Staying clear & focused is paramount in managing all aspects of life, of course including compulsive, emotional or secret eating. As we move through this experiental blog/workshop, you will come to notice that disorderly eating is not just about one thing, but many things. And so, in order to manage eating habits & behaviors, one needs to be in heightened awareness, ready & willing to identify all areas. Next, as you already know, comes your job as "writer, director & producer. In the Theater of Your Mind you learned how to be an excellent observer of yourSelf & your emotions. Now in the Schoolhouse, you are taking on the lessons for high level awareness & disassociation from the "circus" of the world. It is from this position that you will be able to "manage your moment" with quick expertise. These are the Keys to managing emotional, compulsive, secret & other disorderly eating issues.
NOTE TO NEW READERS:
This experiential blog/workshop is based on my new book, "How Many Cookies Will It Take to Make Me Happy?" If you are new to my writing, you might want to read the earlier mini-chapters. They are available on FaceBook, The PublishersMarketPlace & at the following link. Remember to scan down to find the earliest chapters & work your way up. http://beyonddisorderlyeating.blogspot.com/
A bit of background.... we are working with creative Interactive Self-Hypnosis imagery, planting suggestions directly into the creative subconscious mind as you read along. What appears like a story is a series of self-hypnotic sessions, designed to bring about desired lifestyle changes. The inner mind is creative & rather child-like, loving to play with images, especially when they are emotionalized. Just like the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", well-planted mind images, can be worth hours of therapy. We can actually change or motivate in 1/200th of a second. So come along & look forward to some lifestyle-changing events
WHAT'S GOING ON NOW
The emotional childSelves are practicing putting the Golden Eggs on & from this inner position, looking out at the "circus of the world." They are sensing their deeply relaxed bodies & are being instructed to "scan" them, just as if a hand-scanner was moving slowly over them, each scanning moment taking them deeper down into relaxation. Scan....down. Scan....deeper down. Body mechanisms slowing & entering homeostasis or balance. Mind activity slowing, entering homeostasis or balance. Stress-chemical reading slowing, entering homeostasis or balance.Now, looking outside the golden facade to the "exterior circus of the world." Noticing they are observers, but not involved in the happenings. This is the practice of disassociation, a powerful self-hypnotic tool.
THE CIRCUS TENT
From your experiences in the Theater of the Mind, you already know that life is exhibited on a "stage." It includes the environment, the actorYou, the emotional childSelves, their energy & others who cross the path in your life experience. You have already practiced observing & then re-directing different life scenarios & you are familiar with the process. Today in the schoolhouse your emotions are practicing heightened observation or awareness. This is how negative energy levels are diminished. In the future you will also choose to enhance some positive energy levels, taking you into other creative areas. The circus tent is a metaphor for ongoing life. It goes on outside of the Golden Learning Egg. The youSelf is either involved in the Circus or observing from inside the Golden Egg. We are working with images of the emotional childSelves because the more you are able to identify them, the more powerful you will become in managing your energy. The goal is always to wake up to destructive emotions & to diminish them. Here they are doing it for themselves, so there is never a debate or argument. They know what to do even before you direct them. If you spot an "out of control" compulsive emotion, just a moment of awareness puts them inside the Golden Egg, rather like a well-trained puppy.
I'd like you to have a look at some of the Circus areas having to do with your Disorderly Eating issues. You already know many of them from working in the Theater of the Mind, but this is a good opportunity to place them in the Circus scenario. You'll also be able to identify some of your more "popular" emotional childSelves as they hang out in their Circus circle. I'd also like you to notice that each Circus Circle is separate. Remember, eating issues are about many different areas & as you become better at defining them, you will become more powerful in your self-management. Create a Circus Circle for your kitchen activities, work related to food, relationships related to food, restaurants & any other compulsive, emotional or secret Circus Circles. Pay attention to the names on the shirts of the emotional childSelves. Now notice you are doing this from inside your Golden Egg. If you find yourSelf acting out in any Circus Circle, move yourSelf back inside the Egg. Just thinking it, will be enough to move you back to your position of Power.
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Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht
May not be copied or reproduced without permission of the author.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, C.Ht is author of Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Lick It. She is also the writer/producer of over 350 mp3/CD programs in the areas of medicine, health, prevention, addictions, self-development & sports for adults & children.
http://www.hypnosis-audio.com
http://www.sugar-addiction.com
http://www.international-medical-health-writers.com
