Video: EFT for war veterans

This is the video that inspired me to learn EFT. I’m sure it can do the same for you.

Call me if you need help with post-traumatic stress.

Read more about EFT.

EFT tapping points on the body

EFT (emotional freedom techniques) is a mind/body healing modality that resolves the negative beliefs and traumatic memories underlying physical and emotional symptoms. It works by the simple action of tapping with the fingers on acupuncture meridian endpoints while thinking about the negative emotion or memory. This calms the nervous system and breaks the cycle of negative thoughts and alarming reactions that are triggered whenever you experience a particular stimulus.

The best way to learn EFT is by attending a workshop or going for a session with a trained therapist. But instruction on the basic use of EFT is freely available on the Internet, and there are some really great resources out there that will give you a good introduction to the technique (See the resources at the bottom of the page). The purpose of this article is not to teach the EFT protocol but just to give a summary. At the end of the article you will find a link to the

EFT Manual created by EFTUniverse.com.

Here is the protocol for the EFT ‘basic recipe’:

1. Identify the pain, discomfort or limiting belief.
2. Give it a discomfort rating out of 10 (where 10 is maximum discomfort)
   

   EFT tapping points on the hand

3. Create a setup statement that describes the problem: “Even though I … I love and accept myself.”For example: Even though I got anxious when I had to deliver that presentation, and my heart was racing and I thought I was going to faint, I love and accept myself.
4. Tap on the meridian points while thinking about the discomfort or negative belief.At each point, think of the discomfort and remember the troubling situation. Notice where you feel it in the body. As you are tapping, notice how this sensation changes. Follow it, tapping as you go.
5. Test the discomfort level on the setup statement again by giving it a score out of 10. Keep doing further rounds of tapping if necessary to bring it down to an appropriate level of comfort.

That’s the basic recipe – simple, but effective. The real magic comes in when you learn how to ‘chase the pain’ by following the shifting sensations and emotions in the body.

For a more detailed explaination, visit the EFTUniverse.com site and download the EFT Mini Manual.

Or watch this great video of the EFT tapping points.

More EFT articles on Inspired Coaching: - Emotional freedom through EFT

I am very excited to be launching a new website focusing specifically on weight loss. Here’s the introduction to my no-diet solution for permanent weight loss:

“Are you tired of dieting and seeing no results? Do you feel powerless to resist those foods that you know are just not good for you? Then it’s time to resolve your weight loss issue at its core – your inner mind.

“We are going to help you lose weight the natural way using weight-loss hypnotherapy, coaching and other highly effective methods of creating deep change. So stop punishing yourself with methods that don’t work and let’s get started on real and lasting transformation.”

There … I know you’ll be all fired up after reading that … so why not go and check out the site and find out more about the no-diet solution to permanent weight loss.

This is a case study from EFTUniverse.com:

PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is defined as an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened.

Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. People with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. They may experience sleep problems, feel detached or numb, or be easily startled.

Read the full story on how EFT can resolve anxiety in PTSD at  http://www.eftuniverse.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9084

As I write this, the financial markets are in turmoil and there is the fear that we might be heading for another recession. The Middle East has been in an uprising since the beginning of the year, and there have been violent demonstrations in Greece, Europe and the UK. What’s going on?

On a global scale and also on a personal scale, some sort of shift seems to be happening. Talking with friends and colleagues I get the sense that lots of people are in states of fear and uncertainty about their work, their finances, and their relationships. I have felt it myself, so I have spent time contemplating it and working on processes and thought-changes we can put into effect to navigate troubling times.

1. Recognise the nature of the problem

When we look at the events in the world one observation we might make is that there seems to be a common theme – any lies, untruths, power imbalances and divisions are being brought to the surface and exposed. Many of our old ways of thinking, doing business and governing people are proving to be no longer sustainable and are simply falling down. To safely negotiate these changes we can begin with looking at our own fears and asking where we are out of alignment with our true nature.

Is any of your fear or discomfort based on thinking you will become a victim or that you won’t have enough? Notice the subconscious beliefs in lack that are being exposed. Expect any thought or belief that is based on duality and not aligned with unity, truth and natural abundance to be brought to the surface so that it can be re-evaluated.

2. Stop trying to fix everything

Some things can easily be resolved using our logic and problem-solving abilities, but sometimes we get into situations that resist our efforts to fix or change them. If your business is caught in a recession, for example, there are the necessary practical steps you need to take, but at some point you might find your energy sinking as you run out of ideas for how to remedy the situation. No matter how much you think about the situation and try to fix it, the problem stays a problem. At this point, the thinking mind has moved from being a helpful tool into part of the problem itself.

The conscious, critical mind is a wonderful aspect of ourselves that has resulted in all the marvels of modern civilisation. However, it has one drawback – it can only function by comparing and contrasting things that are different from one another. It needs to separate things into components that it can hold and examine. It only functions in the realm of duality and division. The mind simply can’t apprehend wholeness because there is nothing for it to hold onto. If everything in the world is green, there will be no concept of green or even of colour. To behold green, there must be red or blue or something different. The mind can’t go where division is not, but this is precisely where we need to go if we are to navigate this shift.

When we keep fretting at a problem we are trying to bring unity to an issue using a tool that can only work with duality. The alternative to this is unitive apprehension, but the thinking mind can’t go there. Essentially, what we have to do is move from thinking-mind to heart-mind.

3. Get into a state of flow

So, how to get out of mind and into heart?

If you’ve learned EFT from me or anyone else, then doing a few rounds of tapping on any issue is one of the quickest ways to stop opposing a problem and allowing it to resolve, returning one to a state of flow and appreciation.

Another way to get into heart-based flow is by using the breathing and visualisation exercises developed by the Institute of HeartMath. As people do these exercises, a factor called their heartbeat variability goes from a relatively disordered state to a highly ordered state known as coherence, and this can be measured very easily using a heartrate monitor.

The following simple technique can be used whenever you are feeling stressed to quickly bring you out of chaos into coherence and flow:

1. Sitting comfortably, bring your awareness to your heart centre and gently keep it focused there for a while. (The heart-centre is in the centre of your chest, in line with your heart).
2. Now begin breathing in to a count of 5 and out to a count of 5. (It doesn’t have to be 5 – it can be any number that’s comfortable). As you are breathing, keep your awareness on your heart centre.
3. When your breathing has stabilised in a deep, gentle rhythm, begin breathing in the quality of appreciation and breathing out the same appreciation. It can be appreciation for anything – a person, a beautiful scene in nature, or it can be simple appreciation for this moment. (After a while you can expand from appreciation to gratitude or any other positive emotion).

Continue cycling positive emotions while paying attention to the breath for as long as you choose. You will find that this quickly creates a deep sense of wellbeing in which things that seemed to be problems no longer have such a hold on you. You have moved from thinking mind into heart-mind and into divine flow. (Tip: If your negative thoughts are powerful and keep on intruding, try breathing in the negativity and breathing out any positive feeling. By breathing in the negative we end our opposition to it.)

Now, holding onto this state of flow, consider your challenges again. Are they still such a problem? Can you see new solutions, new options? Or if there are no immediate solutions, can you simply resolve to live with the discomfort and not to attach to it? This, ultimately, is what enlightenment is all about – being at peace with yourself, even if things around you are falling apart. Try it now and show yourself it really is possible.

Need some help with this? Simply contact me and let’s get out of worrying and into flow.

Recently a friend complained to me that he wasn’t happy with his sales job because the pay was low and nobody was making commissions. The problem was that the targets for earning commssions were set too high, so even the top performers were earning nothing more than their basic salary.

I asked my friend what his plan was and he said he was working hard in the hope that he would get a promotion, which would give him a little more money. But from our discussion so far it seemed that this company was already taking more from their staff than what they were giving and that this ‘hoping’ for a promotion was a very weak position.

I encouraged my friend to move into a stronger, more proactive position by asking him what someone who was really confident might do. There were several options:

• He could go and talk to management and explain how the salespeople were frustrated, and offer a solution (in this way he would get their attention and demonstrate his commitment to making the company a success)
• He could realise the company wasn’t going to change and he could then use the time to study and become a great salesperson, so that when the time was right he could leave for a better job
• He could simply decide to start looking for a new job right now

All of the above options are stronger than simply ‘hoping’ for things to improve. Hoping is really just a way of covering up a sense of our own inadequacy or fear. We are passing the buck, hoping God or the universe or the boss or whoever will reward us, when in fact the world is simply waiting for us to stand up and declare who we are. Standing up will involve facing our fears, but in this way we are growing rather than simply covering up the problem with wishful thinking.

Move from hope to intent

The key to solving my friend’s dilemma involved moving from hope to intention. What did he really want, and how did he intend expressing this intention? With this new attitude he felt empowered and back in control of his life. Control doesn’t mean gettting exactly what you want – after all, he might speak to management about the  problems and receive a cold response. But at least after taking this action he will be more clear on the next step – and with this clarity comes a sense of purpose and meaning.

Next time you find yourself hoping for something, catch yourself and see how you might change that weak stance into a stronger and more intentful position. When you have intention you can develop a plan, and with a plan you are able to turn any eventuality into a success.

Many of the world’s top coaches, therapists and EFT practitioners are now delivering their services over the phone or Skype. Some, in fact, work only by phone and no longer see clients in person. I really enjoy working with clients in personal sessions at my office, but I am also appreciating the value of working at a distance.

Advantages of phone consultations

• It saves clients time and effort because it cuts out travelling
• It gives clients greater flexibility in choosing the times they are available for therapy
• It means therapist and client can meet even if they are in different parts of the world
• It makes ongoing work and follow-up sessions really easy

If you aren’t able to come and see me in my office, I can really recommend a telephone/Skype session. EFT and coaching can very easily be delivered by phone, but I would still recommend that hypnotherapy and past life work be done in person.

How it works

Just contact me by email or phone and we’ll set up a convenient time for the coaching/therapy session. I recommend a 1-hour session for phone consultations. Once the time is confirmed, I will send you payment details.

Okay, so let’s not let distance be an obstacle to greater health and wellness … do contact me and we’ll work together to get you feeling great!

Buy from Amazon

Just suppose for a moment that almost everything you believed about finding happiness turned out to be inaccurate, misleading or false. And suppose that those very beliefs were making you miserable.

Those are the provocative opening lines of the book The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris.  In this enjoyable and enlightening read, Harris describes how modern society has taken on a whole lot of beliefs about happiness that seem to make good sense but which are actually unrealistic and which set us up for disappointment.  The more we seek happiness, the more it eludes us.

Just test this on yourself before reading further. Which of these statements about happiness do you believe?

• Happiness is the natural state of all human beings
• If you’re not happy, you’re defective
• To create a better life, we must get rid of negative feelings
• You should be able to control what you think and feel

Most of us in modern society take these statements as common-sense truths, but they are actually just myths about happiness that keep us locked in the happiness trap.
There is a growing body of research that is showing just how little control we really have over what we think and how we feel. Essentially, our minds have evolved over thousands of years to be extremely cautious of anything that might lead us out of a comfort zone into new territory. This was an adaptation that served us well in the days when we had to be afraid of sabre-toothed tigers.

Now that we’ve got those tigers licked, however, we suddenly want to be happy and without fear. The trouble is, our brains are hard-wired to continually be comparing and evaluating the elements in our environment to detect opportunities or dangers. And once it’s picked up on even the slightest change or unknown element, it conjures up images of frightening outcomes to make sure we don’t do anything too hasty or foolish. The end result is that our minds are harshly self-critical and judgmental – a perfect recipe for psychological suffering.

And this is exactly where we fall into the happiness trap, because all the supposed experts – the well-meaning advisers, therapists, gurus and media stars – are telling us that we should be joyful and peaceful and fulfilled all of the time. They tell us that the object of our lives is to find happiness, and until we’ve achieved that we’re not really successful.  But here’s the point – happiness of this type is actually never going to be achieved. We’re just not set up for it.

The way out of the happiness trap is to make a place for psychological suffering and to redefine what we mean by happiness.  The common definition of happiness is “feeling good”. But Harris suggest a more realistic meaning of happiness involves “living a rich and meaningful life”. Happiness, by this definition, consists of acknowledging and accepting your inevitable psychological pain, and then making choices in support of things you truly value. This definition, with its emphasis on accepting pain and committing to value-inspired action, forms the basis of the new Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).  The Happiness Trap book is essentially a self-help book based on this approach to psychology.

Therapy in this context consists of becoming mindful  of our suffering and stepping into the observing self.  We need to break our personal identification with whatever is causing us pain so that the pain can still be there but we are no longer invested in it or ‘fused’ with it. Many people will recognize this as a very Buddhist approach, though ACT takes care not to align itself with any spiritual or religious practices.

I recommend this book as a very readable primer to ACT therapy and also as a revolutionary new way of overcoming stress, anxiety and depression. As therapists, we too often try to get rid of a client’s pain rather than showing them how to ‘be with’ their pain. But most of all, this approach can lead to a deep inner surrender and letting go of the need to be happy and to create a pain-free life. This is true acceptance and transcendence.

Public talk by Russel Brownlee

Venue: One Circle, 85 Main Rd Muizenberg
Date: Wednesday 30 March 2011 18h45 for 19h00 (until 20h30)

EFT is a mind/body healing modality that resolves the negative beliefs and traumatic memories underlying physical and emotional symptoms. It works by the simple action of tapping with the fingers on acupuncture meridian endpoints while thinking about the negative emotion or memory.

People can be forgiven for wondering how such a simple action can release deep-seated issues and traumas, which is why it really needs to be experienced to be appreciated. Hypnotherapist and EFT practitioner Russel Brownlee will discuss the concepts behind EFT and will give a demonstration that will equip participants with the ability to begin using the technique on themselves.

He will also share his insights on how EFT can be used for attracting wealth, creating harmonious relationships, and deepening one’s spiritual connection.

For more information on EFT, see the article Emotional Freedom through EFT .

If you are interested in learning more about EFT, or in actually learning EFT for personal or professional use, please join me in Muizenburg on the 30th.

I have identified at least 5 common reasons why we procrastinate:

1. Fear of failure – We fear things when we get out of the present moment and start worrying about the future. So we can look at a big task and think it’s way too much for us and we’ll never succeed. The way to stop this is to focus just on the bit in front of you. Start with a manageable portion and complete that. Then move on to the next bit. Stay in the moment. If you proceed like this you will move through the task easily.
2. Focusing on short-term discomfort – this is probably the biggest reason for procrastination. We focus on how uncomfortable we’ll feel while at the gym, and we lose sight of that great feeling that we get once our workout is over. Or we focus on the unpleasantness of an afternoon spent cleaning the garage and forget about the months of pleasure we’ll have from enjoying a clean working space.
3. Making the task seem bigger than it is – We focus on how much junk there is in the garage and then get overwhelmed by how big the task is, and so we never begin. The secret is simply to walk in and begin somewhere. In other words, break the task into manageable chunks. For example, just walk into the garage and tell yourself you’re only going to clean the workbench. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have given yourself a little success, and you’ll want a bit more. So you’ll clean the next bit. And so on. Or decide to go to gym and just do the treadmill. Then once you’ve actually done the treadmill you’ll start feeling good, and you’ll want to move on to the next exercise. This is a way of being kind to yourself and still getting the job done.
4. Thinking you have to be in the mood to do the job – The fact is, for some jobs we’ll never be in the mood. However, if you make an early start on a job, and you stay focused in the moment, the sense of achievement you get will start to make you feel good.
5. Failure to begin – When you don’t begin on time, you create a small sense of failure, and then you associate this negative feeling with the whole task. The trick is just to make a start, even if it’s a very small one. This little victory will make you feel good, and suddenly you’ll begin to see that the task might actually be easier and more pleasant than you thought.

But wait …

Sometimes there is a valid reason why we are not doing whatever we’ve decided we need to do. In such cases, it’s the inner mind trying to warn us about some unexpected consequences of continuing with the planned action. For example, deciding to wake up an hour earlier each day to go to the gym will not be in your best interests if you’re already working too hard and resting too little. Your inner mind is always trying to achieve the best state of being for you, and sometimes that means doing less rather than doing more.

Getting the balance right between doing too little and doing too much can be a bit of a challenge. As a general guideline, though, if you have to force yourself to do something you’re probably going about it in the wrong way. Try to find a way of doing it that inspires you and that makes you feel truly motivated. If you’re feeling motivated and inspired, and things still aren’t happening, then maybe they’re not meant to happen just yet.

Troubled by procrastination?

Contact me and we’ll get to work to find out what’s blocking you.