DyAnn's Page

A Movie That Can Change Your Life

2012-01-18T08:30:00.008-06:00

Grab the popcorn, find a comfy seat and let's go see a fantastic movie. What would you choose from the movie menu? Have you seen any really great movies lately? I mean the kind where you can't wait to buy a copy of your own even if your DVD library is as small as mine. Have you ever been watching a movie and after a few scenes realized it wasn't worth your time? A well crafted movie takes us away from our seat in the theater or comfy place on the couch and transports us to a different time and place via our imagination. Our emotions are brought to the surface as we weep, chuckle, sigh with warm satisfaction or feel outrage.
If you would now, think about a movie you've especially enjoyed or found memorable..... notice how it transports you to a different time and place? As you recall it in even greater detail you might even begin the feel the emotions brought forth while the movie scenes dance before your eyes. A good suspense has you on the edge of your chair with your heart beating faster. A romance might find you feeling wistful or even anxious as you hope for a happy ending. "Dolphin Tales" had us cheering for the solution that would save the day. "War Horse" is a current movie which I have not had the courage to see; even the preview brings up strong emotion surrounding the deep heartfelt connection between me and my horses.
There is another highly emotional, trance-like movie we all watch. And it is featured in a movie theater we never leave! Yes, every one of us, every moment of our life~ and that is the movie in our mind. Our subconscious mind continually runs movies or movie clips. We could even name them based on commonly running themes:
My Relationship With My Hateful__________ (fill in the blank: boss, spouse, so-called-friend, mother, mother-in-law, neighbor ,family members, etc)
How Awful This _____________Is Going To Turn Out ( fill in the blank: project, day, weather, dinner, kid, game, illness, job, relationship, etc.)
My Aching ##!*#! ____________(top to bottom body scan for this list)
How Unfair It Is That ____________( I got stuck with taking care of _____, I have this job, I have no job, my boss sucks, my spouse is stupid, my kids don't care, nobody cares about me , "they" have all the advantages , I don't have enough, etc)
I can't move forward______because (of where I live, because no one will give me a break, I am too old, I'm too young, I am the wrong race, I don't have enough money, I have a rotten past, no one gets ahead, have you met my family!, I have no skills, not enough energy, no education, no one to encourage me, etc.)

STOP THE MOVIE! PLEASE STOP THE MOVIE!!
It's your movie theater! You are always in charge of what movie or preview is on your screen. ALWAYS. It is impossible for it to be any other way. Your subconscious mind is the library of movies but your conscious (thinking) mind manages the theater. You are controlling all of it. And just like the movies we recalled in the first paragraph, along with emotions they each can manifest, our movies impact us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. If we can't exit the theater let's change the movie!
Playing any movie clips or themes (including those listed above) creates a self-fulfilling prophesy called your day, your mood, your physical self, your life.
How about changing the movie to something like this:
A Great Intelligence is Available to me.
You might want to read about the God Code and how our DNA literally reads or translates as "God/Eternal within the body" That trumps any real or imagined adversity in life.
My Intention is to be Loving.
Among the most clear cut laws of the Universe is that of "cause and effect." We reap what we sow. It's our intention which is the seed we sow. Think about a time you "made up your mind" to do something- you likely succeeded. On the other hand when we put forth a half-hearted effort/intention we don't expect nor do we get a decisive outcome. It is intention that is the determining factor.
Looking at the intention to be loving, when we react with hurt and anger toward an uncaring person or hurtful situation that is just a stumble. Practice makes perfect and we learn empowerment when we stop giving our power away to others via our emotions. But to intend to hurt the other person is a totally different matter. In one of my seminars I explained this using the example of bringing a pie to a new neighbor. One person may have the intention of welcoming them so that they don't feel alone. Another person brings the pie in order to gain possible advantage. Same kind of pie, very different intention!
Our intentions are powerful beyond what most people realize. It strongly directs our actions. Emotion added to intention is a real powerhouse. Thus if we intend to direct hatred toward someone, we will likely hit the target. But remember this! Most important is the fact that the seed -the spirit, the intention in which we think or speak or act comes back to us; it is sown in our own inner self; there it grows. This is a core message that many great teachers and mystics taught. In Eastern culture this is where "karma" comes in. So that pie may have manipulated your new neighbor, but in turn someone along the way will manipulate you.
One more movie suggestion ~
I Look For and Find Gratitude
The effects of gratitude or thankfulness leading to the release of powerful hormones which impact us at a physical, cellular level is well documented. We are flooded with happiness chemicals when we feel gratitude.It is as simple as that. If you were lucky enough to receive a present for Christmas that you really were hoping for, you have a recent memory of what I mean. Conversely, when we take on a negative attitude the opposite type of chemicals are released and run rampant within our bodies. Some research points toward this being the cause of dis-ease.
We don't have to be at the mercy of things turning our perfectly in order to "practice gratitude" and receive its wonderful rewards. And we don't need to have an abundance of money. We already live in abundance ~ but most of us don't claim it.
What does it cost, after all to stargaze, or check out books from the library, sit in a beautiful cathedral, or meditate by a lake or pond, see the shining diamonds in the snow, share a smile, or forward an inspiring or silly e-mail. We can work on and change a bad habit, reach out and find a new friend, make someone's load lighter, laugh with a child, find humor in a situation, treat ourselves with love and kindness, give a compliment, inspire and encourage others ~ the list of ways to release joy into the world in which we live is enchantingly endless.
We can start our day off with the blast of the alarm clock and jump out of bed, rushing around with our heart pounding and our mind jammed with thoughts of all we have to do....Or we can take a moment or two, lie there and welcome the day, being thankful for life, a roof over our head, enough food to eat, challenges to make us grow, beautiful past memories and the opportunity to make this day a good one via our intention.

The mind is its own place, and in itself can make heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n. Milton (Paradise Lost).
What movie will you allow in your mind today? Remember, you own the theater - and that is something to be grateful for!
Until next time~
Dr. DyAnn

Help for Holiday Success

2011-12-23T15:42:00.016-06:00

It's almost Christmas! Beautiful music is playing in the background, UPS delivered last minute presents in time for Santa to give to loved ones, and as I sit here at dusk the neighborhood lights are about to come alive. There is magical energy in the air.

People are rushing around doing the last minute preparation and frankly I should be doing the same. However, as I was taking a break and reading a Christmas card I was rendered a bit speechless as I read the enclosed note.

"Mary" commented how meaningful she finds my blog. Oh my goodness I haven't written anything in ages - I felt instant guilt combined with a rush of true joy in that I helped provide meaning in someones life.

So my friends, with cleaning to do, presents to wrap, calls to make and errands to run, I decided to let my heart lead the way: thus a holiday message as a gift to you.

I have been around long enough to experience many Christmas seasons~ the good, the bad and yes even the sort of ewww "not so good" ! I remember my husband and I rushing to get in a visit with both sets of families even though they lived miles apart. I smile as I recall great secret gifts and the look of sheer delight on the face of the surprised loved ones who had no idea what we were plotting. The years flew by with my sons growing up and presents that grew with them in size, price, and technology. And now we are blessed with grand children so that the entire process begins anew. As you read this I hope you take a walk down memory lane, remembering all the love, joy, and preparation that went into your holiday seasons.

It is the MEMORIES that last after all ~ isn't it?

From the perspective of many Christmas seasons there are a few things that I have learned and put into practice that make my holiday much more of a success and much more relaxing:

1. Define what will make this season successful for YOU. Over the years, when I realized I could not keep up with ALL the things I love, from Christmas cards to home made cookies, to the perfect gifts, to entertaining, etc etc WOW...and that instead I could prioritize and put my effort into what meant the most, and actually enjoy myself it made a huge difference. It helps to come from a perspective that makes sense to you! Choose the traditions which mean the most or start some new ones. People change, circumstances change, and so can you :)

2.Take care of yourself! I meditate and read uplifting materials just about every day of the year. It is how I start my day and I always joke that my clients and my family can tell the difference when I haven't given myself that boost. I call it "feeding my soul". When we are rushed, this is when we most need to remember good self care, if for no other reason than to maintain our energy.

3. I will be honest and say that I exercise only about 3 days a week and it is a struggle- but I know from a mind/body perspective that it is vital that we get up and move. Please do this for yourself. Walking is one of the best exercises there is- maybe take a look this evening at the neighborhood lights!

4. I have been very interested in the energy of good ole H2O. There is fascinating research on water crystals done by Dr Emoto out of Japan. If you take two identical vials of water and write negative words on one, but positive words on the other.....only the one with the + words will develop beautiful, intricate crystals. (Even muddied water will clear up by the way. This is about positive energy at its most basic.) Now think about it--- our body is what? 70%+ % water. So, drink lots of water and give yourself the message of beautiful words and thoughts.

5. It's the holidays so if you want to eat yummy but kind of junky food a.) don't over do it and b.) let it go!!! It's OK to treat yourself. You would actually do more damage by berating yourself than by eating the occasional not-so-nutritious food anyway.

6. Realize that gifts don't have to be "perfect". When you give someone a present that is an expression of caring. There are many ways to show that we love people besides a package under the tree. Many folks are struggling with the economy but please, please do not put a price tag on your love and admiration. Some of the best gifts I have even received were those where the person "pegged" it: maybe they knew a pound of my favorite chocolate from out of town would be oh so appreciated. Or they developed a favorite photo and put it in a simple frame or wrote something in a card about how I touched their life. Those are the kind of things we remember when the tree is down and everything is put away.

7. If your heart is carrying grief this year ~ whatever the reason: dig deep into your spiritual values. A new friend told me her dad died a couple months ago. She and her sisters are going to all be home to be with their mother. After we chatted a bit about her father and what a good man he was she said: I am confident Dad truly is in heaven and that makes me happy for him; I suppose we really are sad for ourselves. The mother of a dear friend died a few weeks ago and I know her family has struggled with Christmas without her. There is no getting around it, that first Christmas especially, is difficult. Share memories and pictures, be with loved ones who will supportive and be careful not to isolate. Getting back into a routine that makes sense to you and your timing will be important. Grief is like a roller coaster ride with unexpected ups and downs, but eventually it settles down.

8. Unburden your heart: forgive. The longer we hold on to the hurts and pain, the more it literally hurts us. I know it can be difficult to let go of injustices and what may appear to be unfairness or the thoughtlessness of others. We have all been there! But what happened is done and gone; when we keep it in our mind we are the ones who are keeping it and its emotional, mental and physiological scars ripped open. Forgiveness lets someone out of jail ~ and that someone is YOU.

9. Keep a sense of humor and positive perspective. Our "fresh" tree starting shedding needles like leaves coming off the autumn trees in a blustery wind. We bought it late as we have guests coming in for our celebration the weekend after New Years Day. Looks like it is going to be one of those "Charlie Brown" trees and and the clothing gifts are going to have needles tucked in their seams! But family and friends will be here sharing the season and the gifts of love and gratitude. And that is what makes the season something special!

10. Do one special thing for yourself: it will be your gift to you. The positive way we treat our self will then reflect like the warm sun on those around us. Scripture tells us that we are to love others as our self ; that is one of the great commandments! Even if you don't do it right away but make the promise to yourself it will give you something to look forward to with joy.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. It brought me great joy to take a break, think of you and share my thoughts during this special time of the year.

Best wishes for a lasting season of blessings.

With love and gratitude~

DyAnn

Your Telepathic Communication

2011-06-07T15:07:00.012-05:00

Ever wish you could do a better job in communicating with others? Maybe even that you could be telepathic and truly know what was in the other person's heart? Read on and you may discover that you already have that gift!
First I have one other thing to say ...with a cup of tea ( I am coffee'd out) and a granola bar, I sit here at my computer. I have missed writing my blog and feel a little guilty for letting it lag. My sincere apology if you have been looking for it - I really wasn't trying for a world's record of writer's block. One of the downsides of writing a blog is that I don't always know whose life I may have touched. Making the world, or my little piece of it, a better place in which to live, is a driving force in my life. So I got wrapped up in other projects. However, one of the things I know and believe in, is the importance of following those internal inklings that advise us to do this or that - go here or there. "Listen to the still, small voice within."
And so today - a calling to write. If there is even one person for whom it makes any kind of difference I am deeply blessed.
One of the things I do daily is read. I read for entertainment, for my own learning, and to feed my soul. I confess I have a love affair with words. I would like to share with you a passage from one of the books I particularly enjoy. I hope it provides inspiration, a sense of peace or guidance for you, as well as a hint about telepathy.
My copy of "A Return to Love" (Marianne Williamson) is battered and worn, with underlines in pen and pencil, my own notes in the column, and coffee stains here and there. In other words this is one of my favorites!

Here is an interesting passage in her chapter on relationships: We all have been in conversations where two people spoke and no one heard a thing. We've also had conversations where no one said anything and both people understood everything perfectly. In order to truly communicate we must take responsibility for the heart space that exists between us and another. It is that heart space, or the absence of it, which will determine whether communication is miraculous or fearful....the key to communication is not what we say, but rather the attitude that lies behind what we say. Since there is only one mind, all of us are telepathically communicating all the time. Every moment we are choosing to join or to separate, and the person to whom we are speaking feels what we have chosen regardless of our words. (p141)
In a skype session this morning I spoke with someone (I will call her Gracie) whose family participates in a lot of triangulating, back biting and gossip. If you don't attend a family event you know you will be a target of the gossip machine. But Gracie has come to a point in her counseling and enlightenment process where she no longer wants to participate in those family games.It extracts too high a price. She recently (bravely) skipped a family gathering. She was hurt and offended when someone in her family ("Jane") gave her own version/perspective at that gathering of something Gracie had said to her. And she painted a pretty nasty picture of Gracie, gossiping about her behind her back. Remember Gracie was not there to defend herself or give her version. And true to family form, that gossip later got back to her. Gracie wanted to set the record straight with Jane and let her know what she had meant when she made the comment to her.( Jane had not given any clue to Gracie that she was bothered by it; she chose rather to scathingly report it to the family - ouch).
Gracie shared with me the meaning of what she had said to Jane. Her question to me was whether or not it was wise to have a chat about it with Jane. (We discovered there was a way for Gracie to do this without Jane catching on as to who let the cat out of the bag and reported her gossiping about Gracie. Thus Gracie could avoid stirring the pot and creating more drama.) This was a troublesome issue that now had festered and caused an unspoken distance between her and Jane. Gracie no longer trusted Jane even tho Jane acted very nice "to her face". But I had one question before Gracie made her decision.
The question I asked Gracie was this: what is your intention in talking to Jane?

Our intention, you see, is what makes all the difference. Our intention is what creates the silently read fear or miracle. The joining or separation as Marianne is speaking of in the above quote. Remember on some level we all are telepathic. We do read the other person's intention- we read their heart. And they read ours.
So whether or not I would support Gracie in talking to Jane depended on the intention in her heart. The words would not matter nearly as much.
Her intention was pure. It was not to win the argument, prove she was right and Jane was wrong or to call her on her gossiping. It was simply to clear the negative energy and hurt.
In your own communication remember that often times we are so busy listening to the words that we may miss the true meaning or intention behind the words. Or we may be so busy pushing our own agenda that we are not hearing the other person, and they are not hearing us. We all have experienced these scenarios.
But if you want to truly "win" at communicating, make good the intention of what you want to say. Make it a desire to clear the negative and to make your world a little happier, more pleasant, more loving place in which to live. Because we truly are of "one Mind", on some level the other person will receive your intention. Whether they decide to honor it or not is up to them. We have no control there. But we really don't need that control - if our heart's intention is loving we have made the world- your world - a better place in which to live.
A sure way we can give our best attempt at making it a win-win communication is when we clear our own heart space of fear whether in the form of anger, jealousy, resentment of devaluing our own self. Once we have done that we win and we offer the best opportunity for the other person to win as well- the choice is up to them.
And that is just what Gracie did- her intention was simply to let Jane know that what she had said may have been in poor judgment, and that it was not meant to be mean-spirited or hurtful. Whether Jane understands it or not, Gracie has no control over. But on a higher level Jane will know that Gracie's intention is to heal, not hurt. To join rather than separate. And to create an environment of love not fear. It is only in this way that any true communicating can take place.

And remember also that it is a law of the Universe that what we put out there will eventually return to us - maybe a different day and in a different form or with a different person, but your pure intention of peace WILL come back to you.
Love and Light~
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Guideposts for an Amazing Life

2011-02-01T16:49:00.005-06:00

More today on the law of attraction.
I want to share with you some bits and pieces. Each is important in its own right. It is quite likely that there will be something here just for you that you can use starting right now.
For example, you realize that you can think only one thought at a time, right? Yes there are times when it seems as though a million thoughts are going thru our mind at once but in truth only one is there at a time. Strive to make it a positive one.
When we want to attract good things into our life, and who doesn't, it is important to be aware of our thoughts. So if you find yourself thinking negatively, immediately put a positive thought into play. It does not need to be something profound - just something in your own words. And like your mother probably always said "don't lie!" The Universeand your subconscious mind always knows when we are fibbing.
Let me give you some examples. Say you are desiring a loving partner in your life and that is what you wish to attract. If you catch yourself thinking/saying "ya like that will happen."
your fantastic obedient subconscious mind obeys. It does not understand sarcasm and goes with what you say, think, and believe.
One of the ways to get around your disbelief, which will trip you up by the way, is to do what I call spoon feeding the subconscious mind. So you might say "well it would be nice if I met someone who would end up being a wonderful loving partner." That is certainly true, so the subconscious mind accepts it AND gets to work on creating your wish. It really is that simple and I have seen it happen over and over again. The subconscious cannot help but obey. As Edgar Cayce is known to have often said: mind is the builder.
Remember the subconscious mind is where the blueprint is built for everything you want in life. And like a blueprint for a house, you want only the best plan and products to go into it. The blueprint is your image or visualization, or what you have hoped and prayed for. So put conscious thought into exactly what it is that you want.
The building products are your thoughts and words. So guard well the thoughts you allow to come into your mind, both from the environment in which you find yourself as well as your own thoughts. Avoid negative people who pull you down. And if that cannot be done in some circumstances, imagine a protective barrier where by their energy cannot enter into the blueprint of your mind.
Knowing the methods behind how the mind works, you have all you need to build a wonderful, fulfilling life.
Until next time~ may you know the joys of creating an awesome life!
Dr. DyAnn

Boomerangs

2011-01-24T14:59:00.017-06:00

Gayle is a lovely, engaging woman with a smile that lights up the room as well as a past that is peppered with ugly memories, pain and despair.That is what first brought her into the counseling process. Already having had two failed marriages she worked on the patterns and false beliefs she picked up from her abusive family of origin. Her mother had blamed her for everything that she could possibly conceive of and her father, rather than protecting her, taught her to do "whatever it takes" so that mom would not be upset - quite the impossible task! What an ugly combination and often a set up for failed relationships and some hard lessons when a girl grows up this way.

Gayle thought she had found the love of her life when she met Carl. When she first laid eyes on him she knew" he was the one" and I as well am a big believer in intuition. As their relationship progressed I commented that I thought she was even meant to be his teacher in this lifetime. But what a challenge he ended up being! Not easily daunted, she kept working on herself and the relationship - and I continued to believe it would turn out well. As the economy turned for the worse he became increasingly aloof, verbally abusive and difficult to get along with. Because she and I continued to work together she was able to buffer his actions and not get triggered so much by old patterns of self blame and perfectionism learned in childhood. "Carl is not your mother. You are a competent adult" I would remind her. (That was HER lesson.)

She was able to continue to reach out to him tho her esteem suffered. She dug into her savings to help with his struggling business and took on more work to help with the bills. Long before, she had told him that she "believed in his dreams and wanted to help make them come true." What love!
However, as he became more withdrawn and belligerent she finally had to face the facts. We drew up a game plan and timeline for her moving out if things did not improve, for now he was even jealous of her successes. I hoped that it might shock him into some kind of awareness as to how much he was hurting this amazing woman that he was VERY lucky to have in his life. She thought he was stubborn enough that he would never flinch. "I just can't deal with his negativity any more. He is pulling me down and I am afraid I won't be able to survive this." At the last attempt to communicate at least thru e mail he told her not to send anymore stupid #$%^&!! emails because he wasn't going to read them.
OK then!
The way the Universe operates is similar to a boomerang; in other words what you put out there comes back eventually - boomerang for boomerang. It isn't going to send back a refrigerator! So it can be a little tricky to keep positive when, as in Gayle's example, this kind of stuff is happening in your life. But it is necessary!
We live in a world of vibration. Everything has a vibration. We live in a world that is magnetic - like attracts like. That was a mainstay of the message of Jesus. And we can think only one thought at a time. When we put all of these truths together we have the formula for success in life. We have true empowerment.
For example, if we say we are going to try something but think or say it probably isn't going to work anyway - we send out the boomerang and expect the refrigerator to come to us on the return route. Remember only one thought can be sent out at a time and the negative one will cancel out the positive one. We cannot lie to God and we cannot lie to our subconscious mind, which is our great powerhouse. We can however work on our ability to believe in our power when coupled with God/Universe/Spirit/Creative Energy. And we can own our feelings. But one of the most powerful, and easiest things we can do is also free!! We can use our imagination.
That being said, as Gayle had done countless times, imagine yourself and how you will feel in the future with your goal being successfully met. Relish it in great detail using all your senses until you truly do feel it. This is especially powerful when it is done just before falling asleep at night and upon awakening, as well when you pray and or meditate. When you are doing a mundane task like dishes, or riding an exercise bike is an opportune time also.

Now for an update about Gayle. I think one of the things that may have had her stuck by the way was her being a little too willing to allow her own self-esteem to take such a hit so that she put up with too much for too long with Carl. God never wants us to dishonor our own being. Respecting herself (in thought/feeling and actions - aka vibration) first and foremost may have been her missing piece in the formula.
In a recent e mail she shared with me that indeed a miracle appears to be taking place. Carl has told her how much he values her and how lucky he is to have her! Romance is once again blooming for them. She is understandably cautious but feels much more positive about their future. She will fill me in on the rest of the details when we meet. I can hardly wait.
In the meantime I replied in my e mail : EXPECT A MIRACLE!

Until next time, envision your success and use that untapped power of your imagination to make your dreams come true.
Blessings and love to you and those you love~
Dr. DyAnn

A Holiday Story

2010-12-27T10:20:00.008-06:00

This is a holiday story - a true story. And like all true life stories it has both its high points and low points. As you read it I am confident that it will speak to you with whatever messages you are meant to hear.

I first met "Brandon" and his dad "Tim" when Brandon was in big time trouble in college for failing grades and drug use. Tim, a highly successful businessman, was mad as hell and worried sick about him. More than anything he wanted his son to be happy in life and he knew that Brandon was going about it all wrong. In our individual sessions it almost hurt my own heart as I listened to this father who had such obvious love for his son. And I knew that Brandon was not liking dad's tough love approach so things were pretty rough for a while.

Even though it did not seem like it in the midst of the counseling process, I always knew that Brandon would "get it" some day. He had the deep sensitivity of an old soul but he was living the life of a wounded young man who never got beyond some childhood issues including the ugly divorce his parents went thru and his mother's continued bitterness.
We made our way thru the counseling process and Brandon was successfully launched on his life path. I continued to counsel Tim at various junctures in his personal life as time passed but had not heard from him in several years.
Just before Thanksgiving I was delighted to get an e mail from Brandon. Until I read it, that is. His father, who always took excellent care of himself had literally dropped dead at age 59.

Brandon was heart broken. You see, over the years he and his dad had built a wonderful father~son relationship. They enjoyed football games and other "guy stuff" including Tim advising Brandon about finding the right special someone to share his life with. Now in what seemed like a bad dream it was all gone.
There is never, ever a time that is "better" than others to lose someone that you love deeply; but losing someone special during the holidays is especially harsh (whether they die or any other level of loss of a relationship). Memories that would normally be gladly embraced feel empty and haunting. The joy of others becomes an irritation and Christmas, rather than something to be celebrated is something you just want to be over with.
To make matters even worse for Brandon, his family did not draw closer together following Tim's death. He had made the effort of a Thanksgiving get together as some sort of healing family event but was met with tremendous negativity.
When it came to making Christmas plans he shared with me some of the e-mails that were exchanged between his siblings as well as his mother. As a therapist I could see that they were the misplaced feelings of unresolved layers of grief, pain, poor communication and all that would no longer be. But to the eyes and heart of Brandon they were blaming, dismissive, nasty and and among some members just plain hateful! "Happy blanking holidays" as he said. His family had never been close but now he had this additional loss.
It was now a pivotal time in Brandon's healing process. And this is what makes this a special story. Remember that I said I always knew that somehow Brandon would "get it" some day? He sent an e mail to me today and in the subject line it says "I made it"; that is in reference to the celebration of Christmas.
He did join his family for a few hours but he also "visited his dad" at the cemetery. He shared with me that they had a talk. Brandon came to realize that all his dad wanted was for him to be happy. He shares with me in his e mail:
"My happiness is totally dependent on what is inside of me, not what anyone else says and does.... I feel free and happier than I have ever been. Somehow throughout my life I have always received just the right guidance at the right time from that god/goddess in the sky and I know that will continue to be true.... My goal is to be the best person I can possibly be and I really embrace that idea."

I know that Tim is very proud of him.

Blessings and love to you during this holiday season. May your heart open to receive what ever it is that you need. Like Brandon you never know when there is a miracle right around the corner, just waiting for you.
Until next time~
Dr. DyAnn

Lessons in Gratitude

2010-11-24T07:27:00.008-06:00

Someone recently asked me for help in coming up with a prayer to say at the family Thanksgiving meal. Her slight dilemma was that the family is quite traditional and she is quite new age. In other words she "gets it" when it comes to the power of the mind and how we co-create with God. She is afraid her guests might think of this as blasphemous. Her hope is that this could be a teaching opportunity. Or she might get nailed to the proverbial cross. Hmmm

As I thought about it and sent up a prayer to ask for help what came to me is "gratitude". Everyone knows that "thanks giving" is about gratitude. Our minds are in a place of thinking about the blessings that we have received. And what we focus on grows.
That is the connecting point of prayer, thought, those who are more traditional as well as those who have explored beyond those boundaries. By the way I hesitate to use the term "new age." Although at its root the meaning is pure and simple - new age- a powerful time of understanding and using our God given abilities - it has an unfortunate reputation of false gurus, snake oil and weirdos. How unfortunate.
So where was I? Oh yes the connection, the oneness and coming together within gratitude. Because the Universe is all about vibration and energy, our thoughts create. This is the central message of Jesus and many prophets and mystics. So when we put our minds in the state of gratitude, concentrating on how we are blessed and what we are thankful for, we send out a vibration of positive energy. And what we send out returns to us, sooner or later.

A little tip here. We need to be careful and not negate that positive energy. One example is jealousy...if we hear of another person's blessings, while we might be sitting on what feels like a pile of dung with not much to be thankful for, we could end up creating a bigger pile. The Universe listens to our thoughts and feelings. And it responds to them. It does not judge our thoughts and feelings but does respond to them. It does not show favoritism. One person is not more richly blessed by some unknown source while you sit on that pile of crap.

The power and connection is in our subconscious mind. And the good news is that our subconscious mind's tendency is toward a good life and many blessings. But we can muck it up with negative thinking. The subconscious is incredibly powerful - but it can't "think". It obeys our conscious mind/ thinking and is supercharged when strong feelings are added. I have seen this operate in my life on both sides of the coin. Before I knew how this all works I created some pretty unattractive results - especially in relationships. And I created simply awesome results too.

When I was part of a large psych clinic one of the psychologists asked me if I was ever worried about having enough clients. His question gave me pause. That doubt had never entered my mind and results showed up in my over flowing practice. You see, I always "knew" I was meant to do this work. Now I understand that although it is complicated in some ways, it simply boils down to this: my faith and belief in that "knowing" then resonated with Universal Energy, Divine Matrix, God and thus the people who were meant to come to me for healing simply arrived. And I was wise enough to understand that I wasn't wise enough to do the work, so I always asked for help.
We all are guided, protected and loved. The Universe leans toward abundance in all areas. When we clear our minds of doubt, jealousy. anger and fear what is left is an opening to receiving that positive flow. And one of the ways we do that is when we pause and think of that which we are thankful for...breathing it in, calming our mind and thus inviting the Universe to resonate with that energy and bring us more good stuff.
In answer to a recent comment (seeing the negative traits in another and how they bug us yet serve as a teaching moment- brilliant comment by the way ) I would say this. Indeed there will be those situations and people who grate on us and spin negativity in our minds. When that happens to me and the person in my estimation is over the top I think (I'm no saint :) - well they have to live in that **** and I back away. Some times that is all we can do -besides send up a prayer for their healing. But like the woman said in her comment which again I see as coming from a very wise person, the Universe is giving us a "teaching moment". What is there about this person or situation that is getting to me? Why is it striking a nerve? The answer is not because they are such a @#$%%!!**! It is because it resonates with something within me; otherwise it would not strike such a nerve. Some times this is hard to swallow.
For example in that same large psych practice I was in, there was a woman who irritated the heck out of me. She was a wildly flirtatious social butterfly. (That was what I thought on a good day LOL) What on earth would that have to do with striking a nerve with me?
I came to understand that the pearl of wisdom was obviously not in her brushing up to every male that crossed her path. Rather is was in her happy, social way of being. I saw that I had become much too serious. OK then! I" got it" and in my mind I thanked her for the lesson. And she no longer irritated me. That is how the Universe works.What we focus on grows and when I focused on her social aspects, they came out in me. It works that way for all of us. When we understand and reap the rewards of the lesson, the situations tend to dissolve. But until we get it the tendency is for it to grow. Feelings are a powerhouse that fire up the subconscious mind. Studying our feelings can be an inroad to wisdom and a better life.

In gratitude to those who touch my life~
Until next time, blessings and love,
Dr. DyAnn

My Next Post ...

2010-11-15T22:54:00.004-06:00

I have been away for a few days - sorry if you have been looking for me! I post about once a week although thoughts are always going thru my head about things to write. I love sharing this information. Our minds are so powerful, creative and manifesting (constantly!) that it is hard to believe. So for now remember to place those garage store stickers scattered about your surroundings so that you remember to check your thoughts. And I promise I will write in reference to the last comment I received - how we draw negative when we think negative thoughts, draw positive to us the same way but hmmmm what to do with those thoughts about someone who is just bugging us because, well in my words, they are just so darned irritating or even infuriating! And the Universe/God just gave me a fresh reminder of that very thing so there is the example just waiting to be shared. But until then, know that you truly are guided, protected and loved.
Blessings ~
Dr. DyAnn

What Goes Up...

2010-10-28T09:39:00.003-05:00

...must come down. We learn this the first few times we toss a ball in the air. Our science teachers taught us about the law of gravity. It is a Universal Law - no matter how many times you toss it, and whether you are in China, Peru, or the US, that ball ALWAYS comes down. It would be pretty weird if it didn't! We come to rely on Universal Laws to make sense and have predictability in life. These laws are unbreakable and unchangeable.

Did you know that there are many such Universal Laws? I am not speaking of just laws of nature but universal laws of your mind and spirit. If you know and understand them, your life will operate quite smoothly - and if not... well you are probably left scratching your head and wondering how the bleep some area of your life got so out of control!

Have you ever been stopped for speeding in a zone where you didn't know about the reduced limit? I hate it when that happens! Not fair!! I didn't see the sign. But unless you have a really nice police officer who lets you off with a warning, you will suffer the consequence of not knowing the law.

Our entire life operates that way: if we don't know about the "law" we will suffer the consequences. Conversely, if we understand and apply these laws our life can be dramatically changed.

Oh and before I go further, these universal laws or laws of consciousness are very cool! They are impartial and fair to everyone. I think of them as my guidance system for bringing greater blessings into my life and the lives of others.

Most people believe that we are here to learn lessons, as do I. However, rather than bumping along in the dark trying to figure out the lesson, let alone the answer, it is a much smoother journey if we HAVE THE RULEBOOK! It is akin to seeing the speed limit sign and being able to cruise thru the zone with the confidence that I won't get the hell scared out of me when I see flashing lights in my rear view mirror!

OK so we all know that "like begets like". Dogs have (beget) puppies, cats have kittens, Oak trees beget acorns etc. That is a universal law. Like begets like.

For us this law could be translated to say "the spirit in which I do something will (eventually) be returned to me." If I am nice to someone purely to manipulate them you better believe it, someone else will manipulate me. It may not be the same person or the same time frame or subject area, but I will be manipulated by others. What you sow you shall reap. What goes around comes around. Like begets like.

You know, these laws aren't meant to hurt us or make life difficult ~ quite the opposite! It makes the world a lot nicer place once we understand and live by universal laws. You can change your life if you understand and practice the lesson in just this one law. Here are some practical ideas to get you started.

Years ago I had a co-worker who was so sharp tongued and judgmental that I found myself avoiding her. I am a middle child peace-maker and we just didn't talk that way in our family. (The silent treatment was more our dysfunctional style of choice.) So how on earth would this make sense to me in regards to the reap/sow law? As I think about it now what "Kathy" was teaching me was not just how to sharpen my avoidance tactics. Rather she was showing me it was time to examine my own life and how I judged others.

What we see and don't like in others always has at least a bit of a reflection of something within our self. I know that can be a hard pill to swallow, but from personal experience, if you want your life to run more smoothly and be around more pleasant people and situations, look for the gem of truth in what you are experiencing. What might you have putting out there on an energy level that now is coming back to you? For example, perhaps that crabby person at work is reminding you about how you treat someone at home. Perhaps your spouse showing less interest in you is about you showing less interest- no not in them - but in yourself. Maybe those jerks out on the road are teaching you to be patient (so that you don't have the chemicals building up in your system that will some day blow an artery). The failed relationship with yet another" promising" person may be about your sowing a lack of self-respect, thereby unconsciously lowering your standards and attracting (law of attraction) someone who just is not suited for the best that you are.

So you see, these laws are not the "gonna get you" type we may be weary of, but rather a guidance system that we can count on to make our life so much easier and happier.

If you don't like what you are experiencing "out there" change what is going on "in here". That is where the real power is at anyway. Yes there will be those who we just don't see eye to eye with but once the lesson is learned, what I have found is that it (they) go away. The sharp tongued person takes a different job, the traffic is less irritating, the promising prospect really does turn out to be special.

And the really beautiful part is that now you have your own radar system. When you see a pattern starting to form in your life, check within as to what you may have been putting out there in thoughts and actions (energy) and make the changes that will lead to a happier more successful life.

Until next time~ remember we are all in this together and this law helps us to make life work so much better!

Blessings and love to you and those you love,

Dr. DyAnn

A Supply of Hope

2010-10-20T07:16:00.008-05:00

Christine (hopedespitedepression.blogspot.com) is a fellow blogger. I was intrigued by the title. If you have depression or want to understand more about it, you might want to check out her blog.

Hope despite depression.... That says it all. And so today I am inspired to write about hope and some of the ways to get from depression to hope and beyond.

Hope and depression ~ polar opposites. Depression is an ugly place. When I suffered from it and tried to describe it to someone I said it was like living in a deep, cold dark well with my only source of comfort being a scratchy damp blanket. People who have never suffered from depression have a difficult time relating to how oppressive it is.

Hope on the other hand is filled with light and color (Research has shown that when we are depressed our vision is literally washed in gray). Depression is slow, sluggish, bogged down - as if our brain is filled with quicksand - sucking us in deeper. If you look up "hope" in the dictionary you would find words like ambition, confidence, security, daydream, buoyancy. I might describe it as aliveness or engaged in life .

Whether you have some level of depression or not it is vital to understand the mind. Guard well the avenues of your mind...wish I could remember where I first heard or read that because I think that advice is priceless.

So, how do we go about this "guarding"? Well first of all GET RID OF THE NEGATIVES. What we see, hear, taste, smell and touch bombards our brain and our brain responds. (Just like it responds to medication; so this information is empowering. )You know how sometimes you have an unpleasant "mystery smell" in the house and have to hunt it down and get rid of it? Well, that is the same concept for rooting the negatives out of our surroundings, our energy field.

If you are presently depressed I know how difficult it can be to actually "do" something so bear with me - there will be notes about adding positives and you are already doing that. You are home free; you are searching out blogs that might be helpful to you.

So, what are the negatives in your life? Let's start with television. How many nasty things do you view in a day? What about negative news stations? Yes I want to know what is going on in the world but half an hour of hurricanes, greed, murders, the stock market, war and casualties and my good mood is right down the toilet. I find out what is going on in the world around me via the internet where I can peruse the stories and pick and choose what I want to look into. And keep my good mood.

You see, the problem is that television is rather hypnotic. Haven't we all sat down to watch a favorite program and remained plunked down for the evening? It is more than a bad habit. It is about the way the energy waves/pulsations of communication impact our brain. It is a marvelous invention but use it with care.

An easy key is to ask "is this positive or negative"? Because all energy DOES impact our mind. We live in a world of energy. So maybe a little more of "Dancing with the Stars" and a little less of the visually detailed crime stories.

"You are what you eat." Are we ever! So in rooting out the negatives you know where to go with this one. Food is energy - literally. Love your body, your being, enough to choose carefully. Doesn't mean you have to be a purist and give up those Klondike bars but maybe eat fewer sweets or fats and add one healthy food to your diet. Garbage in, garbage out. We cannot function at our best when we are debasing our body by eating crappy worthless food. Eventually the body and mind will reap the results.

Visual surroundings. The optic nerve goes directly into the brain so the impact of what we see is huge. We are constantly scanning and creating thoughts about our environment. Thoughts in turn create feelings. Feelings can delight us or cripple us.

I have a friend who runs the reception desk at a large business complex. There are several offices with windows that face her work center. She told me about how uncomfortable she felt because a guy in one of those offices would often be caught staring at her. I think she used the word "leering." She needed to change the negative! And her solution was very clever. She simply moved the potted plant from one spot on the counter to another - yes, directly between her and the "negative visual." I chuckle every time I think about it. He certainly couldn't complain that the plant was moved!

One of the things I tell clients and those in my seminars is to use "garage store stickers." Yes, those little colored dots. Strategically place them in your home, car, and work area. When you see the dot check your present thought. Is it positive or negative? Make the switch if you need to and be proud of yourself that you did so. It is a great way to get control of your own thinking so that you indeed are "guarding well the avenues of your mind."

Until next time ~ be gentle with yourself - your are a precious individual and your life is a work in progress.

Dr. DyAnn

What is your Purpose?

2010-10-11T13:18:00.006-05:00

Have you ever asked yourself "why am I here?" That question might be asked in frustration (!!!) or it might be a very literal wondering what your purpose is in living this lifetime, with these circumstances. I certainly know I have done both. It is much more pleasant to be asking from the second perspective ~ which is perhaps a search for personal meaning in your life. That being said, when we get more clues and understanding as to the "why" we'll find ourselves a lot less frustrated or asking "why" in that" what the bleep" frustrated way!!!

We each have a truly unique purpose which no one else can fill. It can be anything: being the best parent you can be and changing the cycle of abuse that has gone on for generations in your family ~ being the best crossing guard your local school could even dream of by maybe adding joy and humor ~being an advocate for an aging parent, even if that parent seems unappreciative ~loving a significant other (and yourself) enough to set boundaries around alcohol abuse ~ teaching forgiveness by letting go of something really nasty that was done to you or your family~speaking up when it is the right thing to do and you know it in your heart. The list is as endless as there are people in the world.

Here's the point: you don't need to try to be someone special because you already ARE somebody special! Too often we give notice and credit to someone who is famous or renowned or popular, thinking that their life is more important or they are more valuable than your own self. Nothing could be further from the truth. Think about it;

- for the person who breaks that cycle of violence could you ever count the blessings bestowed on future generations?

-for the child who sees that joyous crossing guard every morning, do you realize that may be the only person he or she really feels a connection with because there is the sense that they actually care?

-for the staff who observes you as a tender advocate with a parent who is unappreciative, do you realize what a role model you might be someone in a similar struggle?f

- in setting boundaries you may be the one and last opportunity that alcoholic has to get life back on track because you respect yourself and him/her enough to say "no more"

- by practicing forgiveness can you even imagine the impact on the person who committed the betrayal?

- or in speaking up, have you ever considered the rippling effect that goes out into the world?

These and millions of other examples give us the message that what we are doing right now may be exactly what our purpose is. Perhaps taking the time to realize that what you are doing now is vital and important is what the missing piece is!

Bless you on your journey ~ and may you realize how important it is, for we are all connected, we are all one.

Until next time~

Dr. DyAnn

Seasons of the Mind

2010-10-06T13:19:00.008-05:00

This blog discusses the mind and its many wonders. The more we know about the mind the better, for it is the computer that drives our whole system. If we are wise we learn about how to work with this precious powerful resource. While I totally believe in and have read the scientific evidence about the power of the mind, we also need to be aware of some of the things that can seem to go wrong.

So here we are at this time of year when summer has quickly turned to fall. For some of us that means our favorite season is over with, while for others it is just beginning. I was talking to a young woman earlier this week and she mentioned that while she was happy with the progress she is making in working her way out of depression she is rather apprehensive about the possibility of "winter blues" bringing her back down. So, I thought this would be a good time to discuss the subject of Seasonal Affect Disorder from the perspective of what is going on within the mind.

At best this condition can put a damper on the fall/winter season, but at its worse it can really wreak havoc on our lives and bring about deepened depression. Let's talk a little about what it is (if you want more info you can just google it). In general SAD is a grouping of depressive symptoms but what makes it different from general depression is that it is related to the seasons. We can track the occurrence of SAD like a weather map: the shorter the days and the more northern the location, the greater the chance of it occurring. Herein lies the key: the decrease of daylight is really the culprit.

Our brains could be described as chemical factories and one of the keys that brings about the typical symptoms of this condition is melatonin. Less light = more melatonoin produced in our brain. It almost seems like we go into hibernation - we have increased appetite and weight gain, we want to sleep more and may become sleepy during the day, we have less energy and not as much interest in activities and we crave carbs!

So what can we do when this occurs?

Discussing what is going on in your life is almost always helpful - whether it is just the effects of the slow down/grinding halt of SAD or some other issues that perhaps need to be processed. The chemical change brought about by the difference in the amount of melatonin produced by your brain can often change your mood and thus your ability to tolerate life's ups and downs. Another possibility is to talk to your health care provider about medication during the fall/winter months. For most people SAD thankfully leaves along with the last whispers of cold weather and/or gray skies.

Mayo clinic among others gives a solid thumbs up to Light Therapy (phototherapy). It makes sense that if too little light (cloudy conditions and shorter days) helps create this problem, then the addition of light via a light box will help to reduce it.

Above all remember that our thoughts produce our feelings. Feelings are as chemical as melatonin --- We may not be able to move to a sunnier climate but we all certainly have the ability to use the power of our minds to create a happier life. If you believe you will be more depressed this winter you will; if you believe you will be able to do better, you will. Either way you are right.

Until next time~

May you see your many blessings...

Dr. DyAnn

Weight Reduction on Steroids?!!

2010-06-25T09:49:00.012-05:00

Have you ever known someone like"Jody" ? She often has a twinkle in her eye, making me wonder what she is up to. She's creative, hard working, loyal to family and friends and has a great sense of humor...I get some of my best/funniest e-mail forwards from her. Actually I met Jody as a client a while back. We have stayed in touch, and recently we worked together on weight reduction ~ a topic of great importance that is a concern for more and more people.

Jody recently sent an e-mail updating her progress. She reported that her doctor had put her on steroids to deal with pain. Now everyone knows that steroids and weight reduction do not exactly go together. In fact the general formula is: steroids = weight gain.

But not for Jody. Not only did she not gain weight, which is a side effect of using steroids, but she already has REDUCED by eight pounds. And I can guarantee that she will continue to reduce her weight and reach her goal, with or without steroids.

So, what is Jody's " secret"? Some new steroid formula? Dialing back her scale? A fluke? No, fortunately it is none of these. In fact her "secret" is not a secret at all. It is simply knowing how to use the power of the human mind. I am so proud of her!

I have worked with hundreds if not thousands of people, helping them to reach their goals using the power of their mind with hypnotherapy as one of the tools. But really all hypnosis is self hypnosis. I realize that my path, my calling is to help teach this to anyone who wants to learn how to have a better, happier life. I am now preparing workshops to teach this material in detail. Along the way I have studied and sharpened my skills. What came to me (we all are truly guided) has been a wealth of information about Universal Laws including the Law of Attraction. (There are many more laws but this one has been quite popularized.) When we have even the basic information about how these truisms work, and add to them the power of our own mind, we really do have amazing power over our life. What we can do seems limitless. Just ask Jody.

One metaphor that I would use to summarize the Law of Attraction is to say that life is like throwing a ball up against the wall... what you toss out comes back to you. So if you throw a tennis ball, a basketball is not what will bounce back at you. In similar fashion if you allow yourself to broadcast negative thoughts, words and emotions ~ well you get the picture.
So, here is a handy tool to use for reaching your goal. We all have the gift of an imagination; it actually has great power. Imagine yourself having reached your goal - what ever it is. The trick here is that you already know you are just imagining it, so "doubt" does not enter into the picture- you are just having fun imagining that great new job, wonderful significant other, healthy slim body, or whatever your dream is.
Remember, the way the energy of the universe works, what we put out there eventually comes back to us. The more richly imagined, complete with emotion, the more quickly and strongly your thoughts will return to you in the real world ~ just like that tennis ball.

Until next time ~Keep your dreams alive!

Dr. DyAnn

buechlertherapy.com

Perception is Everything

2010-05-21T08:04:00.005-05:00

Where would you like to see some improvement in your life? Do you read self help books because you want to make some changes? How could you make it happen?

For hundreds of years scientists separated mind from body. We are now in the midst of a medical revolution that proves exactly the opposite, with an entirely new perspective on how the mind and body interact. When you understand the information you can use it to change your life in a very positive way.

I could say that" perception is everything". Why? Because our "read" on something steers how we feel about it and how we respond to it quite literally and powerfully. We have within us the ability to change our emotional state.(Counting to ten, that sort of thing to simplify the example.) Following that line of reasoning, when we alter our emotional state we can positively affect our immune system, if we were to look at just a physical example. Norman Cousins put it this way, " If what one thinks can affect one's internal organs and tissues under ordinary circumstances, how can mental processes be put to use under circumstances of need or challenge? Emotions and attitudes -positive or negative - can affect health and the treatment of disease."

Not only can we stop the course of disease by the understanding of the working of our mind, we can make changes in the programming of all aspects of our being - emotions and perceptions are key.

Emotions are felt and attitudes are formed within the mind.

I invite you to ponder several congruent aspects of the mind. The mind and body are intimately attuned, working together as one for they are one. We are geared to survive; this occurs automatically, without having to think about it. The mind-body is self-healing and self-protective. All the senses constantly scan the environment and send messages to the brain, including those cues which may threaten safety and survival. We cannot override this system, although we may try to ignore it.

Because survival is ultimate, the cues which come in form the external as well as internal environment need to be read and acted on in a timely fashion. We can't afford to configure the speed of a car coming directly at us, the distance across the street, etc - we need to jump out of the way automatically. In order to do so the brain has a shortcut, which essentially leaves out the part of the process that meticulously and laboriously weighs factors (thinks about it logically and systematically).This is not done in a haphazard manner, however. Remember the mind also has stored prior representations of information and does what is called a "state-dependent" match to those cues. It is as if we instantly check files that have the same labels in order to expedite the process. An example would be that we read the cues and " automatically" duck when an object comes flying at our face. Or to step back on the curb when we see a car going much too fast. That is how the process works and the examples are obvious.We know this from past experience.

But the process also has worked, or at least your mind will believe it has, if you emotionally duck out of relationships because your old files read relationships to be hurtful and potentially harmful. I've known people whose relationship files are labeled "will end in failure" or "danger, you will be used". So in order to survive emotionally, guess what they do? You got it, they avoid all potential relationships, including the very ones that may be richly rewarding.

The past impacts the present without our even being aware of it. In our early stages of development, before we had the capacity to soundly judge the cues and prior to having a full range of options of response,(what three year old has a lot of choices or awareness for that matter? He wants to chase the ball into the street, not mindful of the potential dangers. ) -- we built those very files that we depend on in the present to make our judgments and quite virtually, to run our life. In other words, we may unknowingly be making decisions about how to relate to one another, how to live life, based on what happened to us as a very young child. That was when we built our perceptions of reality. That is what is meant by the common phrase that everything is learned by the time we are five years old.

Interesting, huh?

Herein lies the answer to some of the most puzzling aspects of our individual life: why an otherwise highly functioning person may repeatedly participate in a self-defeating activity. So if you have always wondered why you could not succeed in some way, chose partners who ended up being wrong for you, could not seem to find your way in a certain area of life, became addicted to a substance, have low self-esteem even though everyone seems to adore you, (just to name a few examples) I invite you to consider that your internal "files" may be at fault. Remember, what you believe to true, in effect, IS true. So if you believe that when _________________________ of course __________________ will happen, you can bet it will! That is what "self-fulfilling prophesy is all about.

Maybe it is time to look at some of your files, realize they don't fit what you want in life, even who you are - and determine to change the labels.

In future blogs I will continue to share information about the magic of the mind including this phenomenon. But if you want to begin now, read thru past blogs, as therein lie the keys to making your life what you choose it to be. There is no reason to live an unhappy, unsuccessful life. You deserve to be happy, but your happiness is in your own hands, and literally in your belief system , which thankfully can be changed.

When someone "gets" it in regard to this information, it is shocking (in a good way) to see how their life changes. That person can be you.

Remember, you are guided, protected and loved.

Until next time,

Dr. DyAnn

Emmanuel

2010-04-20T08:01:00.005-05:00

I want to begin, dear reader, with an apology for being away for so long. You know how we all forget things sometimes. No, not the little every day things like picking up something from the grocery store. I mean the really important things. The things that caress our Souls and help to make life worth living. I lost sight of an important piece of that and it got in the way of my writing to you.

In my heart of hearts I love to write. Even more precisely, I get a charge out of sharing information that might uplift, encourage or educate others. And each morning and evening I cherish the time I spend being on the receiving end of communication by contemplating what others have penned ~the written word comes full circle as I am uplifted and encouraged.

It's not like I haven't been thinking about writing to you, but honestly, self-monitoring got in the way. Don't we all do that at times? Watch over our own shoulder like a harsh teacher who is going to give us a failing grade? Hmmm. We all have one of those internal watchmen. In my dissertation (and perhaps forthcoming book) I call it The Judge: a long-standing and potentially useful member of our Internal Committee.

So I have felt the loving pinch of my consciousness telling me to return to my blog, my home base. It is my hope that when you read it you may find just what you need today. After all, there are no "coincidences."

This morning I reached for something new for my own morning inspiration. I came across Emmanuel's Book. It is a cherished favorite given to me years ago by a very dear friend. I would like to share with you from the Prologue:

The gifts I wish to give you

are my deepest love,

the safety of truth,

the wisdom of the universe

and the reality of God.

With these four things, nothing will deter you.

You will follow your hearts swiftly to your destination,

which is Home.

I hope that speaks to you and gives you what you need today.

For me it did, for it reminded me of the "safety of truth". That truth being that what each of us has to say is important..... Don't judge yourself harshly but rather, love yourself...... Put out your best intentions, and God will take care of the rest.

Until next time

Remember that you are guided, protected and loved.

Dr. DyAnn

d.buechler@yahoo.com

Connect the Dots

2010-03-08T08:14:00.003-06:00

Garage sale stickers ~ you know, those little colored circles you can buy in the paper/office section of any store? Did you realize they can be used to boost your energy as well as your sense of happiness?

As you walk around your house, yard, and work place, strategically place a dozen of them on that which you are thankful for. It's not necessarily about the "things" you put them on but what they represent. For example you might place one on your refrigerator, representing gratitude for having enough food to eat. I have one on my appointment book because I am thankful for the relationships I have with my clients, another on a patio chair (for the beauty of Nature) and one on the bedroom dresser so that when I wake up each morning I am thankful for the day. You get the idea.

At a deeper level what the dots do is to empower us. Remember the principle of cause and effect. It is always in operation. Our thinking (conscious mind) leads to our beliefs. Our beliefs lead to our actions. Our actions impact our thoughts - round and round in a cycle that creates what happens in our life moment by moment.
If I think it will be an awful day because I overslept it WILL be an awful day. What will make it awful will not be the oversleeping but my thoughts/attitude about it. Here I am at a decision point. The awfulness could end right there with the oversleeping if instead I say, "Okay I overslept, but my mind can think of ways to deal with it. " I would then be more calm and relaxed. Being calm and relaxed frees up my creative subconscious mind which is virtually limitless in ideas it presents to me. And that includes problem solving the over-sleeping.

Our subconscious mind (the real powerhouse and seat of creation) can not think. It "obeys" the conscious thinking mind. So, if I oversleep and sarcastically think "Oh crap! Great start on the day. I'll never catch up" the subconscious mind is geared to follow up on that line of thinking. And thus it is the thought process that makes that day not such a good one - or finds the way to overcome the time issue and create a good day.

Cause and effect of thoughts can be subtle and hard to catch but it is very powerful. Our thinking/conscious mind is always on and always chattering. It isn't that the thinking mind is bad or wrong, but it can be like a crazy monkey in a gift shop - wreaking havoc to say the least. If we don't train our mind, the gift shop (our life) can become an utter mess. And we would assume we had nothing to do with it ~ but we are NOT powerless!

One of the ways to empowerment is keeping our thinking mind at peace. This is the road to what seems like miracles happening in our life. It isn't that some people are born "lucky." We create our luck. But we can't do it with negative thinking. Thoughts create. Add feelings and you have the key to major power.

That is why I invite you to utilize the idea of the garage sale stickers. When we try to make our conscious mind do a certain thing, such as "think peaceful thoughts" it can be as though someone turned on the wrong switch and all the worries and stresses rush into our mind. Yikes! Where did that come from? Or we attempt to meditate and our to do list demands attention, ceaselessly nagging at us. Don't worry if you think you can't meditate/relax. There are easier ways, I believe, than training with a guru or reading all the self-help books available. If those work for you that is great; but if they do not help that is perfectly fine.

Each of us is a unique individual. Not only do you have your own unique purpose in life that no one but YOU can fulfill but it makes sense that there is a unique way in which your mind works. At the same time there are some basics about the mind and how we are created that are universal. What the garage sale stickers do is to bring forth gratitude. You might be rushing around trying to get something done, stress begins to rise, negative thinking is inviting itself in, when your eyes scan one of the garage sale stickers. Your more powerful subconscious is automatically reminded about something pleasant that you are thankful for. This interupts the circuit of the less than positive thought > feeling > belief > action. In its place is a pleasant feeling. The brain baths you in positive chemicals. This now begins its own cycle which literally follows a different circuitry in the brain. In reality, you have the ability to train your brain and master Energy. This is one of the easiest ways to do it.

Until next time~
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

Namaste

2010-02-22T07:27:00.004-06:00

In India when we meet and part we often say "Namaste" which means ~ I honor the place in you where the entire Universe resides; I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace. I honor the place within you where, if you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.

I don't know who wrote that beautiful quote but it sits in a place of honor near my computer. It reminds me to return to "that place in me." That place of beauty and peace where disagreements and hurts seem petty ~and we can bid them to easily drift by like clouds in the sky. But how do we get to that place during those times it seems so distant and impossible to reach?
Sometimes our world flows freely ~ the parking spot is available, the relatives are all getting along, and things are just fine at work. But what about other times when it seems as though nothing is going well in life: we suffer disappointments or people let us down. Something we claimed as our own is taken away: a pet dies, a relationship diminishes or our health gives us problems. It is at these times that it is most difficult to feel as though we are "at one" with the Universe and one other.

But it is precisely at these times that we need one another and that sense of "oneness." We need to feel as though we are connected. If we are lucky those around us will reach out to us. Ah but how often in my work as a healer do I find that those who are hurting the most are wearing a smiling mask that denies any problem! All in all it is an individual challenge to find that connection.

"Treat every heart as though it were breaking." I have yet to find a truly negative response when I offer the hand of kindness to the most crotchety sort of individual. Maybe that person who is checking out your groceries has a sick child at home but has to come to work to make ends meet and keep the bill collectors at bay. I pretend that the person who cuts me off in traffic is late for an important appointment. I claim my inner peace and connection as One.
I urge you to keep your radar out. There are many people around us who need our simple offering of kindness ~ some recognition of them as a real flesh and blood person, not merely the store clerk, co-worker, neighbor or even family member. Not only are you sending them positive energy and an invitation to "Oneness" but you thus claim your own inner peace with your acts of kindness.

Certainly there will be those times when it is you who is hurting. What can you do when no one seems to notice that you are in pain? Fortunately we can connect to what we need via our own volition and internal abilities. This holds true even when we feel very small and the situation seems quite hopeless. When my husband and I relocated there were many things that did not turn out as planned. Not only did the problems seemed insurmountable but it was as if someone turned on a faucet that had troubles and heartaches freely flowing in our direction.
If we keep a deep connection to spiritual reality we know we are not alone. Somehow deep within we sense we are guided, protected and loved. We are connecting with that wonderful something out there in whatever way we best understand it: Nature, God, angels, guides, the Universal Energy of Creative Love.
Dr Joyce Whitley Hawkes was once a highly successful physicist, publishing many manuscripts and working as a research scientist. Following a near death experience she was inspired to change careers, subsequently earning a degree in pastoral ministry. In her book Cell-Level Healing she shares one way in which to make that connection of Oneness. It is called the Jabez Prayer:

Lord bless me, indeed

Before the day begins, before envisioning action,

make a conscious choice to become still.

Stay with the first line of the Jabez Prayer until your mind settles,

becoming naturally quiet.

Maintain your clear state by receiving this blessing

at the beginning of the day.

Expand my territory.

The connection to Spirit creates a natural flow of energy

that is available for service.

It shines with the true gifts of the individual.

Expanded opportunities for service will show up unexpectedly

as you pray the second powerful line of the prayer.

The words "I am willing" may be added.

Place your hand upon me.

How many times have you embarked on a worthy project

only to run out of enthusiasm before it is finished?

Pray for sustained connection and energy

in addition to inspiration.

"Place your hand upon me" can sustain you and keep you on track.

Keep me from evil that I may do no harm.

This line of the Jabez prayer can be individually interpreted.

For example, "Let me not waver from

integrity in myself, my thoughts, and my actions."

At the end (page 33) Dr. Hawkes thanks Bruce Wilkinson for writing about the prayer found in 1 Chronicles 4: 9-10. How inspiring.

May you truly feel your connectedness as One. All that is needed is your invitation.

Until next time~ blessings and love to you and those you love.

Namaste

Dr. DyAnn

Signs Along the Way

2010-01-26T12:07:00.004-06:00

Life is a series of choices. We do not need to live a life that is haphazard at best, miserable at worse. What you do today impacts what your life will be tomorrow. There are some essential things to know if you want to build a life of success.

Life is what you make it. For example, a student who does not do her homework will quite possibly find herself in a problematic situation the next day in class or certainly at test time! Someone who skips meals and doesn't get enough rest is creating a situation whereby his immune system will likely be compromised in the near future. A woman who decides to ignore her husband's abusive comments will have to endure more of the same in the future.

When we realize and truly grasp that we create our tomorrows, life becomes something that really is our own choosing. No one is the victim of fate. It is not our circumstances that determine what kind of life we will live; it is what we do with those circumstances.
There are wonderful success stories available to us in this regard. "Blind Side" is currently a popular movie based on the true story of a boy who is literally taken from the streets of poverty as a homeless youth...we fast forward and see him playing on the pro football field! Someone intervened in his life to change his circumstances, enabling him to use his raw talent. There are so many beautiful lessons in this inspiring movie.

But what if you have had no one who reached out and offered to change your circumstances? It doesn't matter. In the end you are the one who changes your own circumstances and thus your life path.
There are countless stories of people who may not be famous but nonetheless who are living their own success story. They changed their own circumstances or found the gift within them. Jamie is one such person. Born with a serious birth defect, he was coddled by his family. "Clearly" he revealed in a session, "they not only felt sorry for me but they felt ashamed of my disability. I remember they tried to hide it in family photos."
Jamie did not let his circumstances stop him. He went on to build a successful corporation which is thriving even in today's tough economy. He is one of the most dynamic people I have ever met. It takes about five minutes of sitting with him before his disability melts from view. All that is left is someone who loves life and any challenge thrown his way.

Life is what YOU make it. But just how does one make life successful? How do we know what to do?

The Universe, God, Divine Matrix (choose whatever term works for you) provides everything we need in order to have a happy, successful life. We don't have to find our way alone. Look for signs along the way that inspire you as you make your daily choices. I recently had a conversation with a client with whom I felt the need to clearly emphasize this point. "Watch for the signs. I am sure they will come to you." She E mailed me with the exciting news that not only did she get a sign but it was shockingly specific and unique. What made it even sweeter is that it came from the last person she expected it from ..... and the person from whom she needed it most. What a happy ending. The Universe wants us to be happy and successful.

Ask for help and inspiration along the way. Then don't forget to watch for the signs that your request has been answered. And last but just as important, be sure to follow thru. The Universe is not going to gives us more signs if we hold in disregard that which we have already been given.

Until next time ~
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

"Calm Down!!"

2010-01-14T11:08:00.006-06:00

No matter how smart, educated or advantaged a person is - no matter how great a thinker they may be, the more powerful subconscious mind will ALWAYS trump the cognitive mind. Furthermore, no matter how powerful a person's resolve or will is, the subconscious mind is immeasurably stronger. There is a little trick to this which I am going to share with you.

The subconscious mind "believes" what we tell it. Here is a typical example. I was in a well known coffee shop (B&N) recently and overheard two young women talking about their New Year's resolutions to exercise. "Ya, but I won't last more than a couple weeks. That is what always happens." Yes, that young woman is absolutely correct! She might have all the well-intention and desire in the world to keep exercising, but she sunk herself with that simple statement.
Our subconscious mind is always listening to us - hearing what we say, think and believe. It as if her inner mind said, "Oh okay, the cut off point is two weeks." I would guarantee that her exercise program failed.
But it did not need to! We don't need to fail at our resolutions year after year. And we don't need to "fail" at anything else. Our history does NOT need to predict our future... if we know how to use our powerful subconscious mind.

One of the reasons the subconscious mind is so powerful is that it is the seat of our emotions; our emotional brain is much more powerful than the cognitive (conscious) brain. Unless we calm the mind and what is called the sympathetic nervous system we can't hear our own wisdom. Want some proof? Just try to "think straight' when you are in a panic over something. Frustrated because you are late and can't find your car keys? You won't be able to recall where you last put them if your emotions are running high. If you know how to calm yourself you will remember that odd place where you last set them down... believe me, I know this works!
Relaxation is the key.
Thru relaxation we access all parts of the brain and our being... including memory. All memory as I mentioned in my last blog, as well as our emotions, are seated in the subconscious mind. But when we are overcome (literally) by emotion, our brain goes into stress reaction. "I can't find my keys! I'm going to be late -where the heck are they?! Now I'm going to have to deal with explaining why I am late. I'm never going to find them #$%^**!!!!"

In the above scenario we literally block the memory of where our keys are located. Any situation in which we need to think, or even be reasonable is not going to have the best results when we are less than calm and relaxed. Think of the last time you were in a heated discussion with someone. The more our emotional level goes up, the less reasonable things that come out of our mouth! We tend to lose control.

It all circles back to relaxation.
When we are calm and relaxed, our emotions are calm or can be calmed down. We can center ourselves. We can rise above the emotions, take them into consideration, say reasonable things and make more reasonable decisions.
There are many self calming techniques. Here is one to try. Roll your eyes up to the ceiling, breathe slowly....and close your eyes. Take your time doing this. Then ask yourself how you want to respond to the situation.
The point is to calm your system down. You are moving out of the fight/flight stress response. That is not where you do your best thinking! When you calm yourself down you are in control of your thoughts and your emotions.

You are in control of your life.
So whether it is those keys you can't find, someone that is pushing your buttons and getting an emotional response out of you, or the dull panic of something you are worried about, the key is to calm yourself, thereby accessing the powerful subconscious mind. We have unlimited wisdom within, but we cannot access it in a hyper state.

Have fun practicing self-soothing, calming techniques. That is where your real success lies!

Until next time,
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

2010 ~ Success in Meeting Goals

2009-12-31T15:23:00.004-06:00

May I begin with an apology if you have been looking at my blog, hoping for a new entry. I'll admit I do feel a little guilty. The holiday season this year has been especially busy for me: ten days at a mind/body conference, a week in the Green Bay area, plus traveling to spend time with family. So, here I am on the last day of 2009 sharing my thoughts with you. Thank you for sharing time with me.

Here we are hours away from the bridge that carries us from one year to the next. It's a natural opportunity for reviewing our life and determining what about it we would like to be different: a new year means a fresh start. It matters little when you are reading this ~ you can "make up your mind" about your goals when ever you decide to do so.
The important point is this: if you don't decide what you want out of life, it is as if you are living what I would call an "accidental life." Remember, our mind listens to what we say. If we don't give ourselves any instruction, any goals or dreams, our greatest gift (our mind) is left to wander aimlessly.

We are living in an incredible time in history. New information and the ability to be in touch with others near and far is growing phenomenally. But what is even more exciting is something that some of us have known for quite some time ~ it is ancient information that has been all but lost. But soon, very soon, it will be discovered and accepted by the masses: science is now proving that our thoughts create. Literally. Talk about power!
As we begin to realize and utilize the power of our minds, the new gizmos and gadgets that connect us and give us information will be like toys that are left in the sandbox.

Some of you who know me and have been my clients have experienced a taste of how the minds works by utilizing hypnotherapy. This is just one way to begin to harness the power of the mind.
It all begins with relaxation. When we relax, the true powerhouse within us is made available. Our subconscious mind is so awesome. For example, your mind stores detailed memory of every experience you have had since you came into existence: what it was like to be born, what your cake looked and tasted like for your fifth birthday, how you felt when you made your first friend, everything about your first kiss, the bond you felt with your pets.... Better than a computer, your inner mind contains not just the facts (you all have a photographic + memory) but the deep inner feelings of all experiences. It's all there and it can be accessed. It's a great "hall of records."

I believe that we will also get to the point of being able to feel and understand the impact we make on those around us. In other words, when you do something "nice" (or not so nice) you will come to the point of being able to feel what they feel. That either will make you look forward to it, or squirm a little. Thus the adage of be careful what you say --- and do unto others.

But I digress. The point is, you can have the benefit now of using your mind in a more productive way, making life what you want it to be. There are many ways of doing this: setting goals and repeating them daily, making a collage of a goal and keeping it where you can see it regularly, using affirmations, thinking about your goal as you are falling asleep at night, using visualization, imagining how you will feel when you meet your goal, etc.

Don't let your mind wander aimlessly. It is searching for something to think about and if you are wise you will feed it your Best Life Instructions.

When you relax the conscious chattering mind, the subconscious powerhouse part of your mind will accept the suggestions and imagined results you give it. Plain and simple; this is the "magic" of hypnotherapy. The power of suggestion in a relaxed state. Use the above techniques when you are calm and relaxed. Enjoy the process! This is how you will succeed in making your dreams come true.

Try it. What have you got to lose but the opportunity for successfully meeting your goals and creating the wonderful life that is waiting for you.

Blessings and love,
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Giving Thanks

2009-11-25T15:13:00.004-06:00

There are many things to enjoy about Thanksgiving... gathering of family, friends and neighbors, all the delicious food, and the kick off for the holiday season. Perhaps your family has favorite traditions such as the Macy's parade, watching your favorite football team, or volunteering to feed the hungry or those who might otherwise be alone.

One of the things I absolutely love about Thanksgiving is the very fact that for this one holiday we are reminded to pause and think about what we are grateful for. Too often in our busy life we just don't take the time to do this ~ or we may have something that draws our mind toward situations or events in life that we are anything but grateful for.

When you think about it, for the most part it is often the people in our life that we are thankful for... people, not things, make all the difference. As you count your blessing there are always those special people that make your life sweeter. But have you ever thought about the difference YOU make in the lives of other people? Sometimes we forget that who we are and what we do DOES make a difference for other people. I think it would be so neat if there could be a way that you could see that... if at the end of each and every day YOU could see where you made a difference just by being YOU.
We hear of people who do extraordinary things to help others. And of course their story is amazing and should be applauded. But it is the little guy - people just like you, who quietly do their share on a regular basis without applause; likely even without the realization that you have made the difference to someone.
Maybe you have a boss who doesn't express thanks (or worse yet does nothing but complain or even has you feeling like a number). But each day you go to work, do your job and help your company or organization stay afloat. Don't let the bad supervisor cheat you out of your realization that you are of value. What you do counts. Or maybe you pulled an extra share of duty while someone was out sick, or welcomed the new person, or just greet your fellow workers with a smile. You DO make a difference, even if they forget to tell you!
Family --- oh yes, my sessions and e-mails are so very often about family. I learned a long time ago not to say "I've heard everything!" Because about the time I think that, someone offers up a new and kind of pathetic example of how those with whom we would hope to feel the closest feel instead anything but. Kind of leaves people thinking what on earth a particular situation, remark, or general relationship is all about! "What am I missing?!"
For you, remember that some people are just not as enlightened or aware of their impact on their fellow souls. Makes me kind of wish that just for a day those caustic family members could see the real pain that they inflict. Sometimes I think that maybe the reason for their lack of any consideration and just plain meanness is that they really just DON'T GET IT!

They just don't realize that not only do you have feelings.. but that they are important. If people realized that they are important (and influential) I think they might be better family members. I offer that insight to you in the hope that it will take away some of the hurt and pain. It won't change the family member, but perhaps it can soften the blow especially since many of you will be spending time with family members during the next month or so. (I have seen some pretty miraculous things happen as people finally did realize that they are of value.)
Remember that how people treat you says a whole lot more about them than it does about you. So, just work on forgiving them.
As a counselor I have had the advantage of advanced training and practice in what is called Systems Theory. One of the fundamentals of this work is the realization that if one can change part of the system, then the system itself is changed. I use the example of a hanging mobile. If you lightly touch just one part of it, the whole mobile (system) is moved. The same is true in any system including our family.
I invite you to be that change. Certainly we are powerless to change anyone else, let alone an entire family. But if you change something about you, the system will change even if ever so slightly. Susie, who I talked to recently, has been working on being less judgmental of her family. Yes some of their faults are pretty obvious. But Sue realized she had fallen into playing the role of the judge, who could point those faults out much too often. All it got her was more frustration and even her turn at being the one who was "wrong". :)
When she determined to change the system by changing herself, she got results. She can now see when she is being baited or "invited" to react in her same old way. Remember her reactivity had only served to strengthen the dysfunctional system and increase her unhappiness when she tried to help by pointing things out. No, her family has not changed and perhaps never will. She just wanted to get along better and have a "happier" family. Well, she laughed, when you can't be so easily provoked you just plain feel happier. You really do!

Someone once said that happiness is an inside job... and Susie is definitely happier. She is even beginning to see some of the positive characteristics of her family members....remember ~ what we focus on grows.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving, please know that I am thankful that you have found my blog. I count you, my readers, among my blessings.

Remember, that you DO make a difference in life ~ even if no one remembers to tell you this.

Each night lull yourself to sleep counting your blessings. Not only is it a wonderful spiritual practice, but science now has shown how it helps our physical health as well. It all works together.

Until next time
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

A Different Meaning of Health Care

2009-11-09T15:26:00.004-06:00

Health care...Is that a provocative word these days! But what I am discussing today is not so much what is being debated in Congress, but more so the need for us to look at the role of the mind or our psyche and even our spiritual self in caring for our over all health. Maybe some day we will have the wisdom to realize that these issues all work together for our healing.

Complimentary and alternative medicine have become more and more widely accepted in the West. Many people see their physician for health issues, while at the same time visiting a Reike therapist or seeing a person who does acupuncture for example. We still however, seem to differentiate between mind and body. Indigenous people are on the other end of the continuum: they see everything in existence having a physical, energetic and a spiritual aspect. A Shaman for example, understands that an illness gains a great deal of its power and potential from its spiritual aspect. He or she would address the illness from all three levels, realizing the potency of the spiritual aspect. The shaman works to restore the soul of the patient.

Native American healers believe that when someone has seen a healer they should feel better after that experience and/or have a better grasp of how to improve your health or life's quality. It is an ethical issue. The healer helps the one who desires healing to shift their focus away from the symptoms to their relationship with their soul, family and the Creator. What the patient may be seeking is compassion more so than a "cure" or having the symptoms fixed.

When we speak of psychological health Native American principals are quite similar to those of Vienesee psychiatrist Viktor Frankl ( Holocaust survivor, author of Man's Search for Meaning). For Dr Frankl finding meaning and purpose in life surpassed any other phenomena of healing. Dr Frankl developed a method of psychotherapy he called logotherapy from the Greek word "logos" which is defined not only as meaning but also as mystery.

So what causes illness? Shamans believe there to be three basic causes: disharmony (what occurs when life loses its meaning which in turn causes our personal power to diminish), fear (a reduction in our sense of well being), and what is referred to as soul loss. Soul loss is a reference to a loss of the will to live. Some of its classic symptoms are feelings of not being all there, lack of enthusiasm, difficulty in making decisions, being emotionally remote, being chronically negative, suffering from addictions, and chronic depression listed as the most common symptom.
By the way nearly everyone has had some aspect of soul loss (it is a strange term to our ears so please remember this a shaman term). And the good news is that we can recover. Much of the work of shaman healing is in the world of energy or what is more commonly now referred to as energy psychology ~ a fascinating field.

With the purpose of Native American counseling being to find meaning we might ask what causes life to seem to lose its meaning.
"No evil sorcerer can do as much harm to you as you can do to yourself" according to Nu-chah-nulch healer Johnny Moses. Rolling Thunder tells his listeners: Pollution begins in the mind. If you don't change your thinking you're not going to change yourself or your world.
In other words we are talking about negative thinking.
The placebo affect is well known in medicine. If you think a white sugar pill is going to help an ailment, it likely will. But there is also something called "nocebos" which can and does impact our health. It too refers to our thinking. Nocobos are negative expectations and they too have been well documented. There is the amazing case of two patient charts which were mixed up. I don't remember the exact details but in effect patient A and B both saw their doctor for tests. A had cancer B was healthy except for something minor. The charts got mixed up - the healthy person was told incorrectly that he had terminal cancer. He died not too long afterward even though he was actually a healthy individual! If I find the research I will report it to you in a later article.

The word "healing" has its roots in the Old English term "haelen" which translates to mean "to make whole." If we are to make ourselves whole then we need to take care of all aspects of our self - mind, body and spirit.
Guard well the avenues of your mind that you may enjoy all aspects of good health. Here are a few inspirational ideas for assisting you. I don't know who wrote it originally but if you do, please let me know so that I may credit them.. it may be that great author "anonymous"!

When you say I love you mean it.
Memorize your favorite poem.
When you say "I'm sorry" look the person in the eye.
Never laugh at any one's dreams.People who don't have dreams don't have much.
Learn the rules ~ then break some.
Remember that the greatest relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
Remember that your character is your destiny.
Spend some time alone.
Open your arms to change but don't let go of your values.
Trust in God but lock your car.
Read between the lines.
Be gentle with the Earth.
Pray ~ there is immeasurable power in it.
Share your knowledge; its a way to achieve immortality.
Don't judge people by their relatives.
When you realize that you have made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Until next time,
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

A Scientist, Psychic, Psychologist and Scripture All Agree!

2009-10-21T09:40:00.009-05:00

YOU can have a truly happy, healthy, marvelous life. Hold that thought, OK?

Your mind is the incredible power house in which you "make it or break it" in your life. The bottom line is that the level of success in your life (however you define it) has to do with nothing or no one else. That is really the best news anyone can get! No one can hold you back from achieving happiness.
That may seem easier said than done, but I think with some understanding of how things work, it does become much more simple and attainable to forge the life you want. You deserve to be happy and this blog centers around assisting you in attaining that goal.

In his book The Divine Matrix Gregg Braden writes: from the temple walls and tombs in the deserts of Egypt to the Gnostic wisdom of the ancient Nag Hammadi library to the traditional medicine practiced today throughout the American Southwest, the language that breathes life into the possibilities of our imagination, dreams and prayers remains with us.... its human feeling and emotion that affect the stuff our reality is made of - it's our inner language that changes the atoms, electrons, and photons of the outer world....it's the language of emotion that speaks to the quantum forces of the universe...feeling is what the Divine Matrix recognizes.

Sylvia Browne (what a switch from Braden with his understanding of quantum physics to Browne the self-proclaimed psychic!) also speaks of these matters, in identifying that there is an "infinite, unfathomable force field (matrix) , a great uncreated mass we can't begin to understand, a core from which the love and power of God emanate.

Dr. Wayne Dyer, best-selling author of dozens of books has been speaking and writing about how we create our lives for years: recognizing the "availability of an invisible force that can be put to use in solving a problem...."

Scripture - dozens of verses in the Bible tell of our ability to co-create, work in partnership with God, or what ever term you are comfortable with. To begin with we are told that we are transformed by the renewal of our mind. There we are again, back to the mind. Our thinking. That is why Jesus said that if we think lustful thoughts we have done the same as committing the act. The power of our thoughts.

So the scientist, the psychic and the spiritual author and Jesus all are saying the same thing. There is a force and it is used to create. Our mind is how we connect with that force. And so our thoughts and our feelings in effect, create. Make sense?

I think one of the things that we forget is that the tendency toward creating is operating 24/7. We can have a goal for example, as Dennis did. His was to meet a decent woman. He can let his friends know the kind of woman he is looking for, refuse to exchange phone numbers with women he doesn't feel attracted to, and even have counseling to deal with letting go of the hurt of old relationships. But Dennis sat stuck, meeting no one. He wondered what he was doing wrong and if there was no one out there for him.

We explored Dennis's day-to-day thought process. Oh boy, that was where he was stuck. He unknowingly was creating a block to the very goal he had worked so hard on. As I have told countless people, you can have a great goal, intelligent attainable steps to reaching the goal and utilize smart tools. But if your daily thoughts run against the grain of all that, the goal will NEVER be reached. It's the little things (thoughts) that count. Our subconscious mind (and the force field of creation) hears and obeys what we think and feel.

So when Dennis sees a pretty woman go by and thinks she would never go for someone like him - yep, he has created that outcome. A friend and I were talking about the truth of cliches the other day: here's a good one - what you believe to be true is true. As far as Dennis's success: he has now met someone who seems like a good match and things are headed in the right direction. If a guy can be giddy, this guy now is because he "gets it" as to how we create with our every day thoughts and feelings.

Now if you would, go back to the first paragraph of this blog. What were YOUR thoughts when you read it? If you are having a good day, you likely agreed with what I said. If you were having a bad day, maybe not so much. So that first paragraph could serve as a good test as to how well you are using the creative power of your mind via your every day thoughts. If we believe we can't do it, we can't. If we believe we can, we can (even if we don't know how).
Our subconscious mind and the creative power of the universe obeys either way.

Blessings to you and yours~
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Refresh Your Library Card!

2009-10-06T09:58:00.003-05:00

Books. We all have our favorites - whether a compelling mystery, a deliciously lazy beach (or sitting by the fireplace) read, or the latest about a special hobby or interest. Books can entertain, educate, uplift, inform, transform . There are even those books which can be a turning point for our life. They seem to speak directly to us.
One of my favorite things to do is to open one of the books I love to a random page, then read the special message waiting there for me. Sometimes I do this in seeking an answer to a specific question. At other times it is simply to get a message to take into consideration. Yes, I do think books speak to us. They feed our souls. Angels come in many forms, you know.

Today I want to share with you about books that have been trans formative in for specific people and why they think this is so. I am hoping you will find something in readinf this that is just right and especially meaningful for you.

Louise Hay, founder of Hay House and the self-help movement. She was a pioneer in the understanding of how the mind/body connect. In fact it was over 30 years ago that she wrote Heal Your Body which has sold 30million+ copies. Ms Hay understands, utilizes and writes about creating our reality with our thoughts. The book that first brought it all together for her is "The Game of Life and How We Play it" (Florence Scovel Shinn). Written in 1926, Shinn was already saying "If you don't realize that thoughts create things, you are behind the times". 1926!! Her book uses many Biblical references for those who are interested. This kind of information may seem "new age" to some, but new age in my book isn't at all "new". It has been taught for thousands of years.

Rudy Ruettiger, the man behind the inspirational movie "Rudy". At 5'6" and 165 pounds it had been his childhood dream to play football for the University of Notre Dame. Yep, I said 5'6". And of course during his whole life he was told how he could never reach his goal. He was told he wasn't smart enough, big enough or strong enough. But he was smart enough to realize that those (or any) repeated messages become self-fulfilling prophesies.
The book that helped changed his life is one of my own favorites: Maxwell Maltz's "Psycho-Cybernetics". Unlike the title sounds, it is an easy read and Ruettiger said that to him it made a lot of sense. He wanted to get out of the box of the life he was living - shift work at a power plant. He wanted to live his dream. "The book made it clear that I hadn't gotten what I wanted in my life because I didn't believe I could do it." He also shares from Maltz's book the secret of taking action and not worrying so much about having a game plan all worked out. Sometimes we waste a lot of time and can miss opportunities as we fine tune our game plan. The message: take action and opportunities will start to open up.

Doreen Virtue PhD ~ author of more than 25 books, Doreen teaches metaphysics, psychic development and angel therapy classes world wide. She has been interviewed by everyone from Oprah to CNN . Her turning point book is from one of my personal favorites, Viktor Frankl: Man's Search for Meaning.
Frankl was a WW II prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Even with unspeakable losses and inhumane conditions, this amazing man made up his mind that his tormentors could not take away his right to choose his attitude, his thoughts and his emotions. He made up his mind to choose happiness ~ yes, happiness (! ) in life threatening, demeaning situations. And he also trusted his intuition, which saved his life without a doubt.
Dr. Virtue applied what she took in from Frankl's book and it changed her life, giving her the courage to teach what was in her heart, even though she had suffered ridicule for it while growing up. From this book she gained the courage to tell people about the power of the mind and spirit for our healing and creating the life we dream of. But first she had to overcome her fear just as Dr Frankl did.
We all have our own fears - faith is taking the steps to overcome them.

Jack Canfield ~ best known as co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. He has conducted seminars all over the world in regard to personal transformation.
Jack shares that for a major portion of his life he was pretty much cognitive- he lived inside his head and divorced himself from emotion and spirit. He'd had a negative religious experience with his pastor; concluding his study of the history of religions at Harvard he was pretty much an agnostic.
The book that changed all that in a truly remarkable way was Dr. Raymond Moody's "Life After Life." Moody's book is based on his research as a medical doctor into NDE (Near Death Experiences). Most of you are familiar with this concept as it has since been well researched, documented and written about.
Canfield goes on to state that what struck him in "Life After Life" was a comment from one of the people Moody interviewed. The Being of Light had asked him two questions and then watched along with him a review of his life on earth. Of course I wanted to know - what were the two questions!?
1. What wisdom have you gained from this life?
2. How have you expanded your capacity to love?

Dr. Canfield goes on to say that this book and particularly these two questions profoundly affected him. He went from not believing in God to knowing that we are spirits in the flesh and that there is life after this one on earth. Further, he came to realize and dedicate his life to what he now sees as the main purpose for our being here: to gain more wisdom and to truly become more loving, even to love unconditionally. He began to feed his soul as I like to say. The ways in which he does that are prayer, meditation, reading and service to others. He now dedicates his life to learning and teaching about wisdom and love. His Chicken Soup books are from accounts he has gathered that embody those ideals with the purpose of enlightening and inspiring others.

I hope this blog has been inspiring to you. If you want to read more about the books that have inspired others check out "You've Got to Read This Book" by Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks.

If you have a book or books that inspire you or have changed your life, value them as the treasures they truly are. And if you would like, share a copy with someone. Remember, each of the people I have written about had someone share a book with them ~ and the book not only fed their soul but changed the course of their life.

Blessings and love~
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Moving from "Stuck" to Empowered

2009-09-26T09:58:00.005-05:00

Difficult feelings. We all have them.

We can gain tremendous strength and control over life and our circumstances by harnessing a strength and capability that is right there in our mind. But it takes awareness and practice.

When is the last time that you found yourself in a situation where your feelings were upset? Throughout the day there are many such scenarios. Your boss gives you a hard time, a friend or loved one disappoints you, or life throws a big curve ball.
There is a process that takes place in our daily experiences: first there is the situation, followed by our thoughts in regard to it. Next comes the feeling based on our thoughts. Over a period of time these thoughts can lead to a pattern which then leads to a belief.

If you would like, think of a time you were triggered into feeling upset. It can be a one time occurrence or something that you have been struggling with.

"Gayle" shared with me that she has difficulty with a friend. As she describes it her friend can be very loving and helpful at times, but other times she seems to just "not get it." As Gayle puts it she might share with "Mary" that she is struggling with her boss at work. Somehow Mary seems to interject into the conversation something really cool that her own boss has done (or in other words what a great boss Mary has). Gayle sometimes wonders whether Mary does this on purpose or if she is just that blind to how hurtful it is. "It is like rubbing salt in the wound." She has mentioned this to Mary in the past about different situations but the pattern continues.

Hurt, anger, resentment - all are normal emotions. But we need to know what to do with them. What to do that is HEALTHY.
There is a line from a play that really fits the situation. ( I don't know who to credit it to so if you do please e mail me at d.buechler@yahoo.com .) The essence of it goes something like this: Holding on to anger (or hurt) is like drinking a cup of poison and expecting the other person to die.

Our thoughts become our reality. That is so powerful. If Gayle's thoughts about Mary run along the lines that Mary is inconsiderate and selfish, it will be those thoughts that eventually will destroy the friendship. What we focus on grows. She will be like a heat-seeking missile, just waiting for the next time Mary "proves" that she is selfish and self-centered. This is called "cognitive dissonance". It means that we don't like to have thoughts that are confusing. If we have confusing or conflicting thoughts about someone or something, our brain will work to come up with a bottom line or what is "true". We like things to fit into neat packages- rather like sorting them and fitting them into files or folders. When they don't fit, it forces us to rethink how to make them fit. Maybe put them into a new, different file or folder. This is how we learn and grow.
So if Gayle basically sees Mary as a good friend, every time Mary's behavior seems to prove otherwise, it forces Gayle to re-sort which file the relationship belongs in. The friendship may end if Mary's behaviors don't change. Or Gayle may have to find a way to deal with her own thoughts, creating another folder.

It may be difficult enough to end a friendship - what if your scenario involves a boss, your husband or wife, or a close family member? Not as easy to say it will end! But not tolerable as it now stands either, especially if you've tried all the problem solving techniques available.

Difficult feelings. We all have them. We can gain tremendous control over such circumstances... There is enormous strength in being able to tolerate a difficult feeling.

One of the ways to do this is to practice what is called mindfulness. One way I think of mindfulness is that it is witnessing myself - my thoughts, my feelings... Just like sitting on a river bank and watching them go by like leaves on a stream. Not acting nor reacting, just watching. Seeing it as my own personal experience. Not he said, she said, not what someones agenda might have been. Just breathing, allowing whatever to arise, examining it, going back to breathing..... I pay attention to and honor my emotion, but I don't react to it. I see it for what it is. A passing emotion. I don't deny the truth of what I am feeling.

Two keys: staying with the breathing (a sure sign I am staying mindful vs being reactive) and staying with simply observing, watching, witnessing (vs analyzing or judging).

It takes practice to be mindful, but it brings peace, centeredness and clarity. It breaks the old patterns and feeling stuck or helpless.It resolves the emotion. It opens energy to be used productively. This is one of the ways we can gain strength and harness the power within our own mind. The results are truly amazing.

Until next time,
Blessings to you and yours,
Dr. DyAnn

Creating Happiness

2009-09-04T10:03:00.003-05:00

As I write my blog I think of you... the people I know, those who have told me that they like hearing from me this way. It is almost as though we are sitting here together. Those thoughts and feelings inspire me as I write. I write also for those who just happen to come across my page. My wish is that by reading this blog you will receive something positive which will assist you with your life journey.

What have the last few weeks been like for you? From the people I have been connected with there is such a variety of scenarios:

Sandy has wrestled in the area of relationships and has lots of people giving her advice, pulling her this way and that. I talked with her about listening to her own inner voice. Who is right/wrong and is she walking into a trap? Julie (all names have been changed for privacy) just shared with me that her summer has been a struggle to regain balance of her brain chemistry... after a doctor gave her medication that pretty much had her, as she said, "talking out of her head"!! Peter and his wife came to the agonizing decision to draw a line in the sand with an emotionally abusive family member. We discussed the backlash that will come from that and the losses Peter and his wife will likely sustain. Is it worth it? Randy was just told that he will no longer be employed come the end of October - we're talking about what he needs in order to stay "clean and sober".

Everyone has a story. Life has its ups and downs and some of the stuff of life can be pretty severe. We all have things we are trying to figure out and deal with. Once we figure the lessons out, we make our life a lot easier. We can breathe easy.

A big lesson is about releasing. When we release those things that make us sad or angry or guilty, we truly do free ourselves.

That lesson is so powerful. But it can be sooooo difficult to grasp!

Our feelings/emotions are pivotal to our well being. I think everyone pretty much knows that when we feel happy our brains release chemicals that help our body to heal and operate in the way it was intended.

On the flip side, when we feel a strong negative emotion (and fail to release it), different, equally powerful chemicals are released and there is a negative impact on our body.....and our life.

An example would be if I persist in being angry about something that has happened and then find myself suffering from a headache. I might think : " Oh great, now on top of all this stuff that is happening, which really pisses me off, I have a dang headache!" But that is not how it works! ( Thankfully!) The headache is NOT an additional negative on my pile of stuff that is happening to me. Rather, it is something that I have created!

That is how the Law of Attraction (and our mind/body) works. If I put anger (or any other emotion) out into the world, I attract more of the same back to me. If I choose to be angry because of this, that or another thing, I will pull more negativity and things that "make" me angry into my life. It can become a vicious cycle.

This is also about how the subconscious mind works. The judgments I make about the events in my life, and how I feel about them are pivotal. Vital. Remember the subconscious is the power house. But it has no ability to judge what I put into it. It will support what I think and tell it no matter what!

I think everyone wants to be happy. But if I tell myself "I will never be happy" (because of someone or something in my life), for example, my subconscious believes and carries out this "order". The subconscious is the creative part of our being. It doesn't so much hear what we want ( I want to be happy) as what we feel and believe. Thus when we let go of negative emotional reactions, thoughts and beliefs, we are free to create the life we truly desire.

This is one of the greatest and most empowering truths about life.

Namaste
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

That Voice!

2009-08-14T09:02:00.006-05:00

I feel a little sheepish about this but I have an embarrassing confession to make. It is a perfect example of how we can get off track and unwittingly create havoc in our own life. I had one of those days recently when nothing went right. You know, we've all had them. It seemed to be the culmination of a week with a number of things not going the way I wanted them to go.

When something occurs that we get off track and don't correct it, it seems just as night follows day, that we don't live our life in a genuine way. We are not being being true to our self. Our life journey. Not only do we suffer, but those in the wake of our energy (who aren't wise in handling this) also might suffer.
So how do we know we are getting "off track"? And what can we do? Those are such pivotal life questions. We can get off track for a moment, a day or sadly, even a lifetime.

We are meant to be happy and live a fulfilling life. Part of the key for doing that is to live "authentically" or in other words, living in a way that is true to our self and what makes our heart feel good. When we don't do that, and become enslaved to doing what we think we should do, we suffer. Our soul becomes wounded. We lose our way. We lose track of who we truly are and all the richness we have to contribute.

That was where I got off track, and I did not even realize it was happening. There is something insidious about how this can happen.

And so earlier that morning I had what I call a "mini meltdown." I am usually a calm and serene person, I study and live the laws of the Universe ~ since I have been doing that my life has been much easier. But like I said, I got off track. How it played out is that I have been working on a couple big projects (with due dates) and they require the use of my printer. Yep, you guessed it. I couldn't get it to work. A number of other things had been occurring that week that seemed to be contributing to making my journey difficult. I wasn't getting the hint that I was going off track for what my life is meant to be. I was going my own way, doing the shoulds even though they were getting more and more difficult.
The whole problem could have been stopped a lot sooner except that I was forgetting to trust that inner voice.... The one that said to put away the CD for installing the printer in case I ever needed it again . The one that said to play more. The one that said to get up and walk outside instead of pushing so hard at my desk. You know That Voice!

We all have one you know. Among other things it is called intuition. It also registers in our bodies at a cellular level. And our emotions are a powerful indicator of whether we are on track and living life authentically.Listening to our God given inner wisdom that knows what we need in order to have a happy and fulfilling day.Was it Shakespeare that said to thine own self be true...? Poets and great writers are another help along the way to assist us with our listening to that wisdom. Their words speak to our hearts. It all keeps us on track.

My meltdown occurred when the printer would not work no matter what wizardry means I used (OK I called a neighbor who is the true wizard). WHAM! I became so upset and frustrated that I flung a file across the room...well and I also slammed the printer against the wall. Damn thing getting in the way of my deadlines! In abject emotional pain I wondered why things were happening as they were!

Not exactly a wonderful example of how to live life....but a very human one. This true example that I share contains within it a simple and yet profound truth. I was the one who made myself miserable. I was the one who caused my own meltdown. And that is true for all of us no matter what the circumstances. It isn't your boss, your rough childhood, your illness. your relationship, or the many little details in life that cause our misery. It is what goes on in that magnificent place of true and absolute power - Our Mind!

Fortunately I know some ways to bring myself back into balance. I have shared them in this blog column. And my confession is that I failed to use them and created my own little downfall. My mini meltdown. I did not like the experience - but what a wonderful thing it turned out to be....
The printer still isn't working, one project still isn't done, a few other things have occurred in a way that I would not have chosen, but the awesome truth is that "I got it!" The experiences taught me that I had to use my mind to have a good attitude and not feel sorry for myself. The instant- and I mean INSTANT I recognized this, everything changed. I once again became calm and serene. I remembered in a deep and profound way that for all of us, we are guided, protected and loved. And a key way in which that is done is within our Mind.

Until next time ~ may you use well the magnificent mind to stay on track. It will obey whatever you tell it and create what you are thinking - good attitude or bad - in your outer world.
May the world you create be wonderful!
Dr. DyAnn

"Watch Your Attitude"

2009-08-04T10:45:00.004-05:00

"Watch your attitude!" Ever have your parent or teacher say that to you? It tends to have a negative and even shaming connotation to it. Especially when it is accompanied by the body language of someone shaking their finger at you. But in truth it is good advice. Today I will share with you an expanded and healing version of what "attitude" means and how you can use it to make your life sweeter and better.

Because I am in a healing profession I end up hearing a lot of personal stories about the pain people are in. In addition there is the type of pain a whole community or group of people may be in. A town with a mill closing down, a small community where a home town hero was killed in the line of duty. A dear school crossing guard that everyone knows, and then you open the newspaper and read that they have passed away. Everyone of us touches and is touched by the people in our life, no matter how (mistakenly) insignificant we may think that relationship is. In our busyness it just may not register on the surface.

In the end all of us have challenges in life. Sometimes we do well in handling them and other times we may find our self stretched to the max. We may be riding high and then BOOM something unexpected happens. This happens all the time and you never know when it might be your "turn".
What makes the difference between those who languish and those who are able to get past it and make their life even better? One of the keys is "attitude" ~ that very piece you may have been threatened with when you were a youngster. But now let me share with you a better, more helpful way of understanding attitude.

Think of getting dressed each morning. You want things that match...no stripes with plaids. It all has to flow or go together. Our mind operates the same way. It has a flow to it. It has several components. How we THINK, which goes with how we FEEL which goes with how we BEHAVE which goes with what we BELIEVE which goes with how we THINK etc. Just like getting dressed, it doesn't matter where you start, it all has a flow.

"Attitude" enters in under the piece of how we THINK. And it ends up being so closely related to how and what we believe. You see, the subconscious mind BELIEVES what we tell it. And we are giving it messages constantly! (Among other things it is called "self talk". ) I think the reason why it is so easy to dismiss this information is that it seems too simple to have any real power.
We could even take that last paragraph as run it thru the THINK, FEEL, BEHAVE, BELIEVE cycle. So if I think my self talk is not that important, I might feel disregarding of my own words, which might lead to allowing my behavior to be careless as to my own thoughts, allowing my thoughts to be all over the map and not controlled by me, which feeds into the belief that I don't have control over my mind and therefore my life. This one thought can spread out and like one drop of poison in a gallon of water ~ it can be lethal. What if the thought is "I am not smart enough" or "I am never going to get this" or "my entire life sucks"....

Research has proved time and again in so many interesting experiments that what we think about (including attitude) feeds into what actually occurs in our life. Said even more profoundly our thoughts create. It is so real it is almost kind of scary.. unless of course you choose to use the information.
A commonly quoted experiment is one in which volunteers know only that they agree to being part of an experiment and are given very basic information. There may even be a false "study" to throw them off and have them believe that that was the experiment. No longer on guard, the real experiment begins to take place: it is kind of like being "punked". Several people who are in on it take turns influencing the subject. One may remark that he or she looks a little pale, one may talk about the flu going around (when it isn't) while another may even tell the subject that his or her hand feels clammy. I am pretty sure you can guess the result. If the experiment is set up correctly, most people will be convinced to believe that they are not feeling well.

Now how we are influenced on the outside by advertisers, politicians, and even our family, friends and co-workers is one thing. But where we have undeniable POWER is how we influence our own self.
So if you want to apply this information to make your life better, here is how. Take any problem, concern or even goal, hope or dream you are presently dealing with. What is the thinking/self talk/attitude that you are feeding to your mind about it? Correct any negative thinking, because you cannot afford to have that going on in your mind. The bottom line is that our vast and wonderful subconscious mind is awesome and powerful.. BUT it does NOT judge the information that comes in. What YOU tell it, it believes! And that is one of the simplest, best kept secrets to making your life sweeter, better and what you want it to be.

So yes do "WATCH" your attitude and make it one that works for you rather than against you.

Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

A Mid-Night Visit

2009-07-23T14:21:00.003-05:00

"My mother came and sat on the edge of my bed. It was the middle of the night and I was sound asleep but the gentle movement of the bed awakened me. I wondered why she was here in my room speaking to me. It was hard to understand what she was trying to tell me, but I knew she had deep concern for my dad's welfare. "
As a therapist I often hear this sort of introduction to a client's issue or concern. However, as "Ray's" story unfolded, it was clear it was no ordinary story. Ray's mother had died many years prior to her visiting her son. And this wasn't the first time she had visited. Ray needed to explore and understand what was going on.

How do we explain these sort of occurrences? What goes on in the mind? There are some occurrences which we might pass off as coincidences, an over active imagination, wishful thinking, or some sort of odd dream. But there are some, such as Ray's experiences (more on that later) that are so powerful that they cannot be so easily explained away.
Researches find this a fascinating area of study. Not only modern researchers and psychologists, but sages and philosophers thru the ages have weighed in on topics which include the study of the mind. Where do thoughts come from? How do "coincidences" take place? How is it that we sometimes "know" information that guides us in life? How do miracles take place? And how on earth do we explain paranormal experiences such as the one Ray shared with me?

At this time in history more and more people accept the presence of angels and are more open to the idea of paranormal experiences.The book shelves are filled with accounts of special messengers and comforters. NDE (near death experiences) are talked about openly, but before the publishing of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's work with death and dying, people having these experiences hid away their true life accounts. No one talked about these sorts of things.
What is on the book shelves is all well and good, but when it is you that has a paranormal experience, it can be a little unhinging! So, what is going on and might a clue be in studying how the mind operates?

An interesting theory is that of Edgar Cayce, a Christian mystic philosopher and intuitive healer to thousands. Although Mr. Cayce had only an eighth grade education, he was able to diagnose illnesses of those who came to him for readings and offer successful suggestions for healing. Considering that Mr. Cayce died in 1945, his holistic philosophy of life and attention to the blending of Eastern and Western traditions were well before his time.
His model of the mind and how we might traverse our spiritual quest was based on a dream he had in 1932. He received all of his information by going into a deep relaxed state. A stenographer took notes on what he said, and he did not remember the information when he came back up into normal awakened state. How was he able to be so accurate and ahead of his time?

Cayce saw the mind as being three levels: the conscious, the subconscious and the superconscious. He deemed the superconscious as the "heavens". In a very relaxed state he would quiet the conscious mind, pass through the subconscious mind and finally make a connection with the superconscious or "all knowing" mind. Mr. Cayce noted that this is where we make a connection with our higher self or the divine. However, note that we pass through the subconscious. In other postings I have shared that it is within this part of our mind that we face all our memories and emotions, fears, desires and resentments. For those of you who are interested in psychology this would be what Jung refers to as the "shadow self".

But the overall point is this: In more than 99% of Cayce's readings the source of his outstanding knowledge was within himself. It was as if he reached his way into an all-knowing Mind ~ and he thought of himself as no one special, because for that matter this same journey through the levels of the mind lies within all of us.

As for Ray, the gentleman who came to me so that we might explore and find an understanding about his mother's visits ~ the one I shared with you, in which she was concerned about Ray's father's welfare, came just prior to his father dying in a grizzly accident.
Somehow, we all inner-connect beyond time and space. Because Ray somehow knew that his father's well-being may be at risk, he made sure that he let his dad know how much he loved him and how thankful he was for all he taught him. Though he was deeply saddened at the loss of his father, he was at peace with it. And he was very thankful that although his experience with his mother's visit was out of the ordinary, that he respected the message she brought to him.

May we all respect the wonderful gift of our minds and mysteries they hold.

Until next time,
Dr.DyAnn

Our Prison Keys

2009-07-06T08:49:00.008-05:00

Anyone who knows me, either through my work as a clinician or by my writing, knows that I am fascinated with the power of the human mind. I believe my purpose is to bring that information to others. With it, you have the keys to make your life so much better ~ so much sweeter. You have true power.

At times I share with you about my own life, or my work with clients. Today I want to share with you an amazing account, one of the most provocative I have ever read, about the power of the human mind. If it doesn't make a believer out of you, I don't know what will. Dr. Maroslav Borysenko, Tufts University School of Medicine, and visiting professor at Harvard University, cites writer and psychologist Jeanne Achterberg's 1980 case of a young girl who was kidnapped, raped, tortured, and left for dead with both of her arms cut off (Bill Moyers, Healing and the Mind, ed. Betty Sue Flowers and David Grubin. New York: Doubleday, 1993) 187. Here it is~

"Miraculously she walked miles to safety without bleeding to death even though both radical arteries were severed. When asked how she managed to save herself , the girl replied that she thought of herself as the bionic woman, an invincible character in a popular television show of the time. This young girl, who survived through the power of imagining herself bionic, had inadvertently used an indirect form of hypnosis to staunch the flow of blood. While meditation has to do with emptying our minds of images, bringing forth the nonspecific healing physiology of the relaxation response, hypnosis is about creating vivid mental images that our bodies respond to specifically. About one in twenty people are so capable of absorbing themselves in fantasy that their bodies can respond like that of the girl mentioned above."

Dr. Borysenko defines meditation as the removal of mindsets so we can perceive the world freshly. Hypnosis, in contrast, is the cultivation of a particular mind set. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University's Medical School, states: The mind that has not been developed or trained is very scattered. That is the normal state of affairs, but it leaves us out of touch with a great deal of life, including our bodies. All of this is happening below the surface of awareness, which means that our unconscious thoughts are creating kind of a prison which regulates a lot of our behavior.

Thankfully we don't find ourselves in the horrendous situation such as that of the young girl described above. But, what kind of prison do you find your own mind in? Where do your thoughts and feelings take you? Are you in a place of calm relaxation which leads to self control and empowerment? Or do you at times think of yourself as dis-empowered with life and its circumstances?

I will confess that at times in my life I have been in that dark valley in which I have felt very discouraged and dis-empowered. Just like you I have felt an overwhelming sense of loss. I know that right now many of you are dealing with discouragement. I have come to realize that it is not our circumstances, but our response to them that makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. When my family relocated almost two years ago, my plans suffered several strong, harsh blows. I had losses that brought me to my knees and the brink of despair. About the time I pulled myself up and out, another blow would come my way. I began to wonder if it was endless - would I ever find my way out. I was caught in the web of that prison described by Kabat-Zinn.

Most thankfully, I also had within me the knowledge of the power we each carry within us. And even though dark days sometimes turned into weeks, I always knew that if I hung on, hung in there and worked with what I knew, I would be okay and I could turn things around.

I speak/write frequently about "feeding your soul" and that is a staple for me. When we store up positive thoughts in the form of verses, poems, stories and quotes, (and there is a storage unit so-to-speak in our mind) we can call upon them when we are in times of trouble. They will help to break us out of that prison. Here are a few of my favorites for you to ponder:

Hope is the feeling that the feeling you have isn't permanent (Jean Kerr).

Life is a wilderness of twists and turns, where faith is your only compass (Paul Santaguida).

God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us - in the dreariest and most dreaded moments - can see a possibility of hope (Maya Angelou).

When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly (Edward Teller).

Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; if you find it, then there will be a future, and hope will not be cut off (Proverbs 24:14 NASV).

I hope you will continue to join me on the incredible journey into the understanding of your magnificent mind.

Namaste,

Until next time,

Dr. DyAnn

Are You Smarter Than ....Your Plants?!

2009-06-22T13:01:00.004-05:00

Metaphysics ~ When you hear the word what comes to mind? Gurus in flowing robes? New age nonsense? Touchy-feely stuff that has no place in the real world?
In actuality meta-physics bridges quite seamlessly with hard science. One example is the field of bioenergitics which involves the study of invisible, intelligent energy - energy that actually communicates! Those who understand metaphysics realized long ago what science is "discovering" and "proving" today.

For example, plants can think. One of the first scientific studies in this realm was startling at that time. The study, published by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird revealed what was to become known fact about the hidden abilities of plant life. In this experiment one of two plants was destroyed by the researcher. Six people were then brought forward in a sort of criminal line up; among them was the person who had destroyed the plant. The surviving plant correctly identified which of the six was the guilty party. Pretty amazing, but touching only the tip of the iceberg.

This sort of experiment is one of many which now reveals that we live in a world of intelligent energy and that all life is connected. Energy may be invisible but it surrounds and lives within every plant, animal, rock, blade of grass and person. Energy is what you are sensing when you get goose bumps, whether it is because of something that is a warning of danger or of the sort that is a positive recognition that you can't cognitively identify. Either way you are sensing energy.

We continually pick up energies unconsciously and we can learn to recognize and identify them in the same way that your commonly known five senses are picking up cues from the environment. In other words, we know we pick up information through what we see and hear but we can know so much more by learning about the world of the invisible. Understanding the natural world of energy enables us to have so much more power and control over our own world. For example you can learn to notice and get ahead of negativity; you need not be impacted by other people's bad moods or motives and you can work with energy to create more positive outcomes around you.

One of the best ways I have heard our personal world of energy described is like that of a radio. We can receive many stations and we can choose what we tune in to, depending on what we pay attention to. Conversely we are each a broadcast station with our own frequency and mind set. Sanaya Roman in the Earth Life book series says it like this: The way you perceive, judge, and react to your thoughts throughout the day grounds you in your reality and is the basis upon which that reality is created.

The key notion here is in regard to our thoughts. It's like a chain reaction: we have a thought and in a flash we react to our own thought. We "create" our own mood and eventual outcomes in an ever widening rippling effect. Thoughts too are energy.

More and more information has been available lately about energy. As a species we are evolving. We see colors today that primitive man could not discern. The frontal lobe of our brains has enlarged giving us new abilities and awareness. Our greater senses are awakening and we have a choice to learn about them and how to use them. Our awareness of higher energy realms is awakening. That awakening is present in you or you would not have been drawn to read these words. I would not have been drawn to studying what I have studied. It all works together in the most amazing symphony.

You can begin now to use the power of your mind to work with energy. One of the most basic tools at your fingertips is visualization, which can transform any negative energy around you to positive energy. Just as important is the tool or state of relaxation for this is the springboard from which so much begins.

Nora and I spoke recently. Though she had no actual proof she worried that her job was in jeopardy. She said that things were going from bad to worse. I listened so as to determine whether she was putting herself into a state of anxiety or if she was reading the energy around her . Nora told me that the business was changing hands, the manager brought in new help and she sensed she was on her way out the door. She felt powerless. I advised Nora to keep doing what she had been doing which was to "fly under the radar". She needed to relax for two reasons. One was so that she did not create undue anxiety. The other was so that she could indeed sense more deeply what was going on and what she might do. We didn't need her thoughts creating fear and negative outcomes!

By her keeping a low profile and staying calm and as relaxed as possible we could buy some time to let things play out. As it turned out Nora indeed had been reading energy accurately. She found out that the manager, who Nora considered a friend, had lied about her to the new owner in order to get into his good graces. This came straight from the new owner! Isn't it interesting how this turned out? I strongly believe that the manager was living in the energy of fear. He was so gripped by it that he tried to control the outcome by making some unethical moves. I don't know yet, but I suspect that the new owner may have a skill in reading energy. He may not call it this - maybe something more like business savvy.

But clearly what occurred for Nora was that she trusted that in all likelihood she was reading the manager's energy and that it was negative. Especially toward Nora. She did not like what she was picking up from her energy field and did not want to believe it. After all they had become friends and knew one another for several years. But in her wisdom Nora trusted her instinct and inner ability to read energy rather than what was going on on the surface. (Some call it a hunch.) She took protective measures until the situation played it self out.

When we develop and trust our ability to read energy, we have coupled with tools that help us to evolve. Reading energy will enable us to protect ourselves and to tune in to that which will help us as it did in Nora's situation. I heard from her recently and she got a much deserved promotion from the new owner. The manager is gone. But I think that what makes her most happy is the realization that she trusted the Universe/God and the instinct within her (and all of us). After all is a plant can beat the odds and detect who or what is harmful, shouldn't we be able to do the same thing? Invisible intelligent energy communicates with us if we will only listen!

Until next time, enjoy listening in to all the signs of intelligent energy which present themselves to you. And remember to be kind to your plants!

Joyously Yours,

Dr. DyAnn

You, the Healer

2009-06-12T10:19:00.004-05:00

Who and exactly what is a healer? What comes to mind when you hear the word?

I have many friends and acquaintances who are "healers". I'm speaking now in the formal sense: psychotherapists, doctors and nurses, Reiki masters, Qigong instructors. Quite literally they have a distinct understanding of what their line of work is and what it is they wish to accomplish. Some "always knew" they wanted to be in the arena of healing while others had a journey which was more circuitous....

I had lunch recently with a young woman who had been a client of mine as a teenager. Vivacious and energetic, one would never guess what a tough time she had with her own healing journey. She was so intensely caught in the grip of fear and anxiety she was like a beautiful songbird in a cage. Rachael's fear manifested in such a way that she could not travel alone. She always had to depend on someone from her small trusted inner circle to be with her anytime she traveled. I'm not talking major trips cross country on Southwest Airlines here. I mean to a gathering across town! So certainly, when she was drawn toward a career as a nurse I am sure there were those who doubted this would ever happen.

As we talked our way thru our salads at a popular local restaurant I asked Rachael about her career. Her face literally lit up as she talked about the hands-on medical responsibilities she has as a home health nurse. Think about it... that field of nursing does a lot of traveling as they come to the assistance of their patients. And like I said, one would never guess that the confident, competent woman who now shared the excitement of her career with me had once been crippled by the fear of leaving home. She healed and became a healer. Pretty amazing stuff!

The whole point of Rachael's story is about focus. Even with the seemingly insurmountable problem she was facing, she had a focus. And even though she had the aid of medication while she went thru the darkest time, as well as the assistance of therapy, I am sure that the deciding factor in her success was what went on in her own mind.

So we might call it focus or perhaps determination, but I think it was something richer and more mysterious ~ perhaps even elusive to our common form of understanding. Did the therapy heal her? Or did it merely spark something more profound within.

I think we all have that magic within us. I am so fortunate to work in my chosen field; I have literally seen countless miracles ~ feats of magic~ common everyday people like you and me overcoming obstacles in our pathway.

There are so many ways to overcome obstacles ~ everything from starting with a small step like finding a work of art and using that as the benchmark of creating a loving peaceful space in your home. And there you can rediscover the greatness within you. Or on the other end of the spectrum having the courage to take on a big corporation that wrongly let you go....or choosing to let go of it and turning your attention to what you love and what inspires you. It's all about healing.

Life is rich with choices for healing. And in the end we are our own healers. The rest is just friendly assistance along the way.

Watch for and embrace the many methods that wash you in healing energy. Life is so much easier that way.

Until next time,
Blessings of healing
Dr. DyAnn

Think About It

2009-06-08T09:33:00.003-05:00

What is your heart's desire? Right now, at this time in your life, what is it that you want and need? Are you using the Universal Laws to create what you want and need in life?

Whether we realize it or not, the Universal Laws are always in operation. The life circumstances that you are living in right now are what you have created. That is both an inspiring and somewhat daunting idea! But, we need to take personal responsibility for what is going on around us. More and more we are hearing about the way in which we truly do impact our own life in both big and small ways. It isn't just a passing notion or current popular book idea. The bottom line is we have tremendous power... the power to create.

What we focus on grows. Matter/form follows thought. Right now, think about your left foot and the pressure of your shoe or the feeling of the surface you are on. You now have created awareness. If you take the experiment a little further and notice the temperature of your foot... notice if it is just a little too warm or cool... Suddenly your foot, which a moment ago was not in your awareness, comes to the forefront of your mind. You could take the experiment even further by enhancing whatever feeling you desire, right there in your left foot: cool it if it's too warm, for example. Have a little fun with it and see that you can create a sensation like an itch, tickle or buzz. (This is about directing energy.)

Now for a moment turn your awareness to what you think about on a casual daily basis. Do you pollute your life with toxic negative thoughts? These "little" thoughts do matter! Remember, the Universe is neutral in following your thoughts, which turn into real things.

Katrina came to me for help with her esteem and her marriage. While we worked together I noted that her hands were always cold and she held them rigidly. At times she was in pain as she suffered from a disease which created this discomfort. I had Katrina lean back on the couch, close her eyes and do some deep breathing. I guided her into a gentle state of relaxation, assisting her in going to a beautiful warm place with her imagination. While there I asked Katrina to focus on her hands ~ to notice that her hands felt wonderfully comfortable. Even as I said this I noticed that her shoulders relaxed and her breathing deepened. As I quietly reassured her that she was completely comfortable I noticed that her hands now relaxed, releasing their tight grip.

When Katrina was ready she came up to a fully awakened state. She smiled pleasantly. After a moment, and another deep full breath Katrina noted that her hands now felt completely comfortable, warm and cozy.

What changed? How did it happen?

Yes, I did assist in helping Katrina to enter into a deeper relaxed state. And I provided the suggestion that the physical environment that she entered was cozy and warm. I used my voice along with soft background music to provide an atmosphere of comfort and calm.

But all the rest was accomplished by Katrina. Once her conscious mind was relaxed her deeper subconscious mind went to work bringing to her what she wanted and needed ~ warm hands.

All of us have this power within. The "Secret" is to relax the chattering conscious mind. That is the pure and truly simple secret to Yogi Masters changing their heart rate or walking on hot coals.

And that secret is within you, just waiting to be used to create your own heart's desire.

What we notice or attend to is vitally important; it connects us to the Laws of the Universe ~ the magic of creation. It is core to our very being. When we add passion (strong feeling) to our thoughts we ramp up the magic of our ability to create. The Universe is really neutral about what we create. In other words, the end product can be as delightful as that "ahhhh" experience of finding something (or someone) you have been searching for and dreaming about, to a scenario that really "sucks!" Be careful about what you "accidentally" create!

We need to remember how the mind works. And by understanding how the mind works, we understand how the Universe and its laws work.We have been given the tools to create a fantastic life, starting with something as simple as warm hands.

Until next time ~
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

Blue Ribbon Project

2009-06-02T09:56:00.007-05:00

I just had the most strange and amazing experience. I was sitting at my desk, writing my blog. I always meditate and do a lot of thinking before I write. I want it to be meaningful and helpful for those of you who read it. But this morning I was struggling with what to write. Nothing seemed to come out right. My thoughts would scatter and go in a completely different directions like dandelion fluff in the wind. It just wasn't coming together.

I had written quite a bit on the creative energy of thought. But it felt dry and forced; I erased the whole thing and started over. I decided to write about an amazing person in my life and how she wasn't a likely person that would end up being such a blessing for me. What a lesson that is. Aha I thought, I am finally on my way to a successful post!

My computer screen started to blink erratically and then it went blank. Yikes!!! My first thought was that some sort of worm had invaded! But in the same mysterious way that the screen went blank it jumped back to life again, as if it were awaiting my writing. I took it as a sign however, that this was not the right time to be writing, and went about some other tasks. Because I have learned to "let it go" thru a series of hard lessons I was able to joyfully go about my list of other things to do today; in the back of my mind I flirted with topics that my readers might find interesting and helpful.

When I came back to my desk I checked my e~mails. When one brought me to tears I knew it was what I needed to write about. And of all things, it was one of those "forwards" that circulate round and round. Often times I don't even bother to open them.

This one was a story I had heard before but it had pictures that made it come more alive. An abbreviated version of the story goes something like this:

A teacher in New York decided to honor her seniors by telling them the difference each of them had made. Each was called up to the front of the classroom and given a blue ribbon which read Who I am Makes a Difference.
The class decided to do a project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on the community. Each student was given three more of the blue ribbons with the instruction to go out and spread the "Acknowledge Ceremony."
One boy gave a blue ribbon to the Junior Executive who had helped him with career planning. He asked the executive to pass along the other two ribbons, finding someone to honor. The Junior Executive went to his boss who had a reputation for being kind of a grouchy fellow. He told his boss that he admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed a little surprised as he accepted the ribbon which the Junior Executive pinned above his heart. And the boss was instructed to take the remaining ribbon and pass it on, honoring somebody else. He explained that "The teenager who gave me these is doing a school project and we want to keep the ribbon ceremony going and see how it affects people."

The boss drove home and sat down with his 14 year old son. He explained what had happened. "He gave me the extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight I started thinking about who I would honor with this ribbon. I thought about you and I want to honor you. My days are hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. I yell at you for not getting good enough grades and for your messy room. Somehow, tonight, I just wanted to sit here and well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother you are the most important person in my life. You are a great kid and I love you."

The boy looked up at his father and said through his tears, "Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and Mom explaining why I took my life and I asked you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just didn't think that you cared at all. The letter is upstairs. I don't think that I'll need it after all."

The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch but made sure to let all of his employees know that they make a difference. The Junior Executive helped many other young people with career planning, one being the boss's son and never forgets to let them know that they make a difference in his life. In addition the young man and his classmates leaned a valuable lesson: Who you are does make a difference.

And so my dear readers I pass along to you what CJ passed along to me via the story of the kids in New York. Her e mail meant so much to me and I hope that the same energy and love is passed along to you as you read this blog.

Please know that I think you are important or you would never have received this "message" in the first place.
Who you are does make a difference. I 'm passing the blue ribbon on to you.

Let's continue with our own ceremony and see what a difference we can each make in acknowledging others in our life.

Until next time,
Love and blessings to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

Soul Knowledge

2009-05-26T09:12:00.006-05:00

While I was recently home visiting, a dear friend and I took a walk in Pamperin Park. As we strolled along, going deeper and deeper into the woods, we came upon a beautiful patch of Lily of the Valley which covered the forest floor. Delicate and fragrant, they are one of my favorite flowers! How strange, I thought, to find them deep in the forest; I never knew they grew in the wild. In fact, I had been kind of pining the realization that the people who purchased our home built a large workshop right over the top of my beautiful Lilies!

The logical part of my mind looks upon the discovery of the Lilies as just coincidence. But a higher, wiser part of my being sees them as a gift. "Coincidences" are a very spiritual occurrence. They bring phenomena together that aren't statistically likely to occur.

Once we begin to understand this concept we can explore other possibilities that are beyond the realm of our five senses. Psychology, for example, has sought to heal what ails us by studying our thoughts and feelings and behaviors ~ in other words, our perceptions according to our five senses. However, did you know that "psychology" means soul knowledge?

Perhaps we are finally evolving to the point where we realize that when we (yes you and I) are in pain ~ feeling hurt, anger, rejection, guilt, remorse ~ it is our spirit that is hurting, sometimes even to the point of being shattered. Our mission then is to understand and heal our spirit.

Just like the lilies in the forest were brought to my attention for a purpose, so too does every thing in life come to us for a purpose... that is to heal our souls. You see, when Em and I were walking in the forest, we were talking about healing from childhood abuse. What more meaningful sign of purity and cleansing of the soul could there be than those Lilies?

So my dear friends, realize that all around you many experiences exist that aid in the healing of your soul, bringing you to enlightenment. While some come in a beautiful form, others may be something we don't really welcome.

Marie's transforming experience began with a phone call: her sister in California was in a coma - the result of a pedestrian accident. I have great admiration for Marie. She could have turned her back on her sister. After all, her sister had turned her back on the entire family, living out West and losing the battle with the demons of alcoholism. However, Marie made it her mission to assist her sister whose mind, body and soul were shattered as she lay alone and destitute in a coma.

"And the rest of the story" isn't so much the healing experience of the sister, but what it brought Marie. Her transformation is clearly visible. She has an exiting new career that came about as a result of her choice to reach out to a destitute soul. I could hardly believe the difference in her energy; Marie sparkles with life! And as she said, she feels totally alive for the first time in her entire 40+ years!

Who could of known that such an unwelcome phone call would result in such a miraculous, life-transforming experience? The Universal Energy of Love brings us exactly what we need. We just don't always recognize it for the gift that it is. But once we do, we are transformed immeasurably, moving easily beyond the details of the experience.

So if you are in the middle of an experience that is less than desirable, ask God and your Higher Self for understanding. It makes it so much easier than muddling around in pain, taking it personally. Who knows what miracle might be in store for you?

Until next time,
Blessings and love to you and those you love~
Dr. DyAnn

A special thank you to all the people of the Green Bay area who shared your stories, your energy and your soul nourishing love on my recent visit !

A Lion's Tale

2009-05-01T14:13:00.005-05:00

Whether as a child being read to at bedtime, or an adult caught up in a popular novel, stories are entertaining. Not only that, we can learn so much from a story. Because of the way in which our brain takes in information, a story often times will convey a message in a much more powerful manner than pages and pages of information might do. It is our subconscious mind which transforms the story; it connects it to our own memory all the way back to when our soul first came into existence, as well as to our dreams, imagination and the power of symbolism. This is where "art" and "science" truly connect.

That being said, today I want to share a story with you. I came upon it by way of a favorite author of mine, Emory Michael in his book The Alchemy of Sacred Living.

The story takes place in ancient Egypt two thousand years ago, with our hero Androcles. Being a slave, Androcles wants his freedom above all else. "Late one starry night he makes a daring getaway, hiding out in fields, swamps and forests as he travels toward unknown western lands. Closely followed by bounty hunters, he takes refuge in a dismal cave. To his horror, he finds out that the cave is the dwelling of a ferocious lion, who confronts Androcles in the fading evening light. Instead of devouring Androcles, the lion holds out its massive paw, in which is embedded a painful thorn. Trembling with fear, Androcles removes the thorn and the beast gratefully licks the fortunate youth in the friendliest lion fashion.

The lion and the boy spend several weeks together before the soldiers stumble upon Androcles in a field. They take him back to Egypt where he is eventually returned to his master, Casca. As punishment, Casca sells Androcles to Roman slave traders and after months of hardship he is taken to Rome. His fate is sealed when he is selected to be fodder for lions as a spectacle in the Coliseum. On the fateful day, guards lead Androcles into the arena and leave him to die in front of the bloodthirsty crowd. A gate is flung open and a lion rushes toward Androcles. To the crowd's astonishment , the beast stops dead in its tracks, then rolls and plays at Androcles' feet. The trembling youth recognizes the very lion from whose paw he had removed the painful thorn. The Romans are moved by the spectacle and Androcles is given his freedom. He receives the lion as a gift from the emperor himself, and the lion and the lad live out their days as honored residents of Rome. "

Keeping in mind that our subconscious learns from stories and metaphors, you can allow your own mind to take from the story just what you might need at this time in your life. Add to this the uncanny way in which we often receive just the right "message" right when we need it in our own life story. Here are a few suggestions.

The hero desires freedom above all else. He risks everything for his heart's desire. What is it that you desire in your life? Do you need to recommit to it? Are you dedicated enough and making the sacrifices that may be necessary? Remember that even one small daily sacrifice keeps you on the road to commitment for your own dreams coming true.

The kindness of our story's hero is repaid by the lion. We could all use a little more kindness in our life right? Remember though that it all started with the boy being kind to the lion - as opposed to running in the other direction!

The lion was hurting and in pain.... what did he do? He asked for help!

I especially enjoy the lesson in this tale whereby there is a cumulative effect of goodness as it rippled outward. In the same way that a pebble tossed into a pond causes the water to ripple outward in ever widening circles, so too does the energy of our individual acts ripple outward. Remember that the next time someone at work or home gives you a hard time and you are tempted to "pass it along."

I think a more subtle message in this tale has to do with the companionship that is shared by the boy and the lion. As human beings we tend to stay within the "safety" of those circumstances and people that are familiar to us. We quite accidentally put up walls that way; but who is to say whether we are walling others out, our our own self in?

Until next time ~
May you enjoy creating and living the story of your own life,
Dr. DyAnn

Change Your Mind ~ Change Your Life!

2009-04-21T09:16:00.006-05:00

The benchmark of my work is the Power of the Mind: the power that is readily available to you. Our subconscious mind in limitless in what it can do. There is so much research I have read about this topic, meaning it is soundly scientific. On a more personal note, I have seen some pretty amazing things happen once a person starts to embrace this concept ~ the understanding of the Mind. There are changes I have seen people make in their lives due to this idea alone, when many other attempts to make their life better have failed.

One example is Brooke, a morbidly obese woman who came to me for help with her relationship. She really wasn't looking for help with her weight as she had "tried everything" , only to find herself caught up in the yo-yo weight gain/loss scenario. She was content enough with her weight. But working in health care she knew all the risks involved. We worked with techniques involving "changing her mind" including hypnotherapy, for changing the way her mind was working against her in regard to her weight. The results were truly remarkable!

You see, we program our own minds. We do it every minute, every second of the day. We get caught up in the problems and issues that come our way. We are bombarded by sensory intake ~ what we see, hear, touch etc. And it sets our conscious minds a spinning. For Brooke, every time she saw her image in a mirror or reflected in a window, her mind told her she was fat. And what we tell our self becomes true. In other words, even though Brooke was obese, she unknowingly was creating a life-long self fulfilling prophesy to stay obese. Our subconscious mind "obeys" what our conscious (thinking) mind thinks or says.

Have you ever listened in on what your own mind is saying? This "flowing stream of consciousness" is like a radio station. Stop and ask yourself if you like what it is playing.
Do this often, and you will have a profoundly important key of understanding and changing your life.

I will confess there are times that I get caught up on a channel that I do not like. I may be obsessing about a problem and interestingly enough, while I am on that channel my emotional well being is... frankly, not so well. Focusing on problems and annoyances can leave us feeling emotionally upset. When you ponder this, it only makes sense. Remember, what we focus on grows!

Another person I worked with was "Steve". He felt his life was nearly destroyed; someone very close to him died a horrible death in an unbelievable accident. He was the first one on the accident scene and he could not get the picture of the loved one out of his mind. He was haunted by it. Hearing his story would reduce anyone to tears. We successfully used hypnotherapy and mindful techniques. Today Steve has nothing but wonderful memories of his loved one. He still finds the results, and what he can now do with the power of his mind miraculous.

What we need to learn is how to " switch channels" so to speak. Why would we want to waste our time getting all worked up about this or that, when we can be enjoying peace of mind and being centered. It is that which can give us the assurance that whatever the problem is, it will be taken care of. Why, because our incredible subconscious mind is without limit. It is the place of creative (problem solving) thinking. And I believe it is also the place where our soul meets with the Creative Energy of Love that we call God.

So the next time you find yourself on a channel that is not "music to your ears" change it! You owe it to yourself to feed your mind the information that you want programmed.This is the gateway to reducing the menacing emotions and wasteful thinking that holds us back.

Until next time,
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

PS. I have just a few openings left for when I will be in Green Bay during my next visit. Please contact me if you are interested d.buechler@yahoo.com

Journey thru the Forest

2009-04-13T07:38:00.004-05:00

Imagine if you will, that you are traveling along a beautiful path thru an ancient and magical forest. No stress, just enjoying the scenery - the sunlight flickering thru the ancient trees, the natural smells that are so relaxing.... ah, just wonder-ful. Give yourself a moment or two now if you would like, to enjoy this peacefulness.
I often use that metaphor to describe life as being exactly like that scene. I see my own self and this old wooden cart as I make my way along the path. That path is mine as well as yours. We all travel along on our journey thru life. We try to stay on course, but we kind of veer off toward the left edge, then the right, as we go along on our way. At times I wonder how the heck my cart ended up in the woods, turned over with the wheels spinning! It is as if my awareness took a vacation and it is a mystery to me how this happened!

We all have times that our cart goes off course: something about our life is in shambles.
It may be something that occurs suddenly. Other times it is a situation that goes from bad to worse. You might be dealing with one of those scenarios right now.

I used to wonder what takes us off that magical path. Was it fate? Luck? Someone getting in my way? I would be perplexed as to how I could be just humming along with life going beautifully and then lose my way. Talk about frustrating!

There is one common denominator that takes our "cart" off that magical road., even though there are hundreds upon hundreds of kinds of burdens we find we must face: stuff with our family, adult relationships, divorce, job issues, self esteem, finances, what we want and don't get, what we got and don't want! The list goes on and on. Our life can and does get messy.

What makes THE DIFFERENCE during those times of trouble is whether we forget or remember what powerful beings we really are. Call it "attitude", "mind set" or what ever works for you. The word that works for me is "fear". If I let my fear get away from me, I will guarantee that my cart will end up in the woods, not only overturned, but maybe with the wheels off.

But even that scene is no where near impossible to remedy. I don't have to look for AAA to come along on the path. I simply need to go back into my mind, and realize that I have all the power I need to remedy the situation.

Let me give you an example. Jill is recently divorced. This really took the wind out of her sails. The marriage should have ended long ago. Perhaps because it dragged on, the divorce proceedings were pretty nasty. Her spouse did lots of finger pointing and blaming that it was all her fault. Of course during the marriage all that went wrong was - yes you guessed it - her fault too. When I counseled her she was pretty beaten down. Her attractive face wore the burden of all that negativity. She felt pretty powerless.

If Jill (as well as her former spouse) is going to really get the full benefit of the divorce (and Life), there is one thing she must remember to do. And it is the same thing that all of us must remember to do each day if we are to have a successful life.

Remember that cart and the pathway in the beautiful forest? That metaphor represents you. The forest represents the many details of life, the path is our own personal journey, and the cart is our mind. As we successfully use our mind, our journey thru the forest can be delightful. We successfully make our way thru the challenges that come our way. We are secure in knowing that our cart (Mind) will take us where ever we choose to go. If we stop believing this and let the cart wander, of course it will end up in an unpleasant place. How big of a mystery is that?

Einstein once said something to the effect that a problem cannot be solved with the same mind that created it. Sorry I can't recall quite how the quote goes. But the gist of the saying is that we have a part of our mind that is all powerful, all knowing. We are creative and powerful beyond our wildest dreams.

My wish is for you to remember who you are and the true power that you have in making your life truly magnificent.

Until next time
Namaste,
Dr. DyAnn

Brain Power

2009-04-06T18:38:00.004-05:00

By now you realize that I have a huge interest in how our brains work. I thought it might be interesting to have a few inside peeks at some things that go on with our brains. I hope you find some thing that is helpful for you.

I used to have the world's record for misplaced car keys until a dear friend gave me one of those giant clips. I always use it to attach them to my purse. I think she got tired of time wasted running around looking for my lost keys. (Hi Jane!)

The way our brains work, we can reduce moments of forgetfulness by jazzing up our temporal lobes. That is the portion of the brain where short term memory is stored. From short term location, items are either moved along into long term or tossed because they are no longer needed. So, how do we increase nerve activity in the temporal lobe? Take on new challenges! Something as simple as learning a new card game, taking a cooking class, even finding a new route to work gets that sleepy temporal lobe up and moving again. And no more of those embarrassing moments of forgetting where you left your CAR in the mall parking lot!

One of my favorite researchers in Dr. Daniel Amen of UC Irvine. He is a real pioneer in brain research and imaging. Also, if you want to take a great self test to learn if you have any form of ADD check him out on line. You will find an amazing wealth of information that may prove to be helpful.

Now that we have our car and our keys let's talk about SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder). The further north we go the greater the incidence of "winter depression". I have had clients who are almost debilitated by it. SAD is caused by a drop in dopamine. Dopamine keeps the brain working correctly as it is a central nervous system stimulant. Without it symptoms of depression rise.
A little known fact is that when we change to a more typical summer diet and eat less protein, our dopamine levels drop as does our ability to concentrate and focus. So, be sure to get enough protein (4 oz of meat daily for example) so that your brain's supply of the amino acids work to bring the dopamine levels up. For those of us on a vegetarian diet, this is an extra caution. Some of my clients swear by using tanning beds once a week for 15 minutes (along with imaging that Caribbean vacation). University of Miami researchers report that a 15 minute massage (even a self massage) boosts the brain's ability to focus and stay on track. They explain that it rids us of stress, which throws off the brain's natural chemical balance. So whatever helps you to reduce stress also helps your brain chemistry, thus putting you in a better mood.

Sleep disruptions impact our brain chemistry. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter which impacts the speed of the functioning of our brain cells. Something as simple as changing the time you go to sleep can disrupt this delicate balance. One result can be difficulty with recall- you know, having the word "on the tip of your tongue." Dr Pavel Yutsis author of Why Can't I Remember (Avery) suggests increasing the intake of the amino acids found in eggs, soy, rice and leafy greens. You can also take the amino acid as a supplement _ phosphatidylserine. It will take up to 12 weeks to correct the deficiency but memory and ability for recall is said to improve by 15 percent. I have not had anyone try this, but this is what the research is saying.

This information is just the tip of the ice burg in the fascinating world of our amazing mind. I would remind you to speak with a trusted health professional who has an awareness of the information shared here. I have found folks who run vitamin stores to be a good resource.

A happy heart probably has the best impact on creating a healthy mind! And from that point the mind is LIMITLESS in what it can do.
Be a joy to others and it will come back to you!
Dr. DyAnn

Getting the Love You Need

2009-03-29T12:41:00.002-05:00

I have a question for you. How do you know get the love you need?
It seems like I get a lot of mail and have many sessions in which "love" is a major issue...whether is it a couple who seem to have fallen out of love, a person who is looking back at issues of their family of origin, or in a dating relationship.

In the end, what each of us needs is to be loved. We need to know that we are "lovable" and that "knowing" tends to come from outside one self. When we are more aware, we realize it comes from the inside and we know how to tap into it. But that does not lessen the impact of outside influences. In fact much of who we are , or think of who we are, comes from the cues that we get from others. Ladies, a prime example is wearing a new outfit. If someone tells you that you look great, doesn't that feel good? Suddenly that outfit is even sweeter.

I will tell you a little secret and it is one you are welcome to use. When I wake up in the morning and things don't go my way - leading me to a possible downward spiral and what looks like the beginning of a bad day, I pull a special outfit from the closet. One that I always get compliments on. The reason I do this is obvious. I will get the outside affirmation and it will go by "emotional osmosis" to the inside. It will make me feel better. My bad day vanishes. Hey, it's an easy little psychological trick, but if it will pick me up, why not use it?

And on the other side of the coin, remember that you never know when someone may be faking it thru their day. Just wanting to be home with a hot cup of tea and a TV show to make them laugh. YOU can be the person to give them something special that will carry them more successfully thru their day. What an awesome privilege. What power!

I promise you from the perspective of the recipient that it feels really great to have someone notice some thing cool or good about me and let me know. You have all had that experience. And I also promise you that when you are the person who is giving the positive energy that it also feels really good and is guaranteed to uplift you. Friends. co-workers, store clerks, everyone can use what you can so freely give. It changes the energy of the person in a positive way.

We have all had the experience of feeling "up", having a good day, only to have an "E-yore" moment threaten to dampen our spirits(not sure how it is spelled but he's the character from Winnie the Pooh who is always down and negative). So, having experienced that negative bummer experience, you know how your mood (energy) can be and is impacted. It's exactly the same principle: your energy can be brought down, it can be brought up.

You see, everything is energy. That includes our emotions. And thus our emotions can be and are impacted by the energy around us. It is no different from the ability of the wind to chill us.
Using that metaphor, avoid the chilly wind, and bring sunshine to yourself by being around people who cheer you on and champion you.
And if you are in a situation where that "sunshine" is difficult to locate, nothing to worry about. YOU can be the one who creates the positive impact - with yourself at the center!

What a delight life is when we realize these things.

Warmly yours,
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Calm within the Storm

2009-03-25T16:40:00.003-05:00

I was working with a woman a few weeks ago (I'll call her Kelly) on decision making. Her issue as she stated it, is that she can't seem to make a decision as small as what to order off the menu. Kelly is a very bright woman. She has a sharp mind and even without testing her I know she has a pretty high IQ. Kelly is not bothered by things like whether to order the chocolate cream or strawberry pie. She accepts it as part of her personality.
However, what does create a serious impact on her life is how Kelly "second guesses" herself when it comes to decisions that count. She can gather the facts, weigh each possible outcome, factor in her own values, interview trusted friends, come up with the best decision, have a plan and a time line. Then she freezes and starts the "what ifs" which are exemplary of fear and doubt.
Kelly is in the middle of a life changing decision about her marriage. Divorce, separation, stay with a man who won't work on things. And she went through the above standard decision making process. She searched her heart. And she knew that she was never going to attain happiness at any level while remaining in this marriage. Many details over a long period of time told her that. The decision to leave was difficult because of her values; when she said "forever" she meant it. But over the years the marriage had dissolved in every other way than officially.
When Kelly was finally able to come to her decision, true to the old pattern, she began to vacillate. The "what ifs" haunted her. She felt like she was right back to where she started with not knowing what to do.

When I saw Kelly for our last appointment she greeted me with a big smile and a sense of calm. "I have decided. And I am sure about it." Her face told the story of her inner confidence.
Of course I asked her how she pulled this miracle off!

She had a difficult time putting it into words. Things that are of a spiritual nature always are more difficult to describe. In essence she connected with what I call our Inner Knowing.
It could also be called instinct, intuition, the "still small voice within", or the God part within us. There are those of you who have learned to trust this. No one is without it. It is how we are guided. Terms like "something just told me" or "I had a hunch" are phrases we might hear as to how this phenomenon is described. This inner ability is also the part that makes the hair stand up on the back of our neck when we are in danger. It creates "coincidences" that light our pathway.

If you want to know how to connect with this wondrous part of you, it is very easy. Simply be calm. When we quiet the chattering of our thinking brain, what is left is the amazing gift of our knowing, creative, limitless mind.

Until next time - seek and enjoy the calm within,
Dr. DyAnn

Creating Impact!

2009-03-17T08:37:00.004-05:00

What did Henry Ford, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Jefferson have in common?

Each of these well known people understood and worked with the power of the mind. Each understood and successfully utilized the unlimited power of their mind. And each understood that one cannot solve a problem by using the conscious (thinking) part of the mind. I believe it was Einstein who said that one cannot solve a problem with the same part of the mind that created the problem.

Each of these people had no greater a mind than you and I have! What made the difference for them (and many other successful people) is they knew about how the mind works and put it to good use to achieve their goals.

Those of you who have worked with me know that my specialty is all about the power of the mind. When we are calm and relaxed we leave behind the conscious or thinking mind, and enter the magical creative world of the subconscious mind. Knowing how to become calm and relaxed is a key to controlling your mind and thus your life circumstances.

An interesting and powerful principle of the mind is that the subconscious mind listens and obeys what your conscious mind thinks about. It will produce results! It may take time (or not) but it will happen. That is what the popular book "The Secret" was trying to say.

So if you are thinking about all the hype in the news now in reference to the gloom and doom of the economy, guess what? The subconscious mind believes and follows thru like an obedient servant. Fear is created and we magnetize more negative events to ourselves. Then we react to these negative events with more negative thinking and maybe even toss in creating a little depression. The downward spiral can be endless. (But so can the upward spiral!)

Or we can turn off the television set and focus on something that is more positive and meaningful. Remember, what you focus on grows. It may take time, but the way the Universal laws work, I guarantee it will grow, just like seeds in a garden. This is the Law of Manifestation. Thoughts create. Energy follows thought.

Years ago, before I studied and began to understand these concepts, I had a really powerful and potentially dangerous circumstance that demonstrated them beyond a doubt. I was on my way to my therapist's office. I had been working on understanding my family of origin or FOO in therapist shorthand. Before I go any further, please be very careful in the therapist you choose. You can e mail me if you want any tips and pointers. d.buechler@yahoo.com

Now this misguided therapist was a big believer in the expression of emotion in order to release it. I thought I was sad about my FOO but she pointed out that I was angry and that I needed to focus and concentrate on this anger in order to release it. Being young and well, dumb when it comes to these things, I listened to her expert advice.

So there I was on my way to my appointment and I realized I had not done my homework! So driving along I whipped myself into the "I feel angry" mode. I needed to release that anger just as my therapist had directed! So right there at the intersection of Mason and Military....
POW BOOM CRRRAAAASSSSHHHHH!

Yes, I was involved in an accident.... and it was not my fault. A guy in an oncoming car made a left turn directly into my path and crashed into me.

But, in another way, it was of my doing. Why? Think about it.

What we focus on grows. What we think about creates. Feelings are magnificently ( or horribly) powerful!!! What we focus on, especially in a concentrated manner, creates quite rapidly due to that concentration of energy. Remember in a prior blog I wrote about things both visible and invisible being at their core, energy. Energy operates in a universal manner. What we put out comes back to us. I wonder if the guy in the other car was practicing getting in touch with his anger!

In a future blog I will share with you another powerful experience that had to do with the power of thoughts and how they create... it is much more positive in nature... I still tear up thinking about it.

Until then,
May your thoughts be loving and kind,

Peace and love,
Dr. DyAnn

visit my web page at: buechlertherapy.com

What we Hold Dear

2009-03-12T15:58:00.005-05:00

Think about your friends and important relationships for a moment....Who are the people that you enjoy friendships with? Are there those with whom you once enjoyed a kinship and then it faded? What happened? Did one or both of you change? Are there those that you have known for years and even though miles may separate you, your hearts are still joined? What exactly are the characteristics you see as important in your friendships? What would you never tolerate? All of these questions involve the issue of values, or what we hold dear in defining ourselves and what is truly important in life.

Values. How do you know what you hold dear? One sure test is that when someone violates what is instinctively important to you, you will have a strong emotional reaction. For example, I find judging others to be a characteristic I will call a person out on. I think of it as an opportunity to teach and inform. On the other hand no one ever has to apologize if I am riding in their car and need to push aside snack wrappers, brochures and books! (You know who you are :)

Below is a list of what we might call values. There are many writings on this subject; this information is from an ethics course I recently took.The author of this list of personal characteristics is Dr. Milton Rokeach. It might be interesting for you and a friend to each rank order this list from the perspective of what you deem to be most to least important.

Self-controlled (thinks first, restrained, self-disciplined)
Honest (sincere, truthful, disclosing)
Loving (affectionate, tender, caring)
Ambitious (hard working, aspiring)
Cheerful (light hearted, joyful)
Responsible (dependable, reliable)
Independent (self-reliant, self-sufficient)
Broad minded (open minded, flexible thinker)
Polite (courteous, well mannered)
Forgiving (willing to pardon others)
Intellectual (intelligent, knowledgeable)
Helpful (working for the welfare of others)
Obedient (dutiful, respectful)
Capable (competent, skillful)
Logical (consistent, rational. aware of reality)
Courageous (strong, willing to stand up for beliefs)
Imaginative (daring, creative)
Clean (neat, tidy, well organized)

We tend to "inherit" some of our values from our family of origin. Sometimes marriage counseling is about helping each person to understand that there are no rights and wrongs to the list. There is however, learning to cooperate and being willing to do some give and take when it comes to one anothers values, along with respecting each person's perspective. As we mature we often times "shed" old values and take on new ones. This can cause some flack those that we first shared the values with... unless of course number eight is ranked high on the list!

It also might be an interesting exercise to ask a friend how they would guess your list would be ranked.. if it is a lot different from how you see yourself, it may be time for you to do some work on value clarification. It is a lifelong journey and to know oneself as a changing being is certainly part of it.

Until next time,
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

Life's Storms

2009-03-04T09:05:00.005-06:00

Like many parts of the country during the winter, we have had some harsh weather here. Recently an unusual storm piled on the snow and ice. I had been saying I miss the beauty of snow. (Be careful what you wish for!!) Coupled with the storm was a loss of power and-- zap --------- my computer got wiped out! For days and days, there was a problem in getting the power to come back on. So I apologize if you have been looking for my blog- but I am finally back and in full swing.

So here's the thing: like all things in life we have the choice as to how we are going to deal with circumstances. In fact I often say this to clients: Are you going to "re-act" or are you going to "respond" ? For example, I could get more frustrated and upset (re-act) , or I could relax, take it in stride and let the people who do the technological stuff work it out (respond) .

I dare say this is a much easier example than those by which we relate to one another. Most often people find themselves in confusion and emotional messiness when it comes to how they react or respond to circumstances which involve friends, relatives and work.

To react is to believe yourself to be powerless. "You did this so I am going to do that because of you." It allows the other person or circumstance to control you and your life. And it is NOT the place you want to be. It does not feel good- and we have all been there.

To "respond" implies a choice that comes from within. "You did this but I have a lot of choices as to what I am going to do in regard to it." The difference is - well, apples and pancakes!

Beth came to me with a problem with some of her family members. She felt very powerless. She saw them as having gone from being loving and kind to becoming unappreciative and non-supportive and sometimes even a bit mean spirited. Often times she was tearful and wondered what had happened to cause this change. Over time things got even worse. Family traditions of celebrating birthdays became a "one way street" with Beth doing the giving and nothing being reciprocal. As she put it, it wasn't so much that she expected a present, even a card would have been appreciated. It represented an acknowledgment of her being important in their lives. I know quite a few of you have had similiar experiences.

I advised that Beth talk to these family members. Even I was shocked when she reported that they said it was up to her to remind them of when her birthday was. Hmmmmmm Quite an interesting response from them.

With that and other clear examples, Beth had some choices. One thing she could do was to react. Reacting is often times the first response of human nature. In other words she could be angry, sad, guilty, depressed , forlorn- you name it. She could seek revenge, get even and "forget" their birthdays. She could have taken herself into that downward death spiral of depression that is fed by thinking of herself as being a "victim."

None of us are victims. Yes, people may victimize us. They may be mean, petty, and downright nasty. But folks, that is their business! That is their doing. And that is their karma. We cannot change anyone. But we must be vigilent in not letting them change us! That is where our true power is at!

After some discussion with Beth as to what her values are and the kind of person she is inspired to be, she chose to not be reactive. Although it still puzzles her as to why this situation has come to transpire, she no longer allows it to control her and her feelings. I have encouraged her to let it go and focus instead on being around people who cherish her. With her focus away from that which has hurt her, Beth is learning and growing. She has begun to do volunteer work which makes her feel useful, needed, and good about herself. Remember that one of the secrets of life is that what you focus on grows!

Perhaps the best thing that has occured is that she is no longer angry with her family. We discussed the possiblity that they too are learning. Perhaps for them there are some hurts that need to be healed. But we cannot make someone love or even respect us.

We can love and respect ourselves and bless others in their process... and perhaps keep a safe and healthy distance.

Until next time remember to focus on that which is good for you and let go of the rest.

Blessings and love,
Dr. DyAnn

Protection from Energy Vampires

2009-02-19T10:47:00.006-06:00

Did you ever get a speeding ticket or a warning? I must confess, my driving record is less than perfect. Anytime I have gotten a ticket I knew I "had it coming." I knew I was going over the posted limit. Once I got stopped and got off with a warning. Very nice gentleman! I honestly did not know what the speed limit was and thought I was traveling under the limit. It was one of those movie scenes that starts with "What's the problem, Officer?" Luckily it had a positive ending.
Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever thought you were obeying the law only to find out that you were wrong... and the officer knew it too? And that movie didn't end so well? Those kind of tickets are hard to deal with because we honestly did not think we were doing anything wrong. We were not aware of the law or that the law had changed. That is how it is with our man-made laws.

Another kind of law is not man-made. This is the law of the Universe. (think law of gravity.) Remember here that "law" simply means principles about how things operate. They remain the same over time no matter what the location or the people involved. We can count on them. That being said, once we learn about them, we can work with them for our favor. They are tried and true and for our well being. To not know of them is like driving in a strange place at night with no map and no head lights! No brakes! Everything out of our control.

Universal laws by and large are about energy. By now most everyone realizes that everything is energy.... trees, rocks, animals, snow, me and you. All things visible and that which is invisible. Just because we cannot see something does not mean that it is not real, or that it is not part of the energy matrix. One example would be the wind. We cannot see it but we know how powerful it can be. Thoughts cannot be seen either, but they are immensely powerful energy.

How all of this fits together is that we can know and understand the laws/concepts of how life operates - Universal Laws. We can work with these laws for our benefit. It is akin to never getting caught in the speed trap in that little town in the middle of nowhere and ending up with a hefty fine and lots of point off your license! You just smile as you drive thru!

I want to share with you a very powerful method whereby you can utilize the power of your thoughts in conjunction with the Universal Laws.

Everyone puts out energy; we can "read" the energy of those around us. (This is best done with a still and quiet mind.) The energy of some folks is just lovely and we feel so good when we are in their presence. However, there are other people whose energy it is just plain nasty to be around. A good term I have heard to describe them is "energy vampires." We feel drained when we are around them and quite literally our own energy changes if we aren't careful and don't know what to do. If you are in a good space and "for no reason" begin to feel drained and kind of powerless, chances are you got zapped by one of those vampires. Be careful of the company you keep.

Of course if you can leave the physical presence of these negative folks, you owe it to yourself to do so! However, if you don't have the luxury of that choice ( Nasty Controlling Boss and I Need My Job!) there is something you can do to protect yourself.

This energy I have been speaking of is called an aura. An "aura" could be described as an invisible human energy system. It can actually be photographed. I have the fortunate experience of knowing someone in Green Bay, WI who does aura photography. A before and after picture (of some soothing healing work done) proved beyond a doubt that this stuff is real! We are living in an awesome time when science and the ancient sages come together. Physicists and brain researchers using advanced brain imagery might use a different language but they speak of the very same things. This is not new age "junk."

When you are feeling good and positive, it shows. (And can be aura-photographed as well as detected thru brain imagery). When you have been around a negative demeaning person (whose aura/brain image could also be photographed) your aura (or energy) changes. You feel down and depleted.

Now in the same way that we put up a shelter to protect our self from the energy of strong winds, we can create a block of the energy of that negative person. You are not doing this to harm the other person; it has no impact on him or her. It is really an act of self-protection and love.

So here is how to protect yourself from the negative energy emulating from others:

Quiet your mind.
Take several deep breaths....slowly.
Realize that you breathe in what you need-
breathe out what you don't need.
Imagine ( because thoughts create!) a protective bubble surrounding you.
See the color/s of the bubble...
Get a "feel" for the protective bubble and its size...
it's shape...
Know that no negative energy can enter or get through your protective energy bubble.
Your bubble is impenetrable.
You are safe from all negative energy and can go about your daily business.
Life is good.

Namaste

Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

This is an area of life that I have studied for many years and I love to teach about it.

True Love

2009-02-14T15:54:00.004-06:00

It's Valentine's Day. A special time that we celebrate love. This is my message of love for you.

There are many people who are very easy to love. We simply enjoy being around them, soaking up their positive energy. But, let's face it - there are also those who get on our nerves and just rub us the wrong way. We all have those kind of people in our life too. And some of them get to us more than others: maybe the nosey neighbor, the perfectionist boss, the depressed co-worker, or the relative that treats you with disregard. These are the people who are much more difficult to love. Maybe even difficult to like!

"Liz" and I talked about how she has had some huge challenges lately with the kind of people that make it difficult for her to be around them. We talked about how she might deal with the various challenges. Being a good problem solver, she was able to set goals and make changes: becoming more assertive, keeping herself calm, practicing better self care.

Recently I asked her what she thought her lesson might be with all these challenges coming to her at once, as rapid fire as a machine gun! She answered that she thought she needed to practice her skills no matter what the situation.

I think our lessons are about something even deeper. They represent what we came here to learn. Our problems challenge us to look deep within our own self. The key is that we must look at how we are reacting to those problems. Our lessons are about more than handling stress or communicating better. At a more profound level they touch the core of our very being asking us to "remember" something.

At our center, each and every one of us is an amazing, empowered, lovable person.

Think about that. Let it soak in. Especially if you have been struggling lately, let those words touch the core of your being and remind you of what you have forgotten.

Remember. Sit in a quiet space and make it a special time of reflection . Quiet your mind. Remember....

Now, with that remembering will eventually come the realization that we are all one. Everyone is struggling in some capacity at one time or another. It is part of the learning - the ebb and flow of life.

When we bring to mind that we are all one, we can much more easily love those who seem not so lovable: that nosey neighbor may be lonely. The perfectionist boss may have pressures that we cannot envision. The depressed co-worker has lost the ability to believe. The disrespectful family member is lost in entanglement of childhood imprints.

When we can see others as being on a journey toward enlightenment, just as we are, life is much easier. We realize that some are walking blindly, some are discouraged, some are just beginning to awaken, and others are calmly but quietly aware.

It helps to realize that the other person's irritating habits are but an outward manifestation of their own inner struggle. It has nothing to do with you. There is no need to take it personally.

Along the path of enlightenment we come to realize that we are all one.

Namaste,
Dr. DyAnn

The Gift of Love

2009-02-12T10:35:00.005-06:00

As we approach Valentine's Day I am going to ask you to do two things: One is to let those people you care about know that you value them and their being in you life. I invite you to extend your message of appreciation beyond the traditional family members. Let your friends, co-workers and neighbors know that they touch your life.
Put yourself in the role of the recipient of this sort of message and you will soon see how important it will end up being. Think of how gratifying it would be to have these folks let you know that it's cool to have you as a neighbor or co-worker. And it would be even more meaningful if they added how much they enjoy your humor or spontaneity or that you can be counted on to be a team player at work. In other words, when you deliver the gift of appreciation, be specific as to what attribute it is that you notice and value.

I recently did this with a postal worker and I thought she would fall over! I couldn't help but notice as I waited in the long line that people were impatient and rather de-humanizing with the clerks behind the desk. Why do we do this?! Anyway, when I got to the front of the line the worker greeted me with a warm smile and friendly hello. I commented that her cheery greeting was a pleasant part of my day. I also told her that I always noticed her smile when I came to the post office because her smile is an exceptionally beautiful one. You would have thought I handed her a winning lottery check! I was so glad that I could make her day better. Who knows what rippling effect our energy and our words have. I guarantee your words of appreciation will make a difference to those in your life.

The second thing that I am going to ask you to do is to give your own self a gift. And that gift is that of working on replacing negative thoughts about yourself with positive ones. All of us have certain imprints or ways that we are triggered into negative thinking. The way the brain works is fascinating. I have written before about imprinting. Here is a classic case example.

Danny is the youngest child in his family of five. For some reason, his father practically disowned him. If there ever was a male "Cinderella" he would be it. When he was growing up he always got the brunt of his father's disrespect. Danny got the chores that were the dirtiest and most difficult. And as he recalls, he could never do enough; what he did do was never right. And sadly this all began when he was a very young child.

Because Danny was popular and well liked no one would ever have guessed that he had problems with low self esteem. We worked on looking at the roll those early messages and how they triggered him in the present. He got more adept at recognizing when he was being "triggered" by the echoes of the past.

The way the brain works is that there is an instant going back into the "files" of our memory when a stimulus presents itself. In Danny's case, when there was even the broadest hint of someone looking down on him (which is really the other person's issue - just like it was his father's issue) his mind would go back into those unconscious records and in effect say "Oh I remember this. I am useless. I am not well liked. I am powerless and not important."

It did not matter that Danny was now 35, well liked and accomplished. When this triggering took place via a casual remark the next step happened on auto-pilot. He would literally feel powerless, useless and unimportant. He would unconsciously buy into being a victim! It was as if he again was six years old and under his father's control.

Like Danny, we all have triggers and imprints and they all take place on auto-pilot. However, like Danny we can recover from them. That brings me back to the beginning of this writing when I asked you to replace negative thinking with more positive thoughts.

We become what we repeatedly think about. So, next time you catch yourself thinking anything but the kindest, most loving and respectful thoughts about yourself STOP! There are very good odds that you may have "learned" those negative judgments from someone in your pas: a sibling, teacher, parent, early childhood friend, spouse. When we are hurt by someone it is recorded in our memory. We adopt their words and judgments as our own. If we allow ourselves to dwell upon these words and judgments, we are being more unkind to ourselves than they were (or are) .
The reason I say this is : We cannot control what others think of us and say to us. But we have ultimate and complete control over what we allow ourselves to think about our own self! So be as kind to your own self as you would to a best friend. Using this wisdom is one of the best gifts of love you can give to yourself!

Enjoy! And happy Valentine's Day as you celebrate the love in your heart.
Namaste,
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

Transformation Information

2009-02-05T15:23:00.005-06:00

Have you ever paid attention to how you express yourself? For example, when you want someone to know that y0u understand what they just said, which of the following ways might you say it? I see what you mean . I hear what you are saying. I'm with you. Each of these are examples of a preferred way of expressing our self that reveals how we take in and process information.

Most of us (70%) are visual or a combination that includes visual. Our conversations are riddled with references to "seeing" : I see what you mean. I don't see how you could think that. Why couldn't they see my side of things. It is easy for visual processors to picture things in their minds and to imagine things visually. Other people are auditory processors and some get the feel of things or are experiential.

You might want to "listen in" on conversations over the next couple of days to discover how you and other people express themselves. If you find an "information exchange barrier" going on in your conversation with someone, you might want to consider this information and utilize it to increase understanding. If your partner is not understanding you, try to discover if she or he is processing in a different way than your style. For example, giving an explanation to someone just by speaking words may fail (auditory); rather, try expressing by painting a visual picture. Use descriptions that a person might be able to imagine or see. This method might work better in conveying your idea because you would be utilizing visual aspects. Or you might find a way to show the person, thus using the experiential aspect. Play around with it and you might make some enriching discoveries.

There are other interesting facts about how we process information. We learn to process information in the first few months of our life. I was reading some research on this in regard to people who have been traumatized. Interesting, but not surprising, is the fact that children who have been traumatized do not learn to put things together in the same way as those who grow up to be well-adjusted adults.

It is my firm belief that many people have had traumatic experiences in life, but do not remember them. I am not talking so much about those who have suffered obvious abuse or neglect - as a defense mechanism they dissociate or repress their memories. What I am speaking of is what I have called "hidden trauma". An example might be a four year old in a wonderful family. She comes home from school and mommy and daddy ignore her as she shares the pretty picture she made. It was her first attempt at using paints, let's say.

In this example, what may occur is that the child puts two and two together with faulty addition. Being just a young child, she simply does not have the maturity to realize that mommy and daddy were preoccupied - deep in a conversation about bills. The child adds things up and comes to the erroneous conclusion that her ventures are just not important, and in fact she is not important. In understanding the brain this is called "imprinting."

Now I am not meaning that we have to walk on eggshells or that children are so fragile that a tiny episode could cause irreparable damage. Constant ignoring could very likely cause those conclusions of course. My point is that as we each were growing up, there were many incidents that were seemingly "normal" and non-damaging. However, depending on our age and stage of development, along with some other factors, we could well be carrying around some "hidden trauma" that caused imprinting on the brain . Remember - what you believe to be true, is true. And those beliefs start when our soul comes into existence..

Meg is a great example. She has everything going for her. She is happily married to a great guy. She is moving up in a career that she loves. But when I first saw her as a client I could see a hollowness in her eyes. She could not identify a "presenting problem" ; she described her life as one that many people would envy.

When we did the intake interview she had at first described her family of origin as warm and loving. However, when we looked further, we uncovered a pattern in which there were many memories of incidents when she felt anything but supported. Her brother teased her a lot and when he was supposed to be looking after her she felt she was very much on her own.

The subconscious mind holds all memories, recorded as if it happened yesterday. It also houses feelings. And remember as I have written before, the subconscious has no ability to reason or use logic. I call that a potentially hazardous mix. Memory + emotion minus logic! And as we grow up these memories and their partnering with strong feelings, become our imprints, whether we recall them or not. They are part of the blueprint we use to build and operate our lives!

The bottom line is this - short of finding a good hypnotherapist to go back and "rewire" those hidden memories, there is something you can and should do for yourself:
Spend quiet time and examine what you believe to be true about yourself, your childhood and the world in which you now live. Make up your mind which of those beliefs you want to keep and which do not suit you. This information is extremely powerful. It is at the heart of the message in Romans 12: You shall be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
You have been given one of the keys to happiness- whether you use it is all about free will. The choice is up to you.

Namaste
Dr. DyAnn

You're So Sensitive

2009-01-30T09:45:00.012-06:00

"You're Soooo Sensitive!" Has anyone ever said that to you? It normally is said as an accusation- kind of like having a skin rash no one wants to get near. It makes you feel bad - like there is something wrong with you because of your sensitivity. And certainly there may have been times you agreed with your accuser, wishing you didn't cry, feel so emotional or become upset so easily.

Sensitivity is not a bad thing! When it controls us, yes, we need to do something so that we don't get thrown off balance. However, I truly believe that we need more sensitivity and sensitive people in this world, not fewer.

I recently met a delightful woman - I will call her Carrie. She is energized, open to sharing ideas, and has a calm confident way about her. She has a quick, easy smile that instantly puts a person at ease and makes you want to be around her. Carrie shared with me that she beat Cancer with ease and I was not surprised. When I asked her how she did it she said it had a lot to do with her attitude. (That is one of the Truths or Laws of the Universe... attitude, or belief is 90% of what causes success or failure. That isn't a scientific number by the way, so don't quote me on it!)

Karrie shared with me that she was dealing with her last child leaving home. She is having a really difficult time with it. She is perplexed because she can not get a sense of control over her emotions. She asked me my opinion as to why she could beat something as difficult as Cancer, and yet have such a difficult time with emotions. She revealed that whenever anything was upsetting to her she lost her confidence and her emotions were all over the place.

Folks, this is how I see it. Carrie and many people like her have been accused of being overly sensitive. Often times it starts in childhood, with parents either directly or indirectly letting us know that our emotions are not OK. Some of the time it is with good intention, so that we can be "tougher" and handle the world out there. But the message none-the-less comes across that there is something not right about us.

People with a high emotional ratings often times are the most benevolent, compassionate people we know. They truly can empathize with us and almost literally put themselves in our shoes. They respond to our pain with real emotion. Sound like you? If so, then it is time to be thankful that you have this gift. Yes, I said gift. People who are "sensitives" often times pick up feelings and even information that other people are not even aware of. Call it instinct or "gut feelings" (the gut is sometimes called the second brain). But because they have not been encouraged and taught properly about their feelings, they denounce their innate ability. Some of you may be sensitives who buried that part of your self.

No doubt this gift is a double-edged sword and we must learn how to handle it correctly. Rather than trying to extinguish the flame of sensitivity, one must learn to cherish the ability and utilize it to make the world a better place. At the same time, there is a need to block out the harmful negative energy of others whose exchanges are- shall we say "insensitive" at best. This can be done in many different ways. If possible, remove yourself from the physical space of a negative person/people. If that is not possible, simply imagine that you are surrounded by God's love, light or an impenetrable invisible bubble.

There is scientific research that backs the positive outcome of this seemingly silly response. The reason it works is that the imagination is stored in the powerful subconscious part of the mind. What we imagine to be true (such as the protective bubble that will not allow the words or energy to harm us) becomes true. This is but one practical application of the laws of the Universe.

Namaste,
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Beth's Dream

2009-01-26T15:53:00.007-06:00

There was a really great book before The Secret and others like it that have sprung up like mushrooms on a damp forest floor since it was published. The big deal about this new book is the promise of dreams and wishes coming true. While I do like the basic idea that it discusses I must confess that I am a little disappointed in it. This is simply because it presents the information as though all one has to do is wish and whatever the dream is, it comes true.

Yes, in its simplest form the book's information is true. But I am afraid some damage may have been done in creating disillusionment in those who read it without fully understanding it; thus their wishes did not come to fruition. But, we should not be discouraged about dreams coming true. The underlying power of creative forces is the subconscious mind. Yes, YOUR subconscious mind. Many people, both famous and every day folks like you and me are living proof of this.

Since "Beth" was very young she dreamed of becoming a therapist. But how was that ever going to happen for a 21 year old with no education and two babies? Beth sold Avon and grew to love the people on her route. She would find herself spending a lot of time listening to their problems. She was a very successful sales lady in spite of her breaking all the rules and being more interested in her customers' stories than selling them her products. She rose to the top of her field and won many awards for her sales without even trying. But after ten years she knew she just could no longer do it. She was bored and frustrated and "needed something different."

Realizing that her resume would give her a shot only at sales, she decided to take a couple of courses at a local junior college. The rest was history; studying psychology and sociology was inspiring and uplifting. She had a better insight into her customers' problems and a hint of how she might have helped. But once she earned her associate degree she reached a dead end. She won a scholarship to a larger school but it was over an hour away and getting a higher education had never been part of the plan - or the family budget! It all seemed quite impossible.

Still, she felt so deeply drawn to the field of psychology. She often found herself daydreaming of having a beautiful office where people could come and feel safe enough to talk about what troubled them. A place where she really could help them. Beth "put out a fleece" to ask God/the Universe what she should do, believing she would receive the direction and the help she needed in order to live a purposeful life. And she made it really tough to get a "yes" answer for a counseling career. Years later, Beth still has the physical evidence of the "yes" answer she received. It serves as a physical reminder during those times that she begins to forget the magnificence of working with the Universal Laws, God, and our creative subconscious mind.

And I should know, because in actuality I am the "Beth" in this story. What I thought was merely a far off dream which I could never attain became my reality. I have enjoyed a very successful private practice for many years and now enjoy helping others in even more ways than I could have imagined. This blog is just one of them...

In future blogs I will share how I helped to make my wildest dreams come true by using Universal Laws - even before I knew what that term meant! You will be able to apply those principles to understand and enhance your life.

Until then- dream!
And you might enjoy the dream poem on my website buechlertherapy.com

Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

Mind, BODY and Spirit

2009-01-22T13:47:00.004-06:00

It has often been said that we are a soul that is housed in a body. Scripture describes the body as being the temple of God. We are each mind, body and spirit. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. One is not separate from the others.

There are numerous things we can do to gain enlightenment, but if we are walking around not feeling our best we may be hampering those efforts.We owe it to ourselves to learn what we might do to be our best physical selves so that we might better enjoy the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of life.

One of my favorite psychological theories is Maslow's Hierarchy. In fact I used his theory as one of the components for the original theory and research I developed for my doctoral dissertation. Maslow discussed basic human needs and the fact that they could be viewed as a hierarchy. Like rungs on a ladder, you simply cannot address level three until you have attended to levels one and two. If you want good self esteem, a sense of belonging, and fulfillment of aesthetic needs, you must first satisfy the physiological/biological needs, for they sustain life. The majority of a person's attention will be at this level until the particular needs are met to the proportion needed to sustain sufficient performance of the body.

What that amounts to is this: If you scored tickets for the most fantastic event you can imagine, but you ended up with a serious headache, you simply cannot enjoy the event. Your faculties will be lent to taking care of the physical you.

I thought it might be interesting, therefore, to hear some of the newer research on the organic nutrients that help sustain normal metabolism and good health - our vitamins.

Here are some interesting findings:

Vitamin E helps control dystmenorrhea (menstrual pain)
Stress level high? Again Vitamin E, is of help.

The Journal, Medical Chemistry, reported that Vitamins C helps to kill off malignant cells in the body and helped in the treatment of prostrate cancer.

Worried about cholesterol? Vitamins C and E help with these levels and slow the progression of heart disease.

Many people may know that vitamin C is good for overall circulation, but it was also reported to help prevent premature delivery, and assists in dental health (along with Vitamin B) .

As our population ages there is concern about cognitive decline; one of the vitamins research suggests helps with ability is folic acid.

Vitamin D is good for bone health and one study suggested it helped with low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and helps to improve the symptoms of many chronic disorders. I have also read research that it helps to prevent or treat depression.

Keep in mind that dietary supplements here in the US are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Vitamins and other such supplements may not claim to prevent or treat specific disease, although they may state how they may reduce the risk of a condition which is health related. Although it is best to get the vitamins from the food we eat, our diet is often not balanced and the food itself is often deficient.

I would hope that you would look further into this topic. There is a lot of good information online. A reputable health food store will also be able to assist you in giving recommendations for dealing with specific conditions and how vitamins may help you to strive toward optimal physical health. This is turn will bolster your system so that you may deal with the stress inherent in today's world.

Remember we cannot separate one part of our being from the rest. Although I know that this topic is not the sort of thing I usually write about, I think it deserves being mentioned so that each of you might be healthy and thus strive to truly live your purpose and share the gifts that are uniquely yours in today's world.

Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

A Friend's Request

2009-01-19T09:19:00.006-06:00

"I'm afraid she is going to set herself up so ends up going to jail!" Mikki and I were having a lively phone consultation about one of her favorite clients, a woman who has been horrifically abused by her ex husband. His methods were such a disgusting display of psychopathic creativity! Many of those on Mikki's burgeoning caseload have unresolved trauma. Because of my specialty work as a hypnotherapist she enjoys my insights into the power of the mind and the importance of words and concepts in the healing process.

To that end, Mikki asked if I might be willing to do some training for her and her fellow therapists. We discussed some of the basics and I started to play around with the idea.
I pulled out one of my books that specializes in trauma work and started reading more research. I also looked into some of the present requirements for doing presentations by which therapists can earn CEU's.

Although this is a worthy project I could never quite get excited about it. There seemed to one barrier after another as I worked on it. We have all had those kinds of experiences. Something starts out so simple but we discover that step two has parts A, B, and C. Then you discover that all the work you did in step one had a time requirement on it! And even Mikki's unfaltering respect for my creativity was not making the power point program any easier. I felt exasperated!

Last night I began writing Mikki an e mail to let her know that I was not going to do the project. I was concerned that she would be disappointed and I struggled with how to tell her. As I listed all the difficulties I had been having I was aware that my energy was dampened even thinking about the project. I did not want to put that kind of energy out so I knew my decision was the right one - remember that what we put out into the Universe comes back to us. It is amazing how a thoughtful review of a situation can bring clarity.

As I was writing, I shared with her that I just did not feel this was the right project for me: maybe the timing was off, maybe the focus was wrong, but in general I just could not get enthused about it. Then it came to me: "Don't Push the River". Loosely translated this means that in order to be in the loving, abundant flow of the Universe, we need to go with the flow. Life is not meant to be difficult. If there is something that is difficult and not working out, then we need to consider that perhaps it is not meant to be.

Now I am not saying that we just give up on things, not at all. But we need to be mindful that there is a wonderful guiding force in our lives. During those times that we aligned with that flow, our life is not going to be without challenges, but it will be a whole lot easier!

The combination of the roadblocks that came my way and the lack of a feeling of enthusiasm about the project let me know that something about it just isn't right. I have learned to respect this kind of internal message. When we quiet our selves we truly do get the messages we need from the Universal Creative Energy of Love. My energy now will be guided in the direction that will be most helpful to those whose lives I touch. In like manner, for the Universe operates in perfection, Nikki's clients will also be guided to exactly what they need. The principles of the Universe are that perfect.

Namaste,
Dr. DyAnn

Where is the Instruction Manual?!

2009-01-13T15:32:00.007-06:00

Have you ever asked yourself "Why does this keep happening to me?" Have there been times that you have felt stuck and did not know the way out - and the harder you fought the worse it got? Or have there been times that you just knew that if you did "A" then "B" was going to happen? But you did it anyway and sure enough it did happen? Yeah, we've all been there. Sometimes we learn our lessons and we do figure things out. Other times we seem to walk blindly. We try our best but it seems to take forever to learn what we need to know - and by then the rules seem to have changed!

Wouldn't it be great if there were an instruction manual for life? You know, something that would tell us what follows this step or that. Something that would let us know ahead of time what the possible pitfalls are and how to avoid them. Something that would not go against our value system, would give us empowerment over our own life, and leave us with a sense that we are truly guided.

Think about something for a moment. No matter what part of the world you live in, water freezes at the same temperature and always boils at the same temperature. If you throw a rock off a bridge it falls downward; the law of gravity operates no matter the time or place. Cats produce cats and dogs produce dogs. Two molecules of hydrogen and one of oxygen constitutes water. These facts are never changing because they are laws of nature.

In similar fashion there are Universal Laws that govern our life. No matter our age, race, socioeconomic level, sex or any other description of a person, these governing laws are the same. They apply equally to everyone, at all times, no matter where you live, no matter your spiritual or religious orientation. The beauty of understanding and applying the Universal Laws is that we can improve not only own own life but the lives of those around us and the world in which we live. They are truly transforming and have been taught since the beginning of time in one fashion or another.

One of the most easily understood laws is "like begets like". Whether thoughts, motives, or attitudes, we most certainly draw to our self what we put out into the Universe. For example, Scripture cautions us with "judge not, lest you be judged". In other words, if you are judgmental toward others, you will find others being judgmental toward you-- or kind, or caring, or forceful, or selfish or loving. This is an aspect of the law of attraction made popular again by the book The Secret. Negative thoughts are not going to produce positive outcomes.

So, next time you realize you are passing a negative judgment on someone, stop, take a deep breath, and find something to respect and admire about that individual. And do it in the spirit of wanting to make yourself a better person because that is where you have ultimate control. If you want more respect from others, examine how you might be more respectful toward those around you. If love has let you down, work on being more loving toward your self. If you are lonely, reach out to others. Another universal law is that we all eventually reap what we sow. Ensure for yourself all that you want out of life by sowing that very thing in your life, beginning with your thoughts and attitudes. These are some of the basics of the instruction manual!

Until next time
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr DyAnn

Real Magic

2009-01-09T18:16:00.007-06:00

We all have had coincidences happen in life - those occurrences when it seems a little odd that something happens in a certain way or time. A coincidence is defined as chance, luck or even a twist of fate.
I had three "coincidences" occur within the last month. The first one occurred when I sent a note to a former client; we had always had a wonderful connection, and in fact I wrote about her in one of my first blogs. I was thinking of her and just wanted to let her know how proud I am of her and that she is one of my heroes. The letter was returned stamped "no longer at this address. Unable to forward." A few days later I got an e-mail from her daughter (who wasn't exactly sure of my e-mail address but tried anyway); she informed me that her mom was very saddened by a terrible loss and that she was trying to figure out how to locate me!

The second coincidence occurred when I was sending out Christmas cards this holiday season. I came across the address of an old friend that I had not communicated with for several years, so I sent her a card. Here is what she wrote back to me: I have been revisiting my spiritual path, thinking of you, and two days later I received your card. It was a dejavu moment; we have been researching various beliefs, and it seems to be a planned reconnection by you and me...."

The third occurrence involved yet another person I had been wanting to reconnect with. I tried the normal routes for finding her address and with disappointment realized that it was not meant to be. Not more than a week later I received an e mail from her, stating that she was wanting to reconnect with me. Another "out of the blue" situation. (?)

These are just small events that all of us enjoy in our life. There are others that are much more dramatic and life changing: people who "just decide" not to board a plane and it crashes. Or deciding at the last minute to go to a party just to be polite, and meeting what will end up being their future spouse. Changing seats in a vehicle and being the one spared in a deadly crash.

What is occurring here? Luck? Chance? Coincidence? In one of my favorite old books it is noted where the similar idea of "serendipity" came from, tracing it to a Persian folk tale. In the town of Serendip lived three brothers for whom everything turned out wonderfully, as if by magic. Of course it really isn't magic at all. And I believe that someday we will all come to a greater understanding of how the Universe, energy, and the power of our Minds operate.

What we focus on grows. For example, when you wake up in the morning and things start out being not so great--stop! Be very careful of your thoughts or what you mutter under your breath. If you think "Oh great! Looks like it is going to be a lousy day" you are greatly increasing the odds that this will become true. OUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND OBEYS US WITHOUT QUESTION. You see, the subconscious comprises by far the largest and most powerful part of our mind but it isn't very "smart" and it is without any logic. It is rather like our obedient servant. Thoughts that are more emotional in nature create even more powerful a response!

So perhaps the magic of those brothers in Serendip was in the realization that what we think about and focus on even unconsciously is what grows. This is one of the great Laws of the Universe. May we all use it well!

Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Doug's Secret

2009-01-07T10:03:00.016-06:00

Doug came to me as a client some time ago. As soon as I saw him in my waiting room I knew that something was desperately wrong. He looked forlorn and rather pitiful. His deep blue eyes were dull and the dark shadows beneath them communicated many nights robbed of restful sleep. He gave me the impression that he was a quiet, uncomplicated man; I wondered what could have robbed him of his peacefulness. I was soon to find out.

As we settled down and shared a cup of tea, his story unfolded. He had been married for nearly thirty years and his children were enjoying success in life. The light briefly came back into his eyes as he spoke of his family. Doug had recently made a change in direction in his career and expressed happiness with his new calling. I was intrigued as to what it was that made his shoulders sag and his demeanor so dejected that his pain radiated right into my own heart. I sat quietly as his story unfolded.

He shifted in his chair and drew in a deep breath, feeling a bit more comfortable. I knew he was preparing to verbalize what was causing him, this dear man, so much pain. I drew in a deep breath as I silently prayed for wisdom.

Doug had discovered that his wife had been having an affair (which had ended) with a former neighbor and close friend. He had proof positive. As a therapist this was not a new problem for me to deal with. The rate of infidelity is quite high. I have seen the full gamut of human reaction to this discovery: shock and disbelief, rage, sadness, bitterness, disgust, blame, hopelessness and the desire to get even.

He asked me what he should do; I asked him what his overall goal was so that I could get a general idea of where he was at with all of this. His answer stunned me! I had never heard anything remotely like it before. His goal was to handle this in a way that would be spiritually healing for himself and his wife, as well as for the former neighbor.

I felt humbled to be in his presence. Never had I heard anyone respond to this or any other serious emotional challenge in such a manner. You see, he understood that everything we do eventually comes back to us so that we can learn from it. (karma) We must choose our responses carefully because we will find ourselves on the receiving end of what we dish out. Whether we generate hatred, lack of forgiveness, impatience, or joy, positive expectation, love - it comes back to us. When we successfully learn this we have learned one of the great Laws of the Universe. This knowledge was truly Doug's secret.

Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

Science and Sages

2008-12-31T11:41:00.004-06:00

Here we are in the closing hours of 2008. As we prepare for the year ahead, I have a question that is very relevant. And my heartfelt wish is that the answer will prove to be life enhancing for you in 2009.

Do you know what one thing all goals, resolutions, wishes and changing of habits have in common? That one thing, if you are going to be successful, is the power of the subconscious mind. Remember the childhood game "paper/rock/ scissors? The subconscious mind in that game would be ....cannon! It outranks will, determination, conscious thinking, education, wealth, and anything that might be thought of as worldly advantages. It is only by knowing how to properly use the power of your subconscious mind that you can be successful with making the changes in life that you might desire. And the changes that you can make are without limit!

In Christian Scripture it states that "You shall be transformed by the renewal of your mind." Does it get any more clear than that? Every great religion and philosophy from the beginning of time has counseled us about the greatness of our mind.

Science, on the other hand, has taught us about certain laws, rules, and "energy". Einstein is famous for his formulas and breakthroughs. (By the way, Einstein said that the mind is the last great frontier!) In actuality, science and the sages might speak a different language, but they speak of the very same amazing concepts. Concepts that are relevant in our daily life.

What goes on in our minds -thoughts and words- is energy. Energy is power. Every time you think you "can't", the energy/power of that thought (no matter how seemingly trivial) goes out into the Universe and comes back to you. And conversely, every time you think you "can", that energy eventually comes back to you. We truly do create our own life by our thoughts and words. What we believe to be true---is true. This is the essence of what karma is about: everything comes back to us. Not for any thing negative, for we are loved by God/the Universal Energy of Love, but rather so that we can learn about the wonderful power we all have been given. How we use it will determine our future.

My wish for you is to continue to learn about and use the power of your mind and the laws of the Universe in ways that are amazing and wonderful for you; and thus for the world in which we all live. Every thing you do has an impact - every smile, every word, every thought.
You are that powerful!
Namaste
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Resolutions

2008-12-29T21:37:00.003-06:00

Here we are, nearly at the end of another year. I invite you to sit down with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, and look at how you spent your days during 2008 and what changes you might want to consider making for 2009. I offer to you a list of some of the things that I have learned which help people enjoy life and feel glad to be alive.

Did you take time to give yourself credit? So often, we readily give credit to others but forget about our self. It may be something as seemingly uneventful as getting out of bed and going to work each day. Or taking care of the kids, coping with ups and downs in life, or perhaps dealing with something harsh that occurred during this year. Remember it is not always the outcome, but the intention and effort that really count.

Did you remember to be thankful? When I am having a terrible day and drag myself into bed at night, I find that if I "count my blessings" I fall asleep more easily and wake up feeling as though I have a fresh start. Don't get me wrong - sometimes it is a struggle to even get into the mood to be this gracious, but I am always glad that I do. You will find that the benefit is all yours. Make it a daily habit and I promise you will draw even more blessings into your life.

Did you allow yourself a laugh or two? Someone from back in GB sent me such a funny forward today- it make me literally laugh out loud. I will be sure to count her in my blessings tonight. So, find something on line that will tickle your funny bone... and maybe pass it along to others. I like to collect newspaper cartoons. I keep them in my desk, and every now and then I just pull one of them out. They always make me laugh.

Did you do something nice for someone else today? It doesn't need to be big! Sometimes we don't have the energy- but smiling at a store clerk, saying "God bless you" while you look into the eyes of a co-worker, friend, or stranger who sneezes, can create a startlingly wonderful momentary Soul connection! I am sure you recognize how good it makes you feel when you are on the receiving end, so don't worry about it being something big or fancy. You can be sure it will be appreciated.

Did you do something today that was interesting to you? It may be working on a stamp collection, potting a new plant, studying the starts thru a telescope, or looking up something on line. What counts is that it is interesting to YOU! It stimulates the brain, releases endorphins, and makes you feel glad to be alive.

Did you "feed your Soul"? By this I mean, did you do something today that raised your Consciousness, putting you in touch with your Higher Self, God, the Creative Energy of Love? It is the starting point for a life worth living. To neglect it puts our well being into jeopardy. The way in which to feed your Soul is as varied as each individual: time in Nature, reading Scripture, practicing meditation, reading "Chicken Soup" stories, enjoying the gift of music that lifts our Spirit. Whatever way in which it resonates in the deepest, best part of who you are, spending time in this manner is one of the most vital and profound ways for us to enrich our life.

Did you avoid or remove yourself from negative energy? There is no reason for anyone to feel as though they must spend their precious time with those who drain their energy. Realizing that there are some circumstances that cannot be entirely avoided, please take seriously this idea of "energy". Scientists are beginning to take greater strides in understanding the human energy vortex. It can even be photographed, and these photos clearly show the impact of our emotions and the impact other people and situations have on us. I just returned from a national conference that centered on this topic with the latest cutting edge medical research. Energy, both positive and negative, impacts our health physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. You have a natural energy sensing system, and it is important for you to respect and honor it. With practice, you will find that you can trust it and its accuracy even more than your thinking brain. What a gift!

Until next time, love and honor who you are, be the best that you can be each day, and you will have done much to make the world a better place.
Dr. DyAnn

Traditons

2008-12-22T10:56:00.005-06:00

We are into that big countdown just before Christmas... what did I forget? How will I get all of it done? And of course there are those things are not working out as you would have liked...

Looking over my shoulder at my mail, there are many wonderful people who are struggling in various ways. For example, there is a career woman who lives on her own. Strong and independent, she is someone I really admire. She has always traveled several hours to spend Christmas eve with family. But not this year- the weather is too dangerous. Another client has come a long way in bringing control back into her life. She has sorted thru a lot of issues and finally is much more able to breathe deeply and expel fear from her life..... but her end of the year work schedule changed drastically, cutting off a lot of her plans. The time off that she so relishes has been taken away, leaving her feeling spent and fearful. Another person is struggling with someone close to her asking for cash instead of gifts this year. She is known to truly love hunting for just the right presents as an expression of her deep love and caring. The request left her feeling stunned.

The list of cares and concerns that rock people's emotions is as personal and detailed as any of our own situations. All these examples are from people just like you and me. The Holidays bring out something different in people- a deeper kind of emotion that perhaps our busy day-to-day living keeps at bay. While this contributes to the "wonder" of Christmas, at the same time it can leave us feeling surprisingly vulnerable.

Each of the above examples has at its root the richness of tradition. Traditions are the glue that hold together the important values of our life. They are the tapestry that weaves the past - with all that is beautiful and memorable - to the present. Traditions represent and bring to the forefront of our lives our most pure and perfect selves.

When we pause- just pause..... we call forth the part of us that is so good and perfect - our true essence. It is from there that we may still call forth the best of who we are. It is from this place that we can resolve problems that seem beyond our control. And it is from there that we join with the Universal Energy of Love that knows no limits. That is the best tradition of all.

My wish is for you to behold that Energy not only during the Holidays, but from this day forward.
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Do You See What I See - more than a Christmas song!

2008-12-18T08:49:00.008-06:00

I was enjoying a cup of coffee at a neighbor's house yesterday. As I looked out the window I noticed something I had not really seen before. Even though our homes are right next to one other, the view from her backyard is quite different from my own. There is a beautiful little pine tree that is hidden by some bushes from my perspective. And I realized that she cannot see the pond that is in clear view from my back yard.

As we all go thru life, I wonder how often we don't notice one an other's perspective. Yes, we know up front that there are those with different view points from our own - democrats and republicans, chocolate or vanilla, country, rap, new age, opera, and rock & roll music. You get the picture.

But what I am speaking about runs deeper. The realization and comprehension of not only different but endless perspectives in regard to one an other's daily circumstances opens up a magical door. It can bring us joy, peace, humor and comfort. Failure to realize and understand - to actually comprehend- the other person's perspective is the root of failure, sadness, divorce, despair, and war on levels great and small.

In my first blog I wrote about a very dear friend with a mysterious disease that is robbing her of her eyesight. Recently we spoke about what this is like for her. As she began to tell me that "if you put a patch over one eye and partially blocked the other", I sheepishly confess that I jumped ahead of her in my mind. I figured she was going to describe an experiment we did in college; it was for us to gain the perspective of what it would be like to suddenly go blind. I thought I knew what perspective she was taking.

Talk about getting it wrong! That is not at all where she went. Rather, she went on to explain that from this new viewpoint her other senses are so enhanced that it is as if she has a precious gift! What!? Not about what it is like to fumble around in the dark but how she now hears Christmas carols with a new clarity?

This is just one (positive) example about not realizing another person's perspective. What about those little arguments and disagreements that arise as the issues of the Holiday season are upon us? We all want joy and peace. Those values come to the forefront especially now. The challenge is to realize that each person goes about trying to achieve those values in so many different ways, from different perspectives ... And how we all get wound up when the stress is on.

So next time you are out there driving and someone cuts you off in traffic, or goes too slow or too fast from your perspective, just remember, they too are just trying to get thru their day the best they can. It may be someone speeding and driving carelessly because all they are thinking about is getting to the peacefulness of their home after a lousy day at work. It may be an older person needing to get to the store to buy a present for someone dearly special...but knowing that his senses have dulled, he drives very slowly to keep other people safe. It may be someone daydreaming because their mind is wrapped up in the worry about how they are going to pay the bills. It may be you doing these very things. There is no harm meant to others in all of these and many more examples. We all just forget sometimes that there are many perspectives.

Peace to you as you open that magical door to the realization that there are many perspectives.

Until next time.
Dr. DyAnn

2008-12-13T12:52:00.006-06:00

Welcome and thank you for stopping by.
It is that time of the year when most people commonly go thru ups and downs that are more accentuated. For some there may seem to be more "downs". Perhaps losses or changes have occurred, or some problem or issue is just becoming more vexing. If you are fortunate enough to NOT be dealing with something of that sort now, it is still a good practice to "feed your soul". This will assist you in keeping wrapped in a protective layer, warmly snuggled up, against the cold of the outside. By having a ready supply of words that are wise and speak to your heart you are protected against those times that life's circumstances are more challenging.

Below are a variety of inspirational thoughts. My wish is for you to discover which are speaking more directly to you in regard to where you are at in your journey at this time.

You can do or be whatever you want in your life. Nothing can stop you, except your fears. Don't blame anyone else...you have the power to make the decision. Just do it. (Nola Diamantopoulos)

I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door - or I'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present. (Joan Rivers)

The greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. (Confucius)

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning. (Gloria Steinem)

When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life or in the life of another. (Helen Keller)

Life is change...Growth is optional. Choose wisely. (Karen Laiser Clark)

If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world would be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life. (Rachael Carson)

There is a great man, who makes every man feel small. But the real great man is the man who makes every man feel great. (G.K. Chesterton)

Grab a chance and you won't be sorry for a might-have-been. (Arthur Ransome)

Knowledge is power itself. (Francis Bacon)

Miracles are instantaneous: they cannot be summoned but they come of themselves, usually at unlikely moments and to those who least expect them. (Katherine A. Porter)

Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Brain Quiz

2008-12-08T22:15:00.004-06:00

I thought it might be fun to read a few facts about how your brain operates, and more specifically the differences in how men's vs women's brains work. It might help you get thru the holiday season more easily as you come to understand one another.

Who has more total brain cells- men or women?
Correct answer is ........men. Even when corrected for increased total body weight. It has been estimated that men have about four percent more neurons than women do. However, just so you women don't groan too loudly, it is the women who have a greater number of cellular connections than men. This means that women have greater access to both sides of their brains
So in practical terms which you may find useful, it is the men who are more detail oriented and who get more directly to the point. Women, on the other hand are more fluent, thus women usually have more to say. In my work as a therapist I often would help couples with communication, including explaining that when a man says "so what's the point" he was not trying to insult his female partner, his brain simply operates from that perspective. And that a woman tends to have more of a need to paint things in great detail because they access both sides of the brain, thus giving them more perspective and more to talk about.

Have you ever seen a man do this: he is presented with a problem in finding his way while driving and he turns down the radio . This is an example of how a man's wiring has him preferring to do one task at a time (thus not listening to the car radio and reading a map) in a rather compartmentalized manner. In contrast, a women usually can multi-task (due to those extra connections in the brain.) And a woman knows when they are lost because she has access to the whole brain. Even comedians joke about the man not asking for directions!

Men's and women's brains differ also in the emotional center. In this area, the women have the larger component compared to men. This makes bonding easier for women and in general is why women tend to have more and need more friends and social relationships. It probably is no surprise that the nesting instinct is more pronounced in women and she has a greater need to have her home in order. It is also the women who will feel more off balance if the couple relocates.

Her are some interesting odds and ends about our brains.

Who reads facial expressions better? (women)
Who has a sharper sense of taste and smell (women)
Greater blood pressure reactivity to sexually arousing pictures (men)
Better at solving math problems (men)
Judges speed better (men)
Recognizes when problems are present in a relationship (women)
Tend to be more unreasonably optimistic (men)
Better peripheral vision (women)
More responsive to sex hormones (men)
Do men or women lie more? (men)
Who are the better liars? (women)

I hope you had fun learning about the differences in how the male and female brain works. The information will hopefully assist you in recognizing that the differences in how we think, communicate and present feelings are basically because of how we are wired, and not to be taken personally. In addition, knowing about these differences can help you to understand those of the opposite sex better so that you can have a more rewarding relationship.

Until next time
Dr. DyAnn

All in How We Name It

2008-12-04T18:26:00.004-06:00

You may have heard the story of the person who wanted to give away a litter of kittens. Try as he might, there were no takers. On a hunch, he then put up a sign that said "Kittens- $10 each". They sold almost immediately.
The psychology behind this concept is that when the kittens were free they were looked upon as having no value... putting the dollar amount on them convinced people that they had value. Our brains respond to labels more convincingly than what we may realize. The marketing field is well aware of this. Why is one pair of jeans, labeled such and so, "worth" five times more than another pair made exactly the same way of exactly the same material?

A similar idea holds true in regard to what we name a feeling. If we have butterflies in our stomach and tell our self we are "anxious" our mind will take that at face value and we will believe we are anxious and react accordingly. Not a good thing. If however, we were to be in the same situation and label the butterflies as a result of our feeling "eager" or "excited" we would be convinced that this is a good thing. In fact, in interviewing world famous athletes competing for the Olympics, it was asked what they did to calm their nerves.

Can you guess what they answered? They labeled that butterfly in the stomach feeling as energy. And with it being "energy" they could now use it for a competitive edge, rather than having it distract them from their event because they were "nervous".

How do you label the challenges that you face? The way our brains work, our subconscious mind believes what we tell it. Not only that but the subconscious, being the real powerhouse of our mind, will take that label and manifest it many times over. Be kind in how you name your errors as well as your personal attributes. You will believe whatever label you tell yourself and act accordingly. What you believe to be true - is true. Whether it's about kittens, jeans, or your self.

Put some stickers in places that you will often see them: the rear view mirror of your car, on your cell phone, your computer screen, etc. Every time you see that sticker let it remind you to label yourself as valuable and deserving of love.

Because it is true.

Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Energy Vampires

2008-12-03T12:59:00.005-06:00

Today I would like to share with you about energy. Everything is energy. We learn that in grade school. Now we are coming to understand this idea from a level that is simple and yet multi -faceted and even profound. We are essentially composed of energy. We are energy. Therefore, if we want to be empowered it is important to pay attention to what builds our energy as well as what drains us.
Here are some ideas to assist you with your energy; at this time of year in particular we all could use a little more to work with. A good basic idea is to eliminate or reduce that which drains or depletes your energy and to add that to your life which increases your energy.

If it annoys you, it is actually reducing your energy. It is so helpful to finally take care of those little things that are bothering you. If they are little, they can be easily dealt with. I remember having a loose button on my winter coat for what seemed like forever. So at least twice a day, every day, I had to deal with this loose button! And of course I couldn't deal with it at the time, unless you count praying that I wouldn't lose it! It seems like such a small thing, and you know what, it was. How many "loose button" types of little annoyances do we have in life? If you are like most people, there are plenty!
Take a few minutes now and list the little annoyances that you are dealing with. There may be some that are unique to the season, such as not having all those addresses you need for your holiday lists all in one place. Others may be relatively new, such as a call you need to make in regard to a bill you have a question about, while yet others have been plaguing you for a long period of time, like that junk drawer/closet/basement that is just taking up valuable space.
Commit to taking care of the things on your list. It will take a while if your list is long, but remember, this is about giving yourself more energy in the long run. When I first did this exercise my list was easy to make as I knew instinctively, as we all do, exactly those things that were annoying me. Because we are unique, what bothers one person will not be an issue at all for another. We see this a lot with couples, but that is another issue.
Carve out time in your schedule to work on the items on your list. Maybe Sunday evenings for the "loose button" sorts of items, and a special alloted commitment to the larger, more time involved items like that closet that desperately needs a good cleaning.
Once you have reached the bottom of the list, give yourself the gift of regularly alloted time to take care of those energy drains so that they never again add up.

I promise you that taking care of these "energy vampires" will empower you in the long run. So often in our desire to improve as individuals we overlook the practical. This sort of work just seems so boring and unfulfilling. But in order to have energy for the more exciting things in our lives it is easier to go this route than some sort of extreme makeover. Besides, we don't need to be made over. We just need to learn to use our wonderful gift of energy, gift of self, more wisely.

Until next time,

DyAnn

Life's Heroes

2008-12-01T20:56:00.000-06:00

We all have heroes. Who is yours? Before we can even answer that question it might be a good idea to define what "hero" means to you, personally. Perhaps a hero is someone whom you hold in high esteem, maybe someone you would want to emulate. It can also be interesting to ponder this question, which you may have heard before: if you could spend a couple hours with anyone from history, who would it be. An even more interesting follow up to the question would be discussing why you chose that person. So, honestly, who would it be? If you are like me and you have a bit of a difficult time choosing just one, why not pick a couple of people? After all, thru the eons of time there are so many good candidates. What kind of questions would you ask this person; would it be why he or she did something a partricular way, or would you ask for advice or help with something in your own life? How do you think they would answer your questions? Without knowing it, you may be tapping into your own subconscious wisdom by anwering these questions. If you keep a journal, perhaps this could spark an intersting entry.

While that exercise is fun I would like to suggest something else that may be of interest. Think about the neighbor who may have helped you when you needed someone to keep an eye on your pet while you were away, or shoveled your walk or in some small way assisted you. Recall a co-worker who gave you a shoulder to lean on when the boss came down on you hard, or that friend who is always willing to listen whether your news is fun and exciting or you are having one of those days.... These are the everyday heroes of your life. These are the people who make the real difference not in history itself , but in your own history, the journey that you travel in life. And while it would be amazing to spend time with that famous historic person, these everyday wonderful souls with whom you share your workspace, neighborhood, friendships and relationships, are those who stand tall in life and make all the difference.

Today, why not thank those who have been your true heroes?

Forever Friends

2008-11-28T12:50:00.000-06:00

My blog is something that you can look forward to as it feeds your soul on a good day and that you can count on to be there for you in case you have a bad day. Who and what feeds our souls? What might we cling to in a world that at times can bring so many challenges and negativity?

Today I want to share something with you that touched my heart. It instantly became one of my favorites as it serves as a reminder of an amazing source of unconditional love: the gift of that deep, soulful connection we have with animals. If you are lucky enough to have animal companions in your life, you are indeed fortunate. If you have an appreciation of the gifts all animals freely share with us, you are indeed wise.

Go to You tube and type in Christian the Lion. The first hit that comes up is from tadmanly and it is 2:28 in length. I want you to get this specific one. The background music is Whitney Houston. Prepare to be deeply touched.
This blog posting is lovingly dedicated to Joshua and Reuben.

Practicing Gratitude

2008-11-26T19:13:00.000-06:00

At some point in my life I stumbled into the practice of counting my blessings before tucking myself into bed at night. I don't remember if my first experience doing this came at the end of a day that had been particularly pleasurable and so I wanted to recount the events, or if it was one of those deplorable, awful days when you just want to pull the covers over your head and make it all go away. Either way, I recall casually going over the day's events, looking for life's little pleasures. Without expectation, what ensued was a feeling which is normally experienced during precious rare times in life: the welcoming of a new soul at birth, hearing "he's going to make it", being granted unconditional forgiveness from someone you dearly love but have sorrowfully wounded. The emotion was so intense it was physical and spiritual. I knew I needed to make this experience a night time ritual.

Finding that which we can be thankful for comes easier with daily practice. Granted, there will be those days when there are more obvious treasures, but like playing Scrabble or doing crosswords, we get better with practice. We find that which we may have missed or overlooked with simple, casual or careless observation.

Practicing gratitude will ease us nicely into sleep and I believe it will bring about truly spiritual blessings. Research shows it to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, lower the risk of depression and other mood disorders, bulimia and alcoholism.

In this evenings gratitude ritual I know I shall include thankfulness and rich appreciation for the thoughtful feedback I have received for the writings on this blog and my website. You inspire me!
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

The Shadow of Loss

2008-11-24T15:53:00.000-06:00

During the holiday season, when it seems most everyone is counting their blessings and making preparations for time with family, there are those who are feeling the pain and sadness of a loss. It may be something recent like the issue in the letter (in my advice column) on my web site: buechlertherapy.com ). Perhaps you are missing a parent that has passed on or is no longer who he or she used to be, making the physical family circle a little bit smaller. Or maybe this year the travel plans didn't work out, a precious friend moved away, or there was a job loss. Any of these scenarios can touch our hearts with the throbbing ache of loss that casts its shadow on our life.

From recent personal experience I can testify to the strength of this shadow! My work is as a therapist - thus I have the privilege of entering the soulful world of other human beings. I will share with you that those from whom I have heard the desperate whispers of angst due to loss include a panoramic list: corporate heads who wield power which controls the lives of hundreds of people, all manner of counselors and healers including men of the cloth, attorneys, educators, and rescue workers including police and fire fighters. In other words, those people that we look upon as having strength, position and power. No matter our position and power, we cannot escape that eerie shadow of loss - but how we respond to it is vital. I've witnessed powerful men crumble and the meekest of individuals triumph.

One of my most memorable (and meekest) clients was Leslie. Working as cafeteria staff at a convent, Leslie was quiet and downtrodden. She was referred to me by the county after a suicide attempt when her boyfriend left her (Yes, another woman). She saw herself as worthless and indeed had been treated as such by her family of origin and horribly abusive ex- husband. When they had divorced Leslie raised their six children on her own and with very meager means. Although she was very unsure of herself as a parent and constantly worried about whether she had "damaged" her children, the unconditional love she felt toward them something could literally be felt in the energy in my office.

The shadow of loss of her boyfriend put Leslie into therapy; from there she learned of her true inner self, connection with God in a way she had never realized, and above all the magic of inner worth, regardless of what happened to her on the outside. Her connection to and love for her children was part of the key of her understanding her worth. And it was not connected to what they did or did not do. She left counseling not so much a "changed" woman, but simply one who discovered who she truly is and the insurmountable worth that lies therein. That is how we triumph over the shadow of loss and grief.
Namaste,
Dr DyAnn

Multiple Choice

2008-11-22T14:31:00.000-06:00

Have you ever felt like you have a "multiple personality"? You know, one part calm, reserved and understanding, while another side of you wants just a little bit of revenge? Or maybe there are times when your logical self pulls you in one clear cut direction (stay with the job you have) but your heart cries out for something entirely different (I want to work in the arts). It seems like some scenarios lead to feeling like we just crashed into the "I can't win" wall! Which ever route we may choose, part of us feels like we did not get our needs met.

But there is a way out and the secret is to find the way to honor our multiplicity.

I think we are all rather "multiple", but not in the sense of the psychiatric disorder. Our lives, our minds and our needs are multi-faceted. "Sarah", one of my clients, is a classic example of the complicated nature of our inner/multiple selves. Poised and beautiful, Sarah is a highly intelligent, deeply spiritual person whose mantra and guiding force is to live a virtuous life. She and her doting husband give money to charity and she does volunteer work. She creates beautiful pottery, aces her difficult college courses, and carries on an affair with a married man! She just could not seem to break away from this dangerous, unrewarding liaison.

"Pete" is a successful business man with a penchant for family life. His childhood memories are painted in sadness due to the untimely death of his father. He indeed would qualify as being the "lost child". He is a wonderful father, loves to play chess, and attends church regularly. He has been told by his doctor to get his eating habits under control as he is borderline diabetic. Pete just can't resist good bakery. He wants to be around for his kids but his increasingly severe weight problem threatens his health and longevity.

Both people are examples of the rich tapestry of characteristics which compose our individual uniqueness. Pete and Sarah's lives and choices (as well as your own) tend to be more understandable when viewed from the perspective of our multiple needs as human beings. Pete, for example, learned in his therapy that deep in his subconscious he had a treasured memory. When he was just a toddler he and his dad would sit in "daddy's chair" and enjoy dessert together. None of his older siblings got to do this; it was Pete's special time with his father. His insatiable appetite for dessert was a reflection of this subconscious longing to connect with his dad. His need for (resolution about) belonging won out over balance in regard to physical needs.
Guess what was going on with Sarah? Her story is a very interesting one. Adopted as an infant she was doted on and intensely watched over by her anxious parents - the hovering type. She never had the opportunity to just "let loose" in a developmentally normal way. Unknowingly, she was making up for it now, but in a way that threatened not only her marriage but her very sense of self. Her need for adventure overshadowed all her other needs which were abundantly fulfilled.
While the aid of a good therapist can help people to discover why they do things that are counterproductive or even destructive, this blog is about living a better, happier life. It is for every day people like you. While the examples of Pete and Sarah may be considered dramatic, at the heart of the matter they speak of human needs. One of the ways that I see people falter is in failing to firstcontemplate what they need and how that need could be fulfilled in any number of ways. For example, Sarah needed adventure and the chance to do something dangerous. Pete needed the chance to connect more strongly with a father figure.

Someone may feel he needs more recognition and mistakenly narrow his thinking that the only answer is a new job. By realizing that the answer to his longing is not for a new job, but that his longing is for recognition he can save himself a lot of time and unhappiness. He might keep his job and gain recognition in other ways that are more in alignment with what he needs for his deeper sense of self. One of my clients found glorious satisfaction in the "recognition" of a den of cub scouts that he volunteered to help out. His sense of pride was clearly visible whenever he spoke of his work with the scouts.
In other words, if we first carefully examine what our need is, and then look at the multiple ways in which the need might be fulfilled, we give ourselves a multiple number of ways in which we might achieve greater happiness.
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

Hidden Treasures

2008-11-20T15:18:00.000-06:00

Isn't it wonderful to be uplifted by other people?
But, there are those days and sometimes even those long stretches of time that we can't count on that to occur. Though we greatly appreciate those who are loving and kind to us, we do not want to leave ourselves vulnerable to being needy. Therefore it is imperative to balance our lives so that we know how to uplift ourselves.

One of the most simple and yet profound ways that we can provide ourselves with feelings of self worth is by a technique called the "treasure box". You may have heard of it before or even have made one of your own. Start with a container as simple as a shoe box or as elaborate as what you might find in a gift store. In this box, store the memorabilia that touches your heart: that encouraging note from a friend, a Christmas card from someone who you lost touch with, an e mail forward with a verse that lifted your spirits, pictures which evoke memories of happy times recently and long ago. These are our dearest treasures. They put us back in touch with the knowing that we truly are loved and cared about. If you haven't already started a treasure box I encourage you to do it now.

There is another equally important item which the treasure box must contain. Lovingly place within its confines a special message written to you, from you. Write it as you might address a note to a special friend that you love very much, who perhaps may be hurting and feeling a bit lost and alone. This is a love letter to you. And for many of us, it may be long over due.

Whenever you need to, sift through the treasures that you gather. These contents are more valuable than silver and gold. The science behind their ability to lift your spirits is in that they evoke strong memories and feelings. The subconscious mind does not keep time. It does not know the difference between something that is occurring in the here and now versus something that is richly imagined or remembered. Seventy percent of people are visual and seeing these treasures will directly connect you to the life enhancing feelings you experienced when you first got your treasure. Feeling them with your fingertips will further evoke those memories and transfer you to that magical time.

And while you're at it, why not write something today to someone that you care about, which they can add to their own hidden treasures. You will touch them more deeply than you can know.
Namaste,
Dr. DyAnn

2008-11-19T10:52:00.000-06:00

Your "out of the ordinary" experiences

In my work as a therapist I often heard accounts of that which was out of the range of "ordinary" or "normal". As a trained counselor I might be asked to view these experiences as being some sort of disorder; certainly in rare cases that would be accurate. However, in most instances they were anything but that. In fact they were a profound and beautiful sharing of something we cannot label, simply because of their being anything but ordinary.

What "interesting" or out of the ordinary experiences have you had? Remember those "Coincidences" in your life that defy the odds, prayers answered, or even something as simple as thinking about an old friend that you haven't seen in years and suddenly she calls. Have you ever wanted desperately to avoid someone and ended up coming face-to-face with them at a crowded event you thought they would never attend? (Ouch) Or perhaps something more shocking? More and more is being published about NDE (near death experiences) and visits from those who have recently died. What are we to make of such here-to-for unexplainable, out of the ordinary experiences?

Did you know that someone in a coma hears what is occurring around him? Or, that while under anesthetic, the patient has full awareness of what is going on in the operating room, right down to the details of conversations among the staff? When our brainwaves are sufficiently slowed to a relaxing frequency we have total recall of all the experiences we have had since our soul came into existence. Having assisted hundreds of people in achieving this natural state of relaxation I (along with many other researchers) have indisputable evidence that our mind is much more complicated and magnificent than we know. No wonder Einstein called the mind the last great frontier and Scripture promises that we shall be renewed by the transforming of the mind!

Our mind controls us- but we control our minds. Try this little experiment: the next time you are in a pool, lie on your back and float. Then think about turning to the right while you continue to relax and float. Your body will shift to the right. Our minds control our body and we can learn to wisely control our minds in regard to not only our body/health, but our finances, relationships, and all of our hopes and dreams.
It is important to realize that all of our minds are interconnected. That is why you will run into that person you really do not want to see (against all odds) if you are thinking strongly about him. We have much more command over our Universe than we know. The trick is to learn how to take control. I will be writing more about this in future blogs.

Namaste,
Dr. DyAnn

What will you do?

2008-11-18T13:16:00.000-06:00

Today I spoke with a friend who was very sad because she could not see the swirl of colors of the autumn leaves this year. Her sadness was compounded by the fact that her friends dismissed her feelings of loss. All she needed was some understanding, someone to say " I get it - sort of." You see, she has always enjoyed fall in NE Wisconsin. And anyone who has had the experience of those breathtaking colors can relate to her former excitement.

My friend is slowly going blind. Her progressive disease had been in remission until this fall. Although her eyesight had been dimmed, she dealt with it well. In fact, she has been a shining example of being thankful for what she has. I often marveled at her response and took it as an example for myself. Those days that I may have been cranky, sad or upset about something on my own journey, I would think of "Lee" and her mounting struggles. Her strength gave me strength.

We all have struggles and challenges. You may be dealing with a difficult relationship, illness, financial difficulties, or even a sense of emptiness that leaves you feeling hollow. One of the most profound sentences I have ever heard is this: treat every heart as though it were breaking.
Today it may not be your heart that feels as though it were breaking or that you just can't endure any more. But, what about the clerk in the grocery store, your next door neighbor, or even someone in your household?

Most people have a difficult time expressing their feelings of vulnerability. We have no way of knowing what they are going through, nor do they know what we might be enduring. So what if we, just for today, could enter the world of that cranky store clerk or nasty neighbor or someone close to us? What if we responded from our own place of integrity and understanding? It might lift them. It might restore their hope. If it doesn't you will still know that you made the world a better place by your positive energy. The only question is how you will handle those choices.

Namaste
DyAnn