PLAYBOOK PREPARED BY IGOR BREZHNEV

This is the second edition of the playbook

printed on 06/09/2012 in Phoenix, Arizona
at Impact Printing (www.impactps.com)
Please contact Igor Brezhnev
by email at info@selfchangetools.com
or visit www.selfchangetools.com
for an updated version of this playbook as
it will change as playshops progress.
Thank You!

THIS PLAYBOOK IS YOUR FIRST TOOL!

Even before we get to our playing, you have your

first toolthis playbook. I have made it so that we
can relax and not have a dictation or memorization
lesson. All of us had plenty of those in schools.
Most every concept that is covered in our playshop
is written about here and if it is not, you will find the
Resources section filled with sources of further
information. To make life even easier a constantly
updated electronic version of the playbook is always
available on the playshops website.
There are many blank spaces and pages for you to
make notes, but doing so is optional. We will have
plenty of practice and get to play with all the tools!
There is no wrong way or no right way of changing
self. So lets have fun and play!

Thanks!
Igor Brezhnev

HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE PLAYSHOP!

Whats a playshop? Its like workshop, but we drop all

the heaviness we have around the word work, and
add all the excitement that the word play carries
within it. All the old rules are gone, and new ones are
made up only to fit the present moment.
The first question that always comes to my mind
when considering presenting an idea is how can I can
I make the experience as simple as possible? How
can complexities be reduced to the simplest forms
that can be easily followed from any point of view?
How could I make the learning process as playful and
as exciting as possible?
The objective of this playshop is to make the process
of using conscious selfchange tools simple and easy.
In the first half of the playshop we will explore some
new definitions and ideas and in the second half well
take a closer look at our tools and play with them to
experience self-change right there and then.
How much fun can we have changing our selves?
What else is possible once we have a knowing of our
selves? How does it get even easier than it already is?

DEFINING OUR WORDS AND IDEAS

Words are very interesting, in the fact that while
they are supposed to convey the same meaning
every time they are used, but in reality they very
often do not. Words are also not experiences or
experiencing, instead they are pointers towards things
and processes. Nevertheless, they are very useful
for observation and change. That is why our first
exploration has to do with defining our words and
ideas for this playshop.

CONSCIOUS & UNCONSCIOUS

For the purposes of our exploration let us define
Conscious as deliberate and intentional and
Unconscious as automated and reflexual.
SELF
Let us define Self as the total sum of both conscious
and unconscious thoughts, emotions, actions, energy,
experiences and possibilities.
CHANGE
Change in our context is something becoming
something else, even if the difference is minute.
TOOL
Humans look at a tool as a thing that extends their
cability of action. Let us extend that definition to any
energy, idea, process or thing used in any pursuit.
CONSCIOUS SELF-CHANGE TOOLS
Now let us assemble all the words together:
Conscious SelfChange Tools are any energy, idea,
process or thing used in the active, intentional and
deliberate process of any thoughts, emotions, energy,
experiences and possibilities becoming different.

WHY WOULD WE DO AND BE ALL THAT?

One of my favorite answers to Why? questions is
another question Why not? At times that is reason
enough. Most people come to explore change either
from a point of view of intense suffering or intense
curiosity. Good news is even if the exploration comes
from suffering it changes to curiosity in time: Oh
look, these skills I used to have that I did not like are
now replaced with skills that I like to use. What else
is possible? We can see who we are in the mirror of
our perceived reality. That is one of the reasons for
using conscious selfchange tools: if you change your
self, your reality changes, the more you change, the
more of that the wonderful mirror reflects.
Isnt that amazing?

A LOOK IN THE TOOL SHED:

Now we come to our fine range of tools that we can
use to initiate change. The first tools are very simple
and in all likeness we are using these tools already.
There is no wrong way to use these tools, your tools
become as unique as you are through use. Feel the
freedom to change any tool to suit your Self.

AWARENESS TOOL
The next tool that we can use is being aware of our
perceived reality and in doing so being aware of who
we are. In a way this lets us know whats there to
change and in what way. Question yourself:
How do I feel right now?

What am I thinking?

What am I looking at in my story?

What does my reality look, sound, feel and

taste like right now?

What would I like to change?

QUESTION TOOL
We have already been using this tool quite a bit.
We cannot help but question that which we are
aware of: a myrriad of why, how, what and when
questions appear when we become more aware.
Question is wonderful inventionit opens up multiple
possibilities. Having immidiate and precise answers
closes the possibilities down. If you are asking
questions and using this tool, be prepared to listen, to
be aware of answers showing up around you.
What questions would you ask your self if you your
aim was to change Self?

CHOICE TOOL
Awareness and Question are followed by Choice.
Choice is not a decision. Decision is this process that
our minds like very much: assessing all the data we
have access to, figuring it all out, weighing everything,
measuring it and then arriving at a conclusion.
Conclusions tend to be very heavy things, with plenty
of nice and sturdy judgements in them. Choice on the
other hand is a split-second determination of whether
you choose to do or be some way or not. Once you
made the choice you are on the path that it opened
up. Theres no conclusion in choice, just the fact that
you have made it, and so choice can be made again
and again and again, until it is the choice that opens
the path you want to travel on.
What choices of changing your self do you see that
you would like to play with?

Before we move on to our featured tools, Id like to

show and define a few more concepts that will help
us along the way with practicing use of any tool of
conscious self-change.
YOU: BODY, MIND, EMOTION AND BEYOND
In the stories about you there are stories of your
body, of your mind, of your emotions, of your actions
and surroundings and this sense of a beyonda
possibility of being this or that way. In most ancient
days we have come across of a knowing that we do
not end at our bodies, that somehow we were more
than that. Today our observational science shows us
that same fact. Our body emits many electromagnetic
fields that extend outward with unique signatures.
Our heart makes waves, our brain makes waves,
we emit heat, we even emit light. Our scientific
equipment is not sensitive enough yet to allow us to
see how far we extend, but eventually I venture to say
well know that those fields keep on going retaining a
unique miniscule signature of who we are into infinity.
An emotion-mind-body state can be viewed from so
many points of viewphysical, chemical, energetic,
subatomic, quantum and perhaps some points of
view we havent defined yet scientifically. In your
mind you can choose to travel to the moon and to
the center of the galaxy and toward the smallest
subatomic particle. Your emotion has an intensity

that can be ignited or dimmed by choice. Your body

can emit more or less heat depending on action you
choose to take. Amazing. So you are not your body
or mind or emotion. You are emoting, thinking, acting,
but you are a beyond that makes choices meshed
with body and surroundings. A fun idea to consider
when changing self.
ENERGY & BODY
Most of our energetic understanding of the body
comes from Far East and India. How they got there
we can only speculate, although there is some ease
in knowing where your energetic centers are and
how energy flows. Todays observational science
shows that theres something that happens when
acupuncture and acupressure are used - we dont
quite know how yet from sciences point of view.
Most energy tools are based on that understanding
of Chi, Qi or Prana subtle energies and give us a
way to interact with that energy. There are extensive
books and studies written on this subject, so we will
leave the in-depth study of what those energies are
and how they work outside of the workshop. There
is no wrong or right way to play with energy, if you
are using awareness, choice and question in your
experiments you will be surprised by results.

EFT & REIKI INTRODUCTION

Well use two sets of tools in particular: EFT and
Reiki. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is an
energy psychology tool that blends playing with
emotion, energy, body and thought patterns in order
to craft the change you desire mainly focusing on
emotions. Simply put EFT is a tool that allows you
to become more aware and exercize choice in your
emotions.
Reiki has been described as energy healing or
spiritual practice. It gleams even further than EFT into
ideas of energetic aspects of human body, emotion
and thought. I find that practicing Reiki tools allows
me to be aware of energy.
Lets begin with some background information and
demonstration and then selecting some changes in
your lives that wed like to initiate today.
REIKI INTRODUCTION
There are many books on both Traditional and
Transformational Reiki, where you can learn more
about its history, people involved, various techniques
and symbols. In our playshop we are going to
look at a brief overview of Reiki history, principles
and techniques and depending on time available
experiment with a Reiki I attunement so you may use

the first Reiki I symbol and the energy as your tool

for self-change. If you choose to learn more about
this toolset there are many paths to take to attain that
knowledge.
Reiki is a practice developed in 1922 by Japanese
Buddhist Mikao Usui in Japan. The word reiki ()
in Japanese literally means mysterious atmosphere,
which derives from the Chinese loanword lngq (
) meaning supernatural influence. It compounds
the words rei (: spirit, miraculous, divine) and ki (
gas, vital energy, breath of life, consciousness).
The ki (better known as Chinese qi or chi) in reiki is
understood as meaning spiritual energy; vital energy;
life force; energy of life. In the West Reiki has been
defined as universal life energy.
Mikao Usui () developed the system of Reiki
in 1922 whilst performing Isyu Guo, a twenty-one day
Buddhist training course held on Mount Kurama. It
is not known for certain what Usui was required to
do during this training, though it most likely involved
meditation, fasting, chanting, and prayer. It is claimed
that by a mystical revelation, Usui had gained the
knowledge and spiritual power to apply and attune
others to what he called Reiki, which entered his body
through his crown Chakra. In April 1922, Usui moved
to Tokyo and founded the Usui Reiki Ryh Gakkai
( in Traditional Mandarin, meaning
Usuis Spiritual Energy Therapy Method Society) in

order to continue treating people on a large scale with

Reiki.
Reiki is not a religion, and while its origins are in a
spiritual realm, it is a number of mind, body, emotion
and energy tools used to facilitate desired change.
We will take a look at some of the tools from Reiki
that we can play with and facilitate self-change.
THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF REIKI
The secret art of inviting happiness,
The miraculous medicine for all diseases.
At least for today:
Do not be angry,
Do not worry,
Be grateful,
Work with diligence,
Be kind to people.
Every morning and evening, join your hands in
meditation and pray with your heart.
State in your mind and chant with your mouth.
For improvement of mind and body.
Usui Reiki Ryh.
The founder, Mikao Usui.

In these five principles we can see a number of tools

for suggested use. Lets take a look at each one of
them.

REIKI PRINCIPLE TOOL: INVITE HAPPINESS

Invite Happiness: how do you do or be that? Lets
try it: do you remember a feeling that you define
as happy? It would be an experience that you have
enjoyed, a light feeling of expansion and inclusion.
Can you remember how that feels like? Can you tell
where in your body do you feel that feeling? Great.
You just invited happiness. You have successfully
changed the way you feel right now.
REIKI PRINCIPLE TOOL: AT LEAST FOR TODAY
At least for today, at least for this present moment:
this is a wonderful idea that we can use to focus our
attention on the present moment and affect change
in it. It removes the weight of planning for the next
twenty years, it allows the space of change in small
and yet very potent time: now. So what other changes
could you have just for now?
REIKI PRINCIPLE TOOL: DO NOT BE ANGRY
Anger is a very interesting emotion, it is immensely

useful when faced with a sabertooth tiger (you might

live five minutes longer.) It could be defined as a
feeling of projecting yourself into conflict aimed to
protect you from losing something you perceive
as your property. It is also the starting point for an
emotion of potency. However unless you are faced
with the said tiger or are playing with achieving a high
vibration emotion of potency chances are that state
will wear your body out and your reality would be an
angry one. So we can use Awareness and Choice
and choose a different emotional state.
REIKI PRINCIPLE TOOL: DO NOT WORRY
Worry is this low level fear-like emotion that projects a
constant looking at worst-case scenarios in unknown
present or yet not experienced future. Once again
we can use our Awareness and Choice tools, first
be aware that we are in the state of worry, second
choose to change that state.
REIKI PRINCIPLE TOOL: BE GRATEFUL
In this principle there is a suggestion of creating a
thought-emotional state of gratefulness. How does
that translate into our emotional language? Do you
have a memory of being grateful? Have you received
something you desired and were you thankful for that
gift? What if everything, all life, was that gift? How
would that feel like? Once again through Awareness

and Choice we can shift to an emotional state

different than the one we had. Why would one want
this state? The only answer that will make sense will
be an experiential one - try it, see what happens with
your reality.
REIKI PRINCIPLE TOOL:
WORK WITH DILIGENCE
Diligence is careful and persistent effort. Lets
rephrase that: diligence is constantly repeated full
of care action. Lets rephrase that again: diligence is
repeated conscious action, thought or emotion. This
tool is a reminder that in order for change to occur
tool may need to be practiced with. Good news: the
more you learn to learn the easier the learning gets.
REIKI PRINCIPLE TOOL: BE KIND TO PEOPLE
Being Kind is ability to be in state of no judgement,
being aware but not defending a point of view of
wrongness or rightness, goodness or badness. This
is an interesting state of being, where you feel that we
are all a bunch of I do not know who I am making
up stories the best they can from the point of view we
have. By the way, People includes you. How would
you be kind to you? What judgements will you let go
to be kind to you?

REIKI PRINCIPLE TOOL: MEDITATION

Lets define meditation as very simple state: sit still,
take a break, breathe deeply and just be - if a thought
occursthink it but do not follow the train of thought,
if emotional state arisesfeel it but do not focus on
it. When you get the hang of this process, you can
point your mind gently towards tasks of observation
without judgement and greater awareness. There can
be more to it, but in the beginning that all it takes.
REIKI SYMBOL TOOLS: SYMBOLS
Symbols are pointers, ways to recollect a feeling or
thought of a certain energy. A word is a symbol, a
picture is a symbol, even an action can be a symbol.
In Reiki symbols are used as focal points, as tools
that bring your attention to certain concept and
allow the energy to go through you. There are four
traditional Reiki symbols that are used, and many
more transitional Reiki symbols. The key is not the
shape of the symbol, but what it means and the
energy it points to.
In essence a practitioner of Reiki forms a mental or
physical picture of the symbol and focuses on its
meaning, while becoming more aware of the energy
flow within him or her. Then a practitioner may place
his hands on or above the body to let the energy
move through the areas that require movement in

order to facilitate change that is sought.

Remember that symbols are pointers, there is
more than one pointer to an idea. Do not take it too
seriously, focus on the intent of what you are doing
and less on form and shape. Those will come with
practice.
REIKI SYMBOLS: ATTUNEMENT
In practicing Reiki you will come by a funny word:
Attunement. Traditionally, a Reiki Master Teacher
Initiator would drop the symbols in your energy
vibration when you are ready to receive them. That is
done with focus and clear intent. However, you can
attune yourself to any symbol by meditating on its
shape and intention, and then use it like using any
other Reiki symbol.
REIKI SYMBOL TOOLS: CHO KU REI
Cho Ku Rei symbol resembles
a spiral and its intent is to guide
the flow of energy. Think of it
as a master key to all flow of
energy through and next to you:
it can be close flow or open
flow or more flow or seal
flow. However you relate with
perceiving energy - whether you

can see it, hear it, feel it or any mix of those, this
symbol can serve as a focus for you.
To feel the energy use your Awareness tool. You
already have the answer most of the time. I feel
bloatedwonderfultranslate it to language of
energy: there is too much energy in this area of
my body and use your symbol tool with intent to
open flow and release the energy. I feel tired and
depletedhurrayput more energy in you. This
place looks dangerousamazingseal it with
energy and use energy to expand your awareness of
what really is.
Where does the energy come from. From everywhere
and everywhen. We can define it further and give
names to it, but the energy is simply all around you all
the time, always ready to be be transformed. When
you feel, see or hear the energy connect with the top
of your head, when you can perceive the movement
of it to your hands and back into your bodyyou
are becoming aware of another possibility of being.
Thats rather fun.
REIKI SYMBOL TOOLS: SEI HE KI
Sei He Ki is defined in Reiki as a symbol
for mental and emotional healing,
protection, purification, clearing and
balancing. The key word for this symbol
is balancing boundaries. Use it to clear,

to protect things, to balance or to direct flow.

REIKI SYMBOL TOOLS:
HON SHA ZE SHO NEN
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen is described very
often as the distance symbol. In Reiki
it is used to use other symbols within
distances of time and space. Think of it
as a bridge that closes the gap in your
awareness between here and now and
there and then. It is the feeling of realizing
that I am in me is no different than
I am in you.
REIKI SYMBOL TOOLS: DAI KO MYO
Final symbol in traditional Reiki practice
is Dai Ko Myo. It is called a Master
symbol. Think of it as a representation
of the light in you. It is a symbol of
assuming greater ability to respond.
A Reiki Master is someone who
by practice of intense selfchange
becomes available to others to enable
more selfchange. Master symbol also
connects you to your environment in
a greater way: you are now someone
to who even Earth can turn to for
assistance.

EFT: INTRODUCTION
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is an energy
psychology modality developed by Gary Craig in
the early nineties. It has its roots in TFT (Thought
Field Therapy) developed by Roger Callahan. As
anecdotal story goes, Dr. Roger Callahan, a clinical
psychologist, was working with a woman that had
intense fear of water, to the extent of being physically
sick if water was present. Dr. Callahan at the time
was exploring acupressure techniques and when his
client has stated during the treatment that it made
her sick in her stomach to think about water right
there and then, he asked her to rub the meridian
point associated with stomach. They proceeded
to have their usual session talking about the fear
and its origins, but suddenly the woman got up and
ventured outside towards a pool. Roger went after
her, but she told him: do not worry I am not going
to get in, I am not an idiot I know I cannot swim,
but I am no longer afraid of the water. Dr. Callahan
then looked for possible connections between these
stuck emotional states, their affects on physical
conditions of the body and created, at the time, a
complex system of determining which points and in
which order one needs to stimulate in order to let
go of these strong emotional states and connected
physical manifestations. Enter, engineer and minister
Gary Craig. His question was Can this be easier?
If in essence we are shaking the energy system to

clear blocks and let usual movement restore couldnt

we shake the whole system and remove the complex
determination of what is stuck where? So EFT was
born. I have come to know about EFT from my good
friend Thomas H. Bleasdale, an excellent reflexologist
and body worker as well as eternal consciousness
student. I have practiced EFT for many years now
and a few years ago employing it to such degree that
I saw even greater potential for change in using this
tool. Another person you might want to look up is
Robert Smith. He came up with FasterEFT with NLP,
he integrated NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)
into his version of EFT (or tapping as it is sometimes
referred to) and made a drastic shift in the point of
view of why we are making the change and what
exactly we are working with. His premise was: what
if it is not a problem but a skill? what if nothing is
broken, but rather works just fine, you just no longer
want the result of that process and thus want to
change it? History of EFT is somewhat longer than
the actual application method, it is interesting to know
where these tools come from.
EFT: TAPPING TOOL
Tapping is an action of slightly hitting or rubbing a
point on your body with your fingers while being
focused on the state you want to change. Words
could be used to clarify the intent.

POINTS USED IN FASTER EF T

ADDITIONAL POINTS USED IN TR ADITIONAL EF T

TOP OF THE HEAD

COLL AR BONE

SORE SPOTS

UNDER PECTOR ALS

WRIST

EYEBROW

SIDE OF THE EYE

UNDER THE EYE

SIDE OF THE EYE

UNDER THE EYE

Determine the emotional or body state youd like to

change. For example: I have a headache, or I am
intensely angry or call up a fear youd like to work
with.
Feel the state youd like to change, reach into it and
give a relative intensity measure - on a scale from 0
to 10, where 0 is no state and 10 is very intense state
present.
We are using FasterEFT method of less points, but
any point on your body if you feel a draw to it will do
in addition to those points. Heres the sequence of
points and some words you might use:
tap the eyebrows point,
say I release and let go of this feeling
tap on the side of the eye point,
say it is safe to let go of this feeling
tap on the under the eye point,
say this feeling has served its purpose and I can
release and let it go
tap on the collarbone point,
say i am safe, and i release and let
go of this feeling
tap or hold your wrist, take a deep breath, go to a
pleasant and peaceful memory and say peace
Examine your emotional or body state - has the
intensity changed? has the state changed?

Continue until a 0 state is reached.

Thats how simple the method really iswe will
discuss a few other ideas and types of statements
that can be used. But really you cant do it wrong.
All the while that you employ EFT you practicing
awareness and choice. You are becoming aware that
your emotions do not emote you, you emote your
emotions, your thoughts do not think you, you think
them, your actions do not happen to you, you act
your actions. You are bringing out your emotional,
action and thought skills that have been automated
and you are consciously changing them to that which
you desire. Thats the point of it.
EFT: OBJECTIFYING EMOTIONS TOOL
There are times that we are so automated in some
areas of our life that we are not aware what exactly
is going on. Emotions are not cognitive or logical,
and the societal paradigm we live in thrives in the
idea that they just happen. So it may take a bit of
exploring to become aware. First wonderful thing to
know is that emotions always happen in your body.
Feeling butterflies in your stomach, or anxious feeling
in your chest, or constricted breathing of fearall
that points to a feeling. Explore what your body feels,
move a little, if you do not have a definition for your
feelingits probably because there isnt one in our
languageit could be a delightful mix of excitement-

fear-sadness-anger with something we dont have

a name for. You can always say this feeling in my
chest. Remember that you are talking to your self
and self knows its stories even if you are not aware
what they are. If you cant quite measure the intensity
in numbers, give your feeling a shape, a color, a
temperaturesome quantification that the mind can
connect to. Once again the first thing that comes to
your mind is the answerWhat color is this feeling?
Orange. It makes no sense, nor it is supposed to.
What is interesting is that after you used tapping and
looked at the state you are changing again it may
have a different color or shape or size thus giving you
a perspective on change.
A FEW OTHER TOOLS:
These are just some of the tools that you can easily
use to enable self-change. During our playshop we
may enjoy tools from a few other toolsets. Feel free to
look them up on your own.
ACCESS CONSCIOUSNESS
Theres an amazing tool set that I have found to
be of immense valuethe system called Access
Consciousness. One of the best places to start is
reading a book Being You, Changing The World by
Dr. Dain Heer.

TAKE A BREAK
One day while I was enjoying a cup of coffee in my
favorite coffee shop in Phoenix, I heard a man telling
people left and right to take a break. Eventually, I
got to talk to him. His name is Howard Johns and
he has been a student of consciousness for quite a
while. He has a whole system of tools and principles
that he shares with people, but he always begins with
taking a break. So next time, when you feel like
you would like to change something, before you take
action: take a breakand I mean really take a break
let go of whatever you are looking at so intently or
doing so vigorously, relax, appreciate that which you
can appreciate in your circumstances. You would be
surprised with what might happen next.

RESOURCES: BOOKS
The Big Book of Reiki Symbols by Mark Hosak and
Walter Luebeck (ISBN: 9780914955641)
EFT Manual by Gary Craig (ISBN: 9781604150308)
Monsters and Magical Sticks by Steven Heller,
Ph.D.and Terry Steele (ISBN: 9781935150633)
Being You, Changing The World by Dr. Dain Heer
(ISBN: 9780984508815)
RESOURCES: WEBSITES
Traditional EFT website: www.emofree.com
Traditional EFT website: www.eftuniverse.com
FasterEFT with NLP website: www.fastereft.com
FasterEFT YouTube Channel:
www.youtube.com/user/HealingMagic
RESOURCES: PEOPLE
These people are a great resource for further play
with EFT and Reiki tools.
Nicole Duran (Reiki Master Teacher):
www.nicole-duran.com
Thomas H. Bleasdale (EFT/Access Consciousness):
www.thbleasdale.com

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