Hope and Giggles

Tony Robbins Awaken the Giant Within Honest Review

2016-10-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

Why this book? I prefer to simply share my experience, rather than try to sell you something. I consider the fact that you are reading this right now evidence that proves you are a smart person, because only smart people pay attention to me. You are an intelligent person with good judgement, so I will tell what it was like, what happened, and what it's like now, and leave you to make your own decisions.

I was in pretty rough shape...

I had been lying on my couch for about six days. Even the smallest movements caused a thousand needle sharp shards of pain to shoot through every fiber of every muscle, every bone, joint, and every cell of any other body part or organ I was unfortunate enough to be inhabiting at the time. At the end of the sofa was a television. It was left on the community channel 24/7 so I could watch the clock. On the rare occasions I slept for more than ten minutes at a time, I was claiming victory. I'd given up going to doctors with this where nothing was done, and I was treated as if I was faking. Being in need of a disability check can cause people to become suspicious.

I figured I was dieing and was perplexed at why it was taking me so long. I had heard a body cannot survive more than three days without food or water. This was day six, so I gave up on dieing.

I felt I was getting past the worst of it. This wasn't my first bout, so I knew that they passed. The pain, shaking, and weakness on my right side would remain, but not so bad that I couldn't stand up and take a few steps.

Across the living room was the computer my teen children had promised me free housework for life to buy. The last of the precious money I had from when I was working went on the purchase. It was worth it to hear them say they would help me clean the house.

When I was working, I considered the computer a waste of time best left to the children, but considerable time couch ridden in the same room as them had taught me enough to know how google something. I liked the YouTube videos they showed me.

I went to YouTube because I wasn't going to be able to sit up for long, and thought it might be nice to listen to something helpful while lying down. I searched "help me" and saw many versions of the Beatles song. That wasn't going to do it for me.

This is when I laughed at myself for remembering Tony Robbins in the movie Shallow Hal, and how he was the guy who could fix everyone's problems. I thought he was a joke. I needed a good laugh, so I searched Tony Robbins.

I watched a couple of short videos from the eighties and managed a chuckle. Like seriously, this goofy guy was going to solve my impossible situation? Lol, okay, I needed to get back to the couch. I found a long one, "Tony Robbins Seminar in Japan". I clicked on it and limped back to the sofa.

After lying there for a time, some of what he had to say was starting to make sense. I thought about how I had already tried every pill, therapy, twelve step program, and alternative medicine healing thing I could find, and I had given up thinking there was any help for me. Why not try this? What do I have to lose? I'm bored silly anyway, and my body refuses to die, so why not let this duffus entertain me?

I naturally began studying NLP (neuro linguistic programming) as this was what Tony had studied, and fell in love with the idea that maybe all of my problems were being caused by my own poorly programed brain. I taught myself to walk again, without a limp. I quit drinking. My health improved. For the first time in a long time I felt hopeful.

I wanted more so I googled Tony, called the number I found, and asked how much to buy one of his programs. It was over three hundred dollars. I told the nice young man on the other end of the line I didn't have that kind of money. I was surprised at how easy going he was about it and offered no sales pitch.

He just said "That's okay. If you go to your local book store and buy a copy of Awaken the Giant Within, that'll tell you anything you need to know."

It cost me $20 Canadian, that was $16 US, and it was a good deal. It's a big book, with over 500 pages of good advice, useful information, inspiring stories, and little exercises you can do. I didn't follow everything to the letter, because I'm just not like that, but there was plenty in there for me to think about and do. I'm not too fond of his dieting advice, but I do pay attention to what I eat now, knowing healthy food is the best fuel.

Another thing I really like about this book is the best quotes are written in bold. When I was in detox, and my eyesight was too poor to see fine print, I was able to go through the whole book, reading only the parts I could see.

It's on my coffee table right now. I can see "The past doesn't equal the future" and "All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs". This is just from where the book fell open. Now that I have it out, I think I will read the bold print parts again. It's very inspiring. Seven years later and I'm still referring back to it from time to time.

I checked in with myself at the one year point. I was still broke but I was certainly more successful than I was, I was happy, and I wasn't dying anymore.

I learned success isn't just about money. Money is good, but so is health, relationships, self esteem, contribution, and happiness.

Today Mr. Robbins isn't such a huge part of my life anymore. I learned all that could be useful, then moved on to other teachers to find out what they have that works. Quite frankly, I'm not that thrilled with what Tony's up to today. I think his old stuff is better. Awaken the Giant Within is, in my humble opinion, his best work.

My life is not yet perfect. I still have a little bit of fibromyalgia and essential tremor left over, but nothing compared to what it once was. I have regained full use of the right side of my body. I am sober. I live in a lovely little cottage by the beach, a vast improvement over the where I once lived. I have a loving relationship with my family. I have a YouTube channel that helps a lot of people. I like myself. I'm not wealthy, after some changes at YouTube I'm still earning slightly less than my monthly expenses, but I'm certainly better off than I was, my income is slowly increasing, and I am feeling hopeful about the future. If you do buy a copy of this book, I will earn a small commission and this would be very helpful.

I highly recommend Awaken the Giant Within, not just to those who are in a terrible place, but to anyone who would like to enjoy more success in anything they would like to be successful in.

The 5 Fs of Anxiety: Fight Flight Freeze Feed and Fornicate

2016-09-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Are You Sure You Know What Anxiety Really Is?

I'm often surprised when I talk to people about their anxiety, and they have a good grasp of what their symptoms are, but they don't seem to know much about what is causing them. Some may already know it is their anxious thoughts, but that is only part of the equation. The physical symptoms of anxiety are caused by a misguided fight or flight response. It's instinct. If we were animals we may be stuck this way, but we are lucky to be human and able to use our knowledge and will to retrain our instincts. This is a good thing because I don't think any of us would like to be stuck with anxiety forever.

Before I go further, I would like to rename the fight or flight response to the five Fs; fight, flight, freeze, feed, and fornicate. Please allow me to explain further.

Most people with anxiety recognize the flight response first. They become fearful and avoid or leave situations.

A lot of people with anger management issues don't realize their outbursts of temper are really anxiety attacks.

I think freeze is easy enough to understand, if you have ever been expected to speak in front of a crowd, only to have your mouth refuse to move. Ever gone quiet, afraid to speak or move in a social situation? Freezing can be mistaken for depression. Someone is so afraid of failure, the just stay still and do nothing at all.

Feeding is easy to spot if you are prone to anxiety eating, but I'm also going to throw most addictions into this basket. There once was a time, long, long ago when it was a good survival mechanism to load up on food if the future looked uncertain. Today this can manifest itself as the need to satisfy any hunger, whether it be natural or substance induced.

I've been laughed at for mentioning this last one. I'm sticking to my guns. I've seen it over and over, and lived it a few times myself. If you were an evolving human many thousands of years ago, in an unsafe environment, wouldn't it make good sense to mate? Sex forms strong instinctive bonds. People would fight or even die for the right mate. Wouldn't that up your chances of survival? Nowadays this can show up as getting into bad relationships, promiscuity, sex addiction, relationship addiction, inability to be single, hyper dependence, excessive jealousy, possessiveness, and all manner of other romantic problems.

It's helpful to know what your instinctive reactions are. Do you get angry, afraid, depressed, addicted, fall in love with the wrong person, or engage in sexual activity you are not very happy about? If you just answered "all of the above", that's okay, you are not alone. Once you have spotted your instinctive anxiety reactions, you can be happy you have this higher mind and will. This is what you have to start making those changes you would like to make.

You can trade in your insecure thoughts for secure ones, and practise this ahead of time, so it becomes habit. You can also pay attention to your body and feel these visceral responses, as they occur, and learn how to not only think a more secure thought, but take control of your physiology, by consciously breathing slow, deep, and even, like a relaxed person would breathe. Consciously relaxing your stomach muscles, and some other ones as well, like your hands. Consciously use your will to direct your muscles, on the outside also. "I use my will to direct my muscles to get up and..." or "I use my will to direct my muscles to sit down and....." please fill in the blanks with what you think is the next right thing to do, or that thing you are about to do but know you shouldn't. If you would like to have fun with this, you can think of your will as your own magic super power. "With my almighty will I command my muscles to move me out of bed and towards the kitchen!" Once you are in the kitchen, you may have a maniacal laugh, like you are about to take over the world. If you are able to laugh and be a little silly, you get x1000 extra bonus speed points towards your recovery.

Remember you are in charge now. Sit, stand, and walk like a confident person. It sends a message to yourself you've got this. It takes time and patience to retrain an anxiety response. Think of yourself as a loving parent to yourself. You will be kind, not push too hard, and not let yourself totally off the hook either. You will love yourself, expect setbacks, but be ready to regroup and try something a little easier next time. Keep your eyes on the prize and remember the payoff. Freedom to comfortably live your life how you choose, and become who you were really meant to be.

This video is here just in case you have never tried sleep hypnosis for anxiety. It is another thing you can try to help you learn to calm down, relax, and feel good, while you go to sleep, and after you get up as well.

Some Very Important Questions You Need To Answer About Your Depression

2016-07-31T09:47:00.001-07:00

Before, after, or if you listen to this recording, you may like to ask yourself these very important questions about your depression. I found these extremely helpful on my journey out of the darkness and into the light. I've heard you have to name it to tame it, and keeping track of your progress can give you the important feedback you need to know what's working for you, and what is best left behind.

So here are the questions; How often? How long? How deep or severe? and How much damage are you doing to yourself and others while it is happening? (I know, that last one is a toughy, but please do not despair, it has a happier answer than you may think.

Back in the day, I would have answered these questions this way. Almost all of the time, for several years, I've lost the will to live, the only thing keeping me alive is I don't want the kids to see the body, and I'm drinking myself to death, ruining my health, and traumatizing my children. Ouch! That was painful. I'm so glad that is so long gone behind me, but I needed to say it to illustrate how bad things can get. If you do answer these questions honestly, and you don't have to right now if it is too painful, you can wait till you are feeling better, because then it will be more encouraging, because you will have made some progress, please know this is your bottom, your pivot point, where you turn around, and sometimes two steps forward and one back, start going in a new and exciting direction.

If you are waiting to feel better before you take your self assessment, you could just do it this way for now. You can answer these questions as if you have already gotten past your depression and are living a happy and productive life. If you do, as you answer the questions, try to feel the way you would feel if this were true for you today. Your brain chemistry is not very good at telling the difference between what is real or imagined so this is an excellent way to reward yourself in advance for all of the good things you are about to do.

Here are my answers for today. About once every six months, for a few hours, it sits on the surface like a feeling of restless discontent, and I very quickly notice this is how I am feeling and take steps to put myself straight that are of great benefit to myself and others. Yay! That's certainly much more fun.

There are people in the world who are genetically programed for joy and will be happy in any situation, and then there are the rest of us, who have to work at it. That's okay. It can be happy, fun work, an exciting adventure into your own mind, body, and spirit. Winning is good, and you can win.

This first video for self healing help is what I hope to be the first of many that will provide a cohesive system of self help that will help you change the answers to the before mentioned questions so you too can be free. I would like to include sleep hypnosis videos, because they are a good idea, but also short morning meditations, things you can listen to in the daytime while doing other things, and maybe even a workbook where you can track your progress, and try out exercises to see which ones work best for you. I also might include some fun little bits to fluff, here and there, to lighten up the mood.

I'm very excited about this. It feels like a new direction to me, as I remember the time many years ago when I shouted out to I-don't-know-what "If I ever get free of this, I will dedicate my life to making sure no other human being ever has to feel what I am feeling right now." Lofty goal, to be sure, so for now I will just keep climbing the mountain with you, one step at at a time, and know if one person feels even a little bit better, I'm having a great day.

Why Bother With Downloads?

2016-07-29T11:35:00.003-07:00

The most obvious answer is it is a cheap, easy way to have one of my recordings available to you, commercial free, any time you would like, or anywhere you have something to play it on. If you don't like this idea, that's perfectly okay, I'll still be making my recordings available for free on YouTube for as long as they will let me. They're pretty happy with me right now, so I'm guessing that will be for a long time.
Another good reason why you may like to purchase one of these inexpensive recordings is the vast majority of this revenue goes to me, and I use this money to take care of my expenses, like pay off the credit card bill for the mini home recording studio setup I just bought, so you can enjoy better quality sound. If you are reading this right now, you are probably helping me with this, and I thank you, because I'm having so much fun learning to use this new toy. I spend many, many hours listening to my own sound as I'm editing, and I also like to listen while I fall asleep sometimes too. I know I'm much happier hearing this nicer new sound. I'm sure a few others will feel the same way.
I have included a link in this post to buy my newest recording, Sleep Hypnosis for Depression Self Healing Help, from the CDBaby music store. I've been dealing with them for years and like this company. (unpaid endorsement) If downloads aren't your thing, or you would like to hear the whole thing first to make sure you like it, you can listen to this on YouTube for free, in a few days.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jodywhiteley14

Thanks so much to my followers, and if any of you feel helpful, you could let me know in the comments exactly how I go about following you back, if you have a blog here. I'm slightly embarrassed to say I'm not completely comfortable with the interface here yet. lol,

What Is Depression?

2016-07-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

What is depression?
I would define it as happiness deficit disorder.
I don't think it makes much of a difference whether you have wet depression, where you cry, or dry depression, where you feel nothing at all and are emotionally dehydrated. Either way, you are not happy, and would probably like to feel better.
How did you get this way?
People can become depressed for a variety of reasons, and what made you this way is not as important as what you can do to feel better, but for curiosity sake, I'm going to talk about a few here.
First of all you probably have a hereditary predisposition towards depression, and if you think this is the case, please do not despair. No, seriously, don't, it will only make it worse. Some people are born to be happy go lucky individuals with a generally optimistic outlook, who don't stay down for too long if things don't go their way, and then there are the rest of us who have to work at it and learn how to be happy on purpose.
I am part of the latter group and can tell you first hand depression is no longer a problem for me and I am a happy person. I'm also not special. Millions of people have overcome this painful disorder and are living happy and productive lives today. You could be one of them.
You may also be depressed due to a trigger, like a loss or other bad thing that you didn't like. It showed up as a normal reaction, dug in, and stayed. Ouch. The good news is there are ways to become unstuck.
I also think some people become depressed because they have become bored. They have stopped growing, changing, reaching, achieving, and are stuck in a rut. A rut can be safe. It can also be slowly killing your soul. Anxiety can play a role in this. I will be addressing anxiety in future posts.
So what do you do about it?
There are lots of things that can be done and some of them I will not talk about here. I will not discuss medication because I'm not a doctor, I'm not qualified, and I don't know much about your individual situation. I am medication free, except for a very occasional St. John's wort, and I'll leave your choices about medication up to you.
I also can't tell you much about individual or group therapy. For some people this is a life saver, and for others it does more harm than good. My own experience was these helps seemed to want to focus more on disease than wellness, and feeling better was viewed with a jaundiced eye at best, discouraged somewhere in the middle, and at it's worst, I was angrily dumped by a therapist for getting well. You may have a better counsellor than this.
Addiction is also another topic, but I will add that once I was less depressed and had trusted tools for feeling better, I was able to quit drinking.
So what am I going to talk about?
I'm going to talk about the things I did to beat my depression and become a happy, relaxed, person who is having a really good time. I would like to talk about things like hypnosis, meditation, cognitive behavioural therapy that works, not the kind that doesn't, things you can do for your physical brain to make it healthier so it can function at it's best, spirituality for people who believe in god, and spirituality for atheists, because they shouldn't miss out on the fun and shouldn't be forced to believe in something they don't to join in. This list can go on and on. Basically it's about anything I've found to work to help people feel better.
As you may have already guessed this little blurb I am writing is an introduction to the work I will be doing over the next several months. My statistics at YouTube, and the personal stories I have read at YT and at Facebook, all lead me to believe that putting together a cohesive system of help for depression, anxiety, self confidence, and emotional healing would be putting myself to my highest and best use.
It is my sincerest hope that you will come with me on this journey, taking and using what you find useful, and discarding that which is not for you. Wish me luck and I'm sending warm wishes you feel better soon if you are depressed, or continue to feel happy if that is where you are right now.
Peace out, love to all, bye for now.

Free Hypnosis Script

2012-10-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sleep Hypnosis for Lucid Dreaming a Free Hypnosis Script

Welcome to sleep hypnosis for lucid dreaming. My name is Jody and I will be your guide for this experience. Please make yourself as comfortable as possible. Lying down on a bed or sofa would be ideal but if these comforts are not available to you right now, no worries, you can still practice your lucid dreaming skills sitting in a chair or sitting crossed legged on the floor. If you ordinarily meditate, your favourite meditation position will do just fine and you could use this hypnosis session as a guided meditation if you would like. If you are ready to start lucid dreaming right now or if you are practising for the next time you go to bed or take a nap either way you will be learning to train your mind and body to become used to slipping into a hypnagogic state at will so you can enjoy a healthy mind improving adventure in the world of your dreams where anything is possible.

First it is best to set our intentions for this time you have set aside to relax, enjoy, and improve your self and your sleeping experience. This session will be to practice and improve upon your ability to wake up in your dream and realise you are dreaming or remain awake while you slip into a dream. We will also do some work on control of your dream environment, your enjoyment of it, and learning to free yourself to do whatever it is you would like to do while you are asleep.

Perhaps you would like to fly or perform other acts that defy this reality. As you lie as still as you possibly can without becoming uncomfortable or distressed, and you listen to the sound of my voice, at any time you may find yourself drifting off to sleep. You may follow this feeling into sleep if you would like or you may prefer to stay awake until this recording is over. Either one is the right choice. This time you have set aside is about you and your enjoyment of your dream experience so you may choose whatever feels best for you. If you do drift off to sleep and notice yourself dreaming you may look for dream signs. These are things that commonly happen in your dreams that are not likely or possible in your normal waking reality. Look for things that are unusual and defy normal logic. Being able to fly, melting hills, houses with multiple rooms for the same purpose, are examples of dream signs. We will talk more about dreams signs later. Right now it is time to relax, breath deeply and softly, and allow yourself to sink deeper into any reality you would like to find yourself in. If you are new to lucid dreaming it is best if you take a moment to remember some things you commonly dream about and choose something that is close to or the same as one of these dreams. If you don't ordinarily remember your dreams this is a good time to set your intentions to do so. This is a good time to make a mental note to remember and consider your dreams upon awakening. Keeping a dream journal is recommended and very helpful but if that seems like too much work that's OK This is also a good time to completely relax and be as lazy as you would like to be. You don't even need to focus or concentrate on my words if you don't want to. You can lie still and just enjoy relaxing while listening to the sound of my voice without doing any mental work at all. You can breath deeply and softly becoming more and more relaxed with each breath and fully concentrate on how pleasant it feels to simply relax and leave all your troubles behind for a time. Right now there is nothing you need to do or take care of. There is nothing you need to concentrate on or figure out. You can allow your mind to just drift and wander if you would like. You can relax knowing soon you will be able to fly into whatever reality you would like. As you feel yourself becoming more relaxed you can take note and remind yourself to remember your dreams.

You can remind yourself to to write down your dreams immediately upon awakening or you can simply remember to think about and consider your dreams when you wake up so you can store them in your waking memory. Whatever you think will work best for you is the right answer and right now there are no wrong answers. There is only this time for you to relax and enjoy how comfortable you are becoming as you sink a little deeper into relaxation with each deep soft slow cleansing breath. With each breath you are observing your body and feeling how relaxed it is becoming, feeling safe and secure. Ultimately you will be the one who is always in control of your experience. If at any time you feel, see, or hear anything unusual you can relax into whatever is happening knowing you are completely safe. If at any time you would like to break your trance and return to full waking awareness you can simple take a sharp, quick intake of breath and this will wake you up but for right now it is OK to just simply relax into whatever feelings present themselves and enjoy feeling your body falling asleep while you observe this wonderfully relaxing feeling.

As you start to fall asleep you can do so with the intention that you will lucidly dream. You have set your intention that you will be awake and aware while you are dreaming and you will be able to remember what this feels like. You may turn your attention to the muscles in your face and notice how they relax and settle. You forehead smooths and relaxes and all the little muscles around your eyes relax and release all tension. Your cheeks relax, your jaw unclenches and may fall open a little bit as your lips are slightly parted. You can pay special attention to all the little muscles around your eyes and jaw and feel how they feel once they have let go of all the tension they were hanging on to and simply release it to wherever tension goes once it isn't needed any more. If you haven't already closed your eyelids you may want to do so now as you may notice they are becoming very warm, relaxed and heavy. So warm and heavy you may even feel them melting onto the tops of your cheeks. Just melting closed and feeling so relaxed. Behind your warm heavy eyelids your eyes are looking straight ahead at the backs of your closed eyelids to see whatever it is they see there. You may see specks of light, colours, or images and it is OK to just enjoy the show and find the little show projected onto the backs of your eyelids interesting. You don't need to push or make anything happen right now you can just relax and see what happens.

As you watch the back of you eyelids you may begin to dream. If you do you can look for dream signs. You could check out your body to see if there is anything different. Perhaps you could count your fingers. For some reason when people are dreaming they often have difficulty counting their fingers or coming up with the right number or fingers. When you are dreaming you can count your fingers or run a scan of your body to see if everything is the same as when you are awake, or you can just relax and allow your mind to drift and wander, drift and wander, deeper and deeper. If you are beginning to fall asleep that's OK. You can just allow yourself to drift off to sleep if you would like. As you are just beginning to fall asleep you may hear some sounds. You may hear buzzing or vibrations. You could hear someone say your name. If you do hear sounds or voices, no worries, this is just yourself beginning to dream while you are awake and it is nothing to be afraid of. You can relax into this experience and listen to the voices knowing this is a good sign you are beginning to lucidly dream. Remember to stay conscious and alert to anything about your body that doesn't look normal, take note of what you observe, and remind yourself to remember what you have seen. If you have any unusual feelings in your body, like tingling, numbness, or vibrations, these too are signs you are entering the hypnagogic level of consciousness and you can relax and enjoy this feeling. These sensations can be very interesting and are no different than what happens to every person every time they fall asleep only you will be lucky enough to be awake to enjoy these feelings.

Any time during your day you can check things while you are awake to let yourself know these are your dream signs. You can count your fingers, flip a light switch, or look at the clock. These are things that often behave differently while you are dreaming and being in the habit of checking them when you are awake can help you know when you are dreaming. You could do this right now if you are still awake. You could imagine yourself counting your fingers. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, and take note of how this looks while you are awake. If you are asleep and this exercise has an odd outcome you can take note of this and remind yourself to remember how this is when you are dreaming. You could see yourself flicking a light switch right now and see what happens, take note, and set your intention to remember what it is like to flick the light switch when you are awake or asleep. Now let's try looking at the clock. You can imagine the clock being any time you would like it to be. This can be any clock you would like. Imagine yourself looking at the clock and take note of the time. Now look away at something else for a moment and look back at the clock. If you're awake the logical part of your brain can give you a time that makes sense. If you are sleeping, you might notice something unusual. Remember to choose these things to be your cues to let you know when you are dreaming.

If you are having an afternoon nap right now this is an ideal time to have a lucid dream. You may also set your alarm to wake you very early in the morning so you can go back to sleep at the hight of your REM cycle where your dreams are the longest. If you are going to bed for the night right now you can set your intention to wake up after you dream so you can commit your dream to your waking memory. If at any time you feel yourself becoming so relaxed you are drifting off to sleep you can imagine yourself spinning. You can imagine yourself standing in one spot and spinning round and round. As you are spinning round and round you can imagine yourself spinning into a dream you have had before or you have often. As you spin round and round you can imagine yourself stopping a little dizzy in any world you choose. If you are in a dream and want to stay in it or go deeper you can spin round and round and spin yourself deeper into the dream. If you notice yourself waking up you can will yourself back into sleep and spin around until you are back in your dream. You can learn how to prepare your mind to lucid dream right now. This is what you are doing right now. You are preparing your mind to fall asleep and be able to know when you are dreaming and be in control of your dreams.

As you lie here right now you are learning how to lucidly dream. You are very good at this and will learn quickly and easily. As you lie here right now you are preparing a plan for your sleep. You are preparing a plan that will enable you to be fully aware of what is going on in your body and mind while you are asleep. As you lie here right now you know you will be able to repeat this plan any time you are asleep and notice you are dreaming. You are relaxing and just letting your mind go as you are learning to gradually fall asleep without losing consciousness. While you are gradually falling asleep you may notice your breathing, how soft and relaxed it has become. You may breath the way you would breath if you were trying to convince someone you were completely asleep. Deep deep down in a very deep, still, restful sleep. You could breath the way you would breath if you were in the most deepest level of sleep anyone could be in. Completely still and peaceful. As you drift off to sleep you can take note of any imagery you may see and perform your plan to remember your dream. You can remind yourself you are dreaming and know you will wake up when you choose to so you can write your dream down or simply consider it and commit it to your waking memory. You can check your fingers, a light switch, or a clock to see if you are dreaming. If you want to stay in your dream you can spin deeper into it. If you wake up you can will yourself back to sleep or spin yourself into and old dream or a new one. You could try smiling to stay in your dream. This may sound like nonsense but that's OK. Nonsense is the language of dreams. The part of your brain that deals with logic and making sense of things can relax now and watch this other reality where things don't have to make sense and anything is possible. You can watch and wait as you fall asleep and remember any time you see anything bizarre or unusual. This is something interesting that you can take note of and remember when you chose to wake up.

You can watch your hands and how they move when they do things. Your hands may not feel normal. There may be something unusual about them as they do something they usually do. Knobs, dials, buttons, or light switches may also behave differently. You will become alert to these things and practice your plan to remember your dream. Now take a moment to make a survey of your body. How does your body feel right now? Is there any tension or trapped energy anywhere that needs to be released? I want you to take a survey of your entire being right now to see if there is any tension or trapped negative energy anywhere in your mind, body, or spirit that needs to be released to wherever these things go so you can have blissfully wonderful dreams. Wherever you may notice this simply release it an let it go. Give it away to wherever it goes. Notice it for a moment and give it permission to leave. Allow it to let go of any hold it may have on you. That's right, just notice it and allow it to go. Give yourself permission to let it go. You know it just isn't needed any more. Give yourself permission to relax completely in every part of your body. Allow every fibre of every muscle to just let go of any tension or anxiety. Anything that might be causing tension or discomfort can just go. You can shift into your most comfortable position now if you would like to or you can just lie the way you are if that is too much effort right now because right now you are allowing yourself to be as lazy as you would like to be. Once you know you are completely comfortable you can stay still in this position while you fall asleep if you are not asleep already. If you feel the urge to move or roll over you can resist this urge now because it would be too much work, and it would wake you up, and right now you just want to go to sleep. To move around now would just wake you up and you are enjoying sinking deeper and deeper into comfortable relaxation and sleep. Allow anything that is causing you tension or discomfort to just go away so you can enjoy this time that you have put aside for yourself to learn something new and wonderful. And at this moment I want you to allow the energy that is peace and love to fill you so you can have the best dreams that you will be able to remember and enjoy when you are awake.

I want you to feel all the good positive energy and emotions as this surrounds you and feel it soaking into your body as a physical feeling. Feel it coming up through the bottom portion of your body as if it were a real warm melting thing filling the lower portion of your body and know with this feeling comes wonderful dreams full of interesting adventures. You can feel this energy, warm and loving, just filling you up, going up into your torso, through the main part of your body, and reaching every point, from your toes to your fingertips, all the way up to the top of your head. Feel this warm, relaxed feeling flooding you with positive energy and emotions. Feel the wonderful strength and warmth as you enter your dreams unafraid. You may feel the sun on your face or the wind in your hair. As you imagine a familiar or favourite dream.

You are in control of your emotions and your feelings. Whenever you find yourself in a situation where you are dreaming you will be in control of what happens. As relaxed and comfortable as you are now you can still go many times deeper into this feeling. I am going to count from ten to one as you go deeper and deeper into sleep. You can listen to the sound of my voice and count with me or you can just relax and let your mind drift and wander. You can still go many times deeper into this feeling without concentrating on the sound of my voice if you would just like to relax and enjoy the feeling of going deeper and deeper into a warm comfortable sleep. If you fall completely asleep, that's OK there will still be a part of your mind that will be able to hear what I am saying so you don't need to worry about whether you are awake or asleep you can just lie there and be as relaxed and comfortable as you would like to be. As I am counting from ten to one you can enjoy becoming more comfortable and more relaxed. You already know you will remember to write your dreams down in your journal or commit them to your waking memory so you don't have to remind yourself to do this right now. You can be very comfortable and if you feel like rolling over you know this is just your body checking to see if your mind is still awake and you can trick it into falling asleep by just staying still and noticing the feelings that come when the body falls asleep. You can still become even more comfortable than you are and as you do it you know nothing needs to bother you right now. Anything that could bother you can go away for now. You can fix it or think about it later. Now is the time to let go of everything and fall asleep.

For a moment you can pay attention to how pleasantly relaxed your toes and then your ankles are. Feel how still your legs and your knees feel and how nice it feels for your legs and your hips to stay so still and so quiet. Notice how soft your breathing has become. So soft and slow. As you do this you know when you wake up you will remember your dreams. Now you feel your neck and your arms and shoulders so still, quiet, and sleeping. Your elbows and wrists are completely limp and hold no tension. It feels so good to be in a such a relaxed body while there is still part of your mind awake, alert, and receiving your command to know next time you are dreaming. It will realise you are dreaming. Your subconscious is listening to your command that next time you are dreaming you will realise you are dreaming. You feel all your fingers now and can sense how every one has released all tension and has become wonderfully still and relaxed.

You are doing a very good job of completely relaxing yourself and preparing your mind to lucidly dream for an enjoyable and relaxing adventure. By feeling these muscles, how still and relaxed they are, you have applied the energy of your awareness to them so even when they are sound asleep you can still remain awake and aware of what you are dreaming. Now as you are here, right now, you are feeling how relaxed theses muscles are and feeling the energy of your awareness in them. This awareness of complete relaxation can be a very enjoyable experience. Now it the time to begin counting down even deeper into a trance or into sleep.

Ten, just concentrate on just how relaxed your feet are. Let yourself experience all the muscles in your feet and feel how really comfortable that feels. Let all the muscles in you toes be very loose and limp, very, very relaxed. Perhaps you can still hear my voice or maybe you have drifted off to sleep. You could focus and only hear my voice if you would like but you don't have to listen or follow instructions if you would prefer to just follow your feelings of relaxation deeper into sleep. Whatever feels best to you is the right choice. You could feel a wonderful wave of relaxing pleasure run all the way down from your ankles, past your heels, all the way down into your toes, all the while knowing in your lucid dreams anything you can imagine will be possible.

Nine, Just feel how relaxed your leg muscles, knees, thighs and shins are, You no longer need to worry about your feet. Just let all of the muscles in your legs be very loose and limp, very comfortable and very, very relaxed. So relaxed. Allow you thigh muscles to just lie still and be relaxed. All the muscles in you calves are very loose and this wonderful wave of relaxing pleasure runs down your legs, past your knees, and your ankles, all the way down to your toes, relaxed and so very comfortable, as you know the dreams you will be so awake and aware in are perfectly natural experiences to notice, relax into, and enjoy.

Now eight, feel your neck, back, behind, chest, and stomach muscles. Focus on the main part of your body. feel how softly and slowly it breaths. Relax into the natural rhythm of your sleeping breath. Notice how your body knows to set this rhythm for sleep and can continue doing it without any effort or attention on your part. Softly and slowly in it's own natural rhythm with each breath relaxing you deeper and deeper into relaxation and sleep. This is a good feeling as your body naturally relaxes. Allow all the muscles in your neck be really loose. You may still listen to my voice if you want to or you can just let it go and slip away. Notice how your gently rising and falling stomach muscles feel so warn and relaxed and this wonderful wave of relaxing pleasure melts and flows into your neck than runs down your back, past your chest and your waist, down past your knees, and past you ankles, all the way down to your toes again. So very very relaxing and comfortable. Knowing to remember your dreams but for now forgetting to remember, remembering to forget. Getting more difficult to remember and easier to forget.

Seven, See your arms, hands, and fingers. See how all the muscles in your fingers are relaxed. Nothing can bother you now as you just keep becoming more comfortable. If anything did happen that really needed your attention you would be able to immediately awaken, feeling alert, and able to do what needs to be done. But nothing like that is happening here right now, so let all the muscles in your arms be as comfortable as any muscles can be. This wonderful wave of relaxing pleasure is coming in from your fingertips and pushing all of the stress and tension out of your body. Washing all the negative energy out of your being. It feels so good to be clean, clear, perfect, and still, inside your entire being. This warm melting feeling flows up your arms, into you neck, flows down your back, into your behind, down your legs, and all the way down into you toes. So very relaxed and comfortable. Remembering your dreams, forgetting to care. Letting go of your thoughts and sinking ever further down into the soft, safe, blackness.

Six, You may feel you are still awake, or you may be asleep. Either way it's all still working. You may feel you are hypnotised or in a trance or you may just feel you are relaxed. Any level of consciousness is just fine right now. You can let go of anything and be very relaxed. Whatever you feel is normal for you and perfectly OK, You don't have to worry about anything right now. You may feel some unusual sensations these feelings could be gravity gently pushing you into your bed or the feelings you get just before you fall asleep. Whatever you are feeling you don't need to worry about it right now. Even if this is the most relaxed you have ever been aware of being and are not used to this feeling. It's OK to feel it and become accustomed to feeling this relaxed. You can imagine you are floating down on a soft cloud and sink deeper and deeper into this relaxing softness. The farther down you float, the more relaxed you get and the deeper you sink into a sound comfortable sleep. The deeper you go into this feeling the better you feel and the better you feel causes you to float down even more. Always deeper and more relaxed. Always feeling better. Always floating farther and farther down. As you sleep your dreams will get longer and longer, you will be able to stay in your dreams longer and you will be able to wake up after your dreams just long enough to write them down or remember them. You will be able to make the decision to keep your dreams going longer and longer.

Five, Your feet and your legs feel wonderful just the way they are. You feel your breathing is still doing it's job softly and deeply, so relaxed, taking you deeper to sleep with each breath. As you go deeper to sleep you may still be able to hear the sound of my voice or you can let that go and just slip away into the soft welcoming darkness where you can rest and be still until it is the time you have chosen to wake up. Eventually you will be able to recall every dream so you can think about what happened and enjoy your interesting experiences.

Four, You breath and relax, breath and sleep, your neck, back, chest, stomach, and behind feels so good to relax and sleep. Your arms, hands, and fingers feel just fine the way they are. There is no longer any interference from any thoughts trying to distract your attention. Your mind is quietly resting now.

Three, Now you are floating even farther down, ever more relaxed and the deeper to sleep you go the better you are feeling, and right now you are feeling wonderfully peaceful and still. You may wake earlier than you have planned and if you do this is very fortunate. If you wake before you have planned you can use this time to will yourself back into sleep and will yourself back into your dreams. You can use any of your awakenings to spin back into your dreams.

Two, And you will remember everything you would like to remember, When you forget you will remember, and find what you need to remind yourself. It is easy to remember. You try to remember the things you forgot and can make those things easy to find and remember. Breathing and relaxing.You will remember to look for signs you are dreaming and check what is real.

One, I want you to create a mindset, if one does not already exist, where you will be able to be aware of, in control of, and able to remember your dreams. You are making these connections right now. Anything you want to do, conceive or believe in your dreams from now on you will accept as natural and good. This will automatically become instinctive within the embodiment of your consciousness and unconsciousness. You will pay very close attention to your dreams and welcome this new world as a new and exciting part of who you are.

Now I want you to build on this internal mindset from the moment you go to sleep and continue right up to the very moment you wake up. You will build an advanced imagination and memory for your dreams so as to include all that you have chosen to dream, create, and learn about yourself while you are sleeping. I am going to count from five to one. When I get to zero and say good night you will slip into total unconsciousness in this state of mind. You will feel relaxed, and loved. You will feel quiet, peaceful, joy and happiness. simply because you like to feel that way. These feelings will stay with you as you sleep, in your dreams, and these feelings will linger with you in your waking hours. Now it is time to count down to sleep, say good night and leave you to sleep. five, four, three, two, one, zero, goodnight.

ASMR STATS.

2012-02-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

*Disclaimer: This is not a rigorous research project carried out by qualified professionals. The information provided is for entertainment purposes only.

4 ASMR information videos.
14,608 views.
160 comments.
My own comments are not included nor is the information from them presented below.

Onset: Age of first experience:
16 reported early onset. Less than school aged.
4 reported mid range onset. School aged.
2 reported late onset. Adulthood.
7 people don't know if they have it or not.

Discovery: When did person learn what ASMR was and that it had a name:
3 reported over a year ago.
10 reported less than a year ago.
10 reported while watching the video they were commenting on.

Prevalence: How common do you think ASMR is?
5 people thought no one had it but them.
2 people thought it was rare.
5 people thought some people have it and some people don't.
4 people thought most people have it.
10 people said everyone has it.
1 person doesn't know.

Attitudes: How do you feel about your ASMR?
9 people thought it was cool.
10 people thought it was amazing and loved it.
8 people thought it made them weird.
11 people thought it was interesting.
1 person thought it was best not to try to understand it but to just enjoy it.

Linked Traits: What characteristics are common to people with ASMR?
11 people reported being creative.
16 people reported having synesthesia.
4 people said they did not have synethesia.
5 people reported having mysphonia.
4 people said they had directional difficulties.
4 people reported left/right confusion.
2 people said they had worse than average memory.
1 person reported having a photographic memory.
2 people said they were good at math.
3 people said they suck at math.
1 person said she suffers from severe headaches.

Cause: Why do you have ASMR?
1 person believes it starts as a baby being touched and spoken to softly.
3 people believe it is created by your state of mind.
1 person said it was hereditary.
1 person said it was not hereditary.

Social/Emotional issues:
7 people reported difficulties relating to others.
8 people reported problems with depression and anxiety.
2 people reported seeing depression and anxiety disorders in other people with ASMR.
3 people reported social sanctions when disclosing their ASMR. ( dirty looks and/or insults)
2 people reported distress/confusion about their ASMR.

Triggers:
6 Teachers
1 Unboxing videos.
2 Whispers
1 Painting
1 Mother inspecting work.
12 Soft voices.
2 Textures.
2 Bubble wrap. (1 doesn't need it to pop)
5 Hair
2 Sound of scissors
6 Sound of paper
5 Sound of typing
1 Sound of video game controller.
2 Sound of fingernails.
1 Busy tone.
11 Sound of writing.
2 Massage videos.
2 Show and tell.
3 Watching someone draw.
9 Soft touch. (7 to the back of the neck)
5 Watching methodical tasks. (1 nervous hands)
1 Smells
2 Instructional videos.
1 Boxed crayons.
3 Sound of high heels.
6 Accented speech.
6 Billiard balls.
2 Girl next door.
1 Scratchy sounds.
2 Filling out form about listener/watcher.
1 Softly spoken eye exam.
1 Watching students set a clock.
1 Music
3 My ASMR information videos.
1 Close ups
1 Makeovers.
1 Vacume/ blowdryer.

Other Effects: Other than tingling, relaxation, and joy, what effects does ASMR have on you?
4 Makes me sleepy/drowsy.
4 Stress relief
1 Headache relief
1 Sexual enhancement.
4 This is not sexual.

How Much? How often do you experience ASMR and how intense is your experience?
2 " I only experience ASMR occasionally."
1 "I experience ASMR often"
4 Reported their experience as intense.
1 Reported mild ASMR.
3 Said their ASMR has faded or diminished over time.
4 People reported an extreme relaxation response to ASMR triggers without the tingles.

ASMR Research:
8 Expressed a need for more research.
2 Said they were going to research this themselves.
4 People noted researching ASMR would help us all understand more about the human brain.

Personal Comments:
1 person said he would get back to me when he woke up two and a half months ago.
2 people think my lava lamps are cool.
1 person has a channel called "whisper deeply"
22 people thanked me or said something nice about me. (thank you)
1 person said there is an ASMR group on facebook. (I couldn't find it and hear it is shut down)
3 people said I was not lame and/or funny.
1 person recommended Lita's massage videos.
1 person recommended soundsculptures videos.
1 person doesn't like scientology.
2 people like my cat.
1 person requested a soft spoken sleep hypnosis video. (I have a couple but I'm not sure they are that great)
3 people don't like my daughter's voice.
Lozasmr has asmr videos. 1 is a whispered info vid.
1 person said I rubbed him the wrong way and told me 6 times using aprx. 500 characters per time.

Thank you all so much for your imput and if you keep the info coming in, I will be happy to circulate it.
See water marbles and donation info below.
You can order your own water marbles by clicking the link below.

I did not make a water marble video because there are enough of them out there already but the water marble ASMR videos have been enjoyed here by those with ASMR and even those who didn't have it. I thought it would me nice to make them easily available to you. I do get a small commission from the sale.
I have also made a button below for you to donate to support my work if you would like to.

Emotional Healing #1

2011-12-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

Hello! Welcome. If you are reading this right now I am assuming you are suffering from some emotional pain due to an upset, loss, or bad thing that happened in a relationship and you would like some help dealing with that. I could share with you a long sad story about the many heartaches I have experienced in my forty seven years but I thought it might be better to only include what is needed to let you know I have been there and lived to tell about it. I am more interested in telling you the things that worked for me to heal my pain and help me move on. It is my sincerest wish you find something in these words useful to you.

So let's get started feeling better right now! Let the emotional healing begin!

The best way to get what you want is to focus on it so I invite you to take a little time to pay attention to your emotional state, observe, and see if perhaps there may be some things about it you would like to change.
As you commit to this act of self love you may notice that the garden of your inner being has grown a few weeds. That's ok. It happens to the best of us and the good news is no matter how untamed and overgrown our gardens become, if we are willing to put forth a little effort, all can again enjoy a thriving emotional state of being that is a joy to behold and a source of nourishment for our own spirits and the souls of all we share our lives with.

If you are feeling emotional pain right now, this unfortunate situation can be turned into a positive by using it as a call to action. Right now you can begin to turn the situation around. Take a moment, right now, to close your eyes and remember a time you felt especially warm and loving. Fill in as many of the details as you can. What did you see, hear, feel both physically and emotionally, smell, taste, think? As you do this focus on the warm and loving feelings you are having. This feeling will heal you and your relationships.

If you would like warm and loving relationships it begins with feeling warm and loving yourself. I know this can be difficult when dealing with people who are not being how you would like them to be but this isn't about them right now. This is about you, your healing, and your emotional comfort and joy. If we wait for other people to behave themselves we might have a very long wait. They will change as we change, or not. When our own house is in order, other people's mess becomes less important.

Another powerful tool for emotional change is excitement, or positive anticipation. Look forward to a time where you are healed, happy, and whole. Fill in as many details as you can. Go over a list of your senses as well as your thoughts, emotions, and even other people's new reactions to you if you would like. Make this as real as possible to you right now and believe that this miracle has happened to millions, maybe even billions, of people just like you and there is not reason why you are so different. This is very doable and wonderful. You are becoming an everyday miracle. Take a moment to feel excited about your transformation because this feeling to will heal you.

As you read this and do these simple and very powerful exercises you may want to make a list of the emotional states you wish to cultivate to aid you in becoming the kind, caring, compassionate, and strong, emotional being that is beginning to awake right now. This person has always been there inside of you, just near the surface, sometimes more active than others and now is the time you can learn to access and become this person whenever you choose. Keeping track of the emotional states that trigger your higher self on paper moves your work from the realm of thought and imagination to hard copy, outside world, reality.

Determination is the cement that holds your new home together. This means you make a commitment to your relationship with yourself that is as solid as a commitment you may make with a loved one. You won't be perfect, you will make mistakes, and you will improve. Even if it is just a little bit, feeling how you are on the mend and heading in the right direction is uplifting and encouraging. Take some time to treat yourself as if you were your own child and thrill to how you are growing everyday. You wouldn't give up on your child for having a mistake or a setback. Give yourself the same courtesy.

As you consciously take control of your emotional state and direct it in a way that increases your joy and the happiness of those who are fortunate enough to know you you will find positive action and results are not far behind. You cannot change and have your situation stay the same. It's just not how the universe works. We sometimes fear change but for better or worse it is the only thing in the universe that is constant and can be counted on. As your situation is now in a state of flux remember to picture positive outcomes. This does not guarantee success but it is proven to up your odds. Why waste time being fearful. How many times have we lived in fear of things that never happened. We have a rule in our house. No freaking out over stuff that hasn't happened yet.

Cultivate cheerfulness and your sense of humour. Look around for things that you like and appreciate them. Be grateful for what you have. Practise laughter yoga. Simply sit in any position that makes you feel spiritual and laugh for a few minutes for no reason. Sounds silly but it works. Take this meditation out into the world with you and look for things to laugh at. Developing humour consciousness builds emotional muscle that will get you through any tough times coming.

Stay as healthy as you can. I could write a book on this but I fear it might be boring and preachy so no one would want to read it. To be brief I would just like to mention that your brain works better and is happier if it is properly fed, hydrated, and taken for a little walk everyday. Happy brains have happy hearts.

We all have a need to matter, to mean something, to be important to a person, a few people, or the world. If you have lost someone you may feel you have lost some of your importance. I can tell you you are more important than you know just by being but it may be more helpful for you to help yourself build your self esteem by just noticing how many opportunities you have in a day to make a difference. Even if it is just a little bit. It matters. Be kind. Smile at people. Hold a door open. It all adds up.

This could be a great time to take on a new task or a new direction. Think for a moment. If you could do anything you wanted with your life and failure didn't matter. What would you do? Have you lost someone who was holding you back from living your dreams? Are you free now be and do? Months or years from now are you going to see this as the best thing that ever happened to you? Hard to imagine now but try to anyway. Leave yourself open to these possibilities.

When imagining your new life learn from this ancient wisdom. Any success that doesn't come from contributing something positive to the world will ultimately leave you feeling empty and desolate. Great healing is visited upon people who cultivate a sense of contribution. Giving back will fill you up and helps close the void. I do not push sacrifice here. Don't over extend yourself. This should be easy. This can be fun.

As you are cleaning and renovating your emotional house you may notice there are people in your life that are causing you difficulty. These people are your greatest teachers. What the lessons are is up to you. In your heart you will know what it is you need to learn. You may need to learn to let someone go or to let go of a resentment. You may need patience, acceptance, or to be able to stand your ground without being angry or aggressive. Whatever it is you need practise with these people are there for you to practise on. How nice of them to show up. As long as you are not being abusive, don't be upset if you ruffle a few feathers. Nobody is holding a gun to their heads and making them play with you.

To be successful in healing it is important to keep our own mental health and peace of mind as our primary goal and claim our inner calm as our God given right. Just by existing we are worthy of this feeling. It doesn't matter what you have done in the past. Today is a new day. You are a good person who is allowed to make mistakes. Give yourself permission to be human and know that life is a trial and error proposition for all living things yourself included. You deserve to be happy.

If you have had difficulty in your relationships you may have come to believe that chronic anger and emotional upset is a normal and inevitable part of life and this state of being has become acceptable to you. You may have tried in the past to push it down like a beach ball in the ocean only to lose control of it and have it come rushing back to the surface again. Certain people may be more likely to cause these reactions than others. Some people just push your buttons and you can't help but blow, cry, or do something you don't want to do. Many people can be manipulative, crass, and/or unconcerned. Remember as you share your journey with them they are giving you the opportunity to learn how to deal with them from a position of emotional strength or let them go.

The pushy, the bossy, the correctors, and the advice givers can also be a challenge. They think they know what is best for you and are not shy about keeping you up to date about how you are. Your ego flairs at these people and you want to let them know that you are the right one and will do as you please. Your higher self wants peace. Key in to your higher self and hold firm to the notion that your inner peace is yours and yours alone. Don't jump into the game. You know yourself as a good person and have no need for any symbolic victory. Simply thank them for their advice and then do whatever you feel is best for you.

Work on positive psychology. This idea isn't new. In fact, it is ancient but it is making a comeback after medications and traditional psychotherapy have failed so many of us. I have learned so much from this approach that studies mental health as opposed to mental illness. Harvard, Penn State, and UCLA are teaching this stuff to name a few. Eventually what myself and so many like minded individuals are telling you here will become the norm and I look forward with great optimism to what the future has in store for us but for today we may seem a little quirky but we are doing something that works and we will have to be patient while the rest of the world catches up. This isn't "let's just force ourselves to be happy". This works and it changes lives.

This is why I love what I am doing right now so much. I feel I am contributing. I am making a difference. I am fulfilling one of my greatest human needs and I cannot describe how honoured and grateful I am right now that you are reading this.

I contrast this with how it was for me ten years ago. I was doing very well for myself but I was not happy. If someone were to ask me if I was happy I would have answered in the affirmative. I thought I was happy but if I had taken the time to pay attention to my mood minute by minute I would have noticed that by predominant state of being was restless, irritable, and discontent. I thought I was happy but I very rarely felt that emotion.

The situation was to get much worse before it would get better and I am glad I did not know what was in store for me for I think I may have killed myself. My discontent grew to misery. I felt trapped in a lie. I had no idea how much my own negative mindset was contributing to the problem. I will spare you the gory details and simply state that it did not go well for me for quite some time.

Today I no longer have the hansom husband, house in the suburbs, car, pool, ect. but I do have this feeling of intense satisfaction in my belly and I feel less lonely and more safe than I ever have before in my life. I owe this feeling to the positive psychology movement and I found it here on youtube.

I learned even in the most difficult of circumstances we can find something that works to turn things around. This moment can be a pivot point for you where your life takes on a whole new meaning and direction or you could already be well on your way. Either way I am honoured and thrilled to be with you right now. Life is wonderful.

If I sound a little to excited to be sitting here on my couch typing after midnight because that is one of the few times it is quiet around here, please let me explain. We see and focus on what we think about. As I see you reading this (its ok brains don't know the difference between real and imagined so if I imagine you there it still works) I feel how wonderful it is and that sense of awe and wonder is being hard wired into my neural net and I am programming myself to receive more of it.

As I check out what the new stuff is the universities are teaching I have found I am not as unusual as I thought. I thought I must be beyond help. Pills, therapy, and twelve step programs didn't do me much good but I have learned that the statistics on these interventions are dismal at best. One thing that is a bright and shining star on the horizon is meditation. This is proven to change the structure, function, and chemistry of your brain all for the better. It is so simple. Sit for a few minutes everyday and focus just on you, here, now. Whenever your mind begins to wander this is your cue to bring your focus back to you, here, now. This will heal you. It has been scientifically proven to be the best thing going.

Relationships are not usually easy and are usually hard work but to keep ourselves working in the right direction the me, here, now principal can keep us from working in the wrong direction. Focus on keeping your efforts directed towards your own thoughts, feelings, and actions and resist the need to control others. When you are with someone be present. You are not at work, with someone else, or somewhere else. You are with them so give them your attention. The time is now so no need to dig up past resentments or tell them all the crappy things that they are going to do in the future. This isn't easy but it has it's own rewards. Try it. Make it fun.

To improve your life and make it better you may want to set some goals. Be careful to have these be things that are liberating for you in the here and now and not senseless task masters that must be served or you will suffer humiliating failure. To think "Ok, now I know where I'm headed I can focus on the details of today" is more enjoyable. No matter where you are today it is nice to set some goals as long as you remember they serve you and you don't have to serve them.

Remind yourself at the same time every day that you are a miracle. You are a wonder making the world a better place, right now, just doing what you are doing. Reminding yourself several times per day would be even better. You want to cultivate that sense of awe and wonder at the strength and courage that is born in the spirit within you that will not give up until it is allowed to breath free oppressed by no one.

So much pain is caused by the unobserved mind running wild. Even pleasure can carry the seeds of great pain when it is ego fed. "I feel good because I am better than others" or mindless of consequences(addiction). Some day we will not measure up or have to pay the piper . We create many kinds of pain for ourselves. Some of these are pain about what is going on now, pain from the past, and pain about what the future has in store for us. We don't do this on purpose. We are innocent, ignorant, unknowing what is causing it and we carry it with us, all this pain, and it only takes a random thought or a careless remark to bring it all up again and there it is, unpleasant at best, crippling and deadly at its worst.

It is through our thought processes that this pain is manufactured and kept alive. The answer is not to deny, repress, or attack but to notice, observe, see it for the boogeyman that it is and calmly go about doing what needs to be done to restore serenity and order in your internal world. At some point you may realise that you are able to choose how you feel. You have become an artist, a sculptor of your emotions. At this point you may choose to label yourself "healed".

If any of the work I have been doing here and at Youtube is helpful to you and you would like to express your gratitude and/ or generosity please donate. It doesn't matter how much, really. Even very small amounts would be encouraging and help me with costs like new equipment and my unusual internet bills. Thanks again for listening.

2011-11-13T16:35:00.000-08:00

Where The Hypnotic Story Was Born

I had found myself in an unusual situation. How I got there is not important right now. What was important was how I was going to survive the next three weeks with my sanity intact.

I was in a little cabin way up in the mountains with my two daughters, Evan and Alora. These were two energetic and curious children aged eight and eleven prone to squabbling in a most annoying fashion when bored. The cabin was very small and it was cold outside. There was no television and three long weeks over christmas vacation to go before they were to begin classes in their new school.
My marriage was on the rocks and my husband was over a thousand miles away in Ontario.

I felt very alone and very frightened but kept reminding myself moral was everything and needed something to entertain the children. I knew how important it was for them to keep their spirits up. But how?

My father was a man with a talent for telling a good story. He had been all over the world doing exciting things in strange places. So many things he has told me has come in quite handy in tight situations. This is why I am grateful for this little anecdote he shared with me years before...

He was in Africa somewhere remote having a chat with one of the natives who told my father about a great story teller who was visiting their villiage. Then he asked what English people did for entertainment.

"We watch television" My father replied.

The native man did not know what television was so my father explained "It is a box that tells stories every day, all day long"

The native was impressed "Your people must have very many stories" he said.

"No." Dad answered."We only have a few, we just keep thinking of different ways to tell them"

I love Dad. He was such a smart man.

Anyway. This gave me an idea. I would become the tribal storyteller to keep us from getting cabin fever and going cannibal. When the TV arrived I was sorry the adventure was over.

For hours every evening my children and myself lived imaginary lives of action, fantasy, and adventure through our favorite characters Sue and Angie. I will not share too many details of their journey to save the world for most of these things will be used in the hypnotic bedtime story series with you as our hero.

The children were cheerful and well behaved for this earned them extra story telling time in the evenings and to this day we remember our time together in the little cabin in the mountains fondly.
They have nagged me to write this story down and publish it for years but I'm not so sure writing is my forte. I was a little nervous to begin telling this story to people who don't know and love me but I am feeling very encouraged by the positive feedback and attention these videos have attracted.

I have so enjoyed making these videos for as I take my listener on a journey to magical places extraordinary, I am going with you. Telling a story is a lovely way to spend and evening. I am grateful for the audience. Thanks for reading this. Have a great night.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

2011-11-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

Why The Funnies?
Nothing kills a joke quicker than analizing it but I'm going to get scientific about laughter just the same.
We have an amigdala. Each and every one of us has one. It is like a little switch inside our brains between our frontal lobes and the rest of our grey matter. I think we are the only animals in the world who get to have frontal lobes. Alot of the time we don't use them much. That's too bad.
Frontal lobes are big chunks of very smart brain and they are very good at feeling joy, peace, kinship, and much more wonderful stuff. Laughter flicks the switch.
When we can laugh at ourselves, our situation, or something silly, we are better able to cope with life's upsets, or just enjoy a better quality of life when things are going well.
I have found it abundantly useful to be able to laugh at myself. For example, I have been a little shy about writing because I don't think I am very good at it. I may have been once but that was a gazillion years ago. I would not be able to write what you are reading right now if I did not take a moment first to chuckle at myself and think "I have no idea what the hell I'm doing but I'm doing it anyway and nice people show up and look at my stuff and most of them are adorably forgiving and say 'That's ok Jody. You keep learning. You don't have to be perfect"

I love doing the funnies. I did Sleep Hypnosis for Children when I was annoyed at one of my kids. I can't remember what was bugging me now but I do remember leaving my room feeling cleansed of all maternal frustation. Even right now as I toss around ideas for my next "funny" I am smirking and chuckeling. I'm in a better mood just thinking about it. We are all just visiting in this world. Stuff like this helps us enjoy the stay.

Funnies are risky. Sometimes what I think will be funny just comes across as stupid. I think looking stupid once in a while is a small price to pay for the joy I feel when I hear I have made someone laugh. I laugh again vicariously. It's all good.

If you have been following these blogs at all you may notice they are getting a little longer. I am getting braver. Learning in public is scarey but if I wait till I'm good enough to avoid all scorn, even my own, I won't ever learn how to do this and I love doing this.

I still haven't lost my sence of awe at the internet. All these hearts and minds comming together and available at the touch of my fingertips, quite frankly, blows my mind. Every view, comment, email, ect. is a living breating spirit and I am humbled and thrilled. I just can't get over it.

But here I am supposed to be talking about humor and can't think of anything brilliantly funny about it so I go off on one of my "let's love everybody" spiritual adventures. It started with a giggle thinking about ideas for funny videos, the switch gets flicked, and I am just goofy, happy, in love with the universe and every living thing in it. It's a good feeling.

Here is your advice from the blonde. Find stuff to laugh at. It's good for you.

Thanks again for your patience. You are a good person. Love always, Jody.

Why Hope and Giggles

2011-10-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

This all began as an experiment as so many things do. I wanted to make the world a better place in some small and humble way. This is a philosophy I live by. Everywhere I go I try to make the world a better place in small and often anonymous ways because it simply makes me happy to do so.
Youtube is not exactly what I would call anonymous, but in a way it is because I am not famous. I do not get enough views to be recognised in my daily life. I go through my non cyber existance without many knowing what I do at bedtime.

I put up a few random videos containing things I had found useful not knowing if anyone would watch. I figured nobody would and so could use this beginning time to practice untill I felt comfortable in front of a camera or microphone, critique myself, learn how to opperate in cyberland, and buy better equipment. I did not think within two weeks I would be going to bed with several hundred people per night.

"Hope and Giggles" is an ongoing experiment very subject to change as it is viewer driven. I am asking the question "What would people want to watch and/or listen to that can make their world a better place?" For now the answer has come back as something to fall asleep to, something to laugh at, and something to think about.

I find my product embarassingly amatureish at times and it all leaves much room for improvement but my heart is there and so are the hearts of many viewers. I've learned where good hearts live, good things come about and in a few years, who knows?

You may have noticed ads on my videos and blogs, book reviews where I stand to earn a small commission, and to donate buttons scattered about. I wish I could say I was doing this all for free with no hope of financial gain for myself but that would not be honest in so many ways. I am currently living on a pension from the government for I have a disability that prevents me from having a "day job". It is not only my dream but my resposibility to support myself and my family in any way I am able to do so.

So here it is, the "Hope and Giggles" project. I am learning in public as I go, which can be humbling at times, but it has also been so much fun. When I hear I have helped someone fall asleep, or made them laugh, I am just so darned overjoyed. Someday I may have learned enough to turn this into something really cool. I hope so.

In the meantime, please relax and be loved at the end of your day and that should make your journey a little easier. Love to you all. Jody.

Dumped by Britton Payne

2011-10-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the simplest answers are the best. I could write alot about that but a long, complicated explanation of the virtues of simplicity seems to defeat the point of my arguement.

If you are under eighteen, please make sure it is ok with your parents before you buy this book.

Thanks everyone!

Relax You Are Loved

2011-10-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

This series of videos is inspired by my most popular video "Sleep Hypnosis and healing for the broken hearted who can't sleep".

My heart is long healed now yet I still enjoy listening to this as feeling loved is one of the most enjoyable sensations I can imagine.

This is not rapid induction hypnosis. It goes deeper than that and is intended to have a more lasting effect. Therefore I thought it best to make this playlist to be sure you are long gone into dreamland before it is finished.

Relax you are loved is a simple and effective philosophy. At bedtime it can sooth your nerves and help you enjoy your sleep and if you can keep that thought and feeling with you the next day, life's frustrations lose their edge. This mindset is a kind, gentle, and very powerful emotional homebase to conduct your affairs from.

Again I would like to thank you for showing intrest in my work. This would all be so dull, boreing, and pointless without you. Sweet dreams and love always. Jody.

Full Body Relaxation with Magic Wish Fulfillment

2011-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite approaches to hypnosis because it focuses on two very pleasurable areas of your neurology; physical sensation and achievement of goals.
To be guided through the actual tactile expirience of deep relaxation is a very pleasant and healthy way to fall into a deep, high quality, sleep.
When setting out to achieve anything, our mindset is a key element to our success. I am aiming here to create a strong positive neural association between your conscious and unconscious mind and the achievement of your goals.
First and foremost, of course, It is my wish that you feel warm, loved, and comfortable as you drift off into a peaceful nights slumber.
Relax and feel loved. Thank you so much for showing up because this would all be lonely, boring, and pointless without you. Best wishes, Jody.

Sleep Hypnosis For The Broken Hearted and Lonely.

2011-10-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

This is my most popular video and it was my personal favorite untill I made an hour long playlist very similar to this called "Sleep Hypnosis: Relax You Are Loved (emotional healing).
I cannot credit one particular approach or school of thought for my sleep hypnosis videos as they contain elements of so many hypnotic techiques from the ancient to the most modern. To give some examples of my inspiration I would like to mention Mesmer, Erickson, Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Youtube viewers. Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, and my father, James Whiteley would make the list as well. More names are comming to me now and I realise this list could become cumbersome if I continue.
I have been facinated with hypnosis, meditation, and many other approaches to non drug induced altered states of consciousness for over thirty years for my own benefit and when I uploaded my first sleep hypnosis video I honestly didn't think anyone would be interested. I knew this worked not only to help me fall asleep feeling wonderfuly loved and comfortable but it also improved my mood around the clock but I didn't think anyone else would try it.
I can't tell you how honoured and thrilled I am to go to bed with several hundred, or even a thousand people every night! I send a little love to each and every one of you before I go to sleep. I am truly blessed.
Thank you so much for your love and support. Each one of you is wonderful beyond my wildest dreams.

Tao 1

2011-10-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

Tao Te Ching

Interpretation by Jody Whiteley

First Verse
A path that can be walked upon is not the enduring and unchanging way.
You cannot speak of it for it has no name.
Names will always change with time but the way endures, unchanging, for all eternity.

This without form or name is the origin of all things.
As we name it it becomes the creator and caretaker of all things.

As we lose our will to desire we begin to understand the great mystery.
Our desire obscures our view of our creator as we see only the products.
The mystery and what it produces are one and the same yet we sepparate them and give them different names.
The unity of these two things is the mystery and the portal to all wonder and understanding.

Second Verse
We all see beauty contrasted by ugliness.
We all know good as good because we have experienced evil.
Being and nonbeing make each other happen.
Difficult and easy give definition to each other.
There is only the long because there is the short
We think of something as high only because we have compared it to something low
Melody and harmony require different notes

One who follows the way is comfortable with contradiction and paradox, detaches from effort, and allows affairs to manage themselves
A wise person teaches the value of not using words by example
All things that show themselves to one with the way are accepted as they are
It is wise not to claim ownership of any of them
As this person works with all things they are allowed to go through their processes and no reward is required
The sage will compete without need of a win, accomplish without stopping to notice achievement, and succeed without self congratulations.

The work is done and forgotten.
It's power remains intact and lasts forever.

Third Verse
Granting status causes discord
Place little value on what is difficult to obtain and save youself from those who would steal it from you.
Do not flaunt what others desire but do not have.
This way their hearts and minds will remain peaceful
A leader knows people with peaceful hearts and minds are easy to manage
The satisfied are niether willful nor ambitious towards their own ends
The healer may then strengthen their bones

When action becomes pure and selfless, cunning and greed are not acted upon
Abstinence from willful action brings about universal good order
Everything settles into it's proper place

Fourth Verse
The Dao is empty and cannot be filled.
When we use it we must also be empty like the origin of all things.
Within it we smooth our sharp edges, simplify the complicated, soften our glare, and settle our discord.
The way of life will always be pure and still.

It exists hidden and subtle to the sences.
Who created this?
Was it here before god?

Fifth Verse

.

Mental Health Through Will Training

2011-10-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

http://youtu.be/IiGwGvpFuCU

The Road Less Traveled

2011-10-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

The Truth about Tony Robbins

2011-09-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm glad you made it! Welcome. I am already getting a little negative energy pointed my way for giving the big thumbs up to Tony Robbins. I have found those who are critical of him are not really familiar with his work or think it is just not possible for people to quickly and easily make dramatic improvements in their quality of life useing such simple methods. I feel sorry for people who cling to the belief that change is a long, slow, drawn out, painful process, that gives limited rewards.

I understand that this is their reality and I have no right to tell them it is any more or less valid than my own but I am glad I have lost that belief system as it was not working for me.

If you don't feel like buying the book, that's ok. If you stick around my channel and my blog, most of the stuff will come out anyway to the best of my ability considering I do respect copywrite law. I think he just says it better that's all.

Either way I am wishing you lot's of love as always and am sending my super mind power wammy your way so you can have a great day with extra good luck. More later. Jody.
If what I am doing here and on youtube is helpful to you and you would like to donate, that would be very nice. Thanks either way. Love Jody.

This is me not giving up.

2011-09-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

I think I did it.

Genius?

2011-09-15T12:01:00.001-07:00

http://youtu.be/zWirQ-zaMuk
Did I do it?

Still learning like me anyway

2011-09-11T14:20:00.001-07:00

2011-09-11T14:10:00.001-07:00

http://youtu.be/jTvg4Tmze9M

Relax You Are Loved!

2011-09-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hello! Welcome!

If I seem excited that is because I am! This is my first blog.

Please forgive me if this is incomplete or incorrect. I am going to have to give myself alot of permission to be human wile I figure out all the details of how to do this.

Just to put something here while I work on this, I thought I would explain some of the little catch fraises you might have heard me use if you are familiar with my work.

Hope and Giggles: This whole thing is what I would call "The Hope and Giggles Project". The hope part comes if you realise you can change the structure, function, and chemistry of your own brain to change virtually every aspect of your life for the better. Giggles because the quicker you can start laughing the quicker you will heal. Happy, healthy people laugh alot and don't take themselves or anything else too seriously. Children laugh several hundred times per day. What happened to us? Nothing that can't be fixed.

Relax, You are loved: This is home base. When your predominant state of being is relaxed and knowing you are loved, there isn't much you can't overcome. Everything just get easier.

You want to go to sleep: Of course you do. This is why most of you have showed up. Insomnia is a horrible thing to have happen. It can ruin the quality of your life. I hope you don't mind if while I help you go to sleep, or at least feel warm, loved, and comfortable while you can't, I throw in some positive suggetions that can improve the quality of your life.

Please be patient with this wile I learn how to have a rockin' cool wedsite.
Till then sweet dreams, love always, Jody.