Mother's Day

(This blog was originally posted on May 11, 2014)

Photo by Rick Hustead

There is no one in the world like a mother. Today, as we have celebrated Mother’s Day in two days’ time, I would like to tell you about mine.

When I think about my mother, I am in awe. I marvel at the things she accomplished during her life, the challenges she overcome and the joy she brought to my life. I am inspired by everything she was as a woman and as a mother. She was my biggest champion and my loudest cheerleader. She was always there to provide a warm, comforting shoulder to cry on or to deliver the pointed pep talk to motivate me when I needed it. Her love always made me feel protected, supported and secure.

My mother imparted her wisdom and love in the small and in the big things she did. She prepared meals when she was tired. She smiled when she was sad. She forgave when she was hurt. When I didn’t feel well, she was the first person to check on me to make sure I was drinking enough fluids and getting enough rest. If I wanted or needed something, more often than not she surprised me with that desired object weeks or months later. By then, I had often forgotten that I even mentioned wanting or pointing it out to her, which made her present even more special to me.

My mother was my greatest confidante, my very best friend. She was one of the few people with whom I can sit in comfortable silence and just be in the moment. She was someone I can laugh with about the goings-on in one of our favorite television shows, compare favorite recipes and discuss the heavy issues we heard about in the news. She showed me by example how to give love and respect the people I care about. She taught me so much about life by just watching her live hers. 

To my most beloved mother and yours, I hope you all had a very happy Mother’s Day!

Limited-Time Offer: Free Phone Consultation

 This is a great opportunity to find out why hypnosis is so effective and how hypnotherapy can help you achieve your self-improvement goals. Call/send me a text message at (661) 433-9430 or send me an e-mail at calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com to set up your free, 30-minute phone consultation, today! 

Offer valid through May 31, 2019.

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2019

Thoughts of the Day

Photo by Sara Fogan

Every now and then I like (and need) to take a few moments and remind myself about what is really important to me, in my life. If you follow me on my Calminsense Hypnotherapy Facebook page you may have seen some of these quotes before on this page, or will in the future. Many of these Quotes of the Day are beautiful examples and illustrations of the work I do as a hypnotherapist, so I will probably draw on them in future essays.

• “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” – Colin Davis 

• “Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress.” – Nicholas M. Butler

• “If you're brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – Paulo Coehlo

• “Don’t be afraid to give yourself everything you’ve ever wanted in life.” Anonymous

• “They say marriages are made in Heaven. But so is thunder and lightning.” – Clint Eastwood

• “Women speak two languages – one of which is verbal.” – William Shakespeare

• “Leadership is a choice, not a formal position. Be a leader others will choose to follow!” – Laurence O’Bryan

• “To every disadvantage there is a corresponding advantage.” – W. Clement Stone

• “One of the most painful phrases you can utter is "If only I had…" – W. Clement Stone

• “Being happy is 100% within your control.” – Bille Baty

Limited-Time Offer: Free Phone Consultation

This is a great opportunity to find out why hypnosis is so effective and how hypnotherapy can help you achieve your self-improvement goals. Call/send me a text message at (661) 433-9430 or send me an e-mail at calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com to set up your free, 30-minute phone consultation, today! 

Offer valid through May 31, 2019. 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2019

What Do You Eat?

(This blog was originally posted on February 13, 2015)

Photo by Rick Hustead

When Bill Maher asked when was the last time your (generic) doctor asked you what you eat on the February 6, 2015 episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, I started to wonder the same thing. Depending on what the blood-test results show, a lecture about the dangers of high cholesterol and how certain foods affect this level may be forthcoming. They also want to know if and how much I exercise each week; presumably that is because exercise is an easily quantifiable and relatively benign question to ask. Ditto for getting the stats about daily alcohol consumption (basically, none). But I honestly could not remember any time a physician or even a nurse (RN or LVN) asked me what I actually eat on a regular basis versus offering advice about what to avoid eating, altogether.

However, one of the first things I do ask my hypnotherapy clients is about their diet. This is true whether the person wants to increase his or her self-confidence, improve a golf swing or lose weight. I want to find out what they eat and even when they eat. I want to know these details because nutrition plays a huge role in how we perceive and respond to events in our environment.

Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., observed that low blood-sugar levels can exacerbate or even cause a person’s presenting problem (behavior or belief). For example, a sudden drop in blood sugar can trigger physical symptoms such as shaking, light-headedness and feeling tired, or even psychological symptoms such as depression, paranoia, irritability and memory problems. Furthermore, Dr. Kappas found an association between a person’s low blood-sugar levels and fluctuating suggestibility with the onset of a phobic response. (This fluctuation in suggestibility literally becomes obvious in our handwriting: lines of writing literally become “wavy” when the person is hungry and blood-sugar level is lower).

Not only do I ask my clients about their food choices and eating patterns, I describe how and why what they ingest (and imbibe) can affect their behavior. In addition, I explain how eating nutritious meals that contain protein prevents the sudden drop in blood-sugar level that can contribute to those physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety. If and when necessary, I will refer a client for a further medical and/or psychological evaluation if the individual describes dysfunctional eating behaviors (e.g., bingeing/purging, starvation) or beliefs about food or nutrition that are out of scope of my professional expertise.

Limited-Time Offer: Free Phone Consultation

 This is a great opportunity to find out why hypnosis is so effective and how hypnotherapy can help you achieve your self-improvement goals. Call/send me a text message at (661) 433-9430 or send me an e-mail at calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com to set up your free, 30-minute phone consultation, today! 

Offer valid through May 31, 2019. 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2019