SANTA BARBARA BREATHWORK
A Healing Practice

Santa Barbara Breathwork is a healing practice offering a Smoke Cessation Program, Hypnotherapy, Deep Memory Process© (2002-2004), Holotropic Breathwork©, and Reiki.

Smoke Free International is a smoke cessation program, which combines Hypnosis and Neuro Linguistic Programming. This smoke cessation program was developed in Great Britain during the last decade with a very high success rate. To stop smoking with this program requires only a one-hour session.

Hypnosis addresses the unconscious mind and helps clients change habits of a lifetime. Thousands of people have used hypnosis as an effective way to stop smoking, lose weight, calm anxiety, achieve goals and otherwise improve their lives.

Deep Memory Process © is a unique present and past life regression therapy that is a creative synthesis of Freud, Reich, Psycho Drama, Jung, Spiritual Psychology, and Shamanism. Deep Memory Process was developed by Roger Woolger, Ph.D.

Reiki is an ancient Oriental healing art, which channels universal life energy through the hands of a practitioner into the body of a receiver. Reiki brings the self back into harmony and balance.

Holotropic Breathwork © is a powerful practice of self-exploration, personal transformation and healing based on insights from modern consciousness research, depth psychology and various spiritual practices. In Holotropic Breathwork, non-ordinary states of consciousness are induced through intensified natural breathing done to evocative music. Holotropic Breathwork was developed by Dr. Stanislav Grof and his wife, Christina Grof.

Since the British Medical Association and the American Medical Association approved the use of clinical hypnosis in the 1950s, thousand of people have found hypnosis to be an effective way to stop smoking, lose weight, calm anxiety, and otherwise improve their lives.

The old myths and misconceptions about hypnosis have given way to proven, scientifically sound applications. Today the use of hypnosis is seen in a variety of fields - medicine, dentistry, law enforcement, professional sports, and education.

Our minds work on two levels - the conscious and unconscious. We make decisions, think, and act with our conscious minds. The unconscious mind controls our habits. In the relaxed state known as hypnosis, we can communicate directly with the unconscious mind and change habits of a lifetime.

Most people can achieve successful results using hypnosis. Almost everybody is hypnotizable, that is, any person with an IQ of at least 70, and no severe mental disorder.

Hypnosis is completely safe. You are aware and in control at every moment, and can terminate the session at any time. Hypnosis is not sleep, nor can you get "stuck" in a state of hypnosis. You cannot be made to do something against your will.

Why People Don't Stop Smoking

Most people know that by stopping they will save several thousand dollars a year. Most people know that they could add years to their lives. And most people know that if they stop smoking right now, they could save their health--before it’s too late.

So why do people continue to smoke? It all comes down to one thing…FEAR

•Fear to give up your crutch or pleasure
•Fear that you won’t be able to enjoy life or handle stress
•Fear that you will put on weight
•Fear that you’ll have to go through an awful trauma to get free
•Fear that you’ll never get completely free of the craving All of these fears are just examples of one overriding fear.

The one simple reason that you have not stopped smoking is that you:

Fear that it is going to be too painful and too difficult!

Hypnosis Makes it Easy

In fact the unique hypnosis technique which I use, makes it so easy that after only one hour you’ll leave a happy non-smoker -- not feeling deprived, not feeling that you’ve made a sacrifice, and not feeling any pain. Instead, you’ll have a huge sense of relief and elation that you have at last achieved what all smokers long to achieve, you have become a happy, permanent, non-smoker. When smokers try to stop with other methods, they suffer misery and depression caused by the feeling that they are being deprived of a pleasure or a crutch. The beauty of hypnosis, and in particular the way this system uses hypnosis, is that it removes this feeling of deprivation. It removes the need, and the desire to smoke. You won’t need useless aids, gimmicks, or substitutes. No nicotine gum or patches. No inhalers or nasal sprays. No needles or lasers. All that you have to do with hypnosis is sit back in a nice comfortable chair, and relax. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Lifetime Back-up Cover

I have so much confidence in the system I use that I offer a lifetime back-up cover. This means that if you ever start smoking again, whether it is two days or two years down the road, all that you have to do is give me a call and I’ll get you back in at no extra charge. You may be wondering how I can offer these free back up sessions to my clients for a lifetime…

High Success Rate

The system that I use has proven to be extremely successful. In Great Britain, where it was initially developed and where it has been practiced for over a decade, the success rate of this method surpasses 95%. Literally, more than 95% of people stop in one hour, and most of the remainder stop in a subsequent free back-up session. How does the system consistently maintain such a high success rate, year in and year out with just a one hour session?

A Unique Approach

Since the British Medical Association (BMA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) approved the use of clinical hypnosis in the 1950s, thousand of people have found hypnosis to be an effective way to stop smoking, lose weight, and otherwise improve their lives. Of course, the varying degrees of success with hypnosis depend upon the general competence of the individual hypnotherapists and their techniques. This system combines the best of traditional hypnotherapy techniques with the new science of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), which takes hypnosis to an even greater level of effectiveness. One of the reasons why it’s not painful or difficult to stop smoking with this method is that it transfers the pleasure derived from smoking to a healthier habit of your choice (e.g. exercise, drinking more water, or relaxation). This is the reason why there is NO unwanted weight gain or other problems associated with kicking the habit -- the only side effects are an increase in health, wealth, and freedom.

Frequently Asked Questions

The old myths and misconceptions about hypnosis have given way to proven, scientifically sound applications. Today, the use of hypnosis is seen in a variety of fields--medicine, dentistry, law enforcement, professional sports, and education. Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions about hypnosis.

•How does hypnosis work? Our minds work on two levels--the conscious and the unconscious. We make decisions, think, and act with our conscious minds. The unconscious mind controls our habits. In the relaxed state known as hypnosis, we can communicate directly with the unconscious mind and change habits of a lifetime.

•Will hypnosis work for me? Generally speaking, everybody is "hypnotizable," that is, any person with an IQ of at least 70, and no severe mental disorders. Therefore, most people can achieve successful results using hypnosis.

•Is hypnosis safe? Hypnosis is completely safe. You are aware and in control at every moment, and can terminate the session at any time. Hypnosis is not sleep, nor can you get “stuck” in a state of hypnosis. You cannot be made to do something against your will! Hypnosis is a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable experience.

•How does hypnosis help me kick the smoking habit? Because smoking is a habit, it is controlled by the unconscious mind. Since hypnosis and NLP work directly with the unconscious mind, this is the only method that makes sense! I can help you effortlessly transition into the healthy lifestyle of a happy non-smoker -- it only takes one hour to quit.

Deep Memory Process © (DMP ©), is a unique present and past life regression therapy that is a creative synthesis of Freud, Reich, Psychodrama, Jung, Spiritual Psychology and Shamanic Healing. Where many therapies focus mainly on the mental level, DMP transforms body, mind, emotion and spirit simultaneously. The results for clients are profound. Deep healing may occur in just a few sessions.

DMP © can be a valuable adjunct to the work you do with your clients. It has been shown to be highly effective in treating post-traumatic and dissociative reactions to catastrophe, violence and all forms of abuse. It is also fully applicable to states of anxiety, depression, phobias, stress, chronic pain, blocked feelings, and childhood trauma, specifically working with traumatic residues embedded in the body.

• Does something hold you back from living your life fully?
• Are you functioning at less than your real potential?
• Have your suffered a severe shock or trauma that still haunts you?
• Do your relationships fall apart repeatedly?

Deep Memory Process can help you.

It is a widely applicable therapy which has been successfully used in treating difficulties in
• interpersonal relationships and fractured families;
• issues of self-esteem and personal empowerment;
• residual psychic scars from adult or childhood sexual abuse;
• all forms of domestic and urban violence;
• post-traumatic reactions to war, torture and devastating loss

What is Deep Memory Process?

Deep Memory Process (DMP for short) is a creative therapeutic synthesis of active imagination, hypnotic regression, psychodramatic role play, various body therapies and transpersonal psychologies. It was developed by Roger J. Woolger, Ph.D from many years of intensive practice with the methods of Jung, Reich and various shamanic and spiritual traditions.

How does DMP Work?

A trained practitioner of DMP will begin by inviting you to explore whatever problem you wish to work with.

In a safe and caring environment you will be helped, if appropriate, to:
• clearly recognize the core issues or complexes running your life
• journey in time to resolve childhood and other traumas
• vividly relive and resolve emotional conflicts through a healing psychodrama
• develop somatic awareness of deep memories to release them from your body
• let go of old unwanted ancestral patterns and influences
• integrate wounded soul fragments ("past lives")
• clear your energy field of negative influences
• open up with love to higher spiritual resources within yourself

How long does the Process Last?

A typical DMP session lasts about two hours; this includes fully adequate time for integration and processing. (See A Typical DMP Regression Session.) Usually a series of sessions is recommended but occasionally radical changes can occur in only one or two sessions. Deep Memory Process can be used as an exclusive therapy for specific complaints and it also works well in conjunction with other ongoing therapies.

Certified Practitioner

Maria Marotti is a certified practitioner of DMP, Spring 2004. Her training consists of attendance of 5 weeklong workshops conducted by Roger Woolger, for a total of 600 hours of practice, 20 peer sessions, ten supervised sessions, and a case history.

Holotropic Breathwork is a powerful practice of self-exploration, personal transformation and healing based on insights from modern consciousness research, depth psychology, and various spiritual practices. Non-ordinary states of consciousness are induced through intensified natural breathing done to evocative music. These states activate the spontaneous healing potential of the psyche.

Holotropic Breathwork™ was developed by the world renowned transpersonal psychologist Dr. Stanislav Grof and his wife Christina Grof. Dr. Grof is the author of many books including The Cosmic Game; Beyond the Brain: Birth, Death and Transcendence in Psychotherapy, and The Adventure of Self Discovery.

Who Should Participate?

Holotropic Breathwork is valuable for persons interested in deep inner exploration, persons who seek an adjunct to individual psychotherapy, and those seeking to deepen and enrich their spiritual path. Holotropic Breathwork opens up access to all levels of the human psyche including unfinished business from personal history, birth memories, residues of trauma stored in the body, and the entire spectrum of transpersonal experiences. The process is designed to honor the intrinsic wisdom of the body and psyche and to activate the inner healer. The workshop provides a safe, supportive environment in which each participant can fully engage the emerging sensations, emotions or memories without judging or analyzing them.

Prerequisites

Since Breathwork may sometimes involve an intense physical experience it is not appropriate for pregnant women, persons with glaucoma, epilepsy, serious heart conditions, persons who have recently broken bones or had recent surgery or persons with serious mental illnesses. Participants need to attend a presentation of the practice and theory of Holotropic Breathwork given the Friday night before the workshop. This is a one-time prerequisite and is also open to all those interested free of charge.

What Happens at a Workshop?

Participants pair up with a compatible partner, with one partner breathing in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The sitter provides a safe container with one-to-one attention and assistance for the breather. The facilitators are constantly ready to assist when necessary. Lunch and dinner are served. An evening session provides an opportunity for sharing and integrating the experiences of the day.

Maria Marotti is an author and a retired college teacher (UCSB and Univ. of Rome) with a Ph.D. in American Literature. She pursued her interests in Transpersonal Psychology, altered states of consciousness and holistic health studying for several years with the best in the field. She is certified as a holotropic breathwork ™ practitioner by Stanislav Grof Transpersonal Training (1997-1999), as a hypnotherapist by the American Board of Hypnotherapy (2000), as a Deep Memory Process practitioner (past life regression) by Woolger Training International and, as a specialist in smoke cessation by Smoke Free International (2004). Maria is also a Reiki Master/Teacher who works with cancer patients and brain damage victims. Maria is co-owner of Santa Barbara Holotropic Breathwork (also known as Santa Barbara Breathwork) and she has been practicing breathwork, Reiki and hypnosis for five years in Santa Barbara.

Maria has been practicing hypnotherapy in Santa Barbara for the last four years. She is certified by the American Board of Hypnotherapy and the International Hypnosis Federation. She is also a Smoke Cessation Specialist, certified by Smoke Free International (see the Smoke Cessation section). In her hypnotherapy practice Maria has worked especially with clients with weight loss issues, clients suffering from anxiety and insomnia, clients seeking to achieve goals, cancer patients, and smokers who want to kick the habit.

The Reiki Principles

•JUST FOR TODAY I WILL GIVE THANKS FOR MY MANY BLESSINGS
•JUST FOR TODAY I WILL NOT WORRY
•JUST FOR TODAY I WILL NOT BE ANGRY
•JUST FOR TODAY I WILL DO MY WORK HONESTLY
•JUST FOR TODAY I WILL BE KIND TO MY NEIGHBOR AND EVERY LIVING THING

What Is Reiki?

Reiki is a Japanese word meaning Universal Life Energy. Reiki is an ancient Oriental healing art, which channels universal life energy through the hands of a practitioner into the body of a receiver. It is experienced as a gentle, non-invasive form of touch bodywork. It is extremely effective for such things as stress reduction, emotional release work or physical recovery from injuries and illness. Reiki brings the self back into harmony and balance, leaving the recipient feeling peaceful, calm and deeply relaxed.

How Does Reiki Work?

The practitioner puts his/her hands on the body drawing the Reiki energy down through her/his crown, third eye, throat, heart, and out the hands. The Reiki activates the body's natural ability to heal itself. It works wherever the receiver needs it most, releasing blocked energies, cleansing the body of toxins, and creating a state of balance. The energy goes to the deepest levels of a person's being where illnesses have their origin. Reiki treats holistically. It guides itself with its own wisdom rather than requiring the direction of the practitioner. It reinforces the receiver's ability to take responsibility for her own life and helps her to make necessary changes in attitude and lifestyle to promote a happy healthy life. It is a safe way to treat chronic and acute conditions, stress related disorders, conditions related to sinus, menopause, migraine, cystitis, asthma, chronic fatigue, arthritis, sciatica, insomnia and depression, to name a few.

Do All Healers Use Reiki?

There are many kinds of healing energy. All healers use healing energy, but not all use Reiki. Reiki is life energy that is guided by higher power. Reiki practitioners receive attunements (initiation) from a Reiki Master. The attunement opens the body's energy channels connecting the practitioner to the universal limitless source of Ki. The practitioner becomes a channel for transmitting energy to others. Healers report a remarkable increase in the strength of their healing when they receive a Reiki attunement.

Is Reiki A Religion?

Although spiritual in nature, Reiki is not a religion.
It has no dogma and is not dependent on belief.

A Brief History Of Reiki

Reiki is an ancient Oriental healing practice whose remote origin has been traced back to Tibetan Buddhism. According to some sources, Tibetan monks kept the Reiki symbols secret.

In the later 1800s, a Japanese mystic and scholar, Dr. Mikao Usui began a search to discover how enlightened beings (such as Jesus Christ and Buddha) could heal physical illnesses. While learning Sanskrit, he discovered a "formula" for contacting a Higher Power that could bestow healing. However, he did not know how to use the "formula." So, he retired to the holy Mount Kriyama to meditate and fast for 21 days in order to receive the insight needed to activate the "formula." He marked the passing of time with 21 stones. He tossed away one stone every day. Nothing happened until the 21st day, when, after he threw away the last stone, he saw a point of light coming toward him. He realized that the light had consciousness and that it would empower the formula within him. The light struck him on the forehead and knocked him unconscious into an out-of-body experience. Four symbols, enclosed in bubbles of light appeared to him and remained in his presence until he was attuned to each symbol and to the knowledge of its use.

After his attunement, Dr. Usui practiced and taught Reiki in Japan, especially in the poorest sections of Tokyo. After Dr. Usui's death around 1930, his disciple, Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, took over the role of Reiki Master. Dr. Hayashi developed the standard hand positions and the three levels of initiation. He also established a successful Reiki clinic in Tokyo. In 1938, just before his passing, he initiated Hawayo Takata, a Hawaiian/American born woman of Japanese descent. Mrs. Takata brought Reiki to mainland America. She initiated 22 Reiki Masters and chose her own grand-daughter, Phyllis Furumoto, to follow her as the lineage bearer of the Usui System.

In 1983, the Reiki Alliance was formed as a support group for Reiki Masters. The Alliance encourages its members to charge rather steep fees. Independent Reiki Masters have chosen to charge lesser fees and to add knowledge and techniques learned from other healing systems and from their own inner guidance to their Reiki practice.

Facilitator

Maria Marotti is an Independent Reiki Master and Teacher. She has been involved with Reiki since 1990 when she received her first degree attunement. In 1991, she received her second degree attunement. Maria received her Master/Teacher degree attunement in 2001. Maria practices Reiki treatment privately as well as in Reiki clinics for cancer patients and brain injury victims. She also offers Reiki classes and attunements to small groups.

At selected times during the months April through October I'm able to give sessions in Big Bear Lake, CA