I was FAT!

Over 25 years ago, I weighed 65 lbs more than I do now. How did that happen?

LIFE!

Yes, life happened. Maybe life happened to you too.

I became a product of  a sedentary lifestyle, and junk food. Just like the majority of Americans. And I was unhappy.

Junk Food was my comfort. Helped me not care quite so much about being unhappy. Junk food is a lot like heroin. It bonds with the opiate receptors in my brain. Refined carbohydrates and sugars really do that! Like opium/heroin. Junk food junkie...that was me. Is that true for you? Is sugar your heroin, like it was for me?

Well, of course, that doesn't work. Empty calories make us fat!!

It is actually just that simple. Empty calories make us fat. Sure made me fat...how about you??

So, the cure for me was simple,  based on the "wisdom" of the day: "Eat less fat (fat has more calories per gram than carbohydrates),  and exercise a lot.

I did all of the "right things" to do. Lots of skinless chicken breasts. Veggies, salads out my ear. And so, after a 10 mile run at 6,000 feet, or climbing a 14000 peak, I would eat  a fairly massive carbohydrate heavy dinner. And, I lost weight. Yes, I did. Why? Simple: I burned WAY more calories than I could consume.

That really worked for me. Based on simple math,  calories in = calories out. That is the conventional wisdom, and it seems obvious that the way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is to balance calories in with calories out.

It did work. However, I got to the point where I just ached all the time. It hurt to get out of bed in the morning. And I got a lot of colds. I simply did not feel very good. I looked good, but I didn't feel good.

Something was very wrong.....

to be continued.....

Hypnosis and ADD/ADHD

MANAGE ADD/ADHD

I understand ADD/ADHD from the inside. You see, I have the "disorder" of having "attention deficit".

Well..I don't think that it is a disorder at all. And, I find that I can "hyper focus" on something that interests me far better than a lot of other people can. It's just that my brain works a bit differently than the "average" brain. And that's OK. I surely don't want to be "average".

I teach my clients skills that are both powerful and effective in directing their ADD/ADHD. I use hypnosis  along with other mind management techniques like Neuro-Linguistic Programming, the Emotional Freedom Technique, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The results can be deep, rapid, and lasting. 

I work together with Kay Axtell  M.A. S.C.A.C, an educator and life coach with many years of experience. Kay specializes in working with people who have ADD/ADHD. She has a Masters Degree in Education and is one of the few people in the world who holds a Senior Certification in ADD/ADHD Life Coaching.

She teaches her clients to understand how ADD/ADHD is not a "deficit disorder" at all. And she teaches people with ADD/ADHD how to use their powerful underlying talents and genius to make their life work in effective ways.  

How Hypnosis Works

HOW HYPNOSIS WORKS

Think of the mind as having two different parts that have different functions: the Conscious Mind and the Unconscious Mind.

The Conscious Mind:

Thinks
Makes plans
Decides
Determines good, bad, right, wrong
Reasons
Accepts
Rejects
Does math
Figures things out

The Unconscious Mind:

Runs the physical body
Holds all of our memories
Drives all of our habitual behaviors
Gives rise to all of our emotions
While the Unconscious Mind only does these  things, these are the things that make up the vast majority of what we feel, say and do, day in and day out. We are largely driven by our Unconscious Mind. The Unconscious Mind is a HUGE part of us!

The Unconscious Mind is programmed!

From the time of conception until age 7 or 8, you are essentially an Unconscious Mind running around. You are like a  little sponge, soaking everything up. You are like a computer that is downloading massive amounts of data. You spend those early years being programmed.You have been programmed by your family, your peers, your teachers, radio, television, magazines, newspapers, billboards: by your culture and everything in it!

You learn most of what you will learn during the course of your lifetime during that early formative period. You learn how to walk, how to talk, how to relate to other people, and so much more. You acquire your attitudes, your beliefs, and your values. Fortunately, the vast majority of the programs that you take in are good, and work well. If they didn't, you probably wouldn't be here! The Prime Directive of the Unconscious Mind is to preserve and to protect your body. It's #1 job is to protect you from danger. And it has done a pretty good job of doing just that...even if there are some things that it's doing that you (from the perspective of the conscious mind) aren't too happy about.

GIGO

Because some of the programs that you have don't work so well. As the computer geeks say, "Garbage In...Garbage Out...GIGO". Faulty programs create faulty behaviors. And so it is faulty programming at the Unconscious level of the mind that causes most of the problems. You consciously know what you want to do or what you want to stop doing. But you find it very difficult to change, because the Unconscious mind just keeps grinding out the same old responses.

Beliefs

And, it is your Unconscious Mind that holds all of your BELIEFS, ATTITUDES and VALUES! Kinda scary to think that all of that stuff was actually installed - programmed -  in you before you even had the capacity to make your own decisions about life. So...if you were repeatedly told that you were... stupid...or clumsy...or plain...or bad...or that "you can't"...Don't you think that that stuff holds you back now? It does, does it not?

The Unconscious Mind is dumb

The Unconscious Mind doesn't know the difference between a good behavior and a harmful behavior. It can't reason (reasoning is for the Conscious Mind). It doesn't know that the habit of brushing your teeth is a good habit and that smoking or over-eating are bad habits. As far as the Unconscious Mind is concerned, they are all just behaviors. And the Unconscious Mind works very hard at maintaining habitual behaviors (running programs), good or bad. We consciously know better than to have that second helping, but we find ourselves reaching for it anyway. We consciously want to be more calm when our teenager is being a teenager, but we blow up. We consciously want to stop smoking, but our hand keeps sticking cigarettes in our mouth. What's going on? Why can't we change and do thing the way we KNOW would be better?

The Unconscious Mind overrides the Conscious Mind

The programs in the Unconscious Mind are very powerful, and the conscious Mind is usually not strong enough to maintain a change in behavior for very long. The Unconscious Mind doesn't listen to the Conscious Mind. The two parts of the mind don't communicate. And that's the problem! In ordinary consciousness, the Unconscious Mind just doesn't get the messages from the Conscious Mind that things need to change.

Hypnosis to the rescue!

When you enter into the mental state of hypnosis, it is as if the Unconscious Mind comes to the surface. You can work with the Unconscious Mind and the Conscious Mind at the same time. You can establish communication between the two parts of the mind, and begin to get them to cooperate.
When the Conscious Mind and the Unconscious Mind come into agreement, and begin to work together, the changes that you desire can happen quickly, easily, deeply, and permanently. When the Unconscious Mind understands that you want to stop an old habit because it is harmful, then it can erase the old program that runs that habit. And if the Unconscious Mind understands that you want to begin a new behavior because it is good for you, then it can begin to run a new program that moves you in the direction that you want to go.
My overall goal, as I am working with my clients, is to negotiate with the Unconscious Mind to stop producing behaviors that cause problems, and to begin generating new behaviors that work better. Hypnosis, and the other techniques that I use are the ideal approach to make this happen.

Hypnosis:Myths and Misconceptions

Misunderstandings, Misconceptions, and Myths About Hypnosis

Have you ever seen a hypnosis stage show? It looks like the hypnotist has some sort of power to control people, doesn’t it? The hypnotist has people running around like chickens and acting strangely. Have you seen  an episode of the Mentalist? How about  a recent CSI episode where a lady was given the suggestion in hypnosis that she would dive from her balcony into a swimming pool a few feet below? There was no pool! And the poor girl dove to her death. Terrible. And utter nonsense! Absolute utter nonsense. Such shows make strong TV drama, but have nothing at all to do with what hypnosis is really all about.  And sadly, shows like that can make people afraid to use one of the safest and most powerful tools for positive personal change that exists.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state of consciousness that we all go into and out of routinely. You have been in hypnotic trance many, many times in your life. Any time you “space out” or go into a daydream, you have entered into a hypnotic state. We go into hypnotic trance states every day! Common examples of everyday hypnosis include "highway hypnosis" where you have been driving down that long, straight highway for a long time, and suddenly you wonder, "what happened to the last 30 miles, and who was driving the car?". Well, your unconscious mind was, and (based on results), it did a pretty good job. If you have ever gone to a "Chick flick" and gotten a bit teary-eyed and choked-up, you entered into a very deep hypnotic trance. All that you really experienced was splashes of light on a screen...it wasn't real at all, and yet, you took it in as your reality. You were hypnotized!

Studies have shown that we are in the hypnotic state 75% of the time when we watch television! That explains why advertisers spend billions of dollars to advertise on TV (we can't be controlled when we are in hypnosis, but we can be influenced to behave in ways that we already have an inclination to behave). In fact, Albert Einstein called hypnosis "creative daydreaming", (and Einstein stopped smoking with hypnosis!!)

The power of hypnosis lies in it’s ability to allow communication to be established between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind, so that you can make the changes that you want to make. When we are able to communicate with the unconscious mind, we can provide it with new information, and suggest new ways of behaving that work better.

What are the common fears and misconceptions?

Fear: "What if I become“stuck” in hypnosis?"

FACT : Because hypnosis is a naturally occurring state, you will naturally emerge when it is appropriate to do so. You are in control...you cannot become stuck (although it feels so good, you might wish you could get stuck for a long time!). But, YOU are always in control!

Fear: "I'll  become a Zombie...I'll be knocked out...unconscious...I won't remember what happened".

FACT : People are often surprised to learn that they are consciously aware, and remember what happens in hypnosis. The whole idea is for the unconscious mind to come to the forefront, along with the conscious mind, so that we can work with the whole mind to make the changes that you desire. And when the conscious mind and the unconscious mind begin to communicate, and agree, and come into alignment...there is great, great power for change. And...YOU are in control!

Fear: "I'll give away my deep dark secrets".

FACT: Hypnosis is not like “truth serum”. You won’t say anything that you don’t want to say. In fact, while you are in hypnosis, you probably won't be talking much at all. You'll just relax, and I'll be educating your unconscious mind about the changes that YOU, at the conscious level, want to make. YOU are in control!!

Fear : "Only people with a weak will can be hypnotized. I have a strong will, and I'm stubborn".

Fact: CALL ME RIGHT AWAY! The best subjects for hypnosis are people who are educated, above average in intelligence, who have powerful wills, and who can focus with stubborn determination. Just like Albert Einstein and Tiger Woods! I really want to work with YOU!!The only question is: "What are you strong and stubborn about? The things that get in your way? Let's change that and get you moving in the directions that you want...and..YOU are always in control!


Everything can be summed up in one BASIC FEAR: "The hypnotist will control me! I don't want to lose control!!".

Answer: What a great fear to have!! You won't get sucked into a cult or give your money to someone like Bernie Madoff. In hypnosis, YOU are always, always, ALWAYS the one that is in control. The hypnotist is only a guide. Come on...if I could control people, I already would have talked with some bankers..."Give me all the money in the bank, and forget you gave it to me."!! Bottom line...YOU are in control!!

Hypnosis is so safe that it is unregulated in most states in the U.S. The legislators have looked at hypnosis and determined that it is essentially harmless: the worst that can happen is...nothing! And so they have decided not to pass a lot of laws about it.

I recently asked a friend of mine, an acupuncturist (she's really good, call me for her number), what she paid for malpractice insurance. She said $1,000 a year. I was shocked! Acupuncture is SO SAFE! I highly recommend acupuncture. She asked me what I paid...I have a 1 million dollar policy and I pay $100 a year (that barely covers administrative costs to the underwriter!). THAT'S how safe hypnotherapy is. YOU are in control!. Always. YOU are SAFE!! And if you have any concerns, please BRING A TRUSTED FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER to the session. That's always fine with me!

Hypnosis Is:

- The ultimate display of self-control
- Being awake with complete awareness
- Communication with the Unconscious mind
- A powerful tool to solve a multitude of problems
- Using the imagination
- A powerful tool for health, wellness, and for becoming the best that you can be in every area of your life!

Hypnosis Is Not:

- Loss of control
- Sleep
- Being controlled by someone else
- A form of black magic, voodoo, metaphysical, or mystical
- Being gullible

Hypnosis and the Placebo Effect

THE PLACEBO EFFECT




So, what is it about the Placebo Effect?


Some people say: "Hypnosis is only a placebo...it's not real". I say "Of course!" It's all about belief.


Placebo is the gold standard that medications are tested against. Isn't that interesting? The experimental criterion about "if a chemical is useful or beneficial" is: "does it beat out a sugar pill"? Well, I think that that gives a lot of power to a sugar pill. Or, a lot of power to the belief that the sugar pill has some power to be helpful. And it does!! Sugar pills are incredibly healing....if you believe they are. Pharmacological Medications are incredibly healing...if you believe they are. What is the common denominator? Belief. 


It is truly amazing...A sugar pill that is colored red is more effective. If the red (sugar) pill is more expensive, it works even better. If the sugar pill is in the bottle of a popular, highly advertised medication, it works best!! It's all about expectation and belief.


How many times have you had a headache, taken a pain reliever, and felt better within a few minutes? The power of belief in action! It actually takes a minimum of 20 minutes for an over-the-counter pain reliever to have any effect. Yet we pop an aspirin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, or whatever, and we feel better right away. Belief is amazing. In a lot of studies, a sugar pill works as well or better.


The mind is so powerful. What we accept and believe as real...becomes our reality. The old New Age idea that "we create our own reality" is true (although there is nothing "new" about that concept...we have known it for thousands of years). The Secret is simple and basic: "We Become What We Think About".


My job is to help people take control of how they think, feel and behave. Hypnosis is truly the "Royal Road" to the Unconscious Mind, which drives so much of what we think, feel, and how we behave.


Give me a call. I'm always happy to have a conversation with you.


303-250-5138

axtellhypnosiscenter.com

Anxiety Part 2

 

Part 2 Generalized Anxiety, Other Anxiety, and What to Do

Generalized Anxiety is quite common, affecting an estimated 3 to 4% of the population. This type of anxiety fills a person’s life with worry, anxiety, and fear. People who have generalized anxiety are always thinking and dwelling on the “what ifs” of every situation. It feels like there is no way out of the vicious cycle of anxiety and worry. The person often becomes depressed about life and their inability to stop worrying.

People who have generalized anxiety usually do not avoid situations, and they don’t generally have panic attacks. They can become incapacitated by an inability to shut the mind off, and are overcome with feelings of worry, dread, fatigue, and a loss of interest in life. The person usually realizes these feelings are irrational, but the feelings are also very real. The person’s mood can change from day to day, or even hour to hour. Feelings of anxiety and mood swings become a pattern that severely disrupts the quality of life.

People with generalized anxiety disorder often have physical symptoms including headaches, irritability, frustration, trembling, inability to concentrate, and sleep disturbances. They may also have symptoms of social phobia and panic disorder.

Other types of anxiety include:


Phobia, fearing a specific object or situation. Humans can develop a phobia about almost anything! A phobia is an overwhelming fear that makes it impossible to go near the feared situation. For example, someone who has a phobia of flying will not just be afraid to fly, they will absolutely be unable to get on an airplane.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a system of ritualized behaviors or obsessions that are driven by anxious thoughts.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe anxiety that is triggered by memories of a past traumatic experience.

Agoraphobia, disabling fear that prevents one from leaving home or another safe place.




My approach to helping clients with anxiety:

Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic-Programming

It is my experience that a combination of hypnotherapy and neuro-linguistic-programming techniques can be the most rapid and effective approach to overcome anxiety issues. As a client experiences hypnosis, they learn to relax deeply, perhaps more deeply than ever before. With repeated experience, that relaxation starts to spill over into day-to-day life, and the client becomes more generally relaxed. Worry, tension, stress, fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, etc. become less and less.

As clients learn and apply skills from neuro-linguistic-programming, they become empowered to take control of the (unconscious) thoughts that underlie the anxiety issues, so that deep and lasting relief is experienced.

When hypnosis and NLP are combined with other skills that I teach, deep and lasting relief can be enjoyed in a fairly short time frame.

I am always happy to answer any questions you might have, and I always offer a free consultation to prospective clients.

I work with English speaking people anywhere in the world, using Skype.




 

Hypnosis and Test Anxiety

OVERCOME TEST ANXIETY

So frustrating! You’ve studied, and you know the material. You’ve done the work, and you should ace the test.
But you’re nervous. Anxious. Your brain locks up and you can’t think. You can’t remember. You know that you know the answers. But you just can’t seem to pull them up.

MENTAL MELTDOWN

Otherwise known as cortical inhibition, this mental meltdown is the result of ANXIETY.  Anxiety causes an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system which throws the brain out of sync. The brain simply stops functioning effectively, and this results in confusion and difficulty in remembering.


Like most phobias, test anxiety can begin with just one bad experience. Being punished or ridiculed for poor performance can start a spiral of anxiety and failure that only grows worse. Every time you take a test, the anxiety comes up, your thinking clouds, you can’t remember, and you do poorly on the test, and the next test is worse. The digestive system shuts down and you feel queasy and nauseous. It’s hard to breathe. Your hearing and vision become hypersensitive, and you become distractible. You have a hard time concentrating, and may even get a headache. Your self-confidence drops even lower. It doesn’t matter how well you know the material, you just can’t access what you have learned.

Learn to Relax

Hypnosis operates at the level of the unconscious mind. It is the unconscious mind that controls the autonomic nervous system. Hypnosis can affect mental and physical factors that cannot normally be controlled consciously. With hypnosis, anxiety can be turned into relaxation. The fear can be replaced by confidence, clarity, and focus.


When you are relaxed, you do your best. I can teach you how to be calm, cool and collected when taking tests. You can feel confident of your ability, and you can perform well.


I can teach you how to get past the anxiety that’s been holding you back. 


It’s YOUR  brain!
You CAN learn how to use it. I can show you how.


I am always happy to answer any questions you might have, and I always offer a free consultation to prospective clients.

I work with English speaking people anywhere in the world, using Skype.

 303-250-5138