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Saturday, January 23, 2010

What is NLP?

During our last seminar, I briefly talked about NLP and my Life Coaching practice. Here are some questions that were raised about the subject:


Q: You mentioned NLP, what does that stand for?
A: Neuro-Linguistic Programming

Q: What is NLP?
A: This is always a fun question to answer. As an NLP practitioner it is challenging to put into one simple sentence the definition of NLP. Below is a definition that is lengthy, but very descriptive. NLP is the process I use in my Life Coaching practice to guide a client to personal successes. NLP can be used to learn to communicate effectively, enhance personal or business relationships, effectively resolve inner and outer conflict, overcome obstacles, and deal with stress, overcome phobias, fears; overcome food addictions and many other personal challenges. Because there are many branches of NLP, it is important to note that not all NLP practitioners use all the same processes, but their practices are based on the same bases upon which NLP was founded.

NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a name that encompasses the three most influential components involved in producing human experience: neurology, language and programming. The neurological system regulates how our bodies function, language determines how we interface and communicate with other people and our programming determines the kinds of models of the world we create. Neuro-Linguistic Programming describes the fundamental dynamics between mind (neuro) and language (linguistic) and how their interplay effects our body and behavior (programming).

NLP is a pragmatic school of thought - an 'epistemology' - that addresses the many levels involved in being human. NLP is a multi-dimensional process that involves the development of behavioral competence and flexibility, but also involves strategic thinking and an understanding of the mental and cognitive processes behind behavior. NLP provides tools and skills for the development of states of individual excellence, but it also establishes a system of empowering beliefs and presuppositions about what human beings are, what communication is and what the process of change is all about. At another level, NLP is about self-discovery, exploring identity and mission. It also provides a framework for understanding and relating to the 'spiritual' part of human experience that reaches beyond us as individuals to our family, community and global systems. NLP is not only about competence and excellence; it is about wisdom and vision.

See this page for more details on NLP: http://www.nlpu.com/whatnlp.htm

Q: Explain more why people hold on to food they know is bad for them.
A: There could be a number of reasons why people hold on to food they know is bad for them. One reason may be that they have substituted an emotional connection with the food they are addicted to, so they use a particular food to meet an emotional or relational need. Another reason why people hold on to toxic food or toxic habits is because they have not felt enough pain to give it up, whether it is emotional or physical pain. Whenever a person feels enough pain to run away from what is causing the pain, they simply do it. If they are convinced that they no longer want to live in pain, they just quit eating or doing what is causing the pain. One last reason is because they are chemically addicted to the food itself so it is like a drug. The body chemically "asks" for the food. The more the body receives satisfaction from the addicting food, the more the brain associates pleasure with that food and the body will continue to crave it and ask for it. Sugar is a classic example of an addictive food that causes a tremendous amount of pleasure and so it is tougher to give up. Salt (which also has sugar in it, in the form of dextrose) is pleasurable to the palate so there is no pain associated with it. Cheese is also a highly addictive food, due to the casomorphine in it, which is a morphine-like substance which causes a "high" in the body. Rice and pasta, because of their high sugar content, are highly addictive. We recommend two things to overcome food addictions: 1) Begin detoxifying the body with raw fruits and vegetables and 2) See an NLP practitioner to emotionally detach from any toxic foods or habits.

We will talk more extensively about raw foods at our next seminar.
Raw Detox Seminar
Presented by Soft Touch Chiropractic and Acupuncture
April 3, 2010
9:30am - 12:30pm
19474 Rinaldi St. Northridge, CA 91326
Register online

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