news is that all of the above is correctable. It truly doesn't matter how long you have been playing with those old, sick beliefs. Remember, emotions are simply children waiting for direction & giving direction is not a difficult thing, once you have the knowledge. Now you can see how this all links together. First comes knowledge & then comes direction, followed by motivation.

Here we are working with Imaginology or Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Heightened awareness is part of this practice. Once you are aware of an emotion or a negative-based DVD thought program, you can decide to change it. You now realize that you are not your emotions, nor your thoughts. This type of awareness is called disassociation. It's rather like watching a play with you being the Writer/Director/Producer. In a moment we'll enter the Theater of the Mind & watch some of the disorderly eating emotions acting out.

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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

The Junk Table

Welcome to the ongoing blog/workshop, based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to this area, 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/ Here 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 is actually a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes.

JUNKING OUT

The Therapeutic Self senses that the desire to "junk out" is quite strong. Looking inside the Unbalanced Self, it's easy to see the extent of the bad habits that were formed over such a long time. In addition, the negative emotions that are connected to junk & other poor eating habits are squirming for attention, perhaps threatening by attempting to place "fear of failure" in the DVD of the Self. Since the Unbalanced Self has failed so many times in the past, it's quite easy for the negative emotions to be confident once again. But, not so fast. The past is past & now is now. Things are already different. If you have been following the blog/workshop, many powerful suggestions have already been placed in your own subconscious mind & remember, the mind wants to bring the body in the direction of health. This, in itself, weakens the negative emotional states. The Therapeutic Self also remembers that the Higher Self & Power is always in place. It's just a matter of tuning in, so let's go ahead & do that now.

PAST PATH

The Higher Self knows that fighting with emotions is useless & never takes that route, instead opting for education & strengthening of the Therapeutic Self. This is all accomplished in the theater of the mind, where we are right now & is suggesting that we head down the past Path to visit the Junk Table. Visiting the past is a very powerful exercise because it gives you & your Therapeutic Self the opportunity to learn & even re-program what has already happened. You are reminded that the Subconscious Mind works backwards & so it's possible to re-work just about anything, leaving it in a more positive form.

The path opens & the negative emotions want to run ahead. Since they are not the leaders, it's important to gather them up & instruct them to follow you. Do not ask them....tell them assertively & then move ahead. They will simply fall into place & follow you. Remember, emotions are child-states & they do prefer to follow an assertive leader. Take the first turn to the right & you will notice a side-garden that houses The Junk Table. Here lives all the junk food that you had invited into your life over your previous years. You may be stunned at the amount; in fact, it goes way beyond the table. These are the foods & beverages that you have asked your body systems to process, sometimes even in the absence of good nutrition. It's difficult enough to process junk when necessary nutrition is present, but in it's absence, it is incredibly difficult. I want you to take some time to wander around this area so you get the full extent of what you did in the past. I've asked the emotions of shame & guilt to sit over there, because they offer no value here. This is all about "waking up" to what is junk & what is nutrition & your own responsibility for managing your food & beverage intake. No one can do this but you. This has nothing to do with your family, friends, co-workers, what other's do, special occasions, holidays, advertisers, etc. etc. This is simply between you & your body & of course, your mind. The rest is about manipulation & excuse making.

When you have finished your life review in this area, go back to where your emotional states are waiting for you, along with your Therapeutic Self. Sense the energy gifted by your Higher Self & Power. You do understand this clearly now. You cannot go on treating your body systems in this way. Eating in this area leads to all the major disease processes, including the killer diseases. No one gets away free. It's time for you to truly commit to making permanent changes. This will be accomplished through careful planning & managing your emotional child-states. You are in charge. You have the power & you have an inner Therapeutic Self that will provide the education. I'd like you to sense all of this now. There is no need to explain any of this to any part of you. The emotional children will simply follow your assertive leadership & you will glean your motivation & power from your Therapeutic Self & Higher Self.

I'd like to add something else here. There is no need to discuss this with anyone else either. You are totally responsible for your own choices, decisions & level of health. You choose to go towards illness or health. You get the results that you earn. Your body & mind will either get healthy or all apart. It's all up to you. Along your way you can count on meeting up with others who will try to enter your Path & act as your leader. They may try to guide or manipulate you, perhaps in a helpful way or not. None of this matters. Earlier on I told you that you were born alone & will die alone. Your life & choices belong to you.

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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

Awake Eating vs Sleep Eating

Welcome to the ongoing blog/workshop, based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to this area, 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/ Here 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 is actually a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes.

LEARNING CIRCLES

The Therapeutic Self has invited the Unbalanced Self & the emotional children to form a "learning circle." While most learning is accomplished in the "schoolhouse", on occasion "learning circles" are performed on-site & this is one of these occasions. It's not uncommon to find lots of unbalanced emotional children around food or drink. There are many reasons for this, some going back to the infancy of the Self. In the future you will be invited to explore these early subconscious mind programs & will be given the opportunity to edit these with the tools of "interactive self-hypnosis", thereby changing old, disorderly patterns, into healthy behaviors. But for now, we can listen in as the Therapeutic Self speaks to the group who are eager to learn.

SLEEP EATING

"The world is filled with food choices, some healthy & some not. It will be very important for you to learn what to choose & what to avoid. If you stay asleep while making choices, or if you eat too much, or if you don't eat sufficiently, or don't discipline eating times, you may get into lots of trouble. While eating & drinking can be enjoyable, they do have a primary purpose & that is to deliver nutrition to the body systems & connected mind activities. It's important to remember that everything you put in your mouth causes a chemical reaction within your body. If you make good choices & in the proper portion sizes, then the chemical reaction will be a healthy one. If not, then the body will experience food stress that can lead to medical conditions, some very serious, even leading to death. Perhaps in the past you were "sleep eating", not even thinking about the seriousness of what you were doing, but from now on forward, that will not be the case. It's quite simple to stop. Right now, I'd like you to ask your own Therapeutic Self or subconscious mind to wake you up whenever you are in an eating environment, be it at home, at work, in a restaurant, while visiting friends, or anywhere else. Once you are awake, you can evaluate the situation, decide if eating or drinking at this time is what is needed & then make appropriate choices.

Perhaps you have found yourself experiencing high level hunger or the desire to eat compulsively, even bingeing. More than likely this has been both physiological & psychological. It's good for you to know that when you practice high level eating behaviors, your appetite will be controlled & the desire to over-eat, or even make poor choices will be diminished. This may be hard for you to believe, but this is so.

When the body is in food stress, the appetite is also stressed, or out of control. There is usually a strong desire for sugars, refined carbohydrates, often accompanied by unhealthy fats. If you were able to examine your food-stress blood levels, most likely you would find a low blood sugar & other hormone imbalances. This is known as hyperinsulinemia. That means that your pancreas is over-producing insulin & over-time, the cell borders have become resistant to it. This is the metabolic pre-cursor of adult onset diabetes, also connected to building high cholesterol, heart & circulatory issues, as well as many other serious medical conditions. You sense it as "I could eat the wallpaper off the walls hunger" & may think that you are just an emotional or compulsive eater, but in reality, you have a physiological problem that can be solved by eating correctly.

AWAKE EATING

The food & beverage choices on this buffet are designed to provide high level health to all body systems & to keep the body/mind in physiological balance. This is also called homeostasis. As you look at the healthy buffet you will notice protein foods, healthy carbohydrates & fats. The protein foods have lower fat contents & include chicken, lean meat, fish & vegetable proteins. Healthy carbohydrates include lower-sugar or glycemic choices that are vegetables. The word "glycemic" is an indicator name, explaining how quickly the food breaks down into sugar. Some choices include salad greens, string beans, zucchini, mushrooms, summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. The other carbohydrates on the buffet are of a higher glycemic classification, but have a slower break-down rate in the body. These include root vegetables, legumes, whole grains & some fruits. All fruits are not the same & so it will be important for you to learn more about these later on in the schoolhouse. There are also healthy fats on the buffet, as well as some dairy choices. Healthy fats include nuts, olive & canola oils. Dairy choices have different levels of fat & sugar. Again, you will be learning more about these. The beverage on the healthy buffet is water.

Perhaps most of the foods you have enjoyed over the years aren't anywhere around here & this may have set your heart on fire. You may be asking yourself how you can survive without these, maybe even doubting your ability to get & stay healthy. As you become healthier, you will be able to integrate some of them, but certainly not every day. As you learn to stay awake & eat regularly & in a disciplined fashion at the healthy buffet, you will find yourself craving these less & less. This may be impossible to believe, but you will find it to be true. In addition, emotions that are connected to these foods, will be re-educated & motivated in the schoolhouse. Once these new mind programs are in place, your life will find a more comfortable balance, perhaps something you've never experienced before.

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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

Let's Eat

If you are new to the blog/workshop, 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/ Here 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 is actually a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes.

Your Unbalanced Self has introduced us to the playground, where the emotional children can be found. You now realize that you are not your emotions, but that they play out in your mind & body with the beliefs & DVD programs that they carry in their backpacks. Some are helpful, but others are not. Your Therapeutic or Balanced Self suggests that the children go to the school house where they can be disciplined with love & compassion, teaching them to carry DVD's of what you do want, so they can participate in a healthy manner. But, before heading to that area on your Goal-den Path, it's been decided to go back to the MindBody Health Garden & to eat.

As we approach the garden, you can image, imagine or think the huge buffet. There are three main picnic tables set up, as well as two snack tables. You already know that the biggest inner stressor for the mind & body is food stress. Few people consume what the body systems need & unfortunately, the body systems can't go out & get their own. This is your responsibility. Many people who are over-weight, or addicted to substances, including sugar, junk food, tobacco & alcohol think of food as the enemy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here's what's true. If you are to have a healthy mind & body you must consume high level nutrition, in the sufficient amounts that your body requires. If there is a secret to weight loss & maintenance, it's written in that last sentence.

Why is this so difficult for many people? I think you already know, especially if you've been following the blog/workshop based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" Yes, you've met up with the Unbalanced Self, the emotional children & have been able to look deeper into the issues of Disorderly Eating, for these are not just surface issues. They are like an octupus; many tentacles reaching out underneath the water. Now we'll reach under the water & pull up the octupus, so we can examine more of the tentacles. Awareness & knowledge are key to rehabilitating lifestyle behaviors.

The Unbalanced Self has re-entered, showing a willingness to provide more information. This happens when there is no threat to the self-image or self-esteem. Notice this part of the Self unzipping what appears to be a coat & now stepping out of it. This is the fat coat. Underneath is the lean body mass, consisting of muscles & bones. The majority of Unbalanced Selves have fat coats that are too big & lean body mass index that is too small. This doesn't always depend on the scale weight. There are individuals who have what appears to be a healthy scale weight, but the body fat percentage may still be too big. Sometimes in people who have yo-yo'd, the lean body mass has shrunk because of the malnutrition caused by excessive, unhealthy & imbalanced dieting. What's especially interesting is how small the lean body mass can be in someone who is obese. This is important to understand because the lean body mass is the "fat burning machine" & if it is too small, then the body cannot burn fat until this is corrected. This is accomplished by practicing high level nutrition & eating in a timely fashion. We'll be visiting the picnic tables in a moment & will find out more about this. Just one other comment here about people who are truly under-weight, with small body fat percentage. This is seen in those with chronic dieting or anorexia. Once again, balance needs to be returned to the body. If not, the body systems, including the mind are at risk.

Since the fat coat has been removed from the Unbalanced Self, this is a good opportunity to have a look at some of the body systems, as they are easily visible with the right glasses. Here's a pair for you to put on. Go closer & have a look at what poor nutrition has done to the various systems of this particular Unbalanced Self. Look to the circulatory & heart systems. Notice the changes. And now, scan through the body& look closely. Remember, no one gets away without paying the Piper. Perhaps you can see the beginning of chronic diseases, maybe killer diseases. Even children are developing high cholesterol, blood pressure & adult onset diabetes....all because of poor nutrition, lack of exercise & stress.

You are being asked to have a look at the picnic tables. You noticed earlier that there are three meal tables & two or three snack tables. They are beautifully appointed with linens, stemware, china & silver. This is no ordinary picnic, but one that honors the body systems. In the middle of each picnic table is a clock that gives the appointed hour for the appropriate meal; breakfast, lunch & dinner. The smaller snack tables have a similar look, but are a bit more informal. The Therapeutic Self is setting the clocks at 3.5 hour intervals. No clock goes more than 4 hours.

This Self knows the importance of making systematic deliveries to the body systems who are busy waiting for their needed nutrition. This is easy to understand because you know that you expect your systems to go about their business. Your heart is expected to keep beating, the blood to keep flowing, the liver to keep filtering, the endocrine systems to keep the hormones balanced, the immune system to keep the body safe, the muscles & bones to support & move the body, the neurological system to keep all of it's systems up & running. Imagine being one of these systems & having nutrition time roll around & then "no deliveries", or a delivery of junk food, sugar, coffee, or empty carbohydrates. What would you think?? No suppose that the deliveries never stop OR they are so gigantic that the systems cannot manage them & have to involve the fat-storing departments? Imagine that your body & mind were a corporation & you were the CEO. What kind of outcomes would you expect to find here & what would happen to the bottom line? Case in point.

Look to the path & notice that some of the child-emotions are coming towards the buffet & picnic area. Some are helpful, but others are not. More than likely, you are familiar with some of these & may even balk at their presence because they are so very negative. But, not so fast. Some of these emotions have gotten a bad rap because you have not eaten regularly at the picnic tables, nor as the food been sufficient for the needs of the body systems. When this happens, the body & mind enter food stress & this super-excites the negative emotional states who are always willing to push in the unhealthy direction. But you are here now & that is in the past. You are already in rehabilitation & understand much more than before.

In the next mini-chapter your Therapeutic Self will bring the emotions forward & present a balanced & sufficient way of eating that will make it easier for appetite control, as well as emotional management.

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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