Busting the myths about hypnotherapy and hypnosis

Busting the myths about hypnotherapy and hypnosis

Aug 24, 2023 | Hypnotherapy

“So, what therapies do you do?”

“What would you recommend for my anxiety or my stress?”

“Can you help me make healthier life choices?”

These are just some of the questions I am asked on a regular basis. I love people asking questions and it’s even better when they ask questions that are about their issues or their health. I believe we all want to live healthier and eliminate the habits or the behaviours that are damaging to us mentally or physically. The interesting part is the reaction of some when I suggest Reflexology, Massage etc nothing new there but then if I suggest hypnosis.

There has been a mish mash of strange looks and comments. “Oh no way are you going to control my mind” “Eh I would be afraid of what I would say or do” “ I don’t do Woo Woo”….. blah blah blah……… It is interesting how our fears and perceptions can act as a filter and close our minds or make us suspicious of things we do not know about. That being said, healthy suspicions can be beneficial. However, most inaccurate perceptions of hypnosis have been formulated from stage and entertainment shows. This is not real. This is designed for effect, and they all use clever sleight of hand, distraction and word play. Yes, arguably it is Hypnosis but all Hypnosis is Self-Hypnosis. So, once I explain what Hypnosis is and what it is not, they are immediately intrigued, and the mystery or fear is eliminated.

Hypnosis is safe and it is a wonderful and effective way to help with all kinds of issues. It is all about learning to trust and use your amazing imagination. After all, what is real and what is imagined? If you imagine someone breaking into your house because you hear the pipes cool down your body response can send you into Flight, Fight or Freeze…. Therefore, imagine doing the opposite. Imagine the opposite and feeling totally safe, calm and relaxed. Well, you can of course.

Time to Bust the Myths and allow yourself to become informed.

1. Can you get ‘stuck’ in trance?

This is the number one question I am asked! There is a persistent myth that you can get ‘stuck’ in a hypnotic state/trance or lose your willpower or control. ‘Stage hypnosis’ and misrepresentation in the media unfortunately contribute to this idea. There could be possible risks with people in hypnosis who are under the influence of drugs, medicated, mental health issues and for that reason all clients are screened, and a detailed history intake is performed. My main objective is for you, the client, to feel safe and I explain the process in great detail and answer any concerns. So, the closest you will feel to being stuck is similar to when you daydream and you know someone is coming towards you or they ask you a question and you say to yourself “No I don’t want to leave this state…. Just a little longer” Or when enjoying a meditation audio and you are instructed to wriggle your fingers and toes towards the end……just simply a feeling of deep relaxation and calm that you are enjoying and want to enjoy a little longer.

2. I am afraid I won’t be in control

Similarly, I am asked can you make me quack like a duck?

Well yes…. If you Want to quack like a duck you will quack like a duck. Hence entertainment hypnosis can prove this. The participants are generally acting or they genuinely want to be the centre of attention so will take the suggestion to quack because they want to! Therefore, you cannot do anything in hypnosis that goes against your values or anything you do not want to do. Stage hypnosis and media have promoted hypnosis in this light, and it has created an unnecessary fear. In Hypnotherapy the therapist is present to elicit the state which you want to change and to work towards a better beneficial state which you do want. Entertainment is not conducive to this and has no place in it. You are always in control of your mind. The therapist cannot do this.

3. Is all hypnosis the same as stage hypnosis?

This links into the above, and the answer is no. Stage hypnosis is a specific environment, and the emphasis is entertainment.

Every stage hypnosis performance involves a selection process, where they test for ‘hypnotisability.’ The factor that determines whether a person is ‘easily influenced’ is nothing more than their willingness. Before the show starts there is often a person going around selling tickets or doing a draw, sometimes a survey can be conducted, and this can often pinpoint suitable candidates for the show depending on their willingness and compliance

At stage hypnosis shows, crowds of people often run onto the stage to volunteer. It is their own internal permission, curiosity and excitement that drives their participation. The stage hypnotist can weed out those who run up planning to prove that it won’t work on them!

The people who do extraordinary or mad things onstage do so because they want the experience. The atmosphere is contagious, and their inner voice says ‘yes’. There can even be a desire to shed some of the behavioural restriction’s society places upon them.

This means that in the therapy room, you cannot be hypnotised to do something you do not want to do or something that goes against your morals. You will only take in the suggestions you want and let anything else just pass by. You are in control!

4. What do hypnotherapy and stage hypnosis have in common?

Stage hypnosis is a pure example of how the mind responded to something that we want. On the stage the person clearly wants to be the entertainment. For whatever reason, this is possible as the person hears a suggestion it wants and responds to it.

For example, when someone submerges their body in ice water under hypnosis. This is a genuine representation of how powerful the human mind is. We can delve into an experience or out of it, by controlling our focus. Our mind is what interprets pain receptors after all!

Hypnosis is a tool that brings about a varied but natural state of attention and focus. When you remove the old restrictions and manage your focus, you can truly surprise yourself. This is the whole premise of hypnotherapy, or hypnosis as a therapeutic tool.

5. Do you use a pendulum or spiral?

I do not use these, but you will still find practitioners who use these more traditional means of helping clients enter a trance state. It is not necessary to use props. As mentioned, trance is a normal state – though it varies in nature, each of us will likely experience several forms of trance on any given day.

So well-chosen words do the job beautifully. It’s a quite simple process. You just need to be comfortable, with your neck supported. You might take a few deep, cleansing breaths. You already know how to do this; you have done it many times before. This is your state, your trance. You could go there even now if you choose, could you not?

6. If you can’t relax you can’t go into trance

This is untrue. We go in and out of trance numerous times a day ourselves and all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. We are not always relaxed when we do this, isn’t that right? Hypnosis has nothing to do with relaxation. Sometimes the more relaxed we are the more we can go into trance and the easier we accept the suggestions.

Keep it simple.

Hypnotherapy Pre-Talk

Aug 8, 2019 | Hypnotherapy, Mindfulness

 Hypnotherapy Pre-Talk

Before the initial session of Hypnotherapy it is beneficial  to explain what hypnosis is and how it works. This will give you a clear understanding of how your mind works and how it prepares to change using hypnotherapy.

Please read the following:

So, why hypnotherapy?

Here you’ll learn how hypnosis can help you tap the powers of your inner mind. We’ll remove common myths and misconceptions about hypnosis and explore some of its many uses. First of all, let’s dispel some of the common myths about hypnosis, correct some inaccuracies and learn the truth.

Myths & Misconceptions

Many people get their ideas about hypnosis from television, books or motion pictures. While the plot lines of these entertainment vehicles make for good stories, they are often inaccurate.

Many misconceptions about hypnosis are due to the fact that the term “sleep” is often used when discussing hypnosis. Hypnosis is not sleep but because many times, people experiencing hypnosis are very, very relaxed, it may outwardly appear like sleep. One difference is – in a hypnotic state – you can think clearly. You are actually more alert during hypnosis than you are in your normal state. This is due to your senses being heightened and the subconscious mind is super alert.

And did you know while in hypnosis, your morals and ethics remain intact? In other words, you won’t do anything against your will. You can reject or accept suggestions – it’s your decision. Scientific experiments have proven that, if someone were to give you suggestions that you disagreed with, you would simply reject them.

Some ill-informed people think it’s possible to become stuck in trance. In fact, if someone hypnotised you and then decided to take a trip to Tahiti, in the middle of a trance, you would simply continue to relax for a few moments and then choose to emerge when you felt like it. In hundreds of years of hypnosis this has always been the case.

Because hypnosis is not truth serum, people can lie while experiencing hypnosis. In hypnosis, the psychological “Law of Self-Preservation” is in effect. You can control what you choose to say. So while in a hypnotic trance you won’t “spill the beans” or tell your secrets.

Some people believe that in order to be hypnotised you must have a weak mind. Nothing could be further from the truth. Because hypnosis is not a contest of willpower, a highly intelligent, strong-willed and imaginative person can make a great hypnotic subject.

Many people think that in order to experience hypnosis, they must become unconscious. This is probably the most common misconception about hypnosis.

In hypnosis, you are aware and can hear clearly, in fact, hypnosis is a state of increased awareness. In a trance state your hearing may be sharper, you may feel subtler sensations and your imagination and memory are enhanced.

Naturally-occurring hypnosis

Hypnosis is a natural state, in fact, we are in hypnosis many times each day. We pass through hypnosis on our way to sleep and when we wake up each morning. Recent studies of ultradian rhythms, these are bio-rhythms that are less than one day long, conclude that every 90 to 120 minutes we pass into a state physiologically identical to hypnosis. So when people ask; Can I be hypnotised? The answer is; You already are!

Here are some other times in which people experience hypnosis naturally. If you’ve ever woken up, feeling very relaxed but not needing to be anywhere and thought something like “Maybe I’ll get up and brush my teeth,” but your body is too relaxed to move, you’ve been experiencing hypnosis. Becoming absorbed in a good book or movie is experiencing hypnosis. Driving on long trips on automatic pilot is known as highway hypnosis. Becoming bored or allowing your mind to drift away leads to hypnosis. Becoming extremely engaged in something and allowing your mind to focus means that you are experiencing hypnosis. Because of the rhythmic sounds and swaying, riding on the train is often a highly hypnotic experience.

Hypnosis is a state in which you can think clearly and your imagination is active. It’s a state where you could move if you wanted to or if there were an emergency but you would rather just remain delightfully relaxed. It’s a state in which beneficial ideas can more quickly and easily gain access to the inner mind. And because we all experience trance each day, we can understand just how safe it is.

What Is Hypnosis?

We all have a conscious mind, and what some people call either a subconscious or an unconscious mind. Hypnosis deals with your subconscious mind which, or your inner mind. Your conscious mind is responsible for logical, analytical, linear thinking. This is where you are for most of your time. Imagine your mind was like a computer. The screen would be like you conscious mind and this is where you would see and be aware of what is occurring.

The hard drive is the subconscious part and this is where the programs are running which command the conscious mind or the screen. If there is no program running there is nothing on the screen. Whatever programs are currently running will always operate until your update the program and then the old program no longer exists as a new one has taken over. Much the same way as reprograming the subconscious mind which in turn gives the conscious mind new ideas, behaviours and motivations.

Though our belief systems and behaviours reside in the inner mind, the conscious mind is responsible for guarding them. So, when someone tells you something that you think is not true, your conscious mind may reject the idea or suggestion. This is like Anti Virus in a computer.

Your inner mind is more symbolic and holistic in nature. Emotions are the domain of your inner mind as are perceptions, habits, beliefs and automatic bodily functions such as breathing and digestion.

Often times we learn something consciously, then the inner mind takes over that learned behaviour. So behaviours that we once learned step-by-step, like tying our shoes, are now second nature or automatic, unconscious behaviour. These are things we’ve learned to do so well we don’t have to think too much about them.

Habits are another example of this automatic behaviour.

And what about ideas that our conscious mind accepts? Once an idea is accepted by the conscious mind it can pass through to the inner mind. Once accepted by the inner mind, the mind behaves as if it is true. If the conscious mind is willing to play along, is not paying attention, is in shock or is not yet fully formed (as in the case of a child) new ideas can establish themselves in the inner mind. This is why it is so important to be positive with children.
So, in order to get new, beneficial ideas to be accepted by the inner mind, we must relax the conscious mind and communicate directly with the inner mind. If this idea is accepted by the inner mind, the whole mind is focused and tuned in to making that idea true. Since the inner mind runs the body, our perceptions and emotions, as well as habits, it can line up all those resources to make things happen. Deep in your mind, changes can take place that allow you feel different emotions, have different habits, learn things quickly and respond with a more thoroughly resourceful physiology.

In hypnosis, we temporarily relax the conscious mind and gain access to the powerful inner mind. In this beneficial, relaxed state, we can more easily get positive ideas across to the most powerful parts of our minds.
So one definition of hypnosis is this; Hypnosis is a temporary relaxing of the conscious mind allowing positive and beneficial ideas to become accepted by the inner mind. When these ideas are presented with sufficient skill and connected to an individual’s motivations they become powerful permanent allies for healing, personal development or habit control.

I as your hypnotherapist, act only a guide to bring you to these deeper level of relaxation. You are always in control so therefore it is all self hypnosis, isn’t it?

What is hypnosis like?

People describe the experience of hypnosis as highly pleasurable and often comment upon emerging that they feel like they’ve had a refreshing nap. You might feel any number of sensations while in trance. Most people’s muscles grow loose and relaxed. Many report pleasant feelings. Often the breathing grows deeper and slower as a result of increased relaxation. Feelings of warmth or tingling are common. Often people report an increased ability to visualize much like daydreaming. Some people’s perception of time is altered – the trance state may seem much longer or shorter in duration than it actually is.

While some continue to listen to the words of the hypnotist, others report that the mind drifts away to some pleasant memory or imagined scene. Because the conscious mind may drift away, some report only a general sense of what was said in the trance- just like seeing a movie but not perfectly remembering every scene. Each individuals experience of trance is unique.

The Uses of Hypnosis

  • In the hands of a qualified and skilled person, hypnosis can be a valuable ally for healing, self-improvement, pain management, habit control and much, much more…
  • Though many people are familiar with the success of hypnosis in smoking cessation and weight loss, most are unaware of its powerful uses as an anesthetic and to speed healing.
  • Hypnosis has long been used to help people suffering from trauma and to overcome roadblocks originating from past experiences.
  • Hypnosis can be used to overcome anxieties fear and phobias such as driving, exam, needle, public speaking phobias.
  • Hypnosis is a powerful tool for performance enhancement and goal setting. The hypnotic state is a great stress buster and incredibly effective for increasing self-confidence and self-esteem. Every situation can benefit from having the powerful inner mind on your side.

I hope you now better understand how hypnosis can help to improve your life. You’ve learned that in trance you can hear clearly and your morals are intact. You’ve learned that no one has ever gotten stuck in trance. You’ve learned that having a strong mind can actually help you to enter hypnosis easily. You’ve learned just how safe and natural hypnosis is. Perhaps now you’re feeling more comfortable about experiencing hypnosis. If you are about to be hypnotised and you have any further questions, feel free to contact me.

Enjoy your trance experience.

 

So you want to lose weight and get healthier?

So you want to lose weight and get healthier?

Nov 21, 2018 | Hypnotherapy

LEARN ABOUT THE FEEL GOOD / LOOK GOOD WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

WHY DOES WEIGHT CREEP ON?

Most of know that familiar feeling of weight creeping up on us, and before we know it our midriff is beginning to hang over our belt, not to mention the less visible belly button!

There are so many reasons and excuses – menopause, anxiety, comfort – and unfortunately our subconscious mind is really clever at brushing it all under the carpet.

Hormones changes leading to a slowing metabolism, not enough time because the kids are on the go all the time, lack of energy, eating on the go, snacking between meals….the reasons are endless.

But what if a few simple changes to your lifestyle with little effort helped to change your thought process and prepare yourself for a healthier life and body with little effort?

Interested?….read on.

WHERE TO BEGIN?

Start with the intention of following through and not giving in from the beginning. The week before you want to start implementing change begin with a few simple mind exercises

  1. On waking each day feel grateful for everything you have in your life so far. Gratitude for the warm home, job, family etc whatever is important to you. Focus on this a few time for a few minutes each day. Before going to sleep feel grateful for your day and the fact that you want to implement change.
  2. Continue to eat as you usually do but take a mental note of what you have eaten. Drink plenty of water. Warmed water with fruit infused can be more exciting to drink.
  3. Spend a few minutes each day imagining what your end result will look like. Even look at some past photos when you felt healthier and weighted less.
  4. Buy one medium sized BLUE plate and if possible a BLUE glass.

THE NEXT WEEK

And now for the following week……the work begins:

  1. Continue to focus on the exercises from the week before especially increasing water intake.
  2. Plan the meals/menu for the week so you don’t over shop.
  3. Use fresh and unprocessed food as much as possible. Less carbs and more protein. Eliminate  bread, toast and wraps. Starting the day with  2 eggs scrambled or poached is great and filling especially when tomatoes, spinach and a small amount of feta is yum. This is filling and there is a chance of less snacking.
  4. Have a homemade veg soup mid morning if you feel hungry. Lunches are easy, such as chicken fillet salad or salmon salad.
  5. Dinner is sensible by have veg instead of pasta or potatoes with meat (not processed) steak, mince, chicken etc.
  6. Serve all your meals on a BLUE place and use a BLUE glass. Blue is a calming colour but there is also scientific proof that blue suppresses the appetite. There is very little blue in the natural world and food. Yes blueberries are blue but theres not a lot of other blue natural foods.
  7. Using a medium size plate or a smaller plate than normal also sends a signal to the brain that the plate is full.
  8. Slow down eating and chewing. this gives the brain time to acknowledge you have eaten and are feel full.
  9. In between meals it is ok to have hunger pains and to get used to them. It’s simply the boys way of telling us that its time to prepare a meal. In the meantime the body is busy digesting what it can from the previous meal and preparing for the next. Burning up extra calories.
  10. Sit down for every meal. No more eating on the go.

START WITH SIMPLE CHANGES

Start with these simple changes and remember that if you are over eating or eating the wrong food your mind has become conditioned to this so changing the thought process around can take time. Get out into the fresh air more and walk a little each day. This gives clarity of mind and helps release happy endorphins. Increasing daily exercise is always going to be beneficial.

It is always great to have help and support with changing any of the mind’s subconscious habits, especially around food and exercise.

Hypnotherapy has been hugely successful for many making the journey less effort and a more pleasurable experience.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Call Orla on 086-1040407 to book a consultation if you feel you need a boost and some support to take control back and become healthier, or simply click on the link below to learn more about the Feel Good / Look Good Hypnotic Weight Management Program.

LEARN ABOUT THE FEEL GOOD / LOOK GOOD WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
WHAT IS HYPNOTHERAPY?

WHAT IS HYPNOTHERAPY?

May 24, 2018 | Hypnotherapy

WHAT IS HYPNOTHERAPY?

Hypnosis is a state of relaxation and concentration at one with the state of heightened awareness induced by suggestion. It is a natural trance state, like daydreaming, when the mind is relaxed and focused, where time passes very quickly, accompanied by good feelings of deep relaxation of mind and body.

Hypnotherapy is a treatment that is based on the premise that the mind and body do not work in isolation. By sending the patient into a hypnotic state, the therapist aims to trigger the body’s mental and physical self-healing processes that lie in the subconscious.

Anybody can be sent into a hypnotic state; it is not a sign of gullibility or suggestibility on the part of the patient. Hypnosis induces a state of relaxation and concentration that practitioners claim is a natural manifestation of the mind at work.

When undergoing hypnotherapy, patients are conscious and aware, but are open to the power of suggestion. They cannot be induced to do anything against their will.

ARE THERE SOME PEOPLE WHO CANNOT BE HYPNOTISED?

Everyone is capable of sleep and trance experiences such as daydreaming and can therefore be hypnotised. Hypnosis is a natural phenomenon and even animals are capable of experiencing hypnosis spontaneously.

There are some exceptions, such as young children, people with mental difficulties or those with extremely sub-normal intelligence. Psychotic patients are not advised to undergo hypnosis.

WILL I BE AWARE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING WHEN UNDER HYPNOSIS?

Yes. The word ‘hypnosis’ derives from Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, but most people experiencing hypnosis are far from actually sleeping. The predominant feeling of most people is that it cannot have worked and they did not ‘go under’.

People experiencing hypnosis may appear to others to be asleep, but they can think, talk, open their eyes and respond to suggestion freely. When under hypnosis, people are usually aware of their surroundings and can hear everything going on around them, including the hypnotherapist’s voice.

WHAT IS SELF-HYPNOSIS?

All hypnosis is self-hypnosis, meaning that the hypnotherapist is only a guide or catalyst to elicit the trance experience in the client. The power of hypnosis resides in the client, not in the hypnotherapist.

HOW DOES HYPNOTHERAPY WORK?

Scientists are not really sure how it works. The autonomic nervous system controls all the automatic functions of the body while we are asleep and it has been proven that words and suggestion can affect the central nervous system while we are awake.

Distracting the conscious mind causes a dissociation of the conscious and unconscious mind and is the first step in inducing hypnosis. There are many differing techniques a hypnotherapist can use to put a client into hypnosis.

By talking to their clients in a soothing voice and getting them to visualise relaxing and monotonous situations, practitioners are able to send their clients into a state of very deep relaxation where they will still be aware of their surroundings but are very much more sensitive to suggestion.

Once the patient has closed their eyes, the hypnotherapist deepens the trance by suggesting to the conscious mind to daydream or relax. While the conscious mind is inactive the subject is likely to respond to all suggestions literally. Positive suggestions are then introduced and absorbed by the conscious mind.

When in this state, the patient’s subconscious can be ‘reprogrammed’ to deal with certain feelings in a different way and as such, hypnotherapy is not only very effective in the treatment of phobias, addictions, but it can also reduce stress and alleviate pain.

HOW SUCCESSFUL IS HYPNOTHERAPY?

Practitioners and researchers claim success rates of 90% and higher for professionally conducted hypnotherapy, that is followed up with a treatment plan and self-hypnosis tapes.

A research project in the UK found that 92% of those who had attended a hypnotherapist would recommend the experience to others. The Irish Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy claim an 80% success rate in treating clients for smoking.

WHAT AILMENTS IS HYPNOTHERAPY SUITABLE FOR TREATING?

Hypnotherapy is useful for treating a variety of complaints, both physical and mental. Used in conjunction with other therapies, such as psychoanalysis, hypnotherapy can help patients to overcome certain psychological complaints, including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, depression, phobias, and neuroses.

It is particularly useful for overcoming phobias, and ceasing problematic habitual behaviour, like stammering, snoring, smoking, teeth grinding, sleepwalking or nail biting.

It can also help alleviate some of the symptoms of physical complaints like allergies, travel sickness, insomnia and irritable bowel syndrome. Used in conjunction with conventional medical treatment, hypnotherapy has demonstrated positive benefits in the treatment of cancer.

Hypnotherapy is also useful in providing general health benefits, such as improving posture and digestion, reducing dependence on sleeping pills or tranquillisers, and helping to eradicate stress.

WHEN IS HYPNOTHERAPY NOT RECOMMENDED?

Hypnotherapy is not generally advisable for mentally disturbed or psychotic patients. Some psychiatric professionals do use hypnotherapy in conjunction with orthodox treatments for patients with such conditions, but always within an institutional environment where other forms of treatment are also available.

Patients suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar conditions, suicidal tendencies, senility, alcohol or drug psychosis, pathological personalities or manic depression are generally advised not to undergo hypnotherapy.

While hypnotherapy is useful in alleviating mild cases of depression, it is contra-indicated for manic depression and bipolar conditions. It is also contraindicated in some cases of epilepsy.

The Irish Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy consider that any organic symptomology should not be treated by hypnotherapy until a doctor has made a diagnosis and recommended hypnotherapy as a course of treatment.

HOW MANY HYPNOTHERAPY SESSIONS WILL I NEED?

Every hypnotherapist has their own way of approaching different symptoms, depending on their training and experience. On average between six and eight sessions might be expected for most ailments, whereas one session may be sufficient to cease smoking.

Let go of the past

Mar 3, 2018 | Hypnotherapy

 

We all need to let go of our heavy burdens that weigh us down. Just imagine the weight we would feel if we did not or could not let things go. All of us have let issues go from our past and we take the learning from it and hopefully we build on our experiences. However, sometimes there are experiences that we just can not seem to let go of.

Sometimes what we try to let go of isn’t really the underlying issue at all. This effects us in many different ways. Insomnia, depression, anxiety, anger and alternating mood are just a few of the effects.

There are so many way to help this and free yourself from the past.

Call Orla 086-1040407 for a free phone consultation

WAYS TO OPEN POSITIVE DOORS 

WAYS TO OPEN POSITIVE DOORS 

Jan 15, 2018 | Hypnotherapy

So its the start of another year, another month, week or day……….which ever it is, its a start, and you have decided to make a few changes….positive changes. You may have read about The Law of Attraction, meditation or noticed that the positive people around you seem to get happier and have what they want or that you feel its time to step out of your comfort zone.

So heres a few simple ideas to help you get started on your journey. The only thing to remember is that everything takes practice so it wont all be perfect straight away so get get stressed or give out to yourself.

• Morning Meditation: this is simply putting intention into a day dream so its not as complicated as some make it out to be. Focus with a positive thought for the day. Start simple with something like gratitude. “Today I am grateful for everything I have in my life so far and for all that is coming my way”. Spend about 3-5 minutes in bed before getting up thinking this over and over and feeling the gratitude.

• look for opportunity: everywhere you go notice the opportunity past, present and future. Start to realise that once the car you are driving was an idea before it became an object and before someone made money from producing it. the same goes for almost every item you touch. they were all ideas or concepts at one stage and brought to fruition by people who saw opportunity and money was made from this. in every experience there is opportunity. Think to yourself when you notice a great invention “wow, I could think of something like that”

• Using Crystals: Everything has a vibration. Even stones and rocks. Some crystals/stones/rocks can bring positive energy your way. Clear quartz is fabulous for cleansing the energy around you and you home especially computers and devices. Citrine is the crystal of abundance…..abundance of what ever you wish for. Money, fertility, work etc. place citrine in your purse or wallet to attract abundance. believe it is on the way and you will soon find that you do not worry about cash flow as much. When you worry you block the abundance.

• Moon energy: Connect with the moon. Go out to the garden on a full moon and soak up the energy. When there is a new moon write all your desires and intentions on a piece of paper and burn them in a fire pit or metal bowl and send the energy up to the moon energy. When you trust in the process you will feel positive and attract what you have wished for.

• Burn essential oils: Essential oils have many healing properties and can be used as room freshers or as body sprays. Try rubbing oils between your hands and walk into the aroma and the energy. Always seek advice when using oils and dilute accordingly. Rowan oil is good for protection, frankincense is excellent for starting new journeys. Try these in oil burners in the home.

• Vision boards: Gather lots of pictures from magazines, books and the internet of the many things you wish in your life. This can be the new car you dream about, a new relationship, a holiday or many other desires. Paste them on a cardboard sheet and make it colourful and pleasant to look at. Each day look at all the items you would love to have and feel that the universe is providing these for you. It is all on the way once you believe you deserve it and you are living life in accordance to your higher self.

• Journaling: This is not for every one but start with a few sentences of what was positive in your day before you go to sleep. this should also encourage deep, restful and happy sleep.

• Start noticing symbols: white feathers, butterflies, figure of 8 infinity symbols etc. These can be your validation from the universe that it is all working out and to keep doing what you are doing.

• Daily Mantra: pick a mantra to help you see the day with positive light. Nice and simple and say it to yourself from time to time. This all encourages positive thought process and reprogramming of old negative thought patterns. “ I feel happy and grateful for this lovely day”, “ When i smile if feel good and so do others”

• Smile: it uses less muscles than frowning but once you smile you will find you feel happier. Why? Generally because people mimic by nature and smile back at you. When you see a smile you release endorphins in the brain or happy hormones so you just feel happier. It means handling any negativity or stress is easier so its win win.

• Like minded people: Surround yourself with like minded people. We all know that feeling of depression or sadness after being with certain people who just can’t see to have any thing polite to say so the opposite it also true. Once you are around happy and positive people the energy changes to match that.

• Have fun: Just relax a little and don’t be so serious. No one will steal your house work or the dust. don’t sweat the small stuff and watch the nice stuff come your way.

Enjoy!