Whoosh. There’s nothing like Reiki to get me out of my crazy busy head and into my body. It’s amazing how quickly it happens each and every time.
I find that thoughts just dissolve when the energy is flowing. We don’t need to think or reflect or plan while healing is happening. In fact, our minds can often be obstacles to healing, harboring the ego’s tricks of delay and distraction.
Last night in Reiki 2 class, we started with a self-treatment. I found myself amusingly unable to find words for the simplest things. I couldn’t remember the names of the “tubes” in our throat for breathing and swallowing.
(I meant esophagus and trachea, but just couldn’t grab hold of those terms!)
What’s especially cool is that this would have embarrassed me in the past. I would have allowed the stunted vocabulary to mean something about my abilities as a teacher or value as a person.
But because of my daily Reiki practice, which has been filling in the gaps of self-worth that did not come organically during my childhood, I saw it as a funny thing that happened to me rather than making it mean that I’m a failure.
I don’t usually use Reiki on myself when I’m teaching because accessing my communication skills is obviously important. But this was a great learning experience for me and we all had a good chuckle about the tubes.
Not only did the usual monkey mind of swirling thoughts dissipate, but the inner judge was nowhere to be found. Hallelujah!
There’s a Reiki 1 class coming up soon. That’s the starting point for folks interested in learning how to use healing energy for themselves and their pets, friends, and family. If you want to stay in the loop and receive notifications about upcoming classes, please join my mailing list.
You can also read about Reiki classes in general or book a Reiki session and I’ll do all the work while you lie back and receive.
“Everybody has something.” Tosha Silver leads a beautiful meditation, using compassion and acceptance to embrace the…
Yowza. I’m hearing a lot of reports from folks who are feeling daunted by the next phase of their healing journeys. It seems a lot of wounds and imbalances are coming to the surface; while this can be quite uncomfortable, it’s better than having them festering beneath the surface preparing for sneak attack.
If you’re feeling this way, know that you aren’t alone.
Whether it’s taking that first step or leveling up, overwhelm might be an unwelcome companion on this trip. There’s so much information out there, it’s hard to know what is relevant for you and where the heck to begin.
Misaligned habits, unprocessed trauma, limiting beliefs, cultural conditioning, suppressed emotions, dysfunctional relationships, unhealthy environments, outdated coping mechanisms, and chronic stress can all contribute to lack of wellness. To make it extra-interesting, many of these factors get tangled together and it can be difficult to trace to their origins.
It can be A LOT!
And… all journeys begin with just the first step. In my experience, managing stress is a wise place to start. Stress affects all of our bodily systems- digestion (gut health, we are learning, is the cornerstone to wellness), mental/emotional state (another cornerstone), quality of sleep (yup, this too!), cardiovascular capacity (need I say it?) and detoxification (mmhmm…) in particular.
By addressing chronic stress, we can free up life-force energy from perpetual survival state functioning and allow it to support the body’s innate healing abilities.
I’m not talking about a tropical vacation or meditation retreat or retirement. While that might be the route that you choose, it’s possible to learn to metabolize the effects of stress rather than avoiding it altogether through a complete lifestyle makeover (again, that may be for you, but don’t freak out if it isn’t!).
When I feel overwhelm bubbling up and my shoulders creeping up to my ears, I find moving my body to be a miraculous remedy. A few songs spent dancing (or thrashing!) about my living room can work wonders. Deep breathing, being in nature, expressing my thoughts and feelings (within the safe confines of my journal), singing, chanting, time spent on a creative project, laughter, and Reiki are all elements that help me manage the stress of the world.
Now you might read that as an assignment and think, well how in the world am I going to do all of that?
Good news! You don’t need to do it all. Choose one thing and start there. I’ve been at this for decades, and my healthy habits have accumulated over that time, bit by bit, but I started with just one thing.
One strategy is to choose the action that will have the biggest impact.
For me, that’s Reiki, a powerful but gentle healing energy that grounds me and activates the physiological antidote to stress.
Another strategy is to choose the easiest thing to implement as that will build your sense of accomplishment and encourage progress.
For me that’s also Reiki! How easy is it to absorb healing energy?
Your circumstances are obviously different than mine, but I feel confident that there’s something you can do today that will help. Ten conscious, deep breaths. A walk around the block. Watching a silly cat video. Calling a friend who knows how to listen.
It doesn’t need to be perfect, and it needn’t be the solution to all your problems. Just one thing that helps you feel calm in the moment. Just give it a try!
And if you want some Reiki healing deposited in your wellness account or some soothing bodywork, that’s what I’m here for! Book a session and I’ll do the work and you can sit back and receive.
And subscribe to this blog! I share lots of tips and tricks about holistic wellness, monthly specials and metaphysical tools. On most devices, the button to subscribe is found on the lower right corner.
Yowza. I’m hearing a lot of reports from folks who are feeling daunted by the next…
Another great talk from Tosha Silver.
If you’re too busy to listen for 10 minutes, here’s what I want you to know.
Believing that giving is better than receiving is like thinking exhaling is more important/righteous/spiritual than inhaling.
NOT sustainable!
And a recipe for depletion, burnout or even illness.
I see it in my Reiki practice all the time. People will allow themselves a session to receive compassion, attention and healing energy when everything falls apart and they just can’t go one more step on their own but won’t come in for feel-good or even preventative care.
They’ll let me fill up their tank and then they’ll go give, give, give, scraping the bottom of the barrel giving the last crumb kind of give, wait another 2 months until they can’t get out of bed, and then contact me.
Can you relate? If you’re reading this, I bet you can!
Tosha offers a simple prayer: Turn me into one who can receive as well as give. 💕
You can start rewriting your story and become a balanced giver/receiver no matter how entrenched you are in the old narrative.
And if you want some Reiki support, I’m happy to comply. I can tap into the universal supply and share it with you in a session- either in my Philly office or a remote session where you don’t have to get dressed or go to yet another appointment.
Another great talk from Tosha Silver. If you’re too busy to listen for 10 minutes, here’s…
Heart Chakra Clearing
Remote Reiki Session
Reiki is an energy healing technique that infuses the recipient with spiritually-guided life-force. It’s safe and gentle, but powerful. It realigns the energy pathways flowing in and around us for maximum wellness, creativity, and happiness.
This special is a new creation, designed to offer the support that is currently in high demand in my practice.
The focus of this treatment is on clearing out blockages that prevent optimal capacity for self-compassion, experiencing joy and receiving love.
Not what you expected, eh?
In my experience, folks who are drawn to Reiki are already pretty well-practiced at sharing love. Often to the point of imbalance.
Opening up to receive love, from the universe and other beings, and generating it from within to fill our own tank seems to be a skill set that many of us could develop further.
Hence, this month’s special.
A 60 minute remote Reiki treatment at a reduced price.
$88 when booked by the end of February.
Remote sessions are the bomb! They are among the most powerful treatments I’ve given and received over the years. You get to stay in your comfy, cozy space and soak up the healing energies without any effort whatsoever.
Sweet!
We begin with a brief phone call to discuss your needs and wishes. Whether you have specific goals, a vague sense of feeling depleted or stagnant or anything in between, Reiki can help.
Then we disconnect so I can focus without the distraction of technology. I’ll follow up with an email with any suggestions that may have arisen in the process.
You’ll be amazed at how empowering and energizing it can be to connect to the flow of love in the world and within your own heart. The effects will ripple out into your work, your relationships, your projects, and your health.
Give yourself the gift of some healing support today.
Heart Chakra Clearing Remote Reiki Session Reiki is an energy healing technique that infuses the recipient…
There are loads of reasons you might be experiencing, or teetering on the edge of, burnout.
Doing all the things without support from society or family or the workplace is a common source of depleted energy.
Chronic stress is exhausting. And insanely epidemic.
Avoiding our emotions takes an extraordinary bite out of our reserves. Consistent worry and attempts at controlling life or other people are heavy drains on our batteries.
Feeling like you’re lost and alone in a hostile world is another factor that saps energy.
These issues slowly (or not so slowly!) drain life-force over time. If it’s not replaced on a steady basis, the body, mind and spirit suffer.
I think of my life-force energy much the way I do money. I want to have more deposits than withdrawals. I want to spend wisely and curtail all waste. I want to invest in ventures that bring the greatest returns.
It sounds simple, right? Maybe. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Some obligations are non-negotiable, no matter how draining they are. Some phases of life require a hefty expenditure of energy with delayed benefits. Sometimes the perfect storm hits us out of the blue and catches us off guard.
Don’t get me started on menopause!
Many of the remedies our society points to are not helpful at all. Scrolling on social media, alcohol, binge watching trashy TV and comfort foods might bring momentary relief but don’t actually nourish us in any meaningful way.
If the problem is a deficiency of life-force energy, then deposits of the same are the only true medicine. These can come from time spent in nature, connection with uplifting people, joyful movement, creative projects, and pleasure.
Sadly, these activities might not seem accessible from the vantage point of burnout.
Which is where Reiki comes in. Reiki is a holistic healing technique that bathes the recipient in spiritually guided life-force energy and stimulates the body’s innate abilities to restore itself. It’s the easiest, safest, most powerful strategy I’ve discovered in over 25 years of exploring the journey of healing.
If you need to start making some deposits in your life-force account, look no further. To make things even easier, you have the choice of staying in your fuzzy pajamas and receiving an infusion without leaving home. Or coming to my office in your fuzzy pajamas. 🙂 No judgment here.
While I provide sessions year round, for the month of January, I’m offering 24% off all in-person and remote Reiki treatments. Book by the 31st to take advantage of this deal and get started on the road to recovery.
There are loads of reasons you might be experiencing, or teetering on the edge of, burnout.…
Do you know about glimmers? It’s a new concept to me. I was at a sound healing recently and the maestro talked about grasping any glimmers that might pop up during the session.
I’m completely enamored with the idea of little things experienced throughout the day that can activate the parasympathetic (rest & restore) nervous system and fostering a sense of safety. They happen often, but because of the brain’s negativity bias (always looking for the potential dangers), they can go unnoticed.
I did some online research and found this interesting article I wanted to share. In my experience, it’s the simple, small things that we focus our attention on consistently that make the most significant and lasting changes in how we feel.
Do you know about glimmers? It’s a new concept to me. I was at a sound…
Folks are often surprised, maybe even bewildered, at all the ways I apply Reiki in my life. Recently a Reiki 2 student commented that it seems like I’m just doing Reiki all day.
She’s right!
But probably not in the way you think. I do live in the world, same as you. I pay my bills, shop for groceries, cook my meals, brush my teeth. I have dentist appointments and get the oil in my car changed and do the laundry. So. Much. Laundry!
I have not forsaken all the usual tasks, but I do bring Reiki into them.
To me, Reiki has become a state of being rather than a task. So, when I’m on hold with the internet provider, Reiki is flowing. When I’m brushing my hair, I’m connected to the flow of life-force energy and aligning myself with its frequency. Before I put the car in drive, I pave the way forward with Reiki intentions.
This is my recipe for maintaining equanimity while dealing with whatever the world presents me. I meet each moment, turning towards whatever pops up with compassionate attention and.. yup, Reiki.
Much of the time, I’m successful. I’m still participating in this human experience and do lose my sh*t from time to time. But it’s rare, usually doesn’t last long, and I recover pretty quickly.
If full-time Reiki sounds a bit overwhelming, let me assure you that I started this journey 21 years ago with a simple daily practice. For about 15 minutes every morning, I used the traditional hand positions to fill myself up with healing energy.
Over time, my practice began to expand. I brought Reiki into the shower with me, washing my body with ki as well as soap and hot water. I brought Reiki to the yoga mat, infusing my breath and awareness with it. It came along on my meditations and walks, gushing from my open palms and surrounding me with supportive and protective energies.
Gradually it grew, seeping into more and more of my daily life. This wasn’t effort-full by any means! Once you realize you have full-time access to healing powers that help smooth the way through the rough spots and deepen the joyful moments, willingness to apply them emerges quite naturally.
I believe that committing to a daily practice is the first step for all of us. Once you get into a habit of showing up for yourself and taking time for self-compassion, self-empowerment, and self-healing, you begin to notice the rewards. And once you get familiar with the rewards, you begin to notice pretty quickly when you aren’t experiencing them and quickly want to return.
There’s nothing particularly special about me. I’m not overly motivated or assertive or ambitious. Quite the opposite! I’m just very averse to suffering and lazy enough to want the simplest, safest, easiest support system that provides amazing results with only beneficial side effects.
I was willing to devote a mere 15 minutes of my mornings to a practice that gave me full-time access. Eventually I began to take more and more advantage of this full-time access, because… why not? Why not use your superpowers all the time to help you with all the things?
If you’re already on your Reiki journey, why not take advantage of the New Year reset energies to reinvigorate your self-treatment commitment? Or consider booking a Chakra-cleanse remote Reiki (December’s special) or an in-person session if you’re in Philly.
If you have yet to be initiated into the Reiki world, join my mailing list and be amongst the first to know about upcoming classes. I’m planning to offer Reiki 1 certification training in January.
Folks are often surprised, maybe even bewildered, at all the ways I apply Reiki in my…
Here’s the thing about Reiki: it’s an amazing healing technique. I’ve personally experienced incredible transformation simply by applying it consistently over the years and I’ve witnessed the same in countless clients.
But it’s not a magic wand. People don’t experience incredible healing while continuing the behavior that caused their lack of wellness. There’s is no escaping the universal law of cause and effect.
Makes sense, right?
You can’t keep eating poison and expect to get well. Health is about balance. Somehow in our modern society we’ve lost track of that. We’ve been ensorcelled into believing that we can carry on dysfunctional patterns and treat the symptoms with pills, and the side effects of those pills with other pills. The proliferation of pharmaceutical commercials has conditioned us to believe this is a normal approach to healthcare.
It is not.
Strangely, we call this covering up of symptoms “medicine” in our society, but it’s definitely not healing. Healing involves cleaning the mess up that’s been swept under the rug and looking at the hidden motivations for continuing unhealthy behavior so we can stop harming ourselves.
Reiki can help with all of that. It helps us get clear about why we’re feeling compelled to do the very thing we’ve promised ourselves we won’t, how to get a handle on the compulsion, and how to face the underlying triggers.
My post about Reiki and bladder issues is one of the most popular articles I’ve ever written. Every month more than one hundred people open it. I’m assuming these are people who suffer ongoing bladder issues that “medicine” has failed to eradicate.
However… zero people have contacted me to schedule an appointment! Seriously, not a single one. I suspect they’re not keen on the idea of looking at the unexpressed anger that I mentioned in that blog as being a prime suspect.
I get it. Nobody enjoys spelunking in the caverns of messy emotions. It’s uncomfortable and inconvenient and might cause a revelation that a relationship or career is just too toxic to be sustainable.
Yet going through this exploratory process, which is temporary (depending on one’s willingness to really face reality and stop feeding the anger) is the solution that will prevent future occurrences of a painful condition.
In holistic healing, we go to the source of the problem to remove the imbalance. That is often chronic stress, unhealed trauma, or suppressed emotions. These factors wreak havoc on our bodies from the inside (via our hormones) until we intervene.
Yes, it’s no fun going there. But neither (I’m guessing) are recurrent UTIs. On the other side of meeting with the anger, or whatever else has been festering deep down, is a sense of freedom that is most delightful.
It’s important to note that you’re not doing this work alone. Reiki is a powerful source of healing energy. It is spiritually guided life-force and it totally works. I have countless texts from clients post-treatment expressing gratitude and sometimes awe about this. Reiki works. But you need to let it in and you need to be willing to meet with the emotions that arise as a result.
You don’t need to do it all at once and it’s rarely necessary to make sweeping lifestyle changes. And for those who are adamantly opposed to addressing emotional factors, consistent Reiki treatment can help manage symptoms. But for true healing, most people need a combination of support from a practitioner and the courage to look within and the willingness to find a safe expression of the pent-up feelings. (I’m a fan of writing expressive letters that I’ll never mail. Then I can ceremoniously burn or shred them. Other people like smashing cheap dishes or hitting pillows.)
About 95% of my clients experience relief after their first session. Shifting the underlying patterns takes some time; usually a series of about seven sessions, depending on the duration and severity of the condition. Often people find the rewards so impactful that they continue on with a monthly-ish maintenance treatment and enjoy watching the benefits spread into all areas of their lives.
Wherever you are in the world, you can receive a remote treatment from the comfort of your own space. If you’re in the Philly area, you can visit me in Mt. Airy.
Luminous Heart Reiki & Massage 