Tools for Transformation Blog

I recently gave a presentation for my Leads Group on how I became interested in becoming a Certified Hypnotherapist. Here is a small part of my story: 

My father is Italian, my mother is Swedish, they met in Greece, and when my brother was a year old, they emigrated to America. While I was born in Washington DC and lived in Virginia as a young child, mostly I lived in Luxembourg, until I was 15, attending boarding school in England. I went to high school in Maryland and got my bachelors in Psychology from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. I traveled extensively in my youth, in both Europe and Africa.

When I was a sophomore in college, a friend of mine asked me to spend a week with her in Santa Cruz, California. The week turned into a summer, the summer into a year, and now, somehow, twenty-three years have passed. My life was transformed in many ways that first week, including piercing my nose and meeting the parent of my child, but one of the most significant occurrences was buying my first tarot deck at Gateways. Little did I know I was about to embark upon a lifetime of study.

After graduation, I began working at a metaphysical bookstore called Aries Arts which was located in Capitola Village. For three years I was immersed in a plethora of spiritual traditions. We sold a little bit of everything, from chakra tuning bowls to Native American smudge sticks, Buddhist prayer flags to yoga mats, along with an incredible assortment of books. I studied astrology with Sue Heinz and Risa d'Angeles, as well as with crystal healing. Next, I opened my own bookstore and vegan cafe,  Herland: The WanderGround, which I owned for twelve years.

During that time I started doing both astrology readings and tarot readings professionally. Folks would want to look at the cards or chart the stars when feeling at a crossroads of life, but I noticed that they often remained stuck. After 9/11, my store took a big hit when a chain bookstore moved in around the corner. Recently separated, I realized I was not making it as a single mom, and decided to close the bookstore. I enrolled at Twin Lakes College of the Healing Arts and received my certification in Hypnotherapy. This seemed like the perfect tool to help my clients become unstuck. A year later I became certified as a Reiki practitioner, which has enhanced my practice in wondrous ways. Combining the energy work with hypnosis has helped each of my clients become a success in achieving their own personal goals.

Last fall I began looking at various graduate programs after attending a recruitment fair at Stanford. One of my teachers from Twin Lakes College, Brenda Rodriguez, posted on her LinkedIn profile that she was working on her PhD in Holistic Theology at the American Institute of Holistic Theology. I felt that cosmic "click" and googled them. After receiving their catalog, my only dilemma was which program to choose!

My business is called Tools for Transformation and I believe that the MS/PhD program in Holistic Healing will give me more tools to even better serve my clients. The tarot is still my deepest passion, and it is one of my life's goals to create my own deck. My aim is to have this be a part of my dissertation, with the intent to publish both a deck and a book in the long run. I feel really positive about this course of study, and excited to make this commitment to my self. Already, I’m thoroughly enjoying a course in Aromatherapy, and believe this aromatic art will further enhance my client's sessions. Last New Moon I made Laphrodite's Love satchets and Bath Salts, with organic lavendar and rose petals, scented with essential oils and whispered to in the night. Mmmmm, yummy love magic - email me if you'd like to purchase some.

I am no longer be working as office manager at Dr. Z’s MindBody Shop, but instead am focused on my private practice here in Soquel Village. It has been a pleasure working for Dr. Z over the last five years, and I appreciate all of my patient relationships. I have a professional tarot reader and professional astrologer for almost 25 years, and I hope to now serve fully in my capacity as a holistic healer by combining being a Certified Hypnotherapist and Certified Reiki Practitioner, as well as continuing to teach classes and workshops.


Hypnosis is effective for reducing stress through deep relaxation, changing habits (including smoking and eating), and discovering insights for long-term, successful solutions. Most clients experience results in 3-5 sessions. Reiki is useful for releasing blockages (such as grief and anger), maintaining equilibrium through chakra balancing, and feeling recharged and revitalized. I offer both 30 and 60 minute sessions.


My winter class, Journey Through the Tarot is filled, but private tarot lessons are always available, and I am looking forward to offering Creative Abundance: 9 Weeks to Greater Prosperity again this Spring at Twin Lakes College. More information as it unfolds...

I love being a part of the Santa Cruz community and the worldwide healing community. Please join my social networks - I post daily affirmations on Twitter and FaceBook. Whole Essence Magazine publishes my monthly Astro Chat if you'd like to subscribe, and I'll be posting a new tarot deck review soon on my blog.

Thank you for taking this time to get to know me a bit better. Quite simply, I love my work, and I am here for you when you need me. If you or someone you know could benefit from my services, please call to make an appointment. There is new information on my website, plus I’m always happy to answer questions by phone or email. And as always, a deep felt thank you for your... [More]

Tags: astrology, hypnosis, hypnotherapy, reiki, santa cruz, tarot

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US Games systems has just released the eagerly anticipated The Pamela Coleman Smith Commemorative Set in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. What a delicious set! Quite simply gorgeous, starting from the beautiful keepsake box it comes in, the cards printed on heavy card stock, and the details like the ribbon ties, all make this a scrumptious set, whether for the complete novice or the avid collector.

Upon opening the box, the left side has two books, post cards and prints, the right side containting the cards. The postcards and prints are delightful. Four large over sized postcards includes black and white portrait of Pamela. The six smaller postcards include a copy of The Empress. A card layout sheet is included, with a 5 Card Love Spread, 3 Card Relationship Spread, and the traditional Celtic cross layout called the Woven Spread.
The books include The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Waite, a nice, sturdy edition with Temperance on the cover. The 78 card Smith-Waite Centennial Edition Tarot Deck is reproduced from the original 1909 deck, and includes a lovely draw string organza bag. The deck itself seemed dark to me at first, but after playing with it, it seems easy on the eyes, reminding me of the gentle coloring in Mary Hanson-Roberts deck. Thick, sturdy, the cards have an English Rose on a pale blue background for the backs.

But the real delight was The Artwork and Times of Pamela Colman Smith by Stuart R. Kaplan. This little book is rich with insights into Pamela's (known as Pixie to her friends) inspirations, friendships, and collaborations as well as an extensive collection of artwork.


Over a hundred examples of her non-tarot art are featured. Simple line drawings in a wood block style tug at my heart while the more richly embellished illustrations are more evocative, from the cover for the Cases of Sherlock Holmes to The Annacy Stories - Folk Stories from Jamaica. I learned that "a distinctive feature in Smith's work is the union of foreground and background; although perspective is used, the background is as important visually as the foreground" (pg. 19).

Smith's book The Annacy Stories was published in 1899, which has been described by Thomas Nelson Page (1853-1922) as "perhaps the most original contribution to Negro folklore since Uncle Remus" (pg 30). One of my favorite illustrations is from the full color frontispiece for the book In the Valley of Stars There is a Tower of Silence, a Persian Tragedy by Smara Khamara. Many of the reproductions are from Mr. Kaplan's private collection- I only hope it is reprinted as a coffee table book one table so the lavish illustrations can be seen even better.


William Butler Yeats is credited with influencing Smith's work and introducing her to the order of the Golden Dawn. "Although Smith's art was heavily influenced by Symbolist art, it cannot be defined in terms of a school or movement. It is the outpouring of a highly original and expressive imagination. The figures often evoke the magical aura of the legendary days of chivalry, but they don't belong to a specific time or place. There appearance is as elusive as the setting in which they are placed" (pg 38).



In 1909 Arthur Waite commissioned Pamela to create a tarot deck, as he thought that adding images to the forty pip cards would be more meaningful. The earliest known extant examples of illustrated pips are part of the Sola-Busca deck, which origniated in the 15th century in Ferrara or Venice. However, Waite still placed more emphasis on the major arcana, allowing Pamela more freedom in designing the minor arcana. "The designs in the Rider-Waite deck exemplify what Smith sought to express in all her paintings and drawings: mysticism, ritual, imagination, fantasy and a deep experience of the emotions felt, but not always understood, in everyday life" (pg 78).

Smith was activist, joining the Suffrage Atelier in London, an organization dedicated to promoting women's right to vote. Never married, instead Pixie lived with her companion Mrs. Nora Lake who moved in with her in 1926 and stayed until her death. The book ends with an appendix with an article by Smith on "Should the Art Student Think" for the Craftsman Illustrated Monthly magazine. She writes, "Learn from everything, see everything, and above all, feel everything! And make other people when they look at your drawing feel it too... (even) through ugliness is beauty sometimes found"(pg.99).


A beautiful gift for yourself or a loved one, this is a set to savor. I'll be teaching my six week Journey through the Tarot class this summer at Twin Lakes College and will definitely encourage my students to consider The Pamela Coleman Smith Commemorative Set. This deluxe set is going to be release on May 15, 2009. Available locally at Bookshop Santa Cruz or Gateways, you can also order direct from US Games Systems or your local independent bookstore.

Tags: book reviews, pamela coleman smith, tarot

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Smoking is an interesting habit- people quit smoking for as many reasons as they started smoking, and absolutely hypnosis is helpful in changing any habit. Hypnotherapy allows you to discover the deeper purpose behind smoking and how to fulfill that purpose in a new, healthier, deeply satisfying way. Because all of this is happening in your own imagination, it is always the perfect right solution for you.

Some interesting facts: In breaking smoking cycle, it takes 3 days for the nicotine release; 21 days for the emotional release; and almost 2 years for the plaque build up to clear your arteries. Hypnosis is helpful for the immediate withdrawal symptoms; for processing the release of emotional toxins over the mid range; and for managing/decreasing stress in the long run.

I do a minimum of three sessions over one week to quit smoking for good. The first session is the “getting to know you” session, My intake includes looking at what is your main motivation, your 3 strongest reasons to quit; past success with quitting; support systems in your life; and what affirmations are you making now. Some examples: “I smell fresh”, “ I reach for health” and a personal favorite, “Every breath is a gift”.

During the first session I teach a simple, one minute self hypnosis technique that effectively anchors the feelings of whatever it is that smoking brings you into a part of the body. Repeating the technique while tapping that part of the body instantly brings you to that place, circumventing the need for an actual cigarette.

The second session is almost completely done in trance, and is to quit smoking entirely. This can include imagining all the future situations where you would be tempted to smoke and seeing yourself as a permanent nonsmoker. It also includes visualizing releasing all your smoking paraphernalia, from ash trays to lighters to packs or cartons of cigarettes. This reinforces your self-programming, especially when combined with your anchor.

The last session is a goodbye ritual, acknowledging how Father Tobacco has served you in life, and honoring Spirit of the Plants. I combine reiki in my sessions, using the energy to further dissolve any stagnation. According to chinese medicine, grief is stored in the lungs, and often folks who smoke are stuck in some sort of grief, and hypnosis allows for a symbolic death, mourning, and most importantly, moving on to reaffirm life.

Some folks feel it’s about having enough will power, but really I see it as changing wishful thinking into willful thinking. Feel the difference in saying out loud, “I wish I could stop smoking” and “I WILL stop smoking” When you say, “I will” your brain says, “How?” and is all excited to participate. The simple truth is: You will know when it is time to quit. I had one client come to quit smoking, which she did in 3 days, after over a year of weekly hypnotherapy sessions to address the real reason behind her smoking: stress (the proverbial smoke screen). Once she had built up the internal resources to manage her emotions and discovered ways to release her stress in a positive way, she was ready to let go of her smoking habit. Allow yourself all the time you need, and remember to embrace change as a doorway to a more peaceful existence.

I hope this is helpful. Call or email for an appointment when you are ready to quit smoking  for good!

Tags: hypnosis, hypnotherapy, quit smoking, self-hypnosis, smokind cessation

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A client asked if we could do hypnosis by phone - what if they dropped the receiver? First, yes, one can do hypnosis sessions via phone. One doesn’t actually fall asleep in sessions, so there’s no fear of dropping the phone, although headsets and speaker phones are great too. Instead, you just go into a deep, comfortable trance, much like a long drive home, engrossed in an interesting conversation. But the truth is you are always in control, are always at the wheel, and at any time can just open your eyes to break the trance. Your mind feels fully occupied with the exercises I guide you through, allowing you to come up with the exact right solution to your situation. One client came to me with a phone phobia - interestingly enough, she had recently got a job as a tele marketer. We would do phone sessions, but I have also found phone sessions effective for distance healing, relieving stress, and support while quitting smoking.

Some folks actually do an “open eyed trance” during sessions, but most find it more comfortable to close their eyes, and to be in a quiet space. The advantage of phone sessions is exactly that - being in your own space, feeling comfortable in your surroundings, and not having to travel home afterwards means you can spend some more time in that peaceful place, like taking a nap after a good massage.

I like Skype sessions because then I can see you, watch your breathing, small facial movements that indicate where you are in your process and how to guide you deeper. If you are set up for video you can record the sessions for future review or reinforcement.

Tags: hypnosis, hypnotheraoy, online hypnosis, phone sessions, quitting smoking

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I have a client I have been working with for some time now, who is extricating themselves from an extremely painful relationship. There is much to the story, of course, including a thirty year history exists between the two, and a teenage child. We discussed the concept of relationship being the greatest teacher, and what (hard) life lessons was being learned with this person. And, more importantly, when would it feel it was complete?

 

This made me start thinking about soul contracts. It’s interesting that I was “married” to a woman in a time when gay marriage was illegal and there were no domestic partnerships. As well as writing vows, we went through a series of contracts with a lawyer to establish some of the same benefits & privileges that marriage automatically grants. I’m talking about durable power of attorney for health care, durable power of attorney for finances, wills, living trusts, living together agreements including a pre-nup type agreement, and a parenting agreement. We really had to think things through, especially when we broke up.

I remember sitting at the keyboard typing the words “due to irreconcilable differences” and just losing it. I called my dad who was my biggest source of support at the time, and his wise words, “don’t drag it out”, and the papers were notarized the next day. There’s a lot of talk about gay marriage with Prop 8, but what really needs to be discussed is gay divorce.

While we had planned to go to court for a 2nd parent adoption for our child, we broke up before the process was complete, but we have both stuck to our parenting agreement for over a decade. While I have never been legally acknowledged as my child's parent,( ie no tax benefits, no insurance benefits for her, etc.), certainly I have been the other parent at every PTA meeting, every doctor’s appointment. I have paid for everything out of my own personal sense of ethics and moral obligation.

While it is easy for me to see I have a soul contract with my daughter, it was interesting to review what were my feelings about still having a contract with my ex-spouse, ten years after our divorce. Was there anything I was still hanging onto that makes me emotionally unavailable now? One purpose of the soul contract is for release - conscious and SUBCONSCIOUS release - but that starts with noting what leases (contracts) have I made.

Anyway, I came up with the following soul contracts as an exercise to clarify and create release. Some key questions in writing a soul contract are:

• what are the lessons to be learned
• what price are you willing to pay
• what point will you know that the contract has been fulfilled
• space for amendments - good lourdes, you are human and might change your mind sometime in the future!

I found some parchment paper and thought about using red ink, but there’s only so many contracts I’ll write in blood. I filed my contracts away with other important documents, like my will and house deeds. It will be interesting to see what my client come up with. Meanwhile, here are some of mine as examples:

I, KGR, do hereby acknowledge that I am a spiritual being currently living in a physical body. In this lifetime, I have a contract with this body to:

• Maintain this physical body to operate at maximum health and well being
• Nurture and develop emotional intelligence
• Feed this mind and intellect, encourage curiosity and be engaged in creative and productive ways
• Encourage my own process as a spiritual being having a human experience on planet earth
• Foster joy, love, light and laughter
• To experience happiness
• To love and cherish my life mate
• To love and cherish my family: my daughter, my parents and brother, my extended network of friends and my many familiars

This contract may be amended to at any time, and will never expire. All former contracts, karmic and otherwise, are hereby dissolved and released. All past debts are hereby considered paid in full. All future contracts will be made if and only if they are in my highest good. So Mote It Be.

Signed this 4th day of March, 2009
KGR

Witnessed by
Juno, Vesta, Athena, Aphrodite and Kuan Yin



I, KGR, do hereby acknowledge a soul contract with AXR. In this lifetime, I am here to learn how to mother, nurture and cherish this being. I willingly take on this contract, knowing I have a financial, emotional and spiritual commitment to this being's heath, well-being and development as a person. This contract will never expire although it will be complete in this lifetime. So Mote It Be.

Signed this 4th day of March, 2009
KGR

Witnessed by
Jesus, Kuan Yin, Mother Mary

I, KGR, do hereby acknowledge a soul contract with ---. In this lifetime, I have the lessons to learn of

• Marriage
• Self-love
• Commitment
• Parenting

I willingly took on this contract, knowing that I would pay a price in exchange. I have sacrificed my time and energy for the lessons received.

This contract will expire as of today. I acknowledge that:

• Our marriage is dissolved and we are each free now to pursue new, healthy partnerships
• I have learned self love
• I have transferred my commitment to being co-allies and co-parents
• I make a commitment to keep communication open only as it benefits our child in the highest good.

All karmic debts are hereby released and dissolved between us. The past is complete and we are both set free. All is forgiven for each of these two beings to now move on in their separate life journeys.

So Mote It Be.

Signed this 4th day of March, 2009

KGR

Witnessed by
Jesus, Kali Ma,... [More]

Tags: emotional release, karma, karmic debts, mental release, release from the past, soul contracts

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Tags: hypnosis, past life regressions

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Today's ritual:

I went to a baby shower for a friend last fall, and one of the hostess gifts was a packet of seeds - Sweet peas in Cupid Pink, to be exact. They have been sitting in a dish on one of the around the house altars for awhile, gathering energy, if not dust. Fairy dust, of course.

Sun & New Moon are conjunct in Aquarius today, thus begins the Chinese New Year, Year of the Ox. The Ox, like Taurus the Bull, is a tenacious & thorough beast, gentle, patient, strong & full of determination (Obama is a Metal Ox). Tapping into this energy, I cupped my hands around the seeds and began a prayer:
Let these be
The Seeds of Change
The Seeds of Peace
The Seeds of Love
The Seeds of Hope
(and everyone's favorite)
Seed Money
Now...
Blessed Be.
I then proceeded to plant five seeds in each of my Feng Shui power stations, starting in Child/Creativity, perfect for this is also the time of Brigid, Goddess of Inspiration. I take a moment to pull out some weeds, my negative thoughts, creating space for new life to grow.

I moved on to Helpful People. This corner of my yard touches my neighbor Jim, who has always been helpful to me. May I be helpful in return. I might not be able to do anything about the war in the Middle East, but I can reach out to my immediate neighbor. May the seeds of peace flourish between us.

I planted the five seeds in containers on my front deck & along my front path for Career/Lifepath, reflecting upon both the limits of the vessel for growth and the ease to nurture & tend to those seeds as a result, and how to apply to my own profession now.

The Self-Knowledge corner kisses my other neighbor's Helpful People spot. A rambling rose grows from my yard, through and along the fence, into their yard. Let my wisdom be helpful, rambling rose that I am.

I move to the backyard, along the fence which hosts Family/Ancestors, and before pushing each round seed into the dark moist earth, I take a moment to say each my grandparent's names, and my dearest Aunt who still lives in Italy, inspiring me with her adventuresome travels despite going blind.

Moving into Power/Wealth, the prayer seems more potent. I plant the seeds in between the Sweet William & the Primula (my little winter cabbages, as I like to think of them), which are looking quite perky after the recent rains, deep fuscia & burgundy blossoms with a touch of yellow at the center. I name my five intentions for my business, visualizing their growth over the next year.

By now the cats have noticed I'm in the yard, and have abandoned the gopher posts to assist me in circumnavigating the garden. There is no doubt as I take the time to pet & pamper my sweet familiars, right there in Fame/Reputation. I will always be known as a cat lover...
I reach Love/Union/Marriage. I audibly sigh as I reflect upon all the good work I have done in this power spot. It has been more than nine months since I last had any interest in a partnership, let alone dating & mating, and I find myself rededicating myself to my lost goddess, Aphrodite. I am ready to love again. I chuckle to myself as I contemplate watering & nourishing my beloved seeds - here's one place maybe I do need some Miracle Grow.

Let these be
The Seeds of Change
The Seeds of Peace
The Seeds of Love
The Seeds of Hope
and Seed Money...

I complete my circle, I come to the center, and find myself in a patch of pale winter sunlight, the dark rain clouds laughing in the background. It is Lunar Imbolc - 6 weeks from Solstice, six weeks til Equinox. I am this sharp edge of shifting light, and I find myself laughing - laughing with delight.

May all your heartfelt wishes blossom.

Blessed Be.

Tags: aquarius, new moon, rituals for change, seed money, year of the ox

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 A Hypnotic Answer to Financial Angst

After Gary Manouelian was laid off last year as a customer-service representative, he was anxious about his ability to pay off his mortgage and credit-card debt. So he sought help through hypnosis.

Thirty sessions and $1,500 later, Mr. Manouelian says he has since landed a government job and is working to pay off his debts. For this he thanks his hypnotist, Laura Ryan-Day in Austin, Texas.

"It's definitely made me change my thinking," says Mr. Manouelian says, of Pflugerville, Texas. "I'm much more confident and less stressed."

Hypnosis has been used for years to help clients quit smoking, lose weight or sleep better. But recently there has been a surge of business from people who want help dealing with the stress of market turmoil, according to Dwight Damon, president of the National Guild of Hypnotists. The guild has more than 12,000 members.

With hypnosis, the therapist uses calming tones and sometimes music to put clients in a deeply relaxed state. Clients are then given suggestions and recommendations on how to change their behavior, adjust their thinking and reach their goals. No credentials are required to practice hypnotherapy. That has created tension between hypnotherapists who attended traditional psychology programs at major universities and those who got their degrees at online universities or have no formal training at all.

Scientific research on hypnosis isn't as robust as in other fields of psychology, but most patients and practitioners say that the shift toward a positive attitude is helpful for many. A lot of the techniques utilized in hypnosis parallel those in more-conventional forms of psychology.

The American Psychological Association points to the success of hypnosis as documented in scientific journals. But the organization's Web site notes that not everyone responds to treatment, and that hypnosis should be done by a trained health-care worker.

'Money Is Energy'

Ms. Ryan-Day, who has been doing hypnosis for eight years and is working on her master's degree in counseling, asks her clients to wear dark goggles to help them relax and focus on the hypnosis. Clients sit in a comfortable chair in her office and put on headphones to block out unwanted sounds. Ms. Ryan-Day speaks to them through a microphone: "Money is energy that comes and goes," she says soothingly. She records the session and encourages clients to listen to it three times a day, but "not while driving."

The effectiveness of hypnosis aimed at treating financial anxiety is difficult to track -- unlike smoking-cessation or weight-loss hypnosis. The outcomes are measurable in pounds or months cigarette free, whereas with finances, countless variables are involved. But that doesn't stop stressed-out Wall Street types from seeking treatment.

Jacob Bimblich, a New York City hypnotist, knew that when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted this fall, his business would go up. He first noticed the increase in financially fretful clients after a couple of laid-off workers from Bear, Stearns & Co., which collapsed in March and was acquired by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., saw him this spring. Soon came a stream of clients from Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., Washington Mutual Inc. and other Wall Street firms caught up in the credit crunch.

Mr. Bimblich never went to school for hypnosis, and says he learned his craft through working with other hypnotists and reading up on the subject. He sees around 30 clients a week, and charges $60 for a basic half-hour session.

"I have no control over the financial markets," Mr. Bimblich tells clients. "But I can help with how you look at them." The number of clients coming in for financial problems has "increased tenfold" he says.

One person he's treated was overeating because of financial anxiety.

"I watch the market news and I want a doughnut," complains Jack, a dance-studio owner who doesn't want his last name used, as he sits in Mr. Bimblich's Brooklyn office. Jack says he's gained 47 pounds over the past couple of years because of anxiety about the economy. Since he started getting hypnosis a month ago, he says he's shed 15 of those pounds.

Uptick in Clients

Neil Fiore, a psychologist in California who uses hypnotism in his Bay Area practice, has seen the number of clients coming in with financial problems double in the past year. "I haven't seen difficulties like these since the dot-com boom" went bust, he says.

Calming Messages

Dr. Fiore, who has been hypnotizing for more than 30 years, charges $150 for a 25-minute session. He also encourages his clients -- many of whom are wealthy tech entrepreneurs -- to send him their worries via email and BlackBerry throughout the week. He responds with calming messages that typically echo the mantras he speaks while the client is being hypnotized. He's even done sessions over the phone to clients who never had to leave their cubicles.

He's constantly telling clients, "You net worth doesn't equal your personal worth."

Diana Ayala estimates that she spent $700 for hypnosis sessions with Ms. Ryan-Day over the summer. She was financially frustrated after not earning a raise after three years doing business development at her job in Dallas. She also lost $1,700 in a marketing scam.

"I would have loved to have gone to Italy, but at the time, I had to focus on myself," she says of her hypnosis sessions, which she found effective.

It can be big business. Matthew B. James, a Hawaii-based hypnotist, says he earns $3 million a year through his group-hypnosis sessions, hypnosis-related books and CDs and teaching other hypnotists through his unaccredited American Pacific University. The cost of his treatment sessions range from $95 for a two-day seminar to $2,000 for an intensive weekend-long program.

He counsels clients to get in...

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Tags: financial worries, health, hypnosis, santa cruz, stress

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V: The Palinophant

Lynn Araujo from Us Games Systems, Inc recently contacted me to point out that someone has noticed an uncanny resemblance between Sarah Palin and a card from their Vanessa Tarot deck. She writes,

The coincidences are overwhelming- the hair, the glasses, the red suit, the religious fashion accessories all mirror Sarah's look. And of course the religious connotations of the Hierophant card itself are rather fitting too. This deck was published over 2 years ago and was created by a Filipino artist so it was certainly not intentional. We're really struck by how prophetic this all seems. We'll have to wait and see what's really 'in the cards'.

I still believe in free will & free choice, and that the cards are reflective more than prophetic. If seeing Sarah reflected as the Palinophant helps some folks to wake up & vote for change, then I say blessed, blessed be.

Tags: hierophant, inc, sara palin, tarot, us games systems

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- Induce trance (countdown, body tour) to safe space. Go to sacred space.

• - Imagine you are setting out for a quest. You are setting out on a path or road. The sun is overhead and you are on your way. Be aware of what the path is like, your surroundings, your pace...
• - You see a mountain and walk toward it. You are going to climb it. You are aware of how high it is, how easy or difficult. Feel your feet... experience your ascent, stage by stage...
• - In a moment you will reach the top of the mountain. You are standing at the top. Above you is only light and sun.
• - Imagine leaving your physical body behind and traveling upwards into the air. Maybe a cloud, or a ray of light, or pure energy. You merge and blend with the light in the sky. Be aware of the quality of your light, your energy, of how it feels to be one with the light of the sky...
• - Experience the quality of your own pure energy, the quality of your essence
• - Ask yourself now, what is the aim or purpose of this essence in your life? How can it best express itself? What does it have to give?
• - Now look down on your life and imagine how it would be if you fully expressed or realized this energy of yours, your essence, in your daily life. Picture how your life would be if the quality of your energy was in everything you did. You may need to imagine changes in your lifestyle, your work, your relationships...
• - You are still merged with the light, but gradually you start to come back to the top of the mountain. there you find your physical body again. When you feel ready, enter it—go back into your body.
• - You start walk back down the mountain. Be aware of being back in your body. Be aware of your surroundings. Beware of what the light is like...
• - On your way down, you find a stone that is special to you. You pick it up to keep as a reminder of what you have learned of your essence...
• - As you proceed, be aware of any changes you want to make when you return, ways that you can change your life so that the essence you contacted can shine through...
• - You get back to the foot of the mountain and walk back along the path or road to the place where you began your journey...
• - Go to sacred space, safe space, count up...
• - When you are ready, open your eyes and come back to this room.
• - Spend a few minutes writing down journey

(Copyright kgr 2005)
 

Tags: astrology, healing, heros journey, hypnosis

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My notes from watching The Secret, 2006

Tags: abundance, affirmations, meditations, prosperity, the secret

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Money Tree Meditation
• Draw a tree (or copy one of these) with branches reaching into the sky, and roots going into the earth. What kind of tree comes to mind? Oak, bamboo, willow, fir, pine... notice which feels right to you. Make it simple, add a little grass or a backdrop with mountains, whatever you like.

• In the trunk of the tree, put in your face or whole being, a favorite quote or affirmation, the meditation below or even just the words, “I am the Source”.

• In the branches, write in all your sources of abundance, including income, trades, dividends, inheritances, gifts, alimony, all other sources of financial support, etc.

• In the roots, write in all your resources, including education, past jobs, family, property, investments, fields of expertise, experience, etc.

• For the leaves, go around each branch with a green pen and make dollar signs. Cover it!

• In the mountains, write in your financial goals and dreams.

• In the grass, write in what you are providing to the universe, for example:
• I provide food, clothing & shelter for myself & my family
• I provide space and energy for my clients
• I provide jobs in my community, from restaurants to utility services
• My taxes provide for community services including schools, parks, roads,& health care
• I provide stability for myself, knowing the seasons turnings.

In return I give my gifts generously,
knowing my thoughts & ideas
are like the leaves on the tree -
I let go and give the gift of usable energy.
I am provide shade and beauty,
a place to nest, and
a way to recycle, renew & revive.
Blessed Be.

 

 

Tags: meditations

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“The most important promises are the ones I make to myself.”

- Maryanne Radmacher

 

 

• I use tarot & astrology as a daily meditation tool, to focus on my career, my relationships, and my creativity. They serve as moment in my journey where I look at the map of my life and decide which direction to take. But I don’t just stay stuck looking at the map - journaling is one of the steps I take to put into action what I have been contemplating.

 

• You can have many different kinds of journals, that you write in at different times of your life. Just as your checkbook is a record of your spending habits, journals can reflect your patterns and serve as a reminder of the positive “emotional deposits” Elisa talked about in her presentation.

 

• Kinds of journals: Business notes, daily affirmations, dreams (night and day), poetry, sketches, coloring books, blank books or notebook paper put into a binder, a photo album or scrap books, engagement calenders.

 

• Who is your audience? Well, you, of course, but it also could be your children, your spouse or lover, your business colleagues, your therapist, your best friend.

 

• Privacy: there is so much temptation to read someone else’s journal. When my lover read mine, I stopped writing for 5 or 6 years. When getting divorced, I read my spouses' journal and found out things I really didn’t want to know. Talk about Pandora’s box.

 

• There is a lot of power in writing in your journal (or on loose leaf paper) all your thoughts and feelings, and then burning or otherwise destroying them. Recently I drew a horrible picture of myself being controlled by my last lover - it was quite a relief to destroy it.

 

• Time: even just five minutes a day can grow into a disciplined practice (like flossing your teeth or exercise). This is time for YOU, time to focus on achieving something you desire. keeping a little notebook in your bag is helpful for those odd moments of standing in the bank line. Putting the TV on mute and jotting down thoughts during commercials can reactivate your brain waves.

 

• Your other favorite tool is your PEN: do you like blue or black ink? Pencil? Colored pencils? Markers? Paints? I highly recommend crayons...

• To quote from the 5 of Wands card - Keep your expression flowing. Stop editing yourself and let go of concern about what comes out. Be playful. The openness of play allows for inventiveness and newness in a way that high expectations do not. (from The Tarot of Transformation by Willow Arlenea & Jasmin Lee Cori)

 

• You are writing your story and you can change your story - one exercise I did was to divide the page into columns and in the first write a sentence that begins “I wish...” the second column is the same sentence that starts with “I will”. This takes you out of wishful thinking into your will power, because it pushes you to the next step of figuring out HOW to achieve your goal. Examples:

 

I wish I had more money to I WILL have more money

I wish I was friends with my ex to I WILL be friends with my ex

I wish I had more tome to write in my journal to I WILL have more time to write in my journal

 

• Other exercises:

- Goals in the next month, year, five years

- List what you are afraid of. Burn it.

- List what makes you happy. Keep it.

- Pull a tarot card, medicine (animal) card, or angel card. Sketch it.

- Cartoons of you

- Songs, poems, quotes by others that inspire you

- Same as above, go from “I fear...” to “I wonder...”

- Pure color (finger painting)

- Create a couples journal, or a friendship journal

- That letter you would never send

- Who am I?

- Love letters to yourself

 

• Some book recommendations:

Earth Art Critters coloring books by Sue Coccia

The Coloring Book for Big Girls by Sudie Rukusin

When Your Heart Speaks, Take Good Notes: The Healing Power of Writing by Susan Borkin

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity -- by Julia Cameron

The Creative Journal by Lucia Capacchione

 

“Turn your wish bone, daughter, into a back bone”

- author unknown

 

copyright kgr 2008

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What is your current motivation?
Are you looking for more clients or do you want more Income? Although they are related, there is a distinction. Once could have large numbers of clients, but still have a financial lack. Then again, once could have relatively few clients and be financially comfortable.

What is your real need?
Is it more money you need? Could you live within your current income by changing your lifestyle? the answers to these questions could serve as the impetus for you to develop long-range goals that may prove to be successful financially.

Are you looking for more income?
Begin by searching the many avenues open to you. Be creative. You could offer to facilitate seminars (e.g. stress management) for businesses. Such presentations would benefit both management and you, and could lead you to further options.

Are you seeking to attract more clients?
Word-of-mouth and advertising are the most popular avenues to pursue. Of the two, word-of-mouth is the more effective, and it's FREE!

Look for clients through referrals
Some referrals come from doctors, schools, and various organizations. Offer to talk at civic and educational events. People hearing your presentation will become interested in making an appointment with you because they feel a connection.

Seek professional advice
Consult a financial advisor or someone who actively works with small businesses. A trained specialist can detect areas where you can lower expenses and make significant improvements in your work. Best of all, and outsider can identify your strengths and income potential. Sometimes you can receive such services free or at a lower cost through national organizations.

Use self-hypnosis
Consider using the same tools that you use in your profession to help others. Use self-hypnosis for your own financial betterment. Make positive programming tapes and use creative visualization exercises. Instill business success into your subconscious mind. Make it a reality!

Update your skills
Have you kept pace with research in your field? Do you know about the various successful techniques employed by your colleagues in other cities and in other countries? The need to update one's professional and business skills is subtle and profound.
Think about the methods you are using now. Are they outdated? Do you really believe that YOU are the main force in your sessions? are you ego-driven rather than service-oriented?

Such real questions require honest answers. Our field is changing dramatically. What worked twenty years ago, even ten years ago, has run it's course. Update your thinking and update your skills.

Be holistic
Let people know that you are in the business to serve them. Hypnosis is a profession that can help people improve every area of their lives. It is termed holistic, meaning physical health, mental well-being, emotional fulfillment, financial balance, and spiritual harmony.

Diversity
If your practice is limited to consultation with clients, consider teaching hypnosis classes. If you only teach classes, consider scheduling clients.

Pray
There is something profound that you can do to help both yourself and your clients. You can PRAY. Prayer is important for everyone. If you sincerely pray for guidance and wisdom, you will find your sessions more productive.

Act
Directly related to prayer is acting on the guidance you receive. self-motivation and self-initiative are needed. If you avoid acting because you are afraid of making a mistake, then in your fear you will fail to do anything. try new approaches, stretch a little, be willing to experiment. "It is the TRY that is more often counted as righteousness and not the success or failure." Edgar Cayce

Be thankful
What does thankfulness have to do with business success? Everything! the concept of thankfulness can be exceedingly beneficial to your client base and to your income. Being successful in our profession requires professionalism, sincerity, appreciation, and thankfulness to those whom we serve. An attitude of gratitude benefits everyone. the people who find real pleasure and fulfillment are those with a spiritual vision and purpose rooted in service.

Mr. Bolduc is Director of Bolduc Intensive Training Center in Independence, VA. and a valued supporter and contributor to Hypnotherapy Today. For further information on the Bolduc Training, please contact Mr. Bolduc at 540.655.4523 or write him at P.O. Box 88, Independence, VA. 24348

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• In the ancient art of Feng Shui, spaces (home, office, room, property) are divided up into nine sections, each with a specific “life value” or focus. For todays talk, I am focused on two: Wealth & Abundance (always the furthest corner in the room from the door) and Helpful Beings, (found in the first right hand corner in relation to the door).

• As opposites attract, and balance is often key to resolving any blocks in energy flow, we as business women are often aware of how being in service has a correlation with our income and cash flow. One way to increase our positive cash flow energy is to focus on helpful beings, ie helpful people, friends, family, colleagues, team members, networks and community as well as spirit guides, angels, ancestors - “all visible and invisible beings”.

• Cigar boxes, pencil boxes, hat boxes, a large bowl, a mason jar - anything can serve as your helpful people box. Nothing too big - you don’t want to psychically burden yourself! Personalize by decorating with pictures of friends, family, spirit guides, goddesses, angels, pets, animal guides, etc. Images of multiples eg a ring of fairies has a different feel than a single fairy.

• Helpful people boxes bring chi, positive energy to this life station, whether or not you reinforce it by also placing the helpful people box in the helpful people corner. Bring intention to another life value if placing it in another area eg “I now invite helpful people into my career and on my life path.”

• What do I put in it? Business cards, Leads slips, post it notes, index cards, magic money (if making a check out to yourself, mark it VOID), prayers, quotes, fortune cookie messages, written intentions (80% of what we write down comes true in a year - Well Adjusted story), something to represent YOU, your business (gift certs, flyers). I keep a small notepad in my morning meditation space & start each day by putting in my clients.
• These are emotional deposits- prayers for people who have been helpful to you, eg “ Joanne Gramo has always been a helpful person to me. Let her now receive all the help she needs from all the visible and invisible helpful beings, this or something better now occurs for the greatest good.”

• “Unhelpful People” - people who are a pain in your life, soon either become helpful or become resolved. Praying for your enemies builds compassion as well as frees you emotionally - you know you’ve done your best, by turning it over to a higher power(s). Eg. “May my annoying neighbor now receive all the help he needs to find a different home & move out, or become a helpful person to me by shutting the f* up, this or something better now occurs for the greatest good.”

• It is a symbolic act, and each time you see or use your box, you will be affirming the messages inside. It acts as a psychic “back burner”.

• Clean it out! Don’t let it get cluttered - I clean mine out with each change of season, and any other time I feel my “Power & Money” feels stuck - back to opposites attract, remember? Acts as a psychic “tickler” file for those spells in progress. It’s okay to have more than one - helpful people & spells in progress, home & office, individual & shared, etc.

• Feel the power of focusing your intentions, and visually see your emotional deposits grow. Feel gratitude for your connections and feel your true success.

• For more information, contact your local Feng Shui Consultant.

• Want to learn more? Come to a fun & infomative evening and make a helpful people box. Kayla will provide boxes, collage materials, glue, etc. Bring scissors & pictures you want to be a part of your box. Learn prayers, meditations, and more ways how to invite prosperity and abundance into your life.

copyright kgr 2008

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Chant for Self Esteem

-Luisah Teisch

Earth, Water,

Fire and Air
Within me,

all things are there

The flesh on my bones

is like the earth

It’s soft yet strong

and full of worth

The blood that flows

within my veins
Is like the ocean,

river & rains

My spirit soars,

and takes me higher
Here is where

I keep my fire

My breath and thoughts

are like the air
I can do anything,

I can go anywhere

Earth, Water,

Fire and Air
Within me,

all things are there

And so I pledge

Unto My Self
Power, Love,

Health & Wealth.

Blessed Be!

Tags: prayers

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• Inhale and look up at eyebrows
• Exhale and close eyes
• Take a deep breath & exhale with a sigh
• Take a moment to experience the words:
calm, peaceful, tranquil, relaxed

With each inhale, breathe in relaxation
With each exhale, breathe out discomfort

• Say some affirmation(s)

• Count yourself back
1. start to bring yourself back
2. notice the feelings in your body
3. be aware of your space
4. move a bit, stretch, readjust
5. coming all the way back,
feeling awake, relaxed & energized

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Divine Order

Take charge of my life

Today and everyday.

All things work together for good for me today

This is a new and beautiful day -

There will never be another one like it

I am divinely guided all day long -

and whatever I do will prosper

Divine love

Enfold me, surround me, enrapt me

and I will go forth in peace

I am going to be a marvelous success

in all of my undertakings

And I am going to be happy

from now on…

Blessed Be!

(kgr 2004)

Tags: prayers

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Sex for Health!

1. Sex is a beauty treatment. Scientific tests find that when women make love they produce amounts of the hormone estrogen, which makes hair shine and skin smooth.

2. Gentle, relaxed lovemaking reduces your chances of suffering dermatitis, skin rashes and blemishes. The sweat produced cleanses the pores and makes your skin glow.

3. Lovemaking can burn up those calories you piled on during that romantic dinner.

4. Sex is one of the safest sports you can take up. It stretches and tones up just about every muscle in the body. It's more enjoyable than swimming 20 laps, and you don't need special sneakers!

5. Sex is an instant cure for mild depression. It releases endorphins into the bloodstream, producing a sense of euphoria and leaving you with a feeling of well-being.

6.. The more sex you have, the more you will be offered. The sexually active body gives off greater quantities of chemicals called pheromones. These subtle sex perfumes drive the opposite sex crazy!

7 Sex is the safest tranquilizer in the world. IT IS 10 TIMES MORE EFFECTIVE THAN VALIUM.

8. Kissing each day will keep the dentist away. Kissing encourages saliva to wash food from the teeth and lowers the level of the acid that causes decay, preventing plaque build-up.

9. Sex actually relieves headaches. A lovemaking session can release the tension that restricts blood vessels in the brain.

10. A lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose. Sex is a natural antihistamine. It can help combat asthma and hay fever.

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Source of Strength

I am the Source
of all strength and power

With every breath I take
The flames of zeal and passion
Burn brighter in me.

My body is a sacred temple
And my soul fills it
With song and laughter.

I make my dreams reality
With each day that passes.

My mind contains
The infinite blueprint
of my success.

My life, love and joy
Are unstoppable waves
Shaping the world
With every beat of my heart.

I choose to liberate
My power
Today.

Blessed Be.

(from Fierce Magazine)

Tags: prayers

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Grateful for the Difficulties

May we both be released to progress toward our greater good, knowing that the success of this relationship was never only up to me.

I have taken a stand and now I put the recovery of my working relationships in the universe's hands, knowing another life phase awaits both me and the person I am letting go.

As painful as it can be, I am grateful for my ongoing process and for the ever expanding clarity and insight my work brings to me, benefiting all aspects of my life so that I, in turn, can benefit others.

(Author unknown)

Tags: prayers

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