The-Self-Healing-Handbook-Second-Edition-by-Jevon-Dängeli

Second edition

The Self Healing Handbook © Jevon Dängeli All Rights Reserved

No part of this book's content may be used without written consent from the author.

Acknowledgement Heartfelt thanks to Jana Allmrodt for her continual inspiration and for editing this book.

I would also like to extend gratitude to all my teachers and clients around the world without whom I would not have learned and experienced what has become the content of this book.

Jevon Dangeli - Hamburg (November, 2013)

Dedication

The Self Healing Handbook is dedicated to my beloved mother. Through her spontaneous remission from cancer she taught me that healing miracles are possible for anyone. Through her death I learned that the healing process is omnipotent and that life is a miracle.

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Table of contents Click on the titles below to go directly to those entries

Introduction.................................................................................................. 6

Chapter 1 -- HEALING: THE INSIDE-OUT APPROACH The Will to be WELL...................................................................................9 Anatomy of the Mind.................................................................................12 Mind-Body Healing with Hypnosis............................................................16 The Inter-Connection of Mind Body ........................................................17 Programming the Unconscious Mind....................................................... 18

Chapter 2 -- SELF HEALING SKILLS Embodied Heaven & Embodied Hell........................................................20 Kinaesthetic Awareness........................................................................... 22 The Wisdom of your Body ....................................................................... 24 The Wellbeing Elevator............................................................................ 25 Everyday Self Hypnosis........................................................................... 27 How to Let Go of Limiting Beliefs and Unwanted Behaviours.................29 Transforming Limiting Beliefs & Behaviours.............................................31 Changing your Personal History...............................................................32 Transcending Thoughts that Cause Pain and Limitation..........................33 Laugh Away your Fears ........................................................................... 34 Transforming Unwanted Feelings into Resourceful States......................35 3

How to Turn Fear into Excitement............................................................ 36 Conquering your Craving......................................................................... 37 FIND THE GAP -- Part 1.......................................................................... 38 FIND THE GAP -- Part 2.......................................................................... 39 FIND THE GAP -- Part 3...........................................................................41 Overcoming Inner Conflict (NLP Parts Integration)..................................42 Self Diagnosis with Self Hypnosis ........................................................... 44 Mental Rehearsal..................................................................................... 47 Getting to Know the Higher Conscious Mind ..........................................48

Chapter 3 -- DEALING WITH STRESS & BURNOUT Mindful Power -- Introduction....................................................................51 Mindful Power for calming and centering.................................................53 Mindful Power for Eliminating Mental Noise.............................................54 Mindful Power for Manifesting WELLness Goals.....................................55 Mindful Power for Overcoming Indecision and Procrastination................56 Mindful Power for Dealing with Relationship Conflicts..............................58 Mindful Power -- a Simple and Practical Approach to Meditation.............59 Burnout Healing & Prevention (article)......................................................60 The Causes & Types of Burnout (article)..................................................65 The Mindfulness Solution to Stress & Burnout (article)............................67 The Light at the End of the Tunnel (article)...............................................74

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Chapter 4 -- SCRIPTS FOR HEALING PROCESSES Authentic Self Empowerment (ASE)........................................................ 79 Time Heals! How To Fast-Forward & Get Your Healing Now ..................82 Healing the Whole Body ..........................................................................84 Pain Relief using the HNLP Self Healing Paradigm ................................88 Hypnosis for Pain Alleviation ................................................................... 92

Chapter 5 -- BRAINWAVES FOR HEALING Healing through Theta Brainwave Entrainment.......................................96 Tibetan Singing Bowls -- Sounds for Healing & Meditation ..................101 Chakra Balancing ..................................................................................104

Chapter 6 -- ROUNDING UP Self Healing - The Simple Way! ............................................................107 The Fallacy of Forgiveness -- and what Truly Sets You Free.................109 How to Keep On Being WELL.................................................................111 Recommended Resources .....................................................................112

About the author........................................................................................113

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Introduction

When it comes to physical, mental and spiritual health, your mind is either your healing ally, or a destructive enemy, or a passive bystander.

The Self Healing Handbook shows you how to get your mind working for you, instead of against you, or not at all.

Your attitudes and beliefs, to a large extent, determine the state of your body’s healing potential, as well as your emotional and spiritual well-being.

This handbook provides you with information and resources that enable you to use the power of your mind to maximise your body’s self healing potential through understanding and utilising the mind-body-spirit connection.

The Self Healing Handbook will provide you with the following skills --

 Stress management & burnout prevention skills plus healing approaches.  Kinaesthetic awareness – understanding your body and its signals.  Physical and mental relaxation techniques, including breath work.  Effective mental imagery to initiate healing processes in the body.  Attention shifting skills – from sick thinking to WELL thinking.  NLP techniques to banish destructive behaviours and habits.  How to communicate effectively with your unconscious mind.  How to use self hypnosis skills for healing and rejuvenation.  How to use self hypnosis to diagnose your health condition.  How to entrain your brainwaves for optimal healing states.  How to transform limiting beliefs into empowering beliefs.  How to optimize the flow of vital energy in your body.  How to enhance your mind-body-spirit connection.  How to maintain a positive attitude toward health. 6

Also included in the Self Healing Handbook -Mindful Power -- a six part series teaching you how to:  Calm and centre yourself  Eliminate mental noise  Manifest your WELLness goals  Overcome indecision and procrastination  Deal effectively with relationship confrontation  Meditate -- a simple and practical approach

Two full Hypnotherapy scripts --

Script One: Strengthening your immune system, regulating your endocrine system, promoting healthy cell function and detoxifying your body. Script Two: Directing the power of your unconscious mind to relieve pain and localize healing.

The Self Healing Handbook includes the full Humanistic Neuro-Linguistic Psychology 'Self Healing Paradigm' for the natural reduction and possible elimination of pain (physical and/or emotional pain).

This book also includes step by step guidelines for two of Jevon Dängeli's Authentic Self Empowerment™ processes. These two profound approaches to healing and self empowerment, by themselves, make the Self Healing Handbook a valuable resource.

Whether you’re taking a preventative approach, or if you have a health condition that needs attention, the Self Healing Handbook will provide you with essential information and practical skills to maximise your healing potential – from cells to spirit. DISCLAIMER: While the content of this book is intended to be used by individuals in order to enhance their natural self healing potential, the skills and processes obtained from this book are in no way intended to replace medical or psychological health care.

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Chapter 1

HEALING THE INSIDE-OUT APPROACH

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The WILL to be WELL “The kind of thinking that got us where we are is not the kind of thinking that’s going to get us where we want to go." -- Albert Einstein

Right now you can choose how you wish to feel. In this very moment you can begin to heal your body and mind, and be WELL (Wonderfully Energetic Loving Life).

WELLness is not only an absence of dis-ease, it is a state of wellbeing, vitality and harmony in body, mind and spirit.

The key to healing is to sever all mental relationships with dis-ease, and to enter into a positive mental relationship with WELLness. Whether we do it with conscious thoughts or unconscious thoughts, we create our internal experience of life. I hope that this book will provide you with the awareness that any problem is only a problem in the way we think…and changing our thinking is easier than we think. Applying the relevant skills from this book to your own healing processes should enable you to 'tune' your thinking into the 'frequencies' that enliven your body, mind and soul.

The first step toward being WELL is to begin to think like a WELL person. Form your conception of WELLness -- exploring how you would look and feel, until it begins to have a real and valuable meaning to you. Picture yourself doing the things a WELL person would do and have faith that you can and will do those things in that way. Then begin to act like a WELL person. You cannot have faith in health if you continue to think and act like a sick person. If you continue to think of yourself as a sick person, you will continue to be a sick person. If you were to think of yourself as a WELL person and act in that way (and never allow yourself to think and act in the opposite way), you would influence the cells and systems of your body to match this healthy self image. And this is just the start!

While thoughts (whether we’re aware of them or not) do influence our physiology and trigger our emotional feelings, it is also our emotions that influence our thoughts, therefore in any healing pursuit, both our thoughts and emotions should be addressed optimally, as the central topics in this book will reveal.

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Emotions are our signal to take action in a certain way or to abstain from actions that we believe to be inappropriate. Emotions are the energy associated with our

thoughts that often arise as a result of our beliefs. Our past experiences, especially those from the first 10 years of our life, determine our core beliefs. The most enduring states in our life – physically, mentally, emotionally, inter-personally and spiritually are an indication of what our core beliefs are. These beliefs become self fulfilling prophecies that when combined with powerful feelings are responsible for attracting the people and circumstances that we experience in our life.

No amount of positive thinking will do much to change a negative core belief. Therefore many people who use positive affirmations and visualizations to manifest their goals don’t experience their desired results. The reason for this is that they have beliefs that are not in alignment with their superimposed thoughts. It’s like trying to steer a train by asking someone in the last car to change the direction of the entire train. It simply won’t work.

To overcome the unconscious programming that prevents you from achieving your health related goals, you may want to update any limiting beliefs to new appropriate ones that are aligned with the results that you want to experience. Skills to achieve this have been included in this book.

To start: question the perspectives, attitudes and behaviours that don’t serve you in achieving the level of health that you desire:

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Where do these adopted beliefs come from?

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How have these benefited you in some way?

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What is their constructive lesson?

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What can you become aware of now that will begin a positive healing process for you?

...Then begin to become the conscious creator of your results by answering this question: What will I choose to believe about myself and my capabilities in order to maximise my self healing potential?

Thinking that only through some kind of achievement or acquisition we can feel a certain way is the cause of hardship and disappointment for many. The reason for this is because nothing outside of us can ever provide us with what is most important to us 10

in the long run. Only you are responsible for your feelings.

It is not useful to wish or pray for better health and more vitality. The Universe (God) is already providing you with all the necessary healing resources. If physical healing (in the way you would like it) is not forthcoming, then psychological or spiritual healing are always options -- which open doors to physical healing anyway. Your mind is the vehicle that allows for healing or blocks it. The skills and processes in this book enable you to get your mind working for you instead of against you.

The Universe wants you to be well -- if you start to believe that, you will begin to sense that it is true and thus you will experience it to be true. You have absolutely nothing to overcome but your own habit of thinking in a certain way about health, relationships and the general state of your life. You can do this only by forming a habit of thinking in another certain way about these important contexts.

As humans we have the ability to influence the internal automatic functions of our body through using skills and processes like those taught in this book. Open minded and disciplined thinking about optimal health accompanied by supporting actions lead to healing miracles. We can decide what things we will think about, and in so doing we can become the creators of the moments of our life.

Our current emotional and physical state is an indication of what we have been paying attention to (even if that was unconscious attention). We can learn to control where we place our attention through use of mindful will. As we learn to change our attention (through using the skills and processes in this book), we can look forward to improving our level of WELLness.

You can predict your outer life tomorrow by looking at your inner self today. You can change what’s in front of you by changing what’s inside you.

As you are reading this, right now, in this very moment you have all the resources within you to be perfectly WELL.

No matter what you have ever been told about yourself, and no matter what you think you are – You Are More Than That. Believe it and you will experience it!

“Healing does not come from anyone else—you must accept guidance from within.” – A Course in Miracles

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Anatomy of the Mind THE CONSCIOUS MIND, THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND & BEYOND...

You only have one mind, but there are two main faculties or realms of consciousness that make up your personal mind. These are referred to as the "conscious mind" and the "unconscious or subconscious mind". One of the keys to living life the way you want is understanding how your mind really works. Let's start with the basics: Your conscious mind is that of which you are currently aware. For example, you are probably aware of seeing these written words and you might be aware of certain thoughts that you are having right now. Perhaps you are aware of background sounds in the area where you’re sitting. Perhaps you are aware of the feeling of your body against the surface on which you're sitting. Whatever it is that you are noticing right now, you are observing it with your conscious mind because your conscious mind is your current awareness. The conscious mind can only hold a limited amount of information. Psychological research suggests that we can only consciously pay attention to 7±2 chunks of information at any given time. What does this mean? It means that it is a lot easier to consciously think about 3 or 4 things than it is to think about 10 or 12 things. After about 5 chunks of information most people start feeling challenged. If you've ever had to learn something new that involved a lot of details, you may have felt overwhelmed at times. Remember when you learned to drive a car? There was the steering wheel, the brake, the accelerator, the rear view mirror, the driver's side mirror (that's 5 things so far), and perhaps a clutch and a gear shift, not to mention the road or other cars! If you remember feeling overwhelmed, that is because you had reached the limits of information which you could process consciously. If your conscious mind is your present awareness, your unconscious mind is everything else in the background of your awareness. Every second of your life your nervous system is receiving and processing over 4 million bits of information! Everything you've ever seen, heard, felt, smelled, tasted, and thought is recorded in some way in your unconscious mind. Your unconscious mind is the storehouse of all of your memories, beliefs, and values. It is like a faithful video recorder which automatically records information 24 hours a day. Your unconscious mind is also the storehouse of your autonomic nervous system. Your autonomic nervous system is what keeps everything running smoothly when you are on automatic pilot. It handles all of the activities that you don't have to think about in order for them to be done. It controls your breathing, digestion, the pumping of your heart and blood, and your immune and hormonal systems. Just think if you had to pay attention to all of these things in order for them to work? In fact, just pick one, like breathing. If you didn't have an unconscious mind then every breath you took would 12

have to be taken consciously. What if you got so busy with something else and you forgot to breathe - oops! Your unconscious mind is also in charge of your emotions. For the most part, you don't go through life consciously choosing what you are going to feel from moment to moment. Most people believe that feelings are outside of their control. Feelings just happen. The reason it seems this way is because feelings are generated by the unconscious mind. Yes, you are creating them, but you are doing so through your unconscious mind. You do it so automatically that at times, it may seem like it's not you who is doing it.

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Why should I learn to use my unconscious mind? Believe it or not, everything that you do, you do unconsciously first. This has been proven experimentally in 1979 when neuroscientists conducted a series of experiments that demonstrated that conscious awareness actually occurs about half a second after the body registers a particular stimulus. This means that the unconscious registers the stimulus about half a second before you even realize it has! Because of a phenomenon known as "subjective referral" the conscious mind "refers" back in time and acts like it knew about the stimulus at the same time the body registered it! The conscious mind thinks that now is now - when in fact by the time you realize it, now has already passed. Everything that you learn, you learn unconsciously before you consciously know and understand it. One excellent example is walking. How did you learn to walk? You didn't consciously decide to walk. You didn't think to yourself, "Okay, now I'm going to put pressure on my right foot while shifting my weight onto my right leg, while I swing my left arm to counter balance my body to compensate for gravity...." You had people around you who gave you encouragement and through trial and error, you learned to walk unconsciously. Yet, now as an adult, you sometimes forget that your most important and basic skills like walking, talking, reading, and eating occurred before you had the ability to even comprehend what they really were! What if you learned unconsciously first as you did then and let the conscious mind simply have the awareness of what it is that you're learning? Learning to trust and use your unconscious mind again will make your life much easier. Many of the NLP & HNLP processes teach you how to have more direct contact with your unconscious mind so that this is possible for you.

Is my mind the same thing as my brain? Many people naturally believe that the mind is the same as the brain. Which is, of course, in the head. When I refer to your mind, it's all of you that's being referred to, including your brain and all of your body. This is not yet common knowledge in society, but this has been known by a large part of the scientific community for some time. Your body is as much a part of your mind as your brain is. In fact, your brain is just an organ of the body. Your mind is much more than that - it is the comprehensive, organizing intelligence that runs your entire system. It's not just your nervous system, it's all of the communication that takes place inside you, and to some extent, even outside of you. Over the past 20 years researchers have been studying the vast internal communication network inside the human being. What they have found would make Facebook jealous. Every cell in your body is communicating with every other cell through "neuropeptides." Neuropeptides are chemical messengers that each nerve cell uses to communicate with all the other nerve cells. Brain cells communicate with every other cell in the body. Because of this every thought that you think is "heard" by your heart, liver, stomach, your immune system, and every other part of your body. The fibre optics of your internal communication system are nerve cells or neurons. 14

Each neuron is like a standard light switch you have on the wall of your house. It is either on or off. Another way to think about it is that each neuron is one choice that your nervous system has: either a "yes" or a "no." Neurophysicists have estimated that the number of possible "choices" we have in our nervous system is 10 to the 10th to the 11th. This number is so large that it's beyond conception. It is more than all of the grains of sand on the planet. It is more than all the stars in the night sky. It is more than all of the atoms in the known universe! Since your conscious mind is designed for making decisions, and your unconscious mind is designed to follow through on the conscious mind's decisions, as well as maintain your body's autonomic functions, then what is it that gives energy to the whole interplay between the conscious and unconscious minds? The fundamental consciousness that exists in and around all levels of awareness (i.e. all aspects of the mind) is referred to as the Higher Conscious Mind in Humanistic Neuro-Linguistic Psychology. This omnipresent energy field is explored and utilised by those trained in HNLP. It is not referred to directly in this book, although HNLP thought constitutes many of the ideas and skills that this book teaches.

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Mind-Body Healing with Hypnosis There are some relatively new fields of science like Molecular Biology, Psychoneuroimmunology and Transpersonal Psychology that now validate what some healers have known for centuries, which is that human beings can learn to use the power of the mind to heal the body. As a Hypnotherapist with a background in holistic healing work, I have personally witnessed people overcome various health related challenges while being guided through healing processes like those in chapter 3 of this book. Although harnessing the power of your mind to heal your body can prove to be the missing link in your self healing ability, please note that the approaches taught in this book are only a piece of the holistic healing puzzle, although a very important piece. I encourage you to also take into account the tremendous value of maintaining an optimal level of fitness, eating well, drinking enough fresh water and wherever possible eliminating toxic intake, as well as accepting allopathic medical care when required. A person's state of mind can significantly impact their physical health. Research in Psychoneuroimmunology suggests that when a person is chronically stressed out, the body is unable to regulate hormones and immune functions properly, and therefore becomes physically sick. Stress is thought to be the cause of many illnesses including migraines, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, lupus, and immune disorders ranging from the common cold and flu, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcers, colitis and cancer. It’s clear: stress negatively impacts the body. On the other hand, relaxation and the use of coping skills (like those in this book) can enhance immune function. Participation in regular stress-reducing activities such as meditation, Tai Chi, yoga, cardiovascular exercise and spending time in nature can help reduce stress levels and make you more resistant to disease. Hypnosis utilises guided imagery in many of its processes. You may wonder - why imagery? Well, the human body is designed to regulate itself and maintain a dynamic equilibrium called homeostasis. The part of the brain responsible for regulating the body is called the hypothalamus. We also know that the nervous system we have today has not really changed much in the last 3 million years and that written language is only about 10,000 years old. This is why the nervous system responds so well to pictures. By using imagery for healing, we are sending messages to the hypothalamus to stimulate the various systems of the body. The defence system of the body is the immune system. Here the white blood cells which fight disease are manufactured. All disease and illness occurs because the body's defences have been breached. By using imagery while in a deeply relaxed state, your unconscious mind is directed to mobilise your immune system as well as regulate other systems of the body. Post surgery anxiety, depression and pessimism can all slow down the rate at which your body heals. Therapeutic applications of hypnosis (like those in this book) are the optimal way to enhance your mind-body connection and therefore speed up the rate at which you heal even after surgery. 16

The Inter-Connection of Mind, Body & Spirit It's clear how the mind and body affect each other: Prolonged stress or heavy emotional spells often result in physical sickness. Likewise, positive attitudes, joy and laughter are not only healing for the body, but also help prevent sickness. NLP eye patterns reveal our internal sensory processing. Some of the other physiological cues that indicate our mental processes are posture, speech and breathing rate. Since physiological cues reflect the functioning of your mind, by changing particular physiological cues you can affect the functioning of your mind. For example, slumping in your chair can make you feel tired, or taking a walk can uplift your thoughts. Mind and body interact and mutually influence each other. It is not possible to make a change in one without the other being affected. When we think differently, our bodies change. Likewise, when we act differently we change our thoughts and feelings. Treating only mental/emotional or physical symptoms without taking responsibility for the underlying reasons why such symptoms have manifested, may disrupt the mindbody system. Ignoring the subtle causes of unwanted symptoms can result in more complex complications later. For example, regularly taking sleeping tablets to get enough sleep at night, without addressing the mental/emotional causes (like stress or dissatisfaction), may lead to burnout, depression and/or disease. Consciousness expresses itself through the system of your mind and body. Mind and body are therefore intimately linked, and ultimately, they're two aspects of the same source. The source of all our psychological and physical experiences (as taught by mystics and sages throughout history) is the omni-present and timeless realm of 'pure consciousness', also know as spirit or God. This transpersonal (spiritual) realm is believed to permeate and inter-connect all sentient beings. We are able to sense our spiritual existence during deep meditation or during spontaneous inspirations or synchronicities -- when our conscious awareness has the opportunity to glimpse the formless and infinite essence of our Being. Any healing programme should aim to optimize the flow and balance of consciousness in both the mind and body in order for healing to be effective and complete. Treating the symptoms only can have detrimental consequences later on. Fortunately we live in an age where modern medicine and medical intervention can not only save lives, but also assist and accelerate healing. We should, however, not become lazy and hand over our health to the medical system, for if we don't take personal responsibility for our WELLness, we may sooner or later get to the point where that system can no longer help us and by that time any self healing pursuit might seem to be an overwhelming task. Whether one's aim is to maintain good health, support the body through a medical procedure, or address a chronic physical or psychological condition; what is generally required is the removal of 'blockages' that inhibit the flow of vital energy (consciousness) in the mind-body system. Addressing the cause of such 'blockages', removing them and preventing their onset is what most of the skills and processes in this book are designed to help you achieve. 17

Programming the Unconscious Mind Your unconscious mind (sub-conscious) is the collective intelligence of all the cells in your body. In other words, your unconscious mind is your body, and therefore you are always “programming” your body. “Programming” means that all your thoughts and feelings are constantly influencing the state of your physiology, and thereby determining your level of wellbeing. Your unconscious mind is like the crew of a ship. You are its captain. It is your job to give the crew orders. And when you do this, the crew takes everything you say literally. The crew (your unconscious mind) doesn't question anything, it just blindly follows your orders. When you say, "Everything I eat goes straight to my hips," the crew hears that as an order: Take everything she eats, turn it into fat and put it on her hips. On the other hand, if you say, "Everything I eat helps me maintain my perfect body weight," the crew will begin to make that into reality by helping you make better food choices, exercise, and maintain the right metabolism rate for you body. How do you predominantly think about your health? Everything we think, feel, say and do programs our unconscious mind, which in turn plays a major role in how we experience each moment of life. Thought energy or consciousness is said to be the “ground of our being”. This means that the quality of your health, (as well as the quality of your relationships, finances and your life) is largely determined by how you think about it. We become what we think about and to a large extent what turns thought energy into tangible and physical reality are the spoken words which we use to express ourselves. What we say and the words we use, are largely what determines our success or failure in life. So, say it the way you want it! If you are constantly talking about what you don’t want – that’s what will keep showing up in your life. Make positive statements about the results that you want to achieve and keep your focus on your desired outcomes. Also, aim to be grateful for the experience you’re having. You’re choosing what it means to you, and therefore you’re co-creating the experience - internally. So you may as well appreciate your power to create each moment of your life on the inside, because that's what attracts its external match. When your words are aligned with your congruent feelings and actions - anything is possible when it comes to healing! How are you willing to think and speak about your health now? A useful Neuro-Linguistic Program is one that seeks out the opportunity in your current experience and chooses to let it inspire proactive thoughts, words and actions that lead to desirable outcomes. So forget about what you don't want and choose to focus on the results that you do want. 18

Chapter 2

SELF HEALING SKILLS

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Embodied Heaven & Embodied Hell When you feel love, joy, inner peace, bliss and a sense of vibrant aliveness that makes everything meaningful and interconnected – this is Embodied Heaven! When you suffer, when you’re feeling sad, lonely, angry, guilty or any other emotion that is unpleasant – this is Embodied Hell! We experience Embodied Hell when we believe thoughts that cause us dis-ease, and we tend to believe such thoughts when we are unaware of who we truly are. We experience Embodied Heaven when we recognize thoughts as the concepts that they are without identifying with them. When we are no longer living in states of identification with thought and form, then we experience our unlimited and Authentic State. Embodied Heaven is living consciously and Embodied Hell is living unconsciously. Living unconsciously means being unable to control your mental and emotional state because you perceive other people and elements to be the cause of this. All distress, conflicts and wars are the results of unconsciousness. It is the root of evil. Living consciously means being awake to what is going on inside you mentally and emotionally each moment with the awareness that you are more than your thoughts and emotions. Consciously aware people are more in the flow, they are better able to adapt to life’s changes, make wise choices and perform well. To experience more Heaven and less Hell each day all you need to do is recognise that the only thing that makes you feel bad are your negative thoughts (not other people or situations). When you acknowledge those culprit thoughts and observe them with curiosity, they lose their grip on you. There is no need to try to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts, as when you are no longer identifying with those negative thoughts, you automatically identify more with the source of your thinking which results in Authentic Self Empowerment.

Okay, I know…easier said than done, but here’s a way to get started:

1. Aim to catch the thought that causes you to feel bad by identifying it as soon as you feel that emotion arising. 2. Holding that thought in mind, notice how it makes you feel. 3. Ask yourself: “Where does this thought/concept come from”? “Is it even true?” 4. Let your awareness investigate that thought the way a curious child questions a new idea.

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...Then notice how the feeling in your body changes and releases. Observing previously unconscious thoughts in this way brings them into the light of your conscious awareness. Darkness cannot exist in the light. The more light you shine on those old unwanted thoughts, the less they will affect you, and the more you will experience Embodied Heaven.

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Kinaesthetic Awareness Let your body be your guide.

Kinaesthetic awareness is how you sense your body. It is what gives you a sense of presence and of being embodied. The word “kinaesthesia” comes from the Greek words kines (movement) and aesthesia (feeling)—so it literally means “movement feeling.”

An acute awareness of how your body responds to external stimulation and emotions may be your signal to take action in a certain way. Understanding how your own body communicates to you may save you time and medical expenses; and be of benefit in countless other ways.

There is a body of knowledge which is commonly agreed upon by those in psychology and in the healing arts, which states quite simply, that the physical body and the unconscious mind are the same entity. The unconscious mind communicates with the conscious mind by means of subtle, yet tactile sensations which are interpreted as intuition. Learning how to “tune in” to the messages from your body is like opening the channel to a vast reservoir of resources inside you.

Understanding the language of your body will not only assist you in the accurate interpretation of unconscious communication from others, but help you in your own self development, self healing and self coaching endeavours.

You can begin to get to the root of your stress, tension, negative emotions and limiting perceptions through bodily inquiry.

The bodily inquiry technique:

When you find yourself feeling distress, take your attention off the story and thoughtstream. Take a few deep breaths and feel the sensations in your body. Keep breathing and feeling sensations as they deepen and change. Let your body find the positions that feel good.

Keep your awareness on the sensations in your body. Follow them as they shift.

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With your attention inside your body, ask yourself, “What is true for me in this moment”? Notice how your body responds to the question. Keep repeating the question until you sense a release or significant shift. Continue until you sense completion with this process.

Regular practice of the above technique in various contexts without asking the question is in itself a useful way of “tuning in” and becoming familiar with the inner workings of your higher intelligence.

“Trust your Unconscious Mind, it knows a lot more than you do”. -- Milton H. Erickson, American psychiatrist and psychotherapist

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The Wisdom of your Body When you find yourself feeling distress, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and feel the sensations in your body. Take your attention off your thought-stream and avoid labelling the feeling or emotion, just observe your direct experience of it.

In this way you allow any unwanted energy to pass instead of trapping it through attempts to resist or suppress it.

Welcome the emotion and its lesson, and be mindful of any need to react. Discipline yourself to only respond to a challenging situation once the emotion has passed. This way you avoid recycling outdated patterns in your life.

Regular practice of the above skill is a useful way of “tuning in” and becoming familiar with the inner workings of your higher intelligence.

"In oneself lies the whole world, and if you know how to look and learn, then the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either that key or the door to open, except yourself." -- J. Krishnamurti

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The Wellbeing Elevator How you feel (your state) influences your thoughts and behaviours, therefore before your respond to any situation, first make sure you're in the most appropriate state. The most appropriate state to be in is the one that matches the desired results that you want in any situation. This resourceful state can be sufficiently achieved through assuming the body posture and typical manner of breathing that resembles how you want to feel. It's that easy! You can rapidly improve your state of mental and physical wellbeing through accessing a highly present and centred state. This state is known to enhance your cellular communication, stabilize all systems of your body, and optimize your brain function. The reason why this cool, calm & collected state is so beneficial to your health is because it helps you keep your attention in the body. Healers from all ages and traditions agree that healing energy flows more readily where you place your attention. One of the underlying reasons why there is so much sickness and dis-ease in our modern society is because there are an increasing amount of high-tech distractions that prevent us from paying attention to our internal distress signals. The late, great Hypnotherapist, Milton H. Erickson declared: “Patients are patients because they are out of rapport with their own unconscious mind. Patients are people who have had too much outside programming – so much programming that they have lost touch with their inner selves.” Your unconscious mind is the collective intelligence of all the cells in your body. It constantly provides you with signals via sensations, emotions, intuitions, as well as via your dreams and in the state of hypnosis. When you detect and act on these signals then you build rapport with your unconscious mind. When you have rapport with this intelligent and wise aspect of yourself, then your mental performance as well as your body's natural healing capability are enhanced. Here's how to access this healing and performance enhancing state: 1. Stop all mental and physical activity by sitting comfortably, closing your eyes and taking a few deep relaxing breaths. 2. Focus your attention in your body as much as possible. Observe thoughts, emotions and sensations without entertaining them. 3. To deepen your relaxation, pay attention to the rising and falling of your abdomen 25

as you inhale and exhale, breathing naturally. 4. Then allow your awareness to float naturally throughout your body the way a warm summer breeze carries a light feather here and there. ...That is the 'Wellbeing Elevator'. Be gently curious about what your body (unconscious mind) wants to bring to your conscious attention. Spending a few minutes doing the above exercise each day can be hugely beneficial. Dedicating 20 minutes of each day to this exercise may profoundly enhance your level of mental and physical wellbeing. If you would like more structure or enjoy being guided through this exercise, and beyond, then check out the Heal Your Body 1 recording. Nobody knows you better than your body does. Pay attention, it can save you a lot of time, money and energy.

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Everyday Self Hypnosis Today’s problems cannot be solved with yesterday’s solutions!

In this high-tech and fast paced age it’s now more necessary than ever before to make time for reconnecting with our inner recourses and creativity in order to perform optimally. The price of not doing so is becoming increasingly high to pay.

Issues like lack of motivation, procrastination, indecision, conflicting priorities, burnout, overwhelm and performance anxiety are a result of automatic (unconscious) reactions and patterns which occur before we become consciously aware of them.

This means that unless you’re able to quickly relax and unwind your mind and body and direct your unconscious (sub-conscious) mind effectively, your daily stressors will continue having negative effects on you physically, mentally and emotionally.

Your unconscious mind is the collective intelligence of every cell in your body. It is the storehouse of your creative potential and inner wisdom. It is everything else that you’re not consciously aware of while you go about narrowly focused on what’s important in your day to day living.

If you could have a simple yet powerful way of “tuning into” your unconscious mind and creating a neurological shift in your perceptions and abilities, would that interest you?

Here’s how:

1. At regular intervals during your day stop what you’re doing and take a deep breath in, hold it for one second, and then let it go, exhaling all tension. Do this at least 3 times, putting your neurology into “pause mode”. 2. Next, take a normal breath in through your nose and exhale slowly from your mouth – about twice as long as the inhalation. Continue breathing in this circular way for as long as it takes you to feel relaxed. 3. Once you’re completely relaxed, and your mind has quietened continue breathing naturally. In this calm state, create a mental picture of you successfully achieving 27

the result that you want to accomplish next. Then make a positive affirming statement to achieve that, like: “I can and I will...”

Use this technique as and when you wish and especially when you find yourself distressed about something. The 3 deep breaths followed by the circular breathing can be used as a quick relaxation method unto itself.

You can spend anything between 1 minute and 20 minutes doing this technique. When you’re done, allow yourself to be inspired and continue with the next most important thing for you.

As simple as it may seem, the above skill has proven to help many of our clients in their personal and professional development as well as in self healing. I teach this relaxation technique in track 3 of the Cool, Calm & Collected recording which also includes a half hour guided meditation track and a brain entrainment track to induce deep relaxation.

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How to Let Go of Limiting Beliefs and Unwanted Behaviours If there is something that you do that you don’t want to do, but you can’t stop yourself from doing it or if there is something that you want to do (or achieve), but you’re not, then what’s stopping you is a limiting belief. In order to let go of a limiting belief, you have to first identify that you have one. Limiting beliefs are often more identifiable in others. You can hear it in people’s language and expression when they unconsciously cut themselves off from the resources that could be available to them. You’ll hear them say things like: "I have to keep this unstimulating job, as it is difficult to find new and rewarding work these days." Or: “I can´t leave this relationship because I will never find someone better.” - as well as many other statements of perceived limitation. So ask those who know you best what they think your limiting beliefs might be.

You can also unveil your own limiting beliefs by paying attention to where in your life you may be achieving poor results or struggling to reach certain goals. Remember: What we achieve in life is directly related to our beliefs. Once an unconscious limiting belief is brought into conscious awareness and we address the belief’s intention, then we can begin to release that belief from determining our results.

Start by asking yourself: What purpose has this belief been serving? Every belief (and behaviour) has a positive intention. You developed it for a purpose. This means that it may even be a resource in certain contexts. If you try to change a belief without acknowledging its intention, you may trigger defensiveness, which can embed the belief more deeply. So first unveil the belief’s intended value in order to release it as a hindrance in your life. By seeking to fulfil the belief’s intention, it will loosen its grip on you. Examples of positive intentions behind limiting beliefs: Belief: "I can´t leave this relationship because I will never find someone better." Intention: “This keeps me loyal and empathetic in my current relationship.”

Belief: “I have to keep this unstimulating job, as it is difficult to find new and rewarding work these days.” Intention: “This keeps me attentive and disciplined at work.”

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Belief: “I am a bad public speaker."

Intention: “This prevents me from having to face uncertainty and potential embarrassment.”

Begin implementing a more appropriate way to satisfy the old belief’s intention and then start focussing on some new resourceful beliefs that support you in achieving the results that you want. Sometimes our perception of significant emotional events leads to limiting beliefs being “programmed” into our minds. Deep limiting beliefs may need to be addressed at the causal level. For this there are certain forms of NLP, Hypnotherapy and Authentic Self Empowerment processes, including the Drop the Habit audioprogramme that may be useful.

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Transforming Limiting Beliefs & Behaviours Think of an unwanted behaviour you have, then ask yourself the following questions in successive order: 1. How is it a problem? 2. For what reason do you keep the behaviour? 3. How does this behaviour help you? 4. How does it hinder you? 5. What would happen if you changed the behaviour? 6. What wouldn't happen if you changed the behaviour? 7. What would happen if you didn't change the behaviour? 8. What wouldn't happen if you didn't change the behaviour? 9. What is the belief behind this behaviour – For what purpose do you do it? 10. What is the positive intent of the belief – What is the highest intention of this belief? 11. Where, when and how did you learn this belief? 12. Whose belief is it? 13. What are You willing to believe now? 14. How will You behave differently?

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Changing Your Personal History This is a popular NLP technique to reprogram your memory. It helps you to change your perception about a painful experience in your past, so that the memory (and energy) of it no longer has a negative influence on you in the present.

1. Bring to mind a limiting belief that you would like to change. This could be, “I’m not good enough”, “I’ll never attract a soul mate”, “It’s hard making enough money doing what I enjoy”, “I’ll never be successful” etc.

2. Think about what you want to believe instead. Make sure this is positive and compelling.

3. Make yourself comfortable and take a few relaxing breaths.

4. Let you mind go back to the very first experience that you had where your interpretation of that past experience led you to form your current limiting belief.

5. Imagine being there now as your younger self inside that situation, but with your new resourceful belief in awareness and in light of your current level of life experience.

6. Notice how you perceive that past experience differently now. Then imagine yourself moving through your life toward your current age with your new resourceful belief colouring all significant past events up to present time.

7. Now with your new belief integrated, you can look back on your past with new eyes and feel good about your brighter future in the days, months and years to come.

My teacher John Overdurf said: “You never know how far a change will go...” You are changing more than you think, so you may as well choose to change in the way that you want to... “Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of the lives.” --William James 32

Transcending Thoughts that Cause Pain and Limitation We have all the resources we need within us. When your current level of thinking is not providing you with desirable results, that's a sign to 'raise the bar' of your mind.

1. Take a deep breath and notice your thought stream. How are you labelling yourself or the situation?

2. Ask yourself: “Is this all that I am?” Or “Is this completely true about the situation?”

3. Then ask yourself: “How much more am I than these thoughts?” Or “What's the greater truth about this situation?”

4. Relax and allow your enquiry to expand your awareness. Wait until a new thought or insight arises in your mind that makes you feel better.

Here's a mantra for you to remember whenever you need to: “I am capable of more than I think I am, because I am more than I think!”

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Laugh Away Your Fears "Due to the recession, to save energy costs, the light at the end of the tunnel will be turned off."

"Two cannibals are eating a clown. One cannibal turns to the other and asks: " This taste funny to you?"

Recall a time when you were laughing uncontrollably. Bring that funny moment to mind as vividly as you can. Feel the laughter in your body now.

Begin laughing out loud. If necessary, encourage the laugh to come through laughing deliberately at fist, until you are laughing naturally.

While you´re laughing think about one of those situations that causes you fear. Continue laughing and notice how your perception of that situation changes in your mind. Keep your laughter rolling until your thoughts and feelings about that old fear are gone!

Light-hearted approaches like this one can take the edge off your fear enough to be able to face it, which is certainly worthwhile. It may even help you to overcome minor fears completely.

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Transforming Unwanted Feelings into Resourceful States Get to the root of your stress, tension, negative emotions and limiting perceptions by enhancing your kinaesthetic awareness (how you sense your body).

When you find yourself feeling distress, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and feel the sensations in your body.

Take your attention off your thought-stream and avoid labelling the feeling or emotion, just observe your direct experience of it.

Negative feelings are a sign that your thoughts are in resistance to your current reality.

Know that there is a purpose behind all your experiences, if at least something for you to learn about yourself.

This doesn’t mean trying to find the positive side to something, just look for how you can benefit from the situation, and its purpose will arise sooner or later. Then put your attention on how you feel and let it be. In this way you allow the energy to pass instead of making it worse by trying not to have it.

Resistance is persistence! The more we don't want certain feelings, the more intense they become. Allowing strong feelings to be felt through letting them be -- enables them to move through and out of you, instead of being bottled up inside you -- which can damage your health and cause unwanted behaviours.

Negative emotions require our attention and participation. Without attention and participation, there is no negative emotion -- there is only a wave of energy moving along.

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How to Turn Fear into Excitement The actual energy we feel in our bodies that we usually call "fear" is the same energy as we call "excitement!" What creates the difference in our experience of the feeling is our attitude toward the feeling, our approach to the emotion.

When we change the way we name "uncomfortable" states, the more approachable the condition is for us to feel, the easier it is for us to experience it - and therefore, the faster we move through the state to another condition that is more enjoyable. Resistance is persistence, so if you want to rid yourself of unwanted feelings you need to welcome that experience and in so doing its energy subsides.

So, if we approach undesirable states like crisis, loss, grief or anger with neutral labels like situation, sensation, energy, - we will be more willing and able to fully experience those states and move through them quickly and gracefully.

Discipline yourself to only respond to a situation once any unwanted emotion has passed. That way you avoid dragging old feelings into your new experiences.

Unwanted feelings are a sign that your thoughts need to be investigated. Good feelings are a sign that you’re on the right track.

Now you know how to get back on track when your thoughts derail you.

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Conquering your Craving If you have a craving for something that you would prefer to not crave, then the following skill is for you. The steps below form one of the NLP “Swish Patterns” which are valuable parts of any addiction cessation program. By using this skill on a regular basis you may be able to reduce or even eliminate cravings for substances like sugar, caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and certain drugs. 1. Bring to mind the trigger which causes you to crave something that you want to quit. Make sure to elicit a picture – the very first mental image that begins your craving.

2. Take that image and white it out so that you're looking at a blanc screen.

3. Now imagine on that screen an image of you engaging in a desired activity, looking pleased and feeling good.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 (more rapidly each time, adding a deep breath in and out between each repetition) until you become aware that you feel differently about that old craving which you used to have.

Since that past behaviour is behind you now, you can look forward to being pleasantly surprised at how easy and natural it will become to enjoy a new way of experiencing yourself.

There's no harm in using this skill to conquer any kind of craving and you may be delighted at the results if you persist.

The Drop the Habit recording is another great resource to help people conquer cravings.

If you would like more help with heavier addictions, then feel free to enquire about our personalised addiction cessation audio programmes.

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FIND THE GAP -- Part 1 We all have them – thoughts! Some work for us and some work against us. Nevertheless, as Byron Katie puts it: “Thoughts are harmless, unless you believe them.” If you have uncontrollable unresourceful thoughts, then trying to replace them with positive thoughts or trying to stop them is futile. What we resist persists. Thoughts need fuel to exist. They need our attention, and their favourite form of attention is: “Oh I wish I wasn't thinking this again!” Therefore, thoughts gradually loose their interest in us when we stop focussing on them. Focussing on something else invites thoughts about that, so the trick is not to find something else to concentrate on, but rather, to find the gap! The gap is that void which thoughts try to fill. It's the space between thoughts. The gap is your source of inner peace, joy, creativity and freedom. It's spontaneous meditation. Find the gap! Caution: In the gap our ego has nothing to hold onto, therefore it kicks and screams when we take time out to go within. If we identify closely with our ego, then the gap is terrifying. If we don't fill it with thoughts, then we fill it with TV, radio, internet and gossip. We go to terrible lengths to deprive ourselves of inner peace, joy, creativity and freedom. And then we cry, because we feel shut off from the source of our well-being. The gap is friendly, play with it. At least be curious about it. Instead of bypassing it, from one thought to the next, wonder into it... The more you indulge in the space between thoughts, the more you come alive. The more you take time out to be within your silent inner space, the more productive and effective you are when you get back to doing stuff. “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” -- Carl Jung Find the gap, and you'll find yourself. And you'll find that you're nicer than you think you are ;-)

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FIND THE GAP -- Part 2 If you've ever travelled in London's underground rail system, you'd have heard “mind the gap”. It's good advice when getting on or off trains, but living your life like that is another story. And on London trains you see most people filling the gap with mind (newspaper, phone and all kinds of noise). You also see those who's minds are so full and fatigued that they've got the eyes rolling back, head bopping thing going. They're passing out from overload.

I'm all for stimulating and enriching the mind, but one has to recognise that there comes a point when you need a break. Many people think that break needs to come in the form of mind altering substances, TV, or their well deserved holiday. They think that by inebriating the mind they're giving themselves a break.Wrong!

Others take a more conscious approach to easing the mind, through exercise, yoga, meditation, or being in nature. But it's so easy, when we get busy (which is when we need them most), to put even these valuable practices on hold.

What if there was a way for you to access the vast intelligence of your mind, while enabling yourself to feel cool, calm & collected, and being able to accomplish this in a few seconds, anywhere, any time?

Well, there are simple and effective ways to achieve this, and like most things, they come with practice. The following Tips in this series will provide you with a variety of approaches to find the gap. For now, here's one way:

Shift your attention out of your head and into your body. To do so concentrate on the rising and releasing of your belly with each inhalation and exhalation -

1. Breathe in through your nose, feeling your belly rise.

2. Breathe out through your mouth slowly (twice as long as your inhalation), feeling your belly release.

3. Continue with this slow circular breathing pattern, while keeping your attention on your belly.

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4. Let any thoughts and tension be released with your exhalations.

Through using this simple technique you will soon discover how your mind and body easily unwinds. After familiarising yourself with this technique, it will begin working for you within a few seconds. It's a useful skill to help you get back to sleep at night or during the day when you need to compose yourself.

Find the gap, and you'll find yourself. And you'll find that you're amazing!

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FIND THE GAP -- Part 3 One of the gifts of being in nature is the calm and nurturing “space” that it creates in and around us. Although I highly recommend a good dose of what only mother nature has to offer, as often as you can, there is another way to quickly and easily simulate that “space”.

You can switch your neurology into a similar mode to that which nature induces, anywhere, any time, by opening the aperture of your awareness. This literally means allowing more light into the periphery of your visual field. This is done by allowing your eyes to become aware of not only what's directly in front of you, but also of what's in the outskirts of your visual field. It's a change from tunnel vision to peripheral vision, and the result is “space” (aka the gap).

By shifting your focus to include what's in the periphery of your visual field you activate your nervous system's parasympathetic arousal. While in the cool, calm & collected state that is associated with parasympathetic arousal, it is impossible for you to be fight-or-flight mode, meaning that any stress just went out the window (pun intended).

Peripheral Vision simplified:

While looking at whatever you're looking at, allow yourself to also become aware of what's in the far left and far right of your visual field. Don't turn your head to focus on what's in your periphery, just let that remain blurry in the outskirts of your awareness. Take a few moments to let your visual field expand. Your eyes don't open more, you just let more light in, and begin to feel lighter.

If you're in a heated discussion, whether, face-to-face or over the phone, notice that peripheral vision helps you compose your thoughts and become more present. If you've got a mental block, or performance anxiety, notice how peripheral vision enables you to relax and flow. Adding peripheral vision to the breathing technique that you got in “FIND THE GAP 2!” (above) is part of the Cool, Calm & Collected Technique, which is highly effective at enabling you to find the gap.

Find the gap, and you'll find yourself. And you'll find that you're capable of more than you think!

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Overcoming Inner Conflicts (NLP Parts Integration) Emotional experiences throughout life, and especially during the early imprint years can result in the creation of Parts at the unconscious mind. These Parts generate their own values and beliefs, and are responsible for certain behaviours. Overwhelming feelings and reactions, as well as out of control behaviours are the result of ‘Conflicting Parts’. The NLP Parts Integration technique creates harmony between Parts of the unconscious mind, so that their values are in alignment. A person with ‘Integrated Parts’ is more congruent, empowered and clear in their decisions and actions. In addition to the technique below, you can watch me teach and demonstrate Parts Integration at a live NLP training in this video.

The NLP Parts Integration technique (applied to self)

Establish the unwanted behaviour or indecision. Then identify at least two opposing Parts – the ‘Good Part’ and ‘Bad Part’, or the Part that wants to change and the Part that keeps doing the problem.

1. Create an image of both Parts, one in each palm of your hands. Any metaphoric representation that symbolizes each Part is appropriate.

2. (a) Fixate your attention on one of the Parts first. Then ask that Part what its intention is for doing what it’s doing. Keep repeating that question on whatever ‘answer’ you get, until you arrive at a positive value like love, freedom, joy etc.

b) Fixate your attention on the other Part next. Then ask that Part what its intention is for doing what it’s doing. Keep repeating that question on whatever ‘answer’ you get, until you arrive at a positive value like love, freedom, joy etc.

(c) Notice that what both Parts want (their highest intention) is either identical or compatible.

3. Identify which resources each Part has, that would be useful to the other Part in achieving their highest intention. Imagine both Parts now sharing these resources. 42

4. Have the hands turn towards each other and see the two internal images begin to merge as the hands progressively move closer together...

5. As the hands come together, create a third image that symbolizes the integration of the two former Parts.

6. Bring the new integrated image into your body through placing both hands on your heart, breathing it in and absorbing this whole new experience.

7. Relax for a few minutes and then think about that old issue in light of being a more integrated person now.

8. Consider how you’re going to approach your situation differently in the future, now that you’re fully integrated.

Should you not yet feel fully confident about sustaining the change that the above process facilitates, then perhaps there is another Part that wants to have its ‘say’ on the matter. In such a case you simply repeat this process until all Parts are ‘playing for the same team’. Should you get stuck, then seek the help of a qualified NLP Practitioner to help you achieve the results that you want. aPart from that, remember – you’re more than the sum of your Parts.

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Self Diagnosis with Self Hypnosis If you could accurately diagnose the source of your sickness, ailment or dis-ease, and thereby skip unnecessary visits to the doctor (who's diagnosis is frequently inaccurate anyway), would that interest you?

DISCLAIMER: The following information is for your interest only. It is not meant as a replacement for medical healthcare. Use the Self Diagnosis with Self Hypnosis skill with caution and avoid using it if you have any kind of neurological or neurochemical disorder.

Self Hypnosis is a skill to induce a calm state of mind and body where you gain direct access to your unconscious mind. Your unconscious mind is the collective intelligence of all the cells in your body. Therefore, Self Hypnosis can enable you to elicit pure information directly from your body itself. And no body knows you better than your own.

A great emphasis of the courses that I present is on building rapport between the conscious (foreground of awareness) and unconscious (background of awareness) parts of the mind. A high level of rapport between these two parts of the mind is the key to successfully self diagnosing and self healing many physical and mental/emotional health problems.

In our modern day society we have become very reliant on conscious processing, which means that we are predominantly using only a fraction of our potential. Your unconscious mind (brain, body & surrounding energy field) holds massively more information than your conscious mind. It also holds your blueprint for perfect health. The neglect of our unconscious inner resources may be part of the reason why we depend on external diagnoses and pharmaceuticals to such a great degree.

So here's a skill instead of a pill:

The primary goal of the Self Diagnosis with Self Hypnosis skill is to obtain an accurate description of the thoughts, emotions and memories that may be attached to a particular health problem. However, because you pay such close attention to the discomfort that underlies the problem, automatic internal adjustments and self healing are often initiated.

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1. Set your intention

Start by having the intention to elicit the cause of your health related problem.

2. Focus on the discomfort

Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to clear your mind. Relax for a while, and then concentrate upon the unpleasant sensations that are associated with the problem.

3. Wait and see

Wait patiently and quietly while observing those unpleasant sensations and then pay attention to any spontaneous thoughts or images that suddenly come into awareness. The unconscious mind often communicates via feelings, images, symbols and memories, so remain open to whatever arises. Let your awareness drift until you notice something of interest. Usually the first object or idea has the most relevance.

That's essentially the process. Through practice, rapport develops between the two faculties of your mind, and then answers become more clear. In the beginning you may have to spend up to 10 minutes relaxing first. It's important to be deeply relaxed as that opens the internal “communication pathways”. The Cool, Calm & Collected Technique is ideal for this. Sooner or later, you will be able to accurately diagnose the cause of many health problems.

Once you are confident that you know the cause of your problem (feel free to seek reliable external verification), then there is another step to initiate self healing and/or to establish what action is most appropriate.

4. Finding the solution

Find a pleasing thought or image that removes or replaces that unpleasant sensation. If this proves to be too difficult, then imagine how it would feel if the discomforts were gone, if you felt happy and content instead, and wait until your unconscious mind shows you what to do to make that happen. If this is not suited to your problem, then, while in a deeply relaxed state, ask your unconscious mind to bring into awareness the most appropriate action that leads to healing the cause of the problem. 45

Keep practising and adapting this skill to suit you and the particular health problem. Eventually you will become so familiar with the inner workings of your higher intelligence, that any problem is seen as an opportunity to go “inside” and get to know yourself even better.

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Mental Rehearsal Mental Rehearsal is a powerful tool for healing, self-improvement and coaching. When you mentally rehearse you use the neural pathways that are involved in actually doing the skill for real. Mental Rehearsal makes any new skill familiar by priming your mind and body; it creates micro movements in the muscles that you need in reality.

The following three steps are useful for any kind of goal setting. Mental Rehearsal is most effective when used as you first wake up, after meditation or prayer, and right before you go to bed. These are the times you are most relaxed.

Whenever you mentally rehearse your desired outcomes, follow the following principles: 1. Imagine sitting in a movie theatre, the lights dim, and then the movie starts. It is a movie of you doing perfectly whatever it is that you want to do better. See as much detail as you can create, including your clothing, the expression on your face, small body movements, the environment and any other people that might be around. Add in any sounds you would be hearing — traffic, music, other people talking, cheering. And finally, recreate in your body any feelings you think you would be experiencing as you engage in this activity. 2. Get out of your chair, walk up to the screen, open a door in the screen and enter into the movie. Now experience the whole thing again from inside of yourself, looking out through your eyes. This is called an “embodied image” rather than a “distant image.” It will deepen the impact of the experience. Again, see everything in vivid detail, hear the sounds you would hear, and feel the feelings you would feel. 3. Finally, walk back out of the screen that is still showing the picture of you performing perfectly, return to your seat in the theatre, reach out and grab the screen and shrink it down to the size of a cracker. Then, bring this miniature screen up to your mouth, chew it up and swallow it. Imagine that each tiny piece — just like a hologram — contains the full picture of you performing well. Imagine all these little pictures traveling down into your stomach and out through the bloodstream into every cell of your body. Then imagine that every cell of your body is lit up with a movie of you performing perfectly. It’s like one of those appliance store windows where 50 televisions are all tuned to the same channel. When you have finished this process — it should take less than five minutes — you can open your eyes and go about your business. If you make this part of your daily routine, you will be amazed at how much improvement you will see in your life.

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Getting to Know the Higher Conscious Mind So we have an unconscious mind that stores our blue print and has access to all the resources we ever need. Where does the unconscious mind get the resources from – the higher conscious mind.

On the following page is a simple meditation to de-identify with the aspects of ourselves which have the potential for limiting us.

In identifying strongly with certain aspects (such as our intellect, our body, or our age) we can limit who and what we are. When we limit ourselves through our beliefs we can also limit access to higher realms.

For example, if our conscious mind denies the existence of a higher conscious mind then will not have conscious experience of its role in our life. Since our higher conscious mind is our connection to greater realms of existence, we will only experience these realms to the degree that we believe in the power of the higher conscious mind.

The process begins with a few minutes of conscious breathing. Beginning to breathe at a 1:2 ratio of inhalation to exhalation. Your exhalation will be about twice as long as your inhalation. The 1:2 breath balances the blood gases in the bloodstream to rapidly create a state of relaxed alertness.

Do each line of the meditation on the next page slowly enough to have time to comprehend the meaning. If you would like to, continue the breathing while you go through the words; or, if it is easier in the beginning, allow your breathing to return to normal while reciting them and then return to the 1:2 ratio for a few moments between each line. After you have completed the last line you can either continue to repeat it or just breathe and notice what happens.

Over time this meditation can be modified for special circumstances that may arise in your life. If you are experiencing challenges with certain emotions or desires, begin your meditation with these. In the beginning I suggest you use the meditation as it is here.

Some people report that they had been sceptical about the existence of a higher conscious mind and through doing the following meditation have had experiences that verified its presence for them. I suggest you do this daily for five to ten minutes.

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(Follow the guidelines on the previous page)

The Meditation

I have a body, but I am not my body. I am more than my body.

I have emotions, but I am not my emotions. I am more than my emotions.

I have a conscious mind, but I am not my conscious mind. I am more than my conscious mind.

I have an unconscious mind, but I am not my unconscious mind. I am more than my unconscious mind.

I have dreams, but I am not my dreams. I am more than my dreams.

I have thoughts, but I am not my thoughts. I am more than my thoughts.

No matter what I think I am, I am always more than that…..

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Chapter 3 DEALING WITH STRESS & BURNOUT

(Aside from the 'Mindful Power' series in this chapter, the writing style of the longer articles is more academic than in other chapters as this content originates from essays written during my MSc studies in Transpersonal Psychology)

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Mindful Power Introduction Mindful Power is an Authentic Self Empowerment programme (developed by Jevon Dangeli) that combines Mindfulness and Self Hypnosis skills with the art and science of Humanistic Neuro-Linguistic Psychology. This unique synergy of expansive thought with performance enhancing methodologies has given rise to a powerful and versatile set of techniques that enable people to continue raising their level of personal and professional competence. I have presented live Mindful Power seminars around the world since 2005. Over the years I have found that the Mindful Power processes are especially helpful to those who suffer from excessive stress and burnout. For this reason I have included an introduction to the six fundamental Mindful Power processes in the following pages of this chapter. First of all, in order for you to gain a basic understanding of what constitutes Mindful Power, I will begin by explaining the three components of Mindful Power: The first component of Mindful Power is Mindfulness According to various prominent psychological definitions, in Wikipedia – Mindfulness refers to a psychological quality that involves bringing one’s complete attention to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis, or involves paying attention in a particular way – on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. Simply put, Mindfulness is being in the here and now. Mindfulness in Buddhist meditation; (also translated as Awareness) is a spiritual faculty that is considered to be of great importance in the path to enlightenment. Mindfulness practice improves the immune system and recent research suggests that it is useful in the treatment of pain, stress, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and addiction, amongst others. The second component of Mindful Power is Self Hypnosis Self Hypnosis is a form of selective thinking, where the individual focusses on a particular goal while using skills to relax the body and release irrelevant thoughts from the mind. This form of selective thinking has a direct influence on the unconscious mind, and can therefore regulate one’s perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, as well as physiological processes of the body. If you don’t affect changes at the level of your unconscious mind, then they won’t be sustainable.

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Self Hypnosis is a dynamic set of skills that are commonly used for self healing, improving performance, tapping the wisdom of the unconscious mind, and sharpening intuition, amongst other things.

The third component of Mindful Power is Humanistic Neuro-Linguistic Psychology Humanistic Neuro-Linguistic Psychology (HNLP) is the study of how our Mind creates our reality through language and behaviour. It’s a powerful methodology and philosophy that helps you overcome the obstacles and habits that prevent you from performing optimally, through equipping you with practical strategies to enhance your abilities in any area of your life. HNLP enables you to identify the triggers that cause you to think, feel and behave unresourcefully. It empowers you to change each trigger’s neurological effect, so that you have more choices available to you. One of the major premises of HNLP is that you are capable of far more than you think you are, because you are more than you think you are. This idea is based on the knowledge that your current perceptions are limited to how your neurology filters information. It’s your internal representations and states that determine your behaviour much more than the world outside of you. HNLP methodologies offer a positive, proactive, goal-oriented and sustainable approach to enhancing performance. It shows you how to heighten awareness, use multi-level communication and have behavioural flexibility in order to achieve fulfilling results. In the 90′s, co-founders of HNLP – John Overdurf and Julie Silverthorn developed Mind Power for Life – a powerful HNLP technique that enables people to enter a deep state of relaxation while learning to access and direct their subconscious mind. The original Mindful Power approach was inspired by the Mind Power for Life technique, plus other recent developments in the field of HNLP, along with the principles of Mindfulness and Self Hypnosis to provide you with a leading approach to create a fulfilling life in this day and age. Mindful Power has its roots in modern psychology while utilizing the most up-to-date information on how the “chemical” mind works from psychoneuroimmunology. It draws on science as well as timeless spiritual wisdom and my own direct experience.

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Mindful Power for Calming and Centering This Mindful Power processes enables you to easily switch your mind from stress mode into a calm and centred mode within a few seconds. Human beings have two internal 'Switches' which automatically activate the body's "relaxation response", which is your calm and centred mode. These two 'Switches' are Conscious Breathing and Peripheral Vision. 'Switch' 1 -- Conscious Breathing Your breathing is an important part of the formula in creating emotions. Changing the breathing changes the formula and creates different emotions. Breathing at a 1:2 ratio of inhalation to exhalation rapidly creates a state of relaxed alertness. You simply breathe in normally through your nose and breathe out twice as long from your mouth. Continue breathing in this way until you feel calm and present. 'Switch' 2 -- Peripheral Vision Being in peripheral vision blocks the fight and flight response (stress mode), while activating your body's relaxation response. If you are in peripheral vision you literally cannot access or experience emotions that are a result of the fight and flight response. This means that peripheral vision inhibits stress and anxiety. Peripheral vision occurs when you relax your eye muscles and notice not only what is directly in front of you, but also what is on each side of your visual field. You keep your eyes focused on a specific point (like the person you're talking to, for example) while allowing your awareness to include the whole area around what your focus is on. In other words, while focussing on something, at the same time have a soft (defocussed) awareness of everything else around that object. Conscious breathing and peripheral vision work well individually, however, when you combine them you'll notice very quickly how you're able to combat stress, relax and respond to people and situations more resourcefully. You can read more about how these miraculous 2 'Switches' work and listen to a free audio recording of this skill here.

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Mindful Power for Eliminating Mental Noise This Mindful Power processes enables you to put a stop to the thoughts and feelings that you don't want, and replace them with an inner peace in a matter of seconds. If you're like most of us, you've probably noticed that as you go through life, your mind often engages in a continual stream of internal chatter, known as self-talk. There's nothing inherently wrong with this, especially when your self-talk is positive and supportive! Other times though, like when you're under stress, your self-talk just adds fuel to the fire. Have you ever talked to yourself and made yourself feel worse than you were already feeling? This is the type of self-talk you probably want to eliminate. The interesting thing about unwanted self talk is that the more you don't want it, the more you have it. Resisting self talk, causes it to persist. So in general, a useful way to eliminate unwanted self talk is to stop feeding it with your attention. Your attention is food for your self talk. Focussing your attention on something else will result in the unwanted thoughts loosing energy and thereby disappearing. Withdrawing your attention from any unwanted thought stream in order to achieve your preferred mental state, is the key. To do so you will learn how to replace your thought stream with an internal auditory cue, which also happens to activate your nervous system's relaxation response. Repeating the phrase (auditory cue) "I AM" is the third 'Switch' for activating the relaxation response. The first two 'Switches', the 1:2 breathing pattern and peripheral vision (which you are taught in the Mindful Power Mini-Course Part 1) can slow down or turn off self-talk on their own. The "I AM" auditory cue is included as an extra measure so that all three sensory modalities (kinaesthetic, visual and auditory) are being used to eliminate self-talk. Silently repeat the phrase "I AM" in rhythm to your 1:2 breathing pattern, and soon you'll notice how your mind becomes light and free. For an explanation of why the phrase "I AM" is used, and to listen to a free audio recording of this technique, visit this page.

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Mindful Power for Manifesting WELLness Goals This Mindful Power processes enables you to direct the part of your awareness that has the greatest influence on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Before you learn how to use this effective WELLness goal manifestation technique, it's important to know how to elicit your goals properly. Poorly elicited goals may have little or no value to your inner self, and striving for such superficial goals is usually either unsuccessful or the cause of stress in other areas of your life. WELLness goals should always be in alignment with a meaningful purpose, as this enables you to be motivated to take the appropriate actions in the short and long run. The reason why people fail to follow through with their set goals is because they focus on the acquisition of something, or the stopping of something, instead of the actual feeling that such a result would provide them with. What we really desire (our internal goal), is not the accomplishment of an external goal, but the way in which we'll experience ourselves when the external goal is accomplished. When your goals are not in alignment with a meaningful purpose, then your actions do not result in the feelings that you'd like to have. For example, some people smoke to relax, but smoking doesn't relax them. Some people eat (or refuse to eat) as a way of dealing with heavy emotions, but this doesn't work. Some people say things to hurt others so that they can feel empowered, but this just causes themselves pain later on. The feeling associated with any goal's accomplishment is not something that's reserved for only after you accomplish the goal. You can experience that state right now! In fact, through associating into the state that you expect to experience at that moment when you achieve your goal, and doing so regularly, you activate your unconscious mind to identify compelling steps toward WELLness. Believing that you'll only experience what you really desire by acquiring something is a great source of suffering because it affirms that you don't already have it now - and therefore sets up a negative self fulfilling prophecy. So, regularly imagine what it's like to experience the successful accomplishment of your WELLness goal. Ask yourself: "How will I be as a person when I achieve my goal?" Step into that experience - seeing, hearing and feeling what it's like to be there now!" While feeling the energy of that goal's accomplishment in your body, ask yourself: "What's my next smallest step toward sustaining this experience?" Then take that step and keep focussing on what you want while moving in that direction. The way to WELLness will show up to the extent that you're associating into those resourceful states and taking the steps that they inspire. For more tips & tricks on this topic, and to listen to a free audio recording of Jevon teaching it, visit this page. 55

Mindful Power for Overcoming Indecision and Procrastination This Mindful Power processes enables you to overcome procrastination, indecision, perceived dilemmas and feelings of being stuck, so that you can enjoy more productivity, creativity, resourcefulness, and trust in yourself. We all face challenges, but how come some people suffer through them while others thrive through them? Is it just a difference in attitude? Often, those who are fast to rise above difficulties are those who see the problem as a small issue within in the larger context of their life, and in so doing are able to respond more resourcefully? The way in which we observe our external reality determines our internal experience in relation to it. Albert Einstein reminded us that: "The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them." So what level of thinking, or what kind of observation will enable you to respond to your situation or approach your task resourcefully? As a Coach, many of my clients bring issues to their sessions relating to their fixation of attention on something that they call a problem. The way in which they focus on their issue essentially blocks their awareness of what else is going on and what else is possible. Through the coaching process they learn to expand their awareness, thereby gaining emotional freedom and becoming aware of choices that they never knew they had. Life can be viewed as an endless stream of experiences that nudge us to adapt to constant changes. The meaning which we give each of our experiences is determined largely by our attitude and beliefs, which in turn determine our behaviour in response to the experience. Our current attitude and beliefs are based on the meaning we've given past experiences. Therefore the quality of our current thoughts, feelings and actions is to a large extent determined by the past. But, it doesn't have to be that way! Good news is that right now you can consciously override any past conditioning and choose how you want to experience the present. Your state is the key! The present state of your mind, as in - the mood you're in, has an influence on your level of resourcefulness, and therefore also impacts on the meaning you give your experience, as well as the choices that you make in response to it. States that feel bad trigger the thoughts and feelings that cause us to behave unresourcefully; and states that feel good trigger the thoughts and feelings that cause us to behave resourcefully. So the question is: How can you manage your state? Every state has a physiology. In other words there is a unique body posture and breathing pattern to match every mood. Changing your state is as simple as shifting your body posture or changing the way you're breathing. Your physiology affects how you think and feel, which then determines how you behave.

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Deciding what to do while in a negative state will drag that energy with us and result in negative outcomes. Deciding what to do while in a positive state activates our intuition and taps our deeper wisdom. So, in any challenging situation first assume the physiology of the outcome you desire. To do so, place your body in the posture and breathe in the manner that resembles the state that you want to be in. This action will induce its matching mental and emotional state within a few seconds. Once you're in the optimal state your mental capacity and performance is enhanced and you're better prepared to deal with any challenge. So, in any situation, before you respond, first make sure you're in the most appropriate state. More information on this Mindful Power approach, along with a free audio recording of Jevon teaching this process can be found on this page.

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Mindful Power for Dealing with Relationship Conflicts This Mindful Power processes provides the freedom of being able to deal effectively with confrontation and relationship issues. Victor Frankl said: "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom." What you will learn from this Mindful Power process is a way of broadening the space between stimulus and response -- and from that space -- responding mindfully. Here are some ideas to support positive outcomes in your dealings with others: The only way other people, including your family and friends exists for you is through your perceptions. Our perceptions determine how we behave. Our behaviour influences the behaviour of those with whom we interact, which in turn influences our perception about them. And so the cycle goes. In other words, the way in which people behave validates our perception of them, and so we always get to be right. Therefore our perceptions become self-fulfilling prophecies that keep recycling in our life. Problems occur in relationships when you get stuck in your point of view. When you refuse to see the situation from another's perspective as well as a more distant objective perspective, but only from your map of reality, then problems are inevitable. Being able to shift perspectives between your position and another's position and a meta / observer position as and when needed will lead to better communication, understanding, respect, compassion and harmony in that relationship. This doesn't mean that you stick around in an unwanted or abusive relationship. It means that you become empowered to act from a broader perspective of what is really going on. You are able to resourcefully choose what is in your best interest and move in that direction without resentment or negativity or any sense of loss. You're only response-able for your own thoughts, feelings and behaviours. When we try change other people's thoughts, feelings and behaviours it often leads to disappointment and suffering. Changing your point of view and therefore your ability to respond differently in a relationship is the best chance you have of having a happy, healthy and successful partnership. When we realise that at a deep level we are inter-connected not only with our loved ones, but also with everyone and everything in nature, then we begin to treat others the way we would like to be treated. You can read more on this topic and listen to a free audio recording of Jevon teaching it on this page

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Mindful Power -A Simple and Practical Approach to Meditation This Mindful Power approach provides a way to achieve the experience of deep and profound meditation in as little as 5 to 10 minutes. The three 'Switches' that you learned in the first two parts of this Mindful Power series form a simple yet profound meditation when applied without any specific goal in mind. This is a practical meditation that anyone can achieve in order to gain positive healing benefits while enhancing their emotional and spiritual intelligence. You begin by sitting comfortably in any position, as long as your back is straight. Next, start with your conscious breathing pattern ('Switch' 1), then enter into peripheral vision ('Switch' 2) , and then gently allow the "I AM" phrase to repeat itself silently in rhythm to your breath ('Switch' 3). Bring in each successive 'Switch' about roughly one minute after the previous one. Once you've established peripheral vision, then allow your eyes to close. Continue with these three 'Switches' for as long as necessary (to keep your mind still). With some practice the three 'Switches' become merely expediencies to easily enter the meditative state, and to re-enter it when distracted. Once in a peaceful and serene state, the three 'Switches' fade out and become of no more importance, just like those unnecessary thoughts that you will no longer be distracted by. If you're new to meditation then about 20 minutes is recommended, at least once or twice per day. Sooner or later, you will be able to enter into deep meditation relatively quickly. Being in this meditative state promotes WELLness as it aligns and strengthens your mind-body-spirit connection. To reorient yourself back to an alert state, stop the three 'Switches', open your eyes slowly, tap your feet gently on the ground a few times, then get up and move around gradually at first. To listen to an audio recording of Jevon introducing this meditation as well as his full guided Mindful Power Meditation, listen here

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Burnout Healing & Prevention Article Is Confucius’s wisdom: “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”, inconceivable, or is it something we should understand and apply in order to rise above the challenges at work? This article raises the importance of establishing meaning, being in the flow, and avoiding burnout if we want to not just survive, but thrive at work and in life. As a NLP coach and trainer, I’ve noticed that a reasonably consistent theme underlies the predominant intention of my clients for wanting coaching or the common personal development goals that are elicited at the courses that I facilitate. A summary of this theme is the inability to cope with or resolve challenging circumstances resulting in feelings of overwhelm, helplessness and frustration that can escalate to mental exhaustion, physical fatigue and emotional bankruptcy. This summary is similar to the way burnout is described (Shirom, 1989). Stress and burnout cause dysfunction amongst individuals and couples, as well as within organisations (cited in Zeidner, 2005), resulting in lower productivity, higher absenteeism, poorer morale and performance issues (cited in Dierendonck, Garssen & Visser, 2005a). Such stress also causes a type of rigidity that can limit awareness and reduce people’s ability to process information (Zeidner, 1998). Professor Kavita Vedhara (2010) provides scientific evidence for the fact that stress negatively affects the immune system. With burnout being the result of ongoing stress, resulting in fatigue and low energy levels, it stands to reason that a person experiencing burnout will have a higher than normal risk of becoming ill, and once ill, they will experience slower than normal healing from illness. Additionally, the mental exhaustion that is associated with burnout can result in such individuals making poor choices which can perpetuate already problematic situations. Most existing burnout prevention and treatment programmes have a cognitivebehavioural focus (cited in Dierendonck, et al. 2005b) and therefore don’t address the underlying (unconscious) causes of the issue that they aim to resolve. The roots of burnout stem from multiple levels of causation, of which a vast majority (if not all root causes of burnout) are below the level of conscious awareness amongst those who are affected by this phenomenon. People unconsciously prefer vocations that in some way represent their personal and family history. From the psychoanalytic view, we select roles that enable us to replicate emotionally charged and unresolved issues from our early years of life. (cited in Pines 2005). Dr. Michel Odent (2010) provides evidence for the fact that our level of mental, emotional and physical health in adulthood is significantly influenced by the attitudes of our mother during our developing months in the womb, as well as by the birth experience itself. Furthermore, burnout is often associated with various emotional and 60

psychosomatic disorders that, according to Dr. Stanislav Grof (2000) develop as a result of the reinforcing influence of traumatic events in our postnatal history, which in turn have causal links to peri-natal, pre-natal and transpersonal origins. Clearly any effective and sustainable treatment of burnout must take the full spectrum of potential causes into account. A solution oriented burnout prevention and healing programme which incorporates transpersonal perspectives and practices that are inclusive of all known causal factors is therefore recommended. Such a programme can have far reaching positive benefits for not only organisations and the individuals that work in them, but also for the youth and young adults of today who have to deal with the excessive stressors that have become common to life in our high-tech and lowcare society. Dr. Victor Frankl (1976) considered the desire for meaning to be a core motivation amongst humans. We experience the flow state known as “being in the zone” when we are fully engaged with something that we find meaningful. Flow states occur when the energy and resources available to us in the moment are optimal for the activity we’re involved in (Csikszentmihalyi,1990). In this high performance state our awareness is fixated on the task at hand and our actions are effective, productive and agile. When our flow states are consistently interfered with over time, then our energy begins to deplete, contributing toward burnout. Similarly, being inhibited from pursuing something that we believe to be meaningful, thereby loosing the possibility of achieving a desired goal, is also a significant determinant in the development of burnout (Pines, 1993). Such burnout causing factors are highly prevalent in this day and age. Although being involved in something that we find meaningful may be the perfect antidote to stress and burnout, our fast paced, competitive, economically challenged and technology driven society leaves little room for the pursuit of meaningful occupations and is quick to obscure positive flow states with an abundance of distractions. The Solution: Transpersonal Psychology & Mindfulness With insights drawn from cognitive and neuroscientific data, as well as the world’s great spiritual traditions, transpersonal psychology provides a conceptual framework for researching the full spectrum of factors concerning the causes and treatment of burnout. This broad field of psycho/spiritual study offers diagnostic methods, as well as approaches for the prevention and healing of burnout. Being an inclusive psychology that is capable of explaining both mundane and transformative processes of the psyche, transpersonal psychology includes models that are inherently crossdisciplinary and often cross-cultural. This is particularly useful when seeking to unveil the causes and the effects of burnout in a range of contexts. The integration of mindfulness cultivates productive engagement in work, an expanded sense of meaning and purpose, enhanced physical and psychological wellbeing, and improved relationships (cited in Niemiec, Rashid & Spinella, 2012). The achievement of mindfulness counteracts the effect of stressors that can lead to burnout, thus mindfulness practices contribute to the alleviation of burnout symptoms and play a significant role in burnout prevention. Effective burnout prevention and healing methods should include relevant use of transpersonal psychology in combination with mindfulness practices along with the 61

support of appropriate resources for long term integration. Specialised facilitators are able to assist clients to achieve the insights and healing that are common to transpersonal (non-ordinary) states of consciousness, and in a way that is both achievable and acceptable for the teenager, the teacher, the manager, the executive and the chairman, etc. My burnout prevention and healing programme combines perspectives from transpersonal psychology with mindfulness practices in the Authentic Self Empowerment approach — enabling individuals, couples, teams and organisations to establish and maintain greater meaning and flow in all their pursuits. >>> How close are you to burnout? The Burnout Self Diagnostic Tool -- free! >>> Discover Jevon’s burnout prevention audio programme -- Mindful Power References: Anderson, R and Braud, W. (2011). Transforming others and self through research, New York: State University of New York Press Csikszentmihalyi, M (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper and Row. Dierendonck, vD., Garssen, B. and Visser, A. (2005a, 2005b). Rediscovering meaning and purpose at work: the transpersonal psychology background of a burnout prevention programme, in A.G. Antoniou & C.L. Cooper (eds.), Research Companion to Organizational Health Psychology, 40, 623. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited Frankl, V.E. (1976), Man’s Search for Meaning, New York: Beacon Press. Grof, S. (2000). Psychology of the future, New York: State University of New York Press, 75 Niemiec, R., Rashid, T., Spinella, M. (2012) Strong Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness and Character Strengths. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. Vol. 34. No. 3. 240-253. Odent, M (2010). The Two-Edged Mind: Placebo and Nocebo Responses. The Scientific and Medical Network, audio recording of presentation. Retrieved January 16, 2013, from the World Wide Web: https://www.scimednet.org/assets/Private/Audio/BodyBeyond2010/BB2010Odent.MP3 Pines, A.M. (2005). Unconscious influences on the choice of a career and their relationship to burnout: a psychoanalytic existential approach, in A.G. Antoniou & C.L. Cooper (eds.), Research Companion to Organizational Health Psychology, 38, 580. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limitedfor the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Loughlinstown House. Pines, A.M. (1993), Burnout – an existential perspective, in W. Schaufeli, C. Maslach and T. Marek (eds), Professional Burnout: Developments in Theory and Research, Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis, pp. 33–52. Shirom, A. (1989),‘Burnout in work organizations’, in C.L. Cooper and I. Robertson (eds), International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York: Wiley, pp. 26–48. Vedhara, K (2010). Psychoneuroimmunology: “What has Stress Got to Do with It?”. The Scientific and Medical Network, audio recording of presentation. Retrieved January 14, 2013, from the World Wide Web: http://www.scimednet.org/assets/Private/Audio/BodyBeyond2010/BB2010Vedhara.MP3 Zeidner, M. (2005). Emotional intelligence and coping with occupational stress, in A.G. Antoniou & C.L. Cooper (eds.),Research Companion to Organizational Health Psychology, 16, 218. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited Zeidner, M. (1998), Test Anxiety: The State of the Art, New York: Plenum.

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The Causes & Types of Burnout -- Beyond Stress Article “Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive…then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -- Howard Thurman Burnout (mental, emotional, physical and spiritual fatigue) is generally considered to be caused by too much stress over an extended period where one looses hope in achieving a desired goal (Shirom, 1989). The symptoms of burnout spill over into other areas of the affected person’s life affecting their performance, motivation, personal relationships and social life, and can lead to depression, anxiety and psychosomatic disorders, as well as destructive behaviours toward self and others (Brühlmann, 2011; Cartwright & Cooper, 1996). According to the NLP Communication Model, the way in which our minds have been conditioned to filter consciousness determines our personal experience of the world, including all our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This phenomenon underlies why we are the way we are, influencing our health, relationships, and finances, as well as our approach to stressful situations, including our potential for burnout. This article is the first in a series of articles on how to eliminate stress reactions from your life and how to avoid burnout, as well as recover from burnout. Focussing on exploring the underlying causes of burnout, my MSc in Transpersonal Psychology studies have revealed that inhibited access to the more subtle levels of consciousness or constricted flow between levels of consciousness may increase the potential of what I refer to as “transpersonal burnout”. Stephen Wright (2010, p.8) describes this condition aptly as a form of deep human suffering at every level – physical, psychological, social, spiritual – which occurs when old ways of being in the world no longer work and start to disintegrate. Transpersonal burnout is soul sickness, a condition that I sometimes think of as being stuck in mental mud and clueless about any solution. This state is characterised by a narrowing of awareness that prevents one from experiencing one’s authentic self and utilising one’s inner resources. Different stages of this condition are experienced as anxiety, fear, overwhelm, frustration, and helplessness, – which can escalate to mental exhaustion, physical fatigue and emotional bankruptcy, including depression (Brühlmann, 2011; Shirom, 1989). Transpersonal burnout (TpB) is triggered by stressful or intensely emotional experiences in our daily life, but the potential for it to be triggered most likely already exists in the unconscious awareness of such individuals. Furthermore, according to Stanislav Grof (2000), various emotional and psychosomatic disorders including TpB develop as a result of the reinforcing influence of traumatic events in our postnatal history, which in turn have roots in the perinatal, prenatal and transpersonal domains. If the seeds for potential TpB have been planted, the optimal fertile ground for TpB to manifest is often the perception of issues being unresolvable in valued relationships and/or a perceived loss of connection with one’s intrinsic source of mental, emotional, 63

physical and spiritual wellbeing. This kind of limiting perception, if triggered, can manifest into two different types of TpB, depending on the values of the individual. The first type of TpB (TpB-1) can be identified in various contexts, for example,- the placement of significant value in external goals, fuelling materialism and causing overexertion amongst competitors as well as peers for the prestige of an acclaimed title or other acquisitions. This hypothesis further associates TpB-1 with the large scale of dysfunctional relationships in society,- from disharmony in the family, to personal relationship crises, and professional relationship stress, including the possibility of TpB1 being an underlying factor in the breakdown of group relations and international conflict,- all contributing to substance abuse, self harm, violence, power struggles, and segregation, for example (Dierendonck, Garssen & Visser, 2005). This condition is known to be contagious in organisations, being transferred from one employee to another (cited in Gonzalez-Moralesa, G., et al. 2012) and it can spread from one area of a persons’ life to another infecting the people that one interacts with regularly (Brühlmann, 2011). Thomas Germine (n.d) refers to David Bohm’s (1994) impression of a society as one that has lost its connection with the implicate order (the infinite Unconscious), behaving like a set of disjointed mechanical fragments, one of which is oneself — this is TpB-1 on a large scale. The second type of transpersonal burnout (TpB-2) can be compared to what Stan Grof and Christina Grof refer to as “Spiritual Emergency” (1989),- crises that emerge when the process of growth and change becomes chaotic and overwhelming. TP-2 has also been compared to the dark night of the soul, which Eckhart Tolle (2011) refers to as a collapse of a perceived meaning in life. Wright (2010) calls burnout “a spiritual crisis on the way home”, with “home” being one’s state of spiritual well-being. TpB-2 is that stage of the dark night shortly before dawn through which the seeker of spiritual enlightenment must pass in order to wake up to the realisation that they are already “home”. A common characteristic between those who suffer from TpB-1 and TpB-2 is that both are striving to achieve a goal that suddenly seems impossible, they become overwhelmed and they feel like they can’t go on in the same mode of operation, yet other modes are not conceivable or at least not favourable. Those experiencing TpB, regardless of the type, often loose touch with the initial source of inspiration that set them on their path, they become focussed on the doom and gloom of their crisis, and they loose hope. Steve Taylor (2013) refers to the point some people reach when the values and goals of a superficial and ordinary life don’t satisfy them anymore, when there is a yearning for something more, an impulse beneath the surface to find a more meaningful life, or to make contact with a deeper part of one’s own being. The incongruence between where one is and where one wants to be can surmount to intense personal suffering. I have found that those who don’t give up by resorting to external sources to temporarily alleviate their symptoms, eventually realise something of tremendous personal significance or learn something important about themselves, and as such the best way forward for these individuals is revealed sooner or later. Those who take a mindfulness approach seem to transition through their burnout phase more quickly and easily, additionally, those who have integrated mindfulness and meditation into their life appear to be less affected by burnout, or immune to it.

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I have utilised mindfulness based approaches (predominantly Authentic Self Empowerment™) over the past several years to help clients overcome and heal aspects of both TpB-1 and TpB-2. The benefits of mindfulness in treating and preventing burnout is verified in Katz et al. (2005), who add that mindfulness approaches help to resolve old wounds and unresolved issues, thereby indicating how mindfulness can address the cause of stress and burnout. Several of my clients, who while being guided through a mindfulness based process were able to spontaneously recall distant memories that signified to these clients the root cause of their current issue. This confirms that the disposition for burnout to occur does often have causal links far back in the individual’s personal history, as Grof (2000) suggests in similar examples. Mindfulness based healing interventions were used to heal the root cause for these individuals, and mindfulness practices were used by these individuals in order to integrate and sustain the healing in their present life. In every case the technique to facilitate “peripheral vision” proved to be pivotal in the healing process, as it provided these clients with a simple skill to open the aperture of their awareness. In other words, they learnt how to have an enhanced internal awareness of the quality of their own thoughts and emotions, while simultaneously having an improved external sensory awareness, plus at the same time activating their body’s relaxation response and gaining a sense of interconnectivity with others. These aforementioned phenomena are associated with “peripheral vision” (Hanson, 2011; Overdurf, 2013) and prove to be a suitable mindfulness approach when dealing with both stress and burnout. With “peripheral vision” known to induce an open, receptive and calm state of consciousness, once integrated as an automatic response to the challenges of life, one can expect to experience a new quality of life, or as suggested by Walsh and Vaughan (1980), a raised perception of reality. A mindfulness based lifestyle has been suggested by Niemiec, Rashid & Spinella, (2012) to cultivate productive engagement in work, an expanded sense of meaning and purpose, enhanced physical and psychological well-being, and improved relationships. Don’t we all want that? In the following article in this chapter I will reveal simple yet effective mindfulness approaches toward dealing with stress and burnout. For now, you may like to contemplate the following: •

What makes you come truly Alive?

•

What gets you into The Flow?

•

What’s your next step toward being This Person?

Choose what makes you come Alive…every step of the way! >>> How close are you to burnout? The Burnout Self Diagnostic Tool – free! >>> Discover Jevon’s burnout prevention audio programme -- Mindful Power 65

References: Authentic Self Empowerment™ Bohm, D. (1994). Soma-Significance. Psychoscience, 1, 6-27. Brühlmann, T. (2011). Open Forum at The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Retrieved April 4, 2013, from the World Wide Web: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=77Fy7kKHAfA Cartwright, S. and Cooper, C.L. (1996). ‘Coping in occupational settings’, in Zeidner, M. and Endler, N.S. (Eds.), Handbook of Coping, New York: Wiley, pp. 202–20. Dierendonck, vD., Garssen, B. and Visser, A. (2005). Rediscovering meaning and purpose at work: the transpersonal psychology background of a burnout prevention programme, in A.G. Antoniou & C.L. Cooper (Eds.), Research Companion to Organizational Health Psychology, 40,623. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited Germine, T. J. (n.d.). The quantum metaphysics of David Bohm. Retrieved December 19, 2012, from the World Wide Web: http://goertzel.org/dynapsyc/1995/TGERMINE.html. Gonzalez-Moralesa, G., Peiro, J., Rodriguez, I., Bliesed, P. (2012). Perceived collective burnout: a multilevel explanation of burnout. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping Vol. 25, No. 1. 43-61 Grof, S. (1985). Beyond the Brain: Birth, Death, and Transcendence in Psychotherapy,State University of New York, Albany, pp. 16/432 Grof, S. and Grof, C. (1989). Spiritual emergency: when personal transformation becomes a crisis. Tarcher. Grof, S. (2000). Psychology of the future, New York: State University of New York Press, p. 75 Grof, S. (2003). Implications of modern consciousness research for psychology: Holotropic experiences and their healing and heuristic potential.The Humanistic Psychologist, Vol. 31, Issue 2-3, 50-85 Hanson, R. (2011). Buddha’s Brain,Lighting up the Neural Circuits of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. Retrieved from The World Wide Web, June, 27 2013, http://www.rickhanson.net/wpcontent/files/SlidesEsalenBBSept2011.pdf) Katz, J. C., Wiley, S., Capuano, T., Baker, D., Deitrick, L., Shapiro, S. (2005). The Effects of Mindfulnessbased Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout. Holistic Nursing Practice, p. 86 Niemiec, R., Rashid, T., Spinella, M. (2012) Strong Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness and Character Strengths. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. Vol. 34. No. 3.240-253. Overdurf, J. Personal communication, June 20, 2013. http://www.johnoverdurf.com Shirom, A. (1989). Burnout in work organizations’, in C.L. Cooper and I. Robertson (Eds.), International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New York: Wiley, pp. 26–48. Taylor, S. (2011) Transformation Through Suffering : A Study of Individuals Who Have Experienced Positive Psychological Transformation Following Periods of Intense Turmoil. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 52: 30 Taylor, S. Personal communication, June 27, 2013 (2011). Tolle, E. (2011). Retrieved from The World Wide Web, July 9, 2013, http://www.eckharttolle.com/newsletter/october-2011 Walsh, R and Vaughan, F. (1980). Journal of Humanistic Psychology 20, 5-31. Wright, S. (2010). Burnout, a spiritual crisis on the Way Home. Cumbria. Sacred Space Publications.

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The Mindfulness Solution to Stress & Burnout Article In this article I will highlight how mindfulness and meditation are related to resilience, self regulation and purpose,- three fundamental pillars to sustain resourcefulness, as well as mental,- emotional,- and spiritual wellbeing. Drawing on research as well as direct personal experience, mindfulness and meditation prove to be of great value to programmes aimed at preventing, as well as healing the effects of overwhelming stress and burnout. In the second last paragraph of this article, you are directed to free mindfulness and meditation resources. Studies indicate that mindfulness practices and meditation are known to reduce stress (Davidson, 2010, Malinowski, 2008). With burnout resulting from persistent stress (Cartwright & Cooper, 1996), clearly mindfulness and meditation will be helpful in treating as well as preventing burnout. Burnout has been referred to as a ‘soul sickness’ (Wright, 2010, p 8.), where one reaches a point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired, but oblivious of any solution. A common aspect of burnout are dysfunctional attitudes and behaviours that are disengaged from the present moment (cited in Dierendonck, Garssen & Visser, 2005). This is similar to what (Brown & Ryan, 2003) describe as ‘‘mindlessness’’, being the opposite of mindfulness, which they consider to be an open and active mental state that is engaged with experiences as they unfold in the moment. Physician burnout specialist Doctor Dike Drummond (2012) refers to burnout as a calling, calling for a change. The problem is that those headed for burnout and those already affected by it don’t hear that call because of their lack of mindfulness (present moment awareness). One reason for not paying attention to themselves is because soon to be or already burnt out people are usually pursuing external goals (often unsuccessfully) and are generally less concerned with their own internal needs, hence they become drained of energy and burn out. Unless helped (perhaps through mindfulness practices), those with burnout will most likely continue to not hear the call and this can result in a downward spiralling of the burnout syndrome, making matters even worse. Recent work has demonstrated that the experience of burnout in organisations is contagious and it can be transferred from one employee to another (cited in Gonza ́lezMoralesa, G., et al. 2012). Katz et al. (2005) have found that Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has the potential to transform, not only individual relationships but also the overall work environment, thus preventing burnout from spreading. Their data affirmed that MBSR as a useful intervention for helping resolve old wounds and unresolved issues. This is an example of how mindfulness can address the cause of stress and burnout.

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Mindfulness in relation to resilience What is missing for many sufferers of stress and burnout is resilience – the ability to maintain “elasticity” and “buoyancy” (dictionary.com) in the face of adversity. In Jacobs, T. L., et al. (2011) resilience is referred to as a family of connected phenomena that enable one to adapt adequately in challenging situations. Siegel (2007) claims that mindfulness practice is scientifically proven to develop a long-term state of resilience by enhancing physical, mental, and social wellbeing. The integration of mindfulness practices is suggested by Meiklejohn et.al. (2012) to enhance self-regulation of one’s emotions and focus of attention, whilst cultivating mental flexibility, which in turn promotes resilience. This is further confirmed by studies which have shown that mindfulness is associated with resilience toward stress and burnout (Bonanno, 2004; Kelley, 2005; Meiklejohn et al., 2012; Irving, J. A., Dobkin, P. L., & Park, J., 2009; Cohen- Katz, Wiley, Capuano, Baker, & Shapiro, 2005; Mackenzie, Poulin, & SeidmanCarlson, 2006). Mindfulness has also been associated with the enhancement of wellbeing, since it is known to enable people to disengage from unhealthy, automatic behavioural patterns (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Their view is supported by Brown & Ryan’s (2003) research which indicates that higher levels of mindfulness are correlated with the lower level of stress and mood disturbance, and will therefore contribute to improving resilience. Mindfulness in relation to self regulation Bonanno’s (2004) research suggests that all human beings with unhampered mental health have an innate capacity for resilience and well-being even while facing adversity (cited Kelley, T, 2005, p. 265). According to Ciarrochi, Chan, Caputi, and Roberts (2001), difficulty identifying feelings is likely to predispose an individual to poorer mental health. Various studies support the idea that an individual with a greater ability to identify their emotions will be able to regulate those emotions better (cited in Barrett, L. F., Gross, J., Christensen, T. C., & Benvenuto, M., 2001, p. 721). Inherent in mindfulness approaches is the ability to adapt and regulate one’s thought’s, feelings and actions according to the situation (Baliki, Ceha, Apkarian, & Chialvo, 2008; cited in Niemiec, Rashid, Spinella, 2012). Rather than perceiving mental and emotional states as fixed, the mindful approach identifies their impermanent nature and treats them as transitory phenomena (Kabat-Zinn, 1990; Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002). The mindful disposition does nonetheless require an ongoing initiative for which regular selfregulation practice in the form of meditation is recommended (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Mindfulness in relation to purpose While meditation cultivates mindfulness (Kabat-Zinn, 2003; Jacobs, T. L., et al. (2011), research done by Jacobs, T. L., et al. also indicates that meditation is known to promote a sense of meaning and purpose in life (2011). Their study suggests that meditation may facilitate an expanded assessment of one’s life as meaningful, which in turn may influence one’s assessment of challenging situations, resulting in improved self regulation and enhanced resilience to stress. This idea is in alignment with former research verifying that the perception of meaning is associated with better stress management (e.g., Okamoto et al., 2007). Additional evidence shows that when stressful situations are infused with a purposeful meaning, the result is more adaptive stress responses and better psychological coping (e.g., Bower et al., 2008). The link 68

between mindfulness and purpose may offer particular value to burnout treatment programmes, since burnout is associated with a deficit in existential meaning and purpose (Frankl, 1963; Längle, 1994). A central purpose in a person’s life is suggested to influence the thoughts, emotions, and actions of that person, as well as enhance that person’s resiliency in in stressful situations (cited in McKnight & Kashdan, 2009). There are apparently similar outcomes when comparing approaches that are motivated by a strong sense of purpose and those of mindfulness in contrast to no sense of purpose or mindlessness. Comparing the research cited in McKnight & Kashdan (2009) on purpose with and that cited in Malinowski, (2008) on mindfulness; common outcomes appear to be: an improved ability to understand and cope with stress, enhanced resilience, more adaptable self regulation, as well as a generally elevated psychological, physical, and social well-being. In addition to considering the complimentary factors that are associated with both purpose and mindfulness, there are attributes of both that are not shared, for example: inherent in purpose is a broader motivational component driving the achievement of goals which support that purpose (McKnight & Kashdan, 2009); while inherent in mindfulness is nonjudgmental awareness of experiences in the present moment (Kabat-Zinn, 1990), as well as the possibility of insight into the true nature of existence (Olendzki, 2010). These characteristic differences between purpose and mindfulness can also be viewed as complimentary resources that may be supportive in the pursuit of dealing holistically with stress issues and burnout. In their discussion on the attributes of purpose, McKnight & Kashdan suggest that people with access to a large set of self-regulatory tools (like MBSR techniques, for example), with an ability to flexibly apply them, are in an optimal position to navigate the challenges of life and sustain high levels of healthy functioning (2009). Mindfulness in relation to meditation Mindfulness meditation does not aim to change us in any way, but rather helps us to be more unconditionally present with our current experience in the moment (Psychology Today). Mindfulness meditation is normally practised seated, although mindful awareness is not only reserved for sitting meditations, but also intended to be brought to all tasks and interactions throughout each day in order to integrate mindfulness into one’s life. Historically, mindfulness is a concept stemming from ancient Buddhist philosophy (Bhikkhu, 2010). Today it is most common through MBSR – an 8 week programme that teaches mindfulness meditation developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn to help people cope better and be more at ease in their life (C.R.U.K. n.d). Since both resilience and self regulation have been shown to stem from purpose as well as mindfulness, which in turn arises form meditation, it appears as if meditation should be central in approaches to treating stress and burnout. It may be argued that mindfulness does not depend on meditation. Mindfulness can also arise from consciously selected perspectives that enable one to evaluate one’s identity with thoughts, emotions and sensations, and to experience them simply as cognitive events, however this approach requires self-knowledge, realizing larger patterns of meaning, and taking a wider view (Niemiec, Rashid, Spinella, 2012). Such a “metacognitive perspective” (Teasdale, 1999) makes it possible to see the aspects of any experience as temporary phenomena rather than creating an identity from them, but such an aptitude might be more difficult to achieve in challenging situations without it being embodied via regular meditation. Since meditation is an intrinsic part of MBSR, there is 69

further evidence that using meditation helps to embed mindfulness so that it becomes the most automatic and enduring approach especially in situations that might otherwise be overwhelmingly stressful. The stress reducing benefits of meditation coupled with establishing purpose in life suggests that the meditation approach to attaining mindfulness is especially well suited to stress and burnout treatment programmes. Whether it be the practice of MBSR techniques or traditional meditation, many people who could benefit from such a discipline are missing out on it for a variety of reasons that might include misunderstanding what meditation is, or failure to recognise the benefits, resulting a lack of motivation to practice any form of meditation, or simply not enough time to learn meditation and practice it regularly. For such people the demystification of meditation and practical advantages of simple meditation skills, once brought to their attention, might be seen as a solution to help them deal more effectively with daily challenges. While it might not be the goal of meditation fix problems, bringing awareness of meditation’s stress reducing and improved coping benefits (Katz et al. 2005) to those who face stress and burnout might encourage such people to consider meditation as worthwhile complimentary approach. What might further assist people to choose meditation could be awareness of effective meditation methods that are easy and practical to apply in the different contexts of life. An example of such an approach is the technique to bring about “peripheral vision”, which activates the body’s natural state of relaxation, while sharpening one’s sensory acuity, eliminating self talk, as well as reducing fear and stress reactions (Hanson, 2011; Overdurf, 2013). Those who are familiar with the technique to facilitate “peripheral vision” report that it takes only a few minutes to learn, it can be applied in any place at any time of day, and the benefits of using it begin to take effect within a few seconds of applying the technique (reported by NLP course participants). On this basis, “peripheral vision” may be of particular use to busy people who don’t have time to formally meditate, or those who are sceptical of Eastern practices, and especially those who might be at risk of being effected by stress or burnout. Furthermore, I have personally found that the establishment of “peripheral vision” serves as a useful expediency to access deeper levels of meditation, and when brought to one’s tasks and interactions, it facilitates a mindful approach. Two ways to learn “peripheral vision” for free: Watch the video where I teach “peripheral vision” at a live NLP training – here. Get your copy of the Cool, Calm & Collected Technique (which incorporates “peripheral vision”) through registering for my monthly Personal & Transpersonal Development Tip – here. In conclusion,- mindfulness, especially when integrated through forms of meditation appears to be a valuable aspect of programmes that intend to promote well-being. Evidence suggests that mindfulness and meditation promote a sense of purpose, the ability to self regulate and the enhancement of resilience — three interrelated aspects that have been shown to be constructive in the treatment of overwhelming stress and burnout. The achievement of mindfulness is known to counteract the effect of stressors that can lead to burnout, thus mindfulness practices will contribute to the alleviation of burnout symptoms and play a significant role in burnout prevention. >>> How close are you to burnout? The Burnout Self Diagnostic Tool – free! >>> Discover Jevon’s burnout prevention audio programme – Mindful Power 70

References: Baliki, M. N., Geha, P. Y., Apkarian, A. V., & Chialvo, D. R. (2008). Beyond feeling: Chronic pain hurts the brain, disrupting the default-mode network dynamics. Joumal of Neuroscience, 16, 1398-1403. Barrett, L. F., Gross, J., Christensen, T. C., & Benvenuto, M. (2001). Knowing what you’re feeling and knowing what to do about it: Mapping the relation between emotion differentiation and emotion regulation. Cognition & Emotion, 15(6), 713-724. Bhikkhu, T. (2010). Satipatthana Sutta: Frames of reference (MN10). Retrieved July, 3 2013, from the World Wide Web: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.than.html Bonanno, G. A. (2004). Loss, trauma, and human resilience: Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events? American Psychologist, 59, 20-28. Bower, J.E., Low, C.A., Moskowitz, J.T., Sepah, S., Epel, E., 2008. Benefit finding and physical health: positive psychological changes and enhanced allostasis. Soc. Personal. Psychol. Compass 2, 223-244. Bishop, S.R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L.E., Anderson, N.D., Carmody, J., Devins, G. (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11, 230–241. Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822–848. Cancer Research UK. Retrieved July, 3 2013, from the World Wide Web: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/treatment/complementaryalternative/therapies/meditation?script=true Cartwright, S. and C.L. Cooper (1996), ‘Coping in occupational settings’, in M. Zeidner and N.S. Endler (eds), Handbook of Coping, New York: Wiley, pp. 202–20. Ciarrochi, J., Chan, A., Caputi, P., & Roberts, R. (2001). Measuring emotional intelligence. In J. Ciarrochi, & J. P. Forgas (Eds.), Emotional intelligence in everyday life: A scientific inquiry. Philadelphia: Psychology Press. pp. 25–45. Davidson, R. J. (2010). Empirical explorations of mindfulness: Conceptual and methodological conundrums. Emotion, 10(1), 8. Dierendonck, vD., Garssen, B. and Visser, A. (2005). Rediscovering meaning and purpose at work: the transpersonal psychology background of a burnout prevention programme, in A.G. Antoniou & C.L. Cooper (eds.), Research Companion to Organizational Health Psychology, 40, 623. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited Cohen-Katz, J., Wiley, S., Capuano, T., Baker, D., & Shapiro, S. (2005). The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on nurse stress and burnout. Holistic Nursing Practice, 18(6), 303–308. Deikman, A.J. (1982). The observing self: Mysticism and psycho- therapy. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. Drummond, D (n.d). Retrieved July, 3 2013, from the World Wide Web: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn .010.than.html : http://www.thehappymd.com/pbp-vtswelcome/ Ekman, P., Davidson, R.J., Ricard, M., & Wallace, A. (2005). Buddhist and psychological perspectives on emotions and well-being. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 59–63. Frankl, V. E. (1963). Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy. New York: Washington Square Press. (Earlier title, 1959: From Death-Camp to Existentialism. Originally published in 1946 as Ein Psycholog erlebt das Konzentrationslager) Gonza ́lez-Moralesa, G., Peiro ́, J., Rodr ́ıguez, I., Bliesed, P. (2012). Perceived collective burnout: a multilevel explanation of burnout. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping Vol. 25, No. 1. 43-61

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Hanson, R. (2011). Buddha’s Brain, Lighting up the Neural Circuits of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. Retrieved June, 27 2013, from The World Wide Web: http://www.rickhanson.net/wpcontent/files/SlidesEsalenBBSept2011.pdf) Hofmann S.G. and Grossman P. (2012) Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: Potential for psychological interventions: Clinical Psychological Review 31. Hölzell, B.K., 2 , Lazar, S.W., 2 , Gard, T. 1 , 2 , Schuman-Olivier, Z., 2 , Vago, D.R., 3 , Ott1, U. (2011). 1 Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany; 2 Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; 3 Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Irving, J. A., Dobkin, P. L., and Park, J. (2009). Cultivating mindfulness in health care professionals: A review of empirical studies of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 15. Jacobs, T. L., Epel, E., Lin, J., Blackburn, E., Wolkowitz, O., Bridwell, D., et al. (2011). Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 36(5), 664–681. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living. New York, NY: Delta Publishing. Katz, J. C., Wiley, S., Capuano, T., Baker, D., Deitrick, L., Shapiro, S. (2005). The Effects of Mindfulnessbased Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout. Holistic Nursing Practice, p. 86 Kelly, T.M. (2005) Natural Resilience and Innate Mental Health, American Psychologist,p. 265 Längle, A (1994). Sinnvoll leben. Angewandte Existenzanalyse. St. Pölten: NP-Verlag, 4 Mackenzie, C. S., Poulin, P. A., Seidman-Carlson, R. (2006). A brief mindfulness- based stress reduction intervention for nurses and nurse aides. Applied Nursing Research, 19, 105–109. MacLean, K.A., Ferrer, E., Aichele, S.R., Bridwell, D.A., Zanesco, A.P., Jacobs, T.L., Saron, C.D. (2010). Intensive meditation training improves perceptual discrimination and sustained attention. Psychological Science, 21, 829–839. McKnight P.E., Kashdan T.B. (2009) Purpose in Life as a System That Creates and Sustains Health and Well-Being: An Integrative, Testable Theory. Review of General Psychology. Vol. 13, No. 3, 242–251 Malinowski, P. (2008). Mindfulness as psychological dimension: Concepts and applications. The Irish Journal of Psychology, 29, p157. Meiklejohn, J., Phillips, C., Freedman, L., Griffin, M. L., Biegel G., Roach A., Frank, J., Burke, C., Pinger, L., Soloway, G., Isberg, R., Sibinga, E., Grossman, L., Saltzman, A., (2012). Integrating Mindfulness Training into K-12 Education: Fostering the Resilience of Teachers and Students. Springer Science and Business Media, LLC Niemiec, R., Rashid, T., Spinella, M. (2012) Strong Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness and Character Strengths. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. Vol. 34. No. 3.240-253. Okamoto, K., Momose, Y., Fujino, A., Osawa, Y. (2007). Life worth living for caregiving and caregiver burden among Japanese care- givers of the disabled elderly in Japan. Arch. Gerontol. Geriat. 48 (1), 10-13. Olendzki, A. (2010). Unlimiting mind: The radically experiential psychology of Buddhism. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. Overdurf, J. (personal communication, June 20, 2013) http://www.johnoverdurf.com Psychology Today. Retrieved January July, 3 2013, from the World Wide Web: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-courage-be-present/201001/how-practice-mindfulness-meditation Roisman, G. (2005) American Psychologist. p. 264

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Ryan, M. and Deci, L. (2000) Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, Vol 55(1), 68-78. Segal, Z., Williams, M. and Teasdale, J. (2002). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: A new approach to preventing relapse. New York, NY: Guilford. Siegel, D. (2007). The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being.W. W. Norton. Teasdale, J. D. (1999). Metacognition, mindfulness and the modificafion of mood disorders. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 6, 146-155. Varela, F.J., Thompson, E., Rosch, E. (1991). The embodied mind. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

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The Light at the End of the Tunnel Article "It is a curious paradox that the approach to a region which seems to us the way into utter darkness should yield the light of illumination as its fruit." -- Jung, C. G. (1969) p. 508 What those with burnout need are eyes that see in the dark, to have the darkness of their perception illuminated so that they can find their way again. This article highlights the value of- and the means to open the aperture of our awareness in order to illuminate the way through stress and burnout. Cumulated stress, striving for unreachable goals, and ongoing dissatisfaction in our personal or professional relationships are some of the conditions known to lead to burnout. According to Wright (2010): Burnout is a form of deep human suffering at every level – physical, psychological, social, spiritual – which occurs when old ways of being in the world no longer work and start to disintegrate (p. 8). When one’s familiar ways of operating in one’s personal or professional life no longer get one the expected results or suddenly no longer fulfil one, such individuals may begin to feel empty or worthless, life loses meaning and dis-ease becomes one’s base-level state. Some people become so distressed that severe physical or mental illness or even suicide can result (Brühlmann, 2011). Burnout is a type of soul sickness sometimes referred to as the dark night of the soul. Steve Taylor describes this phenomena as a phase where one’s inner light burns out, however it marks the imminent breakthrough to a new level of consciousness if it can be embraced (2011). Earlier in this chapter I described two main types of burnout and both types can be metaphorically represented as being stuck in a gloomy tunnel with no end in sight. In this state we are cut off from our own inner resources and intuition. What seems to be concealed from the awareness of an individual who has burnout are the necessary resources to deal effectively with one’s situation. Therefore the way out of burnout, in addition to rest and rejuvenation, is suggested to be a means of being able to eliminate the effect of negative thoughts, as well as the ability to expand one’s perception of what is possible in such a situation, while developing receptivity to that which our inner wisdom reveals. In the gloomy tunnel with no end in sight, tunnel vision is the only perception one has. This can be understood as a narrowed focus of attention that deletes from consciousness everything in the periphery of one’s field of awareness. The fight and flight (stress) response is correlated with being in tunnel vision, since we are required to identify only what the perceived danger is, thereby deleting whatever else is not necessary in our field of awareness in order to fight or flight in a life threatening situation. Similarly, in situations that are not threatening to our life, but considered by the individual to be unpleasant or disturbing, where one remains fixated on the object of negative reference, all other points of reference, including the quality of one’s own thoughts and feelings are negated (Drummond, D. n.d). Such is the case for those who 74

experience overwhelming stress and burnout, whereby that which perpetuates the problem is what one’s attention remains focussed on, thus the problem remains a problem. According to Bloom and Farragher (2010), tunnel vision is a narrowing of the perceptual field that results in difficulty to engage in complex thinking, to see interconnectedness or interrelationships between chunks of information. Learning and planning abilities are also impaired while we are in tunnel vision and experiencing stress. This is when we revert to automatic reactions and rules,- “Under stress, people tend to do what they know best rather than what would be best” (p. 109). The tunnel vision stress reaction reduces decision-making abilities, which become impulse, inflexible, poorly constructed and oversimplified (Janis, 1982). Tunnel vision constrains our creative thinking abilities and we become more dogmatic, focusing at best on solutions to problems that have worked in the past rather than finding something better suited to the results that we would like to achieve in our current situation (cited in Bloom and Farragher, 2010). What people need in such circumstances is a way of transcending tunnel vision so that they can perceive other possibilities and identify different ways of dealing with the crisis. Assistance from others, inner guidance, or even ‘divine intervention’ may go unnoticed and be disregarded when one’s perceptual field is tightly narrowed on the object or thought that anchors the problem in its place. Opening the aperture of one’s perceptual awareness may be the key. Rick Hanson (2011) associates “panoramic awareness” with activation of the body’s parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation and ‘Alpha’ state), claiming that activation of the parasympathetic nervous system inhibits fight-flight stress reactions. Referring to brain scans from the Farb, et al. (2007) research, Hanson (2011) points out that “panoramic awareness” activates the brain’s lateral networks and facilitates the calm and relaxed sense of well-being that is typical of parasympathetic nervous system activation. Hanson (2011) also refers to “panoramic awareness” as having a “bird’s-eye-view” on a situation, in other words being able to disassociate from our thoughts in order to see things in a broader context. John Overdurf (2013) refers to “peripheral vision” as a synonym for Hanson’s “panoramic awareness”, and describes that “peripheral vision” acts on the brainstem and prefrontal lobe, in effect short circuiting fear and stress reactions. Overdurf has been using “peripheral vision” in psychological interventions since the 1980s to help his patients “flatten out anxiety”. During my own (2004 – 2010) training with Overdurf, we discovered first hand how techniques that include “peripheral vision” work rapidly to reduce or even eliminate mental self talk and tension in the body. Since 2004 I have regularly used “peripheral vision” techniques in coaching and therapy with my own clients, as well as taught “peripheral vision” techniques to many others at the courses that I present. “Peripheral vision” has been found to be a consistently effective approach to calming the mind and body while opening one’s awareness to broader levels of perception in terms of external sensory acuity, as well as enhanced internal awareness of the quality of one’s own thoughts and emotions. Additionally, using advanced applications of “peripheral vision”, our clients and course participants report that this process can facilitate awareness of even more subtle realms of consciousness, where the boundaries between object and subject seem to dissolve and where a sense of unity and 75

interconnectedness arises. It is becoming apparent that “peripheral vision” may serve as a bridge between the mental domain and transpersonal realms of consciousness. On this basis alone it is hypothesised that “peripheral vision” may be a useful resource to help alleviate overwhelming levels of stress or burnout, as well as issues that are associated with the concealment of consciousness, for example: anxiety, fear, anger, sadness, confusion, and guilt, as well as limited perceptions about oneself and one’s capabilities. Burnout and the effects of stress are evidently outcomes of operating for too long in a state of tunnel vision. “Peripheral vision” is a practical approach that can help people to be more aware of their inner and outer resources. Anyone can learn how to open the aperture of their awareness in order to reveal more of their inherently enlightened state.

>>> How close are you to burnout? The Burnout Self Diagnostic Tool – free! . >>> Discover Jevon’s burnout prevention audio programme -- Mindful Power

References: Bloom, S. L. and Farragher, B. (2010) Destroying Sanctuary: The Crisis in Human Service Delivery Systems. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 102-106. Brühlmann, T. (2011). Open Forum at The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Retrieved April 4, 2013, from the World Wide Web: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=77Fy7kKHAfA Drummond, D (n.d). Retrieved July, 3 2013, from the World Wide Web: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn .010.than.html : http://www.thehappymd.com/pbp-vtswelcome/ Farb, N.A.S., Segal, Z.V., Mayberg, H., Bean, J., McKeon, D., Fatima, Z., and Anderson, A.K. (2007). Attending to the present: Mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reflection. SCAN, 2, 313-322. Hanson, R. (2011). Buddha’s Brain,Lighting up the Neural Circuits of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. Retrieved from The World Wide Web, June, 27 2013, http://www.rickhanson.net/wpcontent/files/SlidesEsalenBBSept2011.pdf) Hunt, T. (2007). “Dark Nights of the Soul”: Phenomenology and Neurocognition of Spiritual Suffering in Mysticism and Psychosis. The American Psychological AssociationReview of General Psychology. Vol. 11, No. 3. Janis, I. L. (1982). Decision making under stress. Handbook Of Stress: Theoretical And Clinical Aspects. L. Goldberger and S. Breznitz. New York, Free Press,pp.69-87. Jung, C. G. (1969). Psychological commentary on the Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation, in Collected Works, Vol. 11, Psychology and Religion: West and East, trans. R. F. C. Hull, second edition, Routledge & Kegan Paul (first published 1954). Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living. New York, NY: Delta Publishing.

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Overdurf, J. Personal communication, June 20, 2013. http://www.johnoverdurf.com Taylor, S. (2011) Transformation Through Suffering : A Study of Individuals Who Have Experienced Positive Psychological Transformation Following Periods of Intense Turmoil. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 52: 30 Tolle, E. (1999). The power of now: A guide to spiritual enlightenment. Novato, CA: Namaste. Wright, S. (2010). Burnout, a spiritual crisis on the Way Home. Cumbria. Sacred Space Publications (p. 8).

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Chapter 3 SCRIPTS FOR HEALING PROCESSES

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Authentic Self Empowerment (ASE) Authentic Self Empowerment (ASE) is a simple, practical and dynamic set of skills that anyone can learn and use to overcome challenging situations, whether they are manifestations on the physical, mental, emotional or spiritual level.

When you recognise that you need not be limited in any way, you will cease to be limited. You will begin to open to the infinite, and you will be able to act creatively and resourcefully in every area of your life.

ASE is a powerful way to change the unconscious patterns that are responsible for unwanted behaviours. It enables you to re-program your unconscious mind, so that you can be more resourceful in any area of life.

The following are the guidelines for using the basic ASE process for the purpose of Self Empowerment and Personal Transformation:

(You may like to record your own voice, reading each step slowly, with ample time to process each instruction. Then listen to your recording at an appropriate time. If you would prefer to be guided through the following process, listen to the ASE recording).

Bring to mind a current challenge, problem or issue that you are experiencing in your life. 1. Define your challenge, problem or issue. Ask yourself: How is this situation a problem in my life right now? 2. Define your outcome in positive terms. Ask yourself: How would I rather experience this situation positively? 3. Close your eyes. Make yourself comfortable and take a few relaxing breaths. Scan your body for tension and release any discomfort with each exhalation. 4. Start to assume a perspective as an observer of your body, essentially becoming a witness of your body resting beside or below you. You (as an observer) can notice your body as a separate entity. 79

5. Allow the dissociation between yourself as an observer and yourself as a body to develop. Imagine seeing your body further and further away from you, until your body and its environment is a tiny representation very far away from you, while you are observing it. 6. As an observer notice your body in its environment in the context of your whole life. Imagine seeing your whole life from beginning to end as a representation that is minute in the context of a greater universe. Observe your one lifetime as a single experience occurring simultaneously along with an infinite amount of lifetimes and experiences in the greater universe - all of which are occurring in the present moment. 7. You may be curious as to how your observed experience and lifetime connects with all other experiences and lifetimes in the infinite universe around you. 8. Take your time. Notice what you notice as the ultimate observer. Remain a witness to yours and all experiences without opinion or judgement. 9. Now pay attention to the individual you (your body in its environment) all the way over there in that one lifetime. Notice how the you in that representation is experiencing the present moment based on her or his map of reality. 10. From your perspective as the ultimate observer, in a position of choice, infinite creativity and wisdom; go ahead and council, advise and comfort the you over there in that environment. Guide the you there in that lifetime to learn what she or he needs to learn, to understand what needs to be understood and to forgive where forgiveness is necessary. 11. Inform the you in that lifetime that she or he is always loved and supported in an abundant universe. 12. Now, as the ultimate observer – a Being of infinite potential, connect with the resources that the you in that lifetime need in order to achieve her or his outcome. 13. As a Being that is always connected to an abundant universe, where all the resources necessary to achieve any goal are available, and with your present outcome based resources in awareness…Begin to float back toward the you in

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that lifetime. Merge and integrate the observer and the body in your own way. 14. Allow the awareness of the ultimate observer to enter every part, every tissue, every cell and every sub-atomic particle of your body. You may like to visualize glorious light penetrating and permeating throughout your body to support this process. 15. Feel your body adjust or shift as the integration occurs. Keep your awareness inside your body. When you are ready, take a few moments to appreciate your body for being such a tremendous vehicle for healing and transformation. 16. Before you open your eyes, consider what the next smallest step is that will lead you toward your desired outcome. 17. When you have a clear idea about what your next smallest step is, verbally affirm your commitment to take action on this. Then open your eyes, reorient yourself, get up slowly…and go for it!

Continue focusing on the Authentically Self Empowered results you want to achieve and follow your inner guidance.

If you would like to be guided through the above process, listen to the Authentic Self Empowerment (ASE) recording.

To read more about ASE click here

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Time Heals! How To Fast-Forward & Get Your Healing Now (ASE process)

We have all had the experience of outgrowing something that used to be a problem for us in the past, and now as you think about that old situation, the pain has gone. So, what happened in order for us to overcome that challenge? Time passed, we moved on, gained new experiences, learned things and obtained new perspectives. Eventually we heal and/or transform our thinking, and it takes as long as we allow it to take.

What if you had a way of speeding up time (so to speak), so that your future learnings and perspectives could be available to you now? If it was possible, would you be interested in accessing your future knowledge and life experience so that you can use it now? To find out how that is possible, read on...

At a sub-conscious level, time does not even exist. Our direct experience, (even when our thoughts wander to the past or future) is always in the present. Some people believe that we are controlled by our past, but what if our current experience is what we’re going through in order to have the future experience that awaits us?

Our future exists of an infinite number of potential possibilities. To a large extent we create our personal future internally first through our current thoughts and feelings, which then attract their coherent external reality. So, who plants the seeds which sprout into the thoughts and feelings that give rise to our future? Even if your answer is God, could it be that the future which you're going to experience is planting those seeds in your present? In any case, you get to choose which seeds to nurture and which to negate.

Allowing for the above idea, even if only as a metaphor, enables us to imagine a future where we are WELL, and well over our current challenges. And according to Albert Einstein: “Imagination is the greatest creative force in the universe.” With this in mind, you can fast-forward & get your future healing now by following the steps in the process on the following page. You might find it useful to have someone read the script to you, or record your own voice (with ample time to process each instruction) so that you can relax and flow with the process and therefore get the maximum benefit from it. Alternatively the following script is an abbreviated form of one of the main processes that I guide listeners through in the Mind Over Matter audio programme IMPORTANT: Please note that the process on the following page is not intended to help people overcome grief, although it may prove to be useful to someone who has been grieving for a long time already and wants to be able to move on.

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Our thoughts and mental images are the blueprint from which we build our present reality. We experience everything through the metaphors of our mind, including time. So, if the time to heal isn't now, then it's soon approaching... Future healing in the present -- the script: 1. Describe your problem/issue to yourself in terms of how it is effecting you and your life. What is your current physical experience it?

2. What do you want to experience instead of that problem? (What is your desired positive outcome?)

3. Close your eyes. Make yourself comfortable and take a few relaxing breaths. Scan your body for tension and release any discomfort with each exhalation. Next, assume the perspective of an observer of yourself. Think of yourself as an awareness that is separate from your body -- a witnessing presence that simply watches your thoughts and feelings without labelling or judging them.

4. Now imagine that somewhere in your future exists your older and wiser future self or inner healer. Imagine floating out into that future until you arrive at the point where you have gained the necessary life experience to deal with that old challenge. Keep moving into the future until you arrive at the time when you have the knowledge and understanding that allows you to release that past issue. Pretend that you and your wiser future self are having a conversation. Ask them what you need to learn and do in order to be WELL. Now imagine merging with the wisdom of your future self and become one with this inner healer aspect of yourself.

5. Beyond even this…you can look back on how your life has unfolded perfectly. Now, with all the necessary healing resources in your awareness, pay attention to how you body feels different -- as it assimilates the new healing energy. Spend a few peaceful moments appreciating your body for being able to heal fully.

6. Now, as you look toward the future, what is most important to you? Verbalise what your next small step will be that leads toward being WELL. Commit to taking your next step and all successive steps toward the brighter future that welcomes you. 83

Healing the Whole Body (The script below is part of the guided process that I facilitate in the Heal Your Body 1 recording.)

This script enables you to use the power of your mind to enhance your body’s natural self healing ability, including strengthening your immune system, regulating your endocrine system, promoting healthy cell function and detoxifying your body.

By becoming familiar with the script, you can include this constructive healing visualization while listening to the Healing Trance-Formation recording (inducing theta brainwaves) in order to enhance your healing experience (explained in the Theta Healing content in the next chapter).This script also refers to the energy centres of the body, called 'chakras'. If you would like to read about the chakras before continuing, click here.

Should you choose to guide yourself through the following process, then I recommend recording your own voice so that you can simply relax and enjoy the healing metaphors and hypnotic suggestions. Alternatively, you could have somebody read it to you.

Note that the “...” throughout the following script are to allow for a pause (of one breath) between phrases.

Start by sitting or lying down and making yourself comfortable, then begin:

Now, while you're relaxing there... you can be aware of your body… aware of your hands where they rest… and maybe sensing the weight of your head… and, you know, that weight might seem to gently increase...as you allow yourself to relax more and more… the weight of your legs and feet may increase too, as you… relax… focusing on your breathing… and notice that your breathing... is becoming slower and steadier...as you relax more and more… slower and steadier… breathing so steadily and evenly… just as though you were pretending...to be sound asleep… breathing so evenly, so steadily…drifting more into that sleep like state...

You can feel the beating of your heart…and notice the beating of your heart... slowing down slightly...so that you can then feel your whole body...slowing down… becoming soft and heavy… because you've got nothing to do...except to relax now…it all happens automatically ...your body and mind in sync...as you become gradually more 84

aware...of your whole self… aware of your hands and arms...just sensing how they are now… aware of your legs and feet too…sensing how relaxed they might be...and wondering if it's possible...to relax them even more… to be so in touch with yourself...that you can get your whole body... to relax even more… yet remaining totally alert… and noticing now how even your face muscles relax...smoothing out...as you continue to sense...the beating of your heart...and the steadiness of your body's rhythm…finding the last tiny traces...of tension in your body... and simply letting them go… with each easy, gentle, breath...you breathe… allowing every muscle… every fibre… every cell of your entire body… to be as beautifully relaxed...as anyone could ever wish to be…

That’s right...and NOW... Focus... all your attention... just above the top of your head...and imagine...a ball of bright white light...just floating there...radiating and rotating...like a luminous star... a very special kind of star...right above your head...shining brighter and brighter...the more you concentrate on it...now imagine that healing light...touching the top of your head...and slowly moving down...inside your head...glowing and comforting...and I would like you to imagine...the light taking position...inside your head...sensing its radiance... illuminating from within...lighting up your whole head...warming and tingling…your face and down to your neck…the surface of your skin...and slowly continuing to move...and expand... further down inside you...shining healing light within you...from you head to your shoulders...and inside your upper chest...

Imagine the light...spreading throughout you...a radiant energy... entering every tissue...every cell…every nerve...and all the spaces in between...illuminating your heart and your lungs...and then continuing... downwards through your body...bringing light into your spine...and throughout your back...then lighting your rib cage...to your lower chest and abdominal area now...illuminating your stomach, intestines, kidneys and liver...and all organs in the midsection of your body...bathed in healing white light...the entire upper half of your body...glowing brightly now...from the inside out...as the star continues...moving lower...bringing its healing life force...into your hips and pelvis...illuminating your reproductive organs...and your bones and your joints....glorious light spreading within you...and around you...down your legs...to your knees...light travelling down to your ankles...throughout your feet and to the tips of your toes...all radiant with healing white light...your entire body from head to toes...bathed in light...luminous healing energy...now flows throughout you...easily and naturally...as if that star has dissolved inside you...and now millions of tiny stars...are sparkling around you...making their way...to all those areas...where their healing force....is most useful to your body...guided by your deeper intelligence...integrating the healing light...just letting this happen...

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Your immune system begins…adjusting and balancing...and functioning optimally… your cells automatically begin…detoxifying, cleansing and purifying…your glands perfectly regulate hormones…your illuminated nervous system…sending all the right signals…all systems of your body…in perfect communication…as healing light flows… from your head to your toes…

And while your body…integrates the light…and continues to heal…an infinite source of healing energy…from the universe around you…flows toward you…like a beam of light…pouring into you…from the top of your head…and throughout you…continuing to illuminate all of you…more and more…as each of the millions of tiny sparkling stars… already inside you…glow even brighter now…and your entire body…becomes completely luminous…completely one…with universal healing energy…

Now…you’re going to energize…your body’s seven energy centres…also know as chakras…starting from the bottom…I’d like you to imagine… that a group of healing stars…begin to form a cluster…of spiralling red light…at the base of your spine…a bright glowing red light…inside your body…at the base of your spine…your focus on that red light…energizes your base chakra…now…

I’d like you to imagine… that another group of healing stars…begin to form a cluster… of spiralling orange light…in the area just below your naval… a bright glowing orange light…inside your body…just below your naval area…your focus on that orange light… energizes your sacral chakra…now…

I’d like you to imagine… that another group of healing stars…begin to form a cluster… of spiralling yellow light…in the area just below your sternum… a bright glowing yellow light…inside your body…in the soft tissue below your chest…your focus on that yellow light…energizes your solar plexus chakra…now…

I’d like you to imagine… that another group of healing stars…begin to form a cluster… of spiralling pink or green light…in the centre of your chest…a bright glowing pink or green light…inside your body… in the centre of your chest…your focus on that pink or green light…energizes your heart chakra…now…

I’d like you to imagine… that another group of healing stars…begin to form a cluster… of spiralling turquoise light…at the base of your throat… a bright glowing turquoise light …inside your throat…your focus on that turquoise light…energizes your throat chakra…now…

I’d like you to imagine… that another group of healing stars…begin to form a cluster… of spiralling violet light…in the area between your eyes… a bright glowing violet light… inside your head…centred between your eyes…your focus on that violet light… 86

energizes your third eye chakra…now…

I’d like you to imagine… that another group of healing stars…begin to form a cluster… of spiralling white light…at the top of your head… a bright glowing white light…just above your head…your focus on that white light…energizes your crown chakra…

Now…all your body’s energy centres are energized and balanced…feeding healing energy…along all your meridians…to every part of your body…and especially where healing energy…is most required…and all the while…. your source of healing energy… continues to flow…its infinite supply of healing light…upon you…and your body’s natural intelligence…continues to integrate…and flow the light…throughout you… including all parts of your body…all organs…all tissues…all cells…all responding…to the healing energy…that’s abundant within you…as you relax and allow healing…to continue naturally…and spend a few moments…appreciating your body…for being such a tremendous vehicle…for healing and transformation…

Be grateful that there’s more going on…inside you…than what you’re consciously aware of…regardless of what you notice…or how you feel…as your awareness begins to drift outwards…you know you can always go back inside…to concentrate on your healing…and use this recoding for assistance…whenever you wish to…so for now it’s time let yourself become aware of your body…and the room…and things going on outside…and you can take all the time you need…to awaken fully…and when you’re ready to feel revitalized and alert…then all you need to do is open your eyes…to a new experience… to a new you...feeling your whole body…as you rise up slowly…enjoy your awakening...to a new way of being...feeling more alive... refreshed... revitalised... and looking forward to being WELL... NOW!

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Pain Relief Using The Humanistic Neuro-Linguistic Psychology (HNLP) Self Healing Paradigm (The following is a transcript of track 3 from the Heal Your Body 2 recording).

The HNLP Self Healing Paradigm is a powerful way to use your mind to relieve physical pain.

This healing paradigm is based on the premise that energy flows where you put your attention. This is the life giving energy or consciousness that constitutes your mind and body as well as everything else in existence.

The wisdom of the Hawaiian Huna tradition says:“You can have anything you want in life, but you do have to pay attention. To the extent that you don’t pay attention, you pay with pain. Pain is your unconscious mind’s way of letting you know you have to pay attention.”

Your unconscious mind is the collective intelligence of all the cells in your body. It knows everything about you and contains your blueprint of perfect health and wellness. In this healing paradigm I will guide you to identify the reason for your pain, how to know what best to do about it and then how to reduce and hopefully eliminate it.

Start by paying attention to your area of discomfort or pain. Try and identify as much detail about that sensation as possible. How does it feel? Is it throbbing, hot, aching, stabbing, moving, jolting or dull? If you could make a picture of this sensation, how would it look - especially notice the shape and colour. If it was to make a sound, what would that sound be?

The pain is there for a reason. For example the pain associated with a broken foot could be thought of as a reminder not to put your weight on that foot and to keep it elevated. The pain associated with headache might be a sign that you are dehydrated, fatigued, distressed or need to cleans out toxicity from your body. Pain is a warning signal from your unconscious mind. Once you acknowledge the signal and commit to following through with its message, then there is no reason for your unconscious mind to keep the pain. 88

Before you can let go of the pain, ask the pain itself what its message is for you. Make sure to get a clear understanding of what your unconscious mind’s intention is by providing you with the pain... When you know what that is, then promise your unconscious mind, or simply make a personal commitment to take appropriate action on the pain’s message.

Appropriate action might be going to a doctor, or another kind of healer, or drinking water, or getting some rest etc. It’s important to stick to your promise to take this necessary action in order to further develop your mind-body connection and self healing capability.

You’re now going to create an Energy Circuit in your body. Start by placing your attention on the precise area of pain. This is point 1. Your energy circuit is there to transport this energy out of your body. Identify 2 more points leading toward either one of your feet or hands. For example if you have pain in your left shoulder then that’s your point 1, your point 2 is your left elbow and your point 3 is your left hand.

Create a 3 point energy circuit within your body from the place where the pain is situated now, to the point where it is going to exit the body and one place in between.

Now include a fourth point outside the body where the way in which you described your sensation is a good fit ecologically. You’re going to send the pain energy to a new location out of your body which matches the kind of energy that you associate with that sensation. This kind of metaphor is an effective way of enabling your unconscious mind to release the unwanted energy.

For example; if the sensation is red and hot then you may identify (in your mind, if not in your field of vision) a red traffic light or the planet mars. If the sensation is a kind of tightness, then its ecological fit may be a rope that moors a ship in the harbour. If your sensation is stabbing or piercing, then you can send that energy to a sewing machine. Find a metaphoric match to the way in which you experience your sensation. Your unconscious mind will be even more willing to release that energy to the extent that it suits its new location and won’t harm anyone or anything by going there.

Great, Now that you have your point 4. Focus all your attention on point 1 and notice how you experience it. Now shift your attention to point 2 and focus on that. Now shift your attention to point 3 and focus on that. Now imagine that energy leaving your body as you shift your attention out to point 4 and imagine it becoming part of that external object or place. 89

Well done that’s how to run your energy circuit. You’re going to do that 3 more times and each time more of that unwanted energy will leave your body so that healing energy may flow more readily to your point 1.

So once again place your all your attention on point one. Now shift your attention to point 2 and focus on that. Now shift your attention to point 3 and focus on that. You might even feel energy move between these points as your attention shifts. Now imagine that energy leaving your body as you shift your attention out to point 4 and imagine it locating and staying there.

Great, you might be feeling slightly light headed and warm or maybe cool or tingly in your body already, and if so this is a good sign as it means that a significant energy shift is taking place inside you.

Now for the second last time, again place your all your attention on point 1 and notice how it feels now. Then shift your attention to point 2. Shift your attention to point 3. Now send that energy out of your body by shifting your attention to point 4 and imagine it as part of that object or place.

Excellent, bring you attention back into your body and notice how you feel.

For the last time now, place your all your attention on point 1 and notice how it feels different. Then shift your attention to point 2. Shift your attention to point 3. Now send that energy out of your body by shifting your attention to point 4, its new home.

Congratulations, this energy shifting process is now complete. Spend a few moments keeping your attention inside your body and notice how it feels as natural healing energy flows within you to fill any voids.

Relax and enjoy this phase...

You might notice a light sensation somewhere or a powerful energy flow, regardless of how you experience this; spend a moment appreciating your body for being such a tremendous vehicle for healing and transformation.

Now about that pain which you used to have. What do you notice about that area now? I expect that you are already experiencing at least a degree of relief. To the 90

extent that you elicited the correct message from that original sensation and are committed to taking appropriate action on this, and if you have followed the steps in this healing process, you should be experiencing positive results.

Remember, your unconscious mind may remind you with pain to pay attention to your body. The more you act on its signals, the greater your mind-body connection will become as well as your ability to eliminate or reduce many kinds of physical pain.

So take some time out on a regular basis to scan your body with awareness. You might detect early signals that when acted upon may prevent more serious conditions later.

Your body knows you best. Make friends with it and choose to live WELL.

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Hypnosis for Pain Alleviation or to Localize Healing The following hypnotherapeutic process is designed to enhance your mindbody connection whilst promoting healing in an area of your body where healing is required, specifically to relieve physical pain. (The script below is an adapted version of track 4 from the Heal Your Body 2 recording). By becoming familiar with the script, you can include this constructive healing visualization while listening to the Healing Trance-Formation recording.

Should you choose to guide yourself through the following process, then I recommend recording your own voice so that you can simply relax and enjoy the healing metaphors and hypnotic suggestions. Alternatively, you could have somebody read it to you.

Note that the “...” throughout the following script are to allow for a pause (of one breath) between phrases.

Start by sitting or lying down and making yourself comfortable, then begin:

Take a few deep relaxing breaths... and spend a few moments paying attention to the rising and falling... of each inhalation and exhalation... as each breath brings you more... into a calm and centred state...

That’s right... Now bring to mind a part of your body... that you feel needs special healing attention... As you continue listening... you may close your eyes... and allow these words to transport... your mind and body... into an even deeper level... of peaceful relaxation...

Very good...

You may imagine waves of relaxation... going down, down from your head.. all the way down to your feet... just want it to happen and allow it to happen... Enjoy the 92

feelings... of expanding calm, peace, and serenity...

Nothing to concern... Nothing to disturb... Even sounds and sensations drifting... in and out.... Feel the muscles of your face... your neck... and your shoulders... unwind and soften... Enjoy and relax completely... Feeling that relaxation going all the way down.. your back, down your chest and stomach... Your arms and hands may become heavy and warm... Relax and release... Let the muscles of your thighs become loose and limp... That’s right... Just enjoy the relaxation... flowing through you... Totally... Completely...

As your mind floats... and your body becomes soft and heavy... it may be interesting to notice the link... between how the drifting of your mind... is connected to the relaxation of your body... as the one changes so does the other... and you begin to realize... how integrated your mind and body truly are... Like the captain of a ship... you know how you can direct... your mind and body... to achieve what you truly want... Your cells, your organs... all of your body... is just waiting for your instructions... your intentions... to change, to transform... As you know that your body is designed... to be healthy... you once again realize... that all that you need to do... is to give it permission... to allow it to once again... to return to total health and vitality... You know that if you nurture it... with adequate sleep, rest, relaxation... healthy diet and exercise... that your body will always naturally... return to total and complete health... Now think about that part of your body... that needs more healing attention today... Perhaps that is a part of the body... that is uncomfortable or painful... A part of the body that needs assurance... that it can return back to complete health... As you focus on that area... with the intention to enable healing... the cells in that area... begin to sense your healing intention... and they begin to work in harmony... to repair, to restructure... to return that area to complete health and vitality... You don’t need to be aware... of all the healing functions that take place... within your cells and between your cells... in that area... but you can imagine how tremendous... your body is as it restores this part now...

Concentrate a healing light… in the area where you desire… the pain to go away… and stay away... Sense a beam of light energy… illuminating that area.. and feel all tension leaving there... All pain can be allowed… to completely go from the area... Feeling more soothed and relaxed... As though the entire area has been anaesthetized… without taking away any ability… to use it what-so-ever... You have complete muscle and motor response… and pain dissolves, becoming less and less… and disappearing more and more. No need to call it back… You do not need it... You do not want it…. It no longer belongs to you...

See vividly in your mind... the appearance of that area... as it is completely whole and healed... Make this mental picture colourful... perhaps surrounding the area.. with

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healing colour, sound, and an aroma... Visualise this area appearing perfectly... and functioning normally.... You concentrate easily in making... this picture clear and appealing... And in so doing... profound internal processes are taking place... and transforming what was... into what is now the focus of your intention... All is becoming well and healthy... You want it and you allow it... And you may begin to notice... the difference already... as you feel how good it feels... to heal... to be healed... As you hold onto this feeling of healing and realize the power that you have to contribute to the healing process, this area of your body thanks you for your healing and nurturing attention...

And while that process continues within you, you may want to slowly allow your mind and body to return to the here and now. If you like you may stay here a little longer, but should you want to return, just imagine your mind like a bubble at the bottom of a peaceful pond. Allow that bubble to slowly and peacefully rise to the surface. And as it rises your consciousness begins returning. When you are ready, you can allow your mind to return fully to the here and now.

And as you begin to awaken realise that your body’s natural self healing capacity is enhanced to the degree that you’re willing to listen to your body’s signals. Pain is a signal to take a certain action. By paying attention and adhering to your body’s messages you will improve your mind-body connection as well as prevent and even relieve discomfort.

Your body is a holistic organism. If you are concentrating on healing any one part of your body, then remember to also include attention to the rest of you too. People are often surprised at how much they can support healing in one area of the body when they also take care of optimising their diet, detoxifying their body, reducing stress and getting enough exercise as well as rest.

And as for the rest, I hope you’ve had some now and are beginning to feel more and more refreshed, alert and ready to carry on with what’s most important to you right now.

And as you do, you might be a little surprised or even delighted about something, a new experience perhaps, or an insight that you can use to get more out of life.

Being inspired, now, you can look forward to a life of WELLness, from the inside out, and enjoy being you.

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Chapter 5

BRAINWAVES FOR HEALING

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Healing Through Theta Brainwave Entrainment Generating brainwaves for healing Of the 5 frequencies (beta, alpha, theta, delta & gamma) that our brain experiences, the theta brainwave range is the one in which the body and mind's natural self healing processes are activated and optimised. Theta brainwaves are present during deep relaxation, dreaming, meditation and hypnosis. Theta brainwaves can be a source of creativity, intuition, increased memory and enhanced concentration. When theta brainwaves are induced by certain mental practices and specialised brain entrainment products like the Healing TranceFormations recording, they lower stress and anxiety levels, as well as facilitate healing and growth. Theta is an important wave, not only because because it facilitates the ideal mental/physiological state for healing, it also enables us to access the power and wisdom of our unconscious mind, that is normally inaccessible in more alert states.

Benefits of stimulating our brain with theta brainwaves:

Mind and body healing During theta brainwave activity, both the body and mind experience enhanced rejuvenation, growth, and healing. Due to the deep levels of relaxation that theta brainwaves facilitate, the body and mind are easily able to restore themselves during and after illness, as well as after mental burnout and physical exertion. Boosted immune system Increasing your theta brainwaves helps to optimise your immune system's function due to the fact that theta brainwaves are associated with vitality and the elimination of stress. Stress and anxiety can do harm to the immune system by releasing a surplus of harmful chemicals such as adrenaline, including the hormone cortisol, which in oversupply are damaging to the immune system. Theta brainwaves activate the release of pleasant chemicals and neurotransmitters to help keep your immune system at its peak.

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Deep levels of relaxation Theta brainwaves are most common during sleep, deep meditation, self hypnosis and amongst young children. Through entraining your brain to theta rhythm, you can access pleasantly relaxed states that are rare amongst adults during daily routines. Stress and anxiety reduction Theta brainwave entrainment causes deep mental and physical relaxation, which in turn reduces stress and anxiety levels. Intuition increase Through accessing theta brainwaves, your intuition will increase as well as your ability to identify “gut” feelings. In other words, your ability to ‘see’ and ‘hear’ outside the borders of the physical senses expands, and therefore your perception of reality expands too. Through training your brain with meditation, self hypnosis or brain entrainment, you awaken your deeper intelligence, also known as the 'inner genius'. Subconscious connection Theta brainwaves allow you to connect deeply with your unconscious mind (subconscious). Your unconscious mind is the collective intelligence of all cells in your body. It regulates all your autonomic body functions. It houses your emotions, imagination, memory, habits, intuition, and is your personal pathway to even more subtle levels of consciousness. Ability to program your unconscious mind (subconscious) Meaningful personal transformation results from a shift in the unconscious mind. The most effective way to reach and change major set beliefs and emotional responses of the unconscious mind is through hypnosis or theta brainwave entrainment. Through self hypnosis or theta brain entrainment, you can access the unconscious mind for the purpose of facilitating core healing and change. Therefore theta brainwave entrainment is a great resource for both Hypnotherapists as well as those using self hypnosis. The use of affirmations, mental imagery and hypnotic suggestion is far more effective when your brain is in theta rhythm. In this state you bypass your conscious mind that often acts as a "filter" and prevents you from changing your unwanted thought and behaviour patterns. Through being deeply relaxed, your unconscious mind accepts any healing related statements or mental pictures that you give it, without question, and begins to act on it immediately. Therefore it's easier to clear any thought and behaviour patterns that you may want to change, and to install new, desirable thinking and attitudes as part of your personal development and growth.

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High levels of creativity Theta brainwave dominance is often found in highly creative individuals. Many talented musicians, inventors, and artists are found to have extremely higher than average amounts of theta brainwaves. Through entraining theta brainwaves your creativity will be enhanced. Advanced problem solving skills Theta brain waves help you to overcome “mental blocks” and enable you to access the FLOW state. The inability to solve problems is related to your inability to change your mental state. Inducing theta brainwaves changes your mental state and thereby offers new levels of thought and perception that enable you to approach any problem with greater resourcefulness. Theta brainwaves have also been associated with the ability to “hyperfocus” which means staying intensely focused and motivated with one idea. Increase of the learning ability It has been said that as your brain enters the frequencies of the theta range, you will be able to retain over 300% more information than you can while in your normal daily (beta brainwave) state. Theta brainwaves allow people to learn large amounts of information in a much quicker time than beta brainwave state. Research has been done on language learning and development, claiming that the reason why children are able to pick up new languages so quickly is because of their increased amount of theta brainwaves. Adults and students of a new foreign language may greatly benefit from shifting their brainwaves to the theta range. Improve long-term memory As theta brainwaves increase, the ability of the brain to recall and store long-term memories increases. The hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in storing and processing memories, normally has a theta brainwave rhythm. With increasing levels of stress, beta brainwaves 'disrupt' the hippocampus. This is why stressed people often have a poor ability to recall long-term memories. One of the reasons why Hypnotherapy is effective is because clients, through having theta brainwaves induced, are able to recall “forgotten memories” as part of certain healing processes. Emotional connection Theta brainwaves are associated with your ability to feel emotions. Blocked or suppressed emotions can be experienced when theta brainwaves are stimulated. In this way you can learn to feel and understand your emotions better.

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Bridges the spiritual connection Many consider the peaceful and blissful state associated with theta brainwaves to be the bridge between the physical body and the spiritual realms. In the theta brainwave rhythm people sense a deep spiritual connection. According to some, the theta brainwave range provides enhanced spiritual awareness and profound insight. Many spiritual experiences and phenomena are commonly experienced in the theta brainwave state. Paranormal experiences For those who are open to it, theta brainwaves are also associated with psychic experiences, such as Out Of Body Experiences, remote vision, ESP, and other phenomena. Even though most paranormal and psychic experiences can be argued to be real or fake, there is evidence that most people tend to have them when their mind has theta brainwave dominance. Some psychics are apparently able to access theta brainwaves in order to connect with non-physical beings and subtle realms of consciousness.

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Technically, theta brainwaves are patterns of electrical activity of the brain ranging from 4 to 8 Hz. Here are the typical qualities of the entire theta range:

4.5 Hz - Brings about Shamanic/Tibetan state of consciousness, Tibetan chants. 4.9 Hz - Induce relaxation and deeper sleep 4.9 Hz - Introspection. Relaxation, meditation 5 Hz - Reduces sleep required. Theta replaces need for extensive dreaming 5.35 Hz - Allows relaxing breathing, free and efficient 5.5 Hz - Inner guidance, intuition 6.5 Hz - Centre of Theta frequency. Activates creative frontal lobe 7.5 Hz - Activates creative thought for art, invention, music. Problem solving 7.5 Hz - Ease of overcoming troublesome issues 7.83 Hz - Schumann earth resonance. Grounding, meditative, Leaves you revitalized 3 - 8 Hz - Deep relaxation, meditation. Lucid dreaming 3 - 8 Hz - Increased memory, focus, creativity 4 - 7 Hz - Profound inner peace, emotional healing. Lowers mental fatigue 4 - 7 Hz - Deep meditation, near-sleep brainwaves.

Interestingly, the planet Earth resonates at a Theta frequency of 7.83 Hz, a frequency known as Schumann Resonance.

The Healing Trance-Formations recording entrains your brainwaves to 7Hz, for almost the full duration of the one hour track, and increases to 12Hz in the final 6 minutes, to leave you in alpha state (relaxed body and alert mind) at the end of the recording.

Important Medical Warning If you are using a pacemaker, or if you have had or are prone to seizures, or are epileptic, then brain entrainment technologies should only be used with permission from your Medical Doctor.

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Tibetan Singing Bowls The Ancient Brainwave Entrainment Methodology for Healing & Meditation Tibetan Singing Bowls have been used for centuries for healing and meditation purposes. They create a range of sounds to restore the normal vibratory frequencies of diseased and out-of-harmony parts of the body, mind and soul. The sounds generated by Tibetan Singing Bowls are a type of energy medicine that promote healing from stress disorders, pain, depression, and most forms of dis-ease. Healing processes are initiated through entraining our brainwaves to synchronise with the perfect resonance of the bowls. Unique tones create the perfect state for deep meditation, creative thinking and intuitive messages. The pure sonic waves that ring from Tibetan Singing Bowls wake up our ability to hear with more than our ears. We feel the sound Tibetan Singing Bowls as much as we take it in with our ears. "If we accept that sound is vibration and we know that vibration touches every part of our physical being, then we understand that sound is heard not only through our ears but through every cell in our bodies. One reason sound heals on a physical level is because it so deeply touches and transforms us on the emotional and spiritual planes. Sound can redress imbalances on every level of physiologic functioning and can play a positive role in the treatment of virtually any medical disorder." -- Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, director of Medical Oncology and Integrative Medicine, the Cornell Cancer Prevention Center in New York Sound Healing expert, Diáne Mandle states that Tibetan Singing Bowls don't only affect a great deal of physical healing but also have far-reaching implications that occur on emotional and spiritual levels. It is a regenerative process married to a spiritual awakening that can have profound consequences on illness, disease, and all aspects of our lives. In fact, mainstream medical teaching facilities like Duke University and the University of North Carolina have added programs that link body, mind and spirit to the treatment of cancer. Cancer prevention centres are utilizing sound as a vital part of the healing process for patients with astounding results. Dr. Mitchell Gaynor has been using sound, including Tibetan Singing Bowls and chanting in work with cancer patients for many years. The medical director of the Deepak Chopra centre in California, Dr. David Simon, found that the sound from Tibetan Singing Bowls as well as chanting are chemically metabolised into ’endogenous opiates’, that act on the body as internal painkillers and healing agents.

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How do Tibetan Singing Bowls help in the healing process? It can be said that illness is a manifestation of dis-harmony within the body—an imbalance in the cells or a given organ. Since all matter is energy vibrating at different rates, by altering the rate of vibration we can change the structure of matter. Sounds from Tibetan Singing Bowls entrain the brain to move into the Theta brain wave frequencies that induce deep meditative and peaceful states, clarity of mind, and intuition. The sound vibrations impact our nervous system, engaging our relaxation reflex and inhibiting the stress or pain response. Through listening to Tibetan Singing Bowls one's internal dialogue, the ’inner critic’ is quietened. Their sound synchronizes brain waves and enhances awareness of the mind/body connection. All parts of your body possess a different resonant frequency. When an organ, or other part of the body, is vibrating “out of tune” or non-harmoniously, it is called "disease". A body is in a healthy state when each cell and each organ resonate in harmony with the whole being. Using Tibetan Singing Bowls for healing is based on the idea that all illness or disease is characterized by a hindrance to the flow of energy in the body. When energy flow is hindered, the organ or tissue in question stops vibrating at a healthy frequency, and thus it results in some kind of weakness or illness. The sound frequencies created by Tibetan Singing Bowls restore and optimise the flow of energy in the parts of the body where this is required. In the words of the great Tibetan master/Bodhisattva Gwalwa Karmapa, the Singing Bowls of Tibet emit the "Sound of the Void", the sound of the universe manifesting. They are a symbol of the ’unknowable’ and as an alloy, date back to the Buddha, Shakyamni (560-480 B.C.). Their origins and detailed histories are shrouded in the distant past and are surely a gift from the shamanistic ’Bon’ religion which precedes Buddhism in Tibet by centuries. For centuries they have been utilized for healing and consciousness transformation. We are now discovering the science behind this powerful ancient modality which is so effective for healing today. Modern medicine can now measure and thus confirm the practice of sound as a means to heal.

Tibetan Singing Bowls & Brainwave Entrainment The Tibetan Singing Bowls are an ancient technology, about 2500 years old, for stimulating our brainwaves. Just like the new technologies of Brainwave Entrainment, Binaural Beats & Isochronic Tones, Tibetan Singing Bowl create a pulsation of sound to entrain our brain. Tibetan Singing Bowls create a pulsating tone, that feels good and helps you to relax. The more you listen the deeper you relax, as your brainwaves begin to entrain with the Tibetan Singing Bowl's tone. The benefit of this entrainment is that your brain waves can be “toned” so that you can deliberately experience pleasant and/or productive mental/emotional states. The upper end of the theta brainwave range is of great importance to healing the 102

body, mind and spirit. At 7-8 (Hertz) cycles per second our deeper intelligence, creativity and self-healing mechanisms of the body are activated. This is what is commonly referred to as "being in the zone". Tibetan Singing Bowls can be used to put you into this special brain wave state that supports the achievement of your unique goal toward better health. Producing theta brainwaves through the use of Tibetan Singing Bowls in conjunction with sophisticated audio technologies is facilitated through listening to the Healing Trance-Formations recording. Dr. Hans Selye, "the father of stress" was an endocrinologist in 1950's who did research on the response of organisms to stress. He determined that stress is the underlying cause of all illness and dis-ease. His research was taken a step further by Dr. Herbert Benson. Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard's Mind Body Institute , has studied stress reduction for 35 years. Dr. Benson found that stress causes physical or emotional blockages. Dr. Benson found that stress reduction was essential to creation of health. He coined the phrase "relaxation response". He defines this as "a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress - for example: decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension." He also found that regular elicitation of the relaxation response has been scientifically proven to be an effective treatment for a wide range of stress-related disorders. In fact, to the extent that any disease is caused or made worse by stress, the relaxation response is essential to healing it.

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Chakra Balancing Chakras are energy vortices originating in the ancient Indian system of healing. Most literature discusses seven main chakras but there are literally hundreds of vortices of energy all over the body. Chakras are the connection between the spiritual aspect of our being and the physical. There is an endocrine gland associated with 7 of the main chakras. In the Indian system of healing, when a physical dysfunction is in place, one or more chakras are considered to be blocked, dysfunctional or unbalanced. Unbalanced chakras are reflected in a whole range of mental, emotional and physiological dysfunctions. Chakra balancing is used to correct the chakra so that the endocrine gland and all the associated structures and organs effected by that gland balance and begin to function correctly. Historically, chakra balancing has been done in a number of ways but it has been most effectively done by someone who has the capability to either feel or see (or both) the chakras and their state of unbalance. They then use energy healing techniques to adjust and balance them. Tibetan Singing Bowls naturally cause chakras to self correct. The sound waves, in the form of sine waves run correcting frequencies to the unbalanced chakras, bringing them back to normal functioning. The overall balancing effect of the Tibetan Singing Bowls and theta brainwave entrainment combine to enhance and support the corrective rebalance of the sine waves effect on each chakra. The result is balanced chakras which then in turn enhance cellular and systemic healing throughout the body that is facilitated by the theta rhythms. The Healing Trance-Formations recording includes the appropriately pitched tones for all seven of the major chakras, thereby providing each chakra with its specific key for optimal balancing: Root chakra – C Sacral chakra – D Solar Plexus chakra – E Heart chakra – F Throat chakra – G Third Eye chakra – A Crown chakra – B Repeatedly listening to the Healing Trance-Formations recording over time can assist the body/mind to throw off toxicity and diseased states, while simultaneously retraining the chakras and physical body to remain in a state of balance. Increasingly over time the body will return to a state of 'ease' or good health.

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Though Chakras are far from a scientific fact, ancient literature suggests that their balancing was part of the whole process employed when healing any level of dysfunction. Balancing the body in the way ancient cultures have may be the missing link in health care today. Now the benefits of Tibetan Singing Bowls for the purpose of cultivating and balancing energy flow in the chakras have been integrated into serene music that contains cutting edge brain entrainment technologies to produce a profound all-round sound healing experience called Healing Trance-Formations.

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Chapter 5

ROUNDING UP

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Self Healing - The Simple Way! Change is happening all around us all the time. It could be said that change is the only constant in life! You’re changing all the time too, whether you like it or not. In fact, you’re not the same person that you were at the beginning of this sentence. Yet we humans are resistant to change, sometimes blind to it, and perhaps a little too complacent with the familiar sometimes. Of the roughly 60 thousand thoughts that we have per day, 95% of those thoughts we had yesterday and the day before, and the day before… Since it´s common knowledge that our thoughts create our reality, it seems as if we’re often living our lives like hamsters in a wheel. Typically what prevents us from going with the flow in life is our fear of change because of the uncertainty that it brings. So if we’re not like hamsters, then we’re often like salmon beating our way upstream just so that we can stick to what we’re familiar with, thereby doing what we’ve always done. Life thus becomes very mundane and habitual. Eventually a kind of mental rigormortis sets in leading to boredom, frustration, lifelessness and depression. But Jevon, that’s how most people live their lives! Yes, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Life is about creating your self. Each new moment offers you the opportunity to make fresh creative choices, to think new thoughts, to renew yourself. Do you always respond to people and situations the way you would like to, or do you find the same old patterns running in your life? One definition of insanity is trying to get a different result by doing the same thing over and over. Ladies and gentlemen; if you want something different, you’ve got to do something different! Do you want to know the meaning of life? It’s is the meaning you give it! The quality of your life right now depends on your current mental and emotional state which then forms the meaning you’re giving this present moment. The secret to freedom and happiness is being able to access your desired state any time. Right now your perceptions are shaping your reality and forming your model of the world. However, no matter what you think you are, you are always more than that! Each of us has available to us all the resources that we need to achieve what ever we want in life. There are no un-resourceful people; there are only un-resourceful states. 107

So to get what you want you need to be in the mental and emotional state which attracts that experience. It’s useless trying to achieve a particular state in order to experience it. Experiencing your desired state now is how you will achieve it. Okay Jevon I get it, but how do I simply experience my desired state? To answer the above question, I will use an example relating to depression: Have you noticed how a depressed person holds their body? To switch from depression to happiness, lift your chin, look slightly upwards, relax your shoulders, take a deep breath into your tummy and let it out slowly while imagining yourself smiling and thinking a positive thought. This might not cure depression permanently, but it certainly will offer some degree of relief and over time will change the neurological pattern that used to hold that depression in place. The same skill can be applied to many other unwanted states, like -- bad moods, frustration and performance anxiety. Do you want to improve your level of wellbeing right now? Pay attention to the way you currently feel. What is your body trying to tell you? Once you have given your body the attention that it's been asking for, decide how you would like to feel instead. Now shift your physiology, breathing and thoughts to how you want to be. Voilà! If you do this every time you experience unwanted states you will sooner or later re-program your nervous system with a new way of experiencing yourself.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” -- Gandhi

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The Fallacy of Forgiveness -- and What Truly Sets You Free To start, here’s the bottom line of this entry: You are already forgiven and there is nothing to forgive! In Wikipedia forgiveness is defined as: “The renunciation or cessation of resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offence, disagreement, or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.” I put the word perceived in the above definition in italics, as therein lies the heart of the matter – it’s our perceptions that cause us to judge and our judgements that categorize something as forgivable or unforgivable. When I was a young boy, our church minister preached forgiveness as a prerequisite to entering the golden gates to Heaven. “Turn the other cheek” we were told. We were taught that it’s necessary to forgive the wrongdoers in order to free ourselves from the pain of injustice. It was made clear what is “right” and what is “wrong”. Wrongdoing, we were told, requires forgiveness, or we’ll forever have to deal with the anguish that it ensues. So just forgive and all will be fine. Is it really that simple? Have you ever forgiven a wrongdoer 99%, but 1% of you just cannot accept what happened? That’s not forgiveness! Forgiveness is born out of understanding. This is the type of understanding that one gains from not being attached to any one point of view, but rather seeing the situation from all necessary points of view until you realize that in the greater scheme of things, there’s nothing wrong with the situation. Your map of reality is not the only one. Forgiveness is the privilege of an open mind and flexible points of view. It’s also important to realize that people always do the best they can given their level of awareness at the time. We all behave according to what we perceive (believe), and our perceptions (beliefs) are conditioned into us from the moment of conception. Realizing this helps one to accept why people do what they do, and acceptance, like understanding, is a precursor to forgiveness. Ultimately, it’s our perceptions that determine how we judge our experiences. And the good news is that our perceptions can and do change. The responsibility is ours to ensure that we’re changing outdated perceptions and creating new ones so that we’re able to reach the point of understanding that in and of itself facilitates forgiveness.

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Forgiveness isn’t something that you do. Forgiveness is the natural byproduct of having the “right” perception. While at the Dalai Lama’s temple I heard his holiness talk about the Chinese occupation of Tibet with lightheartedness. The Tibetan people are being tortured for practicing Buddhism and many thousands including the Dalai Lama had to flee. His Holiness humourlessly eluded to the point that us Westerners would never have received the Tibetan Buddhist teachings had the Chinese not have forced them to flee and spread their message of peace around the world. When we don’t judge, we find the positive reason behind even the worst of incidents. Essentially, if you haven’t yet forgiven someone for something, it means that you haven’t yet taken the initiative to change your perception about that situation. In which case, the only forgiveness that’s required is self forgiveness, as you’re the only one to blame for not letting go. However, there’s no positive value in judging yourself for not yet finding the perception that allows for forgiveness. Simply realize that the “buck stops with you”. Great freedom will arise from looking within with the intention to update your point of view so that you no longer judge the situation in a way that causes suffering. If you don’t judge yourself or others in the first place, then there’s nothing to forgive. I no longer judge my church minister for teaching about judgement. He was doing the best he could with his level of awareness at the time. I only have this to say to him: "You are already forgiven and there is nothing to forgive!" The topic of this article forms part of The Relationship Resourcing audio programme.

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How to Keep on Being WELL In your hand (or on your screen) is a resource of information and skills that, when used, can make a significant difference in your life. In fact, applying the methodologies and techniques in this handbook may well offer you great healing benefits, or at least support other healing programs that you may be involved in. Use it or loose it! It's that simple! One of the primary lessons that I make sure the therapists and coaches who attend my courses are engrained with, is the one of "personal responsibility". Unless we take responsibility for our health, wealth and happiness, these will never be matters that we control. We may be lucky for a time and unlucky later, but unless we are accountable for our health, wealth and happiness, they'll always be a source of uncertainty and fear. You have the ability to respond to the challenges of life resourcefully. This is your response-ability! These resources are within you! The Self Healing Handbook shows you various approaches to tapping into your appropriate resources for the purpose of healing and self empowerment. Even if only one or two of the techniques or ideas in this handbook were to resonate with you, use them, and you will notice positive results. Keep your focus on the positive results that you want - and allow those resourceful states to inspire your next steps! You never know how far a change will go... Choose to be WELL (Wonderfully Energetic Loving Life).

Thank you for reading this book

And always remember... No matter what you think you are, you are always more than that!

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Recommended Resources This page includes links to resources that promote self healing, personal development and spiritual growth.

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Free articles relating to Personal & Transpersonal Development, NLP, Self Coaching and Self Hypnosis

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Free monthly Personal & Transpersonal Development Tips delivered to your inbox

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Free NLP, Coaching and Self Hypnosis training videos

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NLP, Coaching and Self Hypnosis training videos on DVD

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Free Burnout Self Diagnostic Tool

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The User Manual For Your Mind & Your Life -- book

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The Mindful Power audio-programme

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Jevon's range of Coaching, Hypnotherapy and Brainwave Entrainment recordings on CD and MP3

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NLP Facilitator Training -- by distance learning

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Information about WELLness Coaching

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Follow WELLness Coaching on Facebook

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Find Jevon on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+

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About the author - Jevon Dängeli

Jevon is an adventure seeking and curious person who finds people and life amazing! He enjoys spending time in nature with my family and friends. He says: "Human behaviour intrigues me, especially what differentiates us as people. However, it’s what connects and unifies all of us as human beings that most fascinates me." Jevon is the author of 5 books relating to NLP, including his latest book – The User Manual for Your Mind. He has recorded over 30 audio-programmes that include NLP plus other personal development and performance enhancing methodologies. Jevon was a Judo coach and personal fitness trainer in his 20′s. In 1998 he began studying a variety of alternative healing methods, travelling extensively to learn from leaders in this field. Since then he's been passionately involved in helping people overcome their physical, emotional, relationship and spiritual challenges. He's been providing NLP, coaching and hypnotherapy certification training around Europe, the UK and South Africa since 2004. Fourteen years of training and experience along with some profound personal insights have lead to the creation of an evolving Authentic Self Empowerment™ methodology. As part of his ongoing development, Jevon is currently doing a MSc degree in ‘Consciousness, Spirituality and Transpersonal Psychology’. Jevon has had an interest in what motivates human behaviour for as long as he can remember. His desire to help people lead a purposeful life was catapulted when he survived an armed robbery at age 25. The perpetrator deliberately shot at him at close range and the bullet narrowly missed his head. This near death experience became a defining moment for him. He felt spared for a reason and after intense soul searching the reason became clear: "Make every moment of your life count, not because you never know when it may be over, but because every experience counts for something valuable!" Through studying, using and teaching NLP Jevon is able to fulfil his mission – helping people discover their true value, while being a proactive part of the Whole to which we all want to belong. As a NLP Coach and Trainer, his core skill is guiding individuals and teaching groups 113

how to overcome perceived obstacles, limiting beliefs, unwanted negative emotions and dis-ease so that you can become more self aware and experience greater levels of joy, resourcefulness and productivity in your personal and professional life. Jevon established NLP Wizardry as a specialised approach in NLP training and coaching, as well as related products and resources. NLP Wizardry integrates the methodologies of: Humanistic Neuro-Linguistic Psychology™ and Authentic Self Empowerment™ with classic NLP to provide a highly effective approach to coaching & personal development.

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