Hypnosis

"Recent work has confirmed this unconscious awareness. Henry Bennett, a psychologist at the University of California Medical School at Davis, played a tape to anesthetized patients asking them to signal that they had heard the message by touching their ears during a post-op interview. Nearly all of them repeatedly tugged at their ears without being aware of it, but none could remember the message. In another experiment, Dr. Bennett asked unconscious patients to make one hard warmer than the other, and they promptly complied. With another group of patients, nonhypnotic pre-op suggestions that blood would leave the hip area reduced blood loss by half during hip surgery. We have an incredible mechanism by which we can direct chemotherapy to a cancer or divert blood to starve a tumor." Siegel


I am going to go see a hypnotist. Melissa, my friend and purple belt training partner, starting seeing one before the abu dhabi competition. She said she had two sessions and it helped her mindset immensely. We had lunch today and she was heading to her third session, in preparation for pan ams in a week. Not only did they do unconscious work, but she also taught Melissa strategies for shaping her thoughts and how to delete negative ones.

I know for competing, but also for cancer, my mindset is my weakest point. I figure what she does for jiu jitsu fighters would be useful for me not just as a martial artist, but also as a cancer fighter. I want to tap into the power of this mind body connection. I want to push the boundaries of mind/body/spirit and forge ahead with strong beliefs and convictions that I am getting well and I am living to the fullest.

I am excited to add another aspect and another person to all the ways I am pursuing overall wellness.


I read recently: "there are no incurable diseases, only incurable people." I am willing to examine and try to dismantle all the barriers that exist between me and healing. This is just another avenue.

In other news, my mind set has changed, or the terminology I adopt has changed. I don't think people exist in states of living or of dying... If they do, then everyone is dying. I think the categories are alive or dead. And while there is life in this body I am going to give, love, and live as much as possible.