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Count your Nutrition - Not your Calories!

2009-10-14T19:48:00Z

The Basics of Low Glycemic Eating to End Yoyo Dieting for Good!

Counting calories is fine for those who love all those numbers running through their head all day. Counting calories may tell you what amount of energy is in a food, but it says nothing about the quality of foods you are eating. I’ve recently been seeing the 100 calorie snack packs. Only 100 calories, but full of sugars, processed foods, and preservatives. There’s nothing healthy about them!

The problem with weight loss programs based on calories: they don’t account for the quality of foods you are eating. And once the weight is gone, you return to old habits and food choices, and it all comes right back, with even more fat to boot!

Stop Counting Calories – Just Eat Better! If you are ready to stop the dieting yoyo, and create a few simple changes by replacing unhealthy foods with some easy alternatives, read on! When you focus on health and nutrition, the benefit is weight loss, as your body gets the nutrition it needs, it drops the extra pounds. It doesn’t have to be hard, you don’t have to go hungry or feel deprived or weak, all you need is a few simple substitutions.

Beware of Big White Five! White sugar, white flour, white rice, potatoes, and popcorn. These are the number one instigators of extra weight. First let’s discover why they are bad for your body, and then we’ll look at what you can do instead.

White sugar is refined and processed sugar from the cane plant. The main problem with sugar is that it’s in everything! I picked up some Organic Butternut Squash Soup, and as I was eating it, it tasted sweet to me. I looked at the label, and sure enough, they had added sugar to my soup! Just because it’s organic, doesn’t mean it’s healthy!

Why is sugar bad? Well, a little is fine, the problem is that manufacturers keep adding more because we are all accustomed to the super sweet tastes. The other problem, is that when we eat high sugar foods, it turns to glucose ( the sugar our body operates on) very quickly, which causes a spike in our blood sugar. The spike in our blood sugar then signals the pancrease to release insulin (which carries the sugar molecule into the body’s tissues). Once this happens, there is more sugar in the tissues than we can use, so what does the body do? It stores it for later – as fat!

Not only does this high sugar intake cause us to store more fat, but it can also lead to all sorts of health challenges including insulin resistence, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and even cancer has been linked to high sugar levels. In fact, recent advancements in technology have created machines where you can see the glucose use in the body. Areas in the body that are using too much glucose are identified as cancer cells. Let’s not wait to get cancer, let’s stop eating so much sugar!

Not all sugars are equal, there are many good substitutes (I’m not talking about chemical compounds such as aspartame and sucralose). It’s never been found that diet drinks help you lose weight. There are some all natural wonderful sweeteners that are much better for your body. Here’s my top all-natural choices:
•   Agave syrup (low glycemic all-natural sweetener made from the agave plant)
•   Stevia – this is a super sweetener made from a plant in South America. Because it is super sweet, you only need a pinch. Some people notice an after taste, so try it out and see if you like it.
•   Licorice root- made from a plant, a wonderful sweetener with possible health benefits. It can have a slightly licorice taste to it.
•   Raw Honey- raw honey is actually medium on the glycemic scale. Pasteurized honey (because of the heating process is higher glycemic).

White flour is the next one to watch for. It’s made from wheat, they grind the wheat kernels, polish off the bran, the wheat germ, and the hull. What is left is pure starch. When we eat white flour products, breads, pasta, crackers, the refined flour turns to glucose (sugar) in the body quickly, which signals the pancrease to release a spike of insulin, and then causing the body to store fat. An indicator of how quickly the body turns foods to glucose is called the Glycemic Index, and it is already appearing on food labels.

White rice, much like wheat has been processed and polished, removing the fiber and bran, and what is left is just starch. This again causes the same pathway of spiking the blood sugar, spiking insulin levels, and causing the body to store fat. Skip the white rice, brown rice is better, but still higher on the glycemic index, wild rest is an even better choice, and here are a couple more less well-known great grains that you cook up much like you would cook rice! 1 part grain to 2 parts water.
•   Quinoa – a tiny grain from South America, very high protein and low on the glycemic scale, it only takes about 15 min. to cook.
•   Buckwheat – this is a grain, actually not related to wheat so it doesn’t have gluten protein. Takes about 20-30 min to cook, add a bit of seasoning as it is a little bland.

An easy general rule: the more refined and processed the food, the higher the glycemic index. So, go for the whole grain foods, whole wheat bread, wheat pasta, and other whole grains. To get yourself used to the taste, start buying partial wheat, or mix white and wheat together, or experiment with making your own. My sister who is a big do it your-selfer says that grinding white wheat kernels instead of the red winter wheat kernels makes all the difference in flavor and taste for her home ground flour.

Potatoes are all starch. High on the glycemic index, these little starch pods can spike your blood sugar and set off that sequence of insulin and storing fat. That’s one reason that many people found benefit in the Atkins diet, they were cutting out the white flour and starches. Where did it go wrong? People weren’t getting the fiber they needed to keep their colon clean and working well.

Instead of white potatoes, try yams and sweet potatoes both have higher fiber and don’t impact your body the same way. Other good substitutes that can give you that creamy texture are squashes, (I especially love mashed butternut squash), and there’s a great recipe for mashed cauliflower.

Popcorn. Who knew that something so low in calories was so high on the glycemic index? Yes, unfortunately, popcorn has one of the highest glycemic indexes. Well, there aren’t any great substitutes for popcorn, it’s kind of in a category of its own. I still eat popcorn, but only once in a while, and I am aware that it has the same effect on my body as cake or cookies. So, if you are eating popcorn as a low calorie snack, you might rethink its place in your life, and have it only as an occasional treat, like you would sweets. Just be aware that eating popcorn isn’t a healthy snack!

When you focus on healthy choices, and nutrition, your body can let go of the extra weight and you’ll slim down to your ideal weight. You don’t have to feel deprived, hungry or weak, and in fact all of my clients have felt more mentally clear, stabilized mood, and energy that lasts all day when they follow the glycemic index eating plan. Basically, it’s eating foods that the human body has used for fuel for thousands of years: Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts and seeds!

It’s Time to be eating better, and when you do, your taste buds even begin to prefer the healthier choices! It’s only been in the last 50-100 years that our diets have been so messed up, and we are seeing so many health effects now from poor diet choices.

How to Get Started: You may be motivated to make some diet changes now, and it’s a good idea to focus on adding in the foods that you love. Take a sheet of paper and write a list of what you normally eat, check it with those things in this article, write out a substitution. I also like to have my clients focus on the healthy foods they love, like your favorite fruits and vegetables. Add in some of your best healthy indulgences while you are making changes. I love mangos, avocados, peaches, artichokes, broccoli, and asparagus just to name a few. It’s also a good idea to keep an open mind, and try out a new fruit or vegetable every week. Variety is the spice of life! And play with your spices too!

We may be motivated, but sometimes our old habits get in the way. Changing habits can be the most difficult part of eating healthier. Many times it’s as if part of us wants to change, and part of us doesn’t. This inner struggle is responsible for self-sabotage, craving the wrong foods, eating for comfort, eating when stressed, or a whole bunch of other difficulties that can throw us off track. A lot of times, we might think, “If only I were more disciplined, I could make myself do it. I like to focus on building the motivation of my clients to make the changes they want. Because of this, I’ve created a couple of tools for my clients that you might find helpful in breaking old habits and making healthy life choices easier than ever!

•   The Lighten Up Mind Body Weight Loss Audio Course which makes changing your old food habits easier than ever! The CD series helps train your brain to create new habits in how you think and feel about food, and to begin preferring healthy choices. The workbook brings together some of the best planning tools and strategies for making new habits, such as creating your one week menu, your healthy shopping list, and more. Plus, when you bring together a group of family or friends to go through the course with you, it can be a great support for staying on track and moving forward, see support groups on the website.

•   The Information Report: Change your Habits, Cravings, and Even Addictions: NLP Tools to help you Train your Brain to get the results you want! This power packed 25+ page report will help you understand your habits and triggers, offers essential NLP tools for addressing your habits, create internal alignment with what you want, allowing you to reduce the struggle, and making change easier than ever!

Here’s to your Health – Holly Stokes, M.NLP, NLP Coach, C.Ht.

Article Submitted by Holly Stokes, “The Brain Trainer”, Master NLP Health Practitioner, and Certified Hypnotherapist. Holly lives in the Portland, Oregon area helping clients stay on track and motivated with their health and weight loss goals. She is passionate about teaching and helping people to make the changes and live your best life now! Check online for upcoming teleconferences, workshops, and or create your own support group at: www.LightenUp.Me or visit the main website for more mind – body results at: www.ExpandingPotentials.net

References:

•   Releasing Fat by Ray D. Strand, M.D.

•   Dare to Lose: 4 Simple Steps to a Better Body by Shari Lieberman, PhD, CNS, FACN

Affirming Abundance in Challenging Times

2008-10-14T22:19:00Z

With the recent stock market challenges, struggling banks, and media coverage about our economy, times such as these remind us to re-focus on what's most important, re-center within ourselves and maintain internal balance, and well-being.

With the perception of chaos around us, it can be easy to give sway to ideas of scarcity, difficulty and distress. However, much of what we perceive about our reality is just that - a perception. I invite you all this month with me to re-affirm positive frames of mind, to be strengthened in your personal sense of well-being, and to re-affirm that there is plenty and abundance on the planet for all.

Money Illusions: What if it's all made-up? We've all heard there is no gold in Fort Knox, no real value backing the American dollar. Our money is just colored paper, something that we have all agreed has value and represents time, services, even survival and power. Most of the money that transfers these days are only digits, numbers on a computer screen. What if money is a mass hallucination that we've agreed to let it define who has access to products and services. I'll admit, money is important, we need it to cover mortgages and rent, to access food (since most of us don't grow our own). I just wonder if all this difficulty and uncertainty with our economy will help us in some way outgrow our old ideas about the currency we transfer and call money. Perhaps, it will inspire us to re-think the flow of money, and our relationship to it.

7 Steps to Affirming Abundance!
1. Use Affirmations to Boost Your Well-being. Step one to affirming your positive future is to use affirmations. Affirmations can be a powerful tool for turning around your thoughts and feelings. Affirmations direct your mind's attention and focus, and even engage your emotions. Positive thinking leads to positive feelings, which then guides your brain to finding creative solutions. Here are some examples of Positive Affirmations:

I am thankful for all the wealth and abundance that I am now building.
I am enjoying all the benefits of wealth and well-being in my life
I am thankful that I have an abundance of clothing, food, and shelter.

Notice how you feel when you say these things. The best affirmations are ones that inspire positive feelings and engage your positive emotional states.

2. The Problem with Affirmations is that to some parts of us, it may feel like it's only sugar-coating, or even downright lies....When you are aware of internal resistance to an affirmation, then you know you've struck a cord of an internally held belief. A belief is only an idea, mostly formed when we were young. As we internalize beliefs, they seem like truths in that we've accepted them as the rules of life. (I am not talking about religious beliefs, I am talking about beliefs about how the world operates and who we are in it). The good news about beliefs is that they are only ideas, and we can change them. Even during times of difficulty, there are those who do very well. Visit the blog to find more on beliefs.

3. Identify your Internal Money Beliefs: As a child, we simply soak up the ideas about our world and internalize them - This then is perceived as the rules of how the world is and our place in it. Good clues to your internal beliefs of money are your parents' relationships with money and especially your re-curring life patterns. Here are just a few of the common beliefs in our culture:

You have to work hard to make money.
Life is a struggle, you have to struggle to survive.
Money is the root of all evil.

If these, or any other number of mal-adapted beliefs are the blueprints you are working from (even subconsciously), you will find yourself continuing to struggle, even working against yourself. How would life be different if you really knew that you always had everything you needed? Or what if your blueprint was set with "money comes easy for me!" For a more indepth look at your beliefs, take the beliefs quiz by clicking here.

4. Identify the lesson. What are you learning? What is this struggle or challenge teaching you? Once you've identified the lesson, it becomes much easier to move through it in a different way. How is life helping you grow into your next level of openness, trust, or encouraging you to let go of old ideas that do not work for you? Take a moment and jot down your responses, and how are you committed to embracing the positive lessons?

5. Define New Money Beliefs and Find the Evidence for it: How would you rather think and feel about money? Often, the true counter to a negative belief is more than simply the opposite. You want to create your new belief in positive language, avoid isn't, not, etc. Here are some possible examples.

I have everything I need; I have an abundance of food, clothing, shelter
I live in an abundant world, just look at all the abundance of green plants, water, and rain (particularly here in the northwest).
Money comes easily for me as I share with others

You can create an even stronger internal system if you incorporate "I am" into your new money belief

I am the sort of person who is resourceful and I can find positive ways for creating what I want

6. Envisioning Cues your Brain to Paying Attention to What you Really Want. What will new wealth allow you to have, do or be? What will you do with your wealth? How will you use it? Vision boards are great for keeping your mind focused and visually reminding you of what you want. Pictures send visual cues to your brain, which then goes to work to finding ways to make it happen. You can even ask your subconscious mind to work on the challenge while you sleep, it loves having something to do!

7. Giving Back! When you receive greater wealth, what way will you give back? How will you continue the circle of good fortune? Choose a charity, an organization, or another population less fortunate, and find even small ways to help out. When we give back, we not only get warm fuzzies for ourselves - but we also become the answers to other's prayers! www.secondharvest.org

Note: Individual sessions with a qualified NLP Practitioner can be extremely valuable for helping you clear old blocks and internal resistance to wealth and receiving. Rather than trying to remember to combat negative thinking and feeling - an individualized session can actually train your brain with new patterns of thinking and feeling about money - no conscious battle needed. Here's what happened for one client:

"After we went through the money belief change process, my Mom called and said she had a bunch of extra money sitting around that she didn't need, and she said she was sending me a check for $10,000!"--M. Mason, Vancouver, WA.

Call or email now to reserve your special offer: Hstokes@ExpandingPotentials.Net or call:
360-837-3209 * 503-351-8021.

Find more articles at: www.ExpandingPotentials.net/resources.html

Recommended Reading:

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
Creating Money by Sanaya Roman

Are you Spinning Your Wheels?

2008-09-12T16:05:00Z

Are You Spinning Your Wheels?

By Holly Stokes, The Work Smart Wellness Coach

Do you feel like you are caught in the hamster wheel of life? Spinning your wheels and seeming to get nowhere? All too often, however, the good intentions we make with goals slowly fade and are gone within a week or two. If when you hear “goal setting” you think of hard work, past failures, and think – why bother, you may have been caught on the hamster wheel before. This article is for those who’ve ever been caught on that wheel, those who have fallen off the wheel, and those who want to make their forward motion really count!

The Wheel: Typically, our path to achievement is to think of what we want, then set a goal, stick with it a couple of days, (maybe even a week or two), make some forward motion, then lose focus and revert to our old ways. It’s not over yet thought, because we then berate ourselves for failing the goal, and wonder, why can’t I just be more disciplined? Time passes, we think about what we “should” be doing, and the vicious cycle repeats. Or, we forget about trying again, but are left feeling guilty, “lazy” or “undisciplined.” If you are focusing your efforts simply on setting and achieving goals, you may be missing most of the battle. If achieving your goals feels like struggle, you need to take a look at what is going on behind the scenes.

What is going on behind the scenes? Glad you asked. It is our thoughts and feelings that inspire action and inaction. Would you agree that our thoughts affect our actions? Do our feelings affect our thoughts? Do our feelings affect our actions? As you can see, actions, thoughts, and feelings are inter-related. It works like a pyramid, with actions at the top, and thoughts and feelings making up the base. If we focus only on our outcomes, (actions) and don’t take into account our thoughts and feelings, we may be losing the battle and missing most of the action.

The problem with goal setting is in how we pick our goals in the first place. Many times we pick our goals to fill a lack, without even being aware of what that lack is. To begin identifying what’s really going on, try this exercise. It’s best to do it now as it will only take a few minutes. Take out a clean sheet of paper and divide it into 3 columns. On the right column, list everything you want. It can be anything, a new car, more money, friends, family, etc. Then in the middle column, identify the benefit of what that goal will give you. In the third column, identify the benefit of the benefit.

What’s really going on? What do you want → What it will give you → The Benefit of the Benefit. For example, if I say I want X amount of dollars, I might identify that it will allow me to pay my bills easily, and the benefit of the benefit (paying bills easily) might give me a sense of freedom. From this process, I can see that ultimately, what I really want is freedom. The benefit of the benefit is your Ultimate Why.

How to get off the hamster wheel: Identify your Ultimate Whys. Usually the Ultimate Whys are a sense of something, a feeling, or a way of being. The secret is, you don’t have to wait until you’ve made X amount of dollars, or filled some other goal in order to have that Ultimate Why now in your life. You can have it now – and it’s free! You don't have to wait until your goals of x, y, and z are done to have that sense of it now!

Now, look back through your list of the Ultimate Whys, and look for recurring themes. For instance, you might find stability comes up a few times, or freedom or adventure. Put a star next to the themes that are recurring for you. Pick one that repeats in your list for the next exercise. For our example, we will use freedom.

Create what you really want now: On a separate sheet of paper, brainstorm all the ways you can connect with that freedom now. Find ways that are easy and within reach, something you can do daily, or weekly. Freedom might be taking a walk at noon or perhaps taking time on Saturday to visit a local tourist spot that you have been meaning to see for awhile. Come up with several ways to create it now in your life. Then make it happen, set aside time to let yourself connect with your Ultimate Why. Make this your first goal, but since words carry weight, and goals depict pass/fail and past struggle, let’s call it a plan instead. Make plans, not goals.

Re-evaluate your wants: In light of this exercise, and being aware of what you really want, re-evaluate your wants list. Identify which wants are still worthwhile and important to you. Prioritize them and then turn them into plans.

Stop the cycle of struggle: Many times, if we are unaware of what the goal will bring us, we may be sabotaging our efforts. For example, if my want is to earn X amount of dollars, and as I begin to make more money, I take part of the new cash flow and buy a new car (create a new bill), it may not be adding to my freedom or peace of mind, but will be taking away from it. In this mode of focusing only on goals, we are running on that hamster wheel, spinning the wheel, but feeling like we are not making progress, because we are not getting what we really want. When people are caught on the hamster wheel, they move from one goal to the next, “If only I could make more money, then I will have peace of mind, then I will be happy.” The secret is, you can have what you really want right now. And by taking care of what you really want, you multiply your forward motion, and enjoy the entire journey.

When you make plans from a place of satisfaction and happiness, life becomes an expression of who you are, what you love, and the possibilities continue to expand. Your business becomes a vehicle for filling your life’s mission and purpose, and adding to the lives of those around you.

Article by Holly Stokes, The Work Smart Wellness Coach. Discover Practical Strategies for Personal and Professional Success! Find free planning tools, tips, and more articles at: www.ExpandingPotentials.Net/articles.htm If you’re not 100% in love with your life, body, and business – We should talk! Email: Hstokes@ExpandingPotentials.Net

Rethink your Possibilities

2008-09-02T15:06:00Z

It's time to rethink your possibilities. We are living in a very exciting time, when the boundaries of our world are constantly being tested and redefined. Old ideas and beliefs about the world and who we are in it are rapidly changing and new possibilities are presenting themselves. There are examples of all extremes present in every facet of life. Even during times of recession, there are examples of those who are struggling as well as examples of those who are doing very well. The money doesn't just go away or disappear, it is being redirected to other industries. Where we live on that spectrum has a lot to do with our inner beliefs about who we are and how we have defined ourselves. Some of these we picked up from our parents, and some of these we assumed through different life experiences. The secret is- we can actually choose what we believe, even change it at that most internal level. It's time to rethink the boundaries, and be more conscious in our choices!

Examining our beliefs (what we hold to be true about ourselves and the world around us) can offer great insight into how we are living our life on a daily basis. Beliefs are tricky, because they present themselves as true-isms. They are rules about life and living that we just accept as true. For instance, do any of these ring true for you? "You have to work hard to make money" "Relationships are difficult" "Men are __________/ Women are ____________". There are a host of beliefs that we have internalized about the world and who we are in it.

Most of these beliefs are formed by the time we are 7 years old. We then continue to live out these rules of life, over and over again, as if proving them true to ourselves. So, once the pattern is set, what can we do? The first part of changing up your old beliefs is to identify what belief patterns you hold. I have created a worksheet that will help you identify what belief patterns may be shaping your life. Take the beliefs quiz to begin identifying what beliefs you may have. We have beliefs about money, relationships, our possibilities, our career, and who we are in the world. Another way to identify a rule of life is to look around and ask yourself, "Is this true for everyone, or just me?" If the rule doesn't hold true for everyone, then there is hope, because you know it is just a belief. And, a belief is just an idea about life and living. We can look at new ideas, we can examine new ideas, we can even adopt new ideas to replace old ones.

Take the beliefs quiz to identify what beliefs you may have. Go through the worksheet really fast, and notice the first thing that comes to mind. Your immediate responses point to the internalized beliefs that you carry. Another way to identify your beliefs is to look for repeating life patterns. "The men I date always cheat on me" can point to the belief that "Men are cheaters." Why is it that you are attracted to men that cheat? Because they reinforce the belief that you have set in your mind. If you want to break the pattern, you need to change the belief at the level it was created.

Because most of our beliefs were formed by the time we are seven, typically these belief patterns are in 7 year old logic, or younger. Because beliefs are encoded in a child's mind, typically, it is held in the subconscious part of the mind. To truly change a belief, we must replace it at the same level it was created. The good news is, now that we understand how the mind works, we know how to replace old beliefs and incorporate new ones very quickly.

Affirmations are useful, but it can take you a long time to integrate them to the level that they replace the old belief, and if you are not consistent and driven to repeat it every morning for months on end, then it probably won't help you replace a belief. Working with a qualified NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) practitioner can be invaluable for replacing an old belief. It often takes only a few sessions or less to clear and replace something that you have carried around your whole life. How useful would it be to be living out these beliefs?
"Money is easy for me"
"My relationships are harmonious and loving"
"My career is my expression of my life's purpose"
"I am surrounded by positive uplifting people"

Our beliefs are like the glasses or filters through which we see life. If we have rose colored glasses, everything looks rosey, if we have grey colored glasses, everything looks grey. The self-help books don't tell you how to change them, they tell you just that you should. With the breakthrough science of NLP, it is now more possible than ever to change the patterns of the mind, quickly and easily, and take charge of your life. If you don't like the world you see - Maybe it's time to change glasses! The truth is, the world is full of possibilties, and we are more at choice, now than ever, to choose how, and where, and in what way we want to live it - The truth is - Beliefs are a choice. If you don't like yours - choose something different! For more information and resources, visit: www.ExpandingPotentials.Net

Recommended Reading:
Beliefs Pathways to Health and Wellbeing by Dilts, Halbom, and Smith
NLP The New Technology by Robert Dilts

Here's to you creating the life you love! Yes - you can have the life you want!
Master your Mind for Life, Body, Business - And Live your Personal Best!
Holly Stokes, MNLP Coach, C.Ht

Welcome

2008-08-25T16:24:35Z

Welcome to my blog,

I am passionate about sharing some of the best tools, strategies, and disciplines for personal change and living your best life now! You may also visit my website for more tools, audios, worksheets, articles and more at: www.ExpandingPotentials.net

Whether you are struggling with a specific problem or challenge (such as fear, anxiety, phobias) or just know that you'd like your life to be different, the field of practical psychology and personal change has never been better or more accessible! What we know of the human mind, brain patterning, human behavior, and more has grown by leaps and bounds in the past 20 years. Challenges that used to take years to recover from are now simply a matter of helping the brain create a new pattern or set up a new habit. Here are the highlights of the best disciplines I've found and work with regularly, and their strengths.

Life Coaching: The field of Coaching is gaining popularity from corporations to the individual. Coaching is for those who would like to have clarity in what they want in life, or business, and stay focused with their goals and outcomes. Coaching is for well functioning clients who would like to increase their focus, performance, motivation, and live their best. I've often heard it said, "If you want a diagnosis, see a psychologist. If you want practical tools for moving your life forward, and staying focused on achieving your goals - hire a coach."

Neuro-Linguistics: The field of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) began in the 1970's as Psychology researchers John Grinder and Richard Bandler noticed there was a wide difference in the level of client results between psychologists. They decided to study some of the best psychologists, and most brilliant minds of the times, so that they would be able to break down what they were doing, and teach it to other people. What they discovered is the world of mental strategies, patterns of thinking and feeling, and how to work with such internal strategies to help clients create change easily. NLP has vast applications from replacing fears, phobias, anxiety, and negative thinking, to increasing focus, performance, motivation, and more! NLP is a field of study as well as practical strategies for making anything you do in life even better!

Hypnosis: Milton Erickson was one of the great Hypnotherapists of our time. It was often said that clients would simply sit down with Erickson while he told them a story, and the client would walk away changed. Hypnosis engages the unconscious mind to helping the individual create the change they would like. Many people might be afraid of hypnosis because of the bad reputation from Hollywood. Hypnosis is simply a way of calming your own mind, being more aware of your own internal motivations, and moving yourself forward with greater awareness. Hypnosis has had amazing applications in the field of medicine, from speed healing, to replacing anaesthesia in surgery, increasing memory and focus, reducing addictions, compulsions, and cravings, and more! With recent advances, one can gain all the positive benefits of hypnosis while wide awake.

Thought Pattern Management: Robert Fletcher streamlined the processes of Hypnosis and NLP, and developed the approach with the insight that once the mind (or brain) learned to do something, it could apply that same strategy to other areas for greater growth, learning, healing, and more. Once the mind learned some new strategy or process, it could also speed it up and automate it. TPM allows people to shorten the time frame for healing, speed recovery, accelerate learning, create new habits, replace addictions, and much more. I've found it so useful in clearing up past negative events, I've incorporated it as session 1 in my Coaching. Clients have reported that depression, anxiety, old fears, past abuse, and more seem to just fade away as the mind learns and automates the strategy for resolving negative events.