A Quick Vacation

Today, I am tired - really tired. It is so tempting to just take off and crawl back into bed. Maybe it is the lack of sunlight or maybe I just need a vacation. Don't we all.

So, I have cranked up the Cajun music (a little Steve Riley) and find that it is really energizing. And I have allowed myself to take a mini-self-hypnosis vacation.

Here is how it works:

• Take a few deep breaths, releasing them slowly.
• Then starting with the top of your, going down to the tips of your toes, begin relaxing and releasing each part of your body.
• Think about where you would like to go (in my case I am using a very slow Cajun waltz to add even more atmosphere) and focus on the idea. Allow any criticism or over-intellectualizing to pass out of your mind.
• Allow your imagination to take you on the holiday. Maybe it takes you back to a favorite memory or even engages in the perfect vacation. Just let it be. Get as much detail as you can - atmosphere, weather, what it looks like and so on.
• And when you are ready, you can come back to normal consciousness.

For me, I went back to a favorite vacation I once took to the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. I spent the week learning the fundamentals of Cajun dance - eight hours a day and dancing into the night. It was amazing. Only this time, when I re-experienced it, there were no sore muscles or travel fatigue. I drove that trip, but if I were to do it again, I would check out flights to USA Omega.

However, if I were to take a trip this year, I suspect it would be to Guatemala and the land of the Maya. In fact, I am even toying about getting a group together to do this. Please let me know if you are interested. For all my UK friends, dialaflight.com has some amazing deals to that part of the world. You might want to take that route and meet us there. Just a thought.

The Gloves Come Off

I admit it - I used to be skeptical about the entertainment value of certain sports (much like people are skeptical about hypnosis). However, those were my high school drama years and since then I have even managed to enjoy watching a good football game or boxing match. Accepting boxing was a bit harder, but then enter Bob Sutton, whom I met one night at Tomato Head. He was then starting a campaign to bring attention to epilepsy and one of his goals was a boxing match. Well, I won't go into it too much in order to stay on topic, but Bob brought with him an amazing ability to describe the dedication and concentration needed in the boxing ring. It made me rethink the whole sport.

When I first started with the hypnosis practice, someone sent me an article about a boxer who used hypnosis to help him improve his timing and concentration. He had won some title and it was a great day for the hypnosis community. It was also great that such an athlete had come out that it had really helped him.

So, as I notice that De La Hoya/Mayweather tickets may be on sale, I cannot help but wonder if one of them will use hypnosis in their training. It is said that Oscar De La Hoya is canceling a May fight to get in shape for a rematch against Mayweather. Seems like this would be a good thing for him, hypnosis that is. Just a suggestion...

Cat

You are probably wondering what a cat has to do with visiting a hypnotist, and for all of you allergy suffers who are now worried I am adding a cat to my practice, rest assured this is not the case (though if my lease permitted it, I might be tempted). No, what this cat has to do with hypnosis is just the fact that it has moved onto my back porch last week at home, therefore it affects my life and now your awareness. The veterinarian says he is definitely a "he," a neutered he, between three and five years old. He, the cat, is very affectionate. I am hoping to find his original owner, but it is possibly he has been around for longer than the week (perhaps a few months, but picked now to move in). If he looks familiar to you, you know him or are his owner, please email me at lsking@n-tranced.com. I am also looking for a new home for him as well - just in case. My cats are not thrilled with his arrival.