YOU?! YOU biked across China ALONE?!" I couldn't believe it. That's what I said to Noa, a fellow student I met at Tel Aviv University. She was a little older than me, in her mid 20s. She had told me that prior to attending the University, she dedicated a few years to working and saving money and then traveling extensively, and even rode a bike, alone, through a large portion of China over a period of several months. 
​
My socks were blown off. She seemed pretty "normal", not like the super-tough woman I would imagine doing such a thing. She was average weight and height, had black hair down to her shoulders, kind green eyes, and a soft voice. It was at the moment that I understood what an admirable quality independence was in my eyes. I saw her as powerful. She could do anything she felt like doing- all on her own. She didn't need anyone's company or support. She wanted to see China, and she saw it! Alone. On a bike. And no, she didn't speak any Chinese.

To be honest, I felt a little jealous of her independence. I was protected and coddled growing up, and I later realized that independence was something I had to learn as an adult. And I learned it- the hard way. But that's a whole other story. Now that the US independence day is here, I find myself thinking again about what it means to be independent. Are people in the USA independent, in the sense that they have the right to live their lives on their own terms? No. Or more specifically, one race does, members of one religion do, heterosexual people do, and some women do- depending on which state they live in. So in actuality- MANY people are not independent in the US in the year 2022, and that is both sad and infuriating at the same time. 

Independence, in terms of the mind-set, is about not needing the permission/ approval of others, and about following your inner guidance towards what you want in life. For example, my kids are both very independent. They know what they want, and they don't care if others see things differently than they do. I love that about them. Sure, many people consider being "strong willed" a bad thing. But is it really? Or is it inconvenient to those who want to impose their will on the "strong willed"? Hmmm....

Many of my clients tell me how they lost their connection to their inner guidance because they had a parent who was overbearing and who didn't appreciate their sense of independence. Often those people end up having relationships in which they don't feel heard/seen or free to follow their own dreams. They often can't even tell me what THEY want, since they are used to others telling them what they SHOULD want. Living in a country in which you do not have the rights that all humans should have, definitely doesn't help. And that's the case in most countries, not just this one. 

So does that mean that white, Christian, heterosexual men in the US, who did not have an overbearing parent- are free? Not necessarily. There are many other obstacles to freedom, and those are a lot more subtle. Ask yourself, whoever you are- are YOU freefrom the negative effects of your past? Are you free from hurt, resentment, anger- and all their "friends"? Are you motivated by your alignment with your higher self, or by thoughts and ideas that don't really serve you?

Those who are truly free are few. But more and more people strive to be free- and to find true happiness; the kind of happiness that does not come from a "satisfied" ego, but comes from Alignment with our true nature. I suggest that those who strive to be free, do their "inner work", and at the same time, help others achieve their freedom- by voting, educating, supporting, and more. What's my favorite modality for doing that inner-work? You already know it's Hypnosis ;0)

Here's to TRUE freedom!

Sharon 

People who come to me complaining that they are not treated well by others all have one thing in common. Somewhere, maybe deep inside their subconscious minds, they don't really believe they DESERVE to be treated well. Don't shoot the messenger- I really wish this wasn't the case, but it has been my observation, which is confirmed in our work together, 100% of the time.

It's hard to gain clarity around what we think about ourselves. Sure, plenty of people know that they don't have a very high self-esteem, have a loud inner-critic, or that they lack good boundaries. Plenty of people also know where the issue is coming from- being treated poorly in childhood, witnessing an unhealthy relationship dynamic among the parents, a scrutinizing teacher or religious figure. etc. 

​But here's what most people don't know. We tend to "pick up where we left off" by actually picking up the resistance energy we left here on earth during our previous lifetimes. This can be seen as "Karma" which doesn't mean "punishment" like many people believe, but rather means "action and result". Our past life experiences often leave an energetic imprint on us, unless we get rid of it by finding healing and by letting go of that which no longer serves us. 

So if someone treats you badly in this life, does that mean that you treated that person badly in a previous life? Maybe, or maybe you are still working on improving your self esteem, and you "attract" disrespectful behavior from people, even those who usually are respectful towards others. Does that mean you should accept the bad behavior? Absolutely not! The whole point is to evolve and to actually learn the lesson, so that the Universe doesn't keep delivering it to you.

How you learn the lesson is a different story. Since the feelings of unworthiness are seated deep in the subconscious mind- that's where you need to go in order to shift them into feelings of worthiness. There are different types of Hypnosis sessions that in combination can help you achieve just that! Then, once you begin loving yourself completely, and having a deep appreciation for yourself, the Universe will support your beliefs and you will be loved and appreciated.  

Today is Beltane, the ancient Gaelic fire festival. It represents the return of summer and the lighting of bonfires whose purifying flames protected the people, cattle, and crops.

Yesterday we experienced a solar eclipse, which is a great time for purging that which does not serve us.
The topic of purging and purifying is dominant these days, so I suggest you look at what you need to rid yourself of. Do you have thoughts and beliefs which prevent you from living your best life? Do you have a toxic relationship which is not in alignment with your higher self? Do you have too much "stuff" which is clogging the flow of energy in your environment? Does your body need a cleanse?

Offering myself as an example, my entire house-hold (including my visiting mom) is just now beginning to recover from a brutal stomach virus. Since I don't believe in coincidences, I choose to honor my higher-self's decision to purge and cleanse in such an extreme way, as horribly unpleasant as that was. An ironic example of the Law of Attraction, my thought of "hmmm maybe I should do a little Spring cleansing, very quickly turned in 24 hours of emptying my body, and what also felt like an emptying of my mind and a cleansing my soul. The down side of being a powerful manifester is that you get what you ask for, but sometimes in surprising ways .

What do you wish to get rid of? If it's anything in your subconscious mind- you are welcome to try Hypnosis!

Wishing you clarity and many new blessings,

Sharon

​Diets are ineffective! And here's why:

In the article "Mind over Milkshake" published in the "Health Psychology" Journal, two seperate groups of people were given the same 300 calorie milkshake. One group was told that the milkshake only had 104 calories and that it was a weight-loss milkshake. The other group was told the milkshake had 620 calories, and that it was "indulgent".

Registered nurses then measured the levels of Ghrelin, the "hunger hormone" in both groups. They found that people who believed they had consumed a low-calorie milkshake had drastically higher levels of the hunger hormone than the people from the "indulgent" shake group! 

This proves that when you consume what you believe to be a "weight-loss" product, your brain automatically raises the levels of Ghrelin. Ghrelin signals to the brain that you are still hungry, and it even slows down your metabolism and the burning of fat! This happens because the brain interprets "diet" and "low-calorie" as a sign of lack, or even danger to your system. So it pushes you to seek more food, and it signals the body to hold on to fat deposits and to slow down the metabolism and conserve energy. This is a major reason why diets are ineffective. In ancient times hunger often meant that sickness and death were nearing, and our brains are still wired to interpret hunger in the same way (just like fight, flight, or freeze are still part of our brain's responses).

Using Hypnosis, I help my clients reprogram their subconscious minds to feel safe, and to signal to their bodies that they have excess calories, promoting in the body the increase of the metabolism and the burning of fat. I then help my clients reprogram their minds to crave healthy foods, and to either lose interest in harmful foods, or feel an aversion towards them (temporarily or permanently). Just Google "Heath Ledger chocolate hypnosis" and you will read how the famous actor was able to give up the chocolate he was badly addicted to when he was young, using Hypnosis. Obviously it worked because that was his chosen goal; most people don't want to give up chocolate forever (I know I sure don't!) and prefer to lose interest in it for a specific amount of time, while suddenly feeling a craving for fresh veggies.

Dieting has a strong emotional component as well. Many people suffer from emotional eating- whether it's a result of stress, a need for comfort, an escape, or even an addiction. Luckily Hypnosis has the ability to heal the emotional wounds and get rid of the feeling of stress that leads to emotional eating.

Here's the original milkshake study, for those interested:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21574706/

Here's to your health!

Sharon

I was reading "The Incredibles 2" to my almost-5 year old son the other day. I had barely stared the book, when I reached this part: "Suddenly a Hypnotic pattern appeared on every screen". There was then a description of how pilots were under a trance and trying to crash their helicopter, with an ambassador in it. The paragraph that followed described six hypnotized supers attacking the kids, and how Elastigirl attacked her own husband while under hypnosis. The whole scene ended only when all the "hypnosis goggles" were removed from the eyes of all the attackers. I was extremely annoyed. Sure, this was fiction; But what message are we exposing our kids to, regarding a healing modality which they might need in the future?

It's not just the Incredibles. A few days prior I was reading "The little Mermaid" to my son, and in that story, the sea-witch hypnotizes a prince into wanting to marry her. A week prior to that, I read to him Aladdin (if you haven't guessed by now, he was gifted a Disney book collection for Christmas ;0). In Aladdin, the evil Jafar hypnotized the Sultan so that he allows him to marry princess Jasmine. My son knows that I"m a Hypnotherapist, so as I read, I edited the story and got rid of all the verbs surrounding Hypnosis, and exchanged them for "cast a spell". 

But what about all the other kids that LOVE these Disney books and movies? After hearing and reading over and over how Hypnosis is used for evil, how will they one day be open to it helping them? I treat kids ages 5 and up using Hypnosis, and see wonderful results. The kids brains are wired in such a way that they are easily Hypnotized, and the progress they make in just a few short sessions is astounding. I have helped kids get rid of phobias, heal anxiety, depression, manage their behaviors, work through grief, rebuild their self-esteem following bullying, and much more. 

As parents and as educators, we have to do a good job explaining to them the difference between the fictitious use of the term "Hypnosis", and its real applications. Still, the subconscious mind is absorbing those messages, so in a way the damage is not completely erased even after explaining this to them. But we have to try.

If you ask my son what mommy's does, he will say "Mommy helps grown-ups and kids feel better". If you ask 100 adults what Hypnosis is, a great percent of them will probably say that it's "mind control" or that it's scary. Books like the ones I mentioned sure aren't helping the reputation of Hypnosis. What DOES help its reputation, are articles such as this one, which was published in the American Journal of Medicine:  https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(20)30946-3/fulltext..Spoiler alert, the article is titled: "Hypnosis: The most effective treatment you have yet to prescribe". As always, I suggest people EDUCATE themselves, and keep an open mind regarding that which they are unfamiliar with. 

Wishing you and your loved ones much inner-peace and joy,

​Sharon

Osho said that "Now is the only reality. Everything else is either memory or imagination". I don't exactly agree with that. Now that I"m in my 40s, I am shocked to notice how some events from my 20s and even 30s, are getting fuzzier in my memory. But just because I don't remember something from the past, does that mean it doesn't matter? Yes, those events that have shaped me in some way are almost erased from my "mind"- BUT only from my conscious mind. As a Hypnotherapist, I know that most of our thoughts/ beliefs/ behaviors stem from our subconscious minds. So in other words, the past shaped our subconscious minds, which determine the largest part of our "identities", and for that reason- the past matters a lot, even if we don't remember it. 

The future isn't here yet, so in a way it is fair to say that it is a figment of our imaginations. BUT the promise of the future, our plans, our aspirations- all of those are very much shaping our decisions, behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. 

What Osho is saying is very much true for a moment spent in pure awareness. In those moments in which we are in total alignment with out higher selves, there is no time, there is no identification with the body/mind, there is no separation from the divine source. I'l give him that ;0) But in all those other moments of our human experience, we live in the illusion of a time and space reality, and for that reason our pasts and futures hold power over us. Luckily, there is Hypnosis, and with its help we can make sure that the past in not causing us emotional pain, and that the future is not causing us anxiety. 

Wishing you wonderful moments of pure awareness,

​Sharon

Peace on Earth. Such a lofty, grand idea. It might seem so unattainable that many people don't even hope  for it or try to visualize it anymore. 

But what if instead of worrying about how you can change the world, you simply focus on yourself, and no one else? What if ALL you need to do is find your inner peace?

I"m not saying it's easy- but at least it's within your reach. You have many tools at your disposal- such as Hypnosis and meditation. You can choose to be more conscious of how you live your life, and of how you treat others. Once you become more peaceful, you radiate peace. You inspire those around you. You help others feel more grounded, more accepted, and in turn- they become more peaceful.

Being at peace means being in alignment with your higher self, and like Abraham-Hicks say "One person in alignment is more influential than a thousand people out of alignment". Once you find a way to maintain your inner peace (at least for a good portion of the time) you will have great power to take inspired action and contribute to the bettering of humanity. 

Is it your job to "fix" the world? No. There's nothing that needs fixing, as humanity is going through an evolution and all its members are co-creating from their own levels of consciousness. Nothing is "wrong", just like a baby crawling before learning to work isn't "wrong", it is simply part of the baby's evolution. However, as you evolve, you get to help others in their journeys, and you get to enjoy your own expansion of consciousness and living on a higher vibrational plane. 

Can Peace on Earth become a reality? Sure. When everyone is ready for it to become one. In the meantime, let's all focus on our inner-peace. We've got this!

Many blessings,

​Sharon

Today is Indigenous Peoples Day in the U.S. In our modern world, it is easy to feel disconnected from our Indigenous ancestors, and to celebrate this day superficially. I remember the first time I had a flash-back to a past-life in which I was a village elder, dancing an ecstatic dance by a bonfire. This happened in a dream following my Reiki attunement, during the year I spent in India. I was amazed at how alive I felt, and how deliberate and meaningful my actions were. I felt everyone's eyes on me, and knew that they trusted me and that I had the power to manifest incredible things. In my current life, I had just turned 30, and wasn't feeling particularly powerful, as a modern woman living in the U.S. Like many modern women, I was subconsciously affected by other life-times, in which I had endured incredible trauma, abuse, pain, and loss. Only years later, through Hypnosis, was I able to heal those wounds. But in that dream, just for a few moments- I was a powerful leader. 

Indigenous people had incredible wisdom, and a perspective that most of us have lost. I remember a few years ago, I was starting to get a head-cold. You know the feeling, that first day when your head feels like it will explode, and you know you are about to experience several days of congestion, followed by a runny nose, followed by a cough- the usual. My neighbor had just come back from Peru and told me that she got there "special Tobacco" from the local Shaman. She took a tiny wooden straw, stuck it in my nostril, and blew in it the Tobacco. It burned. She repeated this with the other nostril, and told me to wait a minute, and then run to the bathroom to "blow my nose into the running water". Wow. A bunch of mucus gushed out of my nose (sorry for the gross description), and I immediately felt fine! Not better- fine. I was healed. I never developed the head-cold. This is my personal tiny example of the secrets of the Indigenous people, which in some corners of the world are still a part of day-to-day living. But not here! All the Robitussin in CVS wouldn't have saved me from suffering from that cold.

It is my desire to access more of those secrets, and attain more of that wisdom. My own grandmother is a descendant of Siberian Shamans. My husband's paternal grandparents were descendants of the Inca. My kids have a lot of indigenous blood running through their veins, and I plan to research, to educate myself, to travel, and to connect- so that they (and I) can learn more about the cultures they came from.

Today is a good day to remember the Indigenous people, to honor them, and to celebrate their heritage. There is so much we can gain by being more connected to nature and to our Spiritual identities. Like they were.

Many blessings,

Sharon