Category: energywork

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

Free 5 Day Qi Gong Challenge

You might recognize Lee Holden from his PBS specials. I just came across his work on Facebook. I like what he has to say about health and wellness so much that I’ve signed up for this program. While it doesn’t begin until July 19, I received a bonus session when I registered that was so enjoyable and beneficial I’ve decided to do it every day until the challenge begins. It’s simply, easy, and safe for all fitness levels.

According to his website, he has helped more than 100,000 students

  • Heal from injury and disease
  • Slow the aging process
  • Feel better than ever
  • Maximize their energy

I’m a beginner to this technique, so I’m not going to try to describe its origins, practices, or effects. You’re better off learning directly from the master! Despite my lack of expertise, I did want to share this opportunity with you as I can see the immense value. Qi Gong and Reiki both work with cultivating and balancing life-force energy. They pair together quite nicely!

Here’s a link to his blog, 8 Reasons to Sign Up for the Free Qi Challenge. I feel confident that nearly everyone can relate to at least one of these reasons! From there you can find a link to register. I hope you will. I’d love to hear what you think if you give it a try. I’ve already (after just two sessions) noticed a decrease in anxiety and better quality sleep. If you struggle with either of this issues, I think you’ll agree that 20 minutes per day is a reasonable investment to enjoy relief.

Catch ya later, I’m off to practice!

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

Online Reiki 1 Classes

I am delighted to announce the next round of beginners’ Reiki classes. If you’re interested in reducing stress, anxiety, tension or pain; cultivating the greatest wellness available to you; accessing intuition, clarity, focus, and creativity; releasing unwanted habits, stuck emotions, or limiting beliefs; and basically living your best life possible, this could be for you!

Over the past year I’ve really come to appreciate the benefits of hosting classes online. Not only does it make them more accessible, but it allows for shorter, more frequent meetings without sacrificing convenience. This seems to promote retention and assimilation for many students. Plus, no need to forfeit the blissed out feeling by getting in the car to drive home!

Four Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:30 pm, eastern time

May 25, June 1, 8, & 15, 2021

$225 investment. $25 off early bird discount through May 14.

Contact me to register; space is limited for more personalized approach and greater connection.

Anyone who has taken Reiki 1 with me may sit in free of charge, space permitting.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in energywork, holistic healing, Reiki

How Can I Convince Someone That Reiki is Legit?

Sometimes my students are troubled to learn that a friend or family member scoffs at Reiki. They want to know how to convince their boyfriends, sisters, parents, etc. that Reiki is a powerful and effective therapy. As the students gain experience and see their own lives improving drastically, they become more and more eager to share it with others.

This is completely understandable. It’s only natural to want our loved ones to enjoy the same benefits (risk free, I might add!) that we do. Yet many individuals are skeptical of energywork as they can’t see it with their eyes, and often can’t feel it.  Of course, we practitioners know that just because energy isn’t seen or felt doesn’t mean it isn’t working; just that we haven’t yet become sensitive enough to notice it.

So how do we convince folks that Reiki is legit?

We don’t.

I know; that’s a disappointing answer! I’m tempted to say I’m sorry, only I recently vowed to be very discerning with my apologies.

I gave up all persuasive attempts a long time ago. Many of my massage clients get a glazed look in their eyes when I mention Reiki. My biological family just isn’t into it. I can get two sentences deep into any conversation before the topic is abruptly changed. Some friends have stopped bringing up anything health-related in my presence to avoid my Reiki campaigns. This doesn’t mean that I’ve stopped talking about it, but I don’t waste my breath trying to convince anyone. (I will, however, talk the ear off of someone who is curious and open-minded!)

Instead, I’ve cultivated a Reiki family. People who actually desire to talk about All Things Reiki. One day we will resume meeting in person, but for now there are frequent check-ins and occasional video gatherings. The more time I spend with my Reiki peeps, the less I care about proving the effectiveness of this extraordinary modality to anyone determined to deny its very existence.

I recommend letting go of the desire to validate Reiki’s worthiness. I do have a few suggestions that might help bridge the gap though.

You might find it useful to apply Reiki to your intention to be seen, heard, and understood. These are all valid, universal human needs and worth pursuing. It won’t necessarily affect the specific relationship that you’re wishing to shift, but you might find it reveals something better. Something you never even knew was possible until it appears.

You can also Reiki your communication skills. My teacher shared with me a short prayer that has been invaluable over the years. “Give me the right words, the right tone, and the right expression so that I may be heard.” I’ve applied Reiki to my throat chakra in combination with this prayer when preparing for challenging conversations. Sometimes finding the appropriate vocabulary can make all the difference. I use different lingo to speak to medical professionals than I do to spiritual seekers.

Also, you can Reiki your attachment to wanting to convince someone. You’ll find greater peace in letting it go. Not what you wanted to hear, I imagine, but nonetheless the truth. Your value as a practitioner and the value of the Reiki you offer is in no way limited by the regard, or lack thereof, from anyone else. Once you get clear on that internally, you’ll have an easier time accepting the skeptics as they are. Surrendering the need to change others might actually be the proof you seek!

Posted by PamelaHipp on in alternative medicine, bodywork, complementary medicine, energywork, holistic healing, massage

Which is Better, Reiki or Massage?

I get this question a lot from new clients. Is Reiki or massage better? It’s common knowledge that both are helpful for reducing stress and pain, so how does one choose which treatment will provide the most relief?

First of all, neither is better. They’re both fabulous. Just different.

For people who don’t wish to get undressed, don’t want their hair to get mucked up, or don’t like to be touched, Reiki is the perfect solution. Clients remain fully clothed, no oil or lotion is used, and healing energy can be transferred either with or without touch. For those who enjoy the gliding or kneading of bodywork or the moisturizing benefit of being coated in massage cream, well that’s an obvious choice as well.

For the rest of us, it all depends on the goals for the session and the origin of the stressors. Massage is extremely helpful for correcting postural imbalances from sitting too long at a desk and for muscle aches from repetitive movements. It’s my go-to technique for issues that are firmly rooted in the physical body.

For concerns that arise primarily from the mental/emotional realm, I find Reiki to be more helpful. For example, the type of stress that is unleashed from having too much to do and too little time. Reiki is brilliant. It excels at resetting the inner alarm system that keeps us on edge when we’re trying to unplug for a rest. Anxiety, depression, and insomnia all respond particularly well, as does old trauma that was hasn’t yet been released fully.

Yet it really isn’t as black or white as that. The physical, mental and emotional bodies are all interwoven and constantly impact one another. If I’m worried about meeting a deadline, the concern begins in my mind but it triggers physiological affect as well. If I spend 12 hours in front of my computer, it’s my body that is slumped over and achy, but my mood also pays a price.

If we bring in spiritual aspirations such as reclaiming worthiness or embodying the divine, the waters get even murkier. Releasing tension from the muscles allows us greater freedom to pursue a meditation practice or creative projects. And using Reiki to bring the chakras into alignment or balancing the flow of energy top to toe can give us the fuel we need to really dig into the necessary action steps.

The good news is, you don’t have to choose. This needn’t be an either/or situation. It can be a both/and scenario. It’s possible to blend energywork and bodywork together in a treatment. I really enjoy offering combination sessions as I can pull what’s most useful from each system for the immediate circumstances. Or it’s possible to alternate modalities depending on what your unique needs are on that particular day. This might require some advanced planning if you’re seeing two different practitioners. However, there are quite a lot of us hybrids out there who can adapt relatively easily.

I don’t think I’ve done a very good job answering the question! I guess my short answer is, it depends. In the care of a skilled and caring practitioner, you really can’t go wrong though. Either modality can be an effective tool for most complaints. Rather than trying to analyze the benefits intellectually, I think you’ll get a lot more information from experiencing a session. When in doubt, place a hand over your heart and inquire within. You have a great well of wisdom inside and who knows better than you what is in your best interest?

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

That’s so Reiki!

Many of my students have started using the word “Reiki” as an adjective. While technically it’s a noun (commonly translated from Japanese as “spiritually guided life-force energy”), I’ve used it for years as a verb. “Did you Reiki it?”, is my standard reply to each and every complaint or concern uttered by a practitioner. The adjective form was completely new to me, and a brilliant revelation!

One of the greatest rewards of being a Reiki teacher is learning from my students. 🙂 Frequently they have insights and ideas that change my perspective or open doors I never even knew existed. While my supposedly smart phone hasn’t been able to learn the word Reiki despite constant correction (seriously what is Ricci and why does it think it’s a word in my vocabulary?), people who are drawn to study Reiki are much more creative and adaptable.

“That’s so Reiki” developed in response to a discussion about the seemingly bizarre and inexplicable results and synchronicities that appear when we apply this healing energy consistently. When someone notices tingling or pulsing sensations at the time when a practitioner is sending them long-distance Reiki without being aware of the exact time of the transmission, that’s so Reiki! When the universe conspires to bring me the precise set of circumstances that puts me in the right place at the right time to meet the person who has the answers I need, that’s also very Reiki.

In the beginning it’s common to describe these results as “weird” or “impossible”, but as we continue to practice Reiki, we quickly learn that its effects are powerful yet gentle, all encompassing and somewhat miraculous. When we move beyond the ego’s desire to label and analyze these effects, it becomes easy to see that while I may not grasp the big picture, Reiki does. While I may not know what’s best for me, Reiki’s innate intelligence can deliver what I didn’t even know that I needed.

When we begin to trust in the spiritually guided aspect of Reiki, we can allow ourselves to relax into the seemingly mysterious results. Rather than trying to describe the indescribable nature of healing, we can simply accept that it’s just so Reiki.

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

Are You Giving Too Much?: Shamans Cave

I was introduced (virtually, of course!) to Sandra Ingerman at a Dreamwork Summit. She approached this topic from a Shamanic point of view, which is unfamiliar, yet fascinating to me. I was surprised (but not really) and delighted to find a hefty overlap with long-distance Reiki healing. Hear her and her podcast partner’s, Renee Baribeau, view on the hot topic of sending healing to those who haven’t asked for it at The Shamans Cave.

Are You Giving Too Much?: Shamans Cave
Posted by PamelaHipp on in alternative medicine, complementary medicine, energywork, holistic healing, holistic therapy, Reiki

Reiki Empowerment

Many of my clients and students tell me they are struggling to remain rooted in this world, aware of the events of 2020, connected to the well of peace within, and aligned with their soul’s calling. It is indeed a balancing act to keep our eyes and ears open and participate in a society that seems to grow more chaotic by the day without allowing ourselves to get swept up by despair and anxiety.

Some spiritually minded folks prefer to keep their attention focused inward, ignoring the struggle that so many are facing these days. That is absolutely an option for those of us who are privileged enough to not be directly affected by the state of the world. There are plenty of roles to be played during this time of great transformation.

If you’d prefer a more active role, perhaps with boots on the ground, as a participant in the crucial discussions happening online, or as a leader, teacher, or facilitator of some sort, you need not sacrifice your health and well-being to do so.

I’m observing an awakening of many activists who wish to lend a hand in recreating, in their own ways, the world we live in. People are stretching beyond their comfort zones to help their communities and beyond, and it is heartwarming to behold. I applaud those who are stepping up to engage in the shaping of our global future. I also recognize the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual fatigue that they risk without adequate care for themselves.

Reiki is the easiest, safest, and most powerful tool I am aware of to keep our tanks full so that we can return again and again to our missions. Filling ourselves with life-force energy and releasing unnecessary stress boosts our immune systems and our connection to intuition, two important factors for remaining able to continue on our paths with clarity and vitality. Even the greatest warriors need occasional respite. Taking the time to tend to our needs allows us to return to the arena, bringing our wisdom, power, and stamina.

It requires effort, but it is possible to have an embodied, visceral connection to the spiritual world, an eye toward the future we hope to build, and a sense of purpose integrated with inner peace. At times, staying involved without becoming a martyr will feel like a complicated dance. Receiving frequent Reiki infusions along can be both the anchor that allows you to remain grounded and the raft that keeps you afloat.

Anyone can learn Reiki in a short amount of time, without any prior knowledge or skill. These days there are plenty of online classes to choose from if you don’t have a teacher in your area. Once initiated into this healing modality, you forever have access to it.

I recommend a daily self-treatment of flooding oneself with spiritually guided life-force energy as a preventative approach, but it’s also easy to activate Reiki in times of stress, crisis, or pain. I call this technique Reiki on the fly and it is tremendously helpful. It’s also comforting to know that access to this infinite source of healing is at the fingertips whenever needed.

If the thought of adding one more thing, no matter how brilliant, to your daily to-do list causes you to cringe, you can benefit from seeking out a practitioner to support you. Depending on where you live, you might be able to receive a hands-on treatment. If not, there’s another, equally potent option. Long-distance Reiki is a tried and true service that allows a recipient to relax wherever they are and absorb the healing energy transferred from afar.

Reiki really is exactly the medicine we need during these challenging times. It gives us the extra oomph required to pursue our calling without a need to sacrifice our well-being. It’s easy and safe to use and is always available. Reiki provides us with the best possible chance of enjoying optimal health while remaining engaged with the world. You need not be forced to choose one or the other; Reiki can help you have both.

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

Reiki and Spiritual Guidance

Back pain and anxiety drew me to Reiki many years ago. I was hooked from the very beginning! Little did I know that seeking respite from these difficulties would set me on a spiritual path that would change my life’s trajectory. Consistent self-treatment supplemented by assistance from colleagues provided relief and a surprising twist.

I became curious about the “whys” and well as the “hows” when symptoms emerged, and I fell down an unexpected rabbit hole. It became obvious that my discomfort was often a sign that my head and heart were misaligned. Rather than simply chasing away the aches and pains, I dug deeper and began exploring the underlying imbalances.

Reiki helped me to become present and tune in to my body. As I made time every day to heal myself, patterns began to emerge. I eventually realized that my lower back would ache when I was feeling unsupported and anxiety would soon follow. I began setting an intention to heal the root cause of these unpleasant symptoms.

Consistent treatment helped me to see that the discomfort was actually my soul alerting me that I was ignoring my purpose for this lifetime; a calling that was uniquely mine, that mattered to both my personal evolution and to the world at large. This awakening led me to appreciate the pain, both physical and emotional, as cues to activate my intuition and open to guidance.

Soon I began to understand that I was tremendously supported in ways that matter deeply to my soul’s mission, but not at all in the interests that distracted me from it! I was not supported in the quest for status or the pursuit of dysfunctional relationships. When I became attached to a goal that was misaligned with my calling and overrode the messages that I was off track, eventually pain would step in, forcing me to rest and reflect.

During these mandatory pauses, it became so clear that I was being redirected! As I chose to honor my body and my emotions, a new path emerged. I committed to taking inspired action rather than blindly plowing through obstacles and I developed a sense of trust that Spirit was always guiding me. The more I listened, the clearer the signals became.

I rarely need an intervention as drastic as a panic attack or acute lumbar distress these days. As I invest in my health and spiritual awakening through my daily Reiki practice, it’s become clear that I am uniquely situated to offer a specific type of medicine to my clients and community due to my experiences and personal constitution. Reiki is the remedy that opened me to spiritual guidance and is now the remedy I have to share with others.

There’s nothing I enjoy more than guiding students and clients on their soul’s path. If you’re interested in tapping into your inner wisdom and opening to spiritual guidance, Reiki can help you as well. You don’t need any special skills or experience to receive a treatment or sign up for a beginning class. Fortunately for us all, you can do both from the comfort and safety of your own home.

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

Regulating the Nervous System with Reiki
There’s nothing quite like a global pandemic to test our capacity to remain present, centered, and grounded! It’s the perfect recipe for triggering the fight/flight/freeze mechanism. Yet in this case, there is nowhere to run and nothing tangible to fight. The weapons we’ve been given (soap, masks and isolation) are completely inadequate to satisfy our biological urges to attack, run, or hide. The trouble is that the fear of this virus triggers a physiological response that is identical to facing a bear in the woods or a mugger in an alley. So what to do when the adrenaline is pumping and we can’t leave the house? Reiki can take the edge of this feeling of overwhelm or constriction and help reset the system to a place where digestion and assimilation, detoxification and cell repair, productive thought and well-being may flourish. More importantly, it can help prevent us from tipping over the edge into the danger zone. Reiki treatments, received either from yourself or a professional, activate the relaxation response in the body. The more time we spend in this state of ease and peace, the more it becomes our home base and the easier it is to notice when we are slipping into hazardous territory. This state of hyper-vigilance that is being promoted by current events has the potential to be incredibly damaging to our health, especially given its duration. Our systems are not built to withstand chronic exposure to the fight/flight/freeze response. It is simultaneously draining our energy and emotional resources and overwhelming to the endocrine, muscular, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. The results can be a paradoxical mixture of feeling wound-up and exhausted, yet unable to rest or focus. UGH! Reiki has helped me keep an even keel throughout these past three months of quarantine. Only twice have I tipped over the edge; both times related to extreme external conditions on top of the ongoing crisis. While I don’t have a perfect record at keeping calm, I am delighted to say that my recovery was speedy as I was able to recognize exactly what was happening and to saturate myself in healing, harmonizing life-force energy immediately. The uncertainty of how this pandemic is going to influence our future has me yearning to share the gift of Reiki with others. While I’ve been eagerly awaiting the green light to return to my office and begin teaching as I used to, it’s unclear when I’ll be able to do that. So, I’m adapting and choosing to offer Reiki 1 online in July. If you’d like some help protecting your health and sanity, do consider joining us! Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
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Posted by PamelaHipp on in energywork, holistic healing, Reiki

Floating Effortlessly, Thanks to Reiki

During these times of uncertainty and conflicting information from the media, I’m more grateful than ever for the amazing power of Reiki. It helps me tap into my inner wisdom. I find myself gently nudged in the direction my soul wishes me to go and when I follow along, things fall magically into place, just as if I’m effortlessly floating downstream.

Sometimes I forget how easy it can be and opt to paddle with gusto, trying and failing to get upstream. During these episodes, the nudges grow stronger, eventually becoming prods and finally discomfort intervenes as a last ditch effort to get my attention.

For the most part I’ve learned to avoid unnecessary discomfort by noticing synchronicity as well as my yearnings and moving in the direction my inner GPS suggests. I’ve been using Reiki to awaken my intuition for many years now and intentionally welcome the communication wholeheartedly.

Usually. 🙂 Sometimes I struggle against the flow, meeting obstacle after obstacle until I remember. Go with the flow. Abraham Hicks has said over and over and over again, everything I want is downstream.

Downstream is easy. I just stop paddling and the current carries me.

It might not always look easy from the outside as my path seems to frequently contradict the status quo. But I’m given the guidance and support I need every step of the way.

The longer I follow this path, the deeper my trust grows. Reiki helps me access my soul’s guidance and take action when I’m inspired to do so, and to remain patient when I’m not. No easy feat, but very doable with Reiki’s help.