Luminous Heart Reiki & Massage

Book Now

healing

I am finally willing to admit that my VitaMix needs to go in for repairs. It’s leaving bigger and bigger puddles as it drips from the base. The good news is that when you spend a fortune on a blender, it comes with an extended warranty. So when I called customer service, things went smoothly until she said it would be returned to me in 8-10 days. <GASP!> Then she said, “Pamela, don’t panic.” Clearly she could tell by my stunned silence that I was ready to panic!

OK, so it probably won’t take as long as that, but holy cow, I use this machine A LOT! Like every day, a lot. Yesterday I used it three times! I made cashew butter (well worth the effort for an organic version with only raw cashews and pink Himalayan salt), smoothies for the rest of the week (which I froze for super-convenience during my busy stretch), and roasted potato and curry soup (which btw is the bomb!). Clearly I have an affinity for smooth and creamy meals.

As far as life problems go, being without my super-duper blender for over a week is pretty low on the list; most definitely what is called a “first world problem.” I get that, I really do. But I rely on this machine to create spectacular delicious and nutritious meals. Most of you would likely agree that this combination is not all that common. However, it has become apparent that I am overly dependent on a gadget.

So I have switched gears and am preparing to welcome a short break from blending. For the first 40 years of my life I didn’t even know what a VitaMix was, so obviously I am able to survive without one! I will get creative in the kitchen and maybe even find some new recipes for fabulous meals I never would have explored because I was too busy blending. I might get adventurous and try a new restaurant. I might even do the unthinkable and order a smoothie from the juice bar!

While this might seem like a trivial matter, the lesson of resilience is one that runs deep. It’s a good reminder to practice being more flexible with simple matters so that when something profound comes up, we’ve practiced letting go and adapting to changes. Bumps in the road keep us alert, and thinking outside the box stimulates neuroplasticity. I’ve come to see this leaky blender incident as a blessing in disguise and am looking forward to the creativity it inspires.

Radical Self-Care, Adapt

I am finally willing to admit that my VitaMix needs to go in for repairs. It’s…
Last night I was in charge of navigating my girlfriends and myself to an art opening in center city. I have the most experience with public transit, so I was happy to accept this role. We arrived smoothly, although we did walk farther than anticipated. That was the end of my leadership success.

From the gallery I schlepped us to another neighborhood only to discover that our destination was closed and the alternate shop was a block away from the gallery. Then due to traffic slowing our bus, we missed our train home. I suggested a nearby pub where the slow service caused us to miss the next train and my misreading the schedule caused us to miss the last train of the night. Epic navigation fail!

My friends graciously rolled with the continuously changing plan, and we eventually arrived home, two hours later than expected. Somewhere along the line I noticed myself slipping into self-criticism that easily could have led to a shame spiral. I also noticed my frustration was not mirrored back by my friends. They were just hanging out. Not in the environment we had planned, but not letting that disrupt the opportunity to have an animated conversation.

I grasped this cue and realized that while my plan had indeed failed, that didn’t make me a failure. I got to choose if I would sulk on the extended journey home or to embrace the chance to rally and enjoy the good company available to me. I remembered Louise Hay’s words that to be truly loving, we should never, ever criticize ourselves. And just like that I dropped the self-blame and joined in the laughter.

Radical Self-Care, Gimme a Break!

Last night I was in charge of navigating my girlfriends and myself to an art opening…
The weather, my schedule, and my energy level all lined up in a magnificently cooperative way which allowed me to go for a hike in the woods this morning. Nature is my happy place. Living in Philadelphia, I no longer have daily access to the ocean as I did when I lived on the coast of California. However, we do have an amazing urban park that has the magical quality of making me feel like I’m on vacation.

Being outside and breathing fresh air, surrounded by the lush beauty of Mother Nature feeds my soul deeply. After a few minutes I begin to feel more alive, more myself, more radiant. It seems as though the greenery is scrubbing my aura clean; like a car wash but for the energy field. Trees embody the energy of earth and water from below and fire and air from above, providing a tangible balance of the elements. I can easily understand why Druids believed the forests to be sacred.

Having started my day filling up with bliss from being outside, moving my body, and quieting my mind has set me up with an amazing mood. There aren’t many activities I know of that provide physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual regeneration all at once. Having easy access to the woods (complete with gorgeous creek nonetheless!) is truly a blessing and I cherish it every time I visit.

Radical Self-Care, Nature Rules!

The weather, my schedule, and my energy level all lined up in a magnificently cooperative way…
I try to get a massage twice per month. My muscles really need the therapy because giving bodywork is so physically demanding. And my psyche needs the nurturing and soothing release that results from relaxation and touch. I also learn new techniques and have “stolen” some of my best moves from other therapists. Finally, I am reminded of what it’s like to be a client, to anticipate a session, and to be cared for. This inspires me to bring my best to each and every session.

While it may just be another day at work for me, often it is the highpoint of a client’s week. I’m incorporating an attitude of celebration into my work. A friend and coworker offers a cheerful “Happy massage day” as a greeting to clients when they arrive. While I may not use these words, I intend to embody the feeling behind them, and to appreciate the efforts required for people to actually show up for themselves and receive a session.

In addition to aspiring to be the most caring and compassionate self at work, I’m upping my earlier statement. Forget about “trying” to get two massages each month: I schedule a massage at least every other week. This is my new statement of intent. As Yoda, the beloved Star Wars guru, said, “Do or do not. There is no try.”

Radical Self-Care, Happy Massage Day!

I try to get a massage twice per month. My muscles really need the therapy because…
Some days it’s really important to recognize that you can’t do everything and something has to give. So I’m acknowledging that for today, practicing self-care trumps writing about self-care. Need I say any more? 😉

Radical Self-Care, Take a Break

Some days it’s really important to recognize that you can’t do everything and something has to…
Kundalini is a unique form of yoga that has deeply transformed my life. I don’t intend to tackle the gigantic topic of how it works because I actually don’t understand this mystery myself! What I do know is that is does work; I feel peaceful, radiant, and energized each and every time I practice. I am content to follow along and do what the teacher tells me to do without an intellectual understanding.

What I can say is that the practices use the ancient technologies of sound, breath, and body postures and movements to stimulate chakras, organs, and glands in order to create specific effects. There’s usually chanting, sometimes a gong, and mudras (hand positions). The goal is to draw kundalini, a powerful yet dormant energy, up the spine to awaken the chakras, and ultimately experience enlightenment.

While I can’t claim to yet be an enlightened being, I have experienced deep states of bliss and the amazing sensation of oneness; being at home with the divine and completely comfortable within my own body. Creating health by energizing organs and glands seems to be just a side affect, but an enjoyable and vitalizing one at that. Sometimes the exercises are difficult, often they seem weird, but that is a price I’m willing to pay to feel the glow.

I highly recommend seeking out a teacher to guide you along this mystical and magnificent path. If there’s not one available to you, I did find this book to be helpful. It speaks about the importance of the gentle awakening of kundalini because an abrupt forcing of the energy can be uncomfortable, even dangerous. Taking the gentle route is not exactly the American way, but really a must in this field of study.

Radical Self-Care, Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini is a unique form of yoga that has deeply transformed my life. I don’t intend…
Experts are suggesting that we keep our brains active in order to keep them healthy. It’s the “use it or lose it” theory of mental functioning. There are numerous ways to go about this; crossword and Sudoku puzzles are perhaps the most popular. I find crosswords to be terribly frustrating and number puzzles somewhat addictive, so I take a different route.

Learning a new language is said to be great for the brain. I would love to take a class to refresh the German that I studied in school decades ago. Yet there is no room in my schedule for that. A friend introduced me to Duolingo, a free app that I use on my smartphone. Every day I spend five minutes firing off neurons and spreche deutsch, often while waiting for or riding on public transit.

Just as convenient is a Scrabble-like game called Words with Friends that I play on my phone. It gets me thinking in new ways, and while I can’t say it’s really affected my vocabulary, I’m all about remembering two letter words like za, xi, and qi that make it easy to rack up big points. The neat thing about this app is that you can play against a stranger, a friend, or even the system, and you can play at your own pace.

These are things that are fun and fit easily into the organic gaps that occur throughout my day. Because, let’s face it, if it isn’t easy and fun, it’s just not going to happen. It doesn’t really matter what you choose to learn or if it’s a useful skill. All that matters is that you give your brain a challenge on a regular basis. Mental exercise to stimulate the gray matter doesn’t need to be a tedious chore. But it does need to happen if we wish to improve memory and cognitive functioning as we age. It might not seem like a priority now, but it will be someday and I have no intention on waiting for a diagnosis to urge me on.

Radical Self-Care, Brain Power

Experts are suggesting that we keep our brains active in order to keep them healthy. It’s…
I bet you didn’t see that coming! It’s really important for me to have healthy treats on hand. It prevents temptation to indulge in junk foods that I will later regret. More than a decade of experimenting has taught me that I feel my best when I avoid gluten, dairy, and sugar. As I endeavor to always feel my best, I’ve learned to make fabulous yumminess that doesn’t contain any of those ingredients.

My favorite of these desserts can easily pass as brownies, even amongst non-health-food eaters. They’re often called “bliss balls”, and with good reason!

There are dozens of recipes online with lots of variety, here’s a simple one. You can experiment with spices like cinnamon or ginger, citrus zest, coffee beans, vanilla, or coconut. I’m a purist when it comes to chocolate, so I keep it simple, but that’s just me. Google “bliss balls” or “raw vegan desserts” and you’ll be delighted with the options. These little babies are dense and satisfyingly sweet. I feel energized when eating them and they are the antidote to cravings.

Brownies. Who knew they could be healthy?!?

Radical Self-Care, “Brownies”

I bet you didn’t see that coming! It’s really important for me to have healthy treats…
When you’re picky about the quality of food you ingest, it’s tough to eat out. When you’re concern for the environment inhibits reliance on single-use disposable containers, it’s nearly impossible to get take-out. Given that nearly every day I’m away from home at lunchtime, I need another option. Bagged lunches got boring a decade ago, and I wanted some variety from my standard green smoothie.

Last year I saw a post on Facebook about layering a salad in a Mason jar. I was intrigued but didn’t pursue it until yesterday. I had an extra long day and needed to pack two meals for the road. And as I was carrying everything on my back, it needed to be simple and efficient. In addition to my smoothie, I made a really hearty salad with organic vegetables and humanely raised smoked turkey breast. I followed the general instructions on this website and was really quite pleased.

I had a thirty minute layover at the train station and found myself an area with a breeze and a shaded empty bench. I shook my jar to distribute the dressing and mix things up and dug in. I immediately had a good laugh because my plastic fork was too short to really reach into the jar and was completely incapable of spearing carrots. I did the best I could turning the jar on its side and scooping, and aside from my technical difficulties, I was really quite pleased. The lettuce was crisp and none of the vegetables had gotten soggy.

If grabbing food on the go isn’t your thing because of cost, dietary needs, or lack of convenient options, jar salads can really be helpful. The ease of transport earns this concept a dozen gold stars. As with any packed lunch, variety is crucial, but that is only limited by the preparer’s imagination. Some pomegranate seeds would have been a nice addition to my recipe. Or pumpkin seeds. Or roasted sweet potato. Or chickpeas. Or …. well you get the idea! Just remember to bring a proper fork.

Radical Self-Care, Jarred Lunch

When you’re picky about the quality of food you ingest, it’s tough to eat out. When…