Donna Carter, C.Ht.

Daily Dose

2016-01-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

1. Smile at people. It's catchy.

2. Help someone. Do good. Feel good. You will thank yourself later with how good you feel! And when it works...tell them to pay it forward --words to live by. I know you're thinking "Pay it forward" is totally cliche since the movie came out. I don't care. I love the idea of paying it forward and if I have to be the start of such a movement...so be it.

3. Educate yourself on crappy food. ~grin~ you didn't expect me, with my very open hatred for all things 'poison' in our food, could have three tips and not mention this one, did you? Really? Eating Whole Real Foods....changes the way you think and look. It's good all over, why wouldn't you do it?

2015-08-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

HT Live 2015

Nothing is better than getting together with those
who think like you. I highly recommend it. Sharing stories, ideas & tools.
A few gold nuggets I came away with:
1. New connections with some amazing people.
2. Forensic Hypnosis interest.
3. Street Hypnosis is fun to watch.
4. I need to travel to the UK, a.s.a.p.
5. Hope is Realistic! (oh wait... I knew that.)

And everyone should learn Operant Conditioning regardless of their profession.
Ahem... I may be bias on that.

This is year 3... Here is a photo of a few of us collecting after a day of great talks !

HTLive 2014

2014-08-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

HT Live - Here we are Las Vegas 2014

Zero-Waste update

2014-01-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

After a week of zero-waste consciousness... my already smallest garbage for our service...was only half full this time. I've cut my garbage in half, in one week. I have been refusing to buy any items in a can or package. My thoughts are: No garbage in...no garbage out.
I think that should be my new motto. No garbage...no garbage...no garbage...
~grin.

2013-07-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

HT Live 2013
Love meeting people who want to talk 'behavior' like me. Yeah!

Japan in the News.

2011-03-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

My heart goes out to Japan. Absolutely devistating.
Here is an interesting and scary look at the earthquake and how it moved.

http://tinyurl.com/4jfmrnu

Zero-Waste Zone

2011-03-14T14:26:00.001-07:00

I've entered a new....area.
The idea of the Zero-waste lifestyle appeals to me at a deep level. I love the eco-friendliness of it.

Step 1 - unclutter your house... EVERYTHING (even closets and drawers and kitchen cabitnets!)

The beginning of it starts by cleaning clutter out of your house; renew it, reuse it, or recycle it. Once the house is cleaned out of things you don't use and don't need. It's time to start.

Step 2- consider each thing you buy or bring home.

If it has too much packaging...do you need it? Really? This applies to items purchased such as clothing and food purchased. What are you bringing home? The added benefit of becoming zero-waste conscious is how light you feel when you walk into your home. An uncluttered home....unclutters the mind.

Step 3 - I will fill in step three once I have completed step 1 & 2.

On the agenda today is more cleaning. I have a few more rooms to go and I will be ready to continue moving toward this fun, clean, living.

Calistoga Health & Wellness Festival

2010-12-27T12:28:00.001-08:00

It's that time of the year... where people can focus on what hasn't been working in their lives and what has been working.

The idea being, if something isn't working - it's time to do something different.

If something is working - do more of that!

This year for the Health & Wellness festival, after many requests, I decided to focus on weighloss success stories. Who are successful - as well as why and how!

Join me at the Health & Wellness Festival on January 8th & 9th....and don't miss my Lose the Weight (forever? ~eyebrows raised) seminar on the 9th of January @ 3:00p.m. at The Calistoga Spa.

Look forward to seeing you!

New Lizards...I must share!

2010-10-07T16:47:00.001-07:00

Here is the cutest little lizard saying hello to Bella!

Master your fears & phobias

2010-10-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

Isn't it nice to know - with hypnosis you can easily overcome fears and phobias. Hypnosis is extremely effective helping people with common and not so common anxieties. From fears of spiders, heights, elevators, closed spaces, to bigger things like panic attacks driving over bridges, driving your car, speaking in front of people - you name it, someone out there is afraid of it. The good news is... the opposite of anxiety is relaxation. Teaching the mind how to relax and learning how to respond to fearful stimulations in a more productive and calm manor... you can naturally see how this will change your life, can you not?

Have a prosperous day!

2010-05-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

I love this: Believe that you have received what you have asked for.

This has proven true in my life. Because, if I live...as if I have already received what I have asked for, my motivations and motions throughout the day, change. For example, when I believed that I could 'see' that college degree on my wall... It gave me the motivation to 'act' like a person would if they had the drive to do something like this. I went through the motions of calling the college, making financial arrangements, talking to all the people I needed to talk to in order to make it come about.

I'm sure the meaning to these words "believe that you have already received what you have asked for" could be understood in a variety of ways. For me, I have two ways of looking at it: the earlier one mentioned here and this one - I used it as a spring board to look at people who I respect, people I want to be more like... and ask myself, "If I was them how would I get this project done?" and then do what "I projected" they would do. It works!
And now... I don't think about what they would do, because I've done it. Now my question is: "How can I do it better?"

Repeat.

2010-04-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

Things to remember and ponder:
1. Anything that is reinforced is likely to occur again. (do I say that too often? Good! Remember it! More information on this in earlier posts)
2. Neurons that fire together, wire together. Everytime you think a thought and get a particular reaction...you strengthen that neural connection. You think it, you have a reaction. Think/reaction. Think/reaction. So, pretty soon you don't-even-have-to think-it, and you are doing a behavior. But, in actuality, you did think it. It happened so fast because it is 'wired' together. For example if you had anxiety one day while crossing a bridge and then the next time, you thought..."well, last time I crossed that bridge I had anxiety" which, reminded you and you developed feelings of anxiety again. Then the next time, you do it again... think it, create it. Pretty soon, you don't have to think it, just looking at a bridge gives you that anxious feeling. How many times have you said, "I wasn't thinking anything... I just had this feeling of anxiousness and it was for no reason!" Your thoughts are wired together. The beauty of this is... we have BILLIONS of neurons. Add a new reaction, even in imagination, and you can change your behavior.
Think a thought, see a new & wanted reaction, repeat.

Using hypnosis as an adjunct to Cancer treatment

2010-04-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

Let me share this. Here is an article on how Hypnosis enhances the quality of life for people with cancer. Helping them to keep focused on the goal, feeling that healing energy, relieving pain & stress. Stress in and of itself acts like a dis-ease. Letting go of burdens, concentrate on healing, focus on getting better, moving the thoughts to a more productive space; taking advantage of the mind & body connection to allow healing to take place. Here it is (enjoy): www.triroc.com/sunnen/topics/cancer.hypnosis.htm

What makes up your environment?

2010-02-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

I recently listened to Bruce Lipton's book: The wisdom of your cells. One gem (out of many) is this: He was told (when growing cells in a petri dish), if you come back tomorrow and those cells are not looking like they should, before you look at what might be wrong with the cells, be sure to first look at the environment.

I love this idea.
Considering... we, humans, are one big petri dish of cells.
One must ask, what did you allow in your environment today?

Low Libido?

2010-01-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

When is the last time you WANTED sex? Millions of women who have low libido also have lack of orgasm, is there a correlation? Many women who do not reach orgasm stop thinking about sex and actually avoid thinking about sex. Basic psychology knows 'anything that is reinforced is likely to occur again.' Could this be one reason why women who do not orgasm also report a low libido? It makes sense, if they were getting reinforced (by having orgasm) when having sex, they would be more likely to do it again. Maybe?
Could it be as simple as learning how to relax, letting go enough to feel the emotional connection that is required to fully enjoy sex and ultimately accomplish orgasm? Many women believe their lack of libido is their fault, 'It must be a dysfunction'.
As I study this issue it is showing many women lack the heat needed to become aroused. Results are showing that by imagining heat in all the right places it can jump start your sex life and create neural connections that, quite possibly, might last a lifetime. If you or anyone you know is lacking libido and would like to jump start their love life... hypnosis taps into that part of the imagination that can create the heat. It works. It's fun. It's educational.
Sexual Enhancement MP3's will be available March 2010.
You deserve to enjoy sex as much as your partner.
Ladies, it's time to use your mind!

Solutions for the New Year

2010-01-05T17:27:00.000-08:00

Join me on January 10th, 2 p.m. - Calistoga Spa Conference Room, Downtown Calistoga.

New Year resolutions are one of the most common ways people try to change their behavior. Starting off the New Year with good intentions, only to slip back into our old, unwanted behavior, before the end of January! This year, let us make solutions. Learn how to implement these solutions and achieve your goals in life.

This talk will be on how the brain works and how you can use this knowledge to achieve the goals you want to achieve. This hour will be a gift to yourself: motivate you, excite you, and quite possibly…change your life.

See you there.

Small set back leads to forward movement

2009-10-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

I out-ran my treadmill...about 3 weeks ago. It is amazing how one shift in the schedule can really put a stick in your spokes! Not only did I stop running, because (my excuse) I only like to run on my treadmill. HEY, I have an inner ear issue and looking down while running outdoors (so as not to run in a pothole and twist an ankle) makes me dizzy! What? Yes, well...we all have our issues don't we? It is what it is.
So, back to my treadmill. After it broke, I quickly reverted back to my old slower paced lifestyle, added a few cooked meals in my diet, ate a few cookies (eeww...did I just admit that?) and promptly - caught a cold. First one I have had in a long time.
Thankfully, my husband diligently searched for a new Treadmill. Which, I must point out...I received this awesome creature tonight and it is BEYOND what I was expecting. It is beautiful. I could blame it on his amazing skills at finding great buys - but no - this was more about people being in your path at the right time. A kind of...serendipity. I have every reason to believe that the person who offered the sale of this beautiful treadmill will have goodness and good energy coming his way today and many days to come. Do I sound like I'm in love with my treadmill??? ~haha~ Well you guessed it...I think it was love at first sight!

Circle of Influence

2009-09-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

Who is your circle of influence?
If you want to make changes in your life to benefit yourself and those closest to you...it's important to look at those people who spend the better part of a day with you.
This is a known: Influence is inevitable simply by your being there.
This means...it changes/alters your behavior if only one other person is in your presence.
Who is an influence in your life?

It also means...you can change/alter another person's behavior just by being in their presence.
How do you use that influence? Responsibly?
Make it a plan to spread goodness.... to those around you.
Surround yourself with what you want. Be it...books, people, lifestyle, sounds, smells, etc.... all play a part in influencing you.
Be aware of influence.

Goals & Challenges

2009-06-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't call myself a couch potato. I mean, I'm fairly active - I might be considered a french fry. ~grin. I am not so active as to volunteer to jog for pleasure (what?) or go on long hikes. It hasn't really been my thing. My thing has always been more mental health and nutritional health. This new move into muscular health is much needed.

One great hypnosis session and I was motivated to wallow in the depths of my closet to find some workout clothes (bought years ago with good intentions).

My new goal: a 10k or half marathon.

~The people who know me are still having a hard time fitting the word 'running' with my name.~

After some great advice - I traveled to the local Fleet Feet, had them assess my feet, recommend a shoe, and some moisture wicking socks. (Extra expense spent on good shoes saves money later with less injuries)

I started looking for books that would be in line with my goals of getting fit. The lastest educational book find is: The thrive diet. Great for people who want to exercise and eat the right things to have maximum recovery.

Also, I was clued into a wonderful training schedule (even for the couch potato) at runnersworld.com. I printed off a copy of it and posted it in my kitchen. I'm marking off the days as I do them.

This all began June 1st.

My report: I have a new favorite smoothie straight from the Thrive Diet book. Lemon juice, blueberries, ground flax, and ingredients that create a refreshing lemonade feel. Yummy!

Also, if I add sprouted or soaked nuts, grains, or seeds to my morning smoothie it really boosts my energy for the day!

It's been three weeks. I look better, I feel great, I haven't missed a day of training, and...I have lost 8 lbs.

I will keep you posted on how LONG my motivation lasts.

One more step toward practicing what I preach.

Hypnosis...changes lives.

~Centered~

2009-05-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

What a great word.
Definition: Self-confident, goal-oriented, and well-balanced.
If you take a moment and...slowly...breathe out frustration...all the way out and then slowly
breathe in... self-confidence.
It is like breathing in good energy, can you feel it?

What are you afraid of?

2009-05-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

I LOVE hypnosis, have I said that lately? I love it for myself and I love it for others.

Hands down...it works!

I love it.

My latest thrill... helping people with their fear of Hot Air Balloons. I live in one of the most beautiful areas in the world and this valley has a love for Hot Air Balloons and early morning rides. If it is something you would love to do, but are fearful... look no further than Hypnosis! Your next stop: Rising up and catching a current...don't forget to bring your camera.

Are your gates opened?!

2009-03-02T17:16:00.001-08:00

I thought I would share this with you because it is so interesting and it is, I believe, the reason that hypnosis is so effective with pain. What I am talking about is something called the Gate Theory of Pain. When humans feel pain, it is because nerves send signals through the nervous system, through the spinal cord, to the brain. Once these signals make it to the brain, we feel pain. It is believed that there are certain gates that can be opened or closed with our thoughts. Anxiety, depression and stress can keep these gates open. Having positive thoughts, being calm and relaxed can close these pain gates, helping to reduce discomfort. Hypnosis is awesome at helping a person remain calm in stressful situations, helping a person maintain that positive outlook and relaxing right into...closing the pain gates.

Hypnosis works to alleviate pain secondary to: Back Strain, IBS, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Migraines & Headaches, Rheumatoid arthritis, Spinal cord injuries, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Nerve injuries, Cancer/Chemo, and numerous other conditions.

The Story of Stuff

2009-03-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Check this out...

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

What are you eating?

2009-02-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

How many times have you went on a diet only to become frustrated and angry with the long term results? Maybe it is time to change the way you think about the problem. I would like to suggest - instead of looking to cut back on the time of day you eat, where you eat, or how much you eat... maybe instead, let us focus on WHAT you eat.
I invite you to take a few weeks to eat as much as you want, anytime you want, anywhere you want... with only one rule: 85% of the time - eat food that has less than three ingredients. Vegetables, fruits, nuts & seeds. Drink water (add some lemon to it! for a spicy drink). Not only will you feel better for going toward a healthy lifestyle, you will be full...of good food, so you will be able to satisfy your hunger every time. Buy carrots, almonds, yogurt raisins, granola (can have more than 3 ingredients if all the ingredients are good for you) - for snacks!

Let us make Solutions

2009-01-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

To start off this new year...
let us look at how we treat a (re)solution.
This year, let us change the wording. If you consider the fact that we have spent years sticking (and unsticking) to new year's resolutions... you will notice a trend. It is practically inferred that resolutions do not work...because people make them year after year - the same resolutions, with a history of failure. Is it any wonder that we have fallen off the resolution wagon by February (or maybe even earlier...dare I say January 6th)? After failure time and time again, year after year - how can we convince ourselves that this year will be different? I have to think that "to stick" implies that it can be unstuck. Maybe, we should super glue it?
Better yet, let us solve it (whatever "it" is).
Let us take a moment to reflect... and ask ourselves; What is the reason we have the issue that we have?
Our thoughts can change our reality. Pay particular attention to the thoughts that surround 'the issue' that we have. If we have a habit of saying, to ourselves or others, "I always smoke after I eat." change that to "I never smoke after I eat." or maybe it is, "I have a weakness for chocolate." we can change that to, "I only like chocolate occasionally."
I realize it is easier through hypnosis to change these behaviors, however...we can make serious progress by becoming self aware. By telling ourselves how we wish we behaved, acting as if our desired behavior is already so, can help us change our behavior. Repeat, repeat, repeat.