Reblogging this gem about some of the more popular reasons for learning how to connect to spiritually guided life-force energy, AKA Reiki.
The next certification training begins in December. If you’re in the Philly area, we’d love to have you join us!!
Reblogging this gem about some of the more popular reasons for learning how to connect to…
Reiki is an ancient healing practice that allows initiates to tap into universal life-force energy and direct it with our intention and attention.
The form of Reiki healing as it is commonly practiced here in the west has its roots in 20th century Japan. Usui Sensei, beloved founder of the practice (not the energy, the energy was/has always been available in nature), had a spiritual awakening while fasting and meditating on a mountain.
Reiki was the result of this awakening. He developed a style of accessing and utilizing this life-force energy that was very useful. I call it “traditional” Reiki.
It is a very linear process. Step A, B, C, etc. It works very well for people who like structure and want to know exactly what comes next.
Fast forward 100+ years and jump over to a very different culture, a different landscape, a different pace, in a world with very different needs; traditional Reiki, while still amazing, can feel constrictive to many.
Usui was a student of Buddhism, of meditation, of awakening the vast consciousness found in stillness. Some would call this a masculine approach to spirituality.
Not because it’s for men. No, this has nothing to do with gender. But because in the system of polarity, consciousness, linear thinking, working with the mind is considered to be masculine.
It’s one part of the puzzle of healing, but leaves those of us who revel in the feminine, the dance, the mystery, the depths of emotion and intuition can feel left out.
Neither is right or wrong. Just like night and day, they are both important, yet very different.
I teach a blend of the traditional, formulaic approach and the intuitive approach that has organically emerged in my practice.
I believe that there is something here for everyone and it’s my goal to help students find their own unique style.
Recently I told a student (who is finishing Master Teacher training with me after doing levels 1 and 2 elsewhere) that I almost always start a session at the feet.
She stared at me, mouth hanging open for a moment before sharing that her instinct is to do this too, but she had been chastised in her earlier training that this goes against tradition.
Yes. Yes, it does. Tradition says start at the head. This doesn’t make sense to me for many reasons and I find that beginning at the feet provides much-needed grounding and a less in-your-face start to a session. Literally.
I’ve done it this way for twenty years and it works well for me. My clients seem to enjoy it.
The history of Reiki is riddled with similar stories of evolution: students breaking the mold that was handed down but never really fit.
I offer something different. Let’s call it a buffet. On the buffet you’ll find a structure that you can use to get your bearings. Like training wheels. Then, maybe you learn to let go of the support when it becomes unnecessary over time. You can either continue going in that same direction or allow your intuition to guided you.
For me, this is a very personal practice. The more authentic I am, the more healing energy can flow through me.
If you’ve been trained in a strictly traditional fashion and feel too cramped, I invite you to spread your wings and experiment. The most important thing you can know about Reiki is that it can do no harm. Even when you start at the feet. I promise!
If you’d like to learn a different, less traditional, less restrictive way, what I call a natural evolution for those of us who aren’t monks in Japan in the 1900’s… well, I can teach you.
There’s a level 1 training coming up in Philly. I also teach virtual classes. Live classes, in real time, not recorded. I’m happy to discuss setting something up if that appeals to you.
Reiki is an ancient healing practice that allows initiates to tap into universal life-force energy and…
Quite frequently people who come to receive a Reiki session report feeling stuck. They want to let go of an emotion, thought, or behavior that seems to be holding them down or holding them back, but don’t know how. I think most of us can relate to this- I sure can!
Reiki has helped me to let go of resentment, to forgive myself and those involved in numerous upsets, to release grief that had lingered way past its shelf life, and to transmute cravings for unhealthy foods, and escape a wide variety of coping mechanisms. I’ve witnessed it do all this and more for my clients.
Flooding the energy field with Reiki helps us to rise above the ego-mind and to align with the higher self, that part of us which is eternal and unchangeable.
From this perspective, we have a better view of unhelpful patterns and the thoughts and beliefs that hold us hostage.
Being immersed in the flow of spiritually-guided life-force energy helps us to feel safe, accepted, and more at ease.
This sets the stage for the type of deep inquiry that can lead to lasting change. From this sacred space of realized wholeness and empowerment, we are able to create shifts that support the changes we desire in our lives.
And yet, it is really up to each of us to make those changes if we expect to see lasting change.
Reiki is indeed a tremendous support in this process, but it is not the process itself. It is not a magic elixir that enables us to sit back and watch as our world morphs into something more desirable.
The thoughts we think contribute to our future and also affect our ki (life- force energy). If we wish to improve our lives, it is essential that we take responsibility for becoming aware of how we continue to contribute to our troubles, either consciously or unconsciously. Reiki can help us do that (indeed it is a huge help in that department!).
The work of partnering with clients who want to go to the next level and get off the merry-go-round entirely is my real passion. So much so that I developed a Reiki + Coaching combo for those who want to do the necessary inner work that leads to transformation.
Finding the places (often thought patterns, outdated coping mechanisms, old protective strategies, or inherited beliefs) where people get stuck and helping them get unstuck is a true joy. It involves a more active treatment where the client participates in a dialog exploring resistance to moving forward in addition to the usual passive practice of receiving the healing energy.
Now this process is not for everyone. Examining one’s shadow can be uncomfortable and requires a great deal of courage. If you’re seeking a path to healing old wounds in order to recreate a life based on peace, love, and joy then my Reiki + Coaching treatment just might be the technique to help you along the way.
Learn more here.
I also offer a 3 session package at 10% off the individual rate, good for two months from the date of purchase and a 5 session package at 15% off, good for three months. Availability is limited. Packages are a great way to commit to doing the work. If you’re interested, please contact me to briefly share your goals and I’ll ask a few questions to see if we’re a good match.
Quite frequently people who come to receive a Reiki session report feeling stuck. They want to…
A new client returned for his second massage to report that after his first session, he had slept without discomfort for the first time in months. Oh the joy of hearing updates like this! We still have work to do releasing patterns created by overuse and postural habits, but he was feeling hopeful.
He went on to tell me that his previous experiences with massage were so intense that he had been in massive pain for three or four days after each treatment. After experiencing relief from our session, he had come to the conclusion that the previous “strong sensation” (aka painful) approach had actually been making the condition worse.
I concur.
We had a brief chat about pain, the fight or flight reflex, and the resulting release of stress hormones and contraction of muscles. It’s my intention to create the exact opposite effect by encouraging the relaxation response: the release of feel-good hormones, unwinding tension, deep breathing, and muscle melting. It’s part of my mission to educate people about the power of coaxing the body into relaxation rather than attempting (and almost always failing) to force it into submission.
The thing that brings me even more joy is the next step in healing where people recognize that wellness is the result of listening to the messages their bodies deliver, treating themselves kindly, and taking good care of themselves. We live in a world that values doing more, going faster, powering through the upsets, and pushing ourselves incredibly hard. Until we begin to value wellness, relaxation, pleasure, and comfort equally as much, if not more, we will continue to suffer with chronic pain and promote the internal conditions that contribute to chronic and debilitating disease.
If you’re interested in a gentle, therapeutic massage and you live in the Philly area, this is my jam. I’m a no-pain specialist. The goal is to meet muscles where they are, sinking in until the first hint of resistance says stop, and lingering there while inviting the tension to soften. Schedule online here.
If you live elsewhere, I’d encourage you to do some research before scheduling a session. Some therapists are firmly entrenched in the “no pain, no gain” agenda and therefore going gentle is not in their repertoire at all. There’s a local studio that uses đź’Ş đź’Ş đź’Ş next to each of the providers’ names as an indicator of pressure range. Just like the 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ rating in a Thai restaurant, you can better choose appropriately if you know what to expect.
(I’ll add that out of a possible five đź’Ş, none of these therapists offered a level 1, and only two of the eight offer level 2. There was a whole lot of hoopla about seven of them going all the way to the max. Sigh.)
If you call a spa and ask for a certain kind of pressure, you’re likely to get a “yes”. Yes, sir, how high sir? The goal in a spa is to book lots of sessions and the front desk folks are eager to get you in the door. You might try asking which therapist they would recommend given your desire to relax instead of suffer. Since they might never have had a massage, might enjoy something entirely different, or don’t know the staff’s strengths and weaknesses, this approach is hit or miss.
Instead, I’d suggest going with an individual in private practice. Someone who works for him/herself and has hopefully created some content online so you can get an idea of what to expect. Sure, the spas and the franchises will have glossier websites with lots of bells and whistles. But this mission is about finding a good match for your needs, and that’s likely to come from a humble site like this one.
You could start simply by saying that you enjoy a relaxing/gentle/medium or light pressure/full body treatment and wonder if that’s available. Then listen to what they don’t say. They might agree, but with hesitation suggesting that this is out of their comfort zone or that they just aren’t into work like this, even though they can do it.
Personally, I’d rather have no massage than to suffer through one that hurts or to have to constantly ask the therapist to back off. AND there are enough of us providers out there, I feel confident that you can find a compatible practitioner if you do a little exploring.
Massage doesn’t have to hurt. I truly believe that it shouldn’t. But you’re going to have to advocate for yourself because much of the world doesn’t know this yet.
A new client returned for his second massage to report that after his first session, he…
Interested in giving yourself daily infusions of spiritually-guided life-force energy?
It’s so easy to learn!
Anyone can gain full-time, forever access to Reiki healing energy with minimum investment of time and money.
It’s the most affordable way I know to get consistent treatment for physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic issues.
Chronic pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, digestive issues, fertility issues, sleep challenges, focus, creativity, peace, joy and freedom are some of the myriad goals it can be used for.
I know because I’ve done exactly that every day for 21 years. And IT’S WORKING!!
Reiki is an ancient healing technique that uses universal life-force energy to cultivate body-mind-spirit balance, stimulate the relaxation response, and relieve stress and tension.
It’s a seemingly magical reset that helps all systems come back online and integrate for maximum wellness.
I’m offering a Reiki 1 certification training, the starting point for those who want to learn how to treat themselves and their loved ones.
We begin on Thursday, October 17th at 6pm in my Mt. Airy (neighborhood of Philadelphia) studio.
This can be the beginning of a new phase in your life if you commit to blending Reiki into your life.
Interested in giving yourself daily infusions of spiritually-guided life-force energy? It’s so easy to learn! Anyone…
I’ve been given a soul assignment to write more about living a soul-led life. It doesn’t entirely fit with the theme here on this blog, so I’ve created another https://open.substack.com/pub/pamelahipp/p/an-unusual-editor-in-chief?r=hzdod&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true space for sharing these ideas.
Recently it’s expanded to include a second, complementary publication for Reiki practitioners, Reiki Tribe.
They include free weekly posts and the option to upgrade for a small fee to receive guided practices.
I’d be delighted if you would join us there! I’m still sorting out the logistics, but you’ll find that I’m committed to sharing the jewels of inspiration that come to me. I’m a mystic and a Reiki Master Teacher exploring the art of communication in the 21st century. Who knows where this will go?1
I’ve been given a soul assignment to write more about living a soul-led life. It doesn’t…
Living in a culture with a completely different mindset is really bizarre. Sometimes I find it deeply frustrating, other times humorous, and always strange.
In my mind, health is something we cultivate, neglect or diminish with every single choice. It’s not something that gets relegated to an annual checkup or a team of experts that specialize in one small aspect of the human body.
I’ve stopped using the words “alternative” and “complementary” to describe the work that I do because they imply that conventional, western medicine is the norm. This is thinking that I’d like to challenge.
Holistic healing means looking at lifestyle, values, nutrition, movement, body mechanics, habits, patterns, belief systems and relationships and bringing them into alignment with our goal of wellness.
If I want to be free of knee pain, I need to stop the activities that cause it, provide adequate support and rest, supply the necessary nutrients for repair, meet any underlying or resulting thoughts and emotions, and manage stress. I can apply salves that promote healing as a bonus.
While I’m doing all of that, I might take a pain reliever because there’s no sense in suffering in the meantime.
But I can’t keep doing things the old way, pop some ibuprofen, slap on some kinesio tape and call it healing.
It just doesn’t work that way.
When people first come to holistic therapy because the conventional route has failed them, they’re often looking for different answers without adapting their understanding of what healing entails.
They hope for something like an herbal pill to make the pain go away without changing all the ways they are contributing to the pain.
Or a magic salve. Or pressure point. Or stretch. Or recipe.
While all of these things can be helpful, healing requires addressing the source of the problem, learning to accept that our bodies have limitations, and we need to take care of ALL aspects ourselves according to our own unique needs.
Rejecting our emotions or values or worthiness in order to go-along-to-get-along will always take a toll.
Yes, it can be uncomfortable, inconvenient, even revolutionary to choose to address the inner landscape. You might find little support or even pushback when beginning to make changes.
If it were easy you would have already done it.
If there were a pill that truly worked you would have found it.
Holistic healing can be the magical cure you hope it will be, but probably not the way you thought. Creating inner harmony does indeed have miraculous results, but you’re going to need to participate in the journey.
At the very least, there needs to be a willingness to change any destructive thought patterns and welcome all emotions as valid. I’ve never met anyone who overcame a condition while continuing to think hateful thoughts about themself or another or stuff their feelings down.
The rewards are well worth the efforts. The peace, joy, comfort and freedom on the other side of regulating the nervous system, processing emotions, compassionately caring for the body, and cultivating life-force are spectacular.
And it all begins with one step in the direction you want to go.
If Reiki is a step that appeals to you, I’m here to be of service. It will help shift patterns, soothe your nerves and discomforts, and provide the energy needed to heal.
Maybe you prefer acupuncture or Somatic Experience or yoga therapy. There are tons of options and loads of practitioners to help.
Lying on the earth, sitting by a tree, or listening to sound healing are super-easy and cost-free practices that over time can have amazing results. These things will shift your vibration, helping you to notice and accept the changes that need to happen.
Pick something and get started today. Your future self will thank you.
Living in a culture with a completely different mindset is really bizarre. Sometimes I find it…
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!
Last week a potential client asked me what my success rate was. Ummmm… I really had…
Many of my recent posts have detailed the importance of having a healthy relationship with our bodies. I call this befriending the body, as opposed to treating the container that houses the soul as an inconvenience, a burden, or even an enemy.
Healing means accepting ALL of ourselves.
Including cellulite.
And wrinkles.
Grey hair.
Achy spots.
And body fat.
I made a short video of one of my favorite, super simple practices for befriending my own body using the infinite well of compassion that resides in the heart center.
I hope you’ll give it a try and perhaps consider making this a regular peace offering to yourself to cultivate greater health and happiness.
Reiki can supercharge practices such as this by infusing them with spiritually guided life-force energy. If you’re interested in having lifetime access to healing energy at your fingertips, consider attending my Reiki for Self-Care and Empowerment online training beginning 3/23/23. For those who want to actively participate in co-creating their highest and most joyful good, it’s a game changer.
Many of my recent posts have detailed the importance of having a healthy relationship with our…
Luminous Heart Reiki & Massage 