Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are…

3 Comments

Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well.”
― Naya Rivera

This quote applies not only to physical beauty but to inner beauty as well. I believe we all have our own beautiful unique gifts to offer the world and sometimes we’re not aware of these gifts. People around us may see it and they may even tell us so, but we may not think of it as anything special because that is just who we are.

If you saw yourself through someone else’s eyes, you would realize how truly beautiful you really are. Once you become aware of your purpose, which is quite basically, what you are naturally good at, you will find that things simply fall into place. You begin to meet people, come across articles, blogs, guiding you to becoming your true (best) self. It is such a natural process and once you begin that journey, there’s nothing that can get in the way.

When you do find your true purpose, you’ll realize that it isn’t about you, it is about sharing your gift with the world in your own unique way. The saying, “The Purpose of Life Is to Discover Your Gift. The Meaning of Life Is to Give Your Gift Away,” is very true.

It could happen in a heartbeat or slowly over time but your gut will tell you that you’re on the right path. As you advance toward your goal, when it is your true purpose, everything will fall into place. There may be detours along the way, what seemed like your purpose at first may turn out to be something else as you continue on your journey.

It could be anything, like moving to a new place in a beach town and opening a little bookstore or cafe to give tourists and locals a place to relax. It could be a bed and breakfast or simply providing an opportunity for people to travel and volunteer their time doing something that is meaningful to them. It could be to teach others how to cook, invest or share what you’ve learnt, or help in many other ways.

Educating yourself and continuing to learn and grow in whatever interests you will eventually bring you to your true purpose. I believe we are all here to find our true purpose and make a difference in our own small way, one person at a time, to make this world a better place.

If you would like to learn more, please check out Mindscaping, hypnosis and read my other blogs on this website. You can also email me at mindvasana@gmail.com.

 

 

 

You Make Your Beliefs, Then Your Beliefs Make You

2 Comments

Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

I am sure I must have heard this somewhere because it has stuck with me. “You make your beliefs, then your beliefs make you.”

If you really think about it, you’ll realize how true this is. If you believe you’re always unlucky and bad things happen to you all the time, guess what…your beliefs become your reality!

You then seem to attract all the negative things into your life. That in turn, makes you feel down and depressed, which then often times, brings about physical symptoms and you’re sick all the time. How many people do you know like that?

What if changing your belief could change your experience? Speaking from personal experience, I did just that. I changed my beliefs about many things.

I think it was around the time that my daughter, Bianca was born. I didn’t want her to grow up believing in superstitions. I didn’t want her to be afraid of the number 13 or of a black cat bringing her bad luck or any other such superstitions.

I decided I would tell her that all those things that brought bad luck to other people, brought good luck to our family. It totally changed the way I began looking at things and changed my beliefs about a lot of things.

I started seeing the good in things that happened and slowly, my life changed. Years later, I started writing down each day, things I was grateful for. The strange thing was, the more grateful I was, the more I got of those things that I was grateful for.

I cannot believe how simple this is and I keep telling people to try it and see their life change. By just writing down what you’re grateful for, you’ll begin focusing on the positive and begin attracting all that is good into your life, slowly changing your beliefs.

I hope to do my part in making this world a better place by sharing what I’ve learnt, whether through hypnosis, where it’s easier to change these beliefs or any way I can help people to change their beliefs, to live their best life.

As someone once said, “your thoughts do not create your reality, your beliefs create your reality.”

You experience what you believe!

Unconsciously Conscious

Leave a comment

From the moment we’re born everyone is hypnotizing us. We are all, to some degree, in a trance. Our clients think we’re putting them to sleep, but our ultimate goal is the opposite. We’re trying to wake them up –  from the book, The Hypnotist’s Love Story

Think of your unconscious mind as your friend and protector. It is there to protect you from harm. It runs millions of processes every day including your bodily functions, without you consciously noticing it. Whether you’re breathing, walking, talking, sleeping, you’re not consciously thinking of it as you’re doing it, your unconscious mind is working behind the scenes, running the programs that was installed years and years ago.

As you learnt to walk and talk, you installed that program because you kept practicing and finally it became something that you did unconsciously. At other times in your life there may have been traumatic events which were installed instantly. It could be something that happened in an instant when you were little and if you look back at it now, it would probably not be traumatic. Phobias and traumas that were installed instantaneously, can be wiped out instantly through hypnosis.

Although the conscious mind directs the unconscious mind, the unconscious mind is always looking out for you. It doesn’t understand negatives so whatever you focus on, it will do its best to bring it to you. Any changes that you want to make, you can install by repeating the program, and over time, it will become a new habit.

Be aware of your thoughts and words because your unconscious mind is always listening. Think, speak and dream of the things you want, not what you don’t want. Trust your unconscious mind to do what you ask it to do, just be careful of the program you are running in the background.

The things you own end up owning you

1 Comment

“The things you own end up owning you” ― Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

The last few days, articles have been appearing on my screen relating to this quote so I thought it was a message from the universe telling me to write about it.

When you think what you have isn’t enough and you’re always looking for more, how will you know when you have enough? Will you ever make enough money to live the life you want or will you want to move to a bigger house, buy a better car, send your kids to a better school and so on?

I think the new generation are the smart ones. They want to experience things, travel to different countries, work in different cities, live closer to work so that they can spend time doing things that they enjoy doing. They refuse to be tied down to one job, one employer, mortgages, car payments etc.

People make excuses to justify why they want to own or possess things but really, whether you’re rich or poor, in the end you only need six feet or so, give or take a few. You have no clue whether you have a few days, a few months, a few years or a few decades before your time is up on this earth and unfortunately, what you own, you cannot take with you.

All you can do is leave memories and hope that you made a difference in someone’s life. Be grateful for what you have now, smile more, teach your children how to stand on their own two feet, spend time with them, they don’t need more gadgets or toys. They don’t need you to leave property for them, they need your time, your love.

 

 

 

Hypnosis – Kinetic Shift with Karl Smith

Leave a comment

I spent the weekend learning the Kinetic Shift Technique with Karl Smith of the UK Hypnosis Academy, who flew in to Toronto for the workshop.

Having taken many classes with Dr. Mike Mandel and Chris Thompson, I was excited to learn that they were bringing in Karl Smith to facilitate a workshop.

Karl Smith served twelve years in the British Army and then moved into the Emergency services where he served ten years. Karl specializes in Post Trauma, Anxiety and Stress.

His story of how he got into hypnosis is quite interesting and started with a teen drunk driver running over him. It eventually led Karl to develop a system that deals with PTSD and other issues rapidly.

The more I learn about hypnosis, the more I wonder why it isn’t mainstream as yet. There is still that fear that hypnosis is mind control. If only people knew how hypnosis works  and how quickly you can make profound changes in your life and get rid of traumas and phobias, you would be amazed.

All hypnosis is self hypnosis, the Hypnotist/Hypnotherapist facilitates the session to get to you to that state where you can make those changes/shifts without your conscious mind getting in the way.

People spend thousands of dollars on trying to fix the body when in reality it is the internal, subconscious/unconscious mind that controls everything. Hypnosis helps get rid of all the garbage accumulated over the years.

Being hypnotized and hypnotizing others in the classroom to make kinetic shifts using Karl’s techniques was an amazing experience. Thanks Karl!

What you seek is seeking you – Rumi

Leave a comment

Focus on something, whether it’s a particular word, thing, person or topic and you’ll find that you’ll see it or something relating to it everywhere and this has always been the case, way before Google or Facebook feeds!

I remember many times I would wish that I wouldn’t run into a particular person and undoubtedly, that would be the one person I’d run into. Ever shopped for a camera or a car and you notice it everywhere, on billboards, in magazines, overhear people talking about it?

The Reticular Activating System or the RAS gets activated every time you focus on something intently. The RAS is the attention center in the brain and t takes instructions from your conscious mind and passes them on to your subconscious.

It took me many years to finally understand and consciously make a decision to focus on the things that I wanted for my life instead of worrying and not expecting the best outcome, just in case I was disappointed.

As soon as I changed my focus and started writing down daily, the things that I was grateful for and focusing on positive thoughts, I noticed that I began to receive more of what I was grateful for. It was so simple! The more that I focused on the things that I wanted, the more I got of it.

Your mind and thoughts are so powerful and many books have been written about them but until you are ready and open to receiving the message, you will not even notice it and simple yet powerful messages will be just words on a page.

Once you open your heart and train your mind to focus on the positive, you will notice simple but powerful messages everywhere.

What you seek will be seeking you.

 

We Beieve What We Believe

2 Comments

We believe what we believe because of our parents and caretakers. We really don’t have a choice when we’re young, when it comes to religion. Whether we’re Hindu, Muslim, Jewish or Catholic, we automatically identify with whatever religion our parents practice.

For the longest time, I identified myself as a Hindu although I am not religious. I would occasionally (once a year) go to a temple here in Toronto. Every time I ate a Big Mac or a steak, I would feel guilty because the cow is considered holy in Hinduism. It was as if there was a voice in my head telling me I was being a bad Hindu.

With all the atrocities being committed in the name of religion, it made me question my beliefs. It was only recently that it came to me that if I changed what I believed I wouldn’t have to feel guilty anymore! It had nothing to do with anyone or any religion. All I needed to do was believe something different and I could do as I pleased instead of locking myself in a self-imposed prison.

I believe John Lennon got it right when he wrote “Imagine”, his lyrics ring true to me:

“Imagine there’s no heaven

It’s easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us, only sky

Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion, too

Imagine all the people living life in peace…”

This is my anthem now and I do believe in a higher power, in the power of the mind, in the power of connection and love. I release myself from all organized religions and I feel free.

 

Is Reality Just Perception?

Leave a comment

Each one of us lives in our own reality and who is to say which one of us is right?

Take for example, our Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau who believes in welcoming those that are fleeing persecution, terror & war while at the same time, in the United States, Donald Trump is closing his borders to those fleeing persecution, terror & war.

The refugee situation is the same, however, one believes in compassion and the other in instilling fear. There are thousands who support each of them. Depending on your own perception of reality, you agree with one or the other.

So what makes people believe one way or the other?

I believe, those that live in fear, believe in scarcity and usually tend to expect the worst.

It’s up to the compassionate ones, the grateful ones, the ones who believe we are all born equal, to do what they can in their own small way, whether it’s by protesting injustices around the world, sponsoring a refugee or giving money to a cause.

You can choose your own reality and begin to notice that if you choose to be fearful, you’ll draw more things to be fearful of into your life.

If you choose to be grateful, you’ll notice that you get more things to be grateful for…so my friends, change your perception and see your reality change.

Below are a few quotes that you may enjoy:

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” – Albert Einstein

“Humans see what they want to see.” ― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

 “The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
― W.B. Yeats

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” ― Wayne W. Dyer

“The older you get, the more you understand how your conscience works. The biggest and only critic lives in your perception of people’s perception of you rather than people’s perception of you.” ― Criss Jami, Killosophy

Seventeen – just a number?

1 Comment

For the longest time, I would avoid doing anything important on the 17th of a month. My youngest sister, Anita (Baby as we called her) died on the 17th when she was just 15 years old, my Dad too passed away on the 17th, so it probably isn’t hard to understand that I may have had some issues with the number 17.

When Louie and I were getting married, I insisted that we get married on the 16th (Friday) instead of the 17th because of my fear of something bad happening if we were married on the 17th. I avoided doing many things on the 17th and avoided the number 17 whenever I could. The number 17 was to me what the number 13 is to many people, unlucky.

Then suddenly one day, it may have been around the time my daughter, Bianca was born, I decided that the number 17 was going to be lucky for me. I didn’t want her to be influenced by superstitions which could potentially stop her from living her best life. Not only was 17 going to be lucky but anything that was generally thought to be unlucky, would be lucky for me and her. All those old superstitions that held me back at times, now worked in my favour!

By switching from unlucky to lucky, my life changed forever! Good things started to happen to me and when I added gratitude to this, my life became even better. I became more positive and more happier. I think I am now the luckiest person on earth and, as I learn and grow each day, I realize that perception really is everything. So if you think 17 is unlucky or lucky, it is.

Whatever your unlucky, you have the ability to change it to lucky, all you need to do is decide to change your perception of the thing. Reality really is just perception. Give it a try.

Anchors Aweigh

4 Comments

Anchoring can be used in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and Hypnosis to trigger a positive emotional state. If you establish a trigger successfully, you can reproduce that emotion later.

Have you ever wondered why certain smells bring you back to a time in your past or remind you of a person or an event? This can be either a positive memory or a negative one.

The easiest and quickest way to deliberately anchor positive emotional states is, in hypnosis. Relax, breathe deeply and recall an activity that you enjoy. Really get into that moment, feel the feelings of being in that activity, feel the joy. As you are experiencing that joyful feeling, anchor it by touching your thumb and ring finger together. Add to it other happy memories and continue to anchor the feelings.

You can keep anchoring each time you experience a happy feeling and you will notice that in challenging time, when you bring your thumb and ring finger together, you immediately get that positive feeling that you anchored earlier.

Give it a shot and see how it works for you.

 

 

 

 

Words Matter

4 Comments

Words do matter, people! If you have little kids, be very careful with the words you use.

What happens when you tell a child, don’t spill the milk, the child inadvertently spills the milk. A child’s critical faculty isn’t developed until after 6-8 years of age.

The unconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between “do and”don’t”, it hears spill the milk. If you want your children to grow up to be positive, happy and confident, instead of telling them what not to do, tell them what you want them to do. Be careful with the milk instead of don’t spill the milk.Keep using positive words to encourage positive behaviours.

The unconscious mind is absorbing millions and millions of things going on around us although we may be aware of only a few things consciously. When parent argue about money in front of kids, thinking that the children are young and will not understand, their young unconscious mind is actually absorbing all the information. This can seriously damage a child’s well-being and the child can grow up unable to handle their finances.

Imagine the impact television and video games are having on our children. By being aware of how the unconscious mind is being affected, adults can at least make some effort to choose what their children are watching.

Writing Right – Graphology

1 Comment

It was an eye opener taking a course in handwriting analysis and learning that it is not the hand that writes but the brain. Studying with Dr. Mike Mandel is always an amazing experience. According to him, the writing never lies!

I have been practicing my new skills and, people are surprised how accurate the analysis has been for them. I’ve made a few changes to my writing to add traits like creativity and willpower.

It is interesting to learn from a person’s writing whether they are optimistic or pessimistic, whether the person has a temper, is impulsive or in fact the opposite is true.

Graphology would sure come in handy when looking for a business partner or when selecting a babysitter. Something to consider the next time you want to bring in a new person into your life.

Graphotherapy is the ultimate self-therapy says Dr. Mike Mandel so I shall continue to improve my handwriting!

More than a stage show

Leave a comment

This July, my husband, Louie and I went on our first cruise ever and, one of the many highlights for me on the cruise was the comedy show featuring the Mesmerizing Brenda Kaye.
It is a different experience when you know exactly what is going on. You can relax and observe and chuckle when the audience is mesmerized at what the hypnotist is able to make participants do. Although I was observing the show with experienced eyes, it still fascinated me at the things Brenda was able to make participants do. It is amazing how strong and effective hypnosis can be and, although many people only see it as a stage show, there is so much more to it.

 

For those who are ready and open to experiencing being hypnotized, there is so much that you can change in your life in a short period of time. The only things that holds people back are fear and doubt. Those of us who have experienced being hypnotized and have hypnotized subjects, know how effective it can be.

 

In my experience so far, every hypnotist, hypnotherapist that I have met or connected with through MMHA (Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy), has been extremely generous in sharing their knowledge and providing feedback when requested. I am honoured to be part of this family that is trying to help people overcome problems/issues and help people live their best lives. Dr. Mike Mandel, Chris Thompson (his business partner) and the many other students that have trained with them in-person and online, are people that I can go to for advice.

 

Some day people will realize how powerful the mind is and how powerful Hypnosis and Mindscaping can be in changing lives. Till then, my fellow storm riders and I will continue to help as many people as we can.
To experience Mindscaping (via Skype) email mindvasana@gmail.com.

MINDSCAPING

42 Comments

Dr. Mike Mandel describes MINDSCAPING as a powerful method to rapidly induce massive internal shifts in a person. It can be conducted content-free to ensure privacy or with full disclosure.  MINDSCAPING allows you to access your internal map to make profound changes by tapping into your unconscious mind. The shifts can be deep and long lasting. You will notice changes and shifts that will continue for days after the session. MINDSCAPING can be done in-person or virtually.

MINDSCAPING can be used for:

  • Increasing motivation
  • Immune system support
  • Letting go of the past
  • Breaking free from depression
  • Moving from pessimism to optimism
  • Reducing negative emotions
  • Resolving conflict
  • Increasing creativity
  • Determining the “real” issues
  • Creating a better future
  • Becoming more confident
  • Releasing stress
  • Letting go of fears
  • And much more!

Dispelling Myths About Hypnosis

1 Comment

Myth #1: Intelligent people can’t be hypnotized. Only the mentally weak can be hypnotized.

Fact: In fact the exact reverse is probably, more true. The higher your intelligence and the stronger your self-control, the more easily you are hypnotized. That’s because entering a hypnotic trance is all about concentrating. Those who have a capacity for creativity and vivid imagination usually make the best subjects.

However finding it hard to enter a hypnotic state doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. People naturally vary in how susceptible they are to hypnosis. Studies have shown that around 30% of people are relatively resistant to being hypnotized. Although with effort, the state can usually be achieved eventually.

Myth #2: The Hypnotist will be able to control my mind.

Fact: No one can control your mind, unless you let them. Your Hypnotherapist will give you suggestions that you want to be given, based on the Pre-Hypnotic Interview. At no point during your session will you lose control of your mind. If you hear a suggestion that you don’t agree with, or don’t understand, your subconscious mind will automatically reject it.

Myth #3: I will be made to perform embarrassing acts, such as bark like a dog, or walk like a duck.

Fact: This assumption is based on Stage Hypnotism and Hollywood fiction. The truth is, these people volunteer to act on stage, and thy allow themselves to participate in silly suggestions. Hypnotherapy is a serious process of self-improvement, not entertainment.

Myth #4: When Hypnotized, I will lose all sense of my surroundings, and will have no memory of the session.

Fact: Hypnosis is not an unconscious state of sleep. In fact, most people report having a heightened sense of awareness, concentration and focus, and can even hear more acutely during a session.

Myth #5: Hypnosis comes from “Black Magic” or is “Supernatural”.

Fact: Hypnosis is a natural state that has been studied scientifically. Hypnotherapists are not Psychics with special powers. Hypnotherapy is based on many years of clinical research by famous Psychologists such as Dr. Sigmund Freud and Dr. Carl Jung, and more recently, by Dr. Milton Erikson and Dr. John Kappas.

Myth#6: If I become Hypnotized, I may not be able to snap out of it, or Hypnosis is dangerous, a person can get stuck in a trance forever.

Fact: No one has ever been stuck in a hypnotic trance. Hypnosis is very safe and is in fact, a state of hyper-awareness. Any time there is an emergency, a person would naturally be able to come out of the Hypnotic state by opening their eyes, and stretching or speaking. If the hypnotist fails to emerge someone from hypnosis, he/she will return to a fully alert state on their own. Depending on that person’s need for sleep, he/she will either drift on into a natural sleep or simply emerge to full consciousness spontaneously within minutes.

When in the state of hypnosis, our brainwaves vacillate through the Alpha to Theta ranges. Any time you choose to emerge from hypnosis, for any reason, you are able to simply open your eyes and become fully alert. If you were practicing self-hypnosis before going to bed and ended in the Delta state, then it would mean you’d simply fall asleep.

Myth #7: Some people can’t be hypnotized.

Fact: Although some researchers and clinicians claim that some people are not able to be hypnotized, everyone has the ability to be hypnotized because it’s a natural, normal state that each of us enter at least twice each day – upon awakening and falling asleep. We also enter a hypnotic state whenever we get totally engrossed in a movie or TV show. Whenever we are driving and daydreaming enough to miss a turn or highway exit we know to take, we probably were experiencing a light state of hypnosis.

People may have this misconception because of an unsuccessful experience they’ve had with a hypnotist.  People are responsive to different approaches, and if a particular approach has not been successful in the past, it’s a matter of finding the way that works best for them. Hypnotherapists/Hypnotists have several techniques that they can use, and are trained to find a method that will work best for you.

Myth #8: Hypnosis is a miracle cure.

Fact: While Hypnosis is a relatively quick method of making permanent improvements, there is no such thing as a one-time miracle cure. Every individual makes progress at his or her own rate.

Myth #9: Hypnosis is a great tool to get someone to confess.

Fact: Hypnotherapy sessions are kept private and cannot be used for court testimony. It is not an alternative to lie detector tests. Hypnosis cannot force anyone to tell the truth or to confess.

Myth #10: You can be hypnotized to do things against your will

Fact: The hypnosis practitioner is merely a guide or facilitator. He/she cannot make you do anything against your will. In fact, during a hypnotic session, you are completely aware of everything going on. In other words, if you do not like where the hypnotist is guiding you, you have the power to reject the suggestions.

Myth #11: Under hypnosis you will always tell the truth and could even reveal personal secrets

Fact: You can lie under hypnosis just as easily as in the waking state. In fact, as hypnosis gives you greater access to unconscious resources, you may even be able to tell more creative lies when in trance. Additionally, you are in complete control of what you chose to reveal or conceal.

Myth #12:  I won’t remember anything the hypnotist says.

Fact: Everyone experiences hypnosis differently, for some it’s a state in which you are focused on the hypnotists’ words and listening more carefully, for others it’s a little more like day dreaming and your attention may drift and wander from one thought to another, sometimes not paying any conscious attention to what the hypnotist is saying.  Either way is okay, and neither will be more or less effective than the other. It’s simply a matter of your own personal style.

Myth #13: Hypnosis is sleep

Fact: People look like they’re asleep when they’re hypnotized because their eyes are closed and they’re peaceful. But they’re not asleep. The brain waves of a person who is hypnotized are nothing like those of a person who is asleep. In fact the hypnotic trance is a heightened state of concentration. A high level of alpha waves on an EEG, show that a hypnotized person is awake, alert and very responsive.

Myth #14: Hypnosis is contrary to religious beliefs

Fact: Hypnosis can be used to ease or remove pain, overcome fears, phobias, addiction and other problems.  While a handful of religious sects have raised objections to hypnosis, today most religious groups accept the proper ethical use of hypnosis for helping people. Included are Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and most Protestant Christian Churches as well as Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and others.  Hypnosis is not associated with any of the world religions. A professional and ethical hypnotist respects the faith of clients and will not use it inappropriately to influence a person’s religious beliefs.

Myth #15: Hypnosis isn’t an effective modality.

Fact: A Comparison Study Shows: “Psychoanalysis: 38% recovery after 600 sessions.
Behavior Therapy: 72% recovery after 22 sessions. Hypnotherapy: 93% recovery after 6 sessions” Source: American Health Magazine

What is Hypnosis?

2 Comments

Hypnosis is a state of inner absorption, concentration and focused attention. It is like using a magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun and make them more powerful. Similarly, when our minds are concentrated and focused, we are able to use our minds more powerfully. Because hypnosis allows people to use more of their potential, learning self-hypnosis is the ultimate act of self-control – American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.