12 Ways to Cultivate Gratitude

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  1. Take responsibility for your ability to feel grateful now. Realize that nothing outside of you needs to change or be different for you to feel grateful.
  2. Have a mantra. Create the habit of repeating a word or phrase to say throughout the day to bring you into present moment awareness. “Be Here Now”, or “What is this?” or “This is my life, right here, right now.”
  3. Get out of your head and observe the world around you. Notice objects, shapes, colors, designs. Be aware how things reflect light, how they are constructed, how things wear down. Notice without judgment, only with perception.
  4. God is in the details. Take time to look closely and deeply into things. Feel the surface of something and get present to the textures and what that does for you (or not). Really look into peoples’ faces; notice eyes, hair, and how they use their hands.
  5. Listen fully and completely. Choose to just listen. Not defend or retort. Don’t miss what is being said because you are formulating what you are going to say. When listening to music, just sit and listen. Right now, what do you hear?
  6. Focus on something that brings you peace. Some people carry beads. Some listen to music. Some read. Playing music, walking, gardening, petting an animal, are all simple things. Powerful and easily done, they allow us to focus and become one with what we are doing.
  7. Take time for things. We have been hypnotized into believing we should cram as much as we can into each day. Productivity to achieve goals is a worthy aspiration, but taking on too much and running around all the time becomes a grind. Do less better.
  8. Be with nature.
  9. Expand your awareness. At any moment, try to get connected to what is within 50 feet of you. (You’re in a building.) Then go out 100 yards. (You’re in a neighborhood, complex, city block.) Expand your awareness to your city, state, part of the world. See yourself as part of a larger whole.
  10. Realize that it’s a process. It’s about the journey. Try to detach from results. They may or may not be important tomorrow or in a week or month. Instead, focus on how you are being, instead of what you are doing.
  11. Visual reminders. Flowers, statutes of holy beings, little signs. Look at them throughout the day and breathe and say thank you. These things have a tendency to become unnoticeable as part of the scenery so move them often.
  12. Just sit. Sit quietly. Don’t do anything. Eyes open or closed. Call it meditation or whatever. Be with yourself powerfully.

 So much of living from gratitude comes from letting go of our ideas of how the world should be, ought to be, could be or how we would like it to be. Try to do this regularly for just a short period of time. The idea is to get to the point where you can say truthfully “It’s all good.”

Ted

626.826.0612

You’ve Got to Be Alive to Have Gratitude

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Gratitude

There may be some dead that are grateful aside from Jerry Garcia and the band, but maybe the highest form of gratitude  is feeling lucky to be alive.

I find it interesting that we only have one day a year dedicated to giving thanks. What if every week we had a Thanksgiving day? (Minus the huge feast, of course.) If you lived 80 years, Thanksgiving Day once a year would give you 80 days when you were reminded to give thanks. If you had it every week, you’d have 4,160 days set aside for gratitude. Do you think that would make a difference in your life?

So what’s the big deal about gratitude? Well, try going one week without saying thank you or being appreciative for anything. Complain loud and incessantly the whole week. Walk around feeling that the world owes you, and see what that does for you. Compare and despair while you enviously desire what others have that you don’t. (What? You’re doing already that? Call me immediately at 626-826-0612 for 10% off a session.)

Gratitude is not just an attitude; it’s a feeling that you generate through presence. Get out of your head and look around you. Can you feel it while gazing into your child’s face? Stepping out on the porch at sunset to bid the day adieu?  Standing outside at night awash in the glory of a full moon?  It takes some practice generating it until you’re feeling moments of bliss on a regular basis. It’s worth it and not that hard to do.

Gratitude can sustain you through the tough times, or give you the icing when you’ve got your cake and you’re eating it too.

Everything looks better, feels better, works better when you’re grateful. Feeling grateful feels good and is good for you, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Sometimes I’m woken up in the middle of the night. “I’m scared Daddy!” I let them get in the bed even though it means less of a sound sleep.  It’s a small price to pay for the smell of their hair, the sound of their breathing. All too soon I might keep myself awake wondering if they are ok and when they will be home.

Life is fragile and unpredictable. One second too soon or a minute too late and there’s a funeral, tragedy, loss or catastrophe. Anything can be taken from you at any time. Some folks need to go through tough times to really appreciate the blessings that have been bestowed upon them. I suggest that you don’t wait for that to happen.

To be alive means you can be grateful. You get to have that chance. For your sake, take it. You’ve been given the fertile ground to plant and harvest the seeds of gratitude before that ground becomes your bed. Be thankful. For   every    single   little   thing.

 Ted

Photo by Skye Moorhead

What’s The Deal with Affirmations?

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Affirmations

Many people think that the practice of saying affirmations is kind of a new agey, hokey thing. (Maybe they saw that affirmation guy on Saturday night live …) However, I think they can be very powerful as a technique for programming your mind for achievement of your goals.

I’m no biblical scholar or even an avid reader of the bible, but there are two passages that I think speak to the power of affirmations.

First, in the Old Testament, Moses wants to know God’s name. God says his name is “I AM”.

Second, the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

A definition of God could be “the Creator.”  To me, the message is clear: Word is the creator. And the creator’s name is “I am.”

Even if you don’t believe anything in the Bible, I think we can agree that words, or language, are powerfully creative. We create with our language, not only by what we say, but by what we think, and we think mostly in language.

Both philosophers and shamans agree that our world is created through language. The Buddha said, 2500 years ago:

” We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the world.”

I use this idea of creative language to help my clients achieve their goals through the use of affirmations. I listen carefully to the language they use to describe their challenges. This gives me a clue as to their belief systems. As a hypnotherapist, my job is to help them create beliefs that help them get what they want. I do this by using the power of suggestion (language) while they are in hypnosis.

But, I also teach them how to use the power of suggestion on themselves.

Remember that language is creative. Well, it’s also hypnotizing. To put a person into hypnosis,  all I need to do is talk to them.

And that’s how beliefs are created. Someone tells you something over and over again when you are highly suggestible (such as when you are a child) and you believe.

This is how television advertising works. While you are in a highly suggestible state (watching television) you receive repetition and reinforcement of the belief that you need a particular product.

You can also talk yourself into a belief. People do it all the time. The only question is: Are those beliefs working for you? If not, you can talk yourself into a new belief.

I think one of the most powerful tools to do this is through the use of affirmations.

Using Affirmations.

Affirmations are declarations that something is true. But how does something become true? We affirm over and over again until we believe it. Whether it’s true or not doesn’t really matter except for how that belief affects us.

I help my clients develop new and empowering beliefs outside of our sessions by having them affirm the new belief over and over again. The key to learning anything is repetition and reinforcement.

What words will they use to affirm their new beliefs? Well, it’ll start with, you guessed it, “I am…”  For example, “I am confident and trust in my ability to achieve my goals.”

They might say “But that’s not true!” But it doesn’t matter, because an affirmation is not meant to be true. It’s a tool to get the subconscious mind familiar with new ways of thinking that’s empowering. If they say it enough times and with a high degree of emotion while in a suggestible state, it will become their new belief, and this will shape their actions.

Why?  Because the subconscious mind (88% percent of your mind by some estimates) will always move you towards what is known and familiar. So I use affirmations to help my clients’ subconscious minds get more comfortable with what they want and less comfortable with what they don’t want.

The technique I give my client is very simple. Come up with three affirmations, say them out loud every morning and night, (times when you are very suggestible) and hand-write them once each.

Have you ever heard someone say “Talk is cheap”? That’s simply not true. The truth is that people cheapen talk by using language that is dis-empowering.

Consider that every day you speak your world into existence and that talk is not cheap but quite valuable. So why not use this simple little technique to begin to speak into existence the world that you want to experience?

If you would like more information about how to use affirmations, just call me or email by clicking here. After all, talking the talk is good, but sooner or later, you gotta walk the walk.

To listen to a podcast of this blog, go to http:www.tedinyourhead.com

Ted

Getting it Done:The Basics

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Getting it done

Eat the frog first.

Most of us are interested in “getting it done” but a lot of us lack the motivation. With such tremendous demands on our time and attention, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and paralyzed. Looking back at the end of the day,  we wonder, “Where did the day go, and what did I do with it?” I used to be a huge procrastinator, always doing things at the last minute if I did them at all.  Now, I’m all about getting it done. What  I can share with you are some strategies that work for me. While I’m no expert in getting it done strategies, I am getting more done because of the tips I’ll share below.  Some of these are obvious but bear repeating. Of course, many of these I got from the experts.

Simple Tips for Getting it Done

  • Get up earlier I try to get up before 6 so I can do some yoga and maybe read a little before I have to get my kids up, dressed and ready for school. It isn’t always easy, but the payoff is well worth it: I feel energized, I have momentum, and I’ve accomplished something meaningful before 7 a.m.  To do this, I need to be in bed by 10:30.  Ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing the last hour to hour and half of my day really a wise use of my time?  Think of what you can get done with an extra hour in the morning, if you got to sleep earlier.
  • Get enough sleep. This is different for everybody. I can get by with 7 hours regularly but not with 6 1/2. You lower your getting it done ability if you are tired.  Lack of energy means lack of motivation. Get the amount of sleep that is right for you.
  • Eat three meals a day. If you are skipping meals and going 5 or 6 hours without eating, you risk low blood sugar episodes.  Your brain is the organ that uses the most blood sugar or glucose, which is your body’s basic fuel. If you are regularly cranky, impatient, irritable, unable to focus or experiencing  energy highs and lows,  take a look at your diet. (Then see a doctor if appropriate.)
  • Take breaks. The mind and body can only be active for so long before they  require a break. You will be more productive if you take regular breaks. Relaxation is as necessary as water and air. Even God took a day off.
  • Have a plan for getting it done. You’ve heard the adage “Nobody plans to fail, they just fail to plan.” Lack of a plan can lead to indecision and the killer time waster of them all, distraction. Get some type of planner and plan your day either last thing at night for the next day or first thing in the morning. Assign what you need to do to specific hours of the day, and include an end times as well.
  • Be prepared. Make sure you have everything you need before you venture out. Assemble necessary media, materials, tools, and have them packed and ready to rock and roll. Fill your gas tank the evening before as opposed to the morning of.
  • Value your time.  During a project, limit incoming phone calls to only the most important/necessary, otherwise ignore the phone.  That’s what voice mail is for. Schedule time to check/send  email. I heard about a study recently that stated that stopping to  check your email means that on the average it will be half an hour before you get back to your scheduled project. Watch out for time vampires, (a major obstacle to getting it done) such as chit chatters  and social media. Set boundaries on interruptions: “I’m not available right now, but we can talk at such and such a time, O.K? (Be careful when saying this to your boss or your spouse)
  • Eat the frog first. The frog is that task or project that you least want to do, or that will be the most difficult. If you save it for the end of the day, you may  procrastinate  it right off your schedule. The whole day you’ll be thinking “Man, I’ve still got to eat that dang frog…” The key is getting it done as soon as possible at the beginning of the day and get it out of the way, freeing up focus and energy.
  • Work on projects simultaneously, rather than sequentially. Most of us don’t have the luxury of spending all or a major part of the day working on one thing. Schedule start and finish times for ongoing projects and be stringent about following these.  You’ll find that chipping away at each one on a daily basis keeps the momentum going, and allows you to be able to see the big picture instead of getting mired down in details.
  • Know thyself. Are you one of those people that can’t speak coherent English until 11 am? Are you ready to curl up under your desk and take a nap at 3 pm? Be aware of your own energy cycles and plan accordingly. I’ve tried balancing my checkbook at 10:30 pm. It doesn’t work. I find myself up until after midnight trying to find that 20 missing dollars that got lost because I was tired and  didn’t check something off, etc. Play to the times of the day when you are the most mentally and physically capable of getting it done.

I hope you found this helpful. If you need support and accountability  in creating motivation for GETTING IT DONE, give me a call or email.

 Ted A. Moreno                                                 
 
 (626) 826-0612

The Story of The 2 Boxes and Releasing Limitations

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releasing limitations

Let me tell you the story of the 2 boxes.

There are 2 boxes that exist in everyone’s life.

The 1st box represents a person’s actual limitations.

For instance, I will probably never play center for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Why?

Because I’m not 7 feet tall, and don’t play basketball.

See?

That’s an actual, physical limitation.

And of course, everyone has this box in their lives.

However, there’s a 2nd box that exists in everyone’s lives – and this 2nd box represents a person’s PERCEIVED limitations.

This 2nd box is created by all the doubts, fears, and insecurities a person has.

  • “I can’t ever be relaxed and have fun…I have too much anxiety…”
  • I can’t make a lot of money… I just not greedy enough…smart enough…motivated enough…”
  • “I can’t be in a relationship…too many issues…too much fear…”
  • “I can’t ever be confident enough to speak in public…I’m just too nervous…”
  • “I can’t ever quit smoking…I just don’t have the willpower…”

The sad part?

The 2nd box is usually MUCH smaller than the 1st box!

Meaning, it’s often our own doubts, fears, and insecurities that hold us back from claiming the success we desire so much!

Meaning, you are capable of so much more than you think you are!

Meaning, you can overcome most – if not ALL – of the challenges you come across in whatever it is that you choose to take on.

But most people let their self-imposed 2nd box create an imaginary barrier between them and their success and happiness!

The reality?

This 2nd box usually doesn’t exist!

So the next time you encounter a challenge on your way to doing what you really want to do, have or be, think of the 2 boxes.

Is your challenge created by a real limitation?

Or are you constraining yourself with a self-imposed 2nd box?

Now, there are many tools and resources available to help you begin releasing limitations and vaporize your self-imposed 2nd box.

You just have to be aware of these resources when you come across them.

Releasing Limitations Using the Moreno Method

For example, you can give me a call, and using the Moreno Method for Life Transformation, I can help you start releasing limitations that are holding you back.

I’ll ask you to make a commitment to yourself to take action on your dreams, goals and desires.

Afterwards, I’ll send you home with a recording to listen to that will begin to reprogram your mind for success at whatever you choose to do.

I’ll even call you to check in and provide accountability and coaching.

So if you’ve ever been frustrated that you can’t even get started down the road to doing what you really want to do, whether it’s gaining confidence, getting healthier or making more money, then that reasoning has just become a 2nd box limitation.

I want to help you vaporize that 2nd box so that it never stops you again.

Then you can now simply reach out and claim your success.

Questions? Want to talk about the possibilities that exist for you after releasing limitations? Click here to get in touch with me. Time to get out of that box!

To hear a podcast of this blog, go to TedinYourHead.com episode #71

Ted

Book Review: “Choices and Illusions”

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Choices and Illusions

  • There is an allegedly factual account that when the Spanish galleons approached the New World, they were invisible to the Aztec people. When the conquistadors approached the shore with helmets on their heads, they were perceived by Montezuma and his people as gods walking on water. One of the Aztec sages was able to see the ships only after several days of just staring at the water.
  • Did you know subliminally flashing a smiling face on a foreign flag predisposes one to feel more favorably about the country the flag represents?
  • Marketers know that men will judge an automobile to be faster than others if a beautiful woman is draped over the hood.
  • Are you aware that President Obama used a “kind of dream team” of behavioral scientists in his campaign that included psychology professors from major universities around the country?

 Choices and Illusions: How Did I Get Where I Am, and How Do I Get Where I Want to Be?

In the book “Choices and Illusions: How Did I Get Where I Am, and  How Do I Get Where I Want to Be?”, author Eldon Taylor, cites these and other examples of how our minds work as well as how we are manipulated without our awareness.

More importantly, through understanding how illusions and false perceptions function in our lives as powerful influences over our thoughts and behavior, Taylor offers valuable perspective and direction as to how to discover the deeper power within us to create our own lives.

This book was sent to me unsolicited by what must be Taylor’s PR team. Although I’m trying to finish a number of books right now, after flipping through some pages of Choices and Illusions, I was drawn in by chapters with titles such as “Who Owns Your Thoughts Anyway?”, “Practical Hypnosis” and “Breaking the Trance”.

I found that Taylor’s premise is well aligned with my own growing perception that so much of what we think of as real is in reality illusion, “engineered beliefs”, and cultural hypnosis on an unimaginable scale.

Taylor asks the question “Who Owns Your Thoughts Anyway?” Our immediate assumption is “I do!” Yet the evidence that Taylor presents suggests that we may not, and that what we think of as our ability to freely choose is simply an illusion, and that many of our choices have been predetermined by past history, advertising, and conditioned perception. All are programs running beyond the edge of our awareness.

I found “Choices and Illusions” to resonate highly with my own ongoing explorations into the nature of reality, the workings of the mind, hypnosis, self talk, and the nature of consciousness including metaphysics.

To choose powerfully means to do so with full awareness including a clear view of our biases, preconceived notions, and deeply held beliefs. Taylor challenges us to “break out of the trance” and provides guidelines for creating lives of freedom, intention and wholeness.

“Choices and Illusions: How Did I Get Where I Am, and  How Do I Get Where I Want to Be?” can be purchased at Amazon.com by clicking on the link. (In the interest of full disclosure, I may get a few cents if you do.)

Ted

 

Self Hypnosis Kept Me From Wiping Out

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Self hypnosis

Self hypnosis is a valuable tool that is really quite easy to use. Here’s an example of how I used self hypnosis in a very unlikely place.

I was camping out on Lake Mohave one summer with my brothers. One morning the lake was so smooth, we decided to go water skiing.

Now, I’m not the best water skier. I find it difficult to get up on the skis and if I go over a big wave I wipe out and get a lot of water up my nose. Not fun.

One of the more evil brothers must have know that because he suggested “Hey Ted, why don’t you sit in the water at the shore with your skis on and we’ll pull you from the shore?” (Muahahaha!)

You have to understand the dynamics of the testosterone that flows when you get a bunch of gnarly dudes  and boats together. You can’t just say, “Uh, no thanks, guys, I’ll pass” unless you want to be mercilessly heckled for the rest of the trip and beyond. So I said “Sure, sounds good.”

I put on my skis and life vest and sat in the water up to my chest with the tow rope in my hand. While everyone was getting in the boat I pondered my predicament.

If I didn’t get up on my skis the first try, I would be flailing around trying to retrieve my skis and would probably have to swim out to get the rope too. The water was shallow, so they would not want to come back and get me like they would in in the middle of the lake. The would watch with glee as I struggled over and over again futility to prove my water skiing prowess…

STOP! I told myself. What are you doing? You have the skill and knowledge to affect the subconscious mind! Why not use the powerful tool of  self hypnosis?

So I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, like Yoda before he levitates Luke’s ship out of the swamp. (Do, or do not! There is no try!) I relaxed my body and my mind and said “I will now enter a state of self hypnosis for the purpose of a kick-butt water skiing experience.” 

I felt myself going inside, connecting with the possibility that I can do anything I want. I imagined myself getting pulled up on the first try, water skiing on that glorious lake surrounded by beautiful desert mountains, having a great time. I told myself  “I am an expert water skiier” over and over again. I imagined the voices of my companions saying “Wow, that was a good run!”

After 5 minutes of sitting there in the water, I counted myself out of self hypnosis and waited for the moment of truth. “Ready?” someone shouted. “I was born ready!” I yelled back with confidence.

They hit the gas and the boat shot forward. The ski rope went taut. I was pulled up on my skis and skied for a solid 20 minutes. Sun, water, mountains, skimming along on the surface of a lake until my arms got tired. I let go of the rope, and floated there until they came and got me.

As they pulled me into the boat they said “Wow, you skied a long time. That was good.”

“Yeah” , I said. “It was good.” As I ran my hand through my hair, I noticed it wasn’t even wet. Yoda has the force, I have self hypnosis.

Learn to use Self Hypnosis!

I regularly offer my  Self Hypnosis for Success Class at Pasadena City College.  Click here to find out when the next class is!

Even if you don’t water ski, you can use self hypnosis to:

  • Get rid of nervousness and do better on a job interview
  • Get rid of anxiety to speak in public confidently and comfortably
  • Feel less self-conscious and more relaxed in social situations
  • Get rid of stage fright while acting or playing music
  • Perform better in sports
  • Present your product to clients persuasively and confidently
  • Get relief from procrastination, anxiety and fear, and negative thinking.

Put your subconscious mind to work! Click to find when the next class is being offered. 

In Self Hypnosis for Success, you will learn:

  • What hypnosis is and isn’t
  • How to do a hypnotic induction on yourself
  • Crafting suggestions to put into your subconscious mind
  • How to put it all together to reprogram your subconscious mind for success in just a few minutes a day
  • Little known, yet powerful tips and techniques for keeping your mind sharp, powerful and positive!

You’ll receive my Guide to Self Hypnosis and my Self Hypnosis Conditioning CD, which also includes my studio produced “Peaceful Place” relaxation track as an added bonus. In addition, you’ll get handouts at each class containing the material presented. The class is being held at Pasadena City College on September 28th and October 5th and 12th from 9 to 10:30 am.

Click here to see when the next class is being offered and learn to take control of your mind using self hypnosis!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Ted

 

Back to School Challenges? These Special Offers Can Help.

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Back to school challenges

I remember some  back to school challenges when I started 3rd grade. I was pretty nervous. My teacher was going to be Mrs. O’Brian and I heard that she wasn’t very nice.  My mom had taken me to school for the first day of 2nd grade at my new school, but since she now had 7 other kids to care for, I was on my own and I think I even had to walk to school that day.

Turns out Mrs. O’Brian wasn’t very nice. She yelled a lot and I was afraid of her. I think teachers were a lot different in 1969.

Not only that, but it seemed like my fellow students got meaner in the 3rd grade. More fights, violent games, bullying. I can say that I started to feel stress in the third grade; more homework, projects, reports. Of course, my parents were having back to school challenges of their own, with kids in kinder, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades and 4 more at home.

Back to school challenges can cause stress for parents and children, as well as adult students returning to school. Just helping my kids with homework makes me want to have a drink. For many parents, myself included, getting kids up, dressed and to school on time has the potential to ruin a day.

Students often have to deal with anxiety about tests, more homework, scary teachers and fellow students, and the transition from no school to back to school.

If you or your child is experiencing any of these back to school challenges, I can help.

  •  I work with kids age 12 on up to help them with back to school challenges such as general anxiety regarding transitioning into the next grade level or a new school, as well as test anxiety, focus and concentration, and sleep problems.
  • I also work with adult students going back to school, some for the first time in years. Dealing with back to school challenges after being out for a few years can be a stressful adjustment. I can assist with text anxiety, focus and concentration. In addition, I can help with time management, procrastination and motivation.
  • I help parents deal with the stress of back to school challenges. I’m very aware that my mood and attitude in the mornings can affect my kids and their day. In spite of that awareness, I still find myself getting frustrated and impatient. Fortunately, there are many tools that can help me have the attitude and patience to send my children off to school in a way that is productive and conducive to learning. These are the tools I am able to teach to parents as well as using the Moreno Method for Life Transformation to change negative habits and patterns of thinking.

So for those experiencing  back to school challenges, I’m offering back to school specials!

 If you are an adult student, I’ll offer you a student discount for four sessions that gives you $100 off of my regular fee for four sessions. (That’s a value of $548 for only $447) (Sorry, no phone sessions)

 If you are a parent and you have a child 12 or over that needs help, pay for four sessions for your child and I’ll give you a complementary hour and half session with an audio recording of the session that you can listen to at home. I’ll give you a copy of my book “The Ultimate Guide to Letting Go of Negativity and Fear and Loving Life,” and my “Peaceful Place Relaxation CD” After you drop your kids off at school, of course.  (That’s a value of $685 for only $548) (Sorry no phone sessions)

What if you’re not a student, have no kids in school, but need to work on something to make life better? Come in for four sessions (or do phone sessions), and this is what you’ll get:

Geez, what am I thinking, that’s a $693 value for only $497. Maybe I’m just happy that it’s cooling down here in SoCal. If you are interested, click here or call me local (626) 826-0612 or  toll free (855) 837-8477. Oh, by the way, this offer expires the first day of Autumn, September 22nd, 2013. After that, prices go up!  (Note that all sessions must be paid in full at first session.)

Why not give yourself and your student the chance to overcome those back to school challenges and have more calm, comfort and concentration? Click here or call me at (626) 826-0612 or toll free (855) 837-8477.

Wishing you, and your family and warm and relaxing Fall season.

 Ted

Go Back to School and Always Be Learning

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Back to School

Welcome to another edition of “Scribblings from Close of the Ground”, wisdom from the mouths of babes, namely, Rocky and The Chick, my two daughters who are back to school.

Go Back to School!

C: We just started school, I’m in third grade now. Everyone says it’s going to be hard. They make us do a lot of math.

R: I’m starting first grade. I know how to read already.

C: I hate it when I don’t know how to figure something out, like a math problem.

R: She starts crying!! Like a baby!

C: Rocky!!! I just don’t like when it gets hard, I just want to just go watch tv.

R: She’s a couch tomato…

C: It was really hard going back to school. It was like my learning muscle was weak.

R: Dad says that when he went back to school it was hard for him.

C: Sometimes I don’t want to go to school but dad says if you aren’t choosing what to learn than the world will give you lessons you might not like.

R: Like the School of Hard Rocks!

C: It’s the school of Hard Knocks, Rock.

R: That’s what I said.

C: Dad says that learning is uncomfortable, and if you are comfortable, you’re not learning anything. You have to learn to learn. He says that learning is discovering, and that most people stop learning after they leave school, and if you learn to like learning, you will always be learning and growing.

R: But if you learn too much your head might explode…

C: Be quiet Rock, no it won’t. Dad says you should  always be learning something. This way you’re brain doesn’t rot.

R: Like a pumpkin after Halloween.

R: So you should always be learning.

C: I’m also learning piano and I’m getting better at math. That’s what my piano teacher said would happen.

R: So you should not waste your brain because if you don’t use it it shrivels up like a raisin, then you are a raisin brain.

C: Don’t be a raisin brain. Always be learning, even it is uncomfortable!

R: Go back to school! Always be learning!! Even if it makes your brain hurt!

 Rocky and the Chick

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Hypnosis and Fitness

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Today’s post features a video, “Hypnosis 101” with me and Lauren Herrera, owner and head trainer of  Pilates Barbell Club in Pasadena. Lauren and I have teamed up and made a series of videos about the mental aspect of physical fitness and training. Each video is based on a chapter in my book “The Ultimate Guide to Letting Go of Negativity and Fear and Loving Life.”

It today’s video, we discuss how we are under the influence of hypnosis by the media and advertising, which present unrealistic standards of what bodies should look like. Many of us are still be under the hypnosis of the negative words of others going back to childhood, in which we were called names or branded with negative descriptions relating to our bodies. Most of all, we are often under the hypnosis of our own negative self talk. In time, we come to believe these things are true, and they get in the way of our ability to accept and honor ourselves for who we are now.

If physical or mental transformation is to take place, it starts with healthy self acceptance and the belief that “I am ok just the way I am, and I can be better.” Much of my work with fitness and weight clients is helping them break free of the hypnosis of their own negative self image.

Lauren says “Do you know what hypnosis is? It’s a mind thing and as you know mindset has everything to do with everything. Achieving your health and fitness goals permanently takes a whole lotta programing in your mind to actually say: “Mission Accomplished.”

True that, Lauren! Click here to check out her excellent blog as well as get her free report “5 Free and Easy Tips to Supercharge Your Fat Loss.”

Of course, if you are ready to start de-hypnotizing yourself from negative self image and negative self talk, give me a call or contact me here.

Ted