I took a class with Lee several years ago and learned so much about correcting postural imbalances and relieving the resulting discomfort in simple and gentle ways. He’s the one who taught me that many tight muscles are screaming because they are already overstretched and that stretching an overstretched muscle is downright counterproductive, if not harmful.
Yup. Radical, huh? Keep to stretching for muscles that are shortened, and bring some slack into the over- elongated ones. This was so profound for me that I finally made a video about upper back and neck pain because I got tired of explaining it over and over.
In this short video, he shares tips for sitting upright to reduce pain. It’s so simple! I remember a fellow student in that class I took waiting all weekend for some mind blowing, high-tech solution for improved sitting strategies. He seemed disappointed that it was so easy and involved a cheap pillow.
Isn’t it funny how our minds can correlate expensive and complicated with effective? Curiously our Reiki lineage includes this thinking. That’s why Mrs. Takata charged $10K for Master Teacher training! Luckily, one of her students disagreed.
But I digress.
Here’s the video. Check it out. I bet you can easily give it a try without spending a dime or more than 10 minutes. Let me know what you think!
I took a class with Lee several years ago and learned so much about correcting postural…
Last night I closed up shop early because a street festival was taking place in front of my office. It’s always chaotic and not the energy I want my clients to slog through. Instead, I decided to brave the heat and the ginormous potholes for which PA is so famous and go on an adventure. To the suburbs. 🙂
My birthday is coming, and as you might already know, we Cancerians like to celebrate the month, not just the day. So I planned to have dinner with a friend I haven’t seen in a few years and explore the area where she lives.
She pointed me to a delightful metaphysical shop that really made my day! SO many gems to view, so little time. I had decided to splurge on a necklace as a birthday treat. I enjoy wearing my crystals so the healing energy is with me all day.
Rather than looking for a particular type of stone, I browsed. I waited for something to call out to me. A gorgeous rosy stone with delicate white swirls caught my attention. I nearly choked when I saw the price tag, but there was a smaller pendant next to it that didn’t blow my budget out of the water.
This photo pales in comparison to the real thing!
Rhodochrosite. I’d never heard of it. The staff was so helpful and shared about some of her (yes, this particular stone anyway, is most definitely a her) qualities and it was exactly the medicine I’m needing! If I had spent 100 hours online researching which crystal would serve me best, I doubt I could have made a better match.
I wanted to share this story because so many Reiki students ask me about using crystals in their practice. Reiki doesn’t need crystals to be super-powerful, but they do work nicely together as they are both natural energies. It can be overwhelming when you’re learning about crystals from a book because there are so many variations and so many benefits from each of them.
I start with the gemstone that wants to come home with me. I observe how I feel when we’re together and then, and only then, do I look at the information that is readily available from external sources such as a guidebook or website.
It’s important to cleanse your crystals right away as they are batteries for storing energy and you don’t need to be soaking up the residual vibes of everyone else who has handled them. You can then use Reiki to charge them, intending a specific healing purpose, if you like.
It turned out to be a lovely day and I’m so glad I got out and about for a change. I had the most delicious salmon tacos, sat on a bench under the trees by a creek in the park, and had a great catch-up with my friend over dinner. It turns out there was also a street festival there, but we ate inside since it was crazy hot.
I had to laugh that one event was the motivation to go elsewhere and a similar event was happening there. I don’t understand the desire to dine on the sidewalk when it’s 90 degrees out, but hundreds of people apparently do. Lucky for us, that made indoor seating much easier to come by.
All in all, this was a great reminder to go with the flow and let Life lead the way. I’m always pleased with the results when I do.
Last night I closed up shop early because a street festival was taking place in front…
Sensitivities seem to be running high these days. If you’re someone who consistently finds yourself absorbing other people’s energies and suffering for it, I have a few tips.
First, start with the brush off to remove any unwanted energies. It doesn’t matter where or when they came from. If it’s time for them to go, let ‘em go. Laura Bruno, my Reiki Master Teacher, suggests doing this twice daily, at a minimum.
Perhaps more effective is keeping yourself from getting slimed in the first place. I use an easy technique to keep my energy field so full there is no room for anything else to glom on. If you have Reiki, you can add it in, but Reiki is not necessary to make an Energy Bubble.
Also, I’ve written about the book, The Empath’s Survival Guide before. So helpful! Just understanding what’s happening and why you sometimes feel drained or angry or upset for no seeming reason is a relief, and there are lots of tips for how to live your life more easily.
If you feel like you want more tools, consider taking my Reiki for Self-Care training if you’re in the Philly area.
If you want a professional intervention, consider booking a Reiki session. Remote sessions can be received from anywhere in the world! In-person sessions are available in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Sensitivities seem to be running high these days. If you’re someone who consistently finds yourself absorbing…
Over the past few weeks, four mothers have contacted me to schedule treatments for their teenage children. I couldn’t be more delighted! How wonderful that they have the opportunity to learn the value of listening to and honoring their bodies and emotions at a young age. I feel like I’m inducting them all into a revolutionary counterculture club in which cultivating health includes creating body/mind/spirit balance and freely flowing life-force energy.
I love teaching them that bodywork is much more complex than pushing hard on a tight muscle or rubbing where it hurts. I wish everyone knew this! I’m thrilled to introduce such a radical concept to anyone anytime, but the idea of someone starting off their bodywork experiences knowing this little gem can set them up for amazing results over time.
What’s most exciting is educating them about their autonomy during a session. (Yes, I meant autonomy, not anatomy!) They get to say what they’d like to work on and what they need to be comfortable. They can tell me to avoid anything they don’t like, and I will, even if I think it’s important to the treatment. We might have a chat about it, but they get the final word. They have the power to end the session immediately without needing to explain why. They can say “ouch” or “no” during a massage if they want less pressure or for me to move on to another area.
It occurred to me while discussing this with a young woman that these guidelines apply to people of all ages, but I don’t usually take the time to discuss them with adults. I assume that grown-ups know. But there is a seeming power differential in the treatment room where the professional can be seen as the expert. We’re standing, the client is lying down. We’re fully dressed and they, at the very least, have taken their shoes off. These factors can make it look like we’re in charge.
But we’re not.
The client is always the expert on their needs. Always.
However old you are, I hope you’ll hear me when I say this! You’re the boss of your session. OK, there are limits, and you won’t get a great treatment by micromanaging your therapist. We do have extensive training and many of us years, decades even, of experience. But “no” means no during a session. If your practitioner will not honor that, find one who does. There are plenty of times in life when we are not fully in control of our experiences, but healing treatments should not be one of them.
If you’re a caregiver for a child who needs some support, please contact me to discuss treatment options.
Over the past few weeks, four mothers have contacted me to schedule treatments for their teenage…
Today is the summer solstice for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s the longest day of the year. I saw my first firefly last night, which confirms the arrival of summer here. Ironically we have a blessedly cool day blooming, despite the sun working overtime.
For everyone in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s winter solstice and the longest night. For all of us, it’s a turning point. A time when the pendulum reaches the extreme end of its arc before beginning it’s journey towards center.
It’s a great time to review the past 6 months, noticing any patterns, stuckness, or imbalance. Are you in harmony with nature’s energy? Is there anything you can learn that will benefit you moving forward?
I find it helpful to do a simple inventory of where I am currently (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, energetically, circumstantially) this time of year to help me evaluate where I am going in the next 6 months.
Themes that are up for me are prosperity, musculoskeletal health, and community. I’m going to spend some time contemplating how I can support my goals while surfing the soon-to-be waning sun and lengthening nights energies.
If that seems like too much bother, a simple way to honor this day is to enjoy local fruits and vegetables. Celebrating the bounty of the summer crops by savoring the harvest (cherries, strawberries, sugar snap peas, and cucumbers for me) can help us get in touch with the land where we are and align with the season.
Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, I wish you a lovely day filled with all your favorite things. May the sun shine gently upon you.
Today is the summer solstice for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s the…
Today is the summer solstice for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s the longest day of the year. I saw my first firefly last night, which confirms the arrival of summer here. Ironically we have a blessedly cool day blooming, despite the sun working overtime.
For everyone in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s winter solstice and the longest night. For all of us, it’s a turning point. A time when the pendulum reaches the extreme end of its arc before beginning it’s journey towards center.
It’s a great time to review the past 6 months, noticing any patterns, stuckness, or imbalance. Are you in harmony with nature’s energy? Is there anything you can learn that will benefit you moving forward?
I find it helpful to do a simple inventory of where I am currently (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, energetically, circumstantially) this time of year to help me evaluate where I am going in the next 6 months.
Themes that are up for me are prosperity, musculoskeletal health, and community. I’m going to spend some time contemplating how I can support my goals while surfing the soon-to-be waning sun and lengthening nights energies.
If that seems like too much bother, a simple way to honor this day is to enjoy local fruits and vegetables. Celebrating the bounty of the summer crops by savoring the harvest (cherries, strawberries, sugar snap peas, and cucumbers for me) can help us get in touch with the land where we are and align with the season.
Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, I wish you a lovely day filled with all your favorite things. May the sun shine gently upon you.
Today is the summer solstice for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s the…
Much of my work, both professional and personal, is focused on healthy aging. How we can proactively invest in our health to have greater quality of life in our elder years.
I’m adding “Hang out with kids” to my healthy aging to-do list today after a video chat with my 9 yo nephew. Geez, this kid’s mind is so sharp and creative!
He asked me what would happen if you deleted the App Store from your phone.
Cuz you couldn’t just download it again from the… App Store.
Ok, so he’s only 9 and doesn’t yet know that Apple geeks already thought of that and you can’t delete it.
Still, the curiosity and wonder centered around paradox is incredibly vitalizing! I could feel new synaptic connections growing during our very eclectic chat. Plus we had a fabulous laugh at ways one might remedy this impossible conundrum.
A few weeks ago he had an idea to develop an app to hack the hackers and restore justice. It seems the ideas are endless, but seemingly less amusing to the adults who hear them all day long! Maybe this tip will work best for people who aren’t actively parenting little rascals.
But I do think we can all learn a lot from kids in the way that keeps our brains functioning optimally. Novelty is an important key to creating new neural pathways. And of course, we all know that humor is good medicine.
Self-help books talk about surrounding ourselves with people who possess the qualities and experiences we’d like to have for ourselves. Cultivating a relationship with a young person is like getting an infusion of magic and joy without any pesky side effects.
And if this just isn’t your thing, funny movies or silly YouTube videos (have you seen the laughing quintuplet babies?) will do a good job too of triggering your body’s feel-good chemistry.
Much of my work, both professional and personal, is focused on healthy aging. How we can…
Reiki is really helpful for cultivating our ability to remember. It supports the deactivation of our survival response, also called the fight/flight/freeze mechanism, which blocks access to our ability to think clearly or retrieve memories. When we’re not perpetually stressed, memory can come back online.
What’s even more interesting to me, is that Reiki (more specifically the mental/emotional symbol taught in Reiki 2) can help cement new memories.
Many years ago, I heard someone (can’t remember who, but the impression is of a doctor or researcher) say that part of the problems we face in the chaotic, fast-paced world is that we are just not paying attention enough to what we’re doing to actually make new memories.
Can you relate?
I can! Especially now that I’m wearing reading glasses. I haven’t yet gone looking for them while they’re on my head, but they do get misplaced sometimes.
So for those pesky, maddening experiences of not being able to find your keys or wondering if you left the iron on at home the moment your plane takes off for a distant land, there is hope.
I had a scare a few years ago when on a hike with a friend. I was certain I’d return and find my apartment burnt to a crisp. It didn’t really matter than in my decades of adulting, I’d never ever left a candle burning or the stove on, I was freaking out.
Of course, I got home and everything was fine. But for weeks, every time I went somewhere, I was worried about having forgotten to turn the stove off.
It didn’t matter that every time I came home, sometimes immediately and inconveniently because I just couldn’t deal with the discomfort of not knowing, never ever did I find what I feared to be true.
Then I realized that I was not creating new memories of turning off the stove or oven, blowing out the candle, or locking the door.
A new strategy arose. One much more effective than circling back each time I went somewhere to double check my home.
Before I leave, I stand at the stove, check all the knobs and say, “off” while taking a mental snapshot of the stove indeed being off. This same technique can work for any situation. “Keys”. “Glasses”. “Candle”. Whatever.
A week after I started doing this, my out-of-the-home panic diminished greatly and about a month later I didn’t need it any more. I had effectively cured my paranoia. I only do it now if I’m going out of town or some unusual circumstance has me out of my routine.
Anyone can do this. It’s simply a matter of turning your attention for just a moment to that which you’d like to remember. If you have Reiki super-powers, use SHK to stamp your memory in deep. If you’d like to have Reiki super-powers, get on my mailing list to be in the know about upcoming classes.
Reiki is really helpful for cultivating our ability to remember. It supports the deactivation of our…
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!
Luminous Heart Reiki & Massage 