Most of us struggle to change habit patterns that cause us pain and confusion. It’s often a “one step forward, two steps back” process. Whether we’re trying to quit smoking or lose weight, end a drug, alcohol or sex addiction, or recover from trauma, we often feel helpless and demoralized when these patterns seem to take over.

This article has insights that are a good preparation for the January/February webinar that begins next Wednesday, the 15th: Emotional Healing Begins in the Present Moment The Buddha said:  “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

I once took a weekend seminar at NalandaWest in Seattle with a wonderful Tibetan teacher, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, author of Open Heart, Open Mind. Rinpoche has a down to earth, humorous way of presenting the teachings, filled with personal anecdotes.

I am excited today to share with you a YouTube clip that documents the effectiveness of hypnosis for medical anesthesia. It is just a 2 minute clip, but it is from ABC News with Diane Sawyer so it should carry a lot of prestige with the public.

This is Part 4 of a series of posts called, “Everything That Distresses You.”  This series will be especially helpful for helping you to actually enjoy, and deal creatively with, the challenges that being around family can bring mentally, emotionally, and physically.