inspiration

  • I’ve been collecting life-force energy for some time now. Having more deposits than withdrawals is part of my healthy aging plan. I think this is a brilliant strategy for wellness of all kinds, but is particularly important as we age.

    What most people think of as “aging” is what I see as the compound interest of lifelong energetic debt. We can get away with neglecting of our bodies, even abusing them, for some time, but eventually the consequences catch up. 

    Every decision we make can include an awareness of this simple math. Will this action yield more or less healing energy in my system?

    Don’t get me wrong- I’m no teetotaler. I don’t always opt for the supremely healthy choice, but when I don’t, I do the math first to decide if the results will be worth it.

    Today, I went out for lunch. I usually prepare my own meals, but for the past 24 hours, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about bread. Very strange. I wondered if perhaps it was my body speaking to me? More likely a long-silenced part that never got onboard 25 years ago when I learned I had a wheat sensitivity. Whatever, the thoughts became a craving and I figured a sandwich would do the trick. 

    I knew that mediocre bread wouldn’t cut it. And gluten free bread isn’t usually great. It’s either crazy expensive, has questionable ingredients to make up for the gluey gluten goodness that traditionally holds bread together, or crumbles in your hands. I couldn’t think of any way to satisfy this desire at the grocery store and I had nothing at home that would suffice. 

    So off to the bakery I go. I chose what would be considered healthy fare by any American standards. Chicken salad on walnut raisin. Not a hoagie (hero, sub, grinder or bun the size of my head), just two slices of bread. It was most satisfying and quelled that incessant loop in my head. 

    As I stood up to bus my plate, I had to cough. This is highly unusual for me. Suddenly, there was a lot of phlegm in my throat. As I walked out the door, I noticed I was sniffly. Shortly thereafter, I was gassy. And then my ears started to itch. 

    No big deal, really. My body can manage all of this. But it’s using life-force to do so. I don’t need to feel guilty or worry or make amends. It’ll all even out if I offer an extra deposit- such as time in nature or meditating. 

    If this was my habit, though, it’s easy to see how I’d eventually end up in life-force deficiency. And I’d get chronically stuffy, which could create the perfect environment for a virus to move in. Or I could medicate the symptoms, ignoring the root cause and accrue even more problematic symptoms. 

    I thought of my friend Mika, who carries a digestive enzyme supplement with her for times like these. There are definitely ways to mitigate less than stellar decisions. But what I really want to point out is that I recognized these symptoms because they aren’t the norm for me. Many people wouldn’t identify phlegm-iness as a result of food choices.

    The more active I am in building my life-force savings, the more obvious the costly fees are because the contrast is so great.

    There is no one-sized fits all life-force savings plan. I’m not suggesting that you don’t eat out, or you don’t eat chicken salad sandwiches, or you go wheat- free. But I am suggesting you do some detective work, some experimenting, and begin an honest exploration into your expenditures and investments. 

    If you find yourself digging in your heels, unwilling to give up certain behaviors you know to be problematic, that’s ok too. To balance things out, you can put your focus on life-force deposits. So rather than taking something away, you can think of adding in a beneficial practice like yoga or tai chi. Or build a monthly session of massage and/or Reiki into your budget and calendar. 

    Find ways to make more deposits, even if your withdrawals remain the same, and you’ll accrue wellness credits over time. The benefit to quitting the habits that have less than desirable results, at least for a few weeks, is that your body can recalibrate and you’ll be better able to notice its reaction to something as simple as eating a sandwich for lunch. 

    Accruing Life-Force and Healthy Aging

    I’ve been collecting life-force energy for some time now. Having more deposits than withdrawals is part…

  • If you’ve ever followed someone’s advice for healing an ailment and found yourself disappointed in the results, you aren’t alone.

    Lots of people share with me the tricks they use for xyz and often they are things I’ve already tried to no avail.

    It’s frustrating.

    The thing is, the root of the problem is often hidden. Two people might have frequent headaches, but the same treatment might not be effective for both of them since the causes are different.

    If you’re dehydrated and have a headache, a big glass of water can work wonders. You can go on to write a book about water being the miracle healer, yet it will be 100% ineffective for someone with a mold allergy or a tension headache.

    No worries, though. Your body knows. There is an innate wisdom within and you can learn to access it. I’m not saying it’s easy, at least not in the beginning, but like any skill, you can hone it with practice.

    My suggestion is to be like a cat. They move in ways that feel GOOD! Now, don’t go researching “how to move like a cat”. That’s something I would have done in the past. 🙄

    Instead, feel into what movements your body would enjoy. Let pleasure be your guide.

    It all starts with an intention to tap in and honor the messages that come from your body. Next, you’ll need to create time and space to listen. Many of us are just running around all day, every day, so that we can’t receive the messages that come through.

    Remember the olden days when phones were atttached to the walls of homes? And you had to be at there when the call came through? And then you had to pick it up, at that moment, and listen to the voice on the other side?

    It’s a lot like that.

    Your body will tell you how it wants to move and rest, what it wants to eat and when, and all sorts of other information- if you pay attention.

    But you have to be available to pick up the phone.

    Yes, this means forgetting about tons of external rules about how many steps you should take or what your target heart rate is. It might mean shaking things up in your family, workplace, or circle of friends.

    But, let’s face it. If you keep on doing what you’re doing, you’ll continue to get what you’ve already got. I’m guessing that if you’re reading this, you’d prefer a different outcome.

    Why not go directly to the source of wisdom?

    I find Reiki incredibly helpful for increasing my clarity, motivation, and capacity to receive messages from my body. If you want to do the work, it could help you too. Or if you prefer to receive support and let me do the work, that can also help. It’s not the only way by any means. As far as I can tell, it’s the simplest, easiest, and most accessible though.

    One of the things I really love about Reiki is that the healing energy sinks beneath the symptoms and addresses the initial imbalance. It might be in the mental, emotional, spiritual, energetic, or circumstantial realm which would have been overlooked by modern medical treatment.

    What would your body appreciate today? If it’s Reiki or some gentle bodywork, why not schedule a treatment? Or perhaps you’d like a walk, a bath, some time on your yoga mat, or a nap. Only you know for sure.

    Healing Isn’t One Size Fits All

    If you’ve ever followed someone’s advice for healing an ailment and found yourself disappointed in the…

  • Here we are, at the beginning of 2025, launching into a new year. I’m seeing lots of posts about kicking it off in style, crushing it, being the best version of yourself.

    Which might seem like an impossibility if you’re struggling just to get through the days. This is the season when Nature is urging us to rest and restore, to take some downtime, and get extra sleep. It is not the season for crushing it, unless we’re talking about naps.

    So if I could encourage us all to do just one thing right now, it would be to listen to our own bodies. Let them guide us through this new year portal.

    Inquire within and listen with compassion and curiosity:

    How am I feeling right now? What do I need? What activity or lack of activity would be most supportive?

    Rather than jumping on someone else’s, even a so-called expert’s, bandwagon, tune in to yourself. Let your self-care be for YOU.

    All journeys begin with the first step. Don’t let the distance between your current location and your destination derail your departure.

    Research shows that small habits have a big impact overtime. Pick one thing to do, or not do, this week. Next week or next month, or whenever the time feels right, add one more thing to do or not do.

    It could be as simple as taking three conscious breaths while the coffee brews or smiling at yourself in the mirror.

    I’ve been having my tea outside at sunrise for six months now. Supposedly the light at dawn is very healing on a cellular level. I can’t say that my cells feel different, but I’ve come to look forward to this quiet moment every morning. Getting bundled up when it’s below freezing has become a challenge that I enjoy. On the long road of healing, it’s just a baby step, but one I’ve made nearly 200 times, thereby shifting my trajectory into one aligned with vibrant mitochondria and cellular health.

    What small shift can you make in your trajectory?

    Sunrise is at 7:23 tomorrow- you’ve welcome to join me for a cuppa. Don’t forget the layers. Lots and lots of layers. 🤩

    If you want a jumpstart, consider booking a Reiki treatment and fill up your life-force tank.

    Happy New Year!

    Here we are, at the beginning of 2025, launching into a new year. I’m seeing lots…

  • I just got back from the most glorious hike. It’s drizzly and cold here in Philly, but it’s my day off and I wanted to go to the woods. While I was trekking through the trees, I chuckled to myself about descriptors people often use for days like today.

    Dreary.

    Miserable.

    Dreadful.

    Come on, now! You can write a story in your head about it being a miserable, rainy day, and it will most definitely be true for you.

    But is it True, with a capital T?

    No!

    It’s rainy. It’s wet. The sky is gray. There are mud puddles. The fallen leaves are slippery. These statements are objectively True. That means I need to dress appropriately and be careful where I step on the trail.

    So I did. No biggie. And you know what?

    Nowhere did I find any misery.

    Instead, I found fresh, clean air. Mud puddles! (My inner child was delighted to have a splash.) And magic. That’s the story I told myself, and for me it became True.

    I did pass a couple along the path and we all agreed that it was wonderful being out there without much company. The fellow said that the rain keeps the amateurs away and we all had a good laugh.

    As adults, we have myriad opportunities to stretch our comfort zone and rewrite our stories. If we don’t, the zone shrinks over time and we begin to lose freedom of choice. It’s up to each of us to recognize how much discomfort we can face in order to grow and build resilience. Or we can wallow in our restrictive demands for comfort and forever remain an amateur.

    For me, hiking in a drizzle is not much of a stretch. Perhaps that’s because I have a great affinity for water and a disposition and constitution that enjoys the cold. There are other areas of life that are much more challenging for me, and this new insight has all sorts of ideas brewing about how I can better meet them with grace and willingness if not ease.

    And it all begins with the words I use to describe the event/situation/environment I choose to face. Will it be dreadful or simply unknown? Dreary or just wet? Miserable or potentially magical?

    You tell me.

    (Please do! I’d love to hear what words you use to rewrite an old story that keeps you from experiencing absolute freedom. What’s your rainy day equivalent?)

    Love Me a Rainy Day!

    I just got back from the most glorious hike. It’s drizzly and cold here in Philly,…

  • I’m getting older and let me tell you, it’s pretty amazing! Today is my birthday and rather than lamenting the fact that I’m aging, I’m celebrating. I’m not supposed to tell you that I’m 53, but I’m delighted to do so! I’m not ashamed to be in my 50’s. Quite the opposite. I find it quite empowering.

    I know who I am and what I want in ways that I never did when I was younger. It’s very refreshing! No more am I trying to fit myself into someone else’s expectations and the sense of freedom is invigorating.

    We’ve been sold a narrative that once you reach a certain age, health begins to fail. Well, that’s just bullshit! It’s perpetuated by the marketing industry trying to sell us stuff that treats the surface symptoms, but never the root cause. If it treated the cause, we wouldn’t need to buy it anymore.

    The vast majority of symptoms that I see are simply a result of chronic stress, energetic overspending and under-receiving, suppressed emotions causing a continuous cortisol drip, exposure to toxic chemicals, and neglect/misuse/abuse of the body.

    We have control over much of this!

    This is the work I do. Relieving stress and pain, integrating emotions, supporting the body’s needs so it can detox and repair, and filling up the energetic tank. I see it working day after day in my clients and students and I am a living, breathing, joyful example that making healthful choices consistently has a tremendous impact on well-being.

    What is one thing you can do today to nourish yourself?

    What is one thing you can do today to support your body, mind, heart and spirit?

    What is one thing you can do today that reduces your exposure to chemicals- be it in food, water, personal care products or your environment?

    What is one thing you can do today to protect your energy? It might entails saying NO, better yet, HELL NO! to something you don’t want to do.

    What is one thing you can do today to move your body in a way that feels pleasurable?

    Just one thing! Do that one simple thing for a week or two and then add another thing.

    I bet you already have a thing in mind. Something that you’ve been thinking about for a while and just lacking the motivation to take the plunge.

    Today is the perfect day to get started on the next level of your healing journey. Any empowered action in the direction you want to go will ripple outwards and affect others as well.

    If you want, you can get started right now by placing a hand on your heart and making a commitment to yourself.

    Perhaps you’d like to repeat these words from the mindful self-compassion tradition:

    May I be safe.

    May I be healthy.

    May I be at peace.

    May I be kind to myself.

    May I make choices to support my overall wellness.

    If you’d like some support, that’s what I’m here for! I do Reiki healing sessions for people around the globe and soothing, nurturing bodywork here in Philadelphia. It’s my mission to spread this message of self-care and empowerment. I’d be delighted to work with you if that sounds appealing.

    But not today. Today, I’m going on a hike, eating fabulous food, reading a fun book and connecting with my friends. I’ll be back in the office tomorrow and ready to give from my overflowing tank.

     

    I wrote an article over on Substack about my process of reviewing the year through a holistic health and spiritual journey lens. Check out Annual Review if you’d like to learn more about this radical way of thinking.

    Radiant Aging and Birthday Bliss

    I’m getting older and let me tell you, it’s pretty amazing! Today is my birthday and…

  • I just loved this TedTalk from The Minimalists! And not because it’s the only TT I’ve ever seen accompanied by pantomime.

    The message of simplification speaks to me as a path to healthier living. Compulsive consumption leads to excess stuff which is a distraction at best, highly stressful or downright overwhelming at worst. That’s before we factor in spending, debt, and wastefulness.

    They ask questions like, “How might my life be better with less?” and “Does this thing add value to my life?”. I think we’d all be happier and enjoy greater wellness if we asked ourselves these types of things.

    The art of letting go seems to be the art of freedom in my eyes. I’m going to start the one thing/day for 30 day challenge today with some old paperwork in my desk. I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me over the next month.

    What can you let go of to create more space in your world?

    Consume Less, Live More

    I just loved this TedTalk from The Minimalists! And not because it’s the only TT I’ve…

  • For a few weeks now I’ve been working on this article about clarifying desires for 2024 and moving towards them.

    During the writing process, an entirely different article emerged. One about letting the soul lead the way. While there is quite a bit of overlap and the methods are complementary, there’s a distinct difference that prevented me from blending them into one article.

    In fact, the second article didn’t really feel like it belongs here on this blog. I don’t want to presume that just because you’re reading these words that you’re interested in embracing the new development.

    It’s entirely possible that I’m overthinking things, which I’ve been known to do! Regardless, I’ve launched a new blog.

    So, I’ll endeavor to continue reporting on holistic health and healing here. And if you’d like to join me on Substack, you’ll find an exploration of placing the divine in charge of life. Blogs about wheel of the year and lunar cycle practices will be forthcoming, along with chronicles of my journey; including the bumps and blips.

    Now back to the main event… Envision 2024

    Envision is a process I’ve developed to gain clarity about goals and how to move towards them in a sustainable and empowered way. Below you’ll find the inquiry I utilize to jumpstart the new year.  I often share it with my clients and Reiki students who report it to be helpful. You will find no attempts to motivate you to work harder or do more. Quite the opposite, in fact!

    This is mostly an internal process. We will need to follow through to experience results, but first we want to get clear about the starting point, the desired destination and the predictable obstacles. Then any activity out in the external world comes from an aligned and inspired source rather than just doing stuff for the sake of doing stuff.

    For optimal results, carve out 30 minutes and a quiet place where you can complete the inquiry without interruption. You’ll need a pen and paper or keyboard and screen. Perhaps you’d like to brew a cup of tea, turn on some uplifting music, or light a candle to signify that you are entering sacred space, but really all you need is the willingness to uncover the longing within your heart.

    I find that the most fruitful results emerge when I’m starting from a calm, relaxed place and centered within myself. I like to place a hand on my heart and inhale through my nose, deep into my belly, feeling it expand. I exhale with an audible sigh, feeling the sound vibrations in my torso. Ten to twenty breaths can make a huge difference and really help me drop into my body.

    If you have a meditation or movement practice, you can spend a few minutes preparing yourself by using the techniques that best help you become present. If you have access to Reiki, absolutely turn it on and allow the flow of spiritually guided life-force energy to support you. If you work with guides, ancestors, or angels; invite them in.

    If these past few sentences have made no sense to you, just ignore them and keep on going. You don’t need any experience, special skills, or woo-woo connections to participate.

    Now for the inquiry:

    1. What change would you like to experience in 2024? List 3-5 things off the top of your head. Don’t overthink this! If it’s helpful, you can use the prompts: I’d like to have… I’d like to feel… I’d like to experience…
    • Choose one of these desires to work with now, knowing you can repeat this process with the others later if you wish. How will you feel when you have this, feel this, or experience this desire? I call this getting to know your why. What is the deeper desire underneath? Rather than focusing on a strategy, it can be very empowering to recognize the underlying motivation and open the door to any other strategies that may yet to be revealed.
    • List all the reasons you can’t have, feel, experience this desire. I call this exposing the “yeah, buts”. (Yeah, I want xyz, but I can’t because…) These need to be addressed, otherwise they’ll disrupt your progress from the shadows. Be honest; acknowledging these fears and limiting beliefs helps to drain their power. We’re looking at the crud lurking in the corners of the basement. Don’t try to dress it up. We just need to identify what’s there, so it won’t sabotage our efforts.  
    • Review your “yeah, but” list. Are any of these really true? For those that are, can you adapt your original desire to include a workaround? If your wish is simply not possible at this stage in your life, better to rewrite it than to continue longing for something that is simply not for you. For example, at age 52, I’m clearly not going to produce any biological children. If being a mother were my wish, I can acknowledge that my uterus is retired, but it’s still possible to find another way to experience mothering. While intention is quite powerful, it doesn’t supersede biology.
    • For those “yeah, buts” that are false or misaligned with your current reality, can you craft an alternative statement to use as a mantra? Choosing a statement to repeat to yourself can help disentangle any conditioning that is not beneficial and begin to rewrite your story moving forward. You’ll want to post these somewhere highly visible and work them into your daily routine. I find that “I am willing to become/learn xyz” is often easier to work with than “I am xyz” for the sake of believability and will help get the subconscious onboard.
    • List three simple action steps you’re willing to take in the next weeks to start moving in the direction you’d like to go.
    • Make room on your calendar for these steps. Edit them to be doable. If you take on too much, you risk getting discouraged and giving up before you’ve even started.
    • If you’re really serious about this goal, go further. Become an embodiment of your desire. This is a simple exercise but might not be easy if you’re new to it. Imagine having your goal now. Feel it in your bones. Savor the sensation of being the person who has what you want. What would it look like? Sound like? Feel (both sensations and emotions) like? Smell like? Taste like?

    Adding imagination and your five senses to the process amplifies the power. This practice is particularly potent when first waking up and right before sleep. Spend a few minutes every morning and night tapping into your felt sense of being, doing, experiencing your desire and invest your time and efforts in amplifying your vision.

    Ideally, this exploration will have revealed a plan that is actionable, highly effective and quite unique to your circumstances. It’s up to you to follow through while allowing space for adaptations that may emerge.

    I’d love to hear what you’re working on! I find that we can often learn a lot from one another. When we do this in a group, there is always a lot of head-nodding and affirmative mmmhmmm… sounds. People hear nuances in others’ statements that help to clarify their own goals or think of things from a slightly different perspective.

    And if you want to explore the version of letting your soul take the lead and show you what it has planned for your new year, join me over on Substack.

    Envision Your New Year

    For a few weeks now I’ve been working on this article about clarifying desires for 2024…

  • Here in the northern hemisphere, today is the shortest day of the year. Or the longest night, depending on your perspective.

    This is a winter event that affects us all equally. The sun shines every one of us the same, regardless of what other holidays we may or may not celebrate.

    Join me in lighting a candle to honor the darkness and to acknowledging that it too will pass. If you can carve out some time for rest, restoration, and reflection your efforts will be supported by the universal energies of the season and will help ease the transition as the days begin to lengthen.

    I was lucky enough to get out into the sunshine to visit the trees and the babbling brook in my neighborhood. I can’t imagine any better medicine for a cold, winter day. I’m wishing you whatever medicine will best feed your soul and a joyful solstice wherever you may be.

    Happy Solstice!

    Here in the northern hemisphere, today is the shortest day of the year. Or the longest…

  • A new friend asked me the other day how I unwind.

    It took me several moments to realize that I don’t. Or at least I endeavor to not need to unwind.

    My response was unexpected, so I took a few moments to gather my thoughts. I have come to realize that my thought process is rather unusual, and wanted to provide a gentle introduction to someone who didn’t yet know my kooky ways. They were expecting me to say something like guided meditation and aromatherapy, both of which I enjoy, but not for the purpose of unwinding.

    My strategy is to prevent myself from being wound up in the first place. I am not always successful, but I do make an effort to keep myself from getting too tense or overwhelmed. I find prevention is much easier than recovery.

    I’ve noticed that the feeling of being wound up or stressed out is highly unpleasant. I don’t like it. Not at all! And I know from experience that I tend to make unwise decisions when in that state, looking for relief that can often be unhealthy, due to sheer desperation to feel better. A distraction. A numbing out. Delaying the unpleasantness and adding undesirable consequences.

    Prevention is not only more enjoyable, but also more effective. I don’t have to deal with the uncomfortable body-mind state or the aftermath of the coping mechanisms that just postpone the inevitable.

    I’ve learned that when I spend time in the mornings getting my desires and actions harmonized with the day’s agenda, I have smoother sailing than when I don’t. When I set myself up with a hearty breakfast and move my body in ways that feel good, when I pay attention to my needs and emotions, I start off with a full tank and a clean slate. I have more clarity and the means to move in the direction I desire to go.

    Granted, I’ve built a life over the past several decades that is centered around having this luxury of a morning ritual. It’s what works for me and I’ve strived to give it to myself most days. I get that it isn’t for everyone. It’s not the specifics of what I do or how I do it that I’m championing. My way is uniquely mine.

    What I’m here to suggest is a simple shift in perspective.

    If I could propose just one thing to everyone whose path crosses mine, it would be to get proactive. Conjure up some courage and motivation to get off the merry-go-round of repetitive behavior patterns and do something differently if you want to experience different results.

    You might need to experiment a little (or a lot!) to figure out what you need and how to provide it in a way that makes sense for your personality, circumstances, and resources. Even a quick 10-minute breathing/stretching/dancing/walking/journaling session will be effective if tended to consistently.

    Find your thing! Know that it will evolve over time. It may even be different on a day-by-day basis. It’s the act of committing to doing something, anything really, for yourself on a consistent basis that will help you stay unwound and free you up from the more challenging task of unwinding in a healthful and productive way.

    What’s just one thing that you can do today? I bet you already know what it is. Take that first step and you just might sense the universe meeting you halfway. When tomorrow comes it will be easier to take the next step because you’ll have the knowing that you can do it and that you’re on your path to creating a more enjoyable future for yourself.

    If you need some support getting started, check out my December Reiki special. Clearing the chakra system is one way to jumpstart a new habit.

    Unwinding

    A new friend asked me the other day how I unwind. It took me several moments…