12 Steps for Everyday Living

The following 12 steps can be followed everyday to support you in creating a life free of stress, anxieties, and addictions-- giving you the power to create the life you desire.

1. Admit we are powerless over everything and everyone outside of ourselves.

2. Come to recognize and believe that we can control our own thoughts and beliefs, perceptions and actions and that through this, we will regain power in our lives.

3. Make the decision to allow life to happen, knowing that we can handle anything that comes our way.

4. Take a few moments to recognize that we are human, recognizing our thoughts, faults, beauty, strengths, and values with total and complete honesty and acceptance.

5. Take a few moments to recognize the people in our lives- recognizing their faults, beauty, strengths, an values with total and complete honesty and acceptance.

6. Take a moment to forgive any person that we feel has wronged us.

7. Take a moment to forgive ourselves.

8. Take a moment to recognize an Automatic Negative Thought/Belief that may be holding us back.  Embrace it- look at it with honesty- feel the emotions it causes.

9. Replace the negative thought/belief with a positive affirmation and remember it throughout the day.

10. Remember our larger goals and create small tangible goals for positive forward movement.

11. Remember to take one small step at a time and to breathe.

12. Create action in our lives, always following suite with what we value from deep within.

These are the principles I live by in my life.  They have helped me reduce my anxiety to almost nothing.  They have helped me create positive forward movement in my life on a mental, spiritual and physical level.  I realized a while back that external control is simply an illusion that causes major detriment to our lives.  Seeking to control the people and world around us forces us to lose control of ourselves, leading to addiction, anxiety, depression, etc.  Accepting the notion that we are powerless over that which is outside of ourselves is crucial to living a joyful, successful, and anxiety free life.  We take control of our lives when we recognize that we are only in control of ourselves.  Although we cannot control the world around us, we are powerful and can create positive action in the world through following suite with our values and taking one step at a time.

Sincerely,
Melissa McNulty
Nationally Certified Hypnotherapist, Life Coach, Nutrition Coach, Wellness Practitioner
575-921-8234
hypnotherapytaos@gmail.com
Taoshypnotherapy.com

The Power of Forgiveness

One of the greatest things I have done in my life is to learn how to forgive; forgive myself, my family members, the Universe, my friends, my enemies, my fear...etc.

To me, forgiveness does not mean condoning or excusing.  It does not mean forgetting.  For myself, I define forgiveness as "the full willingness to release an offending person from what they have done- and from the pain they have caused- so that I may move on with my life, free from the negativity of the past".  In essence, I forgive another for my own well being as well as the well being of those around me that I love. 

I read once that un-forgiveness is like being on a giant hook and next to you on that hook is the person that has hurt you.  You take that person and all of the pain with you everywhere you go.  I imagine this hook as an anchor with multiple sharp edges that pierce myself and the people I have not forgiven.  I imagine us all stuck there in pain- suffering.  I imagine the anchor piercing people in  my life that are innocent bystanders.  Before long, this anchor is too heavy and my ability to move forward is null and void and my life begins to lack love and trust.  

I have been there before in my life- anchored and heavy- and I have vowed to never get to that place again no matter what happens to me.  I have learned from experience that carrying pain from the past only re-creates it in the present.  It not only re-creates it for me but it also creates it for those around me that certainly don't deserve it.  

When I need to forgive someone, I imagine a hook.  I sit in meditation and quiet my mind.  I go as deep as I can and I then imagine myself and the offending person on the hook.  I fully feel the pain.  I fully remember what happened.  I let myself be there completely.  I accept it fully for everything it is.  I see and feel the negativity of all that came from the experience/s. 

 I then recognize what I can gain from the experience- how I can grow from it.  I imagine who I want to be once I release myself from that hook.  I connect myself to a feeling I may have had in the past that was positive- or a few feelings from the past that layer on top of one another to create the person I want to be when I think about the offending person and what they did to me.  Instead of the pain of the hook, I imagine what I want to feel, keeping in mind the overall feeling of freedom.

I then go back to the hook and pain.  I see and feel the picture clearly right in front of myself.  I then remember the picture of how I want to feel in my freedom and I replace the pictures in my mind.  I replace how I did feel with how I want to feel.  I do this over and over again until when I think of the offending person, I feel free and good about myself and my life.  I replace the pain and suffering with how I want to feel in my freedom.  

It is amazing what a difference this activity has made in my life.  It is amazing how I have been able to overcome a lot of adversity through forgiveness.  It is amazing how easy it really can be for anyone that wishes to free themselves from the hook of un-forgiveness to simply do so....

...And remember, forgiveness is for you and for the ones in your life that you treasure and love.  

Forgiveness Mantra:

I release myself, for everything.

I release everyone, for everything.

I release my life, for everything.

I release my fear, for everything.

I release my judgement for everything.

I release those who have judged me.

I release those who have feared me.

I release myself for love not yet given to myself.

I love myself.

I am free.

I am free to be fully me!

Melissa McNulty

Hypnotherapist, Life Coach, Nutrition Coach, Mind/Body Wellness Practitioner

hypnotherapytaos.com

575-921-8234

If you need help with this process, I am here, and I specialize in forgiveness.  You can reach me at hypnotherapytaos@gmail.com, at http://www.hypnotherapytaos.com/contact.html or by calling 575-921-8234.

How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off for Good: Final Step!

It's time to explore the different ways you like to move!
 
This does not mean you have to go to the gym.  Many people think of exercise and they make excuses because they don't have enough time to go the gym or to take a walk.  The bad news is that these excuses will no longer work for you.  The good news is that you can incorporate more movement within your busy schedule.

First, do a bit of brainstorming and come up with various ways you enjoy moving: Do you like to take walks?  Do you enjoy hiking? Do you enjoy swimming?  Do you like dancing?  Do you like yoga?  Do you enjoy stretching? Do you enjoy riding your bike?  Do you like going to the gym?  Consider all types of movement!

Now, be creative!  Create 1-3 goals for yourself in terms of moving more in your life.  These goals can be big or small- it doesn't matter- Only you know which goals are realistic in the present moment.  It is not a race to suddenly add a whole new element of movement into your life- this can be done slowly...After all, you are working to lose weight for good!  It is better to move forward slowly than to become overwhelmed and give up.  You can start with one small goal like parking further away from the office or from the entrance to the grocery store and then build upon that with one new goal each week.  Whatever works for you is perfect!

I would recommend using the SMART goal template in creating your goals.  This will help you create specific, realistic and achievable goals:

Specific: Your goal precisely spells out your desired result.

Measurable: The goal states your target in measurable terms so you will know when you have arrived, as well as where you are at any specific moment.

Achievable: The goal is physically possible to accomplish within the defined limitations.

Realistic: Your goal can be accomplished within the specified time and with available resources.

Time-Based: There is a calendar date by which you plan to achieve your goal.

Well, here we are at the end of our 5 week journey!  I would love to hear some feedback from those of you that have been following these steps.  You can post here, email me, or give me a call at 575-921-8234.
Please contact me if you need any support in creating smart goals or if you need some hypnotherapy work to become more motivated to move.

Here's to your health!

How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off for Good: Step 4 of a 5 Step Program.

Note: Before reading this post, please read Step 3.

Now that we have an idea of the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions regarding your excess weight, it is time to release it all.  One great way to do this is through meditation.  The following meditation is adapted from "Suite of Armor" by Linda Bennett:  

Imagine yourself encased in a suite of armor, looking into a mirror.  Notice how heavy it feels.  Become aware of the metal surrounding your body.  Notice how difficult it is to move and how much it holds you back.  Realize that it once served a purpose but is now unnecessary.  Recognize that you are ready to let go of this armor.

Now, imagine someone has come to help you- this could be a friend, family member, spirit guide.  They are here to help you remove your armor, one piece at a time.  ...

They first help you remove the armor around your knees...then around your calves, around your feet.. as they pull the armor from off of your legs, they begin to remove the negativity, the fear, the anger, the self-doubt...all of the limitations that have kept you from your your weight loss goals...they then remove the heavy metal from your thighs.  Notice how light your legs feel...notice how less burdened you are by negative thoughts, feelings and self-doubt.

They now remove the armor from your stomach- removing all fear, anger, and all uncomfortable feelings you feel in the pit of your stomach...you begin to feel a sense of freedom...you begin to feel the desire to put your fears aside and move forward into your weight loss goals.

Now they remove the armor from around your back and with it all of the weight from the past has been lifted from you...you are free from the weight of past disappointments...letting go of painful and dark memories from the past...

They now remove the armor from around your arms.. feel the change...they are lifting away the fear, anger, limiting beliefs that have held you back in the past...now your arms can move freely and reach out for anything they want.

The armor is now removed from your chest....the heavy metal that restricted your heart for so long...all of the sadness, hurts in your heart are removed.....  Now, feel your heart expand..allow it to fill and expand with light--allowing you to love and be loved completely and unconditionally...

As the armor is removed from the top of your head all of the negative thoughts that limited your past success is released....  Your thoughts become free from negativity and you are now open to thinking more positively.

Now the armor is removed from your eyes and face and with that, you can see clearly...you can see yourself and see that all of your previous limitations are gone- you have let them go because you don't need them anymore.

In the mirror you can see yourself- thin, happy, healthy, focused and successful in losing all of your excess weight...you feel encouraged and motivated by the freedom to be free and achieve everything you desire.

Practice this meditation over and over again, every night as you are falling asleep and/or every morning that you are waking up.  This is when the subconscious mind is more active and the conscious mind is sleepy and out of the way.  Being guided through a session is incredibly helpful with this.  If you would like to schedule an appointment to be guided through this meditation, please feel free to contact me at 575-921-8234 or through my website, hypnotherapytaos.com.

Here's to your health!

Learn How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off for Good: Step 3 of a 5 Step Program

Step 3 of this weight loss program is to work toward Releasing Emotional Weight.  I can't say enough how important this step is- often,
above all others.  Many of us hold extra weight because we are holding onto certain emotions.  We often gain weight as a suit of armor- to protect us from a person, a memory, an emotion...

Louise Hay, an incredible pioneer in the mind/body wellness field is famous for discovering/popularizing the notion that our thoughts and mental well being are directly tied to our physical well being.  Hay says that excess weight is only an, "outer effect of a deep inner problem.  It is always fear and a need for protection.  When we feel frightened or insecure or "not good enough", many of us will put on extra weight for protection."  Her belief is that many people are overweight because they don't love themselves enough...they have tried for years and years to release weight with no avail and when they finally begin to love themselves and get to the heart of the true issue, the weight falls off with almost no effort.  Now, this might be a concept that is somewhat difficult to believe but I have to say that I have seen the results over and over again with my clients.  Once the emotional weight is released, the physical weight naturally drops.

The first thing I am going to ask you to do is to journal about this idea.

Consider these questions:
Do you feel as though there is a deeply rooted issue/s that plays a role in your excess weight?
Is there perhaps something you are trying to protect yourself from?
Can you remember the point in your life when you began gaining excess weight?
What was happening in your life?
What kinds of emotions does food feed for you?
What are these emotions related to?
Do you believe you are not good enough?  How so?
Do you love yourself?  Perhaps try looking in the mirror and saying, "I love you." to yourself.  How does this feel?
Do you take care of yourself?  In what ways is your care lacking?
What are your negative beliefs surrounding your perception of yourself?
What have you not forgiven yourself for?
What have you not forgiven someone else for?

Your job this week is to explore these questions fully and get a wholistic sense of your emotions and feelings about yourself.  Trying to answer them all at once might be a bit overwhelming.  I recommend focusing on one or two questions/day and really going into depth.  Journaling works great because you can let your thoughts flow and often times the subconscious mind will bring something to the surface.

A meditation: You feel your excess weight as a suite of armor.  Imagine you are encased in this suit of armor and begin to focus on each part of the armor.  Focus on the legs/feet, the hips, the stomach, the arms, the chest, and the head- one piece of armor at a time.  Sit with each piece of armor and feel the heaviness fully.  How does it feel?  What emotions come up as you focus on this piece of armor?  What thoughts arise as you focus on this piece of armor?  This will help bring important information to the surface of your mind.  Write it all down.

This week is to merely recognize and become familiar with our underlying thoughts, emotions, feelings, and perceptions of ourselves.  Next week we will work on releasing this armor.  Releasing the fears, thoughts, feelings and perceptions that no longer serve us in our lives.

If you need some assistance with this process, please feel free to contact me: Melissa McNulty, hypnotherapytaos.com - 575-921-8234 .  This is something that may be a bit overwhelming to do yourself and a whole lot easier to do with assistance.  Mentioning this blog will give you 50% off of regularly priced sessions.  Here's to your health!!!

Learn How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off for GOOD!!! Step 2 of a 5 Step Program.

Step 2: Pinpoint When, Where, and Why you Eat.  This exercise will help you analyze your eating pattern so that you can identify when you are most likely to eat, where you eat, and why you eat.  Write a yes or no next to each item in the list below.

When: I eat when I am       Hungry ____________ Nervous ____________ Bored ____________                                 Stressed___________ Hyperactive ____________ Happy ___________ Sad____________
Lonely____________ Frustrated ______________ Anxious __________ Afraid ___________ Other _____________________________________________________________________


Where: I eat too much or snack   While watching TV ___________ In groups ____________ While Reading __________ During Coffee Breaks ____________ Between Office/Home ____________
At Sports Events____________ At Business Lunches _____________ At Social Events ________
In Bed ____________ Other ______________________________________________________


Why: I treat myself to a snack or meal whenever I need   Love ___________ Reward _________
Companionship__________ Something to do ____________ A change in my activity _________
To compensate for something unpleasant _____________ To Relax _____________ To feel more important __________ To feel secure ____________ Sexual Attention ______________
Other ___________


Now, look at all of your yeses that pinpoint why, when, and where you eat.  Write down a statement for each one and then write new options for the behavior.  Below are some examples to help you get started:
Example: (Bored)  Old Habit: I eat when I am bored.  New Options: When I am bored, I read a newspaper, magazine, or a book.  I call a friend, go for a bike ride, go to a movie.
(Nervous) Old Habit: I eat when I am nervous.  New Options: When I am nervous I take five minutes to close my eyes and relax.  I jog in place, participate in some other form of physical exercise, or work on my current favorite project or hobby.
(Bed) Old Habit: I eat in bed.  New Habit: When I am in bed I will review my accomplishments and good qualities before going to sleep.  I will read, or make a schedule for the next day.
(Change in Activity) Old Habit: I treat myself to a snack or meal whenever I need a change in activity. New Habit: If I am engaged in sedentary activity such as sitting at my desk, I change to one that is mobile, such as doing sit-ups.  If I am engaged in activity which is mobile, I change to one which is sedentary, such as reading.

Once you have come up with alternatives for these behaviors, make a commitment to create change.  You can commit to working on one habit/pattern at a time or you can decide to make all or some of the changes at once.  Whatever you decide, be gentle with yourself and celebrate your accomplishments!  You can do this!!!!

If you need any extra coaching support or hypnotherapy, I would be happy to help.  My phone number is 575-921-8234- Ask for Melissa.  You can visit my website at hypnotherapytaos.com and email me at hypnotherapytaos@gmail.com.  Hypnotherapy can be extremely helpful for changing these patterns subconsciously so that an automatic shift can happen.  This can make the process of change far easier, with a much larger rate of success.  Mentioning this blog will give you 40% off of any hypnotherapy/coaching session related to this topic.  Here's to your health!!!!

Learn How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off for Good! Step 1 of a 5 Step Program.

For the next 5 weeks we will be going through each of the 5 steps toward reaching your weight loss goals.  This program has been incredibly successful for my personal clients and I am now sharing it with you- for free.

Step 1:

The first necessary step to embarking on a weight release journey is to have confidence in your success.  Many people have tried to lose weight and have either failed altogether or have lost the weight only to gain it back with a couple of extra pounds for good measure.

Maybe you feel like you have tried every diet under the sun?  Or you feel as though you can't lose the weight no matter how hard you try?  Well, I am here to tell you that 95%-99% of the time permanent weight loss is possible, although not necessarily through diets or even exercise.  It often takes a more wholistic approach to lose weight and keep it off for good.

During the next few weeks we will pinpoint where, when, and why you eat- we will discover your emotions surrounding your eating and work to release your armor- we will work on various ways to incorporate more physical activity in your life without necessarily needing to go to the gym- We will learn how to eliminate the excess food from your life and create a healthy relationship with food.  You will learn that losing weight is not about dieting- It is about making a lasting change in your emotional, mental and physical state so that the pounds fall off and stay off for good.  It is a commitment to a new you.

My clients have lost an average of 40 pounds and many of them did not think weight loss was even a possibility for them.  If you are ready to make the necessary changes in your whole person, the program this next few weeks is for you.  You can check in every week for a new blog entry that will take you on a journey toward permanent weight loss.  I am not saying that it will all be easy, but I am telling you that if you follow the program completely that you will experience desired results.

So, as I mentioned at the beginning, the first step is to have confidence in your success.  It is absolutely essential that you believe that you can release your excess weight and keep it off for good, becoming a whole new person.  I generally take my clients through a coaching and hypnotherapy session to help them accomplish this first task toward creating a new version of themselves.  For you, I will provide you with a series of coaching questions as well as a meditation you can guide yourself through to bring yourself to a place where you already feel successful and have the utmost confidence in your forward movement.

Please take a few moments to journal about the following questions:

How do you feel when you think about the process of losing weight?

Do you feel discouraged, afraid, hesitant, a lack of confidence, resistant in any way?

Can you imagine yourself as a thin person- healthy and happy?  What is this person like?  How does this person feel?  What does this person think?  Include as many details as you can.

Now, remember a time where you experienced great success.  Remember how it felt.  Remember how happy and confident you were.  Journal about this experience and bring yourself there.  What do you feel and where do you feel it in your body?

Ok.. now that you've done all of that journal work, it is time to learn to visualize yourself as a success.  Begin by getting comfortable and relaxed and begin breathing deeply and rhythmically, paying attention to your breath.  Allow any thoughts you have to flow through your mind without attaching to them.  Once you feel as though you are relaxed and your mind is empty, remember the success you journaled about earlier.  Focus on the visual, emotional, physical and mental aspects of this success.  Remember how confident and happy you were.  Once you are there, locate this success in your body and feel it fully.  You will use this memory of success any time you have doubt in the future so make sure you truly feel it and experience it.

Once you are fully engrossed in your success memory and where it is located in your body, move it to the part of your body that used to feel any of the negativity that has held you back from being totally confident in your weight loss success.  Move your feeling of success to the part/s of the body where you used to feel fear, hesitation, lack of confidence, resistance or any other feeling that blocked you from success in your past weight loss attempts.  Move the feeling of success to these areas of the body and feel the negativity disperse- feel it sizzle into nothingness.  Then, feel the confidence, success, relaxation, and contentment grow and fill those spaces, knowing that all of the negativity is gone.

Next, imagine yourself in the future where you have released your excess weight.  You are confident.  Notice how beautiful and thin you are.  Notice the shape of your body and how it feels to release all of the excess weight that made you feel so heavy.  You feel capable.  You feel self-assured, confident, relaxed and successful.  You have released your excess weight and you KNOW you will keep it off for good.

Once you have completed this meditation, you can use this tactic on a moment to moment basis.  If you find yourself in any kind of doubt or negativity, you will remember your past success and feel it fully as well as remembering your future success where you are confident, thin, happy, and healthy.

With practice you will get to a point where you can create this shift instantaneously until you are no longer doubting your success at all and are totally confident in your abilities to release your excess weight and keep it off for good.

Ok, that's it for this week.  If you need help with this meditation and would like to do a guided meditation with hypnotic suggestion, please feel free to contact me.  I can do this over the phone or in person.  This week, (7/14-7/21) I will be offering these guided meditations/hypnotherapy sessions for $35.00- an incredible deal.  Simply call me at 575-921-8234 and let me know you read this blog and would like the discount for this meditation.  We take all major credit cards, cash, and check.

Have a great week!  Next week we will pinpoint where, when, and why you eat and will make the shifts necessary to fill those voids with other activities that fulfill you and support your weight release goals.  Here's to your health!

Sincerely,
Melissa McNulty
HypnoTherapeutics of Taos, LLC
hypnotherapytaos.com
575-921-8234

Hero's Journey: Seeing Life From a New Perspective.

I read this week about the Hero's Journey and it was truly inspirational.  For those of you that have never heard of this, the Hero's Journey is a pattern discovered by Joseph Campbell through studying world mythology.  Through reading and breaking down Mythology from all over the world, as well as studying popular movies and books, Campbell discovered that no matter what the myth- no matter where it came from in the world- that each myth told the same story.  It told the story of the Hero's journey.

Campbell realized that we all go through multiple Hero Journeys throughout our lifetime. No matter how big or small, they always look like this:

 1. We are living life in some place where we are comfortable- 
 2. We are called to action, often through something devastating but not necessarily so- 
 3. We go on a journey that is full of trials and tribulations, causing us to slay our "dragons" which I often      consider our thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that hold us back in life- 
 4. We come around again full circle, back to our lives, bringing back with us something new that we can  utilize  and share with others.

When we go through the Hero's Journey, a part of us dies and we bring back with the us the Wisdom to create anew.  The Hero's Journey catapults us into the next version of ourselves and often comes to us in the depths of despair.  It is about finding our own path and finding our own bliss so that we can move into the greatest potential of who we are.  The Hero's journey is about surrendering and claiming all that we are.  It's about learning to claim and love each and every one of our "dragons" so that we can transcend our darkness.  It is about ending the wars inside of us.  It is about breaking the hard exterior that life has formed around us so that we can experience the magic, beauty, and wisdom that lies beneath the surface.

In learning to understand what the Hero's Journey is, I related to it instantly.  I have been through many Journeys and each one has changed me profoundly.  Each one has caused a death within me as well as the birth of something new that I then share with those around me.  Through recognizing this pattern that exists within all of us, I was able to see life from a new perspective.  

What I learned: Instead of seeing our hardships as things that deter us in life, I feel it is important for us to recognize the beauty of the journey- in essence, learn to Love the journey- and all that it can bring so that through the depths of darkness, we can always see the light of our efforts. 

Let me help you create a change that will last a lifetime!July 6th will kick off HypnoTherapeutic's Weight Release Extravaganza!All sessions related to Weight Loss will be 30% off for the Months of July and August!

Hypnotherapy is proven to be over 30 times more effective for weight loss than simple willpower and those that undergo hypnosis lose more weight than others and keep it off for good!  Hypnotherapy also more than doubles the effects of traditional weight loss approaches.

Beginning July 6th I will be posting one blog entry every week that will give you Wisdom and tips in creating healthy lifestyle changes to lose your excess weight and keep it off for good.  Here's to your health!

The Importance of Values

Understanding and identifying your values are of incredible importance, especially if you feel stagnation in your life.  If you have trouble making decisions or moving forward in any way, clarifying your values can help.  The reason values are so important is because they determine the outcome of behavior and are therefore at the root of ALL motivation.  It is when our values are in conflict with one another or with our life that our movement becomes stagnant and leads to indecision.  The following are a list of values with some description.  You can also choose values that are not on this list.  

Step 1: Choose your top values- Choose the top things that are important to you.

A COMFORTABLE LIFE (a prosperous life ) AMBITIOUS (hard-working, aspiring)

EQUALITY (brotherhood, equal opportunity) BROADMINDED (open-minded)

AN EXCITING LIFE ( stimulating , exciting ) CAPABLE (competent, effective)

FAMILY SECURITY (taking care of loved ones) CHEERFUL (lighthearted, joyful)

FREEDOM (independence, free choice) CLEAN (neat, tidy)

HAPPINESS (contentedness) COURAGEOUS (standing for your beliefs)

INNER HARMONY (freedom from inner conflict) FORGIVING (willing to pardon others)

MATURE LOVE ( sexual & spiritual intimacy) HELPFUL (working for the welfare of others)

NATIONAL SECURITY (protection from attack) HONEST (sincere, truthful)

PLEASURE (enjoyable, leisurely life) IMAGINATIVE (daring, creative)

SPIRITUALITY (connection with higher self) INDEPENDENT (self-reliant, self-sufficient)

SELF-RESPECT (self-esteem) INTELLECTUAL (intelligent, reflective)

SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT (making a lasting contribution) LOGICAL (consistent, rational)

SOCIAL RECOGNITION (respect, admiration) LOVING (affectionate, tender)

TRUE FRIENDSHIP (close companionship) OBEDIENT ( dutiful, respectful)

WISDOM ( mature understanding of life) POLITE (courteous, well-mannered)

A WORLD AT PEACE (freedom from war and conflict) RESPONSIBLE( dependable, reliable)

A WORLD OF BEAUTY (beauty of nature and the arts) SELF-CONTROLLED( restrained, self-disciplined)

Step 2: Are any of your choices a need?  If so, cross them off of the list.  Needs are difference than values.

Step 3: Prioritize your values, discovering which ones are the most important to you in your life.

Step 4: Now, go through each value and think about how you live that value in your life.  What do you do in your life that supports each value?  What are you doing in your life that does not support each value?

Step 5: Make Commitments to things you can do in your life to align it with your values.  Choose one at a time and make it happen!

You will find that once your values and life are aligned that forward movement becomes easier- indecision begins to sizzle out of existence.  Life begins to happen.  

If you feel like any part of your life is in stagnation, give it a try!  It can't hurt... and let me know your results!  If you need help with any aspect of this, please contact me through hypnotherapytaos.com or give me a call at 575-921-8234.  Have an incredible week!  

Sincerely, Melissa McNulty

Hypnotherapist, Life Coach, Nutrition Coach

Mind/Body Wellness Practitioner

Raising the Vibration

I was asked this week by a client: how do I overcome the sadness and discouragement I experience when I witness suffering in the world?  How does the Dalai Lama do it?  It must get to him sometimes? 

My answer came from a place of channeling.  I was connected with the Source/the Divine/ the Universal Intelligence… whatever you want to call it- I don’t call it anything.  I said, “When you recognize that we are all one- When you realize that looking down from space, we are one organism – When you realize that we are different pieces that make up the same puzzle- you can begin to work for the greater good of all.  You begin to know that every good deed you do- every encouraging thing you say- every positive thought you have - everything you contribute to Plants, to other Human beings, to Animals- to any living thing is raising the vibration of the whole.  We can’t control the world- we can’t control what others do- there is not much we can control, except our thoughts, perceptions, and actions.  When we transcend the negativity brought on through this life and possible past lives, we begin to heal the whole.  Healing ourselves is helping to end suffering- Reaching out to help others heal is ending suffering.  Everything we do out of love is ending suffering.  All we can do is heal ourselves- reach out to others (we cannot control others- if they are not ready to heal, we must let them be) - and work to raise the vibration in any way we can, continually moving forward, while letting go of the need to control all that is out of our control.”

Have a beautiful week.  I wish us all Love, Light, and Laughter.  I invite you to discover of one way you can raise the vibration.  One way you can work to heal yourself or one way you can reach out to another being.  I invite you to discover one way you can let go of unnecessary control.  

Once you discover these things, I invite you to create a goal- no matter how big or small and then I invite you to create a plan to follow through.  Once you have followed through, I invite you to celebrate- to laugh and spread joy and love to all of those around you.

Fasting and What it Means for Your Health!

Fasting can be very helpful to cleanse the body of toxic buildup and can help the cells rejuvenate.  I personally believe that fasting can rid the body of disease in that it gets rid of toxic stuff and allows the cells of the body to rejuvenate and re-set themselves.  It is truly like a re-set button.  In my experiences fasting: unless the fast is < or = to 24 hours, there needs to be preparation before the fasting begins, and when the fast is broken.  A fast longer than a day requires periods of rest and peace as well as sunshine, clean water, and fresh air.  Overall, fasting is very beneficial in that it can help a number of ailments of the mind and body, although it should be done with care and respect for the process.

Fasting is proven to help decrease inflammation.  It helps in the quality and quantity of good bowel flora, decreases toxins in the gut and tissues of the body, decreases blood sugar, helps insulin resistance, can decrease blood lipid levels and can improve cellular repair.  Because of all of these things, fasting leads to longevity.  With that in mind, it is important to be aware that fasting is contraindicated for children (they need nutrients and calories for growing), pregnancy, lactation, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes (need doctor supervision), those with kidney failure, hyperthyroidism and AIDS.  It is also important for people that are dehydrated or malnourished to avoid fasting as it can make these imbalances worse.

Like I mentioned above, it is important to plan out and prepare for a fast, especially if it is to last more than one day.  To prepare the body by slowly cutting out processed foods and animal products for 2 weeks can help the process not be such a shock to the body.  It is very important to have clean and pure water (distilled is best while fasting) to flush out toxins.  If a faster is not drinking enough water, toxins will build up in the blood and overtax the kidneys and liver.  It is important to avoid stress while fasting and other activities that require intense activity.  Stress will raise cortisol and epinephrine levels which generally raise blood sugar for the fight or flight response.  While fasting, reserves and intakes are not as high as usual and this can severely deplete the body.  The body needs physical rest so that it can do its job and cleanse itself.  While fasting, it may be important to focus on breathing exercises.  These not only balance PH in the body but they also help calm the mind through the often difficult process of fasting.

Six Simple Steps to Awaken your Nutritional Master Within.

There are so many diets out there that claim they will help you to achieve optimal wellness.  There is a Macrobiotic diet, the Paleo diet, The Weston Price diet, Vegan Diets, Raw Vegan diets, Ayurvedic diets….and more.. Yikes!  They all say they bring YOU to optimal health, although they are so incredibly different.  Some claim that eating meat is good-some claim it is the worst thing in the world for you.  Some say eating whole grains is the way to go- others say to avoid them at all costs.  Some say raw food is best- others say only to eat cooked food.  Sheesh!!!!!!!!  Is your mind spinning?

Fortunately, it does not have to be so complicated and confusing.  Although you might not know it yet, your body knows exactly what it wants and needs in order to achieve optimal wellness.  

Why are so many people disconnected from knowing what they need?  The answer lies in the fact that many people aggravate and confuse their systems on a daily basis.  They do this through eating foods they are allergic or intolerant to and or by eating "food" that isn't really food. 

 If you are interested in eating for optimal wellness and discovering your Nutritional Master Within, consider following these 6 simple steps.  Here’s to your health!!!

       

 1. Find out which foods are aggravating for your system.  Many people have food intolerances and allergies that they are simply unaware of.  They never really feel good, although they don’t understand why.  The most effective and simple way to discover which foods are irritating to you is to cut out the following list of food for 2-3 weeks.  Then, introduce one food at a time and wait at least 3-5 days (preferably a week if you can handle it) to see how you feel before introducing another one.  *Fact: Many food intolerances do not show up for 1-3 days after ingesting the food and reactions can last up to two weeks.  If you are going to take this crucial step- Do it right!

a.       Potentially Aggravating foods:

Eggs

Dairy

Tree Nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts….)

Gluten

Peanuts

Shellfish

Soy

Corn

Beans/lentils

Citrus Fruit

Nightshade Vegetables

Pork

Beef

Chicken

If you decide to take this step, please read the following:  It will walk you through step by step and will provide you with substitutions and general support.

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/elimination-diet

   

2. Once you have discovered which foods are irritating, avoid them completely.  You would be surprised by how incredible you feel by simply taking out a single irritating food from your diet.

3.  Go Organic!!!!!  By going organic, food does become more expensive- I can’t lie about this.  You will need to set more of your budget aside for this step, although it is a great savings in the end.  You are not only enhancing your overall wellness, but you are having far less of a negative impact on the environment.  If you make a conscious choice to only eat organic foods (or as much as you can afford), you will avoid many of the additives, preservatives and chemicals that have detrimental effects on our bodies, brains, and emotions.  Check out the following link to educate yourself further:

https://www.organicfacts.net/organic-products/organic-food/health-benefits-of-organic-food.html

4. Cut down on your sugar intake- ideally, cut out refined sugar altogether.  Refined sugars raise our blood sugar and create far more work for our body to maintain its balance.   Refined and added sugars cause inflammation, can lead to cancer cell growth, diabetes, depression and more. Refined sugars also cause food addictions, acne, mood disorders…..   Sweeteners that I personally recommend include coconut palm sugar, stevia, and limited amounts of honey and maple syrup.  Limited means less than a teaspoon per day.  Once you cut your sugar intake, foods will naturally taste sweeter and you will learn to fully enjoy the natural flavor of whatever you are eating or drinking.  Check out the following link to learn more:

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/how-to-cut-sugar-out-of-your-diet-and-be-healthier/

5. Chew your food slowly.  Enjoy your meals.  Allow your body time for proper digestion.  Discover which foods you truly love.

6. Once you do all of this for at least 6 months, you will be able to know better what your body needs because it will tell you.  You can then eat a diet that is tailored specifically for you!

If you need support in this process or with any nutritional need or goal, please contact me for a free consultation.  I offer nutrition coaching sessions over the phone, through skype or in person. 

To read more about my Nutrition Coaching services: 

 http://www.hypnotherapytaos.com/nutrition-coaching.html

Contact me for a free consultation:

http://www.hypnotherapytaos.com/contact.html

How to Cause Molecular Changes in Your Genes Through Altering Your Thoughts and Perceptions- Why Hypnotherapy and Meditation are SoOoO Effective.

I read a great article today about how scientists have proven that our thoughts and perceptions actually cause molecular changes in our genes.  What does this mean?  It means that you can change the fate of your cells by altering your thoughts.  You can change your physical health by altering the way your mind perceives the world and your environment.

So, if it is that simple, why isn't everyone simply healing themselves from disease?  If one can alter their cellular chemistry and gene expression by changing their perception, why aren't they just doing it?

Because......our subconscious beliefs are the key.  According to Neuroscience, 95% of our lives are controlled by the subconscious mind.  We can recite affirmation upon affirmation with our conscious mind without much of a result because most of our negative thoughts are programmed into the subconscious mind, which is far more powerful.  It is also important to understand that our conscious minds are not aware of many of the thoughts, perceptions, habits and behaviors of the subconscious mind.

So....although we can heal ourselves with our thoughts and perceptions, we need to do so through communication with the subconscious mind.

How can we do this on our own?  Through meditation and mindfulness- see the Walking Meditation Article I Posted a few days ago for a great exercise to help you achieve recognition and control of your subconscious thoughts and perceptions.

If you feel as though you need a little help and guidance, try Hypnotherapy.

Why does Hypnotherapy work?
What a hypnotherapist does is put their clients into a state of hypnosis- this is the same state achieved through deep meditation and is the state between waking and sleep.  Once the client is in the state of hypnosis, the conscious mind becomes quiet, therefore allowing the subconscious mind to be reached.  The hypnotherapist then makes suggestions of change to the subconscious mind and often asks the subconscious mind to clear any remaining blocks that are holding an individual back from achieving their optimal health or from reaching a particular goal.

Because a successful hypnotherapy session reaches the subconscious mind, it can be truly life altering.  In my experience, many people that have attempted to make specific changes in their lives for years are finally able to fully do so with hypnotherapy.

For statistical information about the effectiveness of Hypnotherapy, check out the following link: http://www.hypnotherapyboard.org/research-statistics-on-the-effectiveness-of-hypnosis-with-citations/

To read the article I've been talking about in this post:
http://www.tunedbody.com/scientists-finally-show-thoughts-can-cause-specific-molecular-changes-genes/#

To Schedule a Free Consultation for some Hypnotherapy Work:
http://www.awakeningthemasterwithin.com/contact.html
 (This work can be done in person if you are in the Taos/Santa Fe area and can also be done over the phone or through Skype if you are located somewhere else.)

Cleanse the Mind with Walking Meditation

Walking Meditations can be incredibly helpful tools for cleansing the mind and creating new patterns of thought.  

This Walking Meditation is my personal favorite.  It is powerful, challenging, and amazing!

-For a whole day, do not allow the mind to think anything that is not pertinent in the moment for survival. 

-When the mind begins to wander throughout the day, stop it.

-Replace unnecessary thoughts with blah, blah, blah or an affirmation or quotation that is uplifting to the spirit. (p.s. this is a lot more challenging than one would think- the first time I did this meditation, I cried multiple times because it was so difficult- I caught my mind many times trying to wander and think about things without me realizing it- it's tricky business!)

-Once the walking meditation ends, the subconscious thoughts in the mind will have slowed down enough to be able recognize them clearly and perhaps realize where they came from.  (The thoughts in my mind had different voices and I was able to decipher which voice was which- the voice of reason- the voice of self-condemnation- the voice of my cheerleader, etc. - it makes me sound like a loony toon, but you will see what I mean.) 

- Once the thoughts have slowed enough, it is then time to weed out the ones that act as a hindrance.  Throw them out of the mind, simplifying and gaining control over which thoughts are allowed to dominate a healthy new life.

This meditation, although challenging, will help you gain an outside perspective from the thoughts in your mind.  You will learn to witness your thoughts instead of attaching to them. I read a great quote the other day in my We Moon Calendar book- It said, "Do all our thoughts have squatter's rights?  And can we overthrow them?  Yes, always yes."-Claire Haugh  

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

"What lies ahead of us and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to     what lives within us."

                                              -Henry David Thoreau-

Philosophy and What it's all about.

We all have a Master within us! There are times in our lives when we get stuck- when our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well being suffer and we feel stagnant and unable to move with ease and joy.  My belief is that all of these elements are connected and when one is imbalanced, they all become imbalanced.

  In my Mind/Body wellness business (HypnoTherapeutics), my approach is to work with clients to balance all aspects of being.  This includes overcoming roadblocks and hurdles, nourishing the body, awakening the spirit and re-programming the brain to process and think about things from a different perspective, creating an overall emotional well being and mental clarity.  I serve my clients as an educator, guide, and motivational force to help them Awaken Their Master Within so that they can move forward in life with direction, motivation, determination and ease. This blog will be a reflection of that approach. I hope to provide you with information that will help you nourish your body, create new thought patterns in your mind, heal emotional dysfunction, and uplift your spirit. I will cover a variety of aspects from various perspectives. I will include recipes, motivational quotations, meditations, articles about obtaining optimal health............. Endless Possibilities!-All Suggestions are Welcome.

Biography

Melissa McNulty is the owner of HypnoTherapeutics.  She is a practicing Hypnotherapist, Life Coach, Nutrition Coach, and Ear Acupressure Therapist. 

Early in her life, she experienced various emotional, mental and physical traumas.  Her journey into mind-body healing started with the study of nutrition over ten years ago.  This led her to work with her mind to recognize her thought patterns and actively replace her negative thoughts with positive ones that served her in her life.  Over the last ten years she did extensive research and applied much of what she learned to herself, transforming her health on all levels.

Through understanding and experiencing the healing capacity of nutrition and mind work, she decided to attend school so that she could further her education and become certified in a variety of alternative methods of healing so she could help others in the same manner that she helped (and continues to help) herself.