Bodymind Wisdom

more on travel esentials

2008-10-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

Gotta dash off, but I'll start the list of essentials for INDEPENDENT travel- that is, not with a tour group, or anyone else making decisions and taking care of you - just me myself and moi, well, actually, moi and Hubby. Figuring things out as we go along. Meeting real people, not tour agents and such.

surgical masks: if you are going anywhere dusty, anywhere where the roads are not all paved, and it isn't the rainy season, and the buses are not air-conditioned.....you may want to hae and wear one, to breathe. Breathing is nice.
compass: it's nice to know which way to go; you have to know how to use one, too!
a light, such as a headlamp, so your hands are free, if you are walking into an apartment building in Yerevan and nobody has replaced the light bulb in the hallway for several years. Or many other times!
an absorbent pack towel, the kind that are orange, made in Germany, sell for $1 at a dollar store and alot more elsewhere. You will use it to speed along the drying process of the clothes you wash in the bidet. Or sink if there is no bidet. I'll post photos later!

That's all for now. Many more later. Cao.

Travel

2008-10-07T04:55:00.000-07:00

I really do blog more often than it appears, it's just that I don't have a cable connecting my head and this PC, so it never gets published.
Travel to a Middle Eastern Arabic Muslim country, next month! Eeek! It's so exciting! But it also has me realizing that my parents did a job and a half on me raising me to know that I am an equal to the male counterpart, so I stress over this issue of whether I can wear short-sleeved shirts in Syria. If my husband can, why can't I? I don't get it. It's just an arm.
Essentials of travel: I have a longish list, but I'll start with the top three.

Silk sheets. That's right, you read it correctly. Silk travel sheets. Say that out loud, "Silk sheets" or en francais: "draps de soie". How elegant, how sensuous, how silky smooth, smoothing out any roughness of bed sheets in a less-than 5-star hotel.
My buckwheat hull pillow. It's tiny, ridiculously tiny, but it has me realizing how ridiculously large standard pillows are. This is all you need, and it is so accommodating to the head and neck, it corrects and misalignment in the spine. Go for it. You won't regret carrying it.
My Whiz Freedom. I waited too many years to find this product. In the countries where we travel, western hygienic standards are not found, toilets are not found, toilet paper is not found. With this baby, I can stand on the side of a road beside our vehicle and take a leak, just like Hubby, without exposing myself. I've done it. (No, I don't plan to do that in Syria, but it's a comfort to have and know that I can pee anywhere!) It's the best invention since sliced bread. Actually, when traveling staying hydrated is always a big issue, having bottled water, or rather safe water....not dehydrating myself because I don't know where the next toilet will be.....freedom to whiz!

blogging

2008-09-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

It's not as easy as it looks to come up with all of this wisdom! Actually, I am surprised myself at how hard it is to remember to do it while I'm sitting at my computer. I think of it often when I am driving, or walking, or shopping, or sitting with a client...... all times when actually writing these brilliant ideas is not possible.

I am off to the Middle East- Syria and Jordan- in less than a month. I have not been this excited about a trip in a long time! I look forward to the radically different culture, wonderful food, shopping in the souks- not your average Wal-Mart kind of made in China merchandise there! And a language that won't be easy to pick up or read- why bother even trying to read it, I say. I can now say, "I'm happy because I'm going to Syria in October". In Arabic. Probably not the most useful thing to say once I'm there...but you have to start somewhere.

I have found in my travels that the words needed to be able to say are adjectives (good, nice, beautiful, delicious, big, small), adverbs (fast, quickly), basic greetings like 'good morning', how are you? and to be able to understand then asked "Where are you from?" And to be able to say "I don't speak..." of course, you are saying that in the target language, which makes you a liar !

My expectations of this trip are to be in a state of wonder, to be appreciative of the warm hospitality as well as the opportunity to have this experience, and to take every opportunity to learn. Recipes, ingredients, way of life, hospitality, graciousness, etc.

welcomed lessons

2008-07-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day on the Bruce Peninsula. I had asked the attendant at an art gallery what was so outstanding that we shouldn't miss. Her answer was, the grotto- don't miss it. So, off to the grotto we went the next day.
The first treat was to see a Massassauga Rattlesnake, just off the trail. Live, wild, rattling!
When we arrived at the opening in the cliffs to go down into the grotto, I knew I would not be able to go down there. Too small, too tight, too scary. No, never. We were surrounded by too many people to count, most of them dropping down that hole without a second thought. When they heard my fears expressed, I was told, "It's a piece of cake!" "It's easier and safer than going down the cliff face!" "Easy!"
Yeh, right. I was about to do it when someone said that after the initial drop, it gets tight for a little while. Okay, forget it.
So I tried the cliff face. Forget that too. Back to the hole.
In the end, I did it. And it was a piece of cake. Easy. No sweat. The big take-away for me was the importance of all the camaraderie and support surrounding me by strangers.
I normally don't like going into nature with crowds of strangers. Nature is sacred to me, very personal, intimate.
Previously, I felt invaded by strangers. Not any more. I may still choose to be alone in nature, but I have a healthier attitude about being among others. I grew.
What happened next strengthened that new attitude.

summertime, and the living is easy

2008-07-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's true!
And what is my conclusion about my 'trial week'? Not bad, but as Patch Adams says -or was it Deepak Chopra? - the smallest unit of human existence is two, not one. We are meant to be together.
However, being a true introvert, I appreciate time to myself. What better way to get to know oneself?! And, as I like to quote, "You will never perform consistently in a manner that is inconsistent with how you define yourself." (Zig Ziglar) So it is vitally important to know how you define yourself, and modify it if you don't like it, if what is coming to you in life is not what you truly want.
Easier said than done? No, I think not. It takes determination, and introspection, and honesty. It starts with knowing one's top values- "Know thyself." (Socrates) Did I mention personal coaching?

great week!

2008-07-10T19:59:00.001-07:00

Conditioning- my new word for getting new habits ingrained. What I'm working on this week is establishing new beliefs about myself as someone that does act on the desire to have a good walk or swim several times each week. I love both, but find it's so easy to find excuses not to!

I have also found benefit in clearing space; maybe there is something to feng shui. It certainly helps me to be more focused to not have clutter and piles all around me. So now I can say about myself that I am someone that functions best in an organized, or at least clutter-free environment.

So what does all of this blathering have to do with my previous posts?! I think it is introspection I'm doing as a result of being on my own this week. Having this house to myself this week is a reduction in energy and mass within my environment, and I think it has contributed to me being more organized and having accomplished so much more.

What I'm getting out of this is getting clear-er on how I define myself. One of my favourite quotes: "You will never perform consistently in a manner that is inconsistent with how you define yourself." (Zig Ziglar) When I challenge myself, I can then add new data to my definition bank of who I am and how I am being in the world. I like what I've learned so far this week.

weak trial week Day 2

2008-07-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

At the end of last year I wrote up a list of goals, objectives to reach in 2008. New high standards to hold myself to. One was to not be lazy. This week I put it to the test. Yesterday I was well on my path of sticking to my principals: ate well, swam my first 45 minute swim across Meech Lake this season; didn't pine away for my beloved! Miss him, yes, but didn't suffer. I look forward to assessing my feelings at the end of the week- do I feel better because of honouring this powerful commitment to myself? Did it make any difference? Can I / will I continue on this course? Is it enough of a challenge? Would I benefit from a greater challenge?

weak trial week -Day 1

2008-07-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

He left me. Normally I am the one to take off, usually to visit my mother. Or to a hypnosis convention. Once to travel to Bulgaria for the Koprivshtitsa festival. Now it's his turn to leave me, for a 5-day Voyageur canoe trip, the "River Healing Journey". When he walked out the door to start the journey, my heart sank. My heart pained. My heart cried. Was it a mistake to stay home, using as my excuse the fact that I need to work for a living? Why wasn't I following my favourite advice, "Deny reality!"...?

Keep busy, I told myself. There is so much work to do around the house. I already had plans made to go up to Meech Lake in the morn for a swim. And the weather is so gorgeous now....make hay while the sun shines...Went for a bike ride to Britannia Beach. So many people.

Dinner: my main challenge. When I was single, I ate simply. Don spoils me, does most of the cooking, and keeps down (read: eliminates entirely) the 'fast food'. I now challenge myself to eat as well alone as I do when he is in charge. My trial. Tonight: salad (red leaf lettuce, arugala, and beet greens) from the garden, kale from the garden, leftover spaghetti, and for dessert raspberries from the garden mixed with strawberries and blueberries and vanilla ice cream with maple syrup on top. It was the article in today's newspaper about maple syrup that got me on to that. So the dessert was packed with nutrients!

I am convinced that any food that one can eat with pure delight is thereby packed with nutrients. Not all nutrients have chemical names. (In truth, joy, happiness, or contentment, from eating a good meal, spending time with friends, any pleasant activity, all kick in the happy hormones in our mindbody: chemicals.) Be happy. Find things that make you happy.

Keeping busy.... did some gardening, wondered where Don is, cleaned up the basement, wondered if Don put up the tent without help, blogged. Later, a movie...?

great minds think alike!

2008-07-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

In my coaching work, I put emphasis on several things, stress management, self-identity and play being extremely important. Recently I actually read the little study guide that came with Candace Pert's excellent audio book "The Body is Your Subconscious Mine" and found that her recommendations for healthier living by lowering stress levels are:
1: meditation
2: honesty, bringing us 'back to center', which means to me, being who we really are, true to our identity
3: play!

Great minds think alike!

boycott the insanity!

2008-04-21T13:02:00.001-07:00

Yes, the idea came to me to unite as many people as possible in uniting the insanity with which we are bombarded daily. I speak of the myths perpetuated by the so-called experts, as well as those publishing the unsound findings of those so-called experts. Those that tell us we are supposed to age a certain way, believe certain myths, take so many years to heal of emotional trauma, not heal from this or that diagnoses, blah blah blah. Baloney.

Let's start demanding sound research studies that are reputable. If it hasn't been done, let's not accept the conclusion someone made simply because they studied a lot of text books and paid a lot of tuition to graduate with a certain sheepskin. Education does not equal intelligence.

So I say, let's boycott all stupid beliefs and all stupid teachings and myths. If a study hasn't been done taking into account MY subconscious mind and the wealth of power which therein lies, then the findings of that study are not applicable to me. Period. Let's stop believing that antibiotics and anti-depressants and invasive surgery and invasive childbirth are normal and necessary .

eco-friendly

2008-04-16T09:50:00.001-07:00

While we're on the subject of doing all things in an environmentally friendly fashion, how about health care? How about eliminating all of those chemicals going into our rivers, contaminating poor little fish, shellfish, frogs, and all those critters that feed upon them? Hormones taken by humans, flushed into the waters in urine or improperly disposed of pharmaceuticals, are having a huge effect upon other species' reproduction.

We can greatly reduce, if not eliminate, this dumping of our human problems onto those with whom we share the planet, buy using alternative, chemical-free healing. EFT- Emotional Freedom Techniques- is one such modality. Based on the same meridians as ancient Chinese acupuncture, this requires no needles and no drugs, only thought and gentle tapping on specific, easily learned points on the body.

I am a big fan of EFT for several reasons. One is that once learned, I have a tool for life. It is something I can do anywhere, anytime. It lessens my need for packing when I travel. It lessens my dependence on others for healing. It eliminates any drugs that I might otherwise require, reducing what goes into my body and what then goes into the environment. I hope some day it reduces what is demanded by consumers, and then produced by drug companies.

No surprise here that recent studies are showing that antidepressant medication is no better than placebos for most users. All those chemicals produced, packaged, ship around the world (more greenhouse gas emissions) - for what? For a few to get richer. And the planet and all inhabitants to get more doped up.

Question authority (but not your mother).

research shows

2008-04-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

Seminal research reveals that people who do the hokey-pokey after breakfast have unprecedented preprandial levels of bliss, joy, and euphoria compared to those that do the hokey-pokey before breakfast, whose postprandial levels precede their post-partum levels.

He said, "Huh?"

She, "It's true. Shall we do it?"

Sufi love poem

2008-02-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure of the source of this poem; I first heard it chanted by dancers moving in two circles counter-clockwise towards each other, making eye contact and saying, "All I want for you...is forever....to remember me.... As loving you."

What could be a more profound declaration of love?

life happens

2008-02-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

With too much going on, how do I decide what subject is most interesting to blog about? Having the pleasure of indulging in an intensive French language course with a room full of interesting, fun, stimulating immigrants? Getting over my severe inhibitions about speaking poor French? Discovering the delights of the Quebecoise culture, my ability to completely understand someone that is an FLE instructor, but understanding so little of what is spoken on the street?

Or the 'disease of motherhood', dealing with the realities of an adopted son's Fetal Alcohol Effects? The anguish, pain, sleepless nights, waking nightmares, loneliness, despair. Surtout the despair because I feel I should not be succumbing to this stress, but rather be able to rise above it. For the most part, EFT has been phenomenal in allowing me to get back to sleep after tossing and turning in that pool of despair. It is one of several stress-management strategies and tools that are keeping me healthy and mostly sane.

What I refer to as the 'disease of motherhood' is that compulsion to cook him breakfast after I have received less than stellar treatment from him. That angst that stays in the mind, wondering if he is passed-out in a snow bank in -20 degree weather. The heart-wrenching pain of it all. The inability to erase him from my heart.

I started reading Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning, about his experience in a Nazi concentrations camp. I didn't get too far into the book when I had a terrifying insight that he was actually describing my experience of living with the effects of my son's condition. It was too painful to continue, but I hope to pick it up again and write about the parallels as I see it.

So much to process....

garbage in, garbage out

2007-12-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

OOooooooooooo, I've been away too long.
I just returned from a trip to Argentina. (I don't tango, and am not interested in tango, so don't ask!)
Beautiful country, fabulous people, boring food.
What struck me is the garbage, and it isn't just Argentina. It is everywhere. And most of it comes from China. I used to think that it was an American-driven phenomenon, this garbage, and the stupid plastic commodities that litter our global landscape. One may argue that the demand comes from North America, but I argue that if it weren't produced nobody would demand it.
This may appear a lame argument, but I'd like to suggest a novel idea: why don't we all start thinking. Yes, thinking. And stop buying junk, stop buying what we don't need. Stop buying what won't last at least a generation. Stop using plastic bags.
Stop using plastic bags.

pillows!!! what is your head resting upon?

2007-10-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

It has recently come to my attention, in a most joyous manner, that a simple thing like a pillow can make a HUGE difference in one's life. I had silently suffered for two years with a painful hip anytime I was in bed; therefore, no matter how tired I was, I dreaded going to bed. Circumstances developed that led me to revert back to the pillow I had used previously, a buckwheat hull pillow. Da daaaaa! I magically slept pain-free! And have every night since.

I find this an interesting puzzle, but haven't investigated it. I am happy. Deliriously happy! (Although I must admit I am wondering what will happen while I am away from my beloved pillow. I don't like dependency.)

This has lead me to ponder the metaphysical twist to this scenario- what is my head resting upon, day to day? What thoughts, images, memories, beliefs, messages, myths, fears, hidden judgments, prejudices, opinions, views are creeping around my subconscious control centre? And possibly limiting me in some way, making my life painful or unproductive, or un-purposeful, or essentially not OnTrack?

What simple lifestyle change can I make that will put ease back into my life where distress once lingered? What can I take my 'head' off of? What can I rest my thoughts upon to bring about a similar delightful, delirious, blissed out sense of joy?

(I think one answer is meditation.)

investments

2007-10-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

With every moment, with every thought, and with every feeling, we are choosing to invest or to spend our most valuable resource: the power of our subconscious mind and all it is capable of accruing. If our life is played out in illness, poverty, lack of any kind, unstable situations, lack of employment, etc., it is revealing a depleted, bankrupt state of mind. If, on the other hand... we are investing wisely and choosing a playful approach to life, letting little blips bounce off of us, CHOOSING to smile, to laugh, to "turn the other cheek", having an expectation of the best is yet to come- then our life is playing out in joyful circumstances.

I bought a frig magnet today that says: "Reality is the only obstacle to happiness". Such wisdom! All the richest, most successful people alive today- and many through history- held to a vision, put themselves into the future and imagined it into existence. In other words, they didn't buy into the present reality, but constructed a vision of what they wanted their life to be like and PRETENDED, imagined, played it into being! How hard is that!!!!

If I really invest my thoughts - actually my feelings - in wealth, how it feels to be wealthy (as I define wealth), I will realize that state. Likewise health, joyous relationships, rewarding and purposeful career...

I can live in the state of health, wealth, prosperity, from the inside, and look forward to the manifestation.

Read all about it in Rhonda Byrne's book/DVD "The Secret".

I like to think of it as an investment: would I rather hold negative images of lack and limitation, or happy, positive, buoyant, joyous, uplifting images? A no-brainer.

fossils

2007-09-07T08:12:00.001-07:00

Labor Day weekend included a day of discovery in the Ottawa River. An island surrounded by a fossilized beach. By that I mean a beach of rock, probably limestone, with incredible 'intrusions' of fossils, unbelievably sharp to the touch. It would be impossible to walk barefoot along that shoreline. Many fossils were identifiable as shells and such, but many others are of creatures foreign to me.

This had me thinking about what fossils I might have lurking around in my metaphysical cranium, the non-physical part of me that has so much influence over how my life is played out- the body is a printout of consciousness. Whatever fossilized beliefs, attitudes, fears, or unproductive memories I have taking up valuable "space" in my subconscious mind, that is what plays out in my life, what is visible, palpable, and powerful. I can undo those processes by taking conscious thought, digging up and discarding those unwanted fossils, over-writing the message to one that I consciously choose.

So many of those fossils were put there when my back was turned, or my conscious mind was not fully developed to filter out the garbage.

Now I choose.

what's in your backyard?

2007-08-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

This has been an amazing summer for me- I have discovered the treasures in my own backyard. I didn't have to deal with customs and immigration to travel abroad, suffering 8+ hours folded into a tight little aircraft seat, unable to sleep as a sardine, to get to the 'exotic' lands of Europe, or elsewhere. I have greatly enjoyed the times I have traveled there, but there are inconveniences.

Now I know better, I am wiser. I discovered the joys, delights and beauty of both the Gaspe area of Quebec and the Bruce peninsula here in Ontario. What is particularly exciting is that these wonders are truly in my backyard- a day's drive away at most. There at either location I have what excites, thrills, rejuvenates, and restores me. When I am in that blissed out state, I am flowing with the energy of the Universe. I am on top of the world, invincible, delirious and drunken with joy. I am one with who I really am.

The truth is that we each have such "neighbourhoods" in our own backyard. We each have unlimited resources for that exact blissed out state, without traveling at all. Resources, states that we can invoke at will, consciously, to rejuvenate, recharge, and renew us. Reinvent, as one client recently stated.

We can go 'on vacation' to a place within us where we can start anew, taking on the identity, the dynamism, the confidence, the ease that allows healing, the freedom from previously pre-conscious programming. And just as in going to some place new, where another language is spoken, or we need to learn the lay of the land, when going within to our inner world, at first we must learn the language and develop a road map. A little learning curve, and then we are sailing, blissed out, confident and courageous and empowered. Life can get batter, more joyous.

Happiness is not a luxury, but rather an necessity. And it is our natural state of being.

who I am today

2007-08-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

It's a sobering thought to realize that who I am today is a direct response to what I believed yesterday about myself and about the way the world works; furthermore, who I will be tomorrow is a direct reflection of what I am- how I am living- today. It is enormously vital to be conscious of every thought, assumption, action, and way of being in this world, as it responds so predictably to all of that. It can be seen as burdensome, as heavy responsibility; I choose to see it as empowering. Challenging also to learn deliberate creation, since we generally aren't taught it from childhood.

How I define myself to myself is probably the most important thing I need to be aware of. What are my deepest values that I won't compromise? What do I need in my environment in order to be my best? What gives me energy, healthy energy? What are my strengths that I can share with the world?

That is just the beginning. Next, it is important that I have a strong spiritual sense of who I am and how I fit in this world. Have I accepted any labels that society put on me? Or the medical system? Or an educational system? Have I examined societal beliefs that I may hold and chosen whether I want to accept them or not?

Examples of beliefs worth abandoning: a) my mother had/has this disease, therefore I must have it; b) at this age I must expect symptom X ; c) this is a dog-eat-dog world and I must compete in order to get ahead; and the stupidest belief of all, d) successful people are successful due to 'luck'.

Personal power is unleashed when we consciously choose how we define ourselves and actively deny imposed ideas, replacing them with joyous declarations: "I can boldly assume and accept that I am healthy, wealthy, and successful."

Not long ago I had someone tell me she didn't believe in the law of attraction, or that negative thinking causes negative events to happen. She maintained that she was a habitual negative thinker, and the result was that when the doom she predicted or expected didn't transpire, she felt relieved. Therefore it is better, in her thinking, to expect the worst, so that when the worst doesn't happen you can celebrate! Now there's logic!

Plato and play

2007-07-16T13:23:00.001-07:00

Methinks Plato would be proud of me. He is reported to have said something to the effect that Life should be lived as if it were play. I love that idea, especially since it describes how I like to live my life. A big part of me never group up (Peter Pan would be proud of me!) This past weekend I had a great time with my best friend at the Drummondville festival of cultures. Watching the folk dance, hearing folk music- all of that is the essence of life for us- both the staff of life and the icing on the cake! (How's that for mixed metaphors!)

On top of that was the fun we had naming our new friends. The festival includes a "village" of kiosks selling handcrafts, art, etc. from many parts of the world. We collected far more animalitos than we would ever publicly admit, but we stayed up late at night in our tent naming them and giving them personalities! Absolutely crazy, but my belly was sore from laughing so hard and for so long!

It may seem a tad childlike, and it is. However, it is healthy fun that keeps the imagination alive, keeps attention off of the 'doom and gloom' that surrounds us, and solidifies a good friendship!

I encourage everyone to have imaginary friends, playthings, stuffed animals, play, play, play!

my designated charities

2007-07-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

I have initiated a referral incentive program in which anyone referring a friend to me, someone who becomes a client, gets a reward! Yea! One of the choices is to have a donation made in the referrer's name to one of my designated charities. I have chosen two: one is Project TEMBO: The Tanzania Education and Micro-Business Opportunity. I love the idea of buying a goat for a woman in order to jump-start a business that enables her to support her family! Goats are so cool!! A $40 donation does just that, so anyone connecting me with an organization that hires me as a (paid) speaker can choose to help a woman in Tanzania be self-sufficient.
The other charitable organization will one be devoted to energy psychology in disaster relief. I am researching various such organizations at present and will post my choice later. Anyone that can recommend one is welcome to contact me with the information.

back on track

2007-07-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Been too long...... busy summer enjoying life! Paddled a voyageur canoe with 8 others to Montreal... college reunion of my husband in Schenectady, and then a wonderful trip to Quebec City, Tadoussac (saw four species of whales!) and Gaspé. Didn't spend enough time in idyllic pleasures of beach combing, gathering driftwood and stones, etc. Next time!

I must say, the more I learn about Energy Psychology the more I am proud to be an energy therapist. A quick search will reveal the humanitarian work being done around the world in areas of trauma and disaster, such as post-Katrina, tsunami, Kosovo. The EFT that I do is only one of several energy psychology therapies, and they all seem to bring great relief to troubled minds and bodies, or mindbodies, as we know it to be!

Look here for examples: Shift in Action
Here: Common Bond Institute
and the Stanford Forgiveness Project.

bodymind? mindbody?

2007-05-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I named this blog 'bodymind wisdom', and my new business venture is 'MindBody' Associates. Why one way or the other? I find 'bodymind' rolls off the tongue more easily, but I like the connotation of mindbody better. I like the fact that Candace Pert combines the two words into one, and I think we will see more and more of that, which means it will make it into "the dictionary" soon as a neologism. The important point of course is that 'body' and 'mind' are not two separate entities, but one. Some say two sides of the same coin. Perhaps two expressions of the same being....?

I find it exciting, although at the same time it is what is so frustration that so many clients that I see tell me of their experiences with their primary medical care provider who acknowledges that an illness (body) may be an expression of stress (mind), but the way to deal with it is a prescription for the 'body'. If that were the only scenario I'm hearing about I wouldn't be so frustrated....it goes on...and on.... and on. And there is no justification. Poor medical training, poor understanding, conservative thinkers....

it's been too long!

2007-05-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

Wow! When I set up this blog I thought it would occupy my every thought and minute! Time flies when you are having fun...and life should be fun. That is one of my most fundamental beliefs....in synch with what Plato said...that life should be lived as if it were play! What a great idea...and not always easy to implement...but can be fun trying.

The last few weeks have been fun setting up a new office...exciting taking on a business partner and setting up our joint endeavour, MindBody Associates. More on that later...

I awoke this morning in awe of the fact that there is so little understanding of the impact that the first 9 months of a child's life, in utero, have on the child later in life, even in adulthood. That time is so impressionable, and I don't mean simply what the mother eats, drinks and smokes, but rather the emotional, which, as we now know, translates into the chemical/physical environment! (That is why MindBody is one word- we can't separate those aspects of our being into two separate parts, as they function as one.) So if a child, prior to birth, is subjected to the fear, anxiety, hate, despair, anger, or depression of the maternal chemistry, does it not make sense that the child will feel it and experience similar chemistry? Makes sense to me..... and that is why hypnosis has so much to offer in healing. In hypnosis we can bring back those memories and undo the damage, bringing adult understanding to the prenatal mind. It works. Of course we can't change what happened then in a physical sense; but if as an adult the person can't seem to shake feelings of anger, fear, etc., there may be some regression work to be done. Once the understanding is brought to the child's mind, healing can take place.