We are a culture of “doing” and sometimes “being.”
If we look at ourselves as two interlaced and free-flowing entities, we intuitively know there must be a balance. The part of us that physically cooks a meal needs to be in touch with the creative energy of imagination and curiosity to create something special. Just as to daydream and inspire needs a place to land and blend with what might be as simple as a hug or handshake.
Most people think of hypnosis and are immediately reminded of something they saw on television or watched at a fair or exhibition. What we remember is a hypnotist making people fall asleep and then act foolish on stage. In movies, we were shown the Hollywood version of mind control as patients were stripped of their dignity and diminished using hypnosis.
Until recently, I myself thought hypnosis was nothing more than tricks for those interested in entertainment.
In 2017, I read a book that offered hypnosis as a method to heal past trauma and after doing a lot of homework I reached out to a friend to have a session.
What I have learned is that with the right practitioner, hypnosis not only can be but also is a powerful healing tool. Unlike what we recall from television where people are sound asleep and not aware of the present moment, one is actually quite aware of what is happening.
A hypnosis patient is guided into a deep trance state, which I call super consciousness or an area of Theta brainwave. Theta state is the area of consciousness between being awake and being asleep. So Theta is actually a deep meditative state and considered by Shamanic healers as the bridge to the subconscious mind.
Let me clear up possible myths about being in a hypnotic trance. You are not asleep and unable to understand what is going on, you are simply very relaxed and feel very alive and empowered. I can say for the record that in Theta state one is fully aware of their surroundings and can come back to a fully awake state without assistance, so you are always in control.
In hypnotic trance or Theta state, the power of suggestion or the ability to see beyond our beliefs and patterns is very powerful. This is where our greatest healing work happens.
In many respects, hypnosis is no different from other healing modalities and a client must find a practitioner they trust, someone who will manage their experience with complete care and integrity. All good healing practitioners tune in and are literally there with a client as they journey through an experience that is meaningful to them, something they need to heal.
I am very fortunate to know Sandy a very talented healer and certified hypnotist. I can offer her contact information to those interested in her services.
Earlier this summer I had a session with Sandy and to be honest I was not 100 percent certain what I would be working on?
I had a gut feeling there was something unsettling from my childhood that was calling for my awareness and this is where my session led us.
I almost immediately went to a place in my past where I was 7 or 8, and fully connected to an experience that had upset me. The remainder of the session became about processing the underlying pieces of what was perceived in those moments and fully understanding this reality. All healing of this nature is about seeing a trauma clearly, knowing how it affected you and then stepping forward to heal or reclaim. We honor the feelings from the past, in a sense lightening their weight while creating a new loving perception for yourself and all who were involved.
These moments of healing always stun me with the power they possess to transform something we may barely have remembered. These transformational unfoldings always leave a client completely uplifted. It is something you can see in their eyes like something new and bright has reappeared for them. Also important is to review the core messages of the healing so that there is a takeaway as a reminder of the power that was reclaimed.
As we enlighten a moment from our history and brighten a space within ourselves, we also can brighten and heal for others who surrounded us in these moments. What we affect through healing is always much bigger than ourselves (or should be)!
By Tom Kelly
What is “risk” and how does it affect our lives? This documentary caught my eye recently and really helps the viewer understand and answer some tough questions for ourselves and the risk we take. No, it is not about money or wealth. This documentary discusses how risk participates in our daily lives and how risk helps and hinders us grow regardless of age or gender. Without understanding how risk enhances our lives, we can miss the key components that help make us more powerful at living. I like the real-life stories and analysis of high-risk living and how it translates into everyday life for the average person. In the documentary alcohol is mentioned with this notation, one glass of wine equates to medicine with all subsequent glasses considered poison for the body (I know, bad example for those I hope will watch). Just a tiny glimpse of all the invaluable information within this 50-minute documentary.
– Tom Kelly (see below for official film bio and link to watch Risk Factor)
Risk permeates our lives. Filmmaker Robert Lang’s journey to demystify risk leads him to a renowned statistician at Cambridge, an extreme ice climber on an avalanche-prone mountain, a physicist at a nuclear reactor, and a security guru at the Boston Marathon. Lang replays and reconsiders his most risk-laden life experiences – from a drunken joyride to a murder on his doorstep, to a brush with nuclear radiation, to the pages of his family history that speak to current fears about terrorism.
Watch the full documentary at TVO (TV Ontario) from this > Risk Factor
In the blindness of any given moment we are freed in knowing our unique essence is one with and shines as bright as any sun. Knows all the stars in one breath. Expands joy, love and peace far beyond anything written or imagined.
All our hero’s, the people we look up to for inspiration are flawed, imperfect. The ones who know this and live a humble human existence are real hero’s, true #inspiration.
Intuition and synchronicity are powerful tools we can all benefit from in daily life.
If we call something a coincidence, it somehow seems easier than pretending we have physic abilities or deep awareness. However, if we adjust our thinking slightly and let the word “coincidence” become “unplanned.” I think most of us would accept intuition and synchronicity for the simple reason that any object passing through our stream of consciousness is best to communicate and participate with than see as unknown.
Both are closely linked but slightly different. Intuition is something that is sensed or known and synchronicity relates to life experience that comes to us.
Being very similar does not mean one cannot happen without the other. However, in both cases, you need to be open and realize what is happening, also honor the information received.
We have all picked up the phone to call a friend just in time to receive a call from this very person.
It is common to have intuition lead to synchronicity. An example of this might be sensing a rain shower on a cloudy day, and then noticing animals in nature finding safer ground. It might seem obvious that rain is imminent and so what does this have to do with intuition? It is how the information comes to you.
In another example, you might be somewhere are see a dog and immediately realize you need to pick up food for your dog. These synchronicities are often looked as coincidence, far removed from our spiritual being and admired by the thinking mind as intelligence.
A few months ago at a concert at the National Arts Centre, I was waiting in a concession line when a complete stranger struck up a conversation. I do not remember much of that conversation but that this individual literally “told me” I would really enjoy reading a specific book and provided the title and author. M intuition told me to purchase this book, and from the first page, I quickly realized every word had an important meaning for me at that time.
If we watch closely, we see synchronicities more clearly and notice an increase in their frequency. We may also notice ourselves offering guided support to others, where before we might have held back.
In our silence are the words we were destined to hear. A Parent always knows when their child needs them and this is no coincidence. We can allow our senses to expand, helping to bring a deeper connection to all we are.
We learn to create our reality, to expand what was once unknown into the bright beholding of a new day.
By Tom Kelly
If one listens carefully, they may hear the mystical sound of an afternoon breeze dancing among the trees.
The trees shimmer and sway high above. Leaves shifting, restlessly waving for those who watch.
Branches creak, limbs twist and turn as the embers of summer light push past.
Leaves lean forward, back and sideways all in one swirling motion. Like beads of natures rattle, they follow and chase. There is a rush, a silence as they curl and flutter to this chaotic mantra. Like breath, there is a rise and fall, the sound of delicate harmony.
This breath (or breeze) brings with it strength and weakness, alignment as well as a distraction.
Moments pass together without the need to organize. The magic of one leaf becomes many to sing this afternoon song.
I often like joining this wonderful orchestra and whistle along with summer in the trees.
By Tom Kelly
Don’t look back upon your accomplishments. Know they look at you.
If you awoke today “thinking,” I have a lot to do. Maybe “thinking,” I have too much to do today.
Remove “thinking” and replace with “presence” and rephrase. You will witness a very different experience as you allow rather than work to control an outcome.
“I enjoy this new day moment by moment. Everything I bring my attention to is special and exciting. I witness each new breath through the eyes of a child, allowing whatever “is” to be as it is.”
Getting Grounded
It doesn’t matter who you are, there will always be a reason to ground yourself and for those of us who are sensitive or empaths staying grounded is even more important.
Being ungrounded even to a minor degree can make one feel off-kilter, scattered and just not in their body. If ungrounded for long periods, one might even feel unwell or disconnected from the world around them.
There is a reason people feel great when at the beach or walking in nature. This is due to negative ions and the effect they have on us. When you breathe in air that’s charged full of negative ions, stress levels are reduced, a positive mood is created, and the levels of serotonin increase (which helps reduce feelings of depression and lethargy).
Recently I had a healing session and one of the comments made post-treatment was to find ways to get and stay grounded. So even for someone who looks at my own energy closely, I had become ungrounded if even is just slightly.
Day to day life does not always afford us the opportunity to go to the beach or walk in a forest, so I have created a grounding meditation (below) to get you grounded quickly and listed helpful tools to help keep you grounded.
Just doing some form of grounding during or at the end of your day will help you feel inspired and connected with mother earth, leaving the door open for you to create and expand your life. Any type of energy treatment (such as Reiki or Crystal Healing) is certainly a great way to ground. Everyone will find their best way to get grounded. My favorite and I’m guess I’m not alone on this would be number seventeen (happy grounding). You can also listen to this mediation @ Hearthstone Healing YouTube Channel!
Things to help you get and stay grounded