Category: complementary medicine

Posted by PamelaHipp on in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, healing, holistic healing, holistic therapy, wellness

Success Rate of Healing Treatments?

Last week a potential client asked me what my success rate was.

Ummmm…

I really had to give that some thought! I am 100% successful at delivering Reiki and/or massage to the clients who request it.

But that obviously wasn’t what she was looking for. She wanted to know how many of my clients were relieved of their symptoms, but that’s not a question I can accurately answer. I’d estimate that 95% of the time, people feel better when they leave my office. What happens after that is generally out of my hands.

Imagine you were seeking treatment for insomnia. Reiki and massage are both fabulous at calming the nervous system so people can fall asleep more easily and stay asleep. I can do my very best work, you’d feel calm and rested when we parted, but you could go home and drink a pot of coffee before bedtime. You probably won’t sleep very well, but you still received many of the wellness benefits anyway.

Holistic healing is a lot like not drinking a pot of coffee before bed. Or getting out of debt by curtailing spending and taking up a side job. All of our choices are affecting our progress.

My clients who switch to decaf after lunch experience tremendous results. Those who rely solely on me while continuing to drink coffee at bedtime get temporary relief.

There’s no judgment here. Anybody can get a session and feel better. Those who want to continue feeling better work with me. We become a detective team, exploring the options that they face every day to pursue or decline wellness.

Success rate? Here’s a more accurate question, one I wasn’t quick enough to express on that phone call. Are you willing to adapt your behavior and make healthier choices that support your goals? Your response is directly correlated to the success rate you can expect. And my services will mostly definitely support you in the process.

Whether or not you’re wanting to participate in your wellness pursuit, gentle massage and Reiki treatments can promote vitality, peace, calm, creativity, and health. Schedule a session without any guilt or shame about your habits. We don’t have to discuss anything you don’t want to!

Your Healing Session

Posted by PamelaHipp on in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, healing, holistic healing, holistic therapy

Online Reiki 1 Certification in January, 2023

Are you looking to activate your personal power? For optimal well-being, happiness, creativity, abundance, and connection? Why not start the new year off with a bang and give yourself a helping hand? Reiki is a potent tool for dismantling the blockages that prevent us from experiencing our best possible lives. You could have limitless access to this healing energy with minimal cost or time.

Hidden beliefs, unconscious triggers, cultural conditioning, and outdating coping mechanisms can sabotage even the most sincere resolutions. Reiki can help us love and accept ourselves exactly as we are and support our efforts to be more peaceful, compassionate, and integrated. No need to keep white-knuckling it or banging your head against the wall. Instead, try cultivating balance from within.

Photo by nicollazzi xiong on Pexels.com

This is a simple, yet powerful, modality that can assist you in aligning desire and intent; body, mind, and spirit; head, heart, and gut so that all your parts are working as a team, rather that a bunch of rogue elements fulfilling personal whims at the expense of the greater good.

Join me for a series of four online classes in January. No experience or special skills are necessary. Anyone can learn Reiki and benefit quickly from consistent application. It’s the easiest, safest, most magical method I’ve discovered in 25 years of spiritual practice and personal development work. Whatever therapies, remedies, or potions you’ve got going on, you can add Reiki for amplification.

If you’re wondering what the heck Reiki is, I’ll attempt an explanation. Keep in mind that words don’t really do it justice. Just like kissing, one authentic experience will be more informative than volumes of books! But I know that’s not very helpful, so here we go. Reiki is a holistic technique for healing that relieves stress. It activates the body’s innate restorative abilities by flooding the system with universal life-force energy. Once we are no longer chronically depleted, overwhelmed, or barely existing in survival mode, we have so much more power to create change in our lives. One of my students described her experience as stepping off the hamster wheel. I think that’s a great metaphor!

If you’ve been burning the candle at both ends or spread too thin, taking care of everyone else besides yourself, or simply going along just to get along, it would be my great pleasure to introduce you to a different way. You can find details about the class here. If you’re interested in applying, just send me a message and we’ll see if it’s a good match for you.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, emotional well-being, holistic healing, Reiki

There’s No Such This as “Just” Anxiety

I get so frustrated when clients come to me with chronic pain, discomfort, or uneasiness which doctors have labeled as “just” anxiety. As if anxiety isn’t real and therefore the effects of anxiety don’t matter. GAH! (Post edited to remove a lot of creative cursing!)

Recurring headaches, digestive issues, insomnia, pain, inability to focus, and skin irritations can all result from anxiety. These conditions are no less problematic than those with medical origins. To suggest that anyone should just resign to living with such challenges because they result from anxiety rather than disease is absurd.

Anxiety produces a very real physiological response that can disrupt all the body’s systems. I’m remembering a time when a friend and I went for a hike. We were having a lovely time until suddenly I thought I might have left a pot simmering on the stove. It didn’t matter that I have never done any such thing or that we’d be gone for two hours and if there was to be a fire, the damage would have already been done.

There was no logic-ing my way out of the racing heart, nausea, and muscle tension that ensued. It’s an understatement to say that I was flipping out. And when my friend refused to join me in panic mode, claiming fatigue as an excuse not to rush back, I could feel my blood pressure rising and intense anger building. (Insert image of The Incredible Hulk!) My body responded immediately with a sympathetic nervous system (AKA stress) reaction that was not helpful (and fortunately not necessary as the stove was indeed off) but very much real.

It took some time for my system to reset itself, but I eventually calmed down. Imagine experiencing a similar state of panic as a common occurrence. The body would be constantly challenged and would suffer very real physiological consequences. I’m sharing this example to illustrate the power of the body-mind connection; it’s not an accurate depiction of chronic anxiety at all, but hopefully gets my point across. This stuff is real!

If you’ve had an experience of being dismissed by the doctor from whom you sought help, I’m so sorry. This is where western medicine fails a lot of people. If the problem can’t be found with a microscope or scan, it’s considered irrelevant. Just because thoughts and emotions are outside the range of the average MD’s practice doesn’t make the situation imaginary or hopeless. Looking outside the box can provide answers that aren’t always visible from inside the system.

In addition to (thankfully) rare anxiety attacks like the one I described above; I experienced a low-grade, consistent anxiety for years. Probably decades, but I was pretty good at ignoring it in my youth and liberally applying numbing and distracting strategies as I got older.

As my spiritual practice evolved and I became more capacitated to sitting quietly and tuning in to what I was feeling, I often noticed an uncomfortable energy residing in my solar plexus that I came to label as anxiety. It wasn’t the flipping out kind, but it was ever-present and kept me from living my best life. Once I discovered its presence, I was able to treat it with Reiki and self-compassion. With consistent efforts and the invaluable practices of slowing down and saying no to opportunities and invitations that didn’t resonate, I’m happy to say that it’s mostly absent. It appears upon occasion with a message that I’ve made a decision that isn’t aligned with my values, and when I correct my trajectory, it fades automatically.

Anxiety doesn’t need to be a lifetime sentence. In addition to prescription medications, there are a wide variety of complementary and alternative holistic options. It’s one of the most frequent complaints I hear from Reiki students and clients, who report relief with consistent treatment. Psychotherapy, meditation, herbal remedies, flower essences, aromatherapy, enjoyable movement, EFT, nutrition, and yoga are just a few of the strategies besides Reiki that can have effective results. Sometimes the shift comes from reevaluating a relationship, living situation, or career.

What if anxiety is the body’s way of telling us something is off and requires our attention? Ignoring such a message can have destructive consequences over time; like taking the battery out of the smoke detector to stop the noise. There are lots of ways to treat anxiety, and likely one that suits your personality, lifestyle, and resources. I’ve gone the DIY approach myself, and guide others who wish to follow this same path, as well as those who seek professional help from a Reiki Master.

One thing is for sure- it’s not going to magically disappear. Nor will the symptoms. If your doctor has let you down, please seek assistance elsewhere. That might be as simple as looking up “breathing exercises for anxiety” on the web or scheduling a long-distance Reiki session. Such an easy step might be adequate to calm down enough so that you can figure out what the next steps are.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, energywork, holistic healing, holistic therapy, long distance Reiki, Reiki

Happy Reiki Day!

I’m so excited to be on the receiving end of a remote Reiki session today!!! A few weeks ago I’m was feeling pretty worn down and recognized that I needed some extra support. I remember listening to a podcast where the woman being interviewed recommended getting LOTS of support, not just the bare minimum. I chuckled to myself, and thought, hmmm… that’s what I’ve been doing! Just getting the minimum to keep going and relying, over-relying actually, on my self-care routines.

It took me a few moments to figure out what would be the most helpful. The idea of dragging myself to yet another appointment, potentially trading working hours for relaxation, didn’t resonate at all. Even trying out a new-to-me bodyworker in the neighborhood didn’t float my boat. These things are so subjective! 

I’m not sure why it took so long for me to figure out that thing that would help me the most is the thing I most often recommend. Didn’t see the forest for all the tree, I guess. 🙂 I booked a long-distance session with my teacher, Laura Bruno, who happens to live 1,000 miles away. No worries. Reiki can travel. And it can bend time, so I’ve set up my session so that she can do it during her working hours, and arrange for it to arrive at 10pm. When I will be off my feet, no longer tending to busyness or business, tucked into bed and maximally receptive. 

Even we caretakers need some caretaking. I seem to have taken on the role of the caretakers’ caretaker, as I have many clients who are in heavy duty caretaking roles. They come to me for support when they get depleted, or better yet to prevent getting depleted. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that I need to keep my own tank full so I can keep operating. And tomorrow morning, I will wake up with a full tank, magically restored while I was resting. 

How does it get better than that? 

Posted by PamelaHipp on in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, holistic healing, holistic therapy, Reiki class

Why Reiki??

The following is an excerpt from the handouts I provide in level 1 Reiki certification. I’m perpetually updating class notes to reflect the ongoing downloads and updates that inform my own understanding. If you’ve heard talk about Reiki and have been curious but hesitant to try the waters, this could help nudge you one way or the other.

“You’re in the right place if you’re interested in optimizing your wellness, uncovering your innate wholeness, finding and following your calling, soothing aches and pains, finding the well of peace and joy deep within, healing trauma, releasing limiting beliefs, spiritual awakening, or personal growth. Reiki can be used for all these goals by cultivating balance, removing blockages, and strengthening vitality.

“It is my intention to provide a basic understanding of what Reiki is and how we can use it to improve health, happiness, and productivity. I invite you to be curious about all the possibilities Reiki has to offer. Experiment when you feel guided to do so. There are NO limits! If you have an idea about how to use Reiki that I haven’t mentioned; try it! Reiki can do no harm.”

My next online beginners class runs on Thursday mornings in October, 10am-noon ET. There is still room for a few more compatible students to join us. I don’t have a formal application process. Just message me with a little bit of information about what you hope to get from this class and we’ll see if we’re a good match for each other.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in complementary medicine, holistic healing, Reiki

Online Reiki 1 Certification in October

I’m thrilled to announce that my next beginning level Reiki class has been scheduled. Reiki is a natural energy that promotes stress and pain relief and bolsters the body’s innate healing abilities. Deactivating the fight-flight-freeze response while simultaneously saturating someone with spiritually-guided life-force energy is a powerful recipe for cultivating wellness, harmony, creativity, connection, productivity, presence, purpose, passion, and more.

I use it on the daily to maximize all the good stuff and release all that prevents me from experiencing my highest good. It’s become so ingrained in my life, that I can’t imagine living without it.

There are many reasons to learn Reiki. Caring for ourselves on a consistent basis is the equivalent of making frequent deposits into our health accounts. Adding Reiki to any therapy, personal growth endeavor, spiritual practice, or health regime will enhance the results. Spending time devoted to your wellness can help recover worthiness and access to inner wisdom that may have been covered up by cultural conditioning or trauma.

It can also be used to clear spaces that may carry unpleasant energetic residue or rid yourself of gunk that you may have picked up from toxic encounters. In this course, we discuss how to give a loved one a treatment, and how to adapt for various situations. You don’t need to convert your guest room or buy a massage table. Children, pets, gardens, and crystals are all potential recipients, to name just a few.

This upcoming level 1 course runs on Thursday mornings in October. If you’re interested, contact me, and we’ll see if it’s a good match for you. No experience or special skills are required. All meetings will be held on Zoom.

Reiki 1 Certification

October 6, 13, 20, & 27, 2022. 10 am – noon ET.

$225 Investment. Our time together includes PDF materials, personal attunement, certificate, and plenty of time for your questions and practice.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in complementary medicine, holistic healing, holistic therapy, self-care, stress, wellness

September Special: Set-it-and-Forget-it Reiki Package

A friend recently shared about the new skincare products she was considering to combat the stubborn outbreaks she’d be experiencing. When I expressed my belief that the likely culprit was intense stress due to a major life transition, her response could only be described as “dagger eyes”. 

Clearly she knew that she was stressed, teetering on overwhelm. The thought of taking action to manage said stress would only be yet another complication in her already complicated life. Simple tasks like meal planning and laundry were already emotionally draining. There was no more room on her to-do list; even for something that would be of great benefit. 

Photo by Mizuno K on Pexels.com

It seemed obvious to me that buying expensive creams would not solve the problem considering that the problem was not a shortage of expensive creams. Her nervous system was overloaded from chronic stress, and sending out a cry for help via her skin. Other folks might get messages from digestive issues, headaches or migraines, insomnia or other symptoms of imbalance. Given that treating stress is my forte, I developed a plan. 

Reiki is a brilliant strategy for just this sort of thing. Not only does it relieve stress, tension, and pain, but also saturates the body in healing life-force energy, bolstering whatever systems have become depleted. Even better, it can be performed remotely, eliminating the need to show up for any more appointments. Clients don’t need to even make time in their busy schedules. How cool is that?!

I came up with a plan to offer 30 minute bursts of Reiki on a weekly basis, to be done on my part during working hours, but to be delivered when she was retired for the evening. (Yes, Reiki delivery can be scheduled in advance, just like Grubhub!) I frequently use this strategy to maximize efficacy by setting up the session during a time of maximum receptivity, often after the client has gone to bed. 

I created an 8-pack special so she could have consistent treatment over two months. Reversing the effects chronic stress can take time, especially when it is ongoing. It’s like trying to get out of debt without curbing spending; challenging but not impossible. It’s a matter of making more deposits than withdrawals. In this case we’d be making weekly deposits into her life-force energy account. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or burnt out and unable to see your way through, a remote Reiki treatment series might be just the thing. It’s like a subscribe-and-save deal for wellness. Contact me to see if your goals are a good match for this program. It’s the most affordable package I offer; 8 treatments for the price of 7. I provide a weekly reminder and an opportunity to amend the session’s intentions. If you can’t or don’t wish to respond, I carry on with the intention we discussed at the beginning of our arrangement. You sit back (or not!) and do nothing but soak up the energy. 

Set-it-and-Forget-it Reiki, a strategy for the chaotic modern world. Like many of the special treatments I offer, it was born of necessity. I see a need and a strategy to meet that need organically unfolds. Eight 30-minute remote Reiki sessions, designed to be delivered weekly at the time that suits you best without any effort on your part. $350 if purchased by the end of September 2022. 

Posted by PamelaHipp on in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, energywork, holistic healing, holistic therapy, Reiki

Options on the Reiki Menu

Reiki helps to correct any type of imbalance, and it can be fun to think of choosing the goal of a session as if from options on a menu. A sense of humor can be very helpful in the healing process! Sometimes my clients come up with comical names for the type of treatment they desire. One asks repeatedly for The Reboot; a session devoted to resetting the nervous system and activating the relaxation response. She finds it incredibly recuperative given the intense demands of her career.

The Deactivator is also popular, especially for those recovering from trauma or dealing with chronic pain. It helps to break the uncomfortable cycle triggered by hyper-vigilance and near-constant sympathetic nervous system (AKA fight-flight-freeze) activation. Occasionally folks ask for The Activator when they’re feeling stuck or blocked and can’t seem to get motivated. Kinda like all-natural, energetic uppers and downers with no negative side-effects!

Over the past couple of years, most of my work has been centered around The Fill ‘er Up treatment. People who have become depleted energetically, physically, and emotionally seem to  be developing bizarre symptoms such as rashes, digestive upset, or severe joint pain as the tank runs dry and there just isn’t enough energy for the body to do much more than survive. Physiological systems begin to break down and mysterious ailments pop up. 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

For the past few months, there’s been an emerging trend that stems from The Fill ‘er Up. The Flush and Fill; the perfect remedy for those who have experienced the emotional equivalent of running a marathon in a toxic waste dump. So many of my clients are empathic and tend to pick up unwanted energies as they go about their days. When tanks are already low, there are few resources available for protecting personal boundaries or lugging around accumulated burdens, and eventually the body and the psyche begin to suffer. Burnout looms on the horizon.

Reiki can transform any and all energies that do not belong to us or that have worn out their welcome. Breaking free from the heavy loads that are outdated or not even ours to bear is incredibly invigorating. I don’t know of any other therapy that is so simple, so gentle and so powerful; certainly not any that can be received from the comfort of home or in a practitioner’s office; or learned in just a few hours for those who desire frequent application. 

If you’d like to learn how to give yourself daily Flush and Fills, consider taking a Reiki 1 class. I am offering one online beginning in July, and others are teaching in-person classes. If you can’t stand the idea of adding one more task, no matter how wonderful the results, to your to-do list, that’s what we professionals are here for. If you’re already a practitioner, simply set your intention to transform anything that is not aligned with your highest good to that which is, and proceed with the hand positions you’ve been taught. Whatever your desired degree of participation (or lack thereof!) is, Reiki has a niche just for you.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in complementary medicine, emotional well-being, inspiration, self-care

Pursuing Happiness with ”Brain Science, Positive Psychology, and Contemplative Training”

Once again, I am deeply touched by Dr. Rick Hanson’s free newsletter. Last week’s edition was titled “Keep your Eye on the Prize” and guided us through a contemplative practice of recognizing purpose and priorities and followed up with easy, useful tips for moving in the desired direction. It’s so easy to get swept up in the busy-ness of modern life if we aren’t anchored to our goals. Here you will find suggestions for connecting with those anchors.

I’m selective in what I allow into my inbox. My time is precious and there needs to be a good return on any time I invest in reading newsletters. This is one that consistently adds value to my toolbox. This gift of a ”simple practice each week for more joy, more fulfilling relationships, and more peace of mind” does not disappoint and I think will benefit anyone interested in actively pursuing improved quality of life. Check it out and decide for yourself!

Posted by PamelaHipp on in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, energywork, holistic healing, long distance Reiki, Reiki

Distance Reiki Treatments: What Should the Client Do?

This question comes up a lot. I get it; it’s an unusual situation. When people come into my office for a treatment, I guide them through a chat and then onto the table where they remain mostly still throughout the session, unless discomfort prompts some type of reconfiguration. It’s structured. 

If you’re receiving a session at your own home, there can be some confusion about what you need to do as that structure is not in place. 

The short answer is: you don’t need to do anything. Well… you need to be willing to receive, but that seems a given if you’ve signed up and provided payment for a treatment. 

Willingness? Check. End of the checklist.

But… what do you DO? Again, you don’t need to do anything. I trade sessions weekly with my Reiki buddy and we don’t schedule the timing. She does my session when it’s convenient for her and I usually don’t know when that is. I go about my day with my Reiki receptors open and my system receives and integrates the healing energy without my conscious awareness. 

If you have an actual appointment time and want to be engaged in the process, you might like to lay down and rest. Some of my clients like to set up a spa-like atmosphere and light candles, diffuse essential oils, pull out the fuzzy blankets, and/or surround themselves with crystals. This can be fun for some people, and the ritual of creating a healing space does speak to the subconscious. It’s like saying, “Hey, look at this environment I’ve created for myself. Obviously some deep healing is about to happen.” It can be very helpful to soothe the inner skeptic. 

Now, if you’re getting a Reiki treatment because of anxiety or trauma, trying to force yourself to relax might not lead to a relaxing experience. If curling up on the couch in the middle of the day sounds excruciatingly painful to you, don’t do it. Perhaps you’d be better served by sitting in your favorite chair looking at the clouds. Or going for a walk. Or painting or gardening or playing with your dog. Restorative yoga might be a good choice if that’s in your repertoire.

Reiki is not a one-size-fits-all modality. There is limitless freedom to find a strategy that suits yourself and your own particular needs at the moment. If you love to meditate, but find it hard to carve out the time, you might like to take advantage of this appointment to do so. If attempting to meditate makes you feel like ants are crawling all over your skin, don’t torture yourself. Torturing yourself is unlikely to lead to healing. When I say it so bluntly, it makes sense, right? There is no “should” when it comes to Reiki. 

Your nervous system is a unique entity that has been wired and rewired, connected, disconnected and rewired again based on your unique constitution and experiences. It will let you know what activities are within the safe and acceptable range for you at any moment. So if doing the laundry or reorganizing your desk helps you to feel at ease, that just might be the right choice for you. You get to decide. It’s YOUR session. Make it work for you.