NLP Tips

What does NLP offer for Social Skills

2012-01-01T13:35:00.000Z

NLP can teach us how we speak to people at every level of consciousness

Okay maybe this NLP stuff might sound a bit strange, the idea of speaking at every level of consciousness. Actually, it's very simple because NLP is very logical.

Most of the time, we socialise in automatic ways. People who have difficulties socialising have been doing the same things in social situations for years, or avoided those situations completely. Meanwhile people who are excellent at socialising have also learnt habits. But their habits work more effectively making them feel good when they're mixing with other people.

We all have habits of speaking, gesturing, using our voice in a familiar way, using our favourite words and phrases. Whether we are good at it or not we mostly do it unconsciously. Even if you feel self-conscious, you do self-consciousness automatically - I mean it's not like you would ever consciously choose to feel self-conscious, would you? It's a habit.

The truth is you will socialise more easily and more often if you develop greater flexibility in how you feel, the state you are in and the way you express yourself. And as you learn you find it becomes a new habit, a good habit, working easily and naturally without having to think about it, feeling good and enjoying yourself.

How we make others feel good when we socialise confidently

We all communicate unconsciously as well as consciously. What we say with our words, phrases, voice tone, body language, facial expression, even with our breathing usually occurs outside conscious awareness and is received outside of the listener's consciousness. The listener notices all of it, but they don't exactly know what it is they are noticing as they draw conclusions about you.

NLP teaches you what is being noticed and felt unconsciously, how people draw those conclusions about you, as they watch and listen. You can discover what it is they are actually hearing, which might not always be what you had thought you were saying.

And this is another fundamentally important aspect to unconscious communication - the unconscious listening, reading, receiving and processing of communication. Whenever you speak to another person, verbally or non-verbally, they will always filter what you say to match their own expectations, their own model of the world, their own beliefs, their own structure of thinking.

The meaning of your communication is the response you get. Wouldn't it be great if you had more control over those responses, so you express what you mean to be understood.

NLP offers you insights and understanding about the way this filtering process works, giving you greater skill in grasping the thinking structures of others, translating your communication to more easily match their filtering processes, to be better understood within their model of the world.

Saying what you mean, meaning what you say

How many times have you seen somebody say one thing and yet you feel certain they mean something else? Have you considered you might be doing that too? And have you wondered how somebody just doesn't seem to hear what you say even though you feel your words were well considered, rehearsed and very clear?

And have you ever enjoyed one of those connections with somebody where you just seem to click straight away? Everything you hear them say seems to resonate, you see yourself becoming at ease with them immediately and feeling comfortable and relaxed.

Achieving those kind of connections can happen more often and more easily with some basic use of NLP skills and techniques. And the good thing about learning this stuff is how it enhances what you already do well, it enables you to be the best version of yourself.

Being in the right state

This is not just about communication either. You can also learn better control over your emotional and mental states. It isusually easier to relate to others when you feel calm and relaxed or when you see yourself being motivated and having fun. You can develop this skill too, which enhances those relationships immediately.

Another Successful Workshop

2011-12-03T09:56:00.001Z

Thank you everybody who came to last Saturday's meditation and NLP workshop at The Shoreham Chiropractic Clinic in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. It was great to see familar faces and new ones too and I was delighted to hear everybody's positive feedback at the end of the session.

As promised I will send an MP3 to all participants very soon, so you can practise the "pocket rituals" and metaphor trances at home.

I will also publish more news soon about meditation workshops and NLP courses in Brighton and Sussex for 2012. You will find the information on my blogs or by visiting my websites on the following links:

Hypnotherapy in Brighton

NLP Brighton and Sussex

Meditation in Brighton and Sussex

Meanwhile feel free to let me know how you get along or you can even post your comments here to share with others. I hope to see you soon.

NLP, Metaphors and “Pocket Rituals” - Workshop, Sussex

2011-11-21T14:01:00.003Z

Just a quick reminder that my NLP and meditation workshop is this coming Saturday 26th November from 10am to 1pm at Shoreham Chiropractic Clinic, Shoreham-by-Sea. You can book your place now by calling reception on 01273 461155.

The workshop is called "Meditation and Pocket Rituals for Self Realisation".

Many of the greatest therapists use metaphor to help their clients achieve emotional, mental and behavioural change. This is not surprising when you consider the power of your own dreams and how they can help you overcome difficulties and prepare for action.

In the western world Carl Jung led the way in understanding the amazing role of dreams and metaphor in our psychological and emotional development. Meanwhile many ancient civilisations have engaged in symbolic rituals for initiations and personal transformation.

In this workshop I will be sharing a variety of “pocket ritual” methods for generating inner resources and greater self awareness through the use of metaphors. All the methods in this workshop will be easy to learn and suitable to practise anywhere, even at home in your living room.

The workshop will conclude with a guided meditation allowing you to use your own metaphors in a highly focused state.

For more information about the influences on my work you can visit my websites:

Lucas Bright, Brighton - NLP

Spirit Space, Brighton - Meditation

New Premises for NLP & Hypnosis in Brighton

2011-10-31T17:44:00.007Z

Earlier this month I moved into my new premises. My new room is beautifully furnished and designed to create a luxuriously comfortable space for you to totally relax during your sessions with me.
I think you'll agree it provides the perfect setting for an enjoyable experience of NLP and hypnotherapy.

You can easily find my office on Google Maps by clicking on this link:

36a Duke Street, Brighton BN1 1AG

See you soon.

Public Speaking - How NLP Can Help

2011-04-01T15:29:00.010+01:00

The challenges of public speaking

Many people ask me for help with public speaking. Some want to overcome nervousness or be more confident when they speak publicly. Others want to make more impact on their audience, get their point across more clearly or be more persuasive.

It seems many jobs require public speaking, within the organisation or to people outside. So it is important to have these skills.

The building blocks of successful public speaking

Practical NLP techniques can help you overcome fear or nervousness and build lasting confidence for any kind of public speaking.

The key elements to speaking with confidence and making an impact:

Feeling calm and confident in advance of public speaking engagements and immediately before starting your presentations
Maintaining a comfortable state throughout the presentation, so you enjoy the experience
Engaging your audience, gaining rapport and maintaining interest
Getting your points across clearly
Being convincing and persuasive
Getting a response from your audience
Structuring your presentation - starting well and ending well

Where does this knowledge come from

I coach public speaking based on the strategies developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder the creators of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). They studied excellent communicators and built models from their observations. These models, or strategies, have been used by thousands of people with remarkable results.

One great influence on contemporary communication is Milton Erickson. He was a therapist and hypnotist, and an exquisite communicator. He knew how to use words and non-verbal communication to express messages and ideas with impact. The language patterns used by Milton Erickson are extremely valuable when speaking to audiences and individuals. And you can learn them very easily.

Saying what you mean, meaning what you say

How many times have you heard somebody say one thing and seem to mean something else? Incongruence can be an obstacle to clear communication, successful rapport and effective public speaking.

When you pay attention to your congruence you can really raise the standard of your speaking.

Making an impact

When you speak you communicate with people's unconscious as well as the conscious, so it is a good idea to be aware of what you are really saying at that level. Just for starters I would suggest paying attention to the response you get, because this is the real meaning of your communication.

Getting results with NLP

You probably realise I am a massive fan of NLP. And of course I use it to help my clients in all kinds of ways. So, if you want to become a more confident and effective public speaker, I'd encourage you to consider using NLP - maybe do some research into the subject or contact an NLP coach. Or you could find an NLP training course, maybe specifically for public speaking - Richard Bandler runs one called "Charisma Enhancement".

If you see an NLP coach or attend a training you will learn, in just a few hours, to put yourself in a confident state and communicate with grace and style. And then by maintaining congruence and using persuasive language patterns and impactful non-verbal communication you can enjoy remarkable results.

If you would like to find out more about using NLP you might like to contact me or check out some of the many other excellent NLP websites, such as NLP Connections or Pure NLP.

In a way it is quite simple, if you do what excellent people do you will get the results they get. But don't just take my word for it, try it yourself.

Thinking Yourself Organised

2011-03-16T10:29:00.011Z

Being organised
Have you ever wondered what makes some people more effective than others? Have you met somebody who calmly gets things done with no fuss, while those around them run about like headless chickens.

It seems to me the state of people's heads determines their ability to get things done smoothly and easily. You can probably recall times when you have been efficient, on top of things and at your most effective, because of the way you were thinking.

Or you might remember a time when somebody you admire impressed you with their organisational skills. Maybe you noticed how calm and steady they seem to be. They are organised from their thoughts through to their decisions, choices and actions.

Your great big filtering machine
Okay let's agree for the moment that when you are calm, focused and relaxed you can do things more efficiently. And let's pre-suppose you can only do things in an organised way when you are thinking in an organised way.

Organised thinking is important, because every waking moment of every day your senses are bombarded by vast amounts of information. Your subconscious mind manages all the information by selecting some stuff and ignoring other stuff. This is how your mind helps you get things done. It works like a "filtering machine".

You started deciding how to do this filtering a long time ago. When you were just a child you taught yourself how to filter (with a bit of influence from your parents). You created an automated system in your mind to choose which bits of sensory input to notice and which to ignore. And this is still being taken care of now by your subconscious mind.

What's the big idea
Fortunately you can learn to change some of your filtering systems from time to time. You can decide what you prefer to ignore and what you want to focus on. So the next time you experience chaos, confusion or stress you might reprogramme some of your mind's filtering systems - just an idea.

Even though your filtering system operates outside conscious awareness, you can change and adapt it so you have more useful choices.

Changing your filtering
Our internal filtering is thorough. It creates shortcuts to get things done. One of the most significant shortcuts is your system of beliefs. These beliefs can be the big ideas or the little notions. This is the key to how your filtering works. It is easy for you to eliminate or ignore certain "data" when you believe one thing and not another. Because you do not pay attention to things which contradict your beliefs. Similarly you really tend to notice things which conform to your beliefs. This is how people with phobias keep being scared and how people with optimism keep being lucky.

You can think of your system of beliefs as a mental map of your environment. Having the map is useful so long as you remember "the map is not the actual territory".

Seeing is believing is seeing
Did you know, when explorers first crossed oceans in their great ships and appeared on the horizon of remote islands something very curious happened, or didn't happen actually. The indigenous people on the beaches didn't see the ships on the horizon. How could they?

The indigenous people had no preconceived idea of anything like a ship, so it was impossible for their filtering mind to give them that information. Ships failed to fit their system of beliefs. They weren't on the mental maps.

However, shamans were different. As they studied the horizon they saw the ship. It was possible for them because they believed in more remarkable things, like the idea of gods or aliens crossing oceans in mysterious vessels. They could see the ship on the horizon very clearly, unsurprisingly. They had a very different set of filters. People often regarded their shamans as "seers" because they saw things which were invisible to everybody else.

"To filter or not to filter" - that is the question
We all need these filters, we all need beliefs. Otherwise we would constantly re-invent every experience in every moment. We would never have a concept of anything. Every time we saw a rectangular piece of wood in a rectangular hole we would have to rediscover the door. Subjective experience depends upon mental filtering, internal maps, beliefs.

Sometimes it can be useful to adjust your filters, to adapt your beliefs sufficiently to generate new perceptions, to re-organise your mind.

Creating your beliefs
You always have a choice. You can feel like a passive observer of an imagined world produced by old established beliefs or you can experiment from time to time, try believing something new and see what it feels like. You can always change it back again if it doesn't work.

Using your brain for a change
"Using your brain for a change" is the title of one of the early books written by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, the creators of NLP. The title of the book seems to be a clever play on words. Using your brain to create a change in your thinking is a big opportunity for you, the opportunity to be more organised inside out - starting from the inside and effecting the outside.

Getting results
Learning to challenge your own filters and beliefs can feel a little strange to start with, maybe a bit confusing. That confusion can be a sign of changes being made to your filters allowing you to re-organise the way you think and do things. Doing this can allow you to remove obstacles and find more of a flow in what you do.

When you create and adapt your beliefs and thinking as an adult it can be very different to when you did this as a child, because this time you are making a conscious decision about how you organise your mind to work for you.

You can read more about how I can help you organise your mind by visiting my website: Using NLP to be more organised or you can contact me for further information

Brighton Meditation Classes with a bit of NLP

2010-08-05T10:54:00.004+01:00

In October I am teaching a new meditation and Yoga Nidra workshop in Brighton, designed to help you meditate more easily. The workshop is more than just meditation, it is based on a technique known as Yoga Nidra and incorporates some powerful NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) techniques to revolutionise the way you meditate.

What has Yoga Nidra to do with meditation

Yoga Nidra is a unique practice incorporating relaxation, meditation and the actual state of Yoga Nidra itself i.e. “conscious sleep”. Unlike other styles of yoga, such as Hatha, there are no stretches, no postures and no movement. The whole practice is performed lying on a mat.

How I use NLP to teach meditation and Yoga Nidra

When I teach Yoga Nidra and meditation in Brighton, I use a unique approach to guide the practice, incorporating techniques from the Bihar School of Yoga and from NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), to accelerate the process of relaxation and meditation, so you develop a routine to use for the rest of your life.

The system of Yoga Nidra, as developed by the Bihar School of Yoga, is extremely effective and NLP helps you get started a little more easily. That's why I combine the two techniques because it will help you overcome some of the typical obstacles to relaxation and meditation.

There is another reason I use some NLP when I teach Yoga Nidra in Brighton, because it helps you develop your "sankalpa". The word sankalpa roughly translates as resolve or resolution and it helps you set-up a strong intent whenever you practise Yoga Nidra. In fact, you will always repeat a specific resolution phrase, or sankalpa, to yourself three times at the start and again at the end of each practice. Using some very simple NLP you can make sure you really experience the full intention behind your sankalpa, thereby giving it more power, more than just words, much more.

I am a qualified NLP trainer certified by Richard Bandler (co-creator of NLP) and licenced to train by the Society of NLP, so you can enjoy peace of mind knowing I will be using the very latest knowledge to enhance your experience.

You can find more information about Yoga Nidra, meditation and my Brighton classes and workshops on my new website http://www.spiritspace.co.uk

Meanwhile here is some more detail about what my Yoga Nidra workshops are all about.

What you will learn in my Brighton Yoga Nidra workshops

Unlike regular Yoga Nidra classes I am offering a full three hour workshop to give you a chance to explore some of the specific elements of Yoga Nidra in a bit more detail, to utilise some great NLP techniques and to combine other consciousness teachings. So you get the best benefits from the practice. Each workshop is unique because I adapt the way I teach to meet the requirements of the group I am teaching.

My aim is to help you develop skills way beyond relaxation, skills you can use in your everyday life to improve your emotional well being, your mental effectiveness and your general health.

The workshops are always very practical. I remain focused on the experience itself throughout the Yoga Nidra workshop to ensure you enjoy a positive learning experience. I encourage practical questions rather than theoretical ones, though I will make sure you have some basic theory to support your understanding.

During the first two hours of the workshop I help you develop some useful skills by tackling key elements of Yoga Nidra, supported by some useful NLP. Then, during the last hour, I guide you through a compete Yoga Nidra practice.

Dates & venue for my Yoga Nidra workshops in Brighton

- Saturday 9th October 2010, 10am to 1pm

- Saturday 30th October 2010, 10am to 1pm

Venue: The Studio, Aloka, 14 East Street, Brighton BN1 1HP

Booking your place on a Yoga Nidra workshop in Brighton

You can contact me by telephoning 07771 823651, e-mail info@springtomind.co.uk or message me on Skype, username lucasbright.

NLP Book - NLP at Work by Sue Knight

2009-10-09T10:27:00.007+01:00

NLPer Sue Knight has published the third edition of her book NLP at Work. So what is new about this edition?

Sue has been modelling Frank Farrelly, creator of Provocative Therapy, for several years. She now feels comfortable in presenting the way she and Frank work with Provocative Therapy and humour. She wants the book to help ensure Provocative Therapy gets the recognition it deserves.

Sue also believes David Grove (who sadly died suddenly in January 2008) deserves to be known the world over for his work with Clean Language and Metaphor.

Sue has introduced the work of Frank and David in the third edition of her book and, in particular, she seeks to demonstrate how their work can be incorporated into the way we all negotiate our way through the winding pathways of life.

Sue has also added a chapter about the impact of how we represent time and how we can use that representation to enrich our experience in the present.

Most importantly Sue wants to tell us how she now views the topics covered in the first two editions with the benefit of age, faith and experience. Sue says “I have appreciated applications and nuances that were limited by my immaturity when I wrote that first draft all those years ago.”

In her comments about the new edition Sue acknowledges the changes in the world and increased alarm for the future of the planet and reflects on the only certainties in the world - uncertainty and mortality. Sue believes NLP has given her a means to live with both. Sue says “If I were to prioritise the learning that I encourage in my students, it is the ability to embrace a state of unknowing, to live in the present and to open themselves with every pore of their body to feedback.”

NLP - Word Games (1)

2009-10-05T09:02:00.011+01:00

Words
Have you ever noticed that there are certain words that always make you feel good? Maybe you can think of such a word right now. I wonder if you hear yourself saying that word more often on a day when things are going well for you. Or have you felt really good just because somebody else has used this word in a conversation?

There are all kinds of words that make me feel good. Some are just names of places, countries I've visited, landscapes I've seen where I've been transformed into an amazing state of happiness and wellbeing. Then there are words about actions, ways of doing something or just descriptive words that resonate. Some of my favourite words are "laughing", "exhileration", "freedom" and "bliss". I have a friend who really likes the word "guacamole".

A Game You Can Play with a Word
Well here's a game you can play, but only play this game if you want to feel good more often. You might want to follow the procedure very carfefully so you complete the whole game and get the really good feelings or you might like to explore the different ways you can play it to get the best results.

The rules of the basic game are very simple.

All you have to do is pick one word at the start of the day, the kind of word that always creates extremely good feelings in you. If you want to make sure you have chosen the right kind of word, just say the word to yourself a few times and notice what kind of feelings it creates. This isn't the same as affirmations, so I don't want you to pick a phrase or a sentence. Just pick one word.

Then, during the course of the day, see how many times you can deliberately, introduce the word into conversations. Use the chosen word at least ten times in the day to get the best kind of results.

And I wonder what you notice about how good you feel at the end of the day just by letting the sound of this word do its magic at a deep and unconscious level.

Ways to Win
One tip on getting the most out of this game is to remember "it's just a game". I have met some people who read a lot of great self help books. They practise exercises and techniques very seriously. Their brow furrows, they screw up their face in concentration, like they are constipated. I guess some people enjoy trying very hard to do things, to squeeze out a positive result. However I have a hunch the best way to practise any kind of self help technique is to adopt the right attidude, the kind of attitude you have when you're just playing. So things flow easily and automatically as you have fun.

Do you remember playing games as a child? I am reminded of being at school. I am there in my imagination right now, sitting in class listening to my favourite teacher. She always seems to invent great games to play. It is much more fun than doing lessons. Then, as time passes, I find I have learnt so much from these games and the learnings have just integrated into my life without any effort at all. And the more fun the game, the more I learn.

Some very inspiring people seem to take this playful attitude into adult life and achieve incredible results. I guess Einstein and Newton spent a lot of time playing.

You could decide to play this game every day. Some people might say why run before you can walk. Then again most of us were taught to walk a long time ago. So why just walk when you can run? The great thing about playing as an adult is nobody is going to tell you to stop running in the corridor are they.

Have fun.

Author - Andy Lucas, Spring to Mind NLP Brighton

My New Office in Brighton and Hove

2009-10-01T08:46:00.012+01:00

Just a quick announcement:

I have now secured new premises in Brighton and Hove. This is great news if you live in the Brighton area and would like NLP and hypnotherapy for stopping smoking, weight control, exam nerves, public speaking, confidence, tackling anxiety, managing stress, pain control or just for some coaching to make your life even better.

The address is:

Unit 21, 98 Goldstone Villas, Hove BN3 3RU

The therapy room, based in premises in Goldstone Villas, Hove is easily accessible by bus, train or car.

Immediately outside Hove railway station.
Regular number 7 buses stop outside the office.
Parking available in the station car park.

If you arrive early for your appointment there is a very pleasant pub nextdoor called The Station, which serves food and hot drinks.

Clinic Hours

Monday to Friday -10am to 7pm subject to availability

Author: Andy Lucas, Spring to Mind Advanced NLP Therapeutic Specialist, Brighton & Hove

NLP Resources

2009-06-27T15:04:00.005+01:00

I am often asked where you can find good resources on all things NLP. Well there are many sites out there with lots to offer. However my favourite place to find up-to-date information, stimulating discussions, brand new techniques and news of the best events and training is NLP Connections.

Meanwhile, in this blog, I continue to share many of the insights and techniques I have gathered over the years of studying, and as a result of practising as an Advanced NLP Therapeutic Specialist (licensed by the Society of NLP). In fact there a no more than 50 people with this most advanced certification in the whole of the UK. And one of the things I have discovered is, as my knowledge has become more advanced and deeper, the amazing power of language and the remarkable changes that can occur. Even by reading something creates a major shift in thinking better.

It can very curious reading articles by advanced NLP therapists, such as myself, because sometimes it seems like there is a grammatical error and yet it is this artfully vague and sometimes seemingly ambiguous use of language that can lead you to the most amazing realisations especially when you let the learnings reach deep into the unconscious triggering a kind of freedom from old patterns as a new pathway seems to open up before you creating all kinds of opportunities just because you allow yourself to think more flexibly now.

Meanwhile if you would like to learn how you can immediately adopt some very effective changes in the way you think to yourself now, you can visit my website for information on one to one coaching to help you use NLP to change your mind for the better or to quote Richard Bandler's book title "to use your brain for a change".

Andy Lucas - Advanced NLP Brighton

NLP - Anchoring

2009-06-24T19:53:00.004+01:00

I wonder what situations you would like to see yourself being more focused or feeling more relaxed and calm. Perhaps you like the sound of being a confident speaker or meeting new people with self assurance. And I guess there are many other situations where it would be great to be able to switch on a resourceful state of mind at will even before you've thought about it because it's just happened automatically. Maybe you have always wondered how you can quickly achieve and sustain these kind of improvements.

I enjoy using NLP to help my clients make instant and lasting progress in their ability to get into a good state. And one of the first things I do is teach you how to use "anchors".

I have often been asked to explain exactly what we mean in NLP when we talk about anchors. I guess the easiest way to understand it is to think about it literally. You know how an anchor keeps a ship in port. It is small yet very strong and solid and it can be found sitting very deep under the surface. A rope attaches the small anchor to the big ship holding it safely in position on the surface.

Now I don't like to explain everything, because I know your unconscious mind learns better when it works stuff out for itself. So I'd rather suggest you consider how the analogy of the anchor and the ship would help your ability to be in a useful state for some situation such as public speaking, sitting exams, socialising or something else.

And maybe you could be aware of how there really is nothing new about anchors at all. They exist anyway. So you can reflect on your ability to sometimes stay in a very useful state of mind already. You might remind yourself of such situations now as you ponder. Yet you might also find something exciting about the prospect of being able to use this natural ability more often by actually creating some of your own anchors and practising using them at chosen times.

So I could explain to you some very easy to learn techniques for developing anchors and yet I can't help thinking you can work this out for yourself and start teaching your unconscious mind to do the things it does well more often and in more situations now, wouldn't you.

Andy Lucas - NLP Coach Brighton

NLP - Habit Change

2009-06-16T18:24:00.008+01:00

I often receive enquiries about whether NLP and/or hypnotherapy can help with giving up an unwanted habit e.g. biting nails, thumb sucking, picking the face, smoking.

There's Giving Up

I don't know about you, but I have never liked "giving up" anything. It just sounds like sacrificing something good.

I guess this is a reminder of how NLP has you take care about the words you use, pay attention to what you hear yourself saying or just watch out for those sneaky phrases.

When you truly decide to stop doing something, you have already decided it no longer serves you, haven't you. So I don't suppose it's really a sacrifice at all, is it. Can you imagine our ancestors making sacrifices of something unwanted to the gods? So that phrase "giving up" seems a bit redundant, doesn't it.

And if you are still in two minds about whether you want to stop this habit or not, the phrase "giving up" is not going to make that decision any easier, is it. You can carry on using that mantra if you like - "giving up, giving up, giving up". It's a wonderful piece of self-hypnosis for having you continue the old habit. Or you can take control of the things you say to yourself and others to make the change you want to happen more easily now.

And There's Giving Up

There's another meaning to the phrase "giving up". Sometimes it means "quitting"...... Oops.

I must admit I have a bit of pride. I really don't like quitting things at all. It just sounds like something I might do if I didn't think I could succeed, like quitting an exam, quitting a challenge, quitting a competition.

It's all about language again, isn't it. After all, there are times in life when it is a good thing to "stop" something. It can be decisive, prudent, wise or even courageous, certainly not the action of a quitter. And there are times when it's best not to quit, when you need to be determined, persistent, motivated. It's funny how people who talk about "quitting smoking" seem to prefer "stopping quitting" and end up feeling like a quitter anyway. It's not their fault. Nobody ever told them about the power of language. I'm glad somebody told me.

I wonder

I wonder what you notice first about how much easier it is to change a habit when you finish quitting and start changing, or you cease giving up and start stopping instead. You might want to read that again or you might like to let it sink into your unconscious where it can begin to make a difference for the better now.

I think that's all I have to say about the subject right now. I could give up typing anything else in this particular posting, however I don't really like giving up, so I'll just stop instead.

Author: Andy Lucas, Advanced NLP Therapeutic Specialist

NLP Practitioners Course - Sussex

2009-05-12T11:37:00.004+01:00

If you are looking for an excellent NLP Practitioners course in the south of England, you may be interested in June O'Driscoll's course which is being held at the Holiday Inn, Gatwick, West Sussex from 18th to 25th May.

June O'Driscoll is a member of the Society of NLP and was trained by Richard Bandler (co-creator of NLP) and Paul McKenna. She regularly works with both of them. June has developed her own unique and engaging approach to training NLP practitioners and has inspired many of her students to integrate NLP into their lives in remarkable and rewarding ways.

I particularly like the way June covers so much NLP practitioner material in just seven days. She is a highly skilled trainer, adept at effective communication and at making learning fun. It seems the more you learn with her the more you have fun, and the more you have fun the more you learn.

June O'Driscoll is not only brilliant at teaching people who have never learnt NLP before she is also incredible at imparting new skills and levels of expertise to people who already have knowledge of the subject and to people who are already licenced NLP practitioners.

The delegate price for the whole course is £1,457. June is also offering the course at a special reduced rate to anybody who already has an NLP Practitioners certificate and would like to retrain as part of their continuous professional development. The special rate for the whole course is less than a £100 a day i.e. £677 for the whole week for anybody with an NLP Practitioners certificate.

June's co-trainer for the course is Geoff Rolls. He has a tremendous sense of humour and has an amazing knowledge of NLP language patterns, the Meta Model and the Milton Model.

I will also be their assisting June and Geoff.

Completion of the course will entitle you to join June's Yahoo Group and her NLP Practice Group, both of which are valuable sources of learning and continuous development.

If you would like to find out more about the course you can visit June's website: http://www.thoughtitude.co.uk.

What is NLP
NLP West Sussex
NLP Practitioners Course
NLP Gatwick

NLP - The Power of the Senses

2009-05-12T10:12:00.003+01:00

Wow - Isn't it wonderful to be reminded of the instant state change we can experience just by being in a location that makes us feel good.

I have just spent the weekend in a beautiful camping site called Wowo in East Sussex. I have been there three times now, so I enjoy the instant good feelings I experience there because of all the positive anchors:

As I start packing my bags and getting my things together, lifting things into the back of the car, looking at the stuffed boot, tent, sleeping bag, various bits of equipment, I feel excited and I am already visualising the weekend ahead. I am already imagining being there and there is something curiously relaxing about this kind of excitement.

Then, during the journey to the site, there is a familiar sequence of signposts and landmarks which have become a sliding anchor with the state of excitement becoming increasingly strong as I get nearer to the campsite itself.

As the excitement builds, and as I enjoy focusing on the excitement more and more, I discover that any residual feelings of tension from the week drain away completely, effortlessly. It reminds me of pulling the plug out of the bath and letting it empty completely. There's a wonderful feeling of lightness.

When I reach the campsite my senses are overwhelmed by positive anchors. The sheer beauty of the lush green landscape feels me with joy to be alive. The greens are complemented by the pretty blooms of blues, purples, yellows and whites. And there is something about the freshness of the air as I gently breathe, something restful and yet invigorating. Meanwhile the birds take it in turns with each of their unique little choruses of welcome. It's as if their chorus of sound creates a sheet beneath me gradually lifting me to the level of the branches so I can be there in the sky with them.

So the location has created a perfect state of joy and relaxation. And, at the same time, as my friends arrive and greet me and as we help each other assemble the tents I automatically enjoy a warm feeling inside, a feeling of contentment which always arises in me when I take the time to enjoy the smiling faces of my friends and to hear in their voices everything I have come to appreciate about them and about our friendship.

Isn't it funny how it only takes a few moments to focus outside of ourselves, to see the beauty around us, and to notice the people there we care about, so those good feelings are allowed to emerge.

As I enjoy recalling the wonderful weekend I think to myself "Isn't it great, whatever your particular magical memories are, you can recall those good memories anytime you like, see what you saw, hear what you heard and feel what you felt and allow yourself to be there as long as you like to have some good feelings right now."

I have made a promise to myself to trigger these anchors using my imagination more often. Because I know any time I want to feel relaxed, to experience calmness or contentment, to have pleasant warm feelings inside all I have to do is remember to do this, to recall the magic of my special place. And I know the more I practise this the more it becomes a habit to make myself feel good quickly and instantly in any situation I choose.

Andy Lucas - Advanced Therapeutic Specialist
NLP West Sussex
Hypnotherapy near Worthing

Being Busy

2009-05-01T09:00:00.003+01:00

I read a quote on Twitter today that went something like "success comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it". An initial reaction to these apparently wise words might be "Great, I don't have to try and be successful. I can just make myself busy and it will happen."

Ummmm..... Is it just me or is there a major flaw in this proposition?

It is very easy to be busy. It's easy to find things to do, especially in this age of technology, e-mails, web browsing, networking.... There is just so much we can do to keep ourselves busy. Yet, I can't help noticing, from my experience in all kinds of work situations, the busiest people are not necessarily the most productive. So I wonder what would happen if we were to make a habit of stepping back and just checking what exactly it is we are doing when we are "busy".

Using NLP skills to consciously observe and track our own patterns of behaviour I wonder what kind of short effective routines we could build into our day to make sure our activity is productive.

I have a hunch if you maintain more control over how and what you do when you are busy you might actually find yourself becoming more productive and less busy. And as you become less busy becoming even more successful.

I wonder what kind of changes in the quality of life arise when you allow yourself to have still time, time doing nothing. What if being busy was escaping from the greater challenge of being still with oneself? What if being still with oneself opened up a whole new level of consciousness beyond your imagination? What if all those things that the ancient sages said about meditation, stillness and self realisation turned out to be true just because you stopped being busy long enough to notice?

Hypnotherapy Shoreham
NLP Sussex

NLP - Secrets and Surprises

2009-04-30T11:54:00.000+01:00

I've just found out about the new Secret Cinema in Brighton.

As soon as I found out about this I was reminded of the value of anticipation in a successful therapy session.

Have you ever noticed what happens when you find out that a surprise is awaiting you, a surprise birthday present, a secret guest at a party, a special treat, a holiday to a secret destination..... What if you remembered such a time now? What do you remember about the kinds of feelings you had when you enjoyed a sense of anticipation? What do you remember of the very first time you were anticipating such a surprise? Was it the anticipation or the excitement that gave you the most pleasure and made you feel so good?

I wonder if you have ever been on a really good training session where, right from the start, you knew something great was going to happen to your learning, even though you didn't yet know what it was going to be.

Or maybe you recall reading a book where the suspense just grew and grew. Perhaps you couldn't even put the book down, because your attention was so fixed in such an enjoyable way.

Then there are those films or TV programmes where the episode was so enthralling you couldn't wait for the next one. I must admit I've even trawled the internet looking for the early release of a sequel because of the sense of anticipation and curiosity I've been having.

And how much more highly tuned are your senses when you are experiencing that anticipation? So that you are able to enjoy every moment and learn even more than usual because of a natural feeling of being in the present, taking in every bit of information so your unconscious can use it in its own unique and resourceful way.

Even though I could suggest today what I think are the greatest benefits of regularly allowing yourself to enjoy moments of anticipation, curiosity and pleasant surprises, I know how much more learning you experience when you allow yourself to discover it for yourself like all the best kinds of learning.

Surprise yourself.

Shoreham NLP
Shoreham Hypnotherapy
Performance Coaching Shoreham

NLP - Phobias

2009-04-30T09:35:00.000+01:00

If you have a phobia, or know somebody who has one, I wonder if you have ever noticed a reluctance to do something about it even though there is a desire to be totally free of it. And even though there is motivation for change behind that desire. I guess the reluctance occurs when somebody isn't experiencing that desire and motivation for change strongly enough or often enough yet.

Wouldn't it be great to experience the motivation so deeply and so frequently so you are ready to take the next step and have the change you've always wanted. And to be free. And to start feeling so good about the potential for things to be different now.

To help increase the momentum towards busting the phobia for good and bringing about permanent freedom from that old fear you can make some simple and effective preparations. Imagine your motivation for change is like a tiny flame. The following preparation helps the flame to burn more brightly, lighting the coals in the engine room of motivation driving the motors of change.

Consider your motivation for being free of the old phobia. What is important about having that freedom? Ask yourself: "what will be different in my life if I am free of it?" What benefits will you get from being free of that old habit of phobic feelings? What new opportunities will arise for you now? How is having this change beneficial to those around you? What will you be doing now that you couildn't have done before?

When you imagine sometime in the future now being free, having made the change, what kind of feelings and sensations do you experience? I wonder how things might look different in some curious way.

Before doing anything about how you feel differently in the situations where you used to have a phobia it's a good idea to start imagining what it is like having just completed the situation successfully e.g. having arrived at the airport after a relaxing flight, having completed the exam feeling calm and focused, having finished a very successful presentation, drying off after enjoying some time in the sea or a swimming pool, having a cup of tea after tidying up the shed full of cobwebs ...... I wonder what would happen if you spent a couple of minutes each day doing that, just imagining having completed that situation successfully.

After practising this kind of visit to the future you can allow yourself to discover, in your own unique way, how you know that you are experiencing the motivation for change more strongly. Then notice or feel what is different that means you are ready to take the next step and use some NLP and hypnosis to bust the old phobia completely.

Enjoy stoking up the coals of your motivation engine room.

If you have any comments or questions about this first step please feel free to post to this blog and I will be happy to give further suggestions.

I'll post another blog about some of the techniques used for the next step very soon.

Further Information:
Phobia Hypnotherapy Treatment
Hypnotherapy Shoreham
NLP Shoreham
EFT Shoreham

NLP - My Washing Up Music

2009-04-29T17:12:00.000+01:00

Okay for those musos out there who want to know what exactly is my washing up music. One of my washing up CDs - I have many - is an album called Elephant Sound by Indian Ropeman.

Keep anchoring your good feelings.

NLP - Musical Anchors

2009-04-29T13:52:00.000+01:00

In NLP we talk a lot about anchors, anchoring good feelings and states, maybe a confident state, a happy state, relaxation, calmness, focus, motivation.

Okay, now I'm going to talk about something that ought to be obvious and yet sometimes it's the obvious things we still need reminding to do from time to time in order to keep feeling good now.

We explore anchors not only when we first learn NLP, also as we become more and more accustomed to using what we've learnt daily making profound, positive and lasting changes to the way we think and feel powerfully. (Now would I do a thing like syntactic ambiguity ;))

So I was quickly reminded today of one of the easiest and lasting anchors - musical anchors. I am still astounded at how quickly and easily I can change state just because a certain piece of music is playing. I instantly chill when I listen to one of my yoga CDs. And when I have work or tasks to do I can immediately become energised by one of the CDs in my collection of dance tracks. I even get the washing up done at triple speed with musical speed.

Today I received a beautiful new CD from my friend Cherry. The CD is by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu , a very talented aboriginal musician from Australia. I was fascinated at how quickly and instantly the music put me into a relaxed AND motivated state - a great combination. Now I could analyse why this particular CD should make me feel so good. Was it the association with my good friend Cherry and the great times we spent together at her home on the mountains in Tasmania? Maybe the gentle soothing quality of Gurrumul's voice and guitar revivified feelings associated with other similar music? The truth is it doesn't matter why it makes me feel so good, because now I know whenever I want to feel relaxed and motivated I have a powerful anchor available for me at anytime.

Sometimes we can search everywhere for ways of feeling good, trying out different therapies, buying more stuff, moving home, getting a new job.... Yet sometimes the key to feeling good is just listening to a special piece music, something that, for whatever reason, always puts us into a pleasant state as soon as we listen to it. How cool is that!

NLP - Useful Questions

2009-04-29T10:48:00.000+01:00

Here's a quick tip for therapists, coaches, friends, anybody.....

If you are helping somebody make some kind of change in their thinking, emotional patterns or behaviour you already know the importance of how you word a suggestion. I expect you also know how questions can sometimes be so much more powerful than a suggestion. I wonder how you first discovered that for yourself?

Okay, so you've worked out the power of asking questions so your client leads himself or herself to the solution. Sometimes you are helping a client with some kind of belief change. I guess it's sometimes useful to gently lead your client with some carefully worded questions. Yet care has to be taken too, so you do not seem pushy. You don't want your questioning to entrench the limiting belief do you?

I have often watched student therapists trying to put words into their clients' mouths thereby prompting responses such as "I can't", "I never seem to" or "I don't know".

What if there was one simple question that would increase your chances of helping your clients make that shift for themselves? What if this question would be so perfect the client would make the shift by using his or her own unique processes and patterns? What if this question would instantly and easily prompt the client to search for his or her own internal resources and make the change smoothly whilst narrating the change to you so you track what is occurring?

What if that question was "what if"?

Andy Lucas West Sussex Hypnotherapist- Advanced Therapy, NLP & Hypnotherapy

NLP Shoreham, West Sussex

2009-04-28T20:01:00.000+01:00

Good news!

Now people living in or near Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex have more opportunities to enjoy the great benefits of hypnotherapy and NLP.

I have recently relocated my main work space to 10, St Johns Court, John Street, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex.

After the usual logistics involved in settling into new premises I am now enjoying running a successful NLP and hypnotherapy practice in this charming part of Sussex. In fact I am seeing clients from various parts of the area including Steyning, Portslade, Worthing and Poynings. And I am still enjoying seeing clients from Brighton, Hove and Lewes who are willing to travel because of recommendations by friends and colleagues.

I have also launched a new website providing lots of useful information about my Advanced Therapy in Shoreham including pages about NLP, EFT, hypnotherapy and self hypnosis.

The website is there for you, to answer your questions and help you make the changes your mind wants the best. When you've enjoyed checking it out let me know if you would like to see other useful stuff on the site or if there is anything you would like me to discuss on this blog. My Shoreham NLP enquires form and my Shoreham hypnotherapy enquiries form are easy to use.

There is also a handy NLP & Hypnotherapy Shoreham map on the site so you can find my new premises easily.

There will be more useful tips about NLP very soon.

Have fun.

Andy Lucas, Shoreham Hypnotherapist - Advanced Therapy Shoreham

NLP Book - The Rainbow Machine by Andrew T. Austin

2008-09-17T12:55:00.000+01:00

Clients, friends and colleagues often ask me what NLP books I would recommend.

This month I read The Rainbow Machine - Tales from a Neurolinguist's Journal by Andrew T. Austin. It's an excellent read and I wholly recommend it to anybody interested in NLP. I particularly enjoyed the anecdotal style of the book with lots of stories and accounts of Andrew Austin's experience. During his work in general and psychiatric nursing he used NLP in wide and diverse ways. He describes situations in which, following the failure of conventional psychology and psychiatric care, he helped patients to achieve dramatic transformations.

The book is witty and amusing. And most chapters are only a couple of pages long, which means it's easy to dip in and out. Like many good NLP books it teaches through the unconscious - I've found myself using versions of Andrew's techniques without even thinking about it.

If, after reading Andrew Austin's book, you want to learn more about his NLP style you can meet him at the online NLP Study Group, read his articles on 23nlppeople.com or join the West Sussex Hypnosis and NLP Study Group.

Posted by Andy Lucas - Spring to Mind NLP Brighton.

An Evening with Richard Bandler - Event in London

2008-09-11T17:07:00.000+01:00

I've just discovered from the excellent NLP Connections website that there is to be another Evening with Richard Bandler (co-creator of NLP) event in London next month (October 2008).

If you have read any of Richard Bandler's books or seen his fantastic DVDs you will already know what a great opportunity it is to see him live. The event is designed to have wide appeal, whether you are new to NLP or experienced, and whether you have trained with Richard Bandler before or not. There is a lot more information about the event on the NLP Connections website where there is also a ticket sales page.

Master NLP trainer Kate Benson went to last year's event and made the following comment: "The advantage of a 3 hour session is that us mere mortals can track what he is doing whereas on a 7 day we get lost about Wednesday!" Another words this is a great chance to discover Richard Bandler's latest ideas and developments of NLP. The event details are as follows:

Thursday 9th October, 6pm - 9pm

Ibis Hotel, Earls Court, London

£80

(no VAT if you book through NLP Connections)

Meanwhile there is plenty more information about Richard Bandler on the Society of NLP website.

Enjoy!!!

Posted by: Andy Lucas - Spring to Mind NLP Brighton

NLP and weight loss

2008-09-08T12:38:00.001+01:00

Many people seek hypnotherapy and NLP to help with weight loss and weight control. One of my clients used to have a craving for sugary food. I gave her a series of hypnotherapy and NLP sessions to help her with weight control including a session specifically on sugary food. The article below was written by my client on her blog The Curvy Goddess following the session.

Hypnotherapy: My bad relationship with sugar is finally over

WARNING: I do not recommend reading the post below if you are eating.

Last Thursday I was miserable.

Despite now comfortably using a gym and going to exercise classes, I still wasn't losing any weight.

And I was at battle with myself, constantly…

I wanted sweet things, cake, chocolate and ice-cream. But I also wanted to lose weight and the two of them are just not compatible, especially as once I had one cup cake or Twix or ben and jerrys, I just wanted more.

Abstaining from sweet stuff was hard.

As soon as I stopped eating it, all I could do was think about it. And then it was on my mind all of the time, I need that Twix with my cup of tea, I've been to the gym so I can go to starbucks and get a cup cake - I deserve it.

I was exhausted by needing, wanting and having sugar. I was fed up of feeling that way, all the time.

…

And then a miracle happened.

I went to hypnotherapy.

Rambled all of the above, in uber fast Rachel-talking speed to the poor hypnotherapist, barely having time to breathe between words.

I wanted sugar out of my life for good.

Somewhere in my intentions to fix my diet and health - I screwed up. A normal relationship with sugar is not something I can have anymore.

So the hypnotherapist did his thing. He used NLP and hypnosis. I was asked to talk about a food I disliked and a choc/cake/ice-cream that I liked.

I thought of steak & kidney puddings (dislike) and of twixes (liked - in the past sense, because I don't anymore).

Fortunately for me I have a rather traumatic memory of a steak & kidney pudding as a child. This was no ordinary steak & kidney pud, it came from my Dad's army ration pack and there was probably dog in it rather than steak. It was revolting. The texture of the bits of kidney in that pie did and still do make me shudder. It was like slugs.

And that’s it. Sugar addiction all gone. I don't waste time obsessing about sweet stuff any more, it doesn't pop into my head constantly. There are times when I notice the absence of my addiction and in those moments when I try to think of one of my former sweet favourites, I see them in my head looking all perfect and then a giant, ugly slimy grey slug on them. And there is no f**king way I'm going to eat sluggy sweets ever again.

I haven't eaten any sweet things for seven days now, normally that would have taken an enormous amount of will power. But this last week has been a breeze. Eating healthily now is so easy, spending time making healthy food doesn't seem the chore it did before when my energy levels were riddled with extreme highs and lows.

I really, really love this.

I hope it lasts.

If you have any questions about NLP and hypnotherapy for weight control you will find some useful information on my weight control & hypnotherapy webpage or for general information about NLP check out my NLP Brighton webpage.

Brighton NLP Group

2008-09-07T19:14:00.000+01:00

If you live in Brighton, have a passion or interest in NLP, are interested in learning more about NLP or would like to swap thoughts and experiences about the subject there is an excellent monthly group in Brighton.

The Brighton NLP Group is a not-for-profit organisation aimed across all NLP denominations. The group meets every second Thursday of the month at The Chimney House, 28 Upper Hamilton Road, Brighton. Meetings start at 7.30pm and finish between 9.30pm and 10.00pm. The cost for attendance is £5.

The next event, on Thursday, 11^th September 2008, is on the subject of Meta Medicine. Viv Craske, Meta-Medicine consultant, NLP practitioner and hypnotherapist, will be giving the presentation.

There is a growing interest in Meta-Medicine amongst NLP practitioners and hypnotherapists. Meta-Medicine is said to be a powerful diagnostic tool showing you:

what specific stressful events cause particular illnesses and why;
the biological meaning of disease, chronic or acute, physical or mental.

During the presentation you will get a chance to see how Meta-Medicine and NLP work together to help clients feel well again.

Further information about the group visit the Brighton NLP Group website.

Posted by: Andy Lucas Spring to Mind NLP Brighton.

Update - NLP Course in Southampton

2008-09-04T19:39:00.000+01:00

I mentioned ISIS NLP Training on my previous blog. Well.... the good news is they are running an NLP Practitoners Course in Southampton from 13th to 19th October 2008. It's at an amazing price of £1,250 plus VAT and they're offering a 10% discount for telephone bookings. If you want to find out more about the NLP course you can visit the ISIS NLP Training website.

Meanwhile if you fancy wetting your appetite and trying NLP on for size I am happy to provide some NLP coaching. You can find out more on my website Spring to Mind NLP Brighton.

(For a map of my location follow this link to my google map.)

NLP Training Courses

2008-09-04T17:13:00.000+01:00

People often ask me where is the best place to get some decent NLP training. There are many providers out there so it can be very confusing to the uninitiated.

My advice is find an NLP trainer who has been trained and approved by The Society of NLP, which is directly associated with Richard Bandler the co-creator of NLP. All of its approved trainers have been trained by Richard Bandler personally. For information visit the Society of NLP website.

If you are based in Brighton or if you are happy to travel to Brighton, and let's face it who wouldn't fancy a break in this wonderful seaside city, I would recommend ISIS NLP Training. Their trainers are all approved by Richard Bandler and they are constantly revising their course material to bring you the most up to date developments. And they're lovely people. I don't know about you, but I like to be trained by lovely people. You can find out about course dates and content and booking information by visiting ISIS NLP Training website.

Meanwhile if you want to dip your toes into the beautiful waters of NLP and see if it resonates for you why not book a few NLP coaching sessions with a Master NLP Practitioner. You will find one in your local area. I suggest getting somebody who combines NLP with hypnotherapy. In fact hypnosis is an essential element of NLP practice, so you will get a meaningful introduction to NLP if you find somebody who integrates hypnosis into her/his NLP sessions. If you are based in Brighton or Sussex you could even book a session with me. My details are on Spring to Mind Brighton NLP.

Finally I would strongly urge you to get one or two books by Richard Bandler. They are a great read and extremely entertaining. I really like the way they reach right into my subconscious so I learn without even concentrating. After a long day at work my conscious mind is ready for some time off, so unconscious learning is a real treat.

More tips soon.

Have fun,

Andy x

Saying Hello

2008-03-06T09:02:00.000Z

This is the first of my regular blogs in which I will be sharing my insights and experiences of NLP. I am a master NLP practitioner based in Brighton, UK and I am looking forward to giving you a flavour and glimpse into my world. You might like the sound of this already because if, like me, you welcome learning new techniques to make your mind work even better you will be glad to see the multitude of quick and powerful ways you can make a difference now.

The forthcoming blogs are going to explore language patterns, anchoring, meta programmes, submodalities and much more. If all that sounds, looks or feels a bit technical you will be pleased to discover there are some very easy ways to grasp these ideas without even needing to say much about the terminology. On the other hand if you are looking to know more about the principles underlying all this I'll be saying something about the theory too, so you can find out the level that sits most comfortably with you and you will be flying....

Meanwhile have a look at my website Spring to Mind NLP Brighton when you have a moment and get a feel of what I'm all about. If what you see there sounds interesting check out this blog whenever you have a moment.