Reiki energy healing

Do you ever stop to wonder who you really are? If there’s more to yourself than the identities you’ve been assigned and those you’ve adopted? If there’s something deeper than what appears on the surface?

I spend a fair amount of time contemplating these things, not only for myself, but also for my students and clients. I have witnessed time and time again that there is something that emerges from beneath the personality who shows up marked by a specific history, carrying unique wounds, bound to certain behavioral patterns.

This is the work that truly interests me: helping people uncover their authentic selves.

Why? For starters, there is a tremendous amount of vitality that surges when they are no longer stuck in outdated coping mechanisms, performing roles that no longer make sense, playing “nice” to fit in, striving to perfect appearances or pretending in any way to be anything that they are not.

With that surge of vitality comes the potential to cultivate wellness, creativity, connection, joy and purpose. I see it happen before my very eyes and it takes my breath away. Every. Single. Time.

For me, this is incredibly satisfying! I feel like I’m fulfilling my own purpose by facilitating this aliveness in others.

It’s win-win-win. Win for them, for me and the world as our wins ripple outward.

I believe we all started out with a Knowingness of Who We Really Are and Why We Are Here. And somewhere along the way it got covered up by family dynamics, illness, unresolved trauma, fear, doubt, cultural conditioning, the programming that society/church/school instills, advertising and other such mechanisms of manipulation.

But our true essence remains intact, even when hidden under the layers.

Sometimes we cling to these veils, believing them to be guardians that keep us safe from a hostile world. Perhaps in the past they did. For most of the folks I work with though, they’ve now become a burden sapping them of precious time and energy.

Rather than abruptly stripping away these illusions of safety, Reiki can instead help us realize that they are no longer unnecessary. Once we access the true security that comes from tapping into inner wisdom and getting in touch with our authentic selves we can then let the unnecessary strategies fall away like a snake sheds its skin.

When I’m in that place of alignment, I can relax into whatever is unfolding in the outside world because I trust that I will be guided to exactly what I need in every moment. Not necessarily to what I want, mind you, but to what I truly need. Every. Single. Time.

Reiki helps to activate the relaxation response, a physiological process that quiets overactive fight/flight/freeze responses. Without these urges compelling me to act in ways that are not attuned to my best interests, I have greater capacity to be present in the moment and discern my next right action.

Reiki also provides a boost of life-force energy to restore my reserves and give me the oomph to follow through. It also helps to transform the obstacles that stand in my way- which, as far as I can tell, are most often limiting beliefs that I soaked up in childhood before I had the capacity to question their validity.

Here are some of the narratives I’ve absorbed over the years that have morphed into unconscious rules of engagement. You might recognize some of them in yourself. You will most certainly recognize that they are basis for crazy-making.

Don’t ask for too much; better yet to not ask at all. Figure it out or do without.

Don’t be too loud, too demanding, too smart, too sassy, too glamorous, too out-there, but also don’t be too quiet. But especially don’t be disruptive or make anybody, for any reason, ever feel uncomfortable.

For the love of all that is holy, don’t look older than 30, no matter your actually age. Or hide in the dark corners. But don’t judge others based on their appearances; only yourself.

Work hard, to-the-bone-weary hard but don’t expect to be acknowledged, appreciated or compensated accordingly. It’s your privilege to give more than you receive.

Don’t enjoy life too much. Or at least do it in secret. Or better yet, post about it ad nauseam on social media and call it you brand. Try to sell it by working extra hard to seem like you’re not working at all.

If you want something done right, best to do it yourself. If you do delegate, best to micromanage and expend even more effort on overseeing someone else doing what you know you should have just done yourself. Also, always wear a smile. That is very important, especially if you’re a woman, more so if you’re an older woman.

Don’t ever complain. Don’t let anybody know that their actions or words have hurt you. If anything ever goes wrong, apologize profusely even if it wasn’t your fault. Heaven forbid you offend anybody ever.

I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point! These are all just different versions of forgetting your innate value as a soul inhabiting a human body. Of course there are reasons I took on these stories and made them my own. They kept me safe when I was young and vulnerable and my life literally depended on people who weren’t very attuned to my emotional sensitivities. Now that I’m an adult, they keep me stuck, small, silent, hidden behind layers of subterfuge and false smiles.

It wasn’t until Reiki helped me to relax in my body that I was able to see the myriad ways I abandoned myself for the sake of appeasing others and constantly sacrificed my self-worth to fit into a culture that I really had no interest in belonging to. And it was Reiki that helped me find the clarity and motivation to begin to subtly shift my behavior and deal with the fallout, trusting that if people wanted me to sacrifice myself for their sake, they were not my people. Reiki helped me to come home to myself, embodied and empowered to live my life in a way that aligns with my values and aspirations.

Yes, Reiki can help you do this too.

But first, a few caveats.

You need to be willing to invite healing in, to face the discomfort of change and the unknown, and to let go of the identities that are no longer serving you. This is not as easy as it might sound and requires a fair amount of courage and pluck.

Also, it’s important to recognize that this is a process. A practice. I cannot sell you a series of 12 sessions with a guarantee that you will become your true self in that time. It takes as long as it takes. In general, the more challenges we’ve faced, particularly in childhood, the longer we’ve clung to survival strategies, the more chronic our conditions have become, the more consistent we must be with the remedy.

People almost always feel relaxed and more at ease after the first session. Sometimes that’s all they need to get the ball rolling and they take off on their own. Others require routine maintenance, be it weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. There is no standardized plan that works for everyone.

For those who are eager to roll up their sleeves and get involved in a daily practice taking a Reiki workshop can give them the tools to show up for themselves with care and compassion. For those who are drowning in to-do lists, it’s likely that receiving consistent treatments from a professional will be more effective than taking on an extra task.

For those who aren’t willing to make any changes in their inner or outer landscapes, you can still experience wonderful relaxation from sessions. That isn’t exactly lasting transformative, but it isn’t nothing either. It can help keep you from crossing over into overwhelm or burnout.

One of the great things about Reiki is that it can meet you, wherever you, and provide the support that will be most … supportive. For you. In this moment.

So.

Who are you, really? I’d love to help you find out.

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Who Are You Really?

Do you ever stop to wonder who you really are? If there’s more to yourself than…
Shielding is a common practice in new age and energy medicine communities. Simply put, it’s a matter of using your attention, intention and some form of life-force energy to create a barrier of sorts, protecting your energy field from the flotsam and jetsam of the world around you.

Given the amount of emotional leakage out in mainstream society, it makes perfect sense, especially for those of us who are sensitive or empathic. I, for one, do not wish to experience all the emotions of all the people whose paths I cross throughout the day. And I certainly don’t wish the amalgam of all that energy to clog my chakras or seep into my cells.

So I learned to throw on a bubble, reinforced with Reiki to protect my meticulously cultivated inner peace. Over the years, I learned to build a semi-permeable bubble so that I wasn’t isolating myself from experiences that would benefit me or opportunities to transmit healing energy. I just wanted some control over what was allowed to enter or exit my system.

I chose to be the Gatekeeper rather than the Velcro.

I don’t believe that there are many folks who have the skill and concentration necessary to deliberately engage in psychic attacks, nor would I even be on their radars. Yet there are a lot of hurt people out there who project their pain and others who seem to enjoy brewing up various miseries and flinging them about haphazardly. This is what concerns me.

Many years ago I had a roommate who carelessly caused me harm. It wasn’t intentional, but nonetheless that’s what happened. When she told me about the consequences of her actions without claiming responsibility for them, I found myself facing a choice of swallowing my feelings or expressing them. In an amazing feat of adulting, I managed to calmly say, “I’m angry about this.”

The surge of life-force that accompanied this simple disclosure was amazing! I was so proud of myself for speaking up. Not yelling. Not name calling. Just a basic sharing of a truth. I was indeed angry and despite extensive training in burying it inside me, I did not wish to do so anymore.

She was shocked. I don’t think anyone had ever been honest with her before about such a radical thing as emotions. She had the good grace to admit that my response made perfect sense and right there before my eyes, a shame spiral took hold.

And it got ugly. We never had a conversation after that, but I’m pretty sure that knowing her action caused very specific, albeit unintentional, harm activated a chain reaction from the powder keg of suppressed feelings within her psyche.

From that day forth, I sensed a petty, mean, spiteful vibe wafting off of her which might have been comical if it hadn’t been so darn unpleasant. Of course, my righteous indignation and newfound exuberance likely did not help matters. So I did the sensible thing and powered up a shield, sealing my aura, chakras, meridians, organs, all of me off from the potentially overwhelming yuck in the house.

I knew I needed to move out and soon, but these things aren’t always as easy as one would hope. For the better part of two months, I exerted a fair amount of my attention to protect myself from her shame projected outwards.

And then one day, I had a very rude awakening. Just like in that terrifying movie from the 70’s where the disturbing phone calls were coming from inside the house, I realized that I’d sealed myself in with all of my own energy, with no exhaust fan. So I was steeping in my schadenfreude and righteousness and immature grievances. Oof.

I may have been right. I may have had truth and justice on my side. And… (I fortunately realized before too much time had passed) I was choosing being right over being happy. Because happy I was not. And I was marinating in this lack-of-happy, sealed in nice and tight.

I immediately switched my focused to sealing Reiki energy in the bubble with me to saturate myself with healing throughout the day. It was a huge upgrade! Instead of working to keep the unwanted energies out, I concentrated on keeping the Reiki close.

It’s easy for me to tell this unflattering story as many years have since past and I’ve done a lot of work around releasing this particular rotten egg energy from my heart and mind. I have a greater awareness of the products of my thoughts and feelings and how they contaminate or enhance my energy field. I’m much less likely to generate a sh** storm and allow it to muck up my aura thanks to the ongoing support of Reiki.

So before you go caulking all the nooks and crannies of your energy field, take note of your mental/emotional state and ask yourself if you want to be locked in with all your thoughts, stories and beliefs. The conscious and the unconscious ones that lurk in the shadows. Maybe you’ve already gained mastery over your mind and cleared the depths of your emotional swamp and have nothing but love oozing from your pores. If not, maybe consider leaving an escape hatch or a vent to release any of the toxic gasses that are coming from inside your own house.

The Hazards of Energy Shields

Shielding is a common practice in new age and energy medicine communities. Simply put, it’s a…
Yesterday an old friend asked me about Reiki via text message. Given that we haven’t had much contact over the past few decades, he doesn’t yet know that I can talk A LOT about this powerful healing modality. And I’m unsure about how much he wants to hear, so I started with just a basic analogy.

That’s right. I compared spiritually-guided life-force energy healing to a Swiss Army knife.

In case you’re not familiar, a Swiss Army knife is a multi-use tool. A quick search online turned up this one, which has 29 different actions. And you can carry it everywhere you go.

Reiki is much the same- one tool that serves many purposes, including dismantling some things and connecting/integrating others.

Which makes it perfect for treating ALL the things- be they physical pain or illness, anxiety or uneasiness, overwhelm or grief, chakra imbalances, unwanted behavioral patterns, outdated coping mechanisms, aging and limiting beliefs.

My favorite definition of Reiki is “spiritually guided life-force energy”. It has its own innate intelligence and is always working to bring us into harmony with our True Selves and purpose. It gently aligns our energies and washes away that which is not serving the highest good.

I teach my students that they can use Reiki for ALL the things simply by activating the energy and using their intention to guide it. Often this awakens questions about unique maladies and obscure circumstances. To which I reply: activation + intention + consistent application = healing.

If you’ve been wanting to give it a try but think your goal is too bizarre or not bizarre enough, I can assure that Reiki always works. Some things take time and other things might turn out differently than we had expected- that’s the nature of healing.

Reiki. The Swiss Army Knife of Holistic Healing

Yesterday an old friend asked me about Reiki via text message. Given that we haven’t had…
For those who have already received Reiki 1 certification and wish to further their studies, I’m pleased to announce my next training.

First of all, why might you want to do this?

So many reasons!

Many people are quite content with the basic level 1 training and have no wish to go beyond the first class. You know who you are and I salute your Knowing. Carry on with what you’re already doing because it’s working for you.

Others want to offer treatments professionally. For this, I suggest this intermediate training.

Others have no interest in doing sessions for a living, but would like to share healing with people who live elsewhere. And for this, the level 2 symbols will be the bridge between your location and that of your intended recipients.

Still others are wanting to bend time and work their magic to heal wounds of the past, inherited belief systems, childhood programming, outdated coping mechanisms, and survival strategies that no longer serve their best interests. And for you, my courageous friends, this is the training that will give you more tools to go there.

And for those interested in ancestral and past-life healing, get yourself connected to these deeper and wider frequencies to do this important work.

If all of that seems like it’s too much trouble, this is also the training I recommend for anyone who wants to be a transmitter of harmonious, healing energy wherever you go. And I can wholeheartedly declare that the world could use more of this right now!

If you’re interested in learning more about this in-person, 5-week series of workshops priced at $444, you’ll find details here. We begin on September 16 in Philly.

Reiki 2 training

Reiki 2 Training Begins in September 2026

For those who have already received Reiki 1 certification and wish to further their studies, I’m…
My friend, you are a complex being. You have history that is still alive in your cells, emotions stored in your chakras, coping mechanisms that were helpful when you were younger but have since become outdated. Any of these are good reasons to get a Reiki session and begin to move forward in the direction you desire.

Simply acknowledging the obstacles you face can be overwhelming. Taking steps to face them is courageous, revolutionary even, in a society that is heavily invested in selling you stuff that you don’t need in order to avoid old wounds. When you show up for your appointment, it’s very possible you’ll be feeling vulnerable, anxious, nervous, excited, hopeful, or skeptical. Maybe even all of that, all at once! And still you show up.

That’s amazing.

You’re amazing.

You might not be at your best. Not your most forthright at communicating your needs. Not the most level-headed or open to trying something new. That is perfectly normal.

And I welcome it all.

You do not need to perform okay-ness in the Reiki room. You can be a hot mess here. It will not offend me. It will not upset me or cause me to think less of you.

And you need not apologize for any of it. In fact, please don’t. Apologizing for being human is not necessary when you come for a session.

I always have a backup box of tissues in my studio because tears often come to the surface when healing work is happening. They might be tears of release; oftentimes though it’s grief. Grief that you were unable to face before for any number of reasons. Grief that senses an opportunity to finally be met and eventually integrated.

That grief is welcome here.

You need not apologize for it or the tears that follow.

You can apologize if you forget your appointment and keep me waiting, or if you step on my foot when you arrive. Once a client head-butted me when turning over on the table. That was an apology that was actually merited. In the 23 years I’ve been practicing, those are the only “sorries” I’ve accepted. And I’ve witnessed all sorts of emotional distress, distracted and unfocused thinking, and frazzled nerves.

You need not show up for your healing appointment as if you are already healed. And you definitely need not apologize for the pain you carry. There is no reason to try to take care of me in this situation; it’s my job and my honor to be there, witnessing all the feelings. I can handle it.

Your hot mess is welcome here.

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Hot Messes Welcome Here

My friend, you are a complex being. You have history that is still alive in your…
As a Reiki practitioner, I’m in the business of promoting holistic health and healing. I’m here to share what holistic wellness means to me, someone who swims daily in these waters, knowing that my take is different than many others’.

I will start by saying that it’s complicated. But even that is an understatement.

“Holistic healing” means cultivating harmony and balance in all aspects of your being.

ALL of you.

Nothing is excluded, not even parts you may have rejected that remain lurking in the shadows.

Thoughts, emotions, sensations, impulses, instincts, biochemical reactions, energy patterns, and more.

It is a completely different paradigm from the conventional sick-care model where people with an ailment go to a professional with a stethoscope and receive 9 minutes of divided attention and a prescription to suppress symptoms.

In the holistic model, it’s not simply a matter of swapping out “natural remedies” for the pharmaceutical variety. We are not interested in squashing the body’s messages when something is out of balance. Instead, we are interested in diving down that rabbit hole and exploring the sources of those imbalances.

Generally it involves a shift in one’s perspective, belief system, coping mechanisms, environment, relationships, and/or habits. Meaning that it’s essential to remove that which is interfering with wellness.

Very rarely is it as simple as a 9 minute conversation and a pill.

Imagine finding black mold in your basement. You could slap some wallpaper over it and pretend it isn’t there or lock the door and avoid the area altogether. You’d still be breathing spores, though, wouldn’t you? To actually treat the the mold, it would need to be carefully and methodically removed. Likewise, the origin of the dampness would need to be resolved to prevent future infestation.

That’s the kind of work we do with Reiki. (And you could learn how in a Reiki 1 class!)

Once you wrap your head around the concept that wellness is something we can choose to neglect or to foster, it gets easier to understand why it takes time. And effort. And probably some out-of-pocket spending since the insurance-to-pharmaceutical pipeline is not going to be very helpful in this regard.

While health isn’t always something that we can perfect, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take steps in that direction. Every action has consequences, and progress matters more than achieving some mythical goal of perfection.

What I’ve observed over the two decades + that I’ve spent immersed in this work is that the some of the largest obstacles to wellness are internal forces. Things like outdated survival strategies that keep us stuck in unhealthy patterns, limiting beliefs about who we are and what roles we must play, inherited beliefs about what is possible and how we need to behave to be safe and belong.

(Yes, there are massive systemic failures that need to be repaired. Without a doubt the entire medical industrial complex needs a makeover as well as the ridiculous demands of modern day living. These things, however, are outside my capacity to influence in a timely manner.)

These internal factors are all malleable with consistent attention. I can help with the process, but I cannot do the work for anyone. Nor can any other practitioner, therapist, pill, or optimized morning routine. No cold plunge, red light therapy, or herbal supplement can zap away a lifetime of neglected and festering wounds. They might be useful tools on the journey, but they are not the journey itself.

Your compassionate attention is required.

There are lots of reasons you may find this to be challenging. My work is designed to help you meet and dismantle these challenges. Can you do this work on your own? Absolutely. But you don’t have to.

A good starting point is to simply notice how you’re feeling. You could begin right now. I find it helps to place a hand on my heart and inquire within: How am I feeling right now? Allow the answer to bubble up without needing to justify why you feel that way or if you should or should not be having whatever feelings you are or are not having. Just acknowledge what is true for you in this moment.

If you’re feeling especially brave, you could explore this feeling through sound, movement, journaling, or artwork.

How would this feeling like me to move? What sound would it make? What words would it use? What colors or shapes or patterns does it want to express?

A simple practice including the compassionate witnessing of our own feelings is incredibly therapeutic. It’s somewhat of a secret though, as there is no way to commodify this practice and if we all began engaging in such behavior, it would likely disrupt the so-called wellness industry’s profit margin.

Like I said earlier, holistic healing is complicated. There’s more to it than just noticing feelings, but this can activate a shift in your life’s trajectory that can have huge implications over time. It can open up the flow of life-force, allowing all your systems to receive a boost in healing energy and enhancing your immune system.

For those with unprocessed acute trauma, it can also trigger some heavy, upsetting emotions. In this case, it’s wise to have some support on standby and to go slowly. Maybe you start with just three breaths and then turn your attention to something more comfortable.

Somewhere in between suppressing your feelings and trying to do everything all at once is a middle ground. Choose something easy or the one thing that you know will yield a cascade of beneficial results. Take one step in that direction. And keep going.

If you want the support of spiritually-guided life-force, AKA Reiki, consider scheduling session or joining a class. It would be my great honor to hold space and provide healing energy for your journey.

Reiki Training

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Holistic Wellness. What does that even mean?

As a Reiki practitioner, I’m in the business of promoting holistic health and healing. I’m here…
We’re gearing up over here for the next level 1 training. YAY!

Reiki 1 is the beginning point for anyone, yes I do mean anyone, who wants to gain access to the healing energies of Reiki.

There are no special skills required, no magical powers, no experience in the healing or mystical arts.

Reiki is a natural energy and a Master Teacher performs an attunement ritual that opens a student’s capacity to connect to this energy.

It’s as simple as that. Reiki itself does the work of opening energy channels. Never has it failed. Anyone can do Reiki once attuned.

It’s perhaps my all-time favorite thing, watching folks go from ordinary person to Reiki practitioner in the course of an evening. We spend the rest of the classes discussing the foundational topics such as where it comes from, what can and cannot be treated, and how to use it. But it’s the attunement that initiates.

Reiki, when applied consistently and intentionally, can shift even the most stuck issues. It’s an amazing remedy for stress and pain relief, anxiety, overwhelm, fatigue, and digestive issues. It can be used to support personal growth and spiritual connection, healthy relationships and free-flowing abundance, address old wounds and outdated coping mechanisms.

If you’re interested in learning how to connect with this spiritually-guided life-force energy, or if you want a jumpstart for your lapsed practice, we begin on May 7.

Details can be found here.

Reiki 1 Certification

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That’s me with messy hair and a crooked smile. I’m just a regular person who has devoted her life to being a transmission of healing energy. You could too!

Reiki 1 Certification begins May 7, 2026

We’re gearing up over here for the next level 1 training. YAY! Reiki 1 is the…
This is a very common question from new clients. They really notice the warmth that seeps from my hands during a session.

Short answer? It’s Reiki. Or, more accurately, how many people sense Reiki, a natural healing energy.

I think it’s important to make the distinction because not everyone experiences it this way. Most of us are not (yet) adept at noticing the subtle energies, and some don’t feel anything at all.

That doesn’t mean that nothing is happening- just that’s it’s beneath their sensory capacity. Kinda like how a dog whistle can’t be heard by human ears.

There’s a story about Mrs. Takata, the woman credited with bringing Reiki to the US in the 1940’s, that might amuse. When she began receiving treatments, she supposedly accused the practitioners of having some hidden heating device!

Nope. No tricks up my sleeve.

If you’re not feeling any sensations during a session, don’t worry. You don’t need to feel it; it’s definitely working. You don’t feel prebiotics when you eat them, but the benefits accumulate nonetheless.

Hot hands are a nifty side-effect for sure and I definitely appreciate them in the winter and when menstrual cramps appear, but they aren’t nearly as wonderful as being immersed in healing life-force energy. And that’s what Reiki brings, even if you can’t feel the heat.

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Why do my hands get so hot?

This is a very common question from new clients. They really notice the warmth that seeps…
I write a lot about this because it’s so crucial to health. When we live in a state or chronic dysregulation, ongoing stress, and consistent unease, all of our bodily systems are compromised. Learning to embody calm and a sense of safety is essential to reclaim optimal health.

I also talk a lot about Reiki, partly because I find it the most useful tool for regulating my nervous system. It does other wonderful things too, but for the sake of writing an article and not an encyclopedia, I’ll try to stay on topic.

We start with knowing that it’s important to do, necessary even, if we’d like to optimize health, happiness, and creativity. For me, that means making it a priority.

So I’ve made a commitment to do the work. Yes, it is work. Not hard work, but it takes consistent time and attention. I can assure you that it is a worthy investment.

Next, I want to acknowledge that this is DOABLE. It’s simple, accessible, and practical. You might not know how, might never have even known it was possible, but you can learn.

I’ll add here that learning new things can be activating for the nervous system because it likes to keep us in the familiar zone. It confuses unsafe with unfamiliar, so you’ll probably need to use these tools while you’re in the process of learning to use these tools.

Welcome to the complex and spiral nature of healing!

I’ll assume that if you continue to read, you recognize that you want to do this, can do this, and are rolling up your metaphorical sleeves at this moment.

In short, you are ready, willing, and able. Right?

The first step is recognizing a sense of unease in the body. If this is your home base, not to worry, this is a pattern that can be reprogrammed. It will help to add a 5-10 minute awareness practice to your day (morning is especially effective) to sort through the feelings, sensations, and thoughts to reestablish a new baseline.

But today I’m talking about how to interrupt an acute experience of distress.

My goal for today is focused on self-care. It’s a day off and I have planned to have a restful afternoon with a few enjoyable activities scattered throughout. In reality, I had too many to-do items for the day to be relaxing and I started to feel anxious.

Enter Reiki. For me, it helps to prevent a snowball effect and gives me enough space and clarity to recognize what’s really going on.

OK, too many activities means I need to let go of one of them or decide that it’s more important than the ease and rest I am really craving. There’s dissonance between my schedule and my desire and it’s a no brainer to skip the webinar on myofascial release. Maybe I’ll catch the replay. Maybe not.

Great, so now I’m back in harmony on one level, but I’m still feeling anxious. That’s the thing- you can’t reason your way into a regulated state. This is a physiological condition and needs a physiological repair.

Fine. So what is it exactly that I’m feeling? I call it anxiety, but what are the sensations? There’s a buzzing in my upper abdomen. I call it hornets in my gut. Most unpleasant! And my quads are contracted as if I’m prepared to flee.

What does my body need? To know that I am safe. It’s a maladaptive response to confuse a full schedule with danger, but them’s the breaks. That’s how we are wired and better to know this and learn to work with it than to ignore it.

I can use my senses to log data in my environment and send a signal to my brain that there is literally noting to be afraid of at this time. I look around the room, notice there is no fire, no tiger, no mean girls, and my shoulders drop away from my ears.

What else?

An outlet for this energy. I know from previous experience that focusing on my breath, particularly extending exhales and adding an audible sigh can work miracles.

Now my mind jumps in suggesting that this is too simple, too easy to work against such a major activation. That everyone is always talking about the breath as a form of embodiment practice, but really what do those experts of ancient healing systems really know? Yeah, sometimes my mind is an arrogant jerk.

I override this little ego trip and spend a mere three minutes sighing heavily over a cup of herbal tea. I wonder what the neighbors think, then remember that one of them played Dancing Queen loudly, twice this morning before 7:00 and decide I don’t care.

Three minutes and the hornets are subdued. Like 90%. They might actually be butterflies now. It’s that transformational.

The energy is still alive in my legs and I know from previous experimentation that I need to move. I love the rebounder (it’s a mini trampoline that fits easily in my apartment) for shaking out angst, but many forms of movement are also effective.

Now that I feel like I’m no longer going to crawl out of my own skin, I can sit and give myself a Reiki treatment to reach complete resolution. I can also have a look at my calendar from my now-calm state of being and make sure my daily activities are aligned with my priority of maintaining this regulation.

I can also acknowledge that living fully means ups and downs and that there is very likely to be upset in my future. Knowing this, I can refine my plan for meeting whatever comes my way. Generally, I want to be compassionate and aware, tuned in to my body, and well resourced so that I can respond accordingly.

Healing does not mean ubiquitous calm. How dull would that be?! It does, however, mean that I want to address energy leaks and unnecessary upset, bounce back from minor upsets with ease, and be in touch with my needs and how to meet them.

If you already have Reiki, you can apply it towards your intention to regulate and repair your nervous system.

If you’d like to learn how to do this, know that anyone, even the most stressed of us, can learn how to do Reiki for ourselves and share it with our loved ones. I have a beginners level training coming up soon if you’re in the Philly area.

Booking a session can also provide a wonderful reset, giving you a sense of calm and access to your inner wisdom and intuition.

I spent much of my life with the hornets in my gut, never really at ease, slightly on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop even when there was zero reason to be unsettled. Learning how to calm my nerves has been utterly invaluable to my wellbeing and creativity. I have faith that if you’re in that same boat, there is hope for you too.

Nervous System Basics

I write a lot about this because it’s so crucial to health. When we live in…