Does Change Have to be Scary?

What is it that causes us to fear things? 

Some people fear the unknown ~ which would also include 'Change' . . .

Others live in fear of the known. . .

Whilst some even, feel more comfortable with their present fears than the possibility of the fear of change . . . being different . . . thinking differently . . . feeling differently . . . and it can sometimes seem beyond belief that change can also be for the better!

So what makes us hang on tight to those old fears, beliefs & behaviours that are unhelpful and no longer support us (or even hold us back)?
As a Cognitive Hypnotherapist I often come across some clients who think they want change, but are also resistant to change. There is a saying that goes like this . . .

"If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep ending up with what you've always had" 

So change is a huge part of the process, to embrace those changes however big or small they might be . . . and as I tell my clients ~ It's often the way that all those small differences add up to making an even bigger difference to you in your life and the changes you wish to make! 

Change happens everyday . . . it's part of nature . . . part of life . . . nothing stays the same.
So it's a good thing to learn about embracing change, and because nothing is permanent or forever it also means that problems & issues can change too. All it takes is an experienced guide and a willingness to step into the unknown . . . to venture forwards and start to imagine how you'd like to be . . . who you'd like to be . . . and take action around some of those changes that can begin to move you in the right direction.

So the only thing to fear really is yourself ~ and once you realise that it is only yourself holding you back, then change is in your hands and you can control it.

If you would like to know more about the change process, Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, then contact me today and start 2014 as you mean to go on! A New Year and a New You too!

Best wishes
Harshani

www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk

Kettering, Northants

Why worry about all those worries?

This morning I read today's beautiful reading from Sri Swami Satchidananda's book "The Golden Present".
And I'd like to share it with you here: ~

Hundreds of Worries

How many wants do you have? How many things do you worry about?
"I don't have this."  "I didn't get that."  "I don't have a nice enough office." "I didn't get the car I wanted." "I don't have an air conditioner."  "I didn't get what I wanted to eat." . . . . 

There are all kinds of unnecessary worries. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of worries.

How can you even lift a small blade of grass with that kind of attitude?

The mind is the main source of health and happiness. 

The same mind can completely rob you of all your health and happiness, if you don't train it properly.

Heat, humidity, cold, hunger ~ all these conditions are nothing if your mind is calm and balanced.

So many things we take for granted, so many things we worry about needlessly, taking up energy and making us unwell. Emotional stress can effect our daily lives. So try putting your worries into context. Try seeing them from a different perspective. Train the mind to see positives rather than negatives. Once you realize it's all in the mind, it's easier to re-frame it towards something that supports you, instead of weighing you down.
I teach my yoga students and therapy clients how to train their minds in a positive way, so daily stresses and concerns can be let go of far more easily and the mind can become more peaceful, easeful and useful.
You can find out more here www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk

Remember that golden song . . .  "Don't worry . . . be Happy!"
Wishing you a peaceful week ahead.
Harshani
Cognitive Hypnotherapist, Reiki Master Teacher and Integral Yoga Teacher
Mind Body Wellbeing
Islip, Kettering, Northants.,

Hypnotherapy can help free you to be you!

Have you ever felt like you're weighed down with life, stuff, people, places, events that go on around you? I'm sure we all have from time to time. Sometimes it's easy to let go, to free yourself and move on. Other times we feel stuck, almost unable to move on . . . we can't see the wood for the trees. . . we feel stuck in a rut . . . life gets on top of us . . . feel trapped.
Life has it's ups and downs . . . so it is so important to take a step back from time to time to see things from a different perspective, one where we can be an observer of the mind and thoughts (which often cloud our mind) . . . less emotionally involved, so we can find the answers which are right for us, to help us move on and let go of those things that weigh us down.

When you learn how to take a step outside of any situation, the answers are there, things appear more clearly, the things you need to do or not do (as is sometimes the case). It is so much easier to see patterns, habits and behaviours in others, because of this reason . . . you are less emotionally involved, you are slightly away from the situation and things seem clearer ~ in fact sometimes things seem so clear they are just simply so obvious to you, when you can see things from a distance.

As a Cognitive Hypnotherapist in the Kettering area, I guide my clients through being able to take that step outside of the 'Stuff' that they are in, so they can discover the changes which are right for them, to be able to move through the 'Stuff' and move on to brighter things . . . freeing them up to be themselves . . . discovering new ways of being.
Just like a bird that is trapped in a cage, wants to spread it's wings and be free . . . free to fly . . . free to be . . . free to explore new experiences in it's life. So as we release the thoughts, feelings and habits that hold us back . . . we too can enjoy that same kind of freedom too.
Hypnotherapy can help build new resources and strengths within you, such as Confidence . . . Self-Belief . . . Motivation . . . Courage . . . Positivity . . . Purpose . . . etc etc. We are all different and need different things in our lives, and at different times of our lives . . . and we all have the capacity to develop these resources through support and guidance.

So if you were totally free . . . who would you be? . . . what would you do? . . . how high would you fly?  
Realizing what holds you back is the first step to change . . . the second is doing something about it!

helping you find freedom
www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk

Educating the world

Today is World Spelling day . . .

Tomorrow is World Maths day . . .

and Thursday is World Science Day . . .

How great is that . . . education flowing the world over.
Check out this for your children to get involved in "World Education Games" part of a guinness book of records attempt for free and for fun!

And if you have number block, or spelling blocks you could explore the possibility of getting in contact with a Hypnotherapist to discover how left and right brain balancing can help you find it easier to recognize numbers and words and patterns within them, to improve this aspect in your life.

It's never too late to learn something new . . .  you're never too old to learn and change the habits of a lifetime. We learn new things everyday, so maybe at the end of the day you might look back and wonder what it was that you learnt today and more importantly how you can use it in the future . . .

Happy Learning,

Harshani Curbishley-Brown
www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk

5:2 Diet, Fasting Craze, Yoga & Healthy Eating

Wow, you might even think that there's been a diet and slimming break through, from all the news, articles and focus on the I.F. Diet, the 5:2 Fasting programme, the Alkaline Diet, etc etc etc. The next latest 'diet' craze setting in . . .

Well as many others already know too . . . it's nothing new, it's been around for years ~ in different forms, under different guises. In the Times yesterday the article read about how certain religions & cultures naturally encourage their followers to have a fast day once a week, or at the least drop down to simply prepared light meal ~ thereby resting the body, cleansing the soul, keeping us healthy.

So, if you're wondering what all this has to do with Yoga (and maybe you go along to a regular weekly class already) . . . Yoga is not simply a weekly stretch of the body alongside maybe a clear of the mind if you practice meditation and pranayama in your classes too ~ but it is all about a healthy lifestyle.
Everything in balance.
Everything in moderation.
Healthy Mind. Healthy Body. Healthy Soul . . . and that also includes what you EAT!

* A classical Yogic diet is Vegetarian (mainly Alkaline forming foods, so light on your stomach, healthy for your bones, heart, digestive system and peace of mind . . . non-harm to animals). It's good for you in many ways.

* Yogis avoid alcohol and toxins so they can be clear in body, mind and spirit for meditation, asana (postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques).

* Yogis are recommended to avoid over-eating and Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh suggested that the stomach be only half full of food, leaving space for a quarter for water and a quarter for air (prana or breath). 

* For enhancing heath, wellbeing and for deepening their spiritual practice, it is suggested to have a fast day one day a week. Giving your body time to absorb what is needed to maintain optimum health and optimum energy. And you can have a day off, from planning, cooking or thinking about what you are going to be eating ~ giving your mind a rest too. It's actually proven to be good for your brain to have a rest day or low food intake day, helping to keep the brain energised, focused, gaining more clarity of thoughtfulness, mindfulness, peacefulness. 

There are so many reason's why I chose to become a Vegetarian nearly two years ago ~ mostly because of my Yogic values and choosing to deepen my spiritual practice, but along the way I feel healthier, happier in myself, more energised, physically fitter (alongside my Yoga practice), calmer more peaceful, and can honestly say have never missed meat since! And my added bonus was that I lost any excess weight and find it easy to maintain it too. So a great win win for me personally. 
I have in the past dabbled with 'trying' to be a vegetarian, which I have to admit had been challenging 10 - 15 years ago due to lack of options, lack of knowledge and lack of restaurants/friends/family being able to cater for the 'veggie' . . . "Oh, what shall we cook???? How does Beans on Toast sound or a Mushroom/Cheese Omelette!"
But thankfully the culinary world has changed and there is an abundance of choice nowadays to make it easy for all to embrace a few meat free days.
Meat traditionally was for special feasts, festival days, celebrations . . . it wasn't a daily meal. Meat is the hardest protein to to able to absorb, digest and assimilate into our bodies. Can you imagine how long it can take to leave your stomach from the moment you ate it? It can be anything from 10 hours to a couple of days . . . so if you think about that and you have meat more than one meal a day, you could potentially be loading chewed up meat on top of chewed up meat on top of chewed up meat in your gut and that makes your energy sluggish, leaving you feeling tired, bloated and for some even constipated.
So if you have been intrigued by the benefits of fasting days where you reduce your calories down to 500 calories for a woman and 600 calories for a man on the 5:2 fast plan, then give it a go.
If you fancy having a few veggie days in your week . . . then give it a go (your body and gut will thank you ~ and so will your energy too!)
. . . you never know you may even like it and wonder why you've not done it sooner . . . Oh and benefit from losing weight too!

When I work with my Cognitive Hypnotherapy clients who come to see me for weight loss, I explain that it is a life-style change, a new way of being. Because we all know, that if you keep doing what you've always done  . . . then you'll keep ending up with what you've always had . . . so it's important to change . . . it's good to change . . . change is the one thing that will get you to your goals and maintain being slimmer, healthier and fitter.
Diets don't work if they are just for a short term quick fix, because the moment you go back to eating "normally" (i.e. what you used to eat ~ chocolate, pasta, bread, beer, sweets, crisps etc) the old weight creeps back on . . . plus a little bit more for good measure ~ so you just get on a cycle of yo-yo dieting, which is damaging for your internal organs, your scales and ultimately your self-esteem!
So being successful in losing weight healthily and maintaining that way of being . . . is exactly that, you discover the healthy lifestyle, foods and exercise which suits you best, which you can embrace as a new way of being. Putting you in the driving seat and in control of who, how & where you want to be. 
Even though I made a life choice 2 years ago to stop eating meat, I was already well on my way there, as I have my own veggie plot in our garden and have been an avid veggie grower for many years. That being the case, at home we would often make veggie based meals 3 - 4 times a week as the norm ~ finding ways to be creative with excess courgettes, runner beans, broad beans, tomatoes and so on . . . so out would come the recipes books and it was amazing what we found.
My favorite veggie recipe books at the moment are still ~

• Leith's Vegetarian Bible ~ see http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leiths-Vegetarian-Bible-Polly-Tyrer/dp/0747557160
• Plenty by Yotom Ottolenghi  ~ see http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/

Brilliant, inspiring, modern, easy, tasty . . . you can forget the meat altogether . . . even share them with friends and family meals ~ they are that good!  So no need to have to have something different, as everyone will love the look and smell of your food from these two books.

If anyone would like to share their favorite Veggie cook book's at the moment then please do here . . .

For more info on Cognitive Hypnotherapy and weight loss please visit my website at http://www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk

Fertility Success with Hypnotherapy

There's a great article in today's Daily Mail about a fertility success story, where a lady contacted Paul McKenna after hearing him talking about Hypnotherapy and the mind on a radio interview.
Read more here :~

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-149826/Hypnotism-gave-baby-I-longed-for.html

Great work Paul and thank you for spreading the positive message about Hypnotherapy.
As a Cognitive Hypnotherapist myself, I fully appreciate the journey my clients are going on, whether they are seeing me for weight issues, fertility, confident childbirth, phobias, self-esteem or other concerns, I help them to un-lock the blocks in their minds which get in the way of them progressing themselves and help them move forwards towards the successes they are looking for.
It always amazes me how much can shift and how quickly clients can move on, once these stumbling blocks have gone.

As explained in the article, fertility is about helping reduce fears, worries and stress, enabling the positive flow of energy to be conceived. As with most things in life, the more you worry about something, then the worse it often gets. So changing this starts that shift, so that positive visualizations of you holding your baby can feel more real and achievable.
Some of my fertility clients who are on an IVF program come and see me to help them overcome a phobia of needles, or anxiety around the birth. In helping them through these, they feel more prepared and excited about the process.

If you'd like more information on how I work with fertility using Cognitive Hypnotherapy, then please contact me via my website www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk

I see clients in Harley Street and Northamptonshire.

   

Hypnotherapy Hypnosis Self-Hypnosis ~ it's all in the mind.

All Hypnosis is Self-Hypnosis.
Well, if you think about that, it means we are all 100% responsible for our thoughts, our behaviours, our interpretations of the world around us. Ultimately it's all in the mind. And what is great to know, is that we can change our minds. Thoughts are just thoughts, they can be shaped, molded, changed, guided towards whatever direction we choose to take them into. . . ( . . . if we really want to!)
So if all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, then how come we're not all channeling our thoughts and lives to how we want them to be?
Well all hypnosis IS self-hypnosis, but sometimes we live our lives in a trance of ignorance, only seeing what we want to see, not imagining that things could change and be different. 
As a Cognitive Hypnotherapist, part of my job is to guide clients towards realising that change is possible, that things can be totally different from how they've always been. The answers are always within, but sometimes we need to be shown the way, the journey into understanding, discovery and realisation of many different things, that mean we can be different.

The light needs to be switched on, so clarity can be found. . .




Through clarity, we can learn from the past, accept, forgive, heal, in whatever way is right for us personally, to be able to let go and move on in a positive and empowering way.

To me, Hypnotherapy is like a torch being gently shone into the darker shadow aspects of the mind, so that these shadows can become lighter and lighter until that clarity and understanding are there, the shadows and confusion have gone, leaving you with a much more positive outlook towards yourself and your life . . . change happens, freeing you up to be who you want to be.

So the only person ever holding you back in your life . . . is YOU.

Only you can take yourself to where you need to be for change to take place. Which means that you are always in control of how light or deep you go into hypnosis. You have total control of your mind. Nobody can make you do what you don't want to do. So the most important thing to think about is do you really want to create change and are you truly ready?
The saying goes "You can take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink"

So, if you're reading this and thinking about some of the aspects of your life that weighs you down, or you wish were different and could change . . . then you are in the perfect place to actually DO something about it. Because to actually change . . . you have to take action, to do something that starts those wheels of motion turning.
Take responsibility.
Be back in control of your life and outcomes.
You will feel so much better when you do, which is a good thing to know that the professional guidance of an experienced Cognitive Hypnotherapist is a positive one. You can have fun feeling better as you change those shadows into lighter brighter places!

We are all different, unique in many ways of how we think and perceive the world through our own eyes. Cognitive Hypnotherapy flows beautifully with uniqueness, being a flexible therapy model tailored to suit our thoughts and perceptions. This personal approach means you can move through those shadows at the right pace and speed for you to get to where you need to be, in the way that is right for you.
You can discover more about my Hypnotherapy practice in Harley Street, London and Northamptonshire by visiting www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk 

Or you may know of someone who is searching for answers, looking for change, or stuck in their own shadows and share this knowledge with them . . . it could be the start of a very positive New Year in 2013. 

The Beauty of Friendship

How very special to know you have friends ~ whether you can count them all on one hand or many, it really doesn't matter ~ but what if we could think wider . . . or even wider than that?

What if everyone could become an image of friendship . . . and creating that all started within ourselves?

Today, I'd like to share the beautiful inspirational teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda from his book of daily readings called "The Golden Present": ~

Become a Friend

           You don't make a friend. You become a friend. Then you automatically will have friends.

If you relate to people in a very friendly, affectionate way, by loving and caring, sharing and helping, then naturally they will see you as a good friend. When they see you as a good friend, then they become your friends. It begins with you. You should always try to do something nice for people. 

Never hurt anyone's feelings. The secret is to always look for opportunities to help others; look for ways to be nice to them. Sometimes they might even be nasty to you; if so, ignore it, forget it. Maybe that is the way they are; but we should be nice to them. Even if someone says, "Oh, you're a fool," you should say "Thank you." Don't retaliate with the same kind of words. Soon they will get tired of all that. Afterwards, they will even feel ashamed.

         The great sage, Thiruvalluvar said that if people do something wrong to you or hurt you, do something really good for them in return. That is the best punishment. Why? Because they will be so embarrassed to have done that to you. It is in our hands. We can always make friends with anyone and everyone if we have the right attitude. If we have the patience and understanding.

So as your day today comes towards a close, try to see how many friendships you can create around you and the next day and the next and the next. . .

Peace of mind, starts within.
Healing starts within.
Wellbeing starts within.

It's all in your hands to create change and others are there to help, guide and support you along the way too.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk

Be Kind to Each Other Today!

National Kindness Day ~ Tuesday 13^th November 

A Nation spreading kindness! Tuesday November 13^th is not just a National Day of Kindness but a World Kindness Day, so let us all embrace it across our Nation, Counties, into all of our towns & villages, it’s a wonderful thing which everyone can do . . . to be mindful of showing some extra kindness towards others & it doesn’t cost a penny! The many benefits of the effects of being kind have been extensively researched at how kindness can increase our personal happiness. One of my favorite writers on the benefits of kindness is Dr David Hamilton PhD “Why Kindness is Good for You”, so as well as it making us feel happier inside, the increased emotional warmth releases the positive ‘cardioprotective’ hormone Oxytocin which can help our hearts by reducing blood pressure, it can slow down the aging process as there is a strong link between showing compassion & activity in the Vagus Nerve, which also helps to regulate the heart rate & controls inflammation in the body, it improves our relationships & it becomes contagious like a ripple effect acting kinder towards others inspires them to feel much kinder too!

In my Cognitive Hypnotherapy practice I often explore many ways to help clients explore this feel good factor, so they can increase their personal wellbeing & happiness. So I suggest doing some ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ ~ everyday to look for 3 different ways to do a random act of kindness towards some one else, so here are some of them which I challenge us all to do:~

·      Hold a door open for someone

·      Pay someone a nice compliment

·      Surprise someone with a cup of tea

·      Make a lovely meal for a loved one or friend ~ especially if this is not the norm!

·      Smile as you pass people in the street

·      Clean someone’s car for them

·      Give up your seat to another on the bus/train/tube

·      Offer to help someone who might be struggling ~ either crossing the road or carrying heavy bags

·      See what you could do to help a neighbour

·      Be kind to yourself too

Remember that being kind is in thought, spoken word & deed, so everything counts in the happiness factor. Enjoy the kindness of each other today, it may start a ripple effect across the world for weeks to come!

http://www.national-awareness-days.com/national-kindness-day.html

 Please feel free to share some kindness stories here today . . .

Have a beautiful day today!

www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk 

Smile and the World Smiles with You!

They say a smile can speak a thousand words . . .

A smile is infectious . . . smile at others and watch it spread . . .

Do you know how good smiling is for you?
How beneficial it is to your Immune System and sense of Wellbeingness . . . mentally, physically, emotionally and even spiritually!

So just for today practise smiling . . . smile to yourself . . . smile at others . . . smile at your pets even!

It not only makes you feel good, but you may also brighten someone else's day . . . and how good is that!

Would love to hear your smiling adventures and spread the smiles around . . .

I'll start . . .

"This morning I smiled at my cats as they raced past me to run upstairs and snuggled on the bed for the day . . . "

www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk