"As an avid amateur golfer, I have been struggling to improve my game over the past couple of years. I was one of those players who was stuck at a level where the enjoyment of the game was starting to get lost. After seeing Inga, it was apparent that one of the major reasons I was not improving was because my brain was getting in the way.
Happiness and Hypnosis
Happiness has been in the new’s recently. People want to feel happier and why shouldn’t we all feel good? Books like “Stumbling on Happiness” and”The Happiness Project”are very popular now in part due to the negative news and economic downturn. I am writing a book titled “The Power of Choice” and it includes my ideas and experiences in transforming my life and increasing my clients levels of happiness by increasing there ability to chose better. I have used hypnosis and NLP to develop myself and yesterday I described my first experience with hypnosis.
It is pretty obvious why I wanted to change my state of mind. I wanted to feel different. Growing up in a fairly isolated place tends to make one introspective. All of that inward focus in childhood can be unhealthy. My mother tended to give mixed messages. On one hand she believed in positive thinking. She read Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s book “The Power of Positive Thinking” and encouraged us to be positive. On the other hand she was anxious and put her fears squarely onto the girls in our family with the message that “we could be killed” if we attempted to ride a bike or go sledding on a big hill or take a walk by ourselves. I believe that I was mildly depressed in childhood and if I had been in elementary school now I would have been diagnosed with ADHD. Instead I simply spent a large part of 1st grade in the corner with my desk.
When it comes right down to it, what I wanted was to feel happy. That’s what everyone wants. Right?? I read books and tried to be happy. In college I tried some other avenues as many of my age did back in the 70’s but to no avail. I always came back to me. At some point it came to me that if I wanted to be happier I didn’t need to change my circumstances so much as I had to change myself. The way I thought had to change. What I focused on needed to become what I wanted to have and not all the things that weren’t working.
I explored meditation, and have practiced yoga consistently now for over 30 years. These two things have helped tremendously. But being a person with a strong drive to improve they just weren’t fast enough for me. hypnosis is brief therapy and works relatively quickly. If you know what you want hynosis can help you get there.
Popularity: 8% [?]
High School and Hypnosis
I grew up in a very rural area of Pennsylvania. It was a very sheltered and conservative upbringing. However it was the 60’s and by the early 70’s I was in high school. Because of my sheltered life I read a lot. I was not allowed to date in high school and so I had plenty of time to explore the school library. I read everything, especially non-fiction books on psychology and philosophy. One day I found a book on hypnosis. I found it engaging and interesting. In fact I wrote my senior year term paper on hypnosis and Medicine.
As a teenager the stories that engaged me were the terrible diseases that had been in some cases cured using hypnosis. Things like icthiyosis(fish skin) responded incredibly well to the power of the subconscious mind. But the thing about hypnosis that attracted me the most was the idea that after having been so controlled in my life experience, I could gain more control over myself, and my thoughts.
As a result of all the restrictions in my childhood I was never given the chance to learn social skills and grow and develop by making mistakes and learning from those mistakes. I had low self esteem and low self confidence and when I left home for the first time to go to college I must admit to basically going crazy with my new found freedom. I also was now too busy with studies to continue to focus on my initial interest in hypnosis and instead focused on the other types of psychology and finished my degree in that discipline.
In reality my entire life has been affected by that first experience of hypnosis. I used hypnosis to change myself in many ways in the following years and in coming post’s I will share with you some of my personal success stories and stories of others who have also experienced dramatic personal change.
Popularity: 9% [?]
The Secret Behind the Secret
Everyone has heard of the “Secret” and many people try to live what they understand the secret to be. They think that if they focus on what they want to the exclusion of all else they will receive from the universe everything they desire. One thing they overlook is the fact that with the law of attraction there is action that needs to follow the thought. The other thing these seekers overlook is the fact that they are incapable of exclusively thinking in any particular way.
Changing the way you think is impossible when done in the conscious mind. The conscious mind acts as a filter and colors our perception of everything. The only way to change your thinking is to overcome the repetitive negative thinking that has been programmed into your subconscious. Once the thoughts change you will at least be capable of thinking and focusing the way you would like.
But I still hear people say to me that they believe if they sit on their couch and focus on manifesting business it will simply flow to them. This was never written in the law of attraction. The law of attraction states that there must be action in order for anything to manifest in your life. Also it doesn’t say when this will happen. So the seed time or the time it takes to manifest has to be considered as well.
As is the case with the supposed real estate gurus, the law of attraction teachers are making money not from using the secret. They are making money teaching everyone else about the secret. If the secret worked in the way that these teachers say it does there should then be millions of people who are now manifesting wealth and abundance all over the place.
When you change your thinking you change yourself. hypnosis/NLP is one of the fastest ways to change your thinking. But simply thinking positive is not enough. To become truly successful in life takes action. Using hypnosis and NLP creates within the ability to overcome old negative programming which is the cause of procrastination. In other words when you get out of your own way you can accomplish amazing things. Getting your thoughts to be congruent with your goals and then taking action to accomplish them is the true SECRET.
Popularity: 13% [?]
New Year’s Goals that Work
Every year people set New Year’s Resolutions and every year they forget about them within a couple of weeks. The average person doesn’t even make it to 1 month post New Years on working toward a goal.
What is the reason for this? As an expert in human behavior it is obvious that these people are not truly committed to these goals. Also the goals themselves are not crafted in a way that will drive the goal setter toward achievement. The “resolutions” are generally not specific. The fact is that the most well defined goals are the easiest to achieve. Take for example stopping smoking. This is one specific habit and so once you add a time frame with the day you will stop and you commit to it you will stop smoking.
The commitment to achieving the goal is the other key to success. This is the part where I see the most problems. It is not possible to totally commit to 10 goals at once. In fact 3 goals is the maximum that should be set at any given time in order for them to be achieved. If you have a goal to lose weight, spend more time with family, exercise more. Those three goals will require a large investment of time in order to achieve.
So how do you write achievable goals? I like to use a modified SMART goals format.
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timed
- Inspired
I added the inspired because I find that without having an emotional connection or true commitment to having the goal you will not achieve it. By setting goals that can be achieved and connecting to the feeling of having a specific goal you make the process of change smoother and take the guess work out of effective goal setting.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Your Guide to Guilt Free Holidays
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Popularity: 9% [?]
Improving Golf Performance
Fred Shoemaker, a noted golf coach and the author of Extraordinary Putting, explains why most thinking is bad for your game.
"It’s easy for people to accept the fact that negative thinking can be a source of interference. I’ve found that the real challenge is to have people see for themselves that positive thinking can be just as much of a problem. My experience of positive thinking is that it’s just more thinking, a mental process while we’re in a physical activity. It’s also an indication of doubt. Positive thinking is an overlay of doubt; it’s a strategy to overcome negative thinking, and while it may have better effects than negative thinking, I’ve never seen it fully promote peace of mind and freedom.
The way to get out of thinking and into playing the game is having the ability to get into a flow state. Athletes call this "getting into the zone". It is a mental state where thoughts disappear and the person simply plays the game. hypnosis is known to induce exactly that flow state. Tiger Woods is an expert in getting into the zone.
This brief extract from Golf Digest, in December 2002, appears to confirm Tiger’s training included hypnosis
"Woods’ ability to produce peak performance by ‘willing myself into the zone’ is unprecedented. And at age 13, Tiger began mental training with Dr. Jay Brunza, a family friend and psychologist. Among the techniques Brunza used were subliminal tapes and hypnosis. ‘The first time Jay hypnotized Tiger, he had him stick his arm straight out and told him that it couldn’t be moved, ‘Earl [Tiger's father] says. ‘I tried, but I couldn’t pull it down. [Tiger says hypnosis is] ‘inherent in what I do now."
In a study conducted on the effects of hypnosis on flow states and golf performance. at the Center for Sport and Exercise Science, Sheffield Hallam University, researchers examined the effects of hypnotic intervention on flow states and golf-chipping performance of 3 participants. The intervention involved teaching the golfers relaxation, imagery, hypnotic induction, hypnotic regression, and trigger control procedures over 5 weeks and 7 trials. Analysis indicated that the 3 participants increased their mean golf-chipping performance from the trials in Baseline 1 to intervention, with 2 returning to Baseline 1 performance after the intervention phase at Baseline 2. The intensity of flow experienced by the participants during the performance trials was measured using Jackson and Marsh’’s 1996 Flow State Scale. Two participants experienced higher flow during the intervention phase and much lower flow during Baselines 1 and 2. Finally, participants reported that the intervention seemed useful in keeping them confident, relaxed, and in control. These results support the hypothesis that relaxation, imagery & hypnosis can improve golf-chipping performance and increase feelings and cognitions associated with flow.
I see many golfers both professional and amateur who want to improve their game. We work on figuring out the limiting beliefs the golfer has about himself. Typically these beliefs have an impact on performance of all kinds. We then work on the ability to maintain a flow state no matter what is happening in the game. By doing so the golfer not only plays significantly better, they also feel more relaxed and enjoy the game more.
To learn more about enhancing your golf game through proven techniques and to improve golf performance in Atlanta call Inga Chamberlain at 770-560-4861.
Popularity: 11% [?]
Healthcare Reform for the Mind
Health care reform is all over the news today. This BLOG is not a discussion of the government package. But instead about how we can save our health and also save money by being healthier.
In my hypnosis practice I consistently help people become healthier. Through behavior change that becomes permanent utilizing a combination of NLP and hypnosis my clients become healthier.
Stopping smoking is an obvious choice to becoming healthier. weight loss also makes a huge impact on health. Just losing 10% of the bodies weight will make a major impact on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
The less obvious and more long term benefits kick in when you work on alleviating depression and Anxiety. Left untreated these conditions have a huge impact on heart health and the negative effects trickle down into the immune system, the digestive system, cognitive function and more.
By taking back some of the control in your mind you gain more control over your life. If you don’t need to use heath care system as much everyone wins.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Stop Smoking Now!
Helping my clients stop smoking is probably one of the easiest things that I do. Once someone has decided that they want to stop smoking or go back to being a "non-smoker" the process is quick and relatively simple. It is easier than many other issues because it is so unhealthy. No one can really dispute that fact and unlike eating, you do not need to smoke to live. The process involves working with the individual to determine the reasons behind their habit. We also reframe the "addiction" to nicotine. Then I record a powerful "stop smoking" CD while I hypnotize the client. This works incredibly well. The typical result is that the individual stops smoking that day and then comes back for at least 1 reinforcement session. For more information on addictions and habits click here to book now for a free phone consultation.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Anxiety and Stress
Anxiety and stress are major problems today. These emotional conditions are intrinsically related. Stress is a major cause of Anxiety and anxiety creates more stress in a life already filled with enough stressors.
Fear is the base emotion that creates these feelings. Fear of the future, fear of the unknown underlies most anxiety. The thoughts that create the anxiety are often on a subconscious level but they still produce increased levels of stress hormones which then create a cascade of negative mental and physical reactions. Perceived problems in the future create major problems now.
Researchers have demonstrated that we have approximately 150-300 words per minute that flow through our minds creating the thoughts that then create our behaviors. They estimate that on average 40% of these thoughts are negative and self critical. Negativity and fear create anxiety and stress. So it’s pretty obvious that if you can change the way you think you will change your life! .
Fear and anxiety stop us from taking action. The fear in essence creates more of the very things we are afraid of in life. hypnosis is the key to taking back control of your thoughts. By creating a new way of thinking and feeling you will begin to feel more confident and relaxed. Everything changes when you make this shift and the power is yours.
Another aspect of fear and anxiety is phobias. These are very strong reactions to a perceived threat. Phobias are irrational fears and because of this fact we don’t need them. They can be released usually by reprogramming the fear that is attached to a particular trigger. Things like fear of flying, spiders, heights, elevators are all effectively relieved through hypnotherapy and NLP.
Why not harness the power you already have within, your subconscious mind? Call Inga Chamberlain for more information at 770-560-4861 and author. Her book “The Power of Choice” is expected to be out in late 2010.
Popularity: 20% [?]
The Common Misconceptions about Hypnosis
Many of the common misconceptions about hypnosis have originated in the minds of Hollywood writers. hypnosis and NLP are typically portrayed in a fantastic and sensationalistic manner. The idea that you are under someone else’s control is one of the most common misconceptions. Murder mystery writers love this one since it gives them a new angle for a story. This myth has been disproved over and over again but still persists. A second misconception is that the person in hypnosis is going to be talking. This is something that would typically only happen in regression hypnosis. I may ask someone for a signal such as nod of the head or movement of a finger, but in a typical hypnosis session I am the only one talking. This fact is a huge relief to most of my clients. Many of my clients expect that they will not be aware of where they are and they won’t remember what is said in hypnosis. This is also not true. In hypnosis you are aware of what is happening around you and if you wanted to you could get up and walk out of the room. Hypnosis actually increases focus. You will simply feel relaxed and comfortable. Another common misconception is that hypnosis is somehow against religion. This could not be further from the truth. Why shouldn’t we use our minds to the best of our abilities? This one is promoted by the fearful and ignorant. Finally, the misconception that if you can be hypnotized it means you are not as intelligent as those who cannot. Again a misconception. Anyone who wants to be hypnotized and has at least an average level of intelligence can be hypnotized. In my practice, I find those who are the most intelligent, educated and have the ability to focus are the easiest to hypnotize. The truth about hypnosis is that it is an altered state of mind which we all visit from time to time. It is simply a state of focused concentration most easily accessible when one is completely relaxed. The mind learns quickly in this focused state and that is why changes to feelings, behaviors and habits can take place in much less time when using hypnosis. When someone is in hypnosis they feel relaxed and comfortable. When they come back to their conscious mind after a session they typically feel relaxed and more positive and confident then they have in some time. After the session they may also notice changes in a habit, new positive healthy self talk or simply an overall feeling of well being depending on the focus of the session. They will also sleep better than they can remember sleeping in a long time.
Popularity: 9% [?]