Annapurna's Ladle works with the five elements as described in ancient philosophies and systems of healing found in India, Tibet and China.  Though the models are somewhat different, each system has something to offer. The five elements are, from the most subtle to the densest: Space (Ether), Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Chinese 5-element theory calls them Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.  Earth is the field on which all the elements play. For the purpose of attaining and maintaining  your ideal healthy weight, understanding how to balance the energies of the elements is very important. When we are balanced physically, mentally and emotionally, unwanted habits can be replaced more easily with new ones that support us in reaching our goals.

That said, the elements are constantly changing. Every two hours the flow of energy becomes strongest in a particular organ and its associated functions, and weakest in the organ that is opposite to it on the clock. Additionally, our energy is affected by the weather, our environment, our emotional state, the moon, and so much more. While we may enjoy the pleasurable experiences of life, we often despair over the unpleasant and tragic. Life on the see-saw is up and down. Yet, there is a part of the see-saw--the fulcrum--that remains steady and unchanging, whether the beam is up or down.  When we find our fulcrum, we become observers of our lives, bearing witness to everything that happens while maintaining  equanimity.

Checking in with yourself before you eat, notice if you are feeling balanced. If not, stop for a moment and breathe. Just breathe through the nose and let go of any tension or concerns on the exhalation. Let it be easy. When you feel a shift, begin eating. If you are very tense, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth a few times until you feel relaxed. Strong breath in, long breath out. Another way to center yourself is by saying grace. Here is an example from the Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh in Chanting from the Heart:
 
"This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings, and much hard and loving work.
May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food.
May we recognize and transform unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed.
May we take only foods that nourish us and keep us healthy.
We accept this food so that we may nurture our sisterhood and brotherhood, build our Sangha (Community),
and nourish our ideal of serving living beings."

The Goddess Annapurna is Mother Earth. She resides in every atom. Our lives depend on food, water, and air. Fire is the element associated with metabolism. Our health depends on harmonizing the elements within us. In this progam, I will be working backwards with the elements from Earth to Space. Each elemental blog post will include information on how to balance that particular elemental energy. 

*TIP As you work with this program, you may want to create a sacred space where you can invoke the Goddess and honor the five elements. Earth can be represented by grain or corn; Water by water or fresh fruit; Fire by a candle; Air by incense or a bell; and Space by a flower. 

How does it work? Imagine yourself at your ideal healthy weight. Hypnosis supports that vision until it becomes real. Your mind opens to suggestions that will help you attain your goal. Positive thoughts, mindful actions, gentle breathing, and emotional flow allow you to release the past and stay rooted in the present. Repetition and rehearsal prepare you for the future. Hypnosis is effective because it prepares your mind to accept positive suggestions, the way a gardener prepares the soil before planting her seeds. 

​Imagine you are the gardener. You begin by digging deep, pulling out old roots and rocks while breaking up the dirt. You turn over the soil, bringing in oxygen so that helpful microorganisms in the earth can breathe. You always use the best garden tools. And all that garbage you transformed into sweet-smelling compost? You add it to the soil, because compost is the perfect food for garden soil. Then you carefully drop in your seeds. You know which plants make good companions, like tomato and basil, so you place them close together. Lots of sunshine, enough water, and occasional weeding are all that's needed for your plants to thrive. Food from this garden will nourish you for life. ​

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​Confidence is like a crown jewel. When you wear it, you shine. Even a quietly confident person radiates authority and inspires trust. Confidence is supremely important when it comes to creating new behaviors, attaining goals and maintaining successful outcomes. When confidence appears to be lost or missing, there can be a domino effect. What happens to self-esteem, enthusiasm, contentment, courage and fortitude when confidence is missing?

When you begin fertility treatments it's important to have confidence in your team of health practitioners and your body's ability to cooperate. Sometimes a woman who has been highly successful in other areas of life feels betrayed by her body when pregnancy and birth do not happen at the time she feels ready to become a mother. Women who have no obvious medical issues preventing pregnancy can lose faith in their ability to conceive when, month after month, menstruation occurs rather than conception. Confidence needs to be restored. 

Confidence is also essential in patients preparing for surgery, clients wanting to give up addictive substances and behaviors, people who have been laid off in a tight job market, and ex-lovers feeling insecure due to separation and loss. Truly, we can all use a bit more confidence every now and then, but especially at those pivotal times in life when changes in our bodies, careers and relationships leave us feeling doubt and pain.

Where does confidence come from? For some people it seems as much an inherited trait as the color of their eyes. Even if they lose a little at times, it doesn't stop them. They know what to do to get it back. In other people confidence lies hidden in the shadows of negative thoughts and feelings of unworthiness, guilt, doubt and fear. It needs to be coaxed back into the light. In such cases it may take a little longer for confidence to emerge, but HYPNOSIS is a great facilitator and will make it happen sooner rather than later. There are many techniques a hypnotist has at her disposal to help a client experience confidence in any area of life.

One way in which a client can benefit is by tapping into a past life during hypnosis. Here is one example. A client struggling with issues of low self-esteem felt unable to 'stand in her power.' In trance, she experienced herself as a sheriff in the Old West -- a very, very tall man wearing a shiny silver star. "I am a man of stature!" she exclaimed, and went on to describe what it felt like to be be a tower of strength and a person of great social standing in the community. Because she was able to step into that experience fully, at the end of the session her whole bearing had shifted from the slump of depression to an open, relaxed, confident stance. By using all her senses to vividly recall feelings of empowerment in that lifetime, she was able to carry them forward in her present life, which gave a huge boost to her confidence. 

When we keep reinforcing positive experiences our perceptions begin to change. The half-empty glass becomes half-full. We discover that we are not who we thought we were. One experience of confidence is not usually enough to change an old, entrenched pattern. However, it is enough to shift our awareness and demonstrate unequivocally that we have tremendous inner resources and change is possible. We can learn with HYPNOSIS how to make our mind our friend, how to see the positive intention in negative behaviors, how to work with our feelings, and how to tap into our innate goodness and love. We can stop struggling and start dancing, moving through life with confidence, grace and poise. 

One of the best ways to begin your path to pregnancy is to believe with all your heart that your baby is waiting for you. Repeat this thought in your mind as you breathe, allowing yourself to relax more with each breath. When other thoughts arise, breathe into those as well, and let them go. All thoughts arise and subside in a stream of energy that flows through your body. If any doubts, concerns, or 'buts' start bubbling up to the surface, imagine them dissolving or floating away. Keep returning to the thought that serves you best: " My baby is waiting for me."

Thoughts are creative. That is why it is so important to become aware of your thoughts and to use language that supports your desire to become a mother. When you focus on 'fertility' rather than 'infertility' you are sending positive messages to your unconscious mind to create the right conditions for pregnancy and birth. After all, your baby is waiting for you.

At times, other people's thoughts might throw you off your game. Fortunately, there are simple techniques you can use to resist them. For example, if you are planning IVF and someone tells you that the procedure never worked for them, imagine yourself erasing that thought from a chalkboard.  You are creative. If you're not particularly visual, let yourself feel what it would be like to pluck negative thoughts from your mind the same way you would pluck weeds from a garden. You can also click an imaginary 'cancel' or 'delete' button to eliminate any thought that triggers worry, fear or doubt. Then replace negative thoughts with positive ones like "My baby is waiting for me."

When people speak of their sadness and disappointment, you can remain fully present without owning their pain by holding loving space for them. Compassion is healing, pity is not. Fortify yourself agains the limiting thoughts of others by creating healthy boundaries. You are, in essence, preparing to plant a garden. A good fence will help ensure successful germination of new seeds as well as an abundant harvest.

Hypnosis creates a deep feeling of relaxation that helps to banish the stress associated with negative thoughts. Any hidden, unconscious thoughts and beliefs that might be at odds with your desire to have a baby are also identified and released during hypnosis. The part of your mind that creates, imagines and dreams becomes receptive to positive suggestions that will boost your confidence, bolster your courage, increase your enthusiasm and affirm a strong, healthy body.