Thursday, November 7, 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.



  • “We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” –  Emmanuel Kant

  • “The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust

  • “A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.” – Thomas Carlyle

  • “Life is a gift. Never forget to enjoy and bask in every moment you are in.” – Unknown


  • “In order to help others, in order to serve others, the real motive is love.” – Dalai Lama

  • “Decide daily to be the agent of your own life—you have nothing to lose and so much to gain.” – Jennifer Louden

  • “By contending with challenges that seem to be beyond your strength to handle ... you can grow more surely toward the stars.” – Brian Tracy

  • “One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.” – André Gide

  • “You can't always get what you want but you just might find you get what you need.” – The Rolling Stones




Special offer for Active/Retired First Responders and Military Personnel
 Special Offer: 25 percent discount off the first hypnotherapy session and 10 percent off subsequent sessions for all active/retired military personnel and first responders (police, fire-fighters, EMT/paramedics, ambulance personnel, emergency dispatchers, E.R. physicians/nurses).





Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. In July 2019 she was voted the Best Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2019

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Power Breathing


(This blog was originally posted on August 30, 2016)


Photo by Rick Hustead



Breathing—especially diaphragmatic breathing—is one of the most natural and basic things that you can do to relax and calm down during a stressful situation. Power breathing is an effective technique to release/force out negative emotions you associate with that situation, event or even a person.

These techniques are similar in that both entail taking deep breaths of air through the nose and holding the air in the lungs for a few seconds before releasing it through the mouth. In power breathing, however, the air is released more forcefully, often with a “whoosh” sound, as if you are blowing out a very large candle. I find that imagery of Old Faithful’s steamy eruption or the sound and sight of the mist produced when whales or dolphins breathe on the surface of the ocean are useful for this exercise. Other good metaphors include a tornado, the power of a wind tunnel or even a volcano; it is completely up to you which imagery—if any—to use when you practice this technique.

The important and therapeutic aspect of this technique is that you associate the forceful release of your breath with symbolically, forcefully releasing those negative emotions or events, etc., you associate with holding back or impeding your personal growth. It doesn’t matter if you identify specific stressors to release (Physical Sexual/Physical Suggestible) or simply recognize them as a generic category of “everything that bothers me.” (An Emotional Sexual/Emotional Suggestible individual is more likely to do this.) The important thing is that you are allowing yourself to release—even force out—those negative associations this way. The force with which you let go of these things physically strengthens this intention in the conscious mind. The fact that these negative associations are being released on the exhale—a natural process of every breath we take—reinforces this intention in the subconscious mind.

It is a great breathing technique to help release stress and tension when you are stuck in rush-hour traffic, too!



Special offer for Active/Retired First Responders and Military Personnel
 Special Offer: 25 percent discount off the first hypnotherapy session for all active/retired military personnel and first responders (police, fire-fighters, EMT/paramedics, ambulance personnel, emergency dispatchers, E.R. physicians/nurses).


Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. In July 2019 she was voted the Best Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2019

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Building Self-Esteem from a Limited Mental Script


(This blog was originally posted on May 2, 2016)

Photo by Rick Hustead




If a client has a limited subconscious mental script, it is important to use hypnotic suggestions to help create a new mental self-image. This individual would also benefit from learning about the Mental Bank Concept and using the Mental Bank ledger to reinforce those suggestions, advised John Kappas, Ph.D., founder of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute.

To start this process, explain the Theory of Mind and emphasize that any previous negative scripts or self-image (behaviors) can be re-learned, Dr. Kappas suggested. Remind the client that somewhere in the person’s background, the individual picked up or learned the unwanted behavior. Since all behavior (except reaction to fear of falling and reaction to fear of loud noises) is learned, the person can unlearn this unwanted behavior as well. It is also important to reassure the individual that he or she will match the potential positive changes or outcomes with the person’s capability to effect the desired change. “From this day forward, you are more valuable. You are successful, happy doing what you want to do,” the hypnotherapist said.

It is important for the client to be able to incorporate the self-image of success, happiness and prosperity as the basic foundation for his or her mental-bank goals. Therefore, while the individual is in hypnosis, the hypnotherapist should emphasize that the person’s confidence, self-confidence and self-esteem continue to steadily increase. “A new script will take you to new places. You’ll feel better about yourself, and your confidence will begin to grow,” Dr. Kappas said.



Special offer for Active/Retired First Responders and Military Personnel
 Special Offer: 25 percent discount off the first hypnotherapy session for all active/retired military personnel and first responders (police, fire-fighters, EMT/paramedics, ambulance personnel, emergency dispatchers, E.R. physicians/nurses).

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. In July 2019 she was voted the Best Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.