Secret Messaging

As we continue to work inside our Automatic Writing Journal, the subconscious mind becomes more giving, now understanding what it is that we need & why we need it. It's important to understand that both the mind & body want to be in homeostasis or balance. The secrets, even though they may seem negative in nature, were formed for the purpose of bringing this balance. The two little girls who shared their secret in the last two blogs, desperately needed the components of their secret to stay safe, for there was no Therapeutic or balanced parent figure available to them.

As they became older, the secret formed a natural part of their life & so it was normal to pass it on to their older Selves. Secrets & other patterned habits or behaviors take on lives of their own, often clearing their own paths & planting new growth, be it positive or negative. Knowing this gives us many options for healing, for there is no need to try destroy or alienate the secret or behavior. Instead, we want to take over the leadership, transmuting it's powerful creativity & energy & aiming it at health & wellness. Truth be known, it is never possible to disengage a very established pattern & simply get rid of it. That would be like locking an uncontrollable child in the closet & thinking that the child's behavior would change once you open the door. Of course, the child who emerges will simply be more unbalanced than before the lock-up.

I've invited readers to step inside my own personal disorderly eating journal & right now we are sharing a subconscious mind experience with two of my early children who have brought their "early editions" of the big secret forward. We have entered a meditative trance state & are now ready to utilize the journal for accessing the inner walls of the secret. But first...

A 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.

JOURNAL SPEAK ENTRY 1991

I take the children's hands & head for the door that houses the secret. The doorknob is well-worn & this saddens me. The big "IF"....if I had come to this area sooner, my past Selves would have had a better life experience, but I'm here now & so I'm grateful for that. I check on my own energy level & can feel the confidence & power of my Therapeutic & Higher Selves. Just like monsters under the bed, I'm no longer the child, but a mature adult, knowing I can take care of this. As we step inside, the clutter is overwhelming, rather like a child's room that had never been cleaned & organized. It gives me the impression that no one has ever been in charge here & the room is begging for help. There are no monsters here, just a lack of joy & peace. Someone is coming towards me, introducing herSelf as the part of me in charge of the secret. She is quite lovely, but desheveled, as if she had no time to take care of her person. She tells me that she's been waiting for me, as if she'd only been waiting since yesterday, instead of decades. There is no anger or distrust, just relief that I've finally come to take charge.

I'm led to the wall where pictures are displayed. I recognize some of them, but others I had long forgotten, but now realize how connected they are to the secret & my eating issues. They have supported this room for years & now need to be taken down, for they are no longer needed. I had never realized that I was the only one who could do this. In the past, I looked to other family members & friends to energize me to take control of my life, never succeeding & always left wondering. Now it's clear. Boxes have appeared & I take the pictures down, packing them away. My Father's death, my Mother's depression, my inability to share my inner pain, my low self-image & esteem that went on & on, no date for the prom, boyfriends who abandoned, images of masks worn by my teenage & young adult selves, images representing insecurity & sadness, so many even traveling through yesterday, the secret so alive, yet dead.

I clean & clear, opening areas that had been ignored for most of my life. The woman of the secret is very helpful & for this I'm grateful. No monsters live here....just beautiful children & adults, patiently waiting for me to be self-responsible & mature. Healing is happening now...

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.facebook.com/elizabeth.bohorquez
http://www.twitter.com/elizRN

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

Secret Stories & Their Power

The past & the future are all fiction. Even if something really happened, it's not happening now & therefore it is fiction. Only the present moment is in the "now" & of course, is very rapidly becoming the fictionalized past. This is a very important concept, because all fiction can be edited. My Automatic Writing Journal was to become an important vehicle for doing just this. My attitude towards recovery would end up determining how much my past childSelves would be willing to show me. I was already realizing that when I entertained them, it was best to remain quiet, peaceful, but assertive.

I know that I must take the leadership position, even though the idea of it overwhelms me, for this is the only way that I can heal & stay on the path in daily recovery. Managing food issues means being in charge all the time, through all the ups & downs, just like a good parent. During my early years I couldn't do this for mySelf & had to rely on those around me to be good parents, teachers & healers. Unfortunately, like most people, I didn't have the best role models for adulthood, but this is not a blame game. The past is past & now I am in charge of what goes on in my life. I remember that I'm the writer, director & producer. It is time to go into the old clutter & clean it out, even though some of my childSelves may not be eager to let go. And, this is understandable. They have harbored much of this for a very long time. So, I must be gentle & strong at the same time.

I'm currently in the middle of a working meditation & journaling session. The children have arrived by the colorful train & are on the pages of my journal. Some are writing messages, others just sitting quietly, just as I did as a child, never wanting to upset the rather fragile applecart of my existence. I'm rather stunned by the number of quiet, perhaps mildly depressed young children, as well as some in their teen years. My younger adult Selves have many masks & this does not surprise me. In the future, I'll have to collect these, allowing their true Selves to come out & be respected. There is no longer a reason to hide anything, but I'm understanding that this will be a continuous learning process. Once the clutter is removed & the corners are swept out, there will also be no reason to self-medicate with food.

The Therapeutic Self Teacher is suggesting that we have storytime. This will give the opportunity to those children, who are ready, to tell of their experiences, including their secrets. The children are very comfortable in the meditative process, feeling safe & eager to participate. I've never felt so at peace with my innerSelves, nor have I ever been so free from inner confusion & turmoil. The Automatic Writing Journal entry that follows comes from one of my original journals that I started to address my compulsive, emotional & secret eating issues...but first

A 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.

JOURNAL SPEAK ENTRY 1991

The two little girls that I mentioned in my last blog are by my side, but just wanting to sit on my lap. I first hold one & then the other. They rest comfortably against me & I can feel the weight of their bodies as they go into deep relax. I notice the little black drops exiting their fingertips, remembering the exercise I practiced earlier in the book. I lean down & pick up some of the debris that formed from the black drops, noticing that I'm being instructed to place these on my journal page. As I do, the stories begin to emerge, writing themselves. These are stories of intense insecurity that followed the death of my father. My mother, lost in her own shock & depression, was completely unable to mother the children & so the children were left to mother the mother. The children believed that if they didn't take care of the mother's needs, then she might abandon just as the father had done.

There was no happiness or joy to be had. No positive energy was to be found in any paragraph of the story. Imaginary monsters lurked in the basement & in the attic, just waiting for the child to relax so it could pounce. The children became police officers & had no one to tell about their inner life & so the secret life was born. This was the youngest form of the "unbalanced Self." Young in years, but old in ideas. If food could be taken & hidden, then the child could go to it, as a baby goes to a pacifier. For without the secret, there was no pacifier because everyone use guarded the food & embarrassed the child for taking it.

No one could ever know about the secret, because it was what sustained the children during this period. The secret lived on by being passed to each child on it's birthday. This was especially meaningful because the father left for heaven on the birthday. With each birthday the secret & accompanying fantasy became more powerful, as did the guarding. The older child was responsible for it's safety, as well as for finding new ways to find heightened enjoyment within it. Sometimes it meant opening new avenues, such as stealing & hiding the loot. Other times it meant inflicting harm on either the child, herself or on someone else. But, the food was always at the center of the secret & would continue to be so, until the day of this journal entry.

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.facebook.com/elizabeth.bohorquez
http://www.twitter.com/elizRN

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

Journal Speak

Teachers arrive when they are needed & often dressed in surprising ways. I was new to Automatic Journaling & so when I took pen to paper to help manage my compulsive & emotional eating issues, I honestly thought this would be like other journaling I'd done in the past. I'd write about what my day was like, what emotions hung around, what I ate, etc. But I was soon to find out that in Automatic Journaling, not only do the journal & the pen have lives of their own, but the images that visited the pages would also be participating. These would include my past Selves, my emotions, as well as my behaviors & experiences. Everything had a life & had something to say & all would be TEACHERS in new coats. While I was certainly going to be an active participant, I was also being invited to be a special kind of observer of my deepest Self.

Quite honestly, before this adventure into recovery, I never thought much about mySelf, except for the most mundane things. I simply got up each morning & did my best to get through my day. I certainly had goals, but now I was coming to understand that what I had were not goals at all, but "ideas about goals," & I certainly had plenty of those, especially about my eating issues. As I review this in my mind, I realize that I was obsessive about wanting to lose weight & stop the emotional eating, but I also had a deep aversion to thinking about it. I could call this denial, but it had deeper roots that needed to be brought to the light & explored. A bit of history... I had been either dieting or placed on a diet from the time I was seven. I remember my Mother taking me to the local doctor, not because I was overweight, but because I simply ate too much. The local doctor obliged my Mother's concern by giving me three little match boxes, each one filled with a different color "amphetamine", to be taken before each meal, thus my introduction to "uppers." Many things changed for me that day, for I now considered myself fat & owning abnormal eating behaviors. Once again, I was seven.

When I began experiencing Automatic Journaling, I was very eager to meet up with my early Selves, especially those with serious disorderly eating injuries. That seven year old was one that I wanted to get to know, but there were many, many others. As I looked down my past path, my Journal told me that I could request all of these past Selves to step forward & since I was requesting this in "self-hypnosis", my subconscious mind would take care of the invitational list. i didn't have to personally remember each one & more importantly, I would just be an observer, not feeling their original pain. Once I decided to do this, I became somewhat excited, just as if I were putting together a real family reunion. I secretly wondered who would come & what memories they would bring with them. By this time I already knew how to work with my Therapeutic Self that included my inner Parent, Teacher & Healer/Physician. I knew how to disassociate from my co-dependent Self & to enter my Golden Egg. My unbalanced Self was now being very cooperative & even helpful. My addicted childSelf was out from behind her wall & asking to be helpful. Now, all I thought I needed was to meet up with the injured Selves from my past, have them change their emotional coats & heal them iin some way. I wasn't exactly sure how this would happen, but intuitively I knew that this would happen without my having to do anything.

I'd like to invite you into one of my early Journals where I did some of my original inner work, but first...

A 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.

JOURNAL SPEAK ENTRY 1991

Today I'm entering meditation & setting the stage for the family reunion of sorts. I'm asking those injured Selves to come forward & present themSelves on the page of my Journal. Automatic Journaling is an exercise in Self-hypnosis & so the images are also presenting themselves. A very colorful train has arrived, vividly painted & rather party-like. I'm a bit relieved to know the mood is a festive one. I can see & sense my visitors exiting the train & coming towards the meeting place which seems to be a huge piece of paper. I'm assuming this is a page from my Journal. Everyone seems excited to write something & so I'll just sit back & wait to receive the messages. The youngest children are being helped by my Therapeutic Self. I can feel the power of the Parent, Teacher & Healer. The children are relaxed as they communicate. I'm learning how sad & confused they were, truly not understanding why they were so criticized. They were afraid to question the authority figures. Those included my Mother & the doctor. They were also very embarrassed, feeling that their secrets were going to be exposed. I'm now remembering how many secrets there were & my Journal is suggesting that we'll all benefit from entering some of the secrets & cleaning them up. Yes, I would like to do this, but I'm now reminded that the children will have to give their permission. Of course...for these are their secrets.

I've asked two of my early children to come nearer to me. One is five years old & has bags of Halloween candy. She played hookey from school, so she could be first at all the houses. She also had a change of costume, so she could go back a second time. A very clever child, but one willing to be devious in order to get the candy. I'm thinking that she knows some secrets about why I'm so sugar-addicted & I truly want to bring this to the light, knowing it will help me in my current life. The other child is the seven year old. She had some major issues & had secretly stayed home from school, almost daily. I was a latch-key kid & so my Mother never knew about this. I believe this child has the clues to the start of my anxiety/panic disorder. This is so important to me & I want to encourage her to open up here.


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.facebook.com/elizabeth.bohorquez
http://www.twitter.com/elizRN

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

Experiential Automatic Journaling

Automatic journaling is a very beneficial tool for recovery & self-growth. I utilize it with all of my patients, as well as for mySelf. I've been journaling in this way for several decades, always finding new ways to integrate it into my life. When I began journaling, it wasn't uncommon for me to sit in front of my notebook with a blank stare. This was a form of writer's block & one that made me very uncomfortable. How could I have nothing to say to mySelf? I soon came to understand that my mind was so disorganized in this area of my life that it literally locked-up. It was also clear to me that I was somewhat frightened of what would come off of my pen. To this day I only journal with pen & paper, not on the computer. The main reason for this is that it takes longer to write than to type, thus giving time for the subconscious mind to kick in. I've tried both ways & even though I prefer to type, the results are much better in long hand.

For those of you who are new to automatic journaling, here are a few things that I do & that you may find useful. I tend to choose the early morning for journaling, even if it means getting up a bit earlier. In a way, it's a form of early morning prayer...honoring yourSelf with a special meeting. I meditate for about five minutes. That seems sufficient for clearing the mind of early morning chatter. As I mentioned, when I started to journal, I didn't know what to write. Sometimes I wrote just that. "I don't know what to write." That was all it took for the subconscious mind to take over. "Why don't you know what to write?" And so, the conversation took off. There are times when I have something very specific to discuss with those Higher Parts of mySelf, perhaps things I don't understand, fear I may have, obstacles in my life, areas of my life that I know need some improvement, things I may want to attract, including better management of emotions, or clarifying my value system. In this type of journaling, just about anything is possible. I've had conversations with images or symbols in my dreams, wanting to know why they appeared & how I could benefit from their messages. I've even had conversations with my car engine & was surprised at the rather accurate suggestions. Now, I know this may sound a bit off base, but it isn't. If you have interest in this particular realm of communication, pick up any book by Jose Silva.

Today, I'm going to share some personal interactions I've had with my early Addictive Self. I've been in contact with that part of me for decades now & our relationship has been instrumental in keeping me at a high level of health & performance. But first...

A 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.

MY ADDICTIVE SELF - JOURNAL ENTRY 1991

I had been afraid of this part of mySelf for many decades. My childhood fear of this part of me was somethat different from my adult fear. When I was a child I was simply afraid of getting caught eating things that belonged to others. I remember calculating how many cookies I could eat without my mother noticing. I was about five years old at that time. I do remember the Addictive Self trying to goad me into eating beyond that amount, but my fear kept me in line. As I got older, the fear didn't work any longer because I was freer to get my substance of choice....food. Of course, this meant more hiding & secret behaviors, but in a way, I enjoyed them. This part of my behavior was exactly the opposite of how I appeared to others. The secrets in themselves were exciting & addictive.

Today I've decided to invite my Addictive Self to come out of hiding & meet me on my journal page. It's interesting that she has no fear of me & is already conversing through the end of my pen. I'm surprised at how friendly she is & eager to engage me. There is no mention of our secret life together. It's almost like we were very old friends & now have time to catch up. She's very interested in what I'm doing & why I'm doing it. This is good because it shows me that she is caring. I needed to know that. Part of me is expecting the manipulation, but I'm not seeing that yet. I'm going to try not to anticipate that behavior, because I know that I might just get what I don't want. I want to trust her & to have her follow me, instead of taking over my life. I tell her this & it seems to relax her. I'm coming to understand that she wants me to lead. I ask her about this & she tells me that she never wanted to harm me, but was helping me to relax in my very tense life. She's not apologetic & I'm ok with that. After all, she was trying to be helpful & having no leadership, she simply did her best.

I have a lot to share with her because of the seriousness of my addictions & how sick I've been, knocking on the door of adult onset diabetes. She doesn't seem interested in this & while I wish she was, I do understand that she is part of my "lower Self"....a childSelf. It would be like expecting my young daughter to understand the seriousness of a medical condition when all she wants to do is go out & play. However, I do want her to recognize some of the big issues that have become habitual for her, such as wanting to binge in the car on the way home from work & to wake up to eat in the middle of the night. Those are dangerous & unacceptable habits that will stop immediately. I tell her some of the other things that will also stop....carefully listing them, but presenting them in a quiet, assertive manner, that of a good leader. I also ask her to repeat these to me & show her mind images of healthy behaviors. She wants to know if she can help.....that's a good sign. All in all, it's been a good meeting today.

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.facebook.com/elizabeth.bohorquez
http://www.twitter.com/elizRN

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

Meeting the Addictive Self

Automatic writing, in the form of a journal, gives you the opportunity to combine meditation & communication with your Higher Self, as well as other parts of your personality. You now know that even difficult or disorderly parts, given respect & acceptance, can be helpful....even creative in your recovery process. As you become more skilled at doing this, you will begin to find your self-growth journey exciting & fulfilling. You will experience the physiological & emotional balance you have painstakingly searched for over the years, perhaps angered, but later amused at where it was hiding. Your disorderly eating & addictive Selves, once deplored, now become catalysts for your own personal growth & self-development. What was once hidden, is now a part of your "self-Family", working along- side your Therapeutic, Parent, Healer, Teacher Selves, ready to climb the ladder to a higher level of health & performance.

I've already shared that my issues with food had taken me to a very frightening place. I was physically sick, later to find out that I was actually knocking on the door of adult onset diabetes, one of the killer diseases & related to several other killer diseases including those involving the heart & circulatory system, as well as a connection to certain cancers. This condition is called hyperinsulinemia or metabolic syndrome & is very prevalent in our society. Knowing this is certainly frightening, but feeling the symptoms is even more so. Some of these include feeling extreme fatigue, sleepy after meals, headaches, severe body tension, shaky, anxious, fearful, moody & cognitive decline. I was afraid to leave the house & often parked the car on the side of the road, waiting to feel safe enough to drive. I share this with you because, despite all of that, it's almost unbelievable that I would find it difficult to do what I needed to do to get better. This was because of the unbelievable strength & unrelentless behavior of my Addictive childSelf. I was soon to meet up with this part of my personality in my journals & I'm forever grateful to them for giving me a place & the opportunity to work directly with my healing, Higher Power Self on a daily basis.

And now, I'll invite you to visit inside some of the journal entries, especially those where I'm in direct contact with this most challenging part, but first...

A 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.

INSIDE THE JOURNAL

My addictive Self is very old in years, but very immature in knowledge & behavior. She's been around a long time, probably from the time I was three. I view "her" in my mind's eye as being about seven years old. She's extremely precocious, creative, funny, lovable, annoying & dangerous at the same time. Despite, or maybe because of the negatives, I actually like her. She makes me laugh & takes me to the "edge" of life, which I find exciting, just like any addict feels regarding the anticipation of getting the substance. She's actively into hiding, lying & other deceitful games which she delights in designing & then activating with powerful motivation. Surprisingly, she is super-disciplined & assertive, almost to the point of being agressive in her attacks on my psyche, never taking "no" for an answer. She will creatively circle any attempt to curtail her desires, feeling no remorse or contrition for what she was doing. My attempts to manage her have spanned decades. Sometimes, in the past, I felt like I had won, only to find myself facing an even more powerful version of herSelf. Yet, I continue to tolerate & even welcome her into my life.

As with any difficulty or difficult relationship, I know it is important to become a keen observer of behavior. I do that here in my journal. As I come to observe this part of me, I understand that I need to take an entirely different approach in our relationship. Arm wrestling and/or ignoring doesn't work. In fact, it does just the opposite. Here are some truths I've uncovered from my observations. Perhaps the first is the most important.

Throughout my life I thought I was addicted to cookies, cake, pretzels, soda & pizza, but now I know that they are only my surface addictions. My true addiction is to this part of my Self. She knows when to appear & knows what I need, or what I think I need. In a way, she's like a proper servant, even fooling me with that image, for she is not a servant at all, but a master. She is an engaging, buy sly controller of my destiny, not giving a care about my health or ability to function. She's possessive to a degree that I've never seen clearly, until I've looked in this way, through this journal. But, for some reason, I no longer have fear of her & that is a powerful shift from where I was. Instead, I can now feel pity for this unbalanced part of me. I'm wondering & very curious as to why she is the way she is, who & what brought her to this level of intensity in our relationship. I believe that by knowing these things, I will be able to heal her wounds & integrate her back into my balanced Self-family.

I call gently, welcoming her to converse openly with me here...I'm both excited & a bit nervous, but not frightened. My Higher Self is here by my side, the pages of my journal filled with light.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.facebook.com/elizabeth.bohorquez
http://www.twitter.com/elizRN

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

Inside the Journal

Being a therapist, I know the value of sharing insights & so, here are some entries from my own automatic writing journal. I've shared that my disorderly eating began at a very young age. In my book & also on my mp3 programs, I spend time getting at these very early subconscious mind files because editing them is very important. It doesn't matter that they happened it the past, they still need to be edited & in addition, can become very useful assets in the recovery process.

When you have eating issues, it takes a lot of courage to come out from behind the high wall you have built & to stop running away & hiding. There are many emotions that try to push you back. The journal is a good place to address them, because bringing them to the journal page is a first step in taking back control. In the beginning of my recovery the emotions that were paramount in pushing me back included embarrassment, shame, guilt, fear of failure, fear of criticism & fear of success. I've found it helpful to name emotions very specifically because it actually helps to disempower them. Most of us have never learned how to work with emotions. In fact, we don't like them & would prefer to lock them in the closet. Unfortunately they only become more powerful when locked away & so this is where becoming courageous comes into play. As for me, I found my courage living in the files of my own subconscious mind. As I learned to look at my early resources, I came to realize that I had overcome obstacles of all sizes & that I didn't just fall into "today" from the top of a tree. I was already a successful human being & this was just going to be another life experience for me to manage. A short, but powerful affirmation that I use is simply, "I CAN."

And now, I'll walk you through some of my early inner journal work, but first...

A 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.

INSIDE THE JOURNAL

" I've become physically sick from the way I've been eating & this didn't start yesterday. Perhaps, if it had, it would be easier to let go of these dangerous habits. Funny, I never called them that before & it frightens me to think of them in that way. Why is that? I think it's because I consider myself an intelligent person & health professional. How could I have been so blind & for so long? Despite realizing that I'm killing myself, there is a part of me that still wants to do it. Some of the reasons for not wanting to stop seem simple, but perhaps they are not as they seem. Yes, it is going to be embarrassing to own up & to stand willingly in front of the dart board. I know my critics are waiting, even those that love me & those darts are going to be the most painful. I also have the fear that no one will believe the intensity of my illness from all of this, perhaps thinking that I'm blowing this out of proportion. After all, I'm the one who has done the research & most people I know don't know anything about hyperinsulinemia or pre-diabetes. I despise conflict & arguing my point, especially about mySelf. That's a remnant of the past when I was never allowed to speak up, a time when I was not respected as a human being. But, that is the past & while it would be helpful if others understood the seriousness of my dilemma, I do understand that I'm in this alone & perhaps that is the way it should be. After all, I need to become much more self-responsible.

Here's another big issue for me. Stepping out also means leaving a familiar part of mySelf behind. To me, I feel this as a form of self-abandonment. The part of me that ate secretly & binged was a best friend, keeping me company during some of my darkest hours. How can I abandon someone like that, even when I know that this part of me is causing me great harm, even threatening my life? This is a good example of my low self-image & esteem. Here I am still defending my silent killer, killing with donuts, chips & cookies, but killing never the less.

I've come to understand from my journaling conversations with my addictive Self, that our relationship is purely co-dependent. Like any other unhealthy relationship, it needs to change. I'm coming to understand that I truly don't need to abandon any part of myself, but instead, I can bring it forward to the light, where it can heal & in so doing, will reveal it's "inner secrets" or gifts. I've decided to use this very journal as the vehicle for doing just this & while it may take time, each step I take is one towards health & wholeness of my being. For this I remain grateful."

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

Gifts from the Source

Living with disorderly eating or addiction is like existing in a dark room, waking each day to the same problems that seem never ending. If you are anything like me, you have tried hundreds of times to get the issues under control, only to find failure lurking around every corner. My disorderly eating & sugar addiction began when I was three years old. By the time I was six, I was adept at hiding food, especially sugar. I remember eating continuously & became the butt of family jokes & then discipline. I remember being embarrassed, ashamed & humiliated. I was even made to feel guilty for taking more than my share. However, none of this stopped me. It simply intensified my desire to eat more & hide more. Luckily I was a very athletic child & never gained much weight, but as I entered adolescence & adulthood, the binges became more intense, the secrets intensified & my weight yo-yo'd.

Underneath all of this, my self-image shattered & my self-value or esteem was practically non-existent. People said hurtful things, but none as damaging as the things I said to mySelf. I had lost my self-respect. No one, not even those closest to me, had any idea of my secret eating life & no one was able to see behind the huge, false-image facade I had built to protect my truths. Even I was afraid to look at who I had become, for it simply seemed too much for me to manage. It wasn't that I didn't try, because I did...over & over again. In fact, I remember feeling ashamed when I would make some efforts in this regard. No one took me seriously & looking back, I think this was one of the most hurtful things of all because I felt very isolated. After I found my own path to recovery, this was the kind of pain that I was to see repeatedly in my clinical practice & of course, I could more than empathize with it.

Despite being an RN & Clinical Medical Hypnotherapist, my recovery didn't "just happen." Eating disorders are complicated issues, having many facets. In the beginning, I believed like most people believe, it's a matter of staying on a diet & exercising. Being a very disciplined person, I did all that, but could never do it long enough to sustain what I was told was a healthy weight for me. All of these failures piled up, eating away at my self-image & esteem. I felt grossly inadequate, despite being very successful in my work. Ten years past....& then another ten. Each morning I woke up in the same place with the same thoughts & the same hauntings.

One day I woke up & things were not the same as they had been. On this very special day I was given a gift of very specific information that would open the mystery to my eating issues. I remember hearing the message, "pass it forward." That day I dedicated mySelf to doing just that & this book is a part of that dedication. These are the gifts from my Source....to yours.

But first....NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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

THE PATH TO RECOVERY

The path to recovery is graced by being in direct communication with one's Higher Self. In past chapters I've touched on the need to be free of co-dependent relationships & to be self-responsible. I've mentioned many times that you are the writer, director & producer of your own life. You have a Therapeutic Self comprised of your Parent, Teacher & Physician Self. These are the elevated parts of your personality. Your lower-Self is comprised of your child, student & patient. These are the needy parts. And then, there is your Higher Self, as depicted by the "light." This is your Power Source, where you go to replenish energy & to build your self-image & esteem. As you can realize, this is a very self-sustaining organized unit, one of healing, leading to recovery.

We communicate with our Source in meditation, both formal & informal or in the moment. The Source is always available & ready to communicate. It is here that we receive guidance while building the self-image & esteem. There are certain things we know for sure & one of those things is that we are unique individuals. There will never be another person like you ever again. You are entitled to many things, simply because you are you. These include, but are not limited to respect, love, compassion, forgiveness & prosperity of many kinds. Your Higher Self or Source is there to guide you through your life journey. It helps to make up an image for this incredible relationship. I sense my Higher Self as a benevolent Parent, always ready to show me the way.

As we sit in meditation or awareness of our Source, we also bring issues to work on. These could include a need to build confidence, to become better at self-discipline, need for specialized knowledge, need for self-respect, gratitude & forgiveness to name a few. We also take this time to honor ourSelf & our achievements, for we all have many. Most of the time in life we wait for others to do this for us, but we do not need to wait. While it's nice to hear these things from others, you are no longer needy. You are no longer a victim. You take care of You. From now on forward, you are responsible for taking care of yourSelf, just as you would care for a child of yours & this how your Source cares for you, for you are the child of your Higher Self or Source. You are valuable. This is how self-image & esteem grows.

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

Bicycle Riding to the Source

In most life experiences, we get into trouble when we are hanging out solely with our "immature Self." This goes double for dealing with the many aspects of disorderly eating or addiction. Sometimes it seems it's just the emotions we employ & how we think in their presence, but remember, to the subconscious mind, all thoughts are goal requests, acting like radar & pulling aspects of those desires towards us. Suppose you're in the supermarket & the smell of donuts permeates the air. The immature Self senses the opening & starts moaning & groaning about wanting one. Heighened sensory images can be very powerful, especially the sense of small. If you entered the supermarket without your Mature Self in place, then the immature Self has all the power. Not what we want when dealing with addictive eating.

The Mature Self is not just about discipline, for it's much more than that. This part of the Self enhances the self-image & self-esteem, thereby forming your inner power-base. When the self-image & self-esteem are strong, it's much easier to pedal through life.....less falls & less skinned knees.

When we are working to change disorderly or addictive eating, we need the Therapeutic or Mature Self to be ever present.We also know this Self as the Parent, Teacher & Doctor. The immature Self is comprised of the child, student & patient. We needour Mature Self to be strong & powerful & filled with hot, passionate desire. We need it to be assertive & to stand very tall in the face of opposition.

Those of us who have been engaged in fighting unhealthy weight or eating issues know how difficult it can be to stay on the bicycle & to keep it from wobbling on scary terraine. It's seems so easy to fall off, sometimes finding the Self wanting to fall off, as strange as that might seem, but if it's happened to you, you do know what I'm talking about here. Usually in the moment of the fall, the immature or addictive Self arrives, making it difficult to get back on & pedal forward. Remember, immature Self is both creative & incorrigable, loving weakness & always ready to jump in with compassion for the injuries, eager to share it's backpack of bandaid excuses. On the other hand, the Mature Self has a completely different agenda following any fall. The Mature Self is about courage, responsibility, discipline & persistence. This is not a willy-nilly Self, but one brings strength, self-respect & power to the moment.

As you come into heightened awareness, it will be easier to notice your immature Self. In the past, it was probably successful in hiding from you, but not any longer. You have chosen to see it & this is a very good thing to do. Once it is exposed, it can be healed & then brought into the desired goal with good discipline. In fact, you will want to encourage your inner mind to show you even more immature aspects of your personality.....the more you see or become aware of, the more you can heal & the more powerful you can become at riding your bicycle, perhaps taking paths that you have never explored before. Let me share some ways to go about doing this & at the same time show you how to stay energized through your daily rides.

But first....NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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

PEDALING THE DAILY PATH

In previous blog/workshop entries you built a few Pods on your path. Later on I'll help you to construct even more of these, but for now, let's talk about how you transport yourSelf between the Pods. For this, you'll be riding your "bicycle." Even if you don't know how to ride one, in the practice of Interactive Self-Hypnosis, you do ride very well. In fact, you're impressed with how well you ride....perfectly balanced with lots of power in those legs, truly propelling you forward. You are happy & delighted with your talents & strength. Sense that now.

Of course, there are pebbles, even some stones on your daily path. This is normal & natural, so you are accepting of them, actually gaining confidence as you navigate your bicycle through them. Yes, it does take more energy, but this is of little concern because you have an ongoing energy source to refill yourSelf. Let me show you where it is. I'll pedal my bicycle ahead of you, so follow me down the Path to the right. At the end you will see a big light, just like the powerful sun. There is a chair there for you & a guest chair for me. Park you bicycle over there & come sit down with me. Make yourSelf comfortable. Tilt your eyes slightly upward, closing them after you read these instructions. You can sense the power of the light as it touches your head, your face & enters your body. This is your Source...your HigherSelf. It's desire is to refill you for your life journey. The more frequently you come here, the quicker you will be able to refill, because you will never be "on empty." Empty desire or energy puts you at risk for immature activities. Remember, the immature self is motivated by weakness.

In the next blog/workshop, I'll invite you to open your mind to more Gifts from your Source, thereby building your self-image & self-esteem.

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

Parenting Your Immature Self

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

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

But first....NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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

ENTER THE IMMATURE SELF

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

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

COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR HIGHER SELF

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


( continued in next blog/workshop)

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

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

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

HouseWork

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

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

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

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

But first....NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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

PRIMARY OR DEEP DIRT

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

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

SURFACE DIRT & CLUTTER

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

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


( continued in next blog/workshop)

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

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

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

Interior "Pod" Decorating

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

But first....NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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

INNER DECORATING

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

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

MIND EXERCISE

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

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

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


( continued in next blog/workshop)

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

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

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

Introducing Pods & Habit Review

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

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

NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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

IMPORTANCE OF REVIEWING HABITS

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

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

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

INTRODUCING PODS

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

( continued in next blog/workshop)

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

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

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

Planning Hypnotically

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

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

NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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

SELF-HYPNOTIC PLANNING

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

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

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

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

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


( continued in next blog/workshop)

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

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

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

Self -Questioning

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

NOTE TO NEW READERS:

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


THE SECRET POWER OF ASKING QUESTIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


( continued in next blog/workshop)

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

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

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