>> female announcer: why are so many of our self-improvement efforts unsuccessful? dr. adrianne ahern, who has earned two masters and a phd in clinical psychology, says that we are being sabotaged by our brain's hardwiring. >> ahern: your brain will reject them. let me repeat: your brain will reject them. >> announcer: during her over 15 years of private practice, consulting, and research, dr. ahern developed practical tools that work. >> ahern: if you're having difficulty getting to where you want to go, becoming the person you want to be, you've got some negative conditioning. so how do you overcome this conditioning? >> announcer: in this three-part series, dr. a demonstrates how to use neural science to overcome obstacles and help us to do, be, and have what we desire.

[cheers and applause] >> ahern: so we've got a lot to cover today, so i'm going to dive right in. i want to start by explaining to you why all of the effort that you've put into self-improvement has very little chance of ever, ever working. you know the programs: thighs like cameron diaz in 30 days, become debt free and a millionaire in six months, or lower your handicap by ten strokes in two days, or those three easy steps for improving your marital sex life. [laughter] well, you know what? many of these programs are valid and can really be effective, except for one critical point: your brain will reject them. let me repeat: your brain will reject them. similar to how a body will

reject a donor organ that is not compatible, your brain-- the most powerful muscle you have--will reject thoughts, ideas, or possibilities that are incompatible or foreign to it. because your brain is conditioned. and this conditioning holds the key to your success or failure. here's a true story to illustrate classic conditioning. in the 1960s, president eisenhower was given a rare white tiger as a gift. this tiger, mohini, was sent to live in the national zoo in washington, d.c., where she was put into a 12x12 cage. for years, mohini lived in this cage, pacing back and forth in a continuous figure eight. and then one year, the zoo decided, "well, let's build mohini a more natural habitat: several acres of trees, hills, a pond, and grassy areas." and do you know what happened the moment they put mohini into her new beautiful habitat?

well, she ran to a far corner by the wall, marked off a 12x12 square for herself, and stayed in that square, pacing until she wore the area beneath her bare, for the rest of her days. this is classic conditioning. you and i are exactly the same as mohini. based on our conditioning, we have created invisible cages for ourselves that we have not been able to break free of. now, people who are pretty good achievers may exist in cages this big. most of us pace off an area of life that's just about this big. and too many of us exist in cages just this big. but science has figured out that repeated thoughts actually carve neural pathways in our brain. the thought becomes hardwired in. and when a thought is carved in like that, it doesn't just affect your thinking.

it affects your entire physiology. i'm sure that whenever mohini even thought about leaving her little area, her breathing would become labored; her heart beat more rapidly; she'd have all the physical symptoms of extreme fear, as if her very survival was being threatened. and so it is with us. like ruts in a country road, the deeper the pathway or rut, the more likely we are to fall into it and travel along it. so say you have this thought: "i'm stupid. i'm stupid. i'm so, so stupid." well, when something happens that you don't quite understand, what neural pathway kicks in? well it's not gonna be: "i'm smart. i can certainly figure this out." it'll be: "i'm stupid." so we have to take into account the raw power of our conditioning and work with it.

so how do you know that something is deeply conditioned, carved into your brain? it feels really weird doing it differently. now, take an easy example: stepping into an elevator. what is the first thing you do when you step into a crowded elevator? well, you turn your back on everyone and face the doors, right? can you even imagine stepping into a small crowded cocktail party and immediately turning your back on everyone in it? now these aren't earth-shattering examples, but let me help you feel the conditioning underneath them, and imagine-- really use your imagination with me on this--and imagine that the next time you step into a crowded elevator, you stay facing the crowd. got the feeling? weird, right? embarrassing, awkward.

you may even feel panic and hear your mind screaming for you to turn around. got the feeling? can you feel your system reacting that this just feels wrong? and so it is with almost everything we try to change in ourselves. we are deeply conditioned to remain as we've been whether we want to or not. unsuccessful, overweight, broke, friendless. or maybe we're doing okay, but we're missing that joy, inspiration, excitement that we crave out of life. you may not be happy with who or what you are, but the neural pathways in our brain bring us back to this over and over again. that deep rut in the road. so say you want to lose weight and i tell you that you can lose five pounds this month, if you go into three crowded elevators every

single day and stay facing the crowd. what do you do? well, the first day you try it. you know, by the fourth day you're thinking, "does it really need to be three elevators, or couldn't it just be two?" by the seventh day, you're thinking, "yeah, well, empty elevators, if you do more of them, will work just as well." and by the tenth day, you think, "well, this diet doesn't work!" and you take the stairs. [laughter] so my point is, it's extremely hard to get yourself to do something that is counter to your conditioning. so you know that a behavior or emotional response is deeply conditioned and carved into your brain. because, like facing the doors in an elevator, it feels natural, automatic, and correct, or at least good, even if there is some guilt

with it. and when you try to do the opposite, it feels weird, awkward, unpleasant, maybe even scary or difficult, maybe even impossible. so as we're trying to change, there's this strong impulse within us that is fighting and sabotaging that change. your conditioning may be sneaky about it, or it may be right in your face. but whether you are aware of it or not, your conditioning is running the show. your brain is working as hard as it can, recruiting your nervous system, blood flow, muscles, perception, anything it needs to make sure that your ingrained beliefs become reality. very powerful stuff. so how do you overcome this

conditioning? well, i'll tell you a couple of methods that don't work so well. one is affirmations. now, before you jump all over me, there are ways to make affirmative statements effective. but just plopping a happy, fluffy, shiny thought over a nasty, grimy, negative one does not work so well. that's like spraying your nasty grimy gym shoes with eau de cologne. the stink is definitely still there and the combination is almost worse. so together. so i'd like you to repeat after me, out loud, and with enthusiasm: everyone loves me. >> all: everyone loves me. >> ahern: even strangers love me. >> all: even strangers love me. >> ahern: i can tell them my ugliest darkest secrets, and they will still adore me. >> all: i can tell them my ugliest, darkest secrets, and they will still adore me.

>> ahern: because i am innately worthy and loveable. >> all: i am innately worthy and loveable. >> ahern: don't those affirmations feel terrific? >> right! >> ahern: yeah, okay, who wants to be the first to come up and tell us your dirtiest, ugliest secret? okay, yeah, me too. okay. so you start saying to yourself: "i am beautiful, and everyone loves me." but the stronger voice, the one that has been running you for years says, "i'm an ugly toad, and no one likes me." "i am beautiful, and everyone loves me." "i am now, forever will be, an ugly toad. and i have 40 years of evidence to prove that no one likes me." and because that sense of yourself is so deeply ingrained, you probably act like an ugly toad that nobody

likes. you don't look people in the eye; you slouch as you come into the room. your entire physiology is supporting that ugly toadness. and it has nothing to do with how you really look or how people really feel about you. but because it's so strong, "beautiful and everyone loves me" doesn't have a chance. another method that doesn't usually work in the long run is will power. now will power has a stronger voice, but it still has to argue with the voice of your conditioning, which is why it takes so much effort. now, will power is like trying to keep this ball underneath the water. so you push the conditioning down, and it pops right back up. you push it down. "i will stay on this diet and lose 15 pounds." the conditioned belief pops back up. "you've always been fat." "i will stay on this diet and lose 15 pounds."

pops back up. "but you've always been fat." you push it down. "i will stay on this diet, lose 15 pounds." "whatever you say, fat girl." [laughter] if your will power is really strong, it'll grit its teeth and browbeat you to your goal. but then what happens? you relax a little, you let your will power take a vacation to the bahamas. who pops up? "you've always been fat. being fat feels safe. being fat means you can eat whatever you like. being fat means you don't threaten anyone, so let's eat." classic yo-yo diet, right? okay, so let's move on to what does work. enough about what doesn't work. so what works is, aligned focus works. now, aligned focus means that your conditioning is in alignment with what you want so

that any action you take toward that goal becomes effective. you have to rewire the neural pathways in your brain to get its power to work for you and not against you. so if you want to lose weight, you need to wire your brain with messages like: "i'm naturally slim and healthy," not "you've always been fat." make sense? if you want to stop yelling at your kids, your brain needs to be on board so it keeps your adrenalin from flowing to your vocal chords when you find out she hasn't done her homework. if you want to attract love into your life, your brain needs to stop with that ugly toad thing. okay, so i'm going to run you through a process right now to make those affirmations more effective. and you'll be running through it in the privacy of your own mind, so i want you to allow yourself to really get into it. close your eyes if you wish to. so first, i'd like you to think

about something from your own life that you have struggled with, that you really want, but you've struggled with. it could be that you want more confidence at work. or you want to feel healthier, make more money, or maybe you want to heal certain relationships. take a moment and bring that message, that desire, up now. next, what is the belief or message that is getting in the way? maybe you think you're incapable or that there's not enough time for what you really want. maybe it's "i'm too old, too weak, too stupid, too shy." what is your brain saying about it? bring that message up now. next, i want you to think about that message and really feel what it feels like in your body,

in your emotions. maybe you get a tight jaw when you think about this message or a jittery stomach. maybe you feel anger, overwhelm, panic. maybe you just feel stuck. don't resist this. just be aware of it and feel it. now i want you to breathe. as you inhale, i want you to acknowledge that negative statement and its feeling. and as you exhale, release. for instance, as you inhale, acknowledge "i feel inadequate," feeling that sense of hopelessness that might be experienced as a heaviness in your chest. and as you exhale, release that thought and feeling. or inhale in the message

"no one loves me," feeling that sense of sadness. and as you exhale, release that thought and feeling. whatever it is for you, whatever your negative conditioning is, inhale and feel, and exhale, release. and as you do this, visualize your breath washing through you, cleansing all thought and feeling from your brain and your physiology. inhale and exhale. excellent. the process that you've just experienced is a cleansing process, cleansing that unwanted negative message from your brain and physiology, cleansing the old negative pathways, powerful in itself, but you don't want to stop

there. the universe abhors a vacuum. we're going to cover, in the next segment, the tools that you already have to insert that new belief. but please remember that it's practice that makes permanent. in other words, the power in this process is practicing it over and over until you've actually carved that new neural pathway into your brain. so use this process frequently until it feels natural to you. use it several times a day. so what do you want to remember from this segment? one: we're all conditioned. two: if you are having difficulty getting to where you want to go, becoming the person you want to be, you've got some negative conditioning, a powerful force that's holding you back. and three: you need to cleanse that negative belief from your brain first before inserting the new, more positive belief. and you can do it.

like mohini, we've all got invisible cages that limit us. but now you have the tools to free yourself. thank you. [applause] >> announcer: so now you know why your efforts at self-improvement haven't worked. your brain has been hardwired to work against you. coming up next, dr. adrianne ahern shows you how to rewire your brain using recent discoveries in neuroscience. >> ahern: you already have the most powerful tools imaginable within your own system. you just don't know you have them. >> announcer: and she reveals how breathing plays a critical role in health and in helping you carve new positive neural pathways. >> ahern: breathing is also critical for your mental and emotional health, as well as rewiring the neural pathways in your brain.

>> hi, i am sherry kuehl. we are taking a brief break from snap out of it now! for you to show your support for public television. and in addition, we're offering some great thank-you gifts. imagine if we all rewired our brains to align with what we really want, how outstanding that outcome can be, to overcome years of ingrained conditioned beliefs through simply recognizing them and resetting those thoughts and beliefs. wow, we all want success, love, and the american dream, and as dr. ahern mentioned, most of us fall flat--or rather in a rut-- with regard to those ambitions. i am so glad this program is teaching us some specific ways to work with our conditioning and create new possibilities for ourselves. in many ways, public television continually opens all of our lives to this world of possibilities. we are thrilled to be in the studio with dr. adrianne ahern, author, speaker, and clinical psychologist. dr. a., thank you so much

for being here. >> ahern: thank you, sherry. i'm really excited being here, talking about snap out of it now! i've always loved programs on public television. they're so interesting and informative. and i'm thrilled that my work has joined the public television lineup. >> well we're thrilled to have you here. now, dr. a., i got a question for you. in the last segment, you talked about the importance of identifying the conditioning message that holds us back. what happens if you don't really know what that message is? >> ahern: well, sherry, sometimes the message is clear: a conditioned message like, "i'm stupid." and sometimes it's just a feeling. for instance, whenever you talk with someone who you perceive as being highly intelligent, you may feel uncomfortable or self-conscious, or you may start stuttering. those reactions are your clue that you've got a conditioned belief wired in, and that belief, along with the feeling that has become associated with it, might be holding you back from doing and being what you want. now, another example: some of you might be feeling hesitant right now about picking

up that phone and making a pledge. don't let that hold you back. like me, you enjoy public television and want to support it. so call the number on your screen now and receive the special gifts associated with this program. >> male announcer: when you contribute at the $60 level, we'll send you the audio book snap out of it now!, an mp3 file that is compatible with all digital music players. the book is read aloud by dr. a. also, you'll get a one-year subscription to the dr. a. e-now newsletter, a monthly report filled with inspiration and cutting-edge research. it's packed with practical tips and exercises to train your brain. at the $90 level, we'll send you dr. ahern's latest softcover book, back in charge!, and the companion audio cd. fun, interactive, and engaging, back in charge! rewires your brain by harnessing the massive power of your five senses. you'll read about and learn the same life-changing techniques dr. a. teaches to all peak performers. combined with the audio cd of guided exercises, plus the

monthly e-newsletter, you'll be ready to be back in charge. for your support at the $120 level, you'll receive the snap out of it now! dvd, which is the full, uninterrupted public television program, plus a 20-minute bonus segment. the dvd uses humor and lively demonstrations to explain the science of the brain and how we can learn to harness the brain's power. dr. a. guides the live audience through practical, effective exercises designed to erase negative conditioning and rewire the brain with empowering messages. you'll also receive the snap out of it now! workbook as a companion piece to the dvd. this workbook details exercises, offers additional tips, and can be used as a journal to chart your progress. plus you'll get a one-year subscription to dr. a.'s monthly e-newsletter. here's an exciting offer to jump-start you on your journey to train your brain. when you contribute at the $365 level, you'll receive the snap out of it now! collection, which includes the

snap out of it now! dvd with 20 minutes of bonus material, along with the companion workbook, the snap out of it now! book, and dr. a.'s latest book, back in charge!, three audio cds: unlock your potential, body as healer, and how to breathe. the snap out of it now! collection will launch you on your journey to rewire your brain, your thinking, and your life. >> the brain is the most powerful muscle we have. public television strives to exercise that muscle daily. public television guides viewers of all ages on a remarkable journey through life. we open eyes to the world for the youngest of viewers and offer opportunities for all ages and for people everywhere to continue growing throughout their lives. public television is one of the only places where you can find views and opinions from all kinds of people. we take you to exciting places around the world and entertain you with great performances. we were your trusted companion when you were a child, and we are there as your support as a parent. public television is there as an informative, educational,

and entertaining entity. it is available for the benefit of everyone and available to you at anytime but only as long as you support it. >> understanding the power of the brain can be complex, but dr. a. offers simple steps we can take to rewire our conditioned beliefs into positive ones to help fulfill our objectives, whether they be to lose weight--i'm in on that one--score the winning goal, write a novel, or simply find self-confidence within ourselves. we are all capable of being the people we want to be and obtaining the goals we set for ourselves. public television is also dedicated to enriching your life through the power of education, allowing you and everyone around you to discover new ideas. please partner with us now on this exploration of discovery with a financial contribution to your public television station right now, and when you do, we have a number of wonderful thank-you gifts associated with snap out of it now! >> announcer: with your contribution at the $60 level, you'll get the audio book snap out of it now!

also, you'll get a one-year subscription to the dr. a. e-newsletter. at the $90 level, we'll send you dr. ahern's latest softcover book, back in charge! and the companion audio cd, plus the monthly e-newsletter. at the $120 level--that's just $10 a month--you'll receive the snap out of it now! dvd, which is the full, uninterrupted public television program, plus a 20-minute bonus segment. you'll also receive the snap out of it now! workbook as companion piece to the dvd. plus, you'll get a one-year subscription to dr. a.'s monthly e-newsletter. at the $365 level--that's just a dollar a day--you'll receive the snap out of it now! collection, which includes the snap out of it now! dvd, along with a companion workbook, the snap out of it now! book, and dr. a's latest book, back in charge!, three audio cds: unlock your potential, body as healer and how to breathe. >> your support helps public television's goal of promoting lifelong learning.

for those of you who have called in, thank you. at whatever level you can contribute, your dollars are very important. and it's important to note, your funding stays in this community to create and acquire groundbreaking programming just like this. it's made possible by viewers like you who made that call. if you haven't called yet, please do so now. >> dr. a., we're about to go back to the program. can you give us a little peak at what's coming up next? >> ahern: sure. so now you know that your brain has been wired with certain beliefs that run your life. in this next segment, you'll start to discover how your feelings, emotions, and your breathing can be used to rewire those beliefs. and you might just discover that mom is sometimes right along the way. >> i really like that one. it sounds very intriguing. i'm looking forward to hearing more and thinking about those things that we want to change. for instance, i'm a busy working mom with little time, and i'd like to find a better way to interact with my children instead of instantly going to the scream mode. you know the, "ah!" and i know there's ways that i can condition my response so

i won't do that anymore. i'm looking forward to you helping me and providing me with those wonderful tools that are available with this program. and that's why we need you to call, because we've got some wonderful thank-you gifts coming up. >> announcer: with your contribution at the $60 level, you'll get the audio book snap out of it now! the audio book is compatible with all digital music players. also, you'll get a one-year subscription to the dr. a. e-newsletter, a monthly report filled with inspiration and cutting-edge research. at the $90 level, we'll send you dr. ahern's latest softcover book, back in charge!, and the companion audio cd, plus the monthly e-newsletter. fun, interactive, and engaging, back in charge! rewires your brain by harnessing the massive power of your five senses. at the $120 level--at's just a - you'll receive the snap out of it now! dvd, which is the full, uninterrupted public television program, plus a 20-minute bonus segment. you'll also receive the snap out of it now! workbook as companion piece to the dvd,

plus you'll get a one-year subscription to dr. a.'s monthly e-newsletter. at the $365 level--that's just a dollar a day--you'll receive the snap out of it now! collection, which includes the snap out of it now! dvd with 20 minutes of bonus material, along with a companion workbook, the snap out of it now! book, and dr. a.'s latest book, back in charge!, three audio cds: unlock your potential, body as healer, and how to breathe. >> ahern: when people start using the snap out of it now! processes, they start feeling more open and expansive. i feel that way about the programming on public television, that it opens me to new ideas and possibilities. >> now, i know you have opened my eyes to new ideas. i hadn't thought about how turning around in an elevator is a conditioned response or where i sit in a waiting room. but it helps and puts into perspective how easily we become conditioned to act in certain ways. i am really looking forward to learning more in this next segment. now, please take a moment and partner with us now with your financial contribution to this public television station by

calling the number right there at the bottom of your screen. >> female announcer: in 15 years of private practice, dr. adrianne ahern uses cutting-edge findings in neuroscience to help her clients snap out of it and create lasting, positive change. >> ahern: right now, you can start rewiring the hardwiring in your brain. right now, you can start to get your brain to work for you and not against you. >> announcer: while earning two masters and a phd in clinical psychology, dr. a. developed practical techniques we all can use. in this segment, dr. a. reveals two powerful resources that will help you achieve your goals. >> ahern: so the truth is, you are fully equipped to become your own conditioner. right now, you can start rewiring the hardwiring in your brain. right now, you can start to get

your brain to work for you and not against you. and you don't necessarily need a therapist or to get hooked up to fancy neuro feedback equipment to do it. you don't need to petition your insurance company to get the latest mind-altering drugs to do it. you already have the most powerful tools imaginable within your own system. you just don't know you have them. what are they? what are these top secret, high-powered tools, the key to creating lasting change? your breathing and your feelings. does that sound too simple and boring to be true? first, let's talk about breath and breathing. the average person reaches peak respiratory function and lung capacity in their mid 20s. it looks something like this.

then, if we just breathe the way most of us breathe-- shallow, chest breathing-- we begin to lose between 9% and 25% of our lung capacity every decade after that. 9% to 25%. so if our lungs start out looking like this, well, by the time we're 50, they look like this. scary, huh? breathing is responsible for getting rid of 70% of the toxins that enter our body. and not only toxins from the air we breathe but also those we ingest or absorb in other ways. our other systems--sweating and elimination--get rid of the other 30% that our breathing doesn't handle. so when we're 20, toxins enter

our body, and we have this much lung capacity to get rid of 70% of those toxins, right? but when we hit 50, well, the same amount of toxins enter our body--or maybe more-- but now we only have this much lung capacity working for us. where do you suppose those other toxins go? research shows that they sit in your cells. not good. but the good news is that we can expand our lung capacity again by learning how to breathe properly. studies show that deep belly breathing lowers blood pressure, counteracts the chemicals released in stress, cleanses your lymphatic system, and deep breathing has been shown to help manage things like diabetes, eating disorders, and obesity. so health-wise, breathing is critical.

now, deep breathing is also critical to our mental and emotional health as well as rewiring the neural pathways in our brain. remember what mom used to tell you whenever you got upset or angry? "take a deep breath and count to ten." well, for once, mom was right. don't tell her i said so. our deep, slow breath signals our entire system to enter the relaxation response. here's how it works: say you're in a meeting and a coworker says something demeaning about you. you get angry. immediately your body goes into its fight or flight pattern. cortisol, the stress hormone, pours through your body. your muscles tense; your jaw clenches; your blood rushes to your head and extremities. your heart starts pounding. your brain activity intensifies. all your physical systems are in rambo mode, and you're ready to leap across that

conference table and strangle the guy. not a good career move. but if you remember what mom told you and you take a deep breath, your body gets the signal that all is well. your muscles relax. your jaw unclenches. you take another deep breath. you feel your heartbeat slow down. and though you won't notice it, all your blood flow is rebalancing itself to support all your major organs again. your brain is easing out of survival mode. you can have a choice-- make a choice about what action to take. your deep breath has unplugged you and your physiology from the conditioned response to that situation. your brain is able to switch gears, come up with alternatives, focus, and assess the situation. and--pay attention to this--

your deep breath is the only mechanism you have available to you that can make all that happen. that's it. there's no other mechanism that you can consciously use to shift and signal your brain to shift into the relaxation response. so have i convinced you that it might be worth it to learn how to breathe properly? so i've asked josh to help me demonstrate. josh is the personal trainer from my gym. first, i'm going to ask josh to breathe incorrectly, the way most of us breathe in day-to-day life. notice how his chest is rising as he inhales. this is shallow breathing. josh is only taking in a small amount of oxygen into a small portion of his lungs. this type of breathing is not very effective for releasing toxins from our body, and it's not very effective for calming our emotions, rebalancing our physiological responses,

or focusing our mental energy. it is deep belly breathing that'll do those things. now i'm going ask josh to switch to belly breathing. belly breathing is how most children and all babies breathe naturally, and the way most of us breathe as we move into sleep. it's deep and relaxed. notice how josh's belly rises as he inhales and falls again as he exhales. and the rhythm is slow. in 2, 3, 4 and out 2, 3, 4. it's deep belly breathing that you want to practice, and the best time for practicing is as you move into sleep at night. in fact, if any of you have sleeping problems, a few minutes of belly breathing at night before you go to sleep will resol them. anyoos two tools:ection between feelint

el strong. "my brotr t i'm not phogiclity.keoverour lak

phiogil aconteuraws enedth t

eye okg l tallthfeinishafaal

lo h baumo

ng o c

hws ep erthe but the good ns is that when r emotioy using the power loses its power, and then we're in the position to carve a new, improved neural pathwa ourselves. now, so what is feeling itself, a story and becomes an emotion? honestly, most of us are not e theenrely. our feelings, first of all, elings are physical sensations in the body, like tension or ease, jitteriness or relaxation. and they may be very subtle, that most of us are not trained

to be conscious of our feelings, so we may miss them entirely.gsunke emotions, are extremely intelligent. they'll support whatever we focus on. and they respond appropriately on and when feelings haven't become all wrapped up in a to become emotion, they have an uncanny wisdom. emotions, on the other hand, artytuig? like the time that friend of mine blew out his knee skiing trying to impress his daughter's boyie or the time i fired my tereceived a truckload of hours trees for my backyard, and no one to plant them. in contrast,eengarwi. how many of you have experienced a bad relationship or a bad business deal, and

afr it was all over, you said to your self "you know, when elthat sethi wi had this little wrong there." familiar? or you're just looking at your child, and you get this feeling th setng n rht or maybe you're offered an investment opportunity and your rsue it.inct tells you not to and have you ever noticed that this gut instinct or feeling has no story to back it up? you get the clear message or feeling not to pursue that investment, but the rationale comes afterwards, because our feelings bypass our analytical side. now, we've all experienced the wisdom of our feelings, but because they are so subtle, you have to pay attention. il slloice or being it the

fully present within the moment. feelgsreerfirepts. they pick up things that we don't consciously pick up. but when we are all wrapped up inurontioned stories and emotion, we're not aware of the feeling. weeeoude, owreh to relax our physiology and unplug us from the emotion so that we're not only operating from our conditioned responses. that's when we have access to thclitofureeng that gut instinct. and this is where peak performers operate from, this awe,eengla tt we all have access to, once we conditioning that's blocking it. so what do you want to remember from this segment? one: that our deep breath

is critical to our emotional, mental, and physical health, our brain.iring the pathways two: that emotions and feelings are different. feelings are intelligent, innocent, quid. emotions, on the other hand, are always tied to a story. they get stuck in our physiology and help keep those unwanted conditioned messages held in place. and they can be pretty dumb. and three: that feelings and breathing are your most important tools for cleansing those unwanted messages from your body and your brain and inserting the new, more positive messages to bring your brain into alignment with what you really want. so next, we're going to pull all this together and start rewiring the brain.

thank you. [applause] >> female announcer: next on snap out of it now!, dr. adrianne ahern explains how our deep-seated conditioning actually shapes our perception and creates our reality. >> ahern: your brain is brilliant, efficient, and neutral. it'll do its best to support whatever messages are carved into its neural pathways. your brain is even happy to manipulate reality for you so that it aligns with your conditioned beliefs. >> announcer: stay tuned as dr. a. shows you how to take control now and rewire your brain to create the reality you desire. >> hi, i'm sherry kuehl, in the studio with dr. adrianne ahern and kliff kuehl. i'm so excited to talk with you about this program. it is fascinating to discover that learning to breathe properly can hold the key to

alleviating so many of our physical, emotional, and mental ailments. you know it makes sense that feelin and emotions are distinguishable and that we must clear out the old conditioned emotional responses from our physiology in order to move forward. the combination of two parts of our everyday existence-- breathing and feelings-- can be used as tools for rewiring our brain. all of this information is crystal clear to me now. i think its because dr. a. presents it in a way that is not over my head, not too much like reading a science textbook, nor is it filled with all that jargon but simply presented with demonstrations and everyday examples that make sense and really speak to me. the information in this program is accessible to me and to you, and i think, you know, that's what makes it so powerful. as you enjoy this program and the enrichment it is bringing to your thought process, please take a moment and make that financial contribution to this public television station. call the number on your screen. trust me, it's good for your brain to contribute to public television.

>> ahern: i am on the same journey that many of you are. we want more vibrancy, more authenticity, and more joy in our lives. we want our dreams to become reality and our fears to disappear. i am a scientist by nature, and i'm committed to helping us break through obstacles and reach our potential. and i don't just develop theories for others to use. i work with these processes in my own life before i offer them, and i continually test them on a daily basis. >> dr. a., i really like that about you. you practice what you preach. i think that's unique and probably what makes your work so practical and effective. here are some more tools that dr. a. is offering in association with snap out of it now!, including her newly released book, back in charge! >> male announcer: with your contribution at the $60 level, you'll get the audio book snap out of it now! the audio book is compatible with all digital music players. also, you'll get a one-year subscription to the dr. a. e-newsletter, a monthly report

filled with inspiration and cutting-edge research. at the $90 level, we'll send you dr. ahern's latest softcover book, back in charge!, and the companion audio cd, plus the monthly e-newsletter. back in charge! rewires your brain by harnessing the massive power of your five senses. at the $120 level-- that's just $10 a month-- you'll receive the snap out of it now! dvd, which is the full, uninterrupted public television program, plus a 20-minute bonus segment. you'll also receive the snap out of it now! workbook as companion piece to the dvd, plus you'll get a one-year subscription to dr. a.'s monthly e-newsletter. at the $365 level--that's just a dollar a day--you'll receive the snap out of it now! collection, which includes the snap out of it now! dvd with 20 minutes of bonus material, along with a companion workbook, the snap out of it now! book, and dr. a.'s latest book, back in charge!, three audio cds: unlock your potential, body as healer,

and how to breathe. >> hi, i'm kliff kuehl, and i support public television because it is more than just television. it's a gateway to all possibilities, a place where dreams and aspirations are endless. we allow everyone to set forth on a mission of discovery any time they choose. new adventures and discoveries are always just a click away. viewers can explore the world, see the news, go into outer space, or explore the neural pathways of our brain. public television allows everyone to walk through this gateway and discover endless opportunities anytime they choose. it is available for the benefit of everyone and available to you at anytime but only as long as you support it. if you've made that call of support, thank you very much, but if you haven't, please make that call right now. >> now, dr. a., just a minute ago, you mentioned that you practice these steps yourself at home. can you share with us a little bit how you do this? >> ahern: well, something that i use all the time, sherry, is using my feelings and my breathing to help me snap out of that overthinking and analyzing

and help me realign my focus. one example i can give is that i'm someone who likes to feel in control of what's happening. but sometimes, you have no direct control, like when you're working on a large project that involves lots of people, each one with their own role to play. putting together the snap out of it now! program involved several people and many moving parts. and whenever i find myself stressing over this and worrying about how it's all gonna turn out, i stop, stay with the feeling in the moment, and breathe deeply with it to unplug from my conditioned anxiety. just acknowledging the feeling and breathing with it always makes me feel much more calm, and being calm helps me think more clearly and make better decisions. >> i think all of us can relate to that out of control panicky feeling, almost like you feel like you're having a heart attack, when there are not enough hours in the day to complete what needs to get done. i know when my inbox is overflowing, i've got tons

of emails, and my kids want dinner, it's like i can't stand another minute of it, and i don't want anybody else making a demand on me. now, i am gonna work on using those feelings and breathing to unplug myself from the panic. i'm gonna continue to do this and work on my own conditioning. but right now, i want to ask you to support the informative and engaging programs you enjoy from public television. the support you give remains in this community and helps us to bring you new local and national programming that i know you enjoy. please make that call now. and when you do, here are some wonderful thank-you gifts we have to offer. >> announcer: with your contribution at the $60 level, you'll get the audio book, snap out of it now! the audio book is compatible with all digital music players. also, you'll get a one-year subscription to the dr. a. e-newsletter, a monthly report filled with inspiration and cutting-edge research. at the $90 level, we'll send you dr. ahern's latest softcover book, back in charge!, and the companion audio cd, plus, the monthly e-newsletter. fun, interactive, and engaging,

back in charge! rewires your brain by harnessing the massive power of your five senses. at the $120 level--that's just $10 a month--you'll receive the snap out of it now! dvd, which is the full, uninterrupted public television program, plus a 20-minute bonus segment. you'll also receive the snap out of it now! workbook as companion piece to the dvd, plus you'll get a one-year subscription to dr. a.'s monthly e-newsletter. at the $365 level--that's just a dollar a day--you'll receive the snap out of it now! collection, which includes the snap out of it now! dvd with 20 minutes of bonus material, along with a companion workbook, the snap out of it now! book, and dr. a.'s latest book, back in charge!, three audio cds: unlock your potential, body as healer, and how to breathe. >> i value public television as a parent and as a viewer. i support public television because i am never without discovery. if the thrill of discovery is what you love about public

television, i invite you to partner with us now to make programs like this possible. when you support your public television station, you give the thrill of discovery to everyone: the child who discovers the joys of reading, the athlete who discovers a love for ballet, or the grandmother who decides it's time to recondition her thoughts. you are the one who makes it possible for those around you to discover something new each and every day. >> ahern: sherry, my whole family loves public television, from my little niece, aurora, who loves sesame street, to my mom who never misses the newshour. and my husband and i especially love charlie rose and frontline. and we never miss an episode of masterpiece theatre. >> oh, i love that too. the jane austen stuff was fabulous. did you know that individual contributors, such as yourself, are the single largest source of revenue for public television stations? your support allows us to continue to bring you educational and empowering programs such as snap out of it now! >> announcer: with your contribution at the $60 level, you'll get the audio book, snap out of it now! also, you'll get a one-year

subscription to the dr. a. e-newsletter, a monthly report filled with inspiration and cutting-edge research. at the $90 level, we'll send you dr. ahern's latest softcover book, back in charge!, and the companion audio cd, plus the monthly e-newsletter. fun, interactive, and engaging, back in charge! rewires your brain by harnessing the massive power of your five senses. at the $120 level--that's just $10 a month--you'll receive the snap out of it now! dvd, which is the full, uninterrupted public television program, plus a 20-minute bonus segment. you'll also receive the snap out of it now! workbook as companion piece to the dvd. plus, you'll get a one-year subscription to dr. a.'s monthly e-newsletter. at the $365 level, you'll receive the snap out of it now! collection, which includes the snap out of it now! dvd with 20 minutes of bonus material, along with a companion workbook, the snap out of it now! book, and dr. a.'s latest book, back in charge!,

three audio cds: unlock your potential, body as healer, and how to breathe. >> wow, there's just one segment left. i'm really looking forward to it. >> ahern: yes, this segment explains how the brain operates to support conditioned beliefs, affecting everything from our heart rate to perceptions. and you'll also see how it reinforces your so-called truths. >> are you saying we each operate in our own different reality? >> ahern: well, sherry, you'll have to watch and see. >> well, that's what i'm looking forward to. and i'm looking forward to having you call right now, that number on the bottom of your screen, and make a pledge. if you've become a member, thank you so much. if not, you still have time to support quality and engaging program that you enjoy. and you'll receive some wonderful thank-you gifts. go to your phone right now and call the number on the screen and pledge your support to your public television station. >> female announcer: is your life limited because of false truths? in this segment of snap out of it now!, dr. adrianne ahern shows you how to consciously rewire your neural pathways to get your

brain's power aligned with what you want, not what you don't want. >> ahern: so you're starting to see what a powerful organ your brain is, that it runs your entire physiology and determines the course of your life. your brain is brilliant, efficient, and neutral. it'll do its best to support whatever messages are carved into its neural pathways, whether they're positive or negative. so if your brain's message, our conditioning, says that you are stumbling, bumbling, and accident-prone, your brain will make sure that your body plays that out. if you're convinced, though, that you're not good with languages, guess what happens during french class? "okay, this is brain central. we're on french class alert. turn down auditory acuity." "check." "slow activity in left

hemisphere." "check." "beef up anxiety response: pour in stomach acids, activate shallow breathing. accelerate heart rate." "check." okay, your brain will activate all systems, fire up all systems, to make sure that you will not, under any circumstances, learn to parlez francais. your brain is even happy to manipulate reality for you so that it aligns with your conditioned beliefs. if you've always believed that no one loves you, well, guess how you'll interpret the actions and attitudes of people around you? your brain will consistently provide evidence from your environment to prove to you that you are unlovable. now, let me show you how intelligent and willing our brain is. now, i've got a couple of video clips here. in one of these clips, this guy is telling a story which is true. and in the other one, he's telling a lie.