Winter Solstice 2013

Enveloped in Your Light,
may I be a beacon to those in search of Light.

Sheltered in Your Peace,
may I offer shelter to those in need of peace.

Embraced by Your Presence,
so may I be present to others.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro

What is this craziness?

I wrote to Pam Younghans, astrologer extraordinaire, because I've been feeling so weird lately.  Here are excerpts from our exchange:

I was wondering if perhaps you could shed some light on a feeling shared by several people I know – including me.  I have had a very difficult time DOING anything productive over the past couple of weeks.  I have a houseful for Christmas, and our tree has been naked in its stand for two weeks.  I have to push myself to get anything done, preferring the almost hypnotic cocoon of Spider Solitaire to just about any other activity.  Family members have mentioned how lazy they have been.  Friends have been having a hard time attending to important issues in their lives.

 

It's just weird.  I'm not depressed.  I'm actually quite happy in spite of all the uncertainty around me.  But, I'm just not wanting to do any of my long list of to-do's.

 And to think that just a couple of weeks ago, it was the exact opposite.  I felt pushed almost like a crazy person to finalize things and get them out of the way.

It's a little crazy-making.  And it doesn't feel like me. 

Here's Pam's initial reply:

I think it has something to do with being bored with the third dimension. Parts of us, still mostly outside of our conscious mind's ability to perceive, are playing with higher dimensional thought and experience. Our conscious mind is aware enough to know there's new and exciting stuff happening on higher levels of consciousness, but not yet aware enough to participate fully. So everything, even those things we would often enjoy on this earthly plane, can feel dry and uninviting -- something like knowing we can see colors the way bees do, but having to settle for the (still beautiful, but pale-in-comparison) colors that human eyes can see.

Astrologically, it corresponds with the Pluto-Uranus square, with Uranus in Aries representing a strong desire to awaken to higher consciousness, and Pluto in Capricorn representing the powerful attachment to reality that can block that higher awareness.

And then she added:

It also seems that we are simply tired of the old ways of handling reality. A part of us knows there are more expansive, higher-vibrational ways of utilizing this human existence, and we're just done with the old methods, even though we may not yet be consciously up to speed with the new. Many things that we've always enjoyed and appreciated -- including our work -- feel like they're a part of the old, so we are restless and don't feel the same energy around them as we have in the past.

Again, the Pluto-Uranus square at work. The conflict between the urgency to find and embrace the new (Uranus in Aries) vs. the reality that deep transformation takes time (Pluto in Capricorn). It's challenging to find inspiration in what seems like our old world, based on this.

It does feel as though we – those of us who are conscious – have a foot in each world.  In the Vimala System, the Ligature Be/be represents "Dancing Between Two Worlds."  Be/be was my Ligature of 2013 and I did not envision it manifesting in my life as it has.  Especially since what I'm experiencing these days seems much more of a "lurching" than a "dancing."

What do you think?

A Mother's Heartbreak

A woman emailed me late last night asking if I work with eating issues.  She spoke of years of suffering for her daughter.  Here's my reply:

I realize that you wrote concerning your daughter, but I can't help but think of you, writing that message at almost 11:00 last night.  I can only imagine what it's like for you to watch your daughter suffering for "the past several years," trying everything you can think of to help her.  There's hardly anything worse for a parent.

 The answer to your question is yes, I have worked with eating disorder issues and in particular anorexia.  The key is in the cooperation of the client herself and often in those cases, cooperation is spotty and/or limited.

 What would you think of coming to see me yourself?  I think you could use the support and healing.  And as your heart finds more peace, who knows what ripples will be created throughout your household and family?

Please let me know your thoughts.

Make It So!

 

In my December newsletter, I ended my column with the words, "Make it so!"

When the holiday pattern has long been is crazy relatives at chaotic gatherings, it's hard to even imagine anything different.  My suggestion to "Make it so" that you have a meaningful, peaceful, enjoyable holiday may leave some of you shaking your head and muttering, "But that's impossible with my family/situation!"

Earlier today, one of my clients emailed me with a question.  He mentioned the craziness ahead of him with visiting family.  Here is what I included in my reply:

As far as your holidays being a mess, here's a suggestion. This is a perfect opportunity to practice your co-creating, Word I am Word  (Paul Selig) perspective.  Choose a date in late January and write a journal entry for that date, looking back on the "best holiday visit we've ever had.  I can't believe how smoothly everything went, and how harmonious everything was."  Yadda, yadda, yadda.  Use your own words, of course.  Don't worry about whether it seems possible or not, just write from your heart about how you wish things would be -- without any regard as to what's happened in the past, etc.  Go paragraph by paragraph for each and all of the elements that are important to you:  you, your wife, your kids, her parents, your parents.   Be sure to end with:  For this or better, I give thanks. 

 

If you're interested in more information about this powerful manifesting technique, please email me at lucy@ahigherperspective.com and I will send you the full instructions.

HypnoTAT

I do believe I've stumbled upon a fantastic combination:  hypnosis and TAT (The Tapas Acupressure Technique).  I'm calling it HypnoTAT.

My second client of the day yesterday was in for his first visit.  As often is the case, I was a "last resort."

Let's call this young man in his early 30's Frank.  Frank had had a medical scare three years ago.  Since then, he's gotten a clean bill of health from every medical professional imaginable:  cardiologist, neurosurgeon, endocrinologist, ENT specialist, even a neurological chiropractor.  Still Frank didn't feel "right."  His head felt foggy and he noticed that his emotions were flat.  He has a good job, beloved fiancée, great family support but felt unable to truly enjoy any of his many blessings.  The psychiatrist he recently saw recommended medication for depression.

As I often do, I dowsed on which technique to use in this first session and was surprised to get a yes for what I call a "Journey."  This is not usual for someone I have just met; but, if I've learned anything over the past 21+ years, it's to do as I am guided.  Frank was a little apprehensive but obviously desperate for a healing change, so off we went.

Using some touch hypnosis and my voice, I helped him relax deeply and guided him to a healing place.  Once there, it became clear that Frank's sense of safety had been severely impacted by the medical scare he'd had about his health.  He was stuck in that fear and unable to move beyond it.

How could I not think of Steps 1 and 2 of Tapas Fleming's brilliant TAT process?  1.  Everything that led up this happened.  2.  All that happened, it's over and it's safe for me to relax now.  I don't have to resonate, identify or connect with that anymore.

After Steps 1 and 2, I continued a few more.  I stopped when it felt right to do so and asked him to formulate a choice of how he would like to feel and be (Step 8).  I finished with the Integration Step.  Before I brought him back to full awareness, I asked him how he was feeling.  "Excited," was the immediate response.

All this was done while Frank was lying back in the recliner in my office, deeply relaxed, and so he didn't go into the pose that is usually an integral part of TAT.  Yet, he received every benefit possible.

When Frank came back from his healing place to full consciousness, he looked completely different.  His skin had lost the pallor I noticed when he first arrived and there was a brightness to his eyes that hadn't been there before.  His smile was wide and genuine.

As he prepared to leave, I asked him to check-in with me in a couple of weeks.  My sense is that if he's not completely fine now, he's certainly very close to it.  I'll  let you know when I hear from him.

For years I have been using EFT (The Emotional Freedom Technique) with clients in trance, a technique pioneered by my cherished mentor Marilyn Gordon, the director of The Center for Hypnotherapy Certification in Oakland.  Now I will continue the fun of exploring the possibilities of HypnoTAT as well!

Real Help for Veterans

 

 



One out of five veterans suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).  Symptoms vary in intensity but even the mildest can interfere severely with the peace of mind and heart of men and women who have served our country in war.

 

In November 2013, The Contra Costa Times/San Jose Mercury News published an editorial by Harry Croft, MD, a psychiatrist who has worked with over 7,000 veterans diagnosed with PTSD, and Sydney Savion, EdD, a retired military officer and applied behavioral scientist.  In the article, originally published on November 8, 2013 in the San Diego Union-Tribune, these two experts outlined four myths about PTSD. 

Myth #4 is significant:  There is nothing that can be done to treat the condition.  Once you get it, you got it and there's just very little that can be done for you.  Not true at all!

 

Unfortunately, the writers did not elaborate on what can be done.  So let me fill-in that gap.

 

It is well-documented that Energy Psychology therapies such as The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and The Tapas Acupressure Technique (TAT) yield outstanding results in alleviating the symptoms of PTSD not only for veterans but civilians caught up such in traumatic events such as the 9/11 World Trade Center bombing, Hurricane Katrina and the Boston Marathon bombing.  

 

Why isn't every Veterans Administration therapist trained in energy psychology?  Why aren't the energy therapies widely acknowledged as the go-to treatments for PTSD?  The answer lies in the tremendous power of certain well-funded associations of conventional psychologists who have been blocking such recognition. 

 

We owe our veterans our very best resources and support as well as our thanks.  If you know any veterans who are struggling with the symptoms of PTSD, please tell them about the powerful Energy Psychology techniques that can help them get their lives back.  www.energpsych.org has more info.



Smartphone OCD

I'm having a very hard time with something.

For a long time, I only had my personal email coming to my phone.  Recently I added my business email account as well.

The intention was to make my life easier and the result has been just the opposite.

Every so often an email will show up on my home PC that never makes it to my phone so I need to read through both stacks carefully on a regular basis to make sure I don't  miss something important, like a new client inquiry.

I also now have two huge stacks of emails that need to be culled for deletions. If clutter in our homes is bad feng shui, cluttered inboxes in two places must be just as deleterious.  Not to mention the clutter all this is causing in my head!

Plus, now that I know that business emails are on my phone, I have a constant need to check and check and check.  I have developed smartphone OCD and I hate it.

I've been considering removing all emails from my phone and just having them on my home PC.  Frankly, this thought causes me great anxiety.  People expect you to have 24/7 access to their messages and don't always understand if it takes a while to get back to them.  Our technology has programmed us for impatience, hasn't it?

I've lost my perspective and can't see a solution.  As I am by nature a very solutions-oriented person, this situation is causing me great frustration.  If anyone out there has any suggestions, please feel free to share.

In the meantime, I'm off to do some TAT on this.  Don't want to bring these confused, grumpy vibes to my office this afternoon.

. 

A Shining Star

Your life ought to be as one long prayer that God's Spirit may work through all your thinking and acting to bless your neighbor.

Peter Reisch
trans. from German by Br. David Steindl-Rast

 

 

JoAnn Nalbandian Koobatian was that person

and we were indeed blessed to know her

 

Diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer eight years ago, she underwent dozens of procedures, treatments and surgeries without an ounce of self-pity or a dimming of her prodigious faith. 

 

Through it all, she continued her work as

Foothill High School Director of Choirs. 

Even when she could no longer use 

her own beautiful singing voice, she made sure she was there

to help her students find and develop theirs.   

 

She gave her little girl, Amanda, her husband, Richard, her parents and family and friends eight precious bonus years of love and devotion.

 

We often hear of people ferociously battling cancer.  JoAnn did so from an inner strength that sometimes helped sustain those around her,

instead of the other way around.

 

The traditional Armenian blessing when someone dies is:  May his/her spirit be illuminated in its journey.  In JoAnn's case, there is no doubt in my mind that she's making her journey under a celestial spotlight,

surrounded by applause and cheers.

 

The Magic of Life

As I wrote in my October AHP newsletter, my trust muscle has been getting quite a workout lately.  I don't remember signing up for the Trust Olympics, but there it is.  

This trust thing really challenges me to walk my talk.  The "All is moving toward the Good" mantra I should have tattooed on my forehead sounds more like magical thinking than Truth sometimes.  After all, there are no guarantees that it's not.  Just like everyone else on the planet, I have to trust that trust is the right response in just about every situation popping up in my life these days.

I'm always reminding my clients that when any of us sets the intention to heal, to move forward in our lives -- emotionally, physically or spiritually -- it's a sacred intention.  Enter a whole Greek chorus of Guides and Angels cheering us toward the finish line.

Well, what other explanation can I give for the Sacred Spiral that showed up in a pan in my kitchen over the weekend?

Is all really moving toward the Good?  Evidently I am to trust that it is.

Healthful Snacking? What a Concept!

Weight management is always on people's minds.  Wouldn't it be great to have a snack that decreases appetite without increasing body weight? 
Apparently almonds are the rock stars in this scenario.
Make sure the almonds are organic, raw and unsalted or all bets are off.  Thanks to hypnotherapist and teacher extraordinaire, Michael Ellner, for this link:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/608672?print-article

Musings on 35 Years of Marriage

On October 14th of this year, my husband and I will mark our 35th wedding anniversary. 

It's funny how people react when we share that news.  "Oh, wow, that's amazing!"  "35 years?  Wow, that's a long time!"

Yes, in some respects it is a long time.  Especially in a state like California where seven years is considered a long-term marriage.  "The next best thing" is quite a lure in this place and time. 

But marriage is not smartphone technology. 

My friend, Norma Berg, sent me a piece of writing that really hit home with me.  It's called The Burned Biscuit and even though I did an internet search to find the author, I was unsuccessful.  Over the years, Chris and I have not laid our problems at God's feet, as the article suggests, but have worked through them from a place of value and respect for each other.  I think that's kept the door open for God's grace to enter when it's most needed.

I also have to say that my husband is the most patient, supportive man I know.  What he's put up with from me over the years would fill volumes.  He could have run when I first started dowsing, or talking about my past lives, or scanned his notes for open-bottomed Bb's.  Instead, he just keeps loving me.  There's no upgrading from that for me.

Here is the forward as she sent it:

Pass Me a Biscuit

When I was a kid, my Grandma liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day. On that evening so long ago, she had placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely  burned biscuits in front of my Granddad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed!

Yet all my Granddad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Grandma and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night but I do remember watching him smear butter and  jelly on that ugly burned biscuit. He ate every bite of that thing... never made a face nor uttered a word about it!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Grandma apologize to my Granddad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and  then."

 Later that night, I went to kiss Grandaddy good night and I asked  him if he really liked his biscuits burned.  He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Grandma put in a hard day of work today and she's real  tired. And besides -a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!"

As I've grown older, I've thought about that many times. Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I'm not the best at anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else.  But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults, and choosing to  celebrate each other's differences, is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today...  that you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!

So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine.  And PLEASE pass this along to someone who has enriched your life. Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

L'homme propose, Dieu dispose

Man proposes, God disposes.

I have been quiet in this space for a few weeks because so much has been going on.  I will catch you up little by little, but first things first.

About six weeks ago, I became captive to the thought that I need to spend time in Peru with my longtime friend and healer, Lilo Ccoyllor.  Of equal weight and value was the thought of gathering a group together to join me there.

Lilo and I spent hours putting together our Shamanic Soul Journey to Peru and very excitedly spread the word far and wide.

The initial response I received was very strong.  Lots of people were ready to drop everything and head to Cusco and environs just before Thanksgiving on such relatively short notice.  What fun!

Then, just as it seemed that everything was falling into place, the energy around this Journey shifted into reverse.  What had initially garnered an enthusiastic "YES!" in my periodic dowsing check-ins slowed to a sluggish "MAYBE" and then within a few days to an emphatic "NO!"

If there's one thing I've learned over the past 20+ years of being on this crazy "Woo Path," it's that ignoring guidance asked for and received is not a good idea.

So, with some lingering confusion, I am taking the Shamanic Soul Journey to Peru off the calendar.  Thanks to all of you who expressed your enthusiasm and good wishes.  All is moving toward the Good!

Still in the Moment but Looking Ahead

The Sacred Valley, Peru

 

The Shamanic Soul Journey to Peru (November 10-22, 2013), has really hit the spot for many people.

I'm hearing wonderful comments from those interested in participating.  Lilo Ccoyllor (www.shamanspirit.net) and I put a lot of thought into the Itinerary and we're thrilled that our vision is speaking to so many hearts. 

Remember that the group is limited to 8.  As of right now, there are three couples and 3 individuals showing strong interest.  The payment to secure your place must be submitted to Lilo by October 1st.  For a complete Itinerary, please email me at lucy@ahigherperspective.com or respond to this posting.

The Woos are Everywhere

When my husband and I were on Kauai many years ago, we learned that metaphysically-inclined people are called "Woos" there.  Perhaps it was derived from "all that woo-woo stuff." 

Here is an article from The Wall  Street Journal that really got my attention.

LOS ANGELES—Kenneth Klee's longtime law partner had spent weeks in the summer of 2010 typing up a voluminous report on the Tribune Co. TRBAA -0.41% bankruptcy, and his hands ached.

The 64-year-old Mr. Klee, who is described by peers as one of the most respected bankruptcy lawyers in the U.S., closed his eyes, peered through his "third eye" and waved his "energy hand" above his colleague's outstretched arms. Almost immediately, the hurt was gone.

"All I know is that I was in pain and he did his thing and I felt better," said Lee Bogdanoff, the lawyer treated by Mr. Klee.

By day, Mr. Klee inhabits the world of high-stakes bankruptcy cases, charging clients such as Jefferson County, Ala., about $1,000 an hour for legal advice. At night, Mr. Klee holds energy healings in a small room of his elegant, one-story home in the leafy Brentwood section of Los Angeles.

Mr. Klee said he can talk to spirits, mend broken bodies and wounded souls and, if necessary, perform exorcisms. The suggested donation for a two-hour session is $300.

Alternative medicine and other New Age practices and philosophies have many followers in the corporate world, particularly in Southern California. But it is unusual to find a white-shoe lawyer like Mr. Klee who so publicly embraces his connections to the metaphysical.

"I am just a vessel," said Mr. Klee, sitting in his office on the top floor of a 39-story skyscraper with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. "I just bring through this energy.''

Mr. Klee said he heals some people by removing bad energy and infusing them with better vibrations. To do this, he uses a combination of oils, crystals, a tuning fork and other objects, such as a fish fossil. He infused his law partner, who was the principal author of the bankruptcy examiner's report on Tribune in 2010, with "liquid living crystal."

At a recent healing, Mr. Klee told an electrical contractor that the man's sorrow came from his past life as a woman who had lost a baby in childbirth. Mr. Klee placed a tray of crystals on the floor to cut off the dark energy flowing up through the man's bare feet and then hurried them out to his backyard so as to not contaminate the room.

Healing clients said Mr. Klee has helped them overcome the direst of illnesses. But medical professionals say while these kinds of alternative procedures might make people feel better temporarily, there is no proof that they provide cures.

"There is a difference between anecdotes and evidence,'' said Richard Sloan, a professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. "The real issue is whether there is any evidence of therapeutic efficacy. As far as I can tell the answer to that is no."

A principal draftsman of the U.S. bankruptcy code in the 1970s, who is described as a "dean of the bar" in a recent international ranking of restructuring lawyers, Mr. Klee said he tries to separate his healing and law practices. But sometimes his metaphysical and legal skills overlap. During Texaco Inc.'s bankruptcy case in the late-1980s, Mr. Klee said he had the ability to predict what was going to happen.

His client, Pennzoil Co., agreed to a $3 billion settlement. As a show of gratitude, his legal colleagues gave him a letter opener engraved with the words "The Oracle."

In the corner of a conference room at his law firm, Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern LLP, sits a white crystal that is meant to help harmonize opposing sides in a negotiation.

Another large crystal on a window sill of a young lawyer assigned to the Jefferson County case protects the office from bad vibes. Mr. Klee believes they emanate from a nearby condominium building. He declined to elaborate.

"How are you feeling today, Marisela?" asked Mr. Klee, as he passed the firm's office services manager one recent morning.

Marisela Atrian mentioned how her shoulder still hurt after a fall from her bike. Mr. Klee waved his hand above her shoulder and then flicked his fingers toward the floor as if he were shaking off water.

"I know her energy,'' said Mr. Klee, who has worked on Ms. Atrian before, mostly over the phone. "I can do it remotely."

Mr. Klee became interested in healing in 1997 when he signed up for a massage at a law-firm retreat and experienced the "radiance technique," in which he said a therapist "activated" energy within him. Since then, he has studied various forms of alternative healing from teachers in the Philippines and St. Petersburg, Fla.

Even his wife, Doreen, used to be skeptical at times about whether his healings had any real effect.

But he overcame her doubts when, he said, she was "possessed by an earthbound spirit and I did an exorcism to get it out of her."

After a bad car accident in late 2004, Mrs. Klee developed a rash. She agreed to lie on Mr. Klee's table in his healing room, while he placed discs called "pulsors" on her. After a while, she went limp and had to be helped into bed. The next day, she said, the rash was gone. The spirit was gone, too, Mr. Klee said.

"There are these spirits, and they look for warm bodies,'' Mr. Klee explained over dinner with his wife. "Some of them want to go to the light…This one went to the Astral plane. It was a really lowlife type of spirit."

"It still freaks me out,'' said Mrs. Klee.

Mr. Klee doesn't attempt to hide his healing work from legal clients. In Jefferson County, which filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2011, a local newspaper and a blogger picked up on Mr. Klee's healing hobby, but the writers praised Mr. Klee's legal work as Tribune bankruptcy examiner and the county's lead bankruptcy lawyer. Earlier this year, Mr. Klee helped strike a deal with creditors that could help the county exit bankruptcy.

"Say what you will. This guy has his finger on the pulse—or waving somewhere above the pulse—of what ails this county,'' wrote Birmingham News columnist John Archibald.

Still, some clients tell Mr. Klee that rival lawyers vying for business have tried to use his healing work against him.

"I've never had a client turn us down,'' because of the healing work, said Mr. Klee, whose firm vied unsuccessfully to represent the city of Detroit in its bankruptcy case.

When he retires from his legal practice, Mr. Klee says, he wants to help develop an apparatus that could measure the energy contained in people and objects. That device, he says, would convince skeptics that the energy he feels through his hands is real. "It would change the world,'' he said.

Taimie Bryant doesn't need to be won over. A law professor at University of California, Los Angeles, Ms. Bryant recalls losing her patience at some students for arriving late to class. Mr. Klee, who also teaches at the law school, agreed to harmonize the class and their professor.
"The next day, there was so much ease in the classroom,'' said Ms. Bryant. "It was eerie."

How Very Unfortunate

Dear New Client:

I'm very sorry that you changed your mind about keeping your appointment with me this afternoon.  Little do you know that you are the third new client in the past two weeks who has flaked-out on me just like this:  no notice or response to my calls.  Did you have an accident? Are you okay?  My gut tells me that you -- and the others -- are only suffering from cold feet.

Generally, I'm a deeply compassionate and understanding person.  But frankly, right now I'm just an angry person.  This morning I had to tell someone who's really having a hard time that no, I did not have any last-minute cancellations today.  That person would have been thrilled to take the spot you did not want.

I'm sorely tempted to start requiring a credit card number to reserve first appointments.  Would that have prompted a call from  you when you changed your mind?

Yes, I'm taking a deep breath.  Lots of them, in fact.

May we all be filled with loving-kindness.
May we be well.
May we be peaceful and at ease.
May we be happy.

Thank goodness for that.

Sincerely,
Lucy  Grace Yaldezian, CHT, CHC, TAT
A Higher Perspective

Preparing for a Tranformational Adventure!

I just finished a Skype visit with my longtime, cherished friend, Lilo Selven Ccoyllor.  Boy have I got an adventure to share with you!

Most unexpectedly, I find myself planning a group trip to one of the strongest power centers on the planet:  Peru.  The home base for this transformative journey will be Lilo's Casa de Serenidad in Cusco and will include a trip to Machu Picchu, a World Heritage Site.  Details are still being worked out, but if all goes according to the plans Lilo and I put into motion today, the November full moon on the 17th will be at the heart of an extraordinary adventure for any of you who are called to participate.

I first met Lilo when we were both students at The Palo Alto School of Hypnotherapy in 1992.  A former runway and photographers' model, Lilo was born in Switzerland and was then living in Saratoga, CA.  Visually the two of us made an incongruous pair:  she, tall and slim; me, short and round.  But our heart-to-heart, spirit-to-spirit connection created a bond that has endured through many significant life changes.  She and I created and facilitated several workshops together that formed the foundation of many of the classes and workshops I have offered solo over the years.  We were "L & L."

In 1998, Lilo went to Peru for what was supposed to be a three-month visit and ended up answering an inner voice calling her to shamanism.  You can read more about Lilo's remarkable life and healing gifts at http://www.shamanspirit.net/lilo-ccoyllor-morningstar/.

So, over the next couple of weeks, I shall be posting more information about this Journey.  There is no doubt in my mind that this is going to be a life-changing experience for me and any of you who, reading this, is drawn to participate.  We want to keep the group very small so that we can give each participant individual attention.  Lilo and I will be working together and separately with the group members. 

I am so excited!

Vive la France?

While in France recently I met with a Toulouse therapist and his wife who are both TAT professionals.  In the course of our lunch together, they spoke of not wanting to raise their son, now 13 months old, in France because of the restrictive, rigid school system.

What do you think of this article from Psychology Today?

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/suffer-the-children/201203/why-french-kids-dont-have-adhd

Drugging Our Kids

Several years ago, I met with a woman  who had recently moved to this area.  She and her husband had one son who was 7 at the time.

The woman was having a lot of anxiety, stemming in large part from having moved 11 times since the birth of her son.  Her husband's career success was based in large part on their family moving frequently.

In the course of our initial intake, this woman mentioned that her son was going to be medicated for ADD/ADHD.  Apparently, his private school teacher felt that the boy was a disruptive influence in her class because he had difficulty sitting still.  This teacher had referred the boy to a physician who prescribed medication, without even doing a full  evaluation.  I got the feeling that the physician in question was the go-to resource for this school because of his liberal prescribing of medications to make behavior problems "go away."

I asked my client to reconsider the physician's recommendation, pointing out that if she was having a hard time coping with all the moves, her little boy may be experiencing similar stress that he had even fewer tools to cope with than she.  She said she'd never thought of that.

At our second appointment, I asked about her son's situation.  She said that she had spoken to his teacher about my concerns.  The teacher's only response was to say that if the boy wasn't going to be medicated, he had no place at that school.

I was horrified and said so.  I suggested that with such policies, perhaps this was not the right school for her son after all.

After that second session, I never saw that woman again.

I'm not qualified to assess whether a child needs to be medicated or not.  But neither are many of the people making that determination.  I urge parents to try every other avenue of help for a child struggling with emotional problems before turning to medication. 

For those of you who are really interested in this subject, here is a stellar documentary on the subject.  Thanks, as always, to Michael Ellner, for the link.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26e5PqrCePk#at=115

Savvy Clients

Just finished speaking with a young professional musician.  From one colleague she had heard that EFT is effective in relieving specific fears. From another colleague she had heard that hypnosis is helpful in improving confidence.  I was so happy to be able to offer her both modalities.

More and more these days the people who call me do so with specific information about how the techniques I work with may help them.  The good word is spreading fast and "mind-body healing" is practically a mainstream concept.

Having spent much of my early career reassuring people that hypnosis wouldn't make them quack and waddle like ducks (unless they specifically wanted to for some reason), this growing awareness and acceptance is very,very exciting.

I can hardly keep up with all the books and articles being written on this subject now.  Check this one out: 

http://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/expect-health-expectation-self-fulfilling-prophecy/1932902/

Back Just In Time

Having just returned from France through SFO, yesterday's plane crash really grabbed my attention.  Just reading the related articles in this morning's paper got my empathic channels going.

When something like this happens, I relate to the people on the plane, the friends and relatives of those who died or were injured, the people who watched the crash from the ground, and the passengers whose unrelated travels were interrupted or cancelled.  Why?  Because flying phobias are often born or deepened in those very incidents and my client files are filled with these stories.

Years ago I worked with a woman who had just missed her flight out of the Denver airport.  As she stood at the gate watching the plane she was supposed to be on take off, it crashed right in front of her.  She had to be heavily medicated in order to board a flight home when flights were once again available and suffered for years from horrific flying phobias. 

As with so many of my clients, she came to me as a last resort, without any real hope of getting relief from her crippling fears. 

Her description of the crash was crystalized in memory and full of sensory details.  Since the subconscious has no sense of time and since part of her had frozen as she watched the crash, this made perfect sense. 

Using EFT (The Emotional  Freedom Technique) we slowly, gently and methodically dissolved the hold the experience had on her, moment by moment, memory by memory until she could recount the entire experience from beginning to end without any negative emotion attached.

She thought it was a miracle.  I knew it was just EFT doing its magic.

Shift Happens!

Yesterday afternoon a client had a remarkable healing experience.

She is a woman of many talents and abilities and yet struggles with a very low sense of her own worth.  She has fallen prey to bullies and users because of it.

Her House of Healing (accessed through deep hypnosis) was a crystal cave.  As soon as she got there she encountered an old magician-like figure who told her that she "can do the magic."

When she walked a very long Hallway of Many Doors, the one she opened was to a room with a treatment table in the center and two angels.  She was told that somewhere along the line she got "rewired, reprogrammed," and that they were there to fix that now.  According to my client's account, they  "pulled out a lot of garbage and stuff that shouldn't be there."  When the angelic treatment was over, she felt so good that she didn't want to leave that room.  But there was more for her to experience.

Next, the Magician guided her to another room in the Hallway where she underwent a cleanse.  She described the cleanse as "light, energy and various colors" pouring through her various systems.  She was told that "there is a weaving process" and that "you can be re-woven at any time."  Then she was told that she could "play a different part in the play anytime."

Her journey into the Sacred Space of her House of Healing ended with the Magician assuring her, "You are the lead character.  Be the star that you are."

When she came out of her deep hypnotic trance, her face was glowing and she immediately started making plans for a new wardrobe to replace the unflattering clothes she had been favoring.

I can't wait to see what more magic the next few weeks will bring to her life.

One of Those Weeks

I can't say I'm sorry to see this week end.

My client calendar was completely full when I began the week but with one thing or another, I was left with lots and lots of empty spaces. 

I still haven't heard from my Tuesday 10:30 am client who has been coming regularly and yet just didn't show up.  No response to my email, calls or texts.  I'm doing my best to stay in the mindset that he's just having as weird a week as I am and not in a ditch somewhere.

One new client who was supposed to have her first appointment with me yesterday at 3:45 forgot to tell me that she'd started with another practitioner the week before.

But as crazy as the whole week has been, today really stands out.  When I left for yoga at 9 am this morning, I had three sessions scheduled this afternoon.  By the time my class was over 90 minutes later, I had zero. 

Mercury's not retrograde but I understand that solar flare activity was particularly dramatic.  Do I have to start keeping track of that now too?

Okay, Lucy Grace, take a deep, deep breath, and just begin to relaxxxxx ....

Kids & Teens

 

Thank you, Lucy, so much for meeting with us. [My daughter] really did get a lot out of her time with you. She listens to your CD almost every night before bed. Her anxiety that started at the beginning of school has basically disappeared - yay! - and she's smiling and more playful again now (her old self).

 I think we would like to come back to see you sometime for a check in.

 Thank you again, and see you soon,

EK

 

It’s been hard enough for us adults to process the gauntlet of disasters dominating the news over the past few months.  What about the young ones in our lives?   Their coping tools are even more limited than ours. 

Especially if your child has just completed a challenging school year, consider the benefits of a few sessions of my work.  EFT and TAT are perfect avenues for bringing closure to difficult relationships and lingering unhappy memories from the previous school year, while custom hypnotherapy CDs help establish a solid new blueprint for success in the forthcoming year.

 If your child has experienced the agony of bullying, I can help.

 If your child had a bad year academically, I can help.

 If your child has had difficulty with shifting friendships, I can help.

 If your child experienced text anxiety, I can help.

 If your child wants to improve athletic skills, I can help.

 If your child is curious about new ways to think, behave, react and even write, I can help.

 

             

A Blur of Tragedies

Yet another flattened landscape, rubble and mangled cars.  New grief-stricken faces, bloody close-ups and updated death tolls.

Is this our new normal?  Apparently so.

After the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Cherokee Medicine Woman Nara White Owl warned me that "natural disasters" would increase in frequency and intensity.  "Those are the only times we are coming together and connecting with each other, heart to heart," she said with a fierce look in her bright blue eyes. 

At that time, Nara said that our values and priorities have become so skewed that Mother Nature was having to use her most terrific forces to remind us of what's really important.

In December 2012, I asked Nara what 2013 held for us.  She said that the divide between conscious and unconscious people was deepening, and that unconscious people would feel their separation (from Spirit) more acutely, prompting them to act out against society in more and more terrible ways.  I remembered her prediction when the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings and the Boston Marathon bombing felt as though they happened back-to-back.

What do you think about all this?

Something New

This afternoon I will be facilitating my first couple's TAT session.  As some of you may know, TAT stands for The Tapas Acupressure Technique, named after its creator, Tapas Fleming, a Licensed Acupuncturist in Southern California.

In the process of TAT, we pretend there is a big pot in the center of the room into which problems, concerns and issues are tossed.  Then, holding the TAT pose that capitalizes on connecting the vision center of the brain with master acupressure points on the face, the client puts his/her focus on a series of specifically formulated statements, one by one.  People doing TAT often experience a spectrum of profound connections, insights, perspectives and/or healings. 

As strange as it is to admit, Tapas Fleming can't really explain how TAT works.  But she -- and TAT Professionals all over the world -- have hundreds and hundreds of documented success stories in the 25 years since its inception.  TAT has been used to successfully alleviate food and environmental allergies and sensitivities, aid in weight management, reduce chronic stress and pain symptoms, even heal serious and chronic illnesses. 

TAT has been called a portal of grace and my own experiences with TAT -- both as a TAT Professional for others, and in using it as a self-help technique for my own issues -- confirm that sweet description.

I'm eager to see what unfolds for the husband and wife who will be each putting his/her issues in the TAT pot this evening.  I will keep you posted. 

Beautiful!

I promised to update you on the couple's TAT session I facilitated last night. 

I have seen the husband on and off for a long time.  The marriage has been troubled for a long time.  I wanted to see if TAT could bring them some peace and was so pleased that they both were interested in trying it out.

As TAT allows, there was no need to look for specific issues to work on.  After a brief discussion, I suggested the wording, "Whatever is in the way of healing our marriage,"  Then I suggested that each of them put whatever he/she wanted into the pot silently, adding to the "TAT pot" whatever came up for them as we went through the prescribed TAT steps.

As we went through the steps, the husband held the TAT pose and the wife sat with her eyes closed, hands folded, in calm silence.  The room felt very peaceful.

At the end, the wife's smile was so warm that it almost brought tears to my eyes.  And the husband had what I call the "TAT glow" of serenity.

I don't know what long-term benefit this session had, but my sense is that this session opened a door between these two that has been closed for a long time. 

I'll let you know if I'm right.