awareness

I’m observing this phenomenon of limitation in my life regarding my attachment to being A Bicycle Commuter. When I lived on the coast of California, I rejoiced in not owning a car and pedaling along the recreation trail in all weather with my groceries or yoga mat. Then I moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia where there is no structure to support two wheel commuting and two feet of snow and slush are currently piled up on the side of the road. While Bicycle Commuter might sound like a healthy label, in my current environment it is really holding me down. It’s time to move on and acknowledge that a car would make my life infinitely easier.

That’s the perfect example of how my belief of Who I Am is interfering with the progression of my life. As I release this limitation, I will eventually grow more comfortable as thinking of myself as simply one who adapts to her surroundings and flourishes, no matter what. Part of my job as a bodyworker and Reiki Master is helping people to realize how the lables they’ve chosen for themselves are preventing their healing. One way this shows up frequently is through the use of absolute terms such as always and never. When one declares that “my lower back is always tight” they are making it difficult for this condition to change.

I encourage people to be aware of their language as words do have power. Repeating statements over and over either aloud or to ourselves strengthens them in our subconscious, which has no choice but to conform. The above statement can be transformed to a more liberating concept by removing the permanence implicit in the word always. “For the past several weeks I’ve felt tension in my back.”, or “I’d like to focus on releasing tension from my back today.” Both of these options leave space for improvement.

I encourage you to examine the stories you are sharing about your ailments. Is there a way of rewriting the script that enables healing? Are your willing to let go of the way you see yourself in order to allow an improved version to appear? Can you surrender any labels that withhold your progress to becoming healthier, happier, freer in your body or lifestyle? I promise, the rewards are worth the effort of an honest exploration of your beliefs. Try it and let me know what happens!

Limiting Labels

I’m observing this phenomenon of limitation in my life regarding my attachment to being A Bicycle…
I’ve been rereading Louise Hay’s masterpiece You Can Heal Your Life. Again. This is the book that has changed my perspective, and subsequently my life, more than any other. She teaches that our thoughts create our reality, that we are the only thinkers in our heads, and therefore we have the ultimate power to heal our lives by choosing new thoughts. I’ve seen evidence of this again and again in my own life as I uncover and surrender beliefs that no longer serve me.

Taking this one step further, it is evident to me that we can only heal ourselves. No matter what therapist we visit or which treatment we recieve, the true responsibility rests on our own shoulders for shifting our thoughts. No one else can heal us. This realization occassionally causes me to despair; what is the point of devoting my career to the healing arts if I’m unable to actually heal anyone? Am I deluding myself about the transformative power of Reiki?

The truth is that as much as I’d love to heal people, their own free will makes it impossible for healing to be imposed from the outside. Rather than feeling discouraged about this fact, I’ve come to rejoice in the freedom it reveals. I’m not responsible for anyone else’s healing. Just my own. Whew! However, I am indeed able to support them in the process. Flooding one’s being with universal life-force energy (ki) not only encourages relaxation, but also a deep sense of safety and belonging. From this space it is much easier to become aligned with our true nature and uncover false beliefs that hold us down. Once we become aware of our disempowering thoughts we can begin to replace them.

Reiki is like windshield wipers on a drizzly day. They help clear off the muck that gets stuck to the wet glass and make it easier for us to see where we’re going. We can then decide if we want to carry on straight ahead or need to make course corrections. Reiki is not driving the car; our thoughts continue to do that. But when we can see more clearly, it’s a whole lot easier to get where we want to go.

The Power is in the Thinking

I’ve been rereading Louise Hay’s masterpiece You Can Heal Your Life. Again. This is the book…
Recently a client asked me if her hair was interfering with her chi flow. We were doing a Reiki/massage combo and she had tied it up, Sumo style, to keep it out of the oil. She was worried that the clump of hair might block the flow of chi (life force energy, same as the “ki” in Reiki) from entering her crown chakra. I assured her that chi is powerful enough to navigate through.

I could almost see the wheels spinning as she processed this information. A few beats later, she asked A Really Big Question. How could our chakras ever get blocked if chi is so powerful? I generally don’t like to converse during a treatment because it keeps the client from sinking into deep relaxation. However, this concept is so important to deep, lasting healing that I was grateful for the opportunity to respond.

Much has been written on this topic. I could go on and on about it for days, but it’s really quite simple. We have free will. We have been given the power to choose our thoughts, and sometimes we choose thoughts that are out of alignment with our True Nature. It’s our thinking that blocks the chi; when we choose new thoughts, loving thoughts, the chi will begin to resume its natural flow.

We were created as sacred beings; innocent, free, peaceful, joyful, loving, and loved. This is our True Nature. Thoughts of fear, worry, jealousy, anger, resentment, guilt, and shame disrupt the flow of life-force energy in and around our bodies. We might think that we’re feeling upset because of unacceptable circumstances, but really we’re upset because our thoughts are causing us to feel separate from our True Nature. The willingness to surrender misaligned thinking is the remedy to restoring chi flow.

She sighed deeply and agreed that this really struck home. Accepting this truth is quite empowering as we then have the opportunity to create change. It’s also a big responsibility as we are no longer able to point fingers and blame other people, events, or situations as the source of our blockages. To me, it’s just like any other law of nature, such as gravity. It just is; I might as well learn to work with it rather than waste my time and energy struggling against it.

Blocking Chi

Recently a client asked me if her hair was interfering with her chi flow. We were…
This year, I’m trying something different with my New Year’s Resolutions. While I do have some very specific daily and weekly goals, I’m allowing myself a great deal of flexibility. For example, on January 1, when I found myself on an airplane at the hour I’ve designated for exercise, I didn’t get agitated. When I awoke on January 2 feeling quite exhausted after traveling home from spending nine days chasing toddlers around, I allowed myself to go back to bed and rest.

Some people might say I’m lazy or undisciplined. I prefer to think that I’m discerning. I’ve set a primary intention to be happy, healthy, and free this year; and this intention supersedes all other goals. I find great comfort in this structure of flexibility. It allows me the liberty to decide each day if the well-designed routine I’ve created is the best strategy to align with my intention, or if there’s a more effective option.

It’s not my goal to be my own drill sergeant or to cross off a lengthy to-do list. Certainly the ego enjoys such tasks and is strengthened when I ignore the call for rest or gentleness in favor of rigid discipline. But Spirit encourages me to actively engage in life in a way that honors all of me, and that’s where the flexibility comes in. This is not a failure to stick to my resolutions; rather a refinement that allows my resolutions to work for me and my highest good.

I invite you to think of the intention behind your goals. Get in touch with the feeling that you’re hoping to create in the new year. And recognize that while your plan might be sensible and solid, there will be days, even weeks, when it just won’t be healthy to push on through to earn that gold star. (P.S. There is no gold star!) Because I enjoy it and recognize the tremendous benefits to my overall wellness, I’m going to exercise tomorrow morning. Unless I choose not to. I must assess those reasons for myself when the time comes.

Flexi-lutions. The evolved, flexible resolutions of 2016.

Flexi-lutions

This year, I’m trying something different with my New Year’s Resolutions. While I do have some…
Lately I’ve been on a quest to discover the Sacred Feminine within me. Part of that process has been to understand what those words even mean! At first glance, feminine energy seems to be soft, compassionate, passive. While these qualities are indeed an aspect of what I was seeking to uncover, they are far from the whole. I’ve come to realize that there is also a fierceness that is sometimes present in deep femininity (think of a mamma bear protecting her cubs). As it turns out, what I really wanted was to embody this power in a gentle, loving way.

I also began to realize that there is a world of difference between the feminine quality of creativity and the trait of passivity. They might look the same from the outside, but from the inner perspective, they are as different as night and day. Just as we can’t watch a pregnant woman growing a baby, we know that is exactly what is happening. Magnetism is the same. We might look like we’re sitting around doing nothing, but we are instead using this feminine power to get clear on what we want, and are drawing it to ourselves through the practice of Being rather than Doing.

Reiki self-treatments help me to move through stuck emotions as well as to discover remnants of stuckness needing to be released. They help to soothe the ruffled feathers of the healing work I am doing. I know I have much to learn as I continue this mystical journey, and I trust in the energy of Reiki to support me along the way. I’m certain that this process works for uncovering the Sacred Masculine as well. I’m not entirely sure what that path looks like, but I suspect it’s a process embracing the journey from aggressiveness to assertiveness.

Reclaiming the Feminine

Lately I’ve been on a quest to discover the Sacred Feminine within me. Part of that…
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

I’ve heard many spiritual teachers quote this profound statement. Many of us seem to have forgotten this truth, and have become identified with out personalities, our bodies, or our circumstances. When we remember the radiance of our True Selves, we no longer resist the flow of creativity and become aligned with well-being, peace, love, joy, and freedom.

I’ve been using Reiki self treatment to assist me along my path to awakening. Flooding my cells with this universal life force energy brings me into alignment with my true nature and helps me to let go of attachment to my seeming challenges, mistakes, and limitations. As I begin to remember who I truly am, I release all thoughts of separation from my inherent divinity and can feel the love which I am expanding.

Certainly Reiki is not a requirement for waking up, but it clearly is a boost along the journey. Given my longing to feel the serenity of returning home to my Truth, I’m grateful to have it as a guide and companion. Every moment I am able to spend immersed in Reiki inspires me to surrender all delays that keep me from knowing Who I Am- a spiritual being having a human experience.

Awakening

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human…
Every day we are all faced with circumstances we have no control over. Changes in barometric pressure, hormones, and pollen are a few that come to mind because some people suffer terrific headaches as a result. Yet it is my belief that when our body/mind/spirit balance is maintained, we can minimize or even eliminate the effects of these seeming troublemakers.

When our life-force energy is flowing harmoniously, our chakras and glands are vitalized and toxins are easily disposed of. Our immunity is functioning in top-gear and we are distinctly less susceptible to outside forces. The closer to optimal balance we are at any given moment, the less likely we will be toppled off-balance by any outside force. This can also apply to someone cutting us off in traffic, excessive or unpleasant fragrances, behavior in a colleague that we judge as rude, or a late bus.

There are countless ways to achieve balance in our lives. Reiki and meditation are the easiest, quickest, and most accessible tools that I know of for inviting peace, harmony, and well-being to become our default zone. Vacations are delightful, but they come too infrequently and end to quickly. Therapy is helpful, but we are reliant on someone else to meet with us. Exercise is irreplaceable, yet sometimes inconvenient. Both Reiki and meditation can be utilized anywhere, anytime, without any preparation or outside assistance. Practicing these simple techniques can stack the deck in our favor and keep us ahead of the potential discomfort of unforeseen events.

Stacking the Deck

Every day we are all faced with circumstances we have no control over. Changes in barometric…
I’m a huge fan of Eckhart Tolle’s visionary book, The Power of Now. Ever since I read it, I’ve been experimenting with Reiki self-treatment to help me stay present in The Now; the only place I have access to my true power. I’ve also been working with my clients to reach this goal as well; both through intention setting and in our sessions together. The results have been amazing!

I’ve been noticing an enhanced willingness to let go of grievances that weigh me down, and to forgive both myself and others, rather than dragging the past into the precious Now. Reiki is helping me to actualize that willingness into reality. I’m also feeling a great deal of security that comes not from a change in income or expenses, but from a Knowingness that all my needs are provided for. Rather than simply repeating these words as an affirmation (which btw, I’ve been doing for a decade!) I’m actually trusting that they are true. This trust enables me to surrender worries about the future. Once again, I am catapulted into The Now. I like it here! It’s heavenly!! I’m ever so grateful to The Power of Reiki for helping me to transition into my new residency. The more the merrier, so please consider joining me. How about Now?

Here and Now

I’m a huge fan of Eckhart Tolle’s visionary book, The Power of Now. Ever since I…
“Reiki. It’s better than therapy!” A friend told me this last night, and I just had to laugh. We have been working together for several months now, doing Reiki sessions as part of her general wellness routine. The benefits of deep relaxation, inner peace, and overall well-being grow every treatment. The shift that occurs on an inner level that quiets the mind allows the parasympathetic nervous system to kick in and deep healing to begin. I truly believe that the body knows how to heal itself; Reiki is merely a tool that allows the system to reset to it’s natural, relaxed state which supports this innate ability.

I’ve personally never experienced psycho-therapy. I do not intend to diminish the effectiveness of this work by any means. I am aware that countless people have experienced valuable relief with therapy. I am absolutely not suggesting that anyone substitute Reiki for treatment that is helping them in any way, shape, or form. And I know from personal experience that Reiki has the capacity to shift stuck energy in ways that talking about being stuck cannot.

We can only be aware of the Truth of our Being when we feel safe, accepted, and calm. Reiki is a means to achieve this state. Once we have become present, we can often see with newfound clarity and open to intuitive guidance. From this sacred space it is possible to recognize the negative patterns we’ve fallen into and the inaccurate beliefs that hold us in them. When we become connected to our Higher Selves, we discover the resources of strength, wisdom, and grace that assist us in aligning with our Spirits. When this alignment is nurtured, deep and lasting healing occurs. Reiki is not the only path to such a transition; it is however, the most powerful, gentle, and easily accessible way that I’ve ever encountered.

Reiki. It’s Better Than Therapy!

“Reiki. It’s better than therapy!” A friend told me this last night, and I just had…