When you learn to get out of your own way, the world becomes an easier place. I believe when you go within, you won’t go without!

Hypnosis is a completely safe modality of therapy used frequently in sports (especially golf hypnosis) and personal development concepts. As a Motivational mind power speaker and Certified hypnotherpist, Randy knows how to help you get out of your own way. Here are some answers to questions that have arisen about gaining mind power through hypnosis.

1. What IS hypnosis?

Imagine a beautiful tropical beach in your mind, smell the salty ocean air, feel the warm breeze brush through your hair, see the gentle waves caress back and forth on the shore… this may be part of the induction used to bring you to a place of complete relaxation.

Hypnosis is NOT a “sleep” state even though a person in hypnosis may appear to be sleeping. Charles Tebbetts, a top teacher of hypnosis, defined hypnosis as, “There is no legal definition of hypnosis. Webster’s dictionary describes it incorrectly as an artificially induced sleep, but it is actually a natural state of mind and induced normally in everyday living much more often than it is induced artificially. Every time we become engrossed in a novel or a motion picture, we are in a natural hypnotic trance”.

As a Hypnotherapist I am more like a guide who facilitates the hypnotic process. My words guide the subject into a relaxed state of body and mind. Technically, a person experiencing hypnosis slows down their brain waves from BETA into ALPHA–and some people actually enter THETA during deep trance states. (THETA is normally the “dream” state we pass through on the way to and from DELTA–or deep sleep.) Interestingly enough, we all pass through ALPHA on the way to and from sleep, so in a sense all of us experience hypnosis at least twice daily.

Hypnosis is the heightened state of awareness where the conscious mind is bypassed, and the subconscious mind is brought into focus. When the subconscious mind is alert, positive suggestions are made for changes to take place.

Simply put, hypnosis is a deeply relaxed state of mind, where suggestions are made to effect a desired change. It can also be thought of as “guided meditation.”

2. Does a hypnotized person lose control?

I hear this quite often and actually, it teaches you how to gain your mind power control. Remember the last time you watched a movie and you actually felt emotion? You were literally in a hypnotic trance, although you still have the power to come out from that state if you so desired. Your mind may be guided by a movie, TV show, self-hypnosis audio program, or Hypnotherapist, but YOU still have the power to resist.

Some people who seem to partially give up control of their minds (like in Stage Hypnosis), is because of a misunderstanding of who has the power. One can be TRICKED into believing that they have “given up control” in some forms of stage hypnosis. Always remember, “ALL HYPNOSIS IS SELF-HYPNOSIS.” You have the control of letting your conscious mind get into a deeply relaxed state. It’s important to realize the real power is–within OUR OWN MINDS! That is what MIND POWER is all about, learning to gain control of your thoughts.

Hypnosis is like a massage for the brain!

3. What does hypnosis feel like?

Since hypnosis is a natural state of mind, clients are often surprised that they hear every word. You may have a feeling of calm, and light (or weightless), or very heavy as if sinking into the chair. In a really deep state, the feeling may be euphoric for some, or almost like being intoxicated without the side effects. In the first session some only go into only a light state of trance, and may believe that he or she was not hypnotized. With progressive sessions, and trust is built, students usually let go and do go to deeper levels of trance, which can be more beneficial.

Certain abilities may be enhanced during the hypnotic process itself:

§ The ability to IMAGINE

§ The ability to REMEMBER

§ CREATIVE abilities

§ Receptiveness to SUGGESTIONS

The last ability creates the appeal of hypnosis as well as the fear of hypnosis to others. There is nothing to fear with a trusted professional. Here lies the real advantage in hypnotherapy. It is the capacity for the subconscious mind to accept suggestions while in a relaxed trance state that makes hypnosis so effective. It’s the reason top athletes, actors and politicians make use of it.

***

Published in August 31 2007, by Charlene Schosser

~ Have you ever wondered why

your golf game never improves? ~

You might be surprised to learn that it’s all in your mind! Randy Friedman, an experienced LPGA and Cobra staff golf teaching professional, as well as Motivational mind power Speaker, has a unique perspective for taking your game to the next level.

After years of teaching golfers how to improve their swing or perfect their putting, she has turned her focus to hypnotherapy. According to Friedman, most golfers win or lose their game in their mind. She’s taken her perspective that “golf is 90% mental” and refocused her approach by helping golfers improve their game through the real stopping point: the mind.

Okay, so some of you skeptics are asking, “Does hypnotherapy really work?” The answer is “yes”—when you truly believe you can change your way of thinking by knowing and changing your self-limiting beliefs.

Golf hypnosis is a simple and effective method that will improve your game by allowing you to deeply relax your body and elevate your mind to a higher place of consciousness. It gives you permission to make changes without changing a thing about your swing! You bypass the conscience mind (the critical factor) and enter the subconscious mind (the non-critical, computer-like) mind. It’s there that you’re able to squash those old ideas and replace them with new ones.

On a scientific level, hypnosis allows the brain waves to slow down to an alpha or deeper theta state (which is what we do when we sleep). At this level of relaxation, your subconscious mind is open and more receptive to suggestions for change.

Hypnosis will also help you deal with the fear of failing and enable you to focus more effectively at the task at hand. Do you want to improve your game? Hypnotherapy is a great way for you to understand and get in touch with your body, enjoy the game and the course, and feel the grass!

Golf courses are some of the most beautiful places in the world, yet we’re often so focused on making each shot that we forget to look, smell, and take in the world around us.

So why did a seasoned pro make the switch in her teaching techniques? She knows hypnotherapy works. In fact, some of her favorite clients to teach are children. “Children enjoy the game as a game, because they are just playing—without any fear or baggage. Their minds are cluttered with over-thinking. It’s simple for them, and they really enjoy it.”

Friedman now wants to give us seasoned pros a chance to embrace that same spirit of simplicity. Prior to her years as a golf pro, Friedman was a personal trainer and massage therapist. That means she understands the body from the inside out.

And if golf is not your game, Friedman can tackle any block you might have, from overcoming a fear of flying (how can you play at some of the best golf resorts around the world?), to becoming more successful at your job. So if you want to find a new way to take your golf game to the next level, hypnotherapy might be your answer.

Friedman offers private sessions, keynote presentations, golf retreats, and half-day workshops. The workshops average $250 per person, which includes a mind power workshop, chipping/putting interactive drills, and a powerful group hypnosis session. For upcoming workshops, check out her Web site. Visit GolfMindPower.com for more information, or email Randy@golfmindpower.com

The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

As a Motivational “mind power” Speaker and LPGA Teaching Professional, I do corporate golf outings quite often. This August I worked with the Saturday Series private outing for the PGA TOUR and Golf Channel, at Great River Golf Club in CT. The Saturday Series Pro-Am features pros who participated in the week’s PGA TOUR event but did not qualify for the final two rounds. Proceeds from the Saturday Series Pro-Am benefit charities throughout North America. Hallberg Golf Productions, which produces the Saturday Series Pro-Am, in partnership with participating TOUR events, has raised $2.4 million for the many benefiting charities. I felt honored that they asked me to be a part of this great event.

I was brought in to do the morning clinic in the company of one or two of the PGA Tour Professionals that were there. So while Ted Purdy and Tom Purnice were hitting balls during the clinic, I was speaking of the mind power aspects of what they were doing (and ultimately thinking). While most golfers expect some last minute “technical” advice before they go out and play, this message was the opposite, “think less, feel more!” Instead of giving them more to think about, and even more for their left brain (conscious thinking) to process, this message was more of a right brain concept (or visual and feel). Even Ted and Tom jumped on board with me when they saw the direction I was heading. I think they were both relieved to talk more about visualization, than a technical swing thought, especially before there are going out to play.

As the clinic progressed and Ted and Tom were going through their pre-shot routines, I talked about the power of the mind to visualize. Most Professionals do use visualization, but most amateurs do not. What happened next was truly wonderful.

As Ted was listening to me and realized he didn’t have to talk about his swing’s technical aspects, he spoke of his wonderful run of playing great golf. It was his swing thought (that had nothing to do with golf) that put him into a peaceful state of mind. He said during his pre-shot routine and while he was actually hitting the ball, he would say to himself, “I love the beaches in Hawaii”. He then showed everyone, and it was nothing short of poetic! As I looked around at the crowd that gathered for the clinic, there were smiles on everyone’s faces. People were glowing in amazement. It was like everyone had the “aha” moment together! I heard, “oh, I like the beaches in Hawaii, that might work for me”, and “that’s an interesting thought, I might try that”.

Then Tom Pernice jumped on board and added his thoughts for his pre-shot routine. He had heard that Vijay uses “seven-teen” when he swings, so Tom said he tried it, liked it, and uses it sometimes. He likes the two syllables for an easy transition to the back and forward swing. Tom modeled the “seven-teen” swing to the group with ease and fluidity. I then heard someone in the crowd say, “I’m gonna use that today, that’s good!”

What always strikes me differently when I do these mind power clinics is “the kid in a candy store” effect. You know, the excitement you felt as a kid when you walked into your favorite Five and Dime candy store (okay, I am dating myself a bit, those are long gone). That’s what happens when golfers get a thought that strikes a cord with them or resonates to something they can do immediately. It’s the thought of, “I can do that” or “yes, that’s good for me”. Usually a new technical concept takes time for your conscious and subconscious mind to agree that it will work. But when it’s immediate, it’s usually an easy to thought to ingest, that’s most likely non-technical.

Here is the bottom line:

Because your conscious mind is the “analyzer and criticizer”, and your subconscious is the “non-critical computer-like acceptor” you may notice a conflict at times. Your conscious mind gives the “yes or no” to your subconscious mind. In golf, your conscious mind is the one telling you whether you can make the three foot putt or not. Your subconscious mind will believe whatever you tell it. As an example, if after a few times of missing the three-footer (versus making it) you told yourself, “I’m such an idiot, I keep missing that putt”. Now your subconscious mind will remind you that “you’re an idiot” every time you have that putt. You will miss the three foot putt over and over again… until you change your programming!

Mind Power is the ability and power to change your thoughts. Visualization is fastest way to do this. Most people think visualization is strictly an eye concept. It’s much more than just seeing.

We have five senses:

1. visual (see)
2. auditory (hear)
3. kinesthetic (touch)
4. olfactory (smell)
5. gestation (taste)

Of the five senses, the top three are most used in sports. Some athletes use four or even five of them. I knew a guy when I was competing in racquetball that would smell the ball before each serve! (Notice how many senses he used.) He would hold the blue racquetball in his left hand, bring it right up against his nose, take a big whiff in (as if he was getting a high from it), glare at his opponent, bounce the ball once or twice and serve. Talk about getting in the zone! He stayed ranked in the top ten for many years. (You have to find what works for you!)

Tapping into the subconscious

Okay, back to the Saturday Series. After lunch I offered a Mind Power Reprogramming session to everyone at the event. Those who attended were ready to open their minds to a different way of thinking, after hearing me at the clinic in the morning. Most of them had never done any form of meditation or hypnosis, and were curious how to better develop their mind power. First I needed to dispel the myth that all hypnosis is “stage hypnosis”, which is what most people believe. Here are actually three variations of hypnosis:

1. Stage hypnosis is when subjects are asked to say or perform things that will entertain the audience.
2. Highway hypnosis is a mental state in which you can drive great distances, with no recollection of having consciously doing so.
3. Therapeutic hypnosis is when the subject is encouraged to see themselves as what they want to become, like an improved golfer, or non-smoker.

As in any business, building rapport is the best way to build trust and further communication. It was important for me to explain to the group what I was going to do, in order to gain their trust in me. The mind power techniques I use are a combination of educating, enlightening and empowering my subjects. If I were to just hypnotize people, that wouldn’t educate or enlighten them into what was going to be “their own mind power”. It’s a concept of “going to, happening, happened”. It is the education of becoming aware of what is, what will be and what was.

So after I relaxed their conscious minds and infused their subconscious with the “lemon visualization”, they were ready to enter the mind power experience. During my sessions I usually play a combination of ocean sounds mixed with gentle music that helps promote relaxation into a nice place of tranquility. The more the conscious mind relaxes and lets go, the more open the subconscious mind accepts the messages being given.

When the session was over and I brought them out of hypnosis there was a gentle calm in the air. They were told, “take a deep breath in, stretch your arms, and open your eyes when you are ready”. As each of them slowly came back into the room, back to their conscious state of mind, there was a mystical softness across their faces. You see while they were completely relaxed, listening to my voice, my words provided them with inclusive love, without limitation. The highest emotion any human can feel is love. When you are brought to a state of love, everything else in accepted.

Bringing them to that “place of love”, mind power principles are welcome and acknowledged. Thoughts like appreciating your own personal gifts, allowing love into your life, feeling a sense of gratitude, and being able to forgive were suggestions they might accept. What each of them took away from the experience is their own to keep, nurture and hopefully continue to cultivate.

“I love the beaches in Hawaii” might have a little more meaning now. Three of the six words can create a positive visual experience. Try it, you might like it!

Remember: The mind once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Below is a letter I received from John Goutell of the Saturday Series after the event about his experience.

Randy,

Thank you. It takes somebody who is very confident of their abilities to work comfortably in the loose structure we prefer at our events. We thought the clinic was very well received, both by the guests and the TOUR professionals. I will be telling people about the things I learned from listening to you and Ted Purdy interact. I will also be trying those things out myself. That was top notch stuff.

I think you opened doors in each of us that we didn’t know existed. I know everyone was impressed.

We had a couple of cool experiences yesterday evening and traveling today. We joked as we drove home from the airport that we feel like super heroes (I’m “Positive Magnet Man”).

Please call me after your week up at the Duetsch Bank working with —–. I would like to hear how that goes, and we’d like to talk about putting together some options that will allow us to offer our clients the opportunity to integrate your program into their event.

We all enjoyed meeting you and it was truly a pleasure working with you. We wish you the best of success, and look forward to the chance to work with you in the future.

All the Best,

John

Pyloric stenosis is fairly common and affects about three out of 1,000 babies. Most infants who develop pyloric stenosis are usually between 2 weeks and 2 months old - symptoms usually appear during or after the third week of life. It is a narrowing of the pylorus, the lower part of the stomach through which food and other stomach contents pass to enter the small intestine. An affected infant begins showing symptoms when the pylorus is so thickened that the stomach can no longer empty properly. The first symptom of pyloric stenosis is usually vomiting. Projectile vomiting usually takes place soon after the end of a feeding.

A surgical procedure which involves cutting through the thickened muscles of the pylorus, is performed to relieve the obstruction. The pylorus is examined through a very small incision, and the muscles that are overgrown and thickened are spread to relieve the obstruction.

Why this article? This happened to me at six weeks old in August of 1965. And although it’s been 42 years since this major invasive (non-elective) surgery, it was brought to my attention today in a most profound way. It is my joy to share it and all that has now come out after all those years.

First, the details at six week old (of which I don’t recall a thing) that my mom emailed today me of what she remembered from that time long ago.

“Honey I can’t think of the Doctors name, he wouldn’t be around anymore as he was not a young man back then. You were six weeks old and stayed in the hospital almost 10 days. The operation was done in a hospital in downtown Manhattan, as the Doctor was associated with that hospital. You were operated on around 12 midnight since they had to call an entire staff in just for this Doctor. It happened to be on a Saturday night in the summer and everyone was away at the shore. My Doctor, Dr. Caruso got the entire medical team together. Your hospital stay was at Poly Clinic so Caruso could keep an eye on you. I came down from Mahopac everyday so I could feed you and make sure you were well taken care of. Dr. Caruso let me take you home a few days before ten days because I told him I could do a much better job then the hospital! Love Mom… what do you need all this for?”

(I didn’t tell her yet why I wanted all these details after all these years.)

So now here is the “Why” in this article.

I have done a lot of work on myself over the years, inside and out. Being very athletic early on developed my “can do” attitude. I received many massages during and after going to massage school, worked for a wonderful Chiropractor who first introduced me to Applied Kinesiology (A.K.), been hypnotized using regression work (going back in time) many times, and even did a very intense Holotropic Breathwork seminar that blew me away with my inner knowledge I was unaware of.

You might say I was ready for what going to happen next. Today I had a session with a very special “healer”, Dr. Greg Birsky who is a TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) Trainer, Chiropractor, Energy Worker, etc. Being that we have so much in common, (we both specialize in golfers), we are educating each other on our work and strengths and how we can help each other help our students/patients.

When we played golf together a few weeks ago, I enlightened him on his negative self-talk (which wasn’t horrible for most people, but is holding him back from improving by blocking his own potential. And we also talked about his resistance of “letting his swing go”. Being a left brain thinker (Doctor) he wasn’t allowing his right brain to “just play”. Although the day was supposed to be about me helping him, he (being “the analyzer”) couldn’t help but notice my tendency to slide just enough that told him my Glute Medius (a hip stabilizer) was weak.

Back to today in his office in Darien, CT. After extensive muscle testing with Applied Kinesiology, he found enough weak muscles (yes the Glute Medius, he reminded me) that he then went and tested my Chakras. (You don’t have to know or even believe in the details, just understand we are all energy, that energy lives inside, outside and around us.) Well my energy was moving in the wrong direction. (Now if you’re still reading, great this will all come together now).

Since my background is pretty extensive in body work, he knew I would be open to new inner discovers, (which I always am). He knew about the Pyloric Stenosis from my chart, and said he wanted to start there. He said, “Your energy is blocked, let see if we can release some old scaring”. Well, the session was nothing short of completely profound, intense and releasing! It was a bit like a hypnosis session (or guided meditation) in that he brought me to a quiet place in my mind where I could go inside and find some silence. I was guided back to the time of my surgery at six weeks old. As in hypnosis, the facilitator is a guide that opens the door, and it was up to me to walk in.

There I was, back at six weeks old, on the operating table. I pictured myself on a cold steel table, with four hot bright white lights shining down on me, four people hovering over me, poking, prodding and tending to me. I actually felt the incision. (While my mind was racing back in time my breathing was getting faster and deeper, and I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest.) As Dr. Birsky was talking to me through the entire process, I also felt safe to let myself go, deal with and release whatever came up.

He guided me into the recovery room and to a place of gratitude. (Here is the lesson…this is huge). Although I may have felt mishandled and they didn’t speak my language (at six weeks old), it was time for me to forgive them. Forgive everyone. It was time to release any left over scars with forgiveness and gratitude. I did, and it was amazing. The power of gratitude gave me my power back!

As soon as I got to that wonderful place of gratitude and forgiveness, I knew I was freed. I felt like a sunset over a peaceful ocean at low tide. There was a wave of release that flowed through my body and just then I felt my energy change. As unfathomable as it sounds, as I felt it, Dr. Birsky mentioned he felt my energy shift.

My breathing slowed down and my heart rate slowed back to normal, as I went around to thank everyone for saving my life. “I forgive you for not knowing how to handle me” and “thank you” over and over to each person at the hospital. The moment I said “thank you” to my mother, I felt my eyes well up with emotion that released me back to adulthood and back into the room again.

I released an emotional scar that I had held physically for so many years. It took me years as a child to wear a bikini because of the scar on my stomach. Then after some time I had a change of attitude, that “I don’t care what people think”, and “well, I’m unique and it makes for a conversation piece”. Maybe that’s where I formed some my mind power principles as well!

After the energy work session Dr. Birsky tested the weaknesses again and almost all of them improved profoundly, especially my Glute Medius! It’s very interesting to note that in the name Pyloric Stenosis, the word stenosis means; a constriction or narrowing of a duct, passage, or opening in the body. I am now aware that I had an emotional constriction in my heart from a long time ago, that never healed. As soon as I released my power to forgive and expressed gratitude for my life, I was able to release any negative feelings.

If you had or knew someone that had Pyloric Stenosis, please share your comments with me and others. Or if you have had a similar experience, feel free to share it!

“In body, mind power and spirit”
Randy

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PS. Actor, Will Ferrell Suffered from Pyloric Stenosis as a child. The scar is visible on many of the shirtless scenes he does. I never knew!

“Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life.” –Christiane Northrup

The Power of Gratitude is an important aspect of attracting to you the Abundance and Happiness that you desire and deserve in your life. The power of gratitude will moves mountains for you. Whatever it is you want in your life, you must first be grateful for all you have in this very moment.

The power of gratitude for golf is loving everything about your golf game right now! It sounds strange, but it works! The moment you are ungrateful on the golf course, you just “seem” to fall apart. You’ll see, keep reading.

The most powerful Universal Law is the Law of Attraction. The energy (vibrations) that you resonate and project through your thoughts, feelings, and emotions determines your “vibrational frequency”, which attract positive and negative to you. Feeling grateful for everything in your life right now, is a very powerful positive frequency. The events, situations, and circumstances that you attract are all by-products of the Law of Attraction, whether you are aware or not.

When you are in a sincere state of gratitude, your energy (vibrational resonance) is one of acceptance and harmony. You resonate this energy and as a result project a much higher vibrational frequency which is what attracts to you the events, conditions, and circumstances that you desire. Are you aware of what you are projected?

Think of yourself as a giant magnet. No matter what you are feeling, whether its love, fear, anger, happiness, anger, joy, gratitude, etc. you are in essence creating a magnetic force that attracts and draws to you events, conditions and circumstances which are in direct connection to what you are feeling. Fear of something creates a magnetic force that attracts more of what you fear. Expressing Gratitude for any situation projects a magnetic force that draws to you more of what you are expressing gratitude for.

Become empowered to express sincere gratitude for whatever is currently happening in your life. You must become aware of this power to receive all this is good and right for you in complete abundance. The Law of Attraction is there (just like the Law of Gravity exists) whether you acknowledge it or not. The fact that YOU have the power to create your life on purpose!

Perception vs. Reality

What you perceive to be true, is true (for you). Your perception of something going wrong is only your perception. It is only wrong thought and wrong perceptions that are responsible for creations that show up in your life in the form of events, conditions and circumstances that you perceive as “going wrong.”

It’s important to recognize and express gratitude for the fact that EVERYTHING in your life is a vision, a creation that YOU formed in your mind that became thoughts first and into beliefs.

Here are 7 Grateful thoughts for you to consider:

1. Breathe and Say thank you! Inhale say, “thank”, and as you exhale say, “you”. Do this when you first wake up in the morning as you get out of bed. Your lungs will thank you too!

2. Be grateful for your food. Stop and really look at your food before you eat it. Take in the smells and think about all the people it took to get that food on your plate.

3. Be grateful for your pets. Look in there eyes as you pet them. Show them you are grateful for their warm nature and guidance they share with you.

4. Be grateful for your family & friends. Be present and tell them how you feel in the moment. Time is precious, we never know when it will be our last time to dance, play, sing, laugh, share a meal.

5. Be grateful you have a home and show some gratitude by keeping it tidy and clean.

6. Bless your body. Take a few deep breaths and exhale slowly, giving thanks for your health and vitality. Thank yourself for taking care of it!

7. Connect with a higher spirit. Take a few minutes each day to reflect on the fact that a power greater than you exists and is working through you.

What are you grateful for?

When on the golf course, just look around! That’s an easy place to find gratitude. An attitude of gratitude will get you where you want to go. How can you focus on being more grateful today?

I am thankful for you reading my articles. I am grateful for the ability to convey a message of helping others through educating, enlightening and empowering. If you learned something from this article, pass it on. You’ll be grateful you did!

“In body, mind power and spirit”
Randy