Luminous Heart Reiki & Massage

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  • I’m always on the lookout to make my Reiki practice easier and more efficient. Even better if it can be playful and fun as well! My goal is to be immersed in healing energy full-time. I do, however, still have things that need doing- emails to write, food to prepare, annoying fitted sheets to fold. So how can I keep the Reiki flowing even when I’m otherwise occupied?

    Crystals are a great help. I store Reiki in all sorts of stones when I have time to spare and later, I can draw from these deposits as needed. I’m usually wearing a crystal necklace (pink quartz is the current fave), carrying a few in my pocket, or hanging out with them. You can find families of crystals on my desk, nightstand, and kitchen counter. Several join me in the bathtub along with the salts and essential oils.

    My latest epiphany emerged recently while I was doing Reiki healing attunements. Part of the process involves filling the room with Reiki to amplify the results. I happened to glance up at the ceiling fan and… LIGHTBULB MOMENT! It occurred to me that I could utilize the swirling blades to spread Reiki throughout the space.

    I realize that Reiki does not rely on any mechanism to disperse; it responds to intention and the greatest good, not technology. To clarify, I could use the fan to spark my imagination and help focus on my intention, which would in turn saturate the space with healing vibes. Where attention goes, energy flows.  

    Reiki is great for infusing a space with desired energies, such as peace or creativity. This is a technique that any beginning practitioner can perform without any props. It’s simple and easy, but being the lazy practitioner I am, I realized that it could be even more simple and easy by Reiki’ing the fan to distribute the energy throughout the room.

    One of the absolute best things about a Reiki practice (and there are so many!) is how customizable it is. For those who prefer structure, it’s possible to adopt a set way of doing things and continue repeating the protocol. For those of us who rebel against that sort of thing, there is infinite possibility for innovation. It’s all an experiment to me.

    Just as I’ve activated my shower filter to infuse water with healing energy, now my fans have been treated and are spreading Reiki throughout my apartment with minimal effort from me. Give it a try! And keep an open mind when ideas pop up for new and excited ways to apply Reiki in your world. It certainly can’t hurt, and novelty keeps the spark alive. Let me know how your experiments are going. 🙂

    Reiki Fun for Lazy Practitioners

    I’m always on the lookout to make my Reiki practice easier and more efficient. Even better…

  • I’m thrilled to announce that my next beginning level Reiki class has been scheduled. Reiki is a natural energy that promotes stress and pain relief and bolsters the body’s innate healing abilities. Deactivating the fight-flight-freeze response while simultaneously saturating someone with spiritually-guided life-force energy is a powerful recipe for cultivating wellness, harmony, creativity, connection, productivity, presence, purpose, passion, and more.

    I use it on the daily to maximize all the good stuff and release all that prevents me from experiencing my highest good. It’s become so ingrained in my life, that I can’t imagine living without it.

    There are many reasons to learn Reiki. Caring for ourselves on a consistent basis is the equivalent of making frequent deposits into our health accounts. Adding Reiki to any therapy, personal growth endeavor, spiritual practice, or health regime will enhance the results. Spending time devoted to your wellness can help recover worthiness and access to inner wisdom that may have been covered up by cultural conditioning or trauma.

    It can also be used to clear spaces that may carry unpleasant energetic residue or rid yourself of gunk that you may have picked up from toxic encounters. In this course, we discuss how to give a loved one a treatment, and how to adapt for various situations. You don’t need to convert your guest room or buy a massage table. Children, pets, gardens, and crystals are all potential recipients, to name just a few.

    This upcoming level 1 course runs on Thursday mornings in October. If you’re interested, contact me, and we’ll see if it’s a good match for you. No experience or special skills are required. All meetings will be held on Zoom.

    Reiki 1 Certification

    October 6, 13, 20, & 27, 2022. 10 am – noon ET.

    $225 Investment. Our time together includes PDF materials, personal attunement, certificate, and plenty of time for your questions and practice.

    Online Reiki 1 Certification in October

    I’m thrilled to announce that my next beginning level Reiki class has been scheduled. Reiki is…

  • I’m a big fan of Dr. Rick’s work. He’s been helping me reprogram my mind, release limiting beliefs, and develop mental/emotional resilience for several years now. I find his methods to be very accessible even though they are deeply rooted in the geekiest science.

    “Whether you have a minute a day, or an hour a week, you can start releasing anxiety, changing your negative thoughts, growing the good inside, and having more calm, confidence, and joy amidst the challenges of everyday life.” Sounds fabulous, right?

    Here’s the link to get the goodies. The offer is valid through midnight on September 5th. He’s based in California, so I’m guessing that’s PDT. There’s a wide variety of options, with varied investments of time and money, any of which could improve your wellbeing if you put in the effort.

    Two thumbs up!

    40% off Rick Hanson’s Online Courses

    I’m a big fan of Dr. Rick’s work. He’s been helping me reprogram my mind, release…

  • A friend recently shared about the new skincare products she was considering to combat the stubborn outbreaks she’d be experiencing. When I expressed my belief that the likely culprit was intense stress due to a major life transition, her response could only be described as “dagger eyes”. 

    Clearly she knew that she was stressed, teetering on overwhelm. The thought of taking action to manage said stress would only be yet another complication in her already complicated life. Simple tasks like meal planning and laundry were already emotionally draining. There was no more room on her to-do list; even for something that would be of great benefit. 

    Photo by Mizuno K on Pexels.com

    It seemed obvious to me that buying expensive creams would not solve the problem considering that the problem was not a shortage of expensive creams. Her nervous system was overloaded from chronic stress, and sending out a cry for help via her skin. Other folks might get messages from digestive issues, headaches or migraines, insomnia or other symptoms of imbalance. Given that treating stress is my forte, I developed a plan. 

    Reiki is a brilliant strategy for just this sort of thing. Not only does it relieve stress, tension, and pain, but also saturates the body in healing life-force energy, bolstering whatever systems have become depleted. Even better, it can be performed remotely, eliminating the need to show up for any more appointments. Clients don’t need to even make time in their busy schedules. How cool is that?!

    I came up with a plan to offer 30 minute bursts of Reiki on a weekly basis, to be done on my part during working hours, but to be delivered when she was retired for the evening. (Yes, Reiki delivery can be scheduled in advance, just like Grubhub!) I frequently use this strategy to maximize efficacy by setting up the session during a time of maximum receptivity, often after the client has gone to bed. 

    I created an 8-pack special so she could have consistent treatment over two months. Reversing the effects chronic stress can take time, especially when it is ongoing. It’s like trying to get out of debt without curbing spending; challenging but not impossible. It’s a matter of making more deposits than withdrawals. In this case we’d be making weekly deposits into her life-force energy account. 

    If you’re feeling overwhelmed or burnt out and unable to see your way through, a remote Reiki treatment series might be just the thing. It’s like a subscribe-and-save deal for wellness. Contact me to see if your goals are a good match for this program. It’s the most affordable package I offer; 8 treatments for the price of 7. I provide a weekly reminder and an opportunity to amend the session’s intentions. If you can’t or don’t wish to respond, I carry on with the intention we discussed at the beginning of our arrangement. You sit back (or not!) and do nothing but soak up the energy. 

    Set-it-and-Forget-it Reiki, a strategy for the chaotic modern world. Like many of the special treatments I offer, it was born of necessity. I see a need and a strategy to meet that need organically unfolds. Eight 30-minute remote Reiki sessions, designed to be delivered weekly at the time that suits you best without any effort on your part. $350 if purchased by the end of September 2022. 

    September Special: Set-it-and-Forget-it Reiki Package

    A friend recently shared about the new skincare products she was considering to combat the stubborn…

  • Reiki is a handy tool for all sorts of things. Most people know it as an alternative healing modality, but it can also be used for cultivating ease, abundance, harmony, creativity, connection, and so much more! It’s not effective for creating that which is not aligned with the soul’s purpose or manipulating others, but all authentic needs and desires can be supported with this energy. Recently I used it as a form of travel insurance.

    The moment I booked my airline tickets, I began applying Reiki for A Smooth and Easy Trip. It was a lot more productive than worrying about all the undesirable outcomes travelers have been experiencing lately. Using visual aids helps me to focus my attention, so I drew a map and created a crystal grid of sorts. I spent several minutes every day saturating it with Reiki.

    I think what actually happens when using Reiki to support preferred outcomes is that it brings me into alignment with that which I desire and removes barriers within myself to receiving or experiencing it. Basically, it helped me become someone who is a vibrational match for smooth and easy travels, and enlists the universe’s aid in making it happen.

    Every leg of my journey was simply perfect. I was guided to leave much earlier than logic suggested and took a Lyft to a train station based on a gut feeling, even though I could have walked to a closer station. Every other plan I considered for getting to the airport triggered a “meh” feeling that led me to keep trying out options. Eventually this particular idea felt like a “YES!” clicking into place internally.

    I arrived at my first destination on time and easily retrieved my rental car. I spent two lovely days with a dear friend enjoying wonderful company, delightful weather, fantastic meals, and nature. I joked that perhaps my “smooth and easy” intention included the forecast even though I hadn’t specifically tuned into that. She smiled mischievously and confessed to working some weather magic herself. (It helps to have friends with Reiki skills!)

    Happily, her efforts covered the next stage of my trip: a ferry across Lake Michigan. I really loved this journey! The temperature was ideal for spending a bit of time up on the deck, allowing the crazy wind to blow off all the outdated and stagnant energies that our visit had loosened. Just what I needed before navigating urban traffic in an unknown city. Not my favorite thing, but it went well enough.

    The first day at my next destination was rainy, yet this was also perfect. It seemed like the weather was suggesting that we do all the indoor activities such as viewing art (even better when your friend is an enthusiastic curator!) and shopping for souvenirs and chocolate. That freed up the following days to check out a gigantic flea market, spend time in nature, and dunk myself in Lake Michigan. BRRR! It all worked out better than if we’d tried to plan the specifics.

    Perhaps the most amazing factor was my return flight arriving 25 minutes early and walking to the train platform to find one ready to depart. I got home an hour earlier than expected! Funny, I’m just now realizing that I had left an hour earlier than necessary at the beginning of my trip. Somehow that hour got returned to me in the end when I was able to enjoy it rather than pacing the living room anxiously.

    If I had set my intention for “flights being on time”, I might have missed out on this getting- home- early bonus. I chose “smooth and easy” because that allows for change without disruption or discomfort and the possibility of unforeseen upgrades. It didn’t matter to me if flights were on time if I got to where I was going with minimal stress. And I did!

    If you’re interested in having Reiki super-powers that help you go with the flow and enjoy the optimal wellness, creativity, and joy available to you, consider taking a class. Anyone can learn Reiki in a short amount of time and have a lifetime full-access pass to spiritually guided life-force energy. It certainly comes in handy when traveling. Really, this stuff works!

    Using Reiki as Travel Insurance

    Reiki is a handy tool for all sorts of things. Most people know it as an…

  • Wowza! This Being Well podcast fascinated me. I very much appreciate Rick Hanson’s work (neuropsychology meets Buddhist meditation), and the dynamic between him and his son, Forrest, is endearing and inspiring.

    In my work as a Reiki practitioner and teacher, I am consistently reminded of the detrimental effects of shame on our well-being. I see a link between a variety of chronic illnesses and feelings of inadequacy, unworthiness, and feeling oneself to be somehow wrong or unacceptable. Their discussion addresses many issues, including that of failing to live up to standards, perhaps societal or familial, that we haven’t consciously accepted and may even disagree with.

    It’s my hope that you will find some relief from the burden of shame and its origins. Shining the light of awareness on it contributes to its immediate diminishment. Perhaps you will find their words as comforting as I did.

    Changing Your Relationship to Shame

    Wowza! This Being Well podcast fascinated me. I very much appreciate Rick Hanson’s work (neuropsychology meets…

  • I’m really enjoying this free 40 day mindfulness meditation course with Jack and Tara. I’m finding it to be a good review, and it’s also beginner friendly. In the episode I received today, Tara shared an essay. She didn’t reveal the author and I haven’t been able to find it via my search engine. I don’t know who deserves the credit, but it’s so wonderful that I want to share it anyway. It’s a love note from the body and accurately reflects what I see daily in my Reiki practice. I hope it encourages folks to heed the messages our bodies are constantly trying deliver.

    I am the pain in your head, the knot in your stomach, the unspoken grief in your smile.
    I’m your hot flashes, your fragile low back, your agitation, and your fatigue.
    I’m your high blood pressure, your elevated blood pressure, your fear of challenge, your
    lack of trust.
    You tend to disown me, suppress me, ignore me, inflate me, coddle me, condemn me.
    You usually want me to go away immediately, to disappear, just back into obscurity.
    More times than not, I’m only the most recent notes of a long symphony, the most
    evident branches of roots that have been challenged for seasons.
    So, I implore you. I am a messenger with good news, as disturbing as I can be at times.
    I am wanting to guide you back to those tender places in yourself, the place where you
    can hold yourself with compassion and honesty. I may ask you to alter your diet, get
    more sleep, exercise regularly, breathe more consciously.
    I might encourage you to seek a vaster reality and worry less about the day-to-day
    fluctuations of life. I may ask you to explore the bonds and the wounds of your
    relationship. Wherever I lead you, my hope is that you will realize that success will not
    be measured by my eradication, but by the shift in the internal landscape from which I
    emerge.
    I am your friend, not your enemy. I belong. I have no desire to bring pain and suffering
    into your life. I’m simply tugging at your sleeve, too long immune to gentle nudges. I
    desire for you to allow me to speak to you in a way that enlivens your higher instincts for
    self-care.
    My charge is to energize you, to listen to me with the sensitive ear and heart of a
    mother attending to her precious baby. You are a being so vast, so complex with
    amazing capacities for self-regulation and healing.
    Let me be one of the harbingers that lead you to the mysterious core of your being,
    where insight and wisdom are naturally available when called upon with a sincere heart.

    Felt Sense Prayer

    I’m really enjoying this free 40 day mindfulness meditation course with Jack and Tara. I’m finding…

  • Reiki helps to correct any type of imbalance, and it can be fun to think of choosing the goal of a session as if from options on a menu. A sense of humor can be very helpful in the healing process! Sometimes my clients come up with comical names for the type of treatment they desire. One asks repeatedly for The Reboot; a session devoted to resetting the nervous system and activating the relaxation response. She finds it incredibly recuperative given the intense demands of her career.

    The Deactivator is also popular, especially for those recovering from trauma or dealing with chronic pain. It helps to break the uncomfortable cycle triggered by hyper-vigilance and near-constant sympathetic nervous system (AKA fight-flight-freeze) activation. Occasionally folks ask for The Activator when they’re feeling stuck or blocked and can’t seem to get motivated. Kinda like all-natural, energetic uppers and downers with no negative side-effects!

    Over the past couple of years, most of my work has been centered around The Fill ‘er Up treatment. People who have become depleted energetically, physically, and emotionally seem to  be developing bizarre symptoms such as rashes, digestive upset, or severe joint pain as the tank runs dry and there just isn’t enough energy for the body to do much more than survive. Physiological systems begin to break down and mysterious ailments pop up. 

    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    For the past few months, there’s been an emerging trend that stems from The Fill ‘er Up. The Flush and Fill; the perfect remedy for those who have experienced the emotional equivalent of running a marathon in a toxic waste dump. So many of my clients are empathic and tend to pick up unwanted energies as they go about their days. When tanks are already low, there are few resources available for protecting personal boundaries or lugging around accumulated burdens, and eventually the body and the psyche begin to suffer. Burnout looms on the horizon.

    Reiki can transform any and all energies that do not belong to us or that have worn out their welcome. Breaking free from the heavy loads that are outdated or not even ours to bear is incredibly invigorating. I don’t know of any other therapy that is so simple, so gentle and so powerful; certainly not any that can be received from the comfort of home or in a practitioner’s office; or learned in just a few hours for those who desire frequent application. 

    If you’d like to learn how to give yourself daily Flush and Fills, consider taking a Reiki 1 class. I am offering one online beginning in July, and others are teaching in-person classes. If you can’t stand the idea of adding one more task, no matter how wonderful the results, to your to-do list, that’s what we professionals are here for. If you’re already a practitioner, simply set your intention to transform anything that is not aligned with your highest good to that which is, and proceed with the hand positions you’ve been taught. Whatever your desired degree of participation (or lack thereof!) is, Reiki has a niche just for you.

    Options on the Reiki Menu

    Reiki helps to correct any type of imbalance, and it can be fun to think of…

  • It’s the longest day of the year up here in the northern hemisphere, and I’m taking advantage of the late sunset. I’ve come out for a hike after work; soaking up so much needed nature therapy and feeding many mosquitoes.

    It’s also the first day in the zodiac sign of Cancer. Happy birthday season to all my fellow crabby friends! How many ways can you find to celebrate over the next month?

    Happy Solstice, Everyone!

    It’s the longest day of the year up here in the northern hemisphere, and I’m taking…