Meeting Up With SuperBaby

We all know how to bring up memories. Here you will be exploring the past in a light interactive self-hypnotic state. This is called regression, or working the time-line and is a very important tool for self-assessment. Just like getting on a bus and going down a particular road, it is an easy way to turn the clock back while reviewing particular areas of interest. In this exercise you are going to regress for the purpose of reviewing your health files from your childhood years. You will be going back to the beginning and them reviewing forward up to the present. This method of regression and self-examination will allow your subconscious librarian to present information in an orderly way. Later on you will have time to work with these mind files.

All food issues that you are experiencing today are connected to past health files. When working with disorderly eating, bingeing or addictions, it helps to see the early connections. This allows for the removal of guilt and shame, as well as any mind confusion about these disorders.

MIND EXERCISE
Time-line work begins in the same way you relaxed earlier on, so go back to the deep relaxation exercise, inviting your mind and body to deeply relax. Once again, make certain you will not be disturbed. Tilting your eyes slightly upwards about twenty degrees, begin your bus journey back to the time you were a young child. Find the quiet area in your mind and take a few moments to enjoy how pleasant it is to be in the quiet mind space. Notice you are in a big library. The shelves are filled with books. Go to the area marked "early works" and take your childhood health book off the shelf. Notice your name is on the cover and that you are the author. Don't be surprised if your baby picture is on the cover. Be sure to notice how beautiful you are.

Open the book at the beginning. It doesn't matter if these memories are vague or even absent. Let your subconscious librarian lead you without efforting. Just allow it to happen. Now ask to see any and all information about your birth health status. You will be conversing with your subconscious mind through imagery, so beginning at the top of the baby's head scan slowly downwards and notice any areas that seem to beckon you to stay a moment longer. Notice you are doing this exercise as the observer of the baby. This allows you to stay in your adult self and manage a good assessment.

Truly get re-acquainted with your young self. Step back and look at the infant or young child as a whole. Notice that you can communicate with your self at any and all ages.

• Do you appear healthy?
• Were you happy?
• Were you stressed?
• Can you identify the source of your stress?
• How did you manage your stress?
• Were you under-weight or over-weight ?
• Did anyone tell you that you were?
• Were there any surgeries or hospitalizations?
• Were there any serious illnesses or chronic problems?
• Does your subconscious librarian have any special messages for you from the child?

Make some notes in your journal about images that presented themselves to you. It's rather like remembering aspects of a dream. They may not make much sense right now, but the images were triggered for a purpose and they will make themselves clear either now or later.

Weight issues in childhood, even if only perceptions of others, can cause scarring. Past illness or surgery can also hold scars, both physical and emotional, well beyond what the eye can see. Sometimes these highly charged memories get in the way of current or future goals and even non-health related ones. Remember we are always learning and some lessons may not be in our best interest and can interfere with the development of belief systems. It is important to work without judgment and evaluation. Open your mind to trust for everything presented has value.

Nutrition: The Early Years

I'd like you to open your subconscious mind book to the nutritional area. This is where all of your early eating behaviors are noted. You might like to read this paragraph first and then go deeper down into relaxation before exploring this chapter in the book. Notice if you were breast- fed or bottle fed. Once you were weaned look at the following areas in ascending years of your life. Notice your family at dinner and the kinds of foods you were offered. See this as a toddler, and then early childhood to middle and late childhood. If nothing comes forward simply relax deeper into the picture. You may get the answers now, or later, but they will come. When we bring a picture up on our mind screen and then relax into it, the subconscious mind will add more detail. You may be surprised at what is served to you!
Also look to notice the ongoing attitudes during meal times.

• Were they quiet or noisy?
• Was the atmosphere friendly, loving or stress-filled? What else can you see or intuit
here?
• What were your favorite meal- time foods?
• Can you taste them now?
• How about snacks?
• Were there lots of starches or sugars?
• Were snacks controlled or did you have the open cupboard policy?
• What sorts of beverages were offered?

Be sure to visit many different years in your life to get a good over-view. If there were major stress events such as divorce, illness, deaths, view these separately. This will give you good insight as to how your family handled food in relation to stress. You might see where some of your early stressful eating was born. Once this is clear, you can edit these subconscious programs later on with interactive self-hypnosis.

If you were the Producer/Director of any of these memories or mind- scenes you are exploring, is there anything you would change? How would you edit it? Be very specific. Mind-editing is a positive experience. Even through you remember something happening in a particular way, remember this only a perception and therefore it can be changed. Even if you are quite sure that it happened in the way you remember, you mind files will still benefit from editing. The reason for this is that memory files are coded with chemical emotion and if the chemical emotions do not work in your behalf, mind-editing gives you the opportunity to change this coding. What a great gift to yourself!

Practice with one memory. Just as if you were looking a page in your file that holds this memory, go ahead and re-write it. Perhaps you will diminish some of the emotions, or see your baby as very strong….. super baby! Even though you are planting fiction, and in this instance very humorous fiction, the subconscious mind will love it and the re-editing will be successful. This particular memory now has a healthier emotional code.

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.


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

Genetics Count!

Not everything is how it seems on the surface. Every individual has a genetic & behavioral history & while millions of people have addictions, each is different, thereby needing different healing approaches. In your self-assessment work you will be looking in detail at your family medical history, as well as your own personal medical and health self-care, just as if you opened a file drawer in a doctor's office. Only this file will have much more detailed information, as well as inner movies for you to study. The more you learn about yourself, your genetics and family-tendencies towards certain diseases and addictions, the better for your recovery and future health.

It's possible that you never thought about this area of your life before and this may be quite a revelation. Certain genetically diseases that run in families are linked to producing hormones that are connected to bingeing, addictions, eating disorders, pre-disease states and stress issues that can interfere with cognitive functioning and mental wellness. Gaining knowledge, as well as understanding these links can help you to better manage your own life. Some of those genetically linked disease include adult onset diabetes, reactive hypoglycemia, hypertension, circulatory disease, heart disease, hormonally related cancers, obesity and all addictions.

Keep in mind that your grandparents also had parents who gifted them with their genetics. It is possible to look back into your history and find those very tendencies that you experience in your life today. Here in the assessment we will only explore back to your grandparents, their specific tendencies towards diseases and addictions. You do need to manage these in order to experience high level health and performance in all areas of your life. Take a moment to review the medical history of your genetically connected family, making a list of those diseases and addictions that elevate your "tendency towards." The longer the list, the higher your tendency, not only towards these diseases, but your need to prevent these by managing your food, beverage, stress and compulsive/emotional behaviors.

CLAIRE

" My family has lots of those diseases and I have a history of sugar addiction. It’s been getting worse over the years, and now at the age of 36 my levels on concentration are so bad that by the middle of the afternoon I simply want to go to sleep. It’s like I’m drugged. Is this related to my family history or how I eat?"

More than likely Claire is having an afternoon low blood sugar. Her family is positive for those diseases that lead to insulin over-production and resistance. If she has not been eating correctly for her genetic wallpaper, this is most likely what is going on. The good news is that she can change her outcomes if she chooses.

Many chemical changes go on inside your body. Some are related to food and some are not, but what you eat and drink will have an effect on what you feel. When the blood insulin levels are too high, there is a desire or craving for sugar foods. This is the body attempting to normalize itself. Sometimes the desire is for refined sugars and other times for the higher glycemic carbohydrates. When you answer the body with foods such as these your insulin levels will appear to normalize, but within a short time you are likely to feel another drop in blood sugar, and this time it may be even harder.

Genetics are not your fault, so no more hiding under rocks or blaming the past. You can now uncover this information, come to understand while learning to benefit from it. There isn’t anything, genetic or otherwise that doesn’t have a benefit somewhere inside of it. Here you will uncover these jewels.

You will also be exploring your family-related emotional history, as well as your automatic mind programs for managing stress. In order to know what you need, you must first know what you have. Inner exploring helps us to uncover programs that both help or hinder. Sometimes these are deeply buried in forgotten areas and this assessment will help to bring these back to you. For example, when I was about eight years old and felt stress from living in a dysfunctional family, I would go outside and play in the woods or practice running. As I look back now, I am amazed at how well I learned to cope despite my young age. This energizes me, because if I could do it then, I can certainly do it now and even better as I have more power as an adult.

OPENING YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND MEDICAL INFORMATION FILES

Let's begin by having a look at your past health files, as well as your current health. You might want to open your journal to a blank page. Your subconscious mind is sensitive to the presentation of limitations and will be oblige by either limiting or expanding the information provided to you, so be sure to give it good direction. This holds true for time limitations, as well as writing. So if you are feeling rushed or procrastination has come to visit, simply notice it and diminish it. Remember, you are in charge, not your emotional states.

It is a good idea to make your journal or writing work for your eyes only, especially at first viewing. Your inner mind will be willing to show you more if it has that inner security. While it is fine to discuss your work with others, practice being prudent. Many people who are have addictions tend to be compulsive and so this is a good opportunity, as well as a worthwhile cause to practice self-control.

This is also a good time to practice both inner and outer organization. Your subconscious mind librarian likes order and will bring more files forward when order is recognized. When your life is indicating that you are over-whelmed or existing in clutter, both the mind and body move out of the creative mode and into survival mode. You feel this as stress in your body, as well as in your mind. As you get better at these tools, you will begin to recognize the early arrival of stress, instead of waking up when it is fully engaged and raging.

You might like to clear your desk except for your journal or pen, turn off your cell phone or unplug your regular phone and make certain you will not be disturbed for the period of time you have decided to work on this project. If you are working directly on your computer, close other programs and turn off all instant messaging. All of this preparation sends the message to your subconscious mind that important work is about to begin here and the law of expectation will prevail.

CONTINUED IN NEXT BLOG

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

Inside Out

We're in the process of working inside the subconscious mind library. If you are new to the blog/work, scroll down & read a few of the past entries. This is an "experiental" blog & part of my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?"

CLAIRE'S DILEMMA

Claire asks a very common question. I'm sure you will recognize it. "What if I don’t have any past successful inner motivation programs? All I know is to strive and work myself to death in order to achieve anything. This can't be healthy! I sense myself as one step away from severe burnout and this frightens me to death."

This is an example of a quite dangerous negative mind program. At the very least, it is blocking Claire's health goals, as well as her creative self. Her future-pacing negative mind program speaks for itself. In fact, with this mind program, it would be very difficult for Claire to experience a big success in her future without burning out, for indeed, this is what she is asking for & expecting to happen. She has written her very own prison sentence.

We self-motivate off past successes that are stored in the subconscious library. Some are big & others small, but all hold high energy that is continually available to us. We must plan and program the subconscious mind for success through mind images & self-talk. Then, we attach the energy from our past success'. Hereyou will be collecting both big and small successes and placing them in a container where it will be easy to apply them to each and every goal in your life. Throughout this entire program you will be returning to this Personal Assessment, gleaning information that will assist you in moving forward even faster and with less effort. The Personal Assessment will be your blueprint for growth and goal implementation for the lifestyle changes you will be designing both in and out of Interactive Self-hypnosis.

It is important to take time in this self-review. Please do not rush through it. Make it your work in progress, just as you are in real life. Each time you return to this review your subconscious mind will view it's importance by sending additional helpful information up to your consciousness. Your inner library is vast. It is a valuable resource just waiting patiently to be accessed by you.

Working with your subconscious mind is not a mystery, nor is it difficult. There is no need to be lying down in some deep trance state. You can easily learn to do this inner work right here in this moment or in any moment you so choose. While there is value in having a qualified hypnotherapist guide you in working through major problem areas, self-hypnosis is something you do for your own mental and physical health, including self-management of addictions and other potentially unhealthy excesses.

OPENING THE INNER LIBRARY DOORS

You will be accessing your subconscious mind with a simple relaxation response, slowing the brain waves to just below the alpha brain wave level, about 7-10 cycles per second. Here you will be able to request information via inner pictures or active commands. This is not the same as demanding or efforting. When the mind is relaxed and the stress chemicals are diminished, the subconscious mind is free to program, as well as answer easily and without pressure.

Right in this very moment, you are only a breath away from the door of your subconscious library and it's vast resources. Think about that. In this or any given moment, both in or out of self-hypnotic trance, you can release your stress-states, curb your production of stress chemicals that interfere with a healthy body and cognitive functioning while entering your vast library of resources. Your inner librarian is ready to bring forward anything you request or need. You can also plant new ideas or suggestions with hooks for easy retrieval. This is very useful when studying a new or complicated subject. You can ask questions and request answers or suggestions for making new plans to reach your goals.

Each time you sit down to work in this section, simply place your fingertips on your lower abdomen and allow it to fill with a deep yawn breath. Quietly observe as your fingers ride up and down on your lower abdomen. Notice your in-breath and label it. It's very important to you. Notice your out-breath and label it. Notice you can determine the depth of your in-breath while holding it gently in your mouth for the count of 4. As the breath exits, notice you can extend the flow of the breath.

Once you have completed the breath circuit, allow your body to become heavy in the chair where you are resting, just as if magnets were gently pulling it down. This is an interactive self-hypnotic deepening exercise. You are slowing your brain waves, turning off the production of stress chemicals and bringing your body functions to homeostasis or inner balance. For example, your heart beat and blood pressure regulate, as well as your blood sugars and other endocrine functions. Not only is this a health exercise, but you are enhancing your cognitive functioning while making yourself ready to enter the door of the subconscious mind where programming takes place.

After reading this paragraph close your eyes gently and tilt them up about 20 degrees, just as if you were sitting in the second row of a movie theater. You will begin feeling the internal changes in your body. This is deep relaxation. Stay here for a few moments and enjoy how easy it is for you to go even deeper down, allowing your body to become even heavier than before. You can then open your eyes and choose to feel alert, focused and ready to begin subconscious exploration. In a later chapter you will be learning more tools for regulating your depth of trance, as well as knowing why you might want to do so in certain situations.

This program is wide in scope and when you commit to the work and practice of these holistic tools, you will reap benefits in the many different areas of your life for everything is connected. It is said that less than 1% of the population knows how to apply these tools, or work to do on a regular basis. As you develop your own personal disciplines, your own inner motivation to continue will come from observing your own success. As you become more aware and intuitive, your discipline will grow and become an integral part of your life.

Since you are currently in the "library of the mind" why not ask your Subconscious Librarian to show you some of your past successes. Some will be big, but many will be small. They are being placed on the table over there. If you cannot image them, don't worry. You will hear them being read to you...or they may "introduce" themSelves. Remember, you can also interview them or enter the past experience, playing inside the success. Be still & enjoy this moment.

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.


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

Library of the Mind

We are working inside the subconscious mind library. If you are new to my work, scroll down to the blog entry underneath this one, so you will acclimate into this particular "mind exercise."

READY...

As you learn your way around your “inner filing cabinet and subconscious library” you will find many different kinds of files that can be utilized to meet your needs. Among other things you will find past experience files, as well as future files that haven't even happened yet. With a little practice will be able to see how these connect with your belief systems and how they affecting your current daily health patterns. Once again, you may find some to be helpful, but others may actually be blocking current goals. This holds true for past experiences or beliefs, as well as those you may have already placed in future files. This is called future pacing and can work for you or against you. Later on in this book you will find an entire chapter dedicated to working with your past and future time-line.

The subconscious mind library is vast and filled with tremendous resources, ready for you to access when you know how to do so. As you are well aware, everything is not positive, but do know that everything is useful. Interactive self-hypnosis will help you to disassociate, and to enter your editing mind-set. You are now ready to become the writer, director and producer of your life. You can locate more areas for re-programming, as you become more skilled at heightened awareness. Then you can design your desires, in other words exactly what you want, in the special image and emotional format that is clearly understood by your subconscious mind. You will be ready to change course, right in the moment.

LEARNING WITH OTHERS...

It helps us to read about others in our own quest for health and balance. As you read through Claire’s story, see if you can find some self-comparisons. Then, I’ll address some of the issues presented here.

Meet Claire…

"I'm 38 years old and work in television production with a major network. I am over-weight and completely stressed out. I am a binge eater and rarely eat regular meals. I bite my nails and pull at my hair when I'm nervous. I've tried artificial nails, but I pick those off as well and so I spend quite a bit of energy hiding my hands as they are a true embarrassment to me, especially in my profession. Why can't I stop this? I know that I drink too much coffee and on weekends I find myself binge drinking. I've thought about this and think it is because I'm trying to fit in all of my fun and relaxation on the weekend. I do feel entitled to this because I don't have a minute to myself during the week. I am married and have two school-age children who are already over-extended in activities, making my life even worse because of time constraints, but what's a Mom to do?

Here is the frightening part. I truly don't feel well physically. I'm fatigued just about all the time and have frequent headaches. I truly do not remember the last time I felt well. I had a medical check-up and the doctor told me that I am fine. I am not fine and not even near to fine. This frightens me even more than having a diagnosis of something. Is that strange or what? I went to counseling and found it useless because, despite everything, I'm a fairly happy and successful person. I have a good marriage and two great children. I'm just not well.

I don't know how to start or where to start. I'm like a "messy desk" that I don't seem to have time to straighten it out because people, including myself, keep putting more things on it. I'm truly frightened that I will die from all of this stress and yet I can't seem to motivate myself out of this. My doctor offered me medications and I turned them down. I truly don't think that they will solve any of this. I see this as something I absolutely must do myself. I think I understand what is past and what is not. I'm also quite clear about what I don't want. Why doesn’t my subconscious mind respect this, and help me to clean up my disorder?"

About Claire...

Claire is forming her actual goals from the images she plays in her mind. The subconscious mind does not judge. It simply takes the most current mind pictures or thoughts as the goal. Like radar, it attracts like experiences from the outside world and also from the subconscious mind library. This is goal reinforcement. The more frequently Claire plays a particular mind program, whether she wants it or not, the stronger the mind etching. This is how habits and fully orchestrated negative mind programs are constructed.

On a positive note, it is possible to design automatic mind programs that pre-instruct the subconscious mind to diminish a negative thought and replace it with a positive- goal-orientated program. This can be orchestrated under the direction of the subconscious mind librarian or inner assistant. This will be covered in the chapter focusing on self-hypnosis applications.

Claire’s mind programs are quite negative, now infecting other areas of her life. She has a tendency towards boredom, and was actually surprised to identify this negative mind-state during her work with me, because her job has some exciting aspects. But not all aspects were exciting. There is no job that I know about that is completely free of drudgery. As Claire investigated her work-related-boredom, she admitted through a veil of shame that she was also bored with mothering, being a wife, a neighbor and even sometimes being a friend. She feels so bad that in her own words, she felt like running away. This is why Claire binge eats and drinks.

Each time Claire experiences the above scenarios, they are seen as her goals, repeatedly etched into her subconscious mind programs. These very programs are like a virulent virus, busy looking for more areas and experiences to infect. In the past her boredom was hidden, but experienced in the body in the form of stress sensations. This is what took her to her physician, who gave her a clean of bill of health. There is no blood test, x-ray or medical diagnosis for boredom, embarrassment, shame, guilt and repressed anger.

Now that Claire has uncovered her boredom and other related emotions, she will begin to see and sense more of it. Bad news? Not at all, for now Claire is able to clearly identify the offending emotions, the connected experiences and can release these, thereby stopping the virus contagion and her bingeing. She is now in the powerful position of being in direct communication with her inner mind. She can decide to program her mind for what she wants. She can also request the particular emotional mind-states she would like to accompany this new programming.

In the next blog, we'll explore Clare's inner motivation programs...

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.


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

Inner Assessing

This section of my book is about "inner assessment." You already know that you can't change something until you are aware of it, or show willingness to be aware of it. A big problem in working with disorderly eating, addictions, or anything for that matter, is that often we aren't "aware of attuned to the facets." We either simply don't know or we have chosen not to see. In this chapter we are going to "attune" to many facets that sit below the surface of compulsive or disorderly eating, some of which are deep inside the subconscious mind library.

MIND EXERCISE

Take a moment to deeply relax, and just as if you were looking in a big filing cabinet, find the folder that contains your current lifestyle patterns. As your mind scans the material, notice that some appear familiar, but others may not be quite so clear. While you think you know yourself and how you spend your time, you are about to find out that you know less about yourself than you thought. That is because a good part of your day is spent in a very limited conscious state known as low-level awareness, or automatic pilot I call this is day-sleep walking, a form of automatic self-hypnosis.

There are many areas of lifestyle behaviors that are on automatic pilot. The areas in the above box represent only a few. It helps to imagine that each automatic pilot area has a separate folder in your subconscious mind. As you work with your personal assessment, you will be opening these folders and researching the many aspect of the automatic pilot programming. Some aspects may need to be deleted, changed or mind-edited in some way. Other parts may appear to be fine, but it's a good idea to review these anyway. Your subconscious librarian may have suggestions to make these even better than before.

We all tend to think within certain boundaries, but unfortunately when we do so, our innate creativity can be curtailed. Practice allowing your mind to open and flow. Your subconscious mind will apply this to other areas of your life each time you encourage creative thinking. Very soon you will find yourself doing so on automatic pilot, and this is a great creative self-gift.

While automatic pilot has some benefits, it also has drawbacks. When you are not fully awake, you give up your rights to observe, assess and manage your thought processes. Thoughts are goals. Whatever you play in your mind becomes your goal for that moment. For example, if you decide to brush your teeth, you will most likely participate in an automatic pilot program designed for oral hygiene. While this may be a safe, automatic mind program for you, suppose that you have a tendency to over-brush, therefore injuring your gums. Since this type of continuous abrasion can lead to some serious gum problems, you will want to dismantle your old automatic program. As you practice heightened awareness, you will be able to edit many of these subconscious mind programs, allowing them to better serve you and your desired outcomes. If any of these come to mind now, make a note of them in your journal. Consider them awareness gifts from your subconscious mind librarian.

You can actually encourage these to surface. Here’s how to do that. Relax into the chair where you are reading this. Sense the chair pulling your gently down. Pay attention to what you are reading. You are currently in the process of reviewing and perhaps editing lifestyle behaviors. Notice if you are managing any addictions or any disorder in your life. Perhaps you binge on food or some other substance. Ask yourself if any of your automatic programs are blocking your goals for a healthy life.

Notice if you are wearing a belief coat that no longer fits, or one that you never wanted in the first place. Notice that you can edit or correct whatever you choose. Take your time in this moment. Your subconscious mind may send some suggestions now, or later, but your questions will be answered. You can ask questions in the forms of words or through imagery. Place an image or an idea on your mind screen and ask how to achieve this. It’s as simple as that.

SELF-ORGANIZING AND INNER ASSISTANTS

This personal assessment is helping you self-organize both consciously and subconsciously. You are evaluating your needs, both present and future, as well as viewing your weaknesses with the tool of detachment, allowing you to see without self-judgment, shame, blame or guilt. Here you are uncovering the obvious, as well as your hidden resources known as resilience. You are learning how to utilize these as stepping-stones for health, growth and development. Through the detachment tools you are re-examining past successful inner motivation programs, preparing them for current use.
Automatic programming is continually taking place, and so we need an “inner assistant or Therapeutic Self" to help with this major work. Relax into the moment and image your subconscious mind librarian or inner coach. Both are great images and work very well here in this program, as well as in your daily life. This inner assistant will be your first line of command in asking for what you want or need in any given moment.

Thoughts and mind pictures play continually in the theater of the mind, forming directives or orders.. In hypnosis these are called suggestions. Some of these are useful while others are not. Your inner assistant or Therapeutic Self helps to keep order based on your specific requests.

Keep in mind that your subconscious filing cabinet is huge. Besides your automatic programs, you have an unlimited number of choices that may be better suited to meeting your needs in any particular situation. Your assistant can bring these to your attention if you give directives for that. In your work here, you will learn how to wake up, assess what’s playing and make a program switch if appropriate.

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.


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

Awakening

In order to stop or curtail any disorder or addiction, you need to get your ducks in a row. The disorder or addictions are the symptoms, and while they need to be understood in their own right, it is necessary to go below the surface to the cause. This holds true for all addictions and disorders. This chapter is designed to help you to accomplish this. Be sure to have your journal. Be prepared to put aside some real time for yourself. This is not quick fix work. In fact, you will find yourself coming back to this area, time and time again. Patients often ask me when “all of this” will be over. This always makes me smile, as that question is not foreign to me. It is important to find the joy in the journey. Then one can stop wanting it to finish quickly. Self-work is truly never finished, and hopefully you will come to know that is a good thing.

You are already learning that it will be possible to change your lifestyle behaviors. The earlier chapters set the early stage for breaking old patterns. You are beginning to understand that patterns have many parts, all needing attention. In the past you may have thought of a pattern as being singular, such as disorderly eating, but this particular pattern can have a hundred parts or more. The more awareness you build, the more parts you will find. Then you will decide how you want to manage them. As you look at the negative parts, you will locate some huge time wasters many that tend to complicate life. Your own memories can affirm this for you. Here’s how. Think of how many times you thought about starting a program to re-order your life in some way? Now pile those thoughts up in the theater of your mind. How high is the pile? How many minutes, hours or days does this represent? These re-starts are not only time-wasters, but they re-etch failure, thereby making a new pattern for your collection.

You already know that these mind and body tools will also take you towards optimum performance, if you work with them in a consistent way. It’s one thing to have a tool, but quite another to know how and when to utilize it. This is just like purchasing a tool in a hardware store. You know why you bought it, but you still need to read the directions to become familiar with it. Once you are familiar, then you are ready to use it. Most tools, like the ones you are given here, are multi-purpose, and can be utilized in many areas of life. As you get to know yourself better, you will also become aware of the varied uses for the tools.

One of the basic tools of this program is called Heightened Awareness. It involves becoming very aware of specific behaviors, the emotions that color them, as well as the connected body sensations. Remember that you cannot assess or change what you cannot see, nor what you are not willing to see. This is key. Many behaviors and emotional reactions are very ingrained. You may know them as part of your personality or "just the way you are". This is perfectly fine as long as they are not interfering with the quality of your life experience and health.

Unfortunately, for many of us, our behaviors and emotions tend to do just that and more. They are infamous for robbing creativity and smashing possibilities for prosperity in all areas of life. You don't have to look far to know how true this is. It's easier to see this in others, but self-awareness and healthy self-assessment is quite another matter. When looking in the “self-disclosure mirror” it is difficult to honestly see ones self and even more difficult when one doesn't know what to look for. This is where the power of personal assessment comes to help and guide you.

GETTING READY TO SELF-EXPLORE

You already know that most of your mind programs are on automatic pilot, woven into the fabric of your life. The subconscious mind is available to help wake you, but you are going to need to know how to communicate with your subconscious mind in a very specific fashion, about what you want, as well as what you don’t want. For this you will need special data collection. This is what assessment is about; collecting data for careful examination without judgment. This opens your mind, giving you the opportunity to decide if you would like to change or mind-edit “your data” before returning it to your subconscious mind library. This is experiential interactive self-hypnosis.

Most likely, you do not know all the things you need to know to make changes in your lifestyle behaviors. Like the octopus, the head of the behavior may be above water, but the tentacles or roots of the behavior are below the surface. You may sense or experience these as blocks, resistance or procrastination. You may want to change, thinking you know what needs to change, but until you identify and own the tentacles below the surface, it will be very difficult or next to impossible. It’s not uncommon to have a physical sensation of being unable to move, just as if your feet were stuck in tar or cement. You may recognize this as anxiety or depression.

In order to move out of the tar, you will be needing additional information that may not be in your current memory bank, but waiting for you in your subconscious mind library. Some of these things will pertain to your family of origin, as well as from your own health, emotional and behavioral history starting from the time you were an infant, and up through this very moment. You will also be reclaiming memory files about your beliefs, how you got them, and whether or not they are blocking your current progress.

Beliefs are like coats, many that were placed on you when you were a child, or perhaps as an adult when you were unaware. Someone who appeared stronger than you in that moment may have forced them on you. But that was then, and now is now. Through this work you are taking back your personal power. You will be choosing only those belief coats that you want to own. This is your life and this is your performance.

You will be guiding yourself with images of what you do want. That is why we must spend time in thinking about this. It's important to review your life and notice the areas, both big and small, that do not reflect what you want, and also to notice areas that do reflect those positive aspects. They need to be divided, just as if you were cleaning and clearing your home. When you have accomplished this, you can enter any area of your Inner Library and start inner exploring. The lights will go on, and it will easier to see in the corners of your belief closet, and the past experiences that are connected to these. When your “subconscious mind librarian” spots something that may be of interest for a self-review, you will find yourself receiving the message. This is rather like having a wonderful personal assistant who is completely attuned to you.

BEGINNING INNER DETECTIVE WORK

The library of your mind is vast. You began collecting subconscious experiences and corresponding belief coats in the beginning of your life, even though you cannot consciously remember these. All coats and experiences, old or new, big or small can hold important information and keys to your success, as well as reasons for past failures. You may have a desire or tendency to rush through this kind of self-detective work. Perhaps you even recognize this as a past behavioral trait of yours. This is a good example of Heightened Awareness. You may have uncovered an unhealthy source that leads to procrastinating or self-blocking. When you spot these tendencies, pretend that they are colored child-blocks, labeled with their name. Place them in a pile over there.

While it's just fine to scan through this material to become familiar, don't fall into the trap of hurrying and not doing the detailed detective work. You will be cheating yourself, taking away from the quality of what you are capable of doing, and perhaps even taking you down past roads of failure. There is no easy road when looking to achieve high level health and optimum performance. If it were, more people would be experiencing it. This program offers you the opportunity to see, and address your short and long falls, as well as your potential. As you build your commitment to this self-development work, you will probably want to review this area more than once, so as to build on the already presented memories.

You probably know plenty of people who want to change something, but simply can’t figure out how or when to get started. Somehow it never seems to be the right time. Excuses abound that keep them engaged in procrastination. Perhaps you have had this personal experience, and are wondering right in this moment if you can do this. This is another colored child-block called "doubt". It usually accompanies "lack of self-confidence."

Do know that this time it will be different than before, because I’m going to help you get started and find your balance. In fact, you are already in the process because you are reading this book. It’s said that when a rubber band is stretched, it never returns to it’s original position, and so with reading material such as this. The actual process of reading engages your right brain, or subconscious mind and so inner motivators are already etching. Notice if you can sense them.

Throughout this inner detective work you will be activating the different areas with a light application of Interactive Self-Hypnosis. Managing health issues, addictions or getting to the heart of any problem involves the act of beginning. You must commit and step onto the merry-go-round of life. Life does not stand and still and wait for you. So reach out and grab on to the golden ring. The ring is the catalyst for moving you out of procrastination, and into the action of the merry-go-round of life. That's all you have to do.

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.


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

Pillow Talk

You already know that dreams are gifts from the subconscious mind & here we will work with both waking & sleeping varieties for the purpose of healing and making changes in everyday life. If you haven't read the first blog on working with dreams, it's posted right below this one. I'd like to continue from where I left off.

Following a particular dream, wait a few days, and then taking some quiet time begin this exercise. Allow the mind to empty with interactive awareness, and once you feel the inner shift to a slower brain wave state, begin to ask questions of the subconscious mind related to the particular dream state you are reviewing. There are many ways to do this interview. You can ask direct questions, or ask for further information. You could ask for the information to be provided in an additional dream or quiet time. You could speak directly to the images. For example, if in your dream a green tree was blocking your path, you might ask it, "Green tree, why were you standing in the middle of my path?" "What would you like me to know?" Be sure to have pen and paper available, so you can write the answers as they come. It is not uncommon for dreams to build upon each other, especially as the subconscious mind notices you are interested in accessing information.

We'll work more with dream programming, but first I'd like to welcome new readers..

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.

MIND EXERCISE

Take a moment to relax deeply. On your mind screen image yourSelf falling deeply asleep and waking up in the middle of your own vast subconscious mind. Anything and everything you have ever experienced is here. Help surrounds you, and unlike your awake time, you are totally immersed in the inner library with time no longer being an issue. Feel what it feels like to be completely free of time constraints.

As you roam the bookshelves and other memory holders, feel free to explore all that is yours. Connect with your inner wisdom. You have come to understand how dreams choose to communicate with you, no matter what their genre. There is nothing to fear here, just pure communication and learning. Sometimes you are given dark learning tools and other times you receive lighter versions, some even hilariously funny. It’s easy for you to find what you need here. Dreams and other suggestions come forth. Feel what it feels like to have all these resources at the bottom of your pillow. Take a few moments to return to your awake state, allowing the wisdom and dream experience to stay with you.

You can build skills to help remember dreams. First, dreams must be accepted as important. When something has value, then the mind finds ways to bring that towards you. You could begin by placing some powerful affirmations in you mind during the day, especially in conjunction with your Interactive Awareness work. Active affirmations tend to work best. For example, “My dreams are important to me. I remember them clearly because they are so very important to me.” On the mind screen, bring up images of “importance”. What does importance look like to you? How does it sound? Be emphatic when you place affirmations that have special meaning to you. This is no time to be wishy-washy.

You might go further and place an active visualization of seeing yourSelf dreaming, with the dreams literally entering your memory bank. Think for a moment how you would put that picture board together. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this work. We are all wired differently, so each one reading this will have a completely different set of pictures, but the meanings remain the same. As you wake up, review your dream bank contents before getting involved in any other activity. Perhaps have a notebook for recording them, or a tape recorder. You might speak them out loud thereby engaging your sense of hearing that will further cement the dream memory into his bank.

MIND EXERCISE

On a piece of paper draw three steps leading up to a big building. The building will work as the symbol for the dream library. Make the steps the width of the building so you have a place to write. On each step place a goal, in this case ask to be free of your particular addiction. For example, if it is sugar you would write, “I am completely free of my addiction to sugar.” You would write this on each step and read it out loud to yourSelf in a firm, but kind voice. Now close your eyes gently, tilt them up and experience yourSelf walking up the steps and into the dream building. Coming towards you is your dream guide, carrying a stone tablet. Examine the tablet and find your words chiseled into it. The dream guide asks if the words are correct and if this is your total desire. Affirm this. You may feel some resistance, but notices that it shrinks and moves backwards out the door. Resistance has no place in the dream building.

You instinctively know to follow the dream guide further into the quiet building. Enterthe area on the right that is outside under the stars. You are directed to your sleeping stone, noticing that it is not hard at all, but indeed very comfortable. Your tablet is placed at your side and you are instructed to observe the night sky. Before long it is morning. The tablet is gone, as is the dream guide. Find your way back and out the door. As you turn and look at the steps, notice that they are clean and ready for the next dream request. Throughout the day you will become aware of the workings of your dream team.


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

Dream Communicating

Dreams are gifts from the subconscious mind & here we will work with both waking & sleeping varieties. The dream state is a very powerful way to program your mind for change. You already have some of the tools in place for dream programming. Earlier in this book you learned how to practice interactive awareness & daily fractionation. You learned that following a period of fractionation, your mind would be at the alpha brain wave level & simply by tilting your eyes up to about 20 degrees, you could place a goal picture on your mind screen. Goals can be anything you desire & the desire to access or remember dreams is simply another type of goal that you can program during waking states & especially before going to sleep at night when your brain waves are very receptive to suggestion.

Sometimes it takes weeks for suggestions to take hold, but if this is your mission, certainly keep planting the suggestions, preferably following a period of interactive awarenss fractionation. A good idea is to put an affirmation on your desk, or in several areas of your home or workplace. A suggestion for an appropriate affirmation could be, "I remember my dreams clearly." "I wake to remember my dreams." "My dream recollections are clear to me." It only takes 1/200th of a second to flash a "desire image" on your mind screen.

Reiterating suggestions such as these several times a day, coupled with "seeing/sensing yourSelf in your mind's eye remembering dreams easily," & further energizing this affirmational picture with powerful "I Can" emotions makes it clear to the subconscious mind that you do want to remember your dream states & expect it to happen. Following this suggestion or inner command, you may find yourSelf waking in the middle of the night, or very early in the morning as a particular dream finishes. Keep a dream diary or even a simple notepad by the side of your bed for describing images or messges from the subconscious mind. These notes or clues will help to trigger further memories later on. A very powerful time to program the subconscious mind for change is just before going to sleep. This is the time when the brain waves are quite slow, meaning you are nearer to the subconscious library. This is also called the hypnogogic state.

Once again, follow the directions for interactive awareness fractionation. Within five minutes you will begin to feel a shift to a much lower brain wave level. At this point simply turn your eyes upwards about 20 degrees and see an image of your desired, completed goal on your inner movie screen. Enhance it. Energize it. See it in action. And then, place a golden frame around it. Follow with the suggestions or commands you have chosen. Some examples might be, "This is what I want." "This is what I need." "Show me the plan for achieving this end goal." Now, simply go to sleep and allow the subconscious mind to do its work.

We'll work more with dream programming, but first I'd like to welcome new readers..

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.

DREAM COMMUNICATION
You may receive answers directly in the dream state, or they may be forthcoming during the day, or days that follow. Always make certain you provide "quiet time" in your day for receiving answers from the subconscious mind. It is not uncommon for individuals to ask for guidance or information, and then not provide a time when the answers can be received. You should be building quiet time in your days through interactive awareness fractionation periods. Sometimes answers are received in the shower, or other times when you are alone and quiet. Driving without the radio or cassettes, silent walking can provide an excellent opportunity for the subconscious mind to reach you with requested information.
Sometimes we miss important information from our dream states because we do not understand the images. Keeping a dream diary allows one to work with these images, and to obtain further information from the subconscious library. Upon awakening, write down any and all recollections. This is not the time to wonder about their meanings, but to try to get as much information as possible written down.

I'll continue this subject in the next Blog..

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

Opening Fear

Working with your own inner aspects is truly empowering. Life mySelf, many of my clients arrive at my office fearful of their eating, sugar or carbohydrate addiction. Often, it is linked to other addictions or chaotic, disorderly living, making recovery seem almost impossible. When I met up with Emma, she presented herSelf as a frightened & overwhelmed chidSelf, not the mature woman who ran her own business. This idea of herSelf positioned her in the middle of the roads going towards disease. These fears culminated in the form of a big, black cloud encompassing all of her. Sitting on my "therapeutic chair", Emma was very tentative, revealing just some of her fears & secrets, as if just telling about them would be very dangerous, perhaps punishing her for letting them out.

I'm very familiar with these types of stress-producing mind games. In the past, they were enough to send me straight to the peanut butter jar or ice cream container. It always amazed me how those two particular foods acted like drugs, relaxing me while chasing away the mind monsters. I remember experiencing the dicotomy of wanting & not wanting to recover. As much as I wanted to be healthy, it was simply too frightening. I felt safe inside my addiction where I believed the stories the addiction told me. But, I wasn't safe & will never, ever be safe inside my eating addictions & that's why I've named this book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" The answer is the same as it is for peanut butter, ice cream, chips or whatever is the presenting addiction of the day...there will never be enough to make me happy, safe, balanced or anything else. There is nothing for me inside my addiction. It's just an empty room with bars on the window, with a sound system laughing at me.

Throughout this book I share stories from my patient files, as well as some of my own truths. I never back away from telling my own stories, because I believe that is the purpose of them...to encapsulate learning experiences to help others. It took me decades to get my head on straight in relation to my eating issues & so, I have plenty to share. And, while sharing is a healthy thing to do, the most important part is "how to" change the multitude of things that need to be changed in any addiction.

Addictions are multi-faceted & each facet is actually a Mind Story unto itself. While you can learn & change from listening to my stories & those of my patients, the most powerful stories are already present in your own subconscious mind, waiting to be opened. When a story is opened & you visit inside the pages, you will be rewarded with "hidden treasure." Those treasures are the things you need for your own healing. Some of them will be directly related to your weight or eating issues, but others will be indirectly connected, perhaps even presenting themselves as not being connected, but indeed they will be, for everything is connected.

Sometimes we are afraid to go inside & to look. Have you ever seen a shy child, looking at you from behind her hands. This is the very same part of you that is fearful of what you will see inside the book, but these are the very things that hold the power of your healing. While you might want to work with a therapist, for most of us, we can move past this by disassociating from the child-state & moving into the powerful states of teacher, parent or healer.

There are many different images to utilize for this type of subconscious mind work. For me, I like to take my child-Self by the hand as I sense mySelf inside Higher or Creative/Therapeutic Self, reminding me that the reason I am here on the face of the Earth is to be healthy, to heal & then to bring healing to others. Here we are "not" the child, but the "Higher or Therapeutic Self", a separate being. This is a powerful, sensory image & I'll lend to you if you like. Notice that I'm taking my childSelf along for the learning journey. My goal is to help her to mature by releasing those negative, blocking emotions of fear, guilt & shame. I've taken off her "I can't" shirt. She now wears her " I Am" shirt. I want that strong inner part of me to transmute the maturity & self-confidence of my Higher Self to the smaller & needy childSelf. As she heals, so do my older Selves, right up to the present & into the future.

We'll work more with these images, but first I'd like to welcome new readers..

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.

EMMA'S JOURNEY

"The moment I stepped out of my childSelf, I felt a sense of true release. It became clear to me that I traveled in & out of the child part me as I traveled throughout my day. I was looking forward to uncovering the different facets of my life that were "taken over" by my Child, because knowing how to disassociate, I could then move to my Higher, Creative Self & clean up my life. This inner work was allowing me to look below the surface of my binge & disorderly eating.

BELOW THE SURFACE

I must be honest. I do feel fear at exploring the facets of these issues. I've decided not to use the image of "below the surface", but instead to walk down a beautiful pathway, filled with gardens on each side as Elizabeth suggested. Everything here is of benefit to me & I've learned to sit outside each garden before entering, filling mySelf with light & healing. My weight & disorderly issues began in early childhood & I've always been a fearful person. I'm realizing that each area I enter will need light to disperse the fear that connects to the roots. I see/think myself as a delivery system for the light, rather like a magnificent marble fountain. As I enter separate gardens/facets, I sit quietly, then weed. Next comes the delivery of light. I can sense the release...sometimes big, but often small. I accept what I'm given, knowing that these are the gifts of healing that I've been looking for. There are children in this garden & I enjoy playing with them. I ask them questions & they tell me things I've wondered about. We are uncovering & discovering. New plants in the image of "what I want" are ready to be placed in the warm soil. In the days that follow, I'm keenly aware & energized to change different aspects, knowing the gifts are showing themselves.

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

Subconscious Mind Games

If you've been following along, you know that there are four fundamental Goal-den Bricks, each brick having it's own new StoryBook. Starting "new" is a wonderful opportunity, but often times it is scary & even confusing. Those of us who have been entertaining addiction and/or any form of disorderly eating tend to be disorganized in other areas of life & that includes our thought processes. Our thoughts are often like scrambled eggs, ideas popping up, then hiding or disappearing completely. Although I've been in recovery for decades, I still can have this phenomenon. It's as if my own mind wants to play old, distorted games with me.

These games are very stress-producing & in the past, they were enough to send me straight to the peanut butter jar or ice cream container. It always amazed me how those two particular foods acted like drugs, relaxing me while chasing away the mind monsters of recovery & healing. It was almost like I didn't want to recover, but just stay inside my addiction where I believed I was safe. But, I wasn't safe & will never, ever be safe inside my eating addictions & that's why I've named this book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" The answer is the same as it is for peanut butter, ice cream, chips or whatever is the presenting addiction of the day...there will never be enough to make me happy, safe, balanced or anything else. There is nothing for me inside my addiction. It's just an empty room with bars on the window, with a sound system laughing at me.

Throughout this book I share stories from my client files, as well as some of my own truths. I never backed away from telling my own stories, because I believe that is the purpose of them...to encapsulate learning experiences to help others. It took me decades to get my head on straight in relation to my eating issues & so, I have plenty to share. And, while sharing is a healthy thing to do, the most important part is "how to" change the multitude of things that need to be changed in any addiction. Addictions are multi-faceted & each facet is actually a Mind Story unto itself. While you can learn & change from listening to my stories & those of my students, the most powerful stories are already present in your own subconscious mind, waiting to be opened. When a story is opened & you visit inside the pages, you will be rewarded with "hidden treasure." Those treasures are the things you need for your own healing. Some of them will be directly related to your weight or eating issues, but others will be indirectly connected, perhaps even presenting themselves as not being connected, but indeed they will be, for everything is connected.

Sometimes we are afraid to go inside & to look. Have you ever seen a shy child, looking at you from behind her hands. This is the very same part of you that is fearful of what you will see inside the book. While you might want to work with a therapist, for most of us, we can move past this by disassociating from the child-state & moving into the powerful states of teacher, parent or healer. There are many different images to utilize for this type of subconscious mind work. For me, I like to take my child-Self by the hand as I sense mySelf inside Higher or Creative/Therapeutic Self, reminding me that the reason I am here on the face of the Earth is to heal & then to bring healing to others. This is a powerful, sensory image & I'll lend to you if you like. Notice that I'm taking my childSelf along for the learning journey. My goal is to help her to mature by releasing those negative, blocking emotions of fear, guilt & shame. I want that inner part of me to transmute the maturity & self-confidence of my Higher Self to the smaller & needy childSelf.

We'll work more with these images, but first I'd like to welcome new readers..

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.

STORY BOOK IMAGES

We need positive StoryBook images inside each Fundamental Goal-den Brick. If we can't find them in our own life, then we have to get them from somewhere else. But, I've already told you that you have all that you need inside your own subconscious mind. The problem with most of us is that we only think consciously, never thinking that the answers we are looking for reside inside what we perceive as our problem issues. We cannot get inside our issues UNTIL we open them & they cannot be opened from the INSIDE. Perhaps this is one of the biggest mistakes we make in our attempts at recovery. In the beginning of my own Therapeutic Journey, I thought I didn't have enough self-image or esteem to stand outside my issues. It was like I didn't have the right to do so. But, I was wrong. My Higher or Creative Self took me by the hand, as I'm taking you.

Relax in the moment....deeply. Go to your fourth Brick & meet up with your Creative Self & when you are engaged, travel over to the StoryBook you are writing. Enter & go to the Table of Contents. There you will find the entry for your eating issues or addiction. You may enter this area & find yourSelf on the Path of these issues. You are walking with your Creative Self & sense your state of relax & power. You are welcome here & the different aspects of your issues are happy to see you, as if they were waiting for you. Each aspect is separate & has it's own garden. Notice that you have tools on your belt & you enter one of the aspects. Weeds dominate. Go ahead & begin to clear. You must always clear before receiving the gifts. Once you have cleared, sit down on the rock or bench...your aspect is sitting with you, facing you...how easy it is to be with this part of you, not like in the past when you were blocked from each other...now, go ahead & ask any questions you may have...or..ask for your questions to come down the path..or present an image of what you truly want from this aspect. Make it very clear...very definite...kind, but firm.

In the next blog I'll invite you to observe as one of my students works with one of her "aspects."

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

Time-Quickening

We're in the process of "mind painting" in the food-related StoryBook utilizing the "paint jar of time". If you haven't read the first blog on making peace with time, I suggest you do that first. If you have, then you already know that our perception of "time" can either make or break our level of success, even our health & so the paint that we apply to our mind-images need to be properly "time-mood adjusted." It's important to remember that the subconscious mind does not differentiate between reality or thoughts. Everything is real & therefore will alter the body/mind physiology. If you are feeling time pressure or just think you are or are future-pacing it, the body/mind will be responding in the exact moment.

There are many areas in the StoryBook of food management that regularly entertain time-pressure. Some include planning, shopping, food preparation & the actual cooking, even eating of a meal or set of meals. When time-pressure is present, it's common to find tension, as well as procrastination or blocking. The blocking may be very emotionally-charged, sometimes with arrows flying in all directions. Often, the real culprit isn't even identified as the emotionally-charged arrows carry different blame labels.

Let's paint a StoryBoard representing this common dilemma. Emma, one of my patients, is very emotionally challenged in the time area of life balance. She knows that the reason she is over-weight is because of her poor food choices, but she continually makes excuses about not having sufficient time to plan, shop & prepare. One night she grabs some fast-food on her way home from work, subconsciously hating herSelf for her perceived inadequate abilities. Her family sits down to dinner & the complaints begin to fly about what's being served. Emma gets her arrows & shoots them at each family member, blaming them for all sorts of things that have nothing whatsoever to do with what's really the issue here. She screams out about not having time, thereby engraving this belief in her own mind bank. Everyone leaves the table mending their hurts & Emma slips back into reinforcing her inability to have a healthy relationship with "time."'

Emma has a lifetime of complaints regarding time. She's never had "enough" & in her mind, that is why she is obese. Time is her enemy & so that must change. This relationship work begins with learning to identify her vocalization & thoughts related to her negative relationship, relaxing deeply to open them "in the moment." Opening is necessary in order to release & then program for change. In other words, Emma must first see the issue, then be willing to open it so it can be changed. In the example above, once the time issue is opened, she can choose to either slow down certain aspects, or even speed them up. I suggested that she do both "in concert", first slowing & then quickening. I want her to be able to view the entire StoryBoard in slow motion. Seeing the activities she needs to accomplish with an image of a clock up on the wall, indicating the exact amount of time needed, will allow her to let go of her old automatic mind stories & see the truth. From this position, her mind will also show her some shortcuts that she already knows, but wasn't willing to accept BECAUSE she wanted to stay in her "victim" position. Remember the arrows? Blaming time allowed Emma to attack other issues that have been buried, perhaps for a very long time. It's important for her to see this truth & also to know that these are areas she needs to address in new ways.

Now Emma is ready to quicken some aspects of her activities. Remember, the subconscious mind does not know the difference between what's truly happening in the moment & a thought. Emma will see & interact with images of herSelf shopping very quickly, emotionally experiencing in the theater of her mind how efficient & effective she is as she whips through the aisles, creative ideas lightening her way. She then moves to another image, perhaps one where she is preparing the food for her family, enjoying these moments of focused relaxation, even including something special to meet her own needs. In the past, Emma believed that she had NO TIME to take care of herSelf, but now she can not only see, but feel intuitively that she has more than enough time & can even enjoy doing this. She senses her love & respect for herSelf. This StoryBoard image was both slowed & quickened, allowing Emma to taste the joy & creativity of her cooking, as well as move it along. In the past, there was a dragging quality to cooking & preparing, but all of that is over.

We'll work more with Time, but before we get further into the paint, I'd like to welcome new readers..

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.

"TIME" IN A PAINT JAR

Obviously we can't pay attention to all of our thoughts, but if you ask your subconscious mind to cue or notify you when you are in an automatic pilot state of time-stress, it will do that. You may be surprised at how many times you are cued in this regard. Most of us have no idea as to what we are playing on automatic pilot & time issues are so major, that just waking up for these will give you a good opportunity to change many other aspects that aren't working in your life, because all are connected. Some emotional elements you might find attached include anger, guilt, shame, indecision, impatience, intolerance, anxiety, panic, fears of all sorts & poor self-image/esteem. Remember, your subconscious mind takes these thoughts as "truth" & so you do want to open them with deep relax when they are presented to you, then replacing them with positive, healthy images.

We'll paint some of those in the next blog.

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

ClockWork - Making Peace with Time

Working inside our first StoryBook, we are designing images with our CreativeSelf utilizing our artistic tools. In the practice of self-hypnosis, we are able to work with a wide variety of metaphorical paints. Here we'll dip our brush into the very important "paint jar of time." We'll be using this particular jar throughout our work in this book, because our perception of "time" can either make or break our level of success, even our health. We can all relate to time-stress, knowing how sick we can become from this type of pressure. Often, even without thinking, we name & blame "time" as the reason for our failures, not only to finish or complete something, but also for our inability to get started. We call this procrastination. Time heads just about every list of excuse-making.

On the other hand, time can be a very valuable friend, not only because it is Key in helping us to achieve our goals, but it can also be a catalyst for change in many areas of our lives. In order to reach this level of mind-work, it's necessary to become aware of old, automatic programs that keep "time" in the enemy column & then dip the artistic brush in the "paint jar of time", applying a new, healthy perception in our new StoryBook Images. All paint, whether real or imaginary, has elements or components. Here are some reflective in the "paint jar of time."

Relaxing
Slowing
Hastening
Knowing
Trusting
Accepting
Enjoying

In my mind, the most important element is that of relaxation. As I review my past experiences, time never seemed to be on my side. My words & thoughts were filled with tension-filled stories, all blaming time for just about anything & everything. I don't think I ever went through an hour without one of my time-complaints. It seemed like I was never happy. If time were a real person, it would never have chosen to be my friend. Not only was I super-critical of it, I simply couldn't stand it's presence, despite the fact that I needed it.

In my work with "disorderly eating", the discussion of "time" comes up right from the get-go. Everyone is in a hurry to move out of the problems & who can blame them. Most people with negative eating issues have carried them around for years & simply want them "gone"....better still...."gone now." The most common question I get from patients or readers of my work is "How long will all of this take?" Because I'm a Clinical Hypnotherapist, I tend to see lots of living images & one that always appears for me is an image of "time" sitting next to the individual, usually wearing a little smile, already knowing that this individual is like a sleeping child who is about to be awakened, perhaps rudely. Then, it will be my job to move them from reality into a state of relaxation, as time gets to do some very important life lessons.

We'll work more with Time, but before we get further into the paint, I'd like to welcome new readers..

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?" This book is not published as yet, but you have the opportunity to read it in it's unpublished state. 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.

"TIME" IN A PAINT JAR

As we awaken to our mental & emotional battering of "time", we have the opportunity to recognize the mindBody state of deep relax & begin painting in a new way. We have all the time in the world to get our disorderly eating corrected & can choose to do it as fast or as slow as we prefer. Knowing that we have a choice in how we utilize time is very freeing. It's not up to anyone else but yourSelf. I remember stopping some of my negative eating behaviors immediately, while others went slowly. I determined all of this. I therefore owned all of this. Bad-mouthing time will only deliver more stress to the mindBody, actually making it more difficult to move through resistance. So, practice catching your thoughts, as well as your spoken words, then transmuting or changing them with a deep relaxing breath. Here's a helpful affirmation...simple..."I'm in charge of how I utilize my time. I can go fast or slow, as I choose."

Slowing down is so important. If you tend towards compulsive behavior, you will be able to easily identify your relationship with time speeding along, even pushing you. People with disorderly or addictive eating tend to live in a compulsive world of their own making. I know this world well, because it is my world & while it is still my world, I'm now in charge of it, not the other way around. This makes a big difference. If I'm pressured or anxious about getting something accomplished, or solving my personal multitude of problems, I'm very kind to "time" & purposely slow it down. I like to utilize an image of a clock that allows me to turn a dial, making time go at a slower pace. Try that... it's a simple image that works very well. You can add an affirmation if you like. "I have all the time I need. Time goes slower for me & I like it this way." When we are recovering from addictive or disorderly eating, we agree or pretend that we have all the time in the world. The recovery path is a learning path & if we try to go too fast, we tend to miss the learning along the way. "Be still my friend & walk the path, noticing what appears to you along the route. These are your gifts for traveling this way."

We'll continue dabbling in this paint jar in the next blog 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