A daily series, Connect! Unite! Act! seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups regularly socialize but also get out the vote, support candidates and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers-that-be. Visit us every morning at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time to see how you can get involved. The comment thread is fun and light-hearted, but we're serious about moving the progressive political agenda forward.
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Have you Ever Been Hypnotized?
Was it For Fun or For Therapeutic Purposes?
A close college friend and former lover died suddenly when I was 20 years old, which threw me into a year-long emotional tailspin . My stomach ached constantly, I couldn't eat, and I dropped weight at such an alarming rate that friends began insisting that whatever diet I was on I should stop now. It went on for so long I stopped even connecting the physical distress to my grief. Finally a radiologist friend of mine who was concerned about my dramatic weight loss sat and talked to me during a long night shift. He wrote me a prescription for 5 Valium pills to see if that would relax me enough to help me eat, making me promise I would get to the root of the problem rather than relying on the pills.
"You're doing this to yourself," he said.
I was a remarkably dumb 20 year old, emotionally speaking. I had no clue what he meant. How could I make my own stomach hurt all the time? Why would I even do such a thing? But a few days later as I walked across the college campus I thought about my lost friend, and when my stomach instantly seized up in pain I finally made the undeniable connection between what my brain was thinking and how my gut was responding. I was doing it to myself, which meant I should also be able to stop it. I detoured to the college bookstore and found a book called Stress and the American Woman, which explained the physiological effects of stress and how the sympathetic nervous system's fight or flight response shut down the digestive process. The remedy was to guide the body back to the relaxed, parasympathetic or "rest and digest" state. This was what the Valium had done, but I didn't like how groggy it made me feel. I wanted to be able to control and direct this response myself.
The book went on to offer three practical methods of relieving this physiologic stress: Progressive relaxation, meditation, and self-hypnosis. I found the first two methods frustrating and difficult, but the third....ah, that taught the use of my own imagination to relax and then vividly tell myself a story about how I wanted to feel.
I studied the instructions carefully and spent the next half hour imagining myself walking down numerous flights of stairs (going deeper), descending 10 floors in an elevator (going deeper), gliding down an escalator (going deeper still), and then writing numbers on a giant blackboard and erasing them until I worked my way down to zero (so deep now, so relaxed and at peace). Then I gave myself my set of suggestions. I am hungry. Food smells wonderful. I enjoy nourishing myself with good food. I imagined myself in every detail sitting at my little table, eating macaroni and cheese, savoring each bite. In this relaxed state my stomach didn't rebel. I imagined eating an entire serving and even licking the bowl, and then counted upwards to five and brought myself back into the room and opened my eyes. I felt light and at ease. My stomach was calm.
I quickly made some boil-in-a-bag mac and cheese and ate several blissful bites until my stomach rejected the process and clamped down again. But I kept repeating the exercise daily, gradually teaching myself to eat and enjoy food again. This took time. It took a year to gain five pounds back. But at the end of that year I'd learned a skill I would use for the rest of my life in many situations. Eventually I studied hypnosis formally with a wonderfully playful and intuitive teacher who taught me how to throw away all the rules and just improvise. I went on to professionally record a series of hypnotherapy CD's and to incorporate principles of positive suggestion into my practice and into my life.
As my gift to anyone who is interested, kosmail me and I will be happy to email you one of these soundtracks. I've been told I have a relaxing voice, and it makes me happy to be able to share this gift of relaxation and focused intention with you.
There are, of course, plenty of notions about hypnosis and what it can and can't do, and I'll be happy to answer any of those in the comments. To put it simply, anything you create in the physical world begins with a plan, an intention. You wouldn't just start randomly piling up bricks and claim you're building a house; you'd draw up a blueprint first, however rough. Hypnosis is that stage of visualizing and planning where you decide what it is you want to do or be. Do you want to be a non-smoker again? A more peaceful person who can release worry, fear or pain? A student who can take a test and effortlessly retrieve the information you've carefully studied? Your mind can be trained to make the blueprints for these goals and guide you towards them.
The greatest fear people have about hypnosis is that it is some kind of mind-control; that someone could take over your will and make you do things you would never otherwise do. I can assure you that no one could ever make you do something that goes against your grain or your conscience (I know this because someone tried it on me and it utterly failed..I stood up and walked away). The state of hypnosis is simply one where your body is relaxed and your mind is receptive to positive suggestion. The part of you that decides what is right and wrong never relinquishes vigilance or control. If you don't trust the person you're with you will not accept their suggestions. No one could hypnotize you and make you rob a bank unless you truly wanted to and thought you actually could. People who get up on stage and cluck like a chicken for a professional hypnotist are more than willing to take part in the fun and accept the "permission" to do so...but nobody could ever force an unwilling person up on that stage!
Have you ever been hypnotized?
Or,
Have you ever successfully taught yourself to do something in your mind until you actually did it?
Latest Updates on Kossack Regional Meet-Up News Can Be Found Below the Orange Group Hug.
Let's Build Communities!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
List of All Existing Meatspace Groups
Where the Kogs Are: Index/Directory of the 130+ Localized Daily Kos Groups
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
Uniting Kansas: Recap of Meetup, Hutchinson (Video)
by tmservo433 ♥ for Kansas & Missouri Kossacks
tmservo433 organized a successful event featuring 3 candidates and a AFL-CIO endorsement.
Despite 100+ degree temperature, and a normal size crowd (about 50/60) the event in Hutchinson quickly went viral, with a few thousand watching the streams online, thanks to agressive sharing, emailing and people encouraging others to spread the live stream of the video.
Please visit
tmservo433's diary for the videos of this event. You can still REC it. You can join
Kansas & Missouri Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to
tmservo433.
Connecting Kansas:
Democrats Unite in Emporia
by tmservo433 ♥ for Kansas & Missouri Kossacks
So our latest hero, tmservo433 provides a great re-cap to the event we promoted here for him.
At the time Paul Davis spoke, I had an in room headcount of 166, which is a heck of a turnout. Sam Brownback couldn't bring in 200 in the Kansas City Metro when Rick Santorum came to town.
Kossacks showed up. Several Kossacks were in the hall, as well as individuals who noticed I still had on my Netroots gear, and were happy to come and tell us how they are working for change in our communities.
tmservo433 is doing great work seeking out Kossacks and moving his state's progressive agenda forward.
Please visit tmservo433's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Kansas & Missouri Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to tmservo433.
Los Angeles Kossacks June 28th Meetup Report
by susans ♥ for Los Angeles Kossacks
The Los Angeles Kossacks ranks have increased by 40% in the last few months. New members attended the latest recreational field trip to see the retired space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in Exposition Park near downtown Los Angeles.
Back Row L-R: Vyan, Chiwere, susans, Otoelbc, mommyp00ka, Ducktape
Front Row L-R: Robin, 714day, Little Loner, Moody Loner, jakedog42 and grandaughter, SanFernandoValleyMom
Please visit susans's diary for details on the Space Shuttle. You can still REC it. You can join Los Angeles Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to susans.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast the date of your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Monday, August 4th
Asheville Kossacks Connect for Lunch Before Moral Monday's Event with Reverend Barber!
Followed by a stroll through downtown to the Mountain Moral Monday event
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Rosetta's Kitchen
111 Broadway St • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Joieau
4. DawnN
5. Lamont Cranston
6. Gordon20024
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Saturday, August 9th
Northern & Central Florida Kossacks Meet-up
with (D) DC Koller who is running for House Representative against Rich Nugent
TIME: 10:00 AM
LOCATION: Vetwife's Home
Kosmail Vetwife for address • Inverness
ORGANIZER: Send Vetwife a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Vetwife
2. Vet
3. Gordon20024
4. nancyjones
5.
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Latest diary: Fl Meetup update.. Short diary..lots of Info
Saturday, August 9th
Kansas Missouri Kossacks Picnic - Local Candidate Speaks
Meet at the Hays city park to enjoy a free hamburger/hotdog/watermelon feed. Jim Sherow along with other local candidates will be speaking.
TIME: NOON
LOCATION: Municipal Park
1st and Main • Hays, Kansas
ORGANIZER: Send tmservo433 a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. tmservo433
2. Skohays
3.
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Latest diary: Major Kansas Events: Your Chance to Change a State
Saturday, August 9th
LA Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Guild Restaurant
611 W. 7th St • Downtown Los Angeles
ORGANIZER: Send susans a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. susans
2. Shockwave
3. navajo
4. Meteor Blades
5. Knucklehead
6. SanFernandoValleyMom
7. Otoelbc
8. Chiwere
9. Vyan
10. 714day
11. Ducktape
12. Mugwump Blues
13. Just Saying
14. Just Saying's friend
15. Panorama City Chick
16. jakedog42
17. Santa Susanna Kid
18. La Gitane
19. Susan from 29
20. gmats
21. Dave in Northridge
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Maybees:
Joe Bacon
Bruin Kid
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Latest diary: Los Angeles Kossacks June 28th Meetup Report
Saturday, August 16th
Nashville KosKats Meet-up
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Shipwreck Cove at the Elm Hill Marina
3361 Bell Road • Nashville
ORGANIZER: Send ZenTrainer a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. ZenTrainer
2. Jon Sitzman
3.
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Maybees:
Patrick is Lucky
Sow Hat
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Latest diary: Nashville KosKats Meet-up. August 16th
Saturday, August 16th
DC Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: National Mall
at the Smithsonian Metro stop • Washington DC
ORGANIZER: Send NinthElegy a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. NinthElegy
2.
3.
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Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Sunday, August 24th
NYC Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington Street (Ludlow) • NYC
ORGANIZER: Send kathny a kosmail to RSVP
RSVPs:
1. kathny
2. belinda ridgewood
3. rubyr
4. joanbrooker
5. mconvente
6. ericlewis0
7. No Exit
8. sidnora
9. gchaucer2
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Maybees:
BaritoneWoman
jfdunphy
David Nir
Lysis
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Latest diary: NYC Meetup Sunday August 24 at Spitzer's
Saturday, September 6th
Sacramento Kossacks Meet-up
Potluck with BYOB
TIME: 4:00 - 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Kestrel's home
Address given privately to RSVPs • Sacramento
ORGANIZER: Send cooper888 a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Kestrel
2. cooper888
3. got mooned
4. typsy
5.
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Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Pikes Peak Region Kossacks
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Saturday, September 13th
Pikes Peak Region Kossacks Inaugural Meet-up!
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Panera Bread
7344 North Academy Boulevard (general address) or 7351 Atlas Walk Way (mall address) • Colorado Springs
ORGANIZER: Send thanatokephaloides a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. thanatokephaloides
2. tmservo433 (visiting from Kansas)
3.
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Latest diary: Our First Meeting: An Announcement
Sunday, October 19th
NYC Kossacks Meet-up with navajo
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington Street (Ludlow) • NYC
ORGANIZER: Send kathny a kosmail to RSVP
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2.
3.
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navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.