Reiki

Yesterday we were gifted with the energy of a new moon, a time when the cosmic energies are supportive of planting the seeds for that which we’d like to harvest. I recognize the vast wisdom of astrology, but have yet to learn the language. Currently my bandwidth is fully occupied with other pursuits, so I turn to The Power Path School of Shamanism updates for a user friendly, fully digested version of what’s happening in the universe.

Here’s what they have to say about this month’s new moon energies:

“This moon supports expansion, freedom, practicality, a higher sense of intuition and beauty, and an increase in your inner awareness of what you want, what you can have and what you deserve. This is the “proactive change” growing teeth and getting grounded in something substantial as you anchor a new vision or a new project.

“This new moon also initiates a time frame of preparedness for what is coming in the future. It is not too early to get thinking about your goals and desires for the months to come. And, whatever you can get rid of that is no longer useful during this new moon time will make space for what you really want.

“This is a social time where you can share your visions and get support. Celebrate change, progress and all the aspects of your life that are on the move to something better, bigger, grander and more balanced. Be sure to take some time for self care as your emotional and physical health is a major component of being prepared for the future. If you have some clarity about what you want, this new moon is also a great time for actually making a concrete list of what is clear to you and how you plan to go about manifesting it.”

I had the great joy of hosting a small gathering of people in my office last night. We joined together as a community to witness one another’s intentions and share a layering of energetic tools to support our goals. I’m all about stacking practices- a term I use to describe the combining of a variety of techniques to maximize outcome.

Keeping the quality of the astrological forecast in mind, we used the powers of awareness and connection, sound vibration (via my amaaaaazing crystal bowl), Reiki and all its potent symbols, grounding aromatherapy (cypress, cinnamon, rosemary- yum!), and a deck of oracle cards to offer concrete wisdom about how to proceed. (Forgiveness was the beginning point according to the group reading. Isn’t that always the case?!) All of this was amplified by the dynamism of intention, further amplified by the group’s combined efforts.

The invitation is clear. At the very least we all have the power of intention and the influence of the mind-body connection. Stack this with the understanding of the currents of the new moon energies and every tool you have at your disposal, and take a few moments to align yourself with the future you desire. Our vibration is constantly influencing our experiences, why not make the effort to influence them in our preferred direction?

New Moon Intentions

Yesterday we were gifted with the energy of a new moon, a time when the cosmic…

I get this question a lot. People want definitive answers before committing to a session. My short answer is, yes. Every session helps. Each step we make towards improving our health and wellness counts. 98% of my clients leave each and every session feeling better than when they arrived.

And… it’s really not quite that simple. I liken healing to getting out of debt. Will one payment help reduce your credit card balance? Sure. Will it eliminate the deficit that has been accruing for decades? Maybe, but probably not.

It’s the same with massage and Reiki treatments. The results depend on so many factors that it’s impossible for me to predict with absolute accuracy how long it will take for any particular issue to be resolved. The intensity and duration of any discomfort is an important consideration as well as lifestyle choices. Activities, thoughts, and behaviors that add to or detract from the underlying imbalance most definitely play a roll. Willingness to let go and embrace change will certainly enhance the efficacy of every treatment, as will efforts to cultivate and preserve the body’s physiological relaxation response.

Consider the goal of being debt free. The degree of debt, income, spending habits, savings and gifts must all be calculated. It’s much the same in healing. Are you making more deposits into your health and wellness account than withdrawals? Are you reducing your harmful spending habits? Are you willing to take on extra work to boost your healing income?

These are all investments beyond the scope of any one treatment. So while yes, one session will help, it’s ultimately your participation in the process that will speed your arrival at the finish line. I’ve seen clients experience tremendous progress through making healthier choices on a daily basis as well as clients who remain stuck on a plateau if receiving bi-monthly treatments is their only contribution.

There’s no right or wrong here. I’m happy to help clients maintain their health when seeing me is the only effort they are able or willing to make, and I enjoy supporting those who wish to take more active roles and rely less on my efforts. There’s a place for everyone in my practice. But if you want to get better faster, you’ll need to get involved and start making frequent deposits into your health account.

Will One Session Help?

I get this question a lot. People want definitive answers before committing to a session. My…
For months now I’ve been spontaneously waking up before 5 am. Since I’ve been using Reiki to break this super annoying pattern and failing miserably, I know that there’s a bigger plan beyond what I can see. As I tell my students, Reiki always works, just not always in the way we want it to! I trust the intelligence of this universal life-force healing energy much more than I trust my own thinking. My thoughts often lead me astray!

This week my self-care, spiritual, and personal growth practices all converged to show me the colossal wisdom of Reiki and my own shortsightedness. It’s a lovely story of how the universe has conspired to give me exactly what I want despite my continued resistance to receive it. The complexity of several different factors intersecting perfectly blows my mind and lends credence to my belief in synchronicity, divine guidance and divine timing.

Last month’s meditation in Rick Hansen’s “Growing the Good” online program focused on motivation. That certainly got my attention as I was just wrapping up the 12 week studies in the book, “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity“, by Julia Cameron. Given that I’ve spent the last year intending to open to my innate creative flow, this book was a no-brainer, and linking creativity with motivation was incredibly helpful. As was the choice to delve into the humorous yet profound “You are a Badass at Making Money” by Jen Sincero, as I’m building my own business and have a burning desire for more freedom and autonomy as well as prosperity.

Throw in the practices I’m learning about dream tending from Sharon Blackie in her online course “Courting the World Soul” and a dietary detox revealing greater levels of energy, I grew closer to my epiphany. But it wasn’t until I had a medical intuitive session with the amazing Laura Bruno regarding the healing of a longstanding pain in my foot that the breakthrough broke. In addition to some practical remedies, Laura suggested that I make a verbal commitment to a project that I intend to complete in the next 2-5 years. As I did this… ding ding ding!! The alarms in my head went off and everything fell into place.

I have three different books simmering inside me that I just can’t seem to find the time or motivation to begin. With the exercises in the books I’m reading, the meditation, harvesting the messages in my dreams, breaking the hold that sugar has over me, and making this commitment to myself and the projects I desire to create; it was infinitely obvious that the universe/Spirit/Reiki/intuition/whatever you want to call it was giving me the gift of an undisturbed, quiet hour every morning to devote to my creative urges.

Once I stopped wasting this precious time lying in bed cursing my biorhythms and feeling sorry for myself, I began to see this for the spectacular blessing that it is. Since then I’ve been jumping out of bed after recording the fragments of dream memories and doing what absolutely needs doing to sit my butt down and write for an hour. I have no idea of where it will lead, but the energetic rewards of being devoted to my goals and allowing creativity to flow, feel fantastic! And quite frankly, that’s good enough for now.

Happy side effects: I’ve not had any sensation in my foot since I made my commitment to using this morning time for writing. My body was trying to tell me something for a long time and I just wasn’t getting the message. I vow to learn to speak her language to save myself the time and hassle of painfully unheeded communication. I am also finding myself so productive in the mornings that I’m able to get to the woods more frequently for creek therapy and sunshine. Win, win, win!

Reiki fail?

For months now I’ve been spontaneously waking up before 5 am. Since I’ve been using Reiki…
In support of tomorrow’s climate strikes, I’d like to present an additional opportunity to engage for those of us attuned to Reiki. It’s hard to strike when you’re self-employed, but I am totally cheering on the activists who are.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t feel heartbroken about the condition of the planet we live on and the failure of the powers that be to protect it. Not only does it not feel good to reside in such a state of despair, it’s detrimental to my health and does absolutely nothing to foster change. I’ve chosen instead to offer Reiki to the earth on a consistent basis. This feels like I’m doing something productive, which gives me hope and a sense of empowerment.

Photo by Tomas Ryant on Pexels.com

If you have Reiki powers, I encourage you to join me, at your leisure, from wherever you are. It’s really quite simple and you can spend as much or as little time as you’re able. I teach my students that 3 minutes of healing is better than none. And the effects are cumulative, so multiple bursts will add up over the course of a week. Three minutes a few times per day comes to an hour per week, which is often easier for me that finding a solid one hour block of uninterrupted time.

You may be wondering how one single person can affect a problem that is so huge that it is literally global. I’m reminded of a quote by the Dalai Lama, a man of great wisdom and compassion. “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” All action produces a result. What the actual result might be is beyond my pay grade. Reiki goes where it is most needed, so really it’s just my job to offer it up and trust. I imagine it might help spark an idea for an inventor, an impulse for someone to bring reusable bags or water bottles or bike to work, or shine the light on the truth for a policy maker.

If you’re willing to participate, all you need to do is set the intention to send healing energy to the climate crisis and invite Reiki to flow. It might help focus your intention to look at a world map, hold a ball as a surrogate for the globe, sit outside and feel the Reiki streaming from your hands into the air and feet into the earth. Use a picture of polar bears or sea turtles or a forest or the ocean, or anything that resonates with you as a visual representation of what a healthy planet looks like. If you have Reiki symbols, activate them! This will amplify the power, but even if you haven’t been initiated to level 2, you can share healing energy available to you, which is powerful and infinite without any symbols.

Perhaps when you’re finished you could spend a few moments opening to any insight or inspiration to lighten your own carbon footprint. Can you consume fewer resources, produce less waste, or drive less frequently? Think about how you spend your hard earned dollars and the message you can send to manufacturers through the choices you make. Speak up to store managers and cashiers, your neighbors, colleagues, and family. Invite Reiki into your decision making and conversations and allow it to guide you to share your truth with kindness and firmness and clarity.

Practicing Reiki altruistically does not exempt us from taking action. It can however, point us in the direction of the most powerful steps and keep our hope alive while offering Mother Nature some support. She doesn’t need us, but we do need her! Reiki for the climate crisis- what could be more important?

Reiki for Climate Crisis- an Invitation

In support of tomorrow’s climate strikes, I’d like to present an additional opportunity to engage for…
This is a topic that has been recurring in classes and sessions, as well as in my own life, again and again. I’d really rather ignore the nudges to write about it, but they’ve grown increasingly insistent. I’ve learned the hard way to honor my Inner Nudge, so here we go!

It’s not uncommon to commit to a goal, make a plan to achieve that goal, actively implement that plan, and within a short period of time abandon the whole thing. I’m pretty sure we’ve all experienced this at one time or another. We might meet resistance along the way, perhaps apathy or overwhelm, or even downright self-sabotage. Often we’ll beat ourselves up for failing and begin again, this time with harsher guidelines, only to hit that same brick wall, this time with greater velocity.

Here’s the thing. If any part of me believes that it’s not safe to achieve my goals, my subconscious is going to do everything in its power to prevent me from succeeding. If I believe it isn’t safe to be creative or successful or thin, my willpower is no match for my Inner Protector. As many times as I try, as many strategies as I develop, I will never best my subconscious!

This is the point were it’s easy to give up and settle for less. But I’m here to tell you that there’s another way! The amazing healing power of Reiki can be used to uncover any false beliefs that may be holding us back from our true magnificence and shift them to support our desires.

It might sound complicated and exhausting, but really this process is quite simple. Reiki is activated by intention, so all we need do is to invite it into the process. For example, “My intention is to uncover and release any blockages that prevent me from losing weight.” Whether you’re a practitioner yourself or seeking professional treatment, from here on out the work is simply showing up and paying attention.

When the treatment reveals a memory or a belief that is standing in my way, I must acknowledge it and accept it as my starting point. I always need to start from where I am. Plugging my ears and hiding my head in the sand has never gotten me anywhere! If I’m ignoring, numbing, or suppressing the gremlins that I’d prefer weren’t there, I’m giving away my power and allowing them to call the shots from the shadows.

My suggestion for those working on releasing self-sabotage is quite simple. State your intention clearly. Turn Reiki on and allow it to flow. If you feel a place in your body where a belief or blockage resides, place your hands there. If there’s no apparent location, imagine a Reiki spotlight above your head radiating down through your crown and illuminating your head, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, torso, pelvis, legs, and feet. Feel the glow within yourself. Notice any parts that might be resisting this glow, and gently focus the spotlight there.

Notice any “yeah, but…” statements that come up. “Yeah, I want to lose 20 pounds, but…”. These are super-important clues! Pay attention. Acknowledge these thoughts. Shine the spotlight on them. Follow the thought train, and it will lead you eventually to a submerged belief that for reason xyz, it isn’t safe to lose those 20 pounds.

Reiki that belief every day until it is healed. If it isn’t True (meaning not in alignment with the perfection of your Spirit), it will eventual fade. Sometimes it helps to write it on an index card, or to find or draw a visual representation of this belief and to Reiki that. This is the process of healing the source of the resistance/blockage/self-sabotage so that you may begin the process of actually moving forward to creating your goals rather that continuing to bang your head against the wall.

While this practice is simple, it may take time. The beliefs may have very deep roots. It requires patience and persistence to reprogram our thoughts. Just as a long journey begins with a single step followed by putting one foot in front of the other repeatedly, we only need to keep showing up and chipping away at our obstacles. If there’s a history of trauma or abuse, professional support will likely be required.

No matter how long you’ve been struggling with self-sabotage, there is indeed hope for breaking the cycle. Using the tools of kindness, awareness, and acceptance boosted with the power of Reiki healing energy, the path can be cleared and the journey to reaching your goals begun. As always, you’re welcome to reach out to me to schedule a session if you’d like some support.

Reiki for Healing Self-Sabotage

This is a topic that has been recurring in classes and sessions, as well as in…
Pamela: Whenever I plan a trip, I use the long-distance symbol to send Reiki ahead and smooth the way.

Karen: Can you really feel the Reiki when you arrive?

Pamela: No, not really. But my experience has been that I everything is easy and effortless when I prepare with Reiki.

Today is the perfect example. (Synchronicity abounds when Reiki is flowing!) My trip to the airport could not have been any more magical than it was. Generally I have to transfer trains downtown (which is a bit stressful as it’s crowded and hectic) but today the train I started on went straight through.

Someone offered to lift my giant suitcase up the steep steps. (As an empowered, independent woman, I am fully capable of schlepping my own luggage. And as an awakening goddess, I am delighted to accept ALL the assistance the universe provides!) There was an empty seat and room for my suitcase right by the door and I didn’t have to struggle a bit with cranky commuters or my luggage.

There was NOBODY in line at the airline counter and I checked my bag in under three minutes! When I got to security, I was ushered to the front of a line that had just opened and a very nice lady gave me a quick, gentle pat to ensure the buttons on my pants weren’t weapons. My flight has been delayed, but I have ample cushion at the next stop and now I’m able to enjoy a cup of tea and the breakfast I brought on the ground, along with a last minute unhurried restroom stop.

Some might think the delayed flight is a Reiki fail, but I see the success as my ability to roll with it. I do have to get on my final flight on time or will spend the night in Detroit, but I’m not worried. I know whatever happens along the way is divinely planned and for my greatest good. Although I would much prefer to have dinner with my parents and sleep by the side of a remote lake tonight, I’ll do just fine wherever I am and might even enjoy the unexpected, unplanned experience.

Now I’m onboard, going to arrive an hour late but still on time, with plenty of space in the overhead luggage compartment, and a miracle empty seat beside me. Woohoo!

Karen would probably ask: But how?

Pamela: I don’t know! I think it’s about me aligning with the natural flow of universal energy. It seems most of my suffering comes from trying to swim upstream when the opportunities I want are all downstream and from simply not accepting reality as it is. Reiki seems to help me recognize that I am always in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. How could it be an other way?!

Even without the level 2 Reiki symbols, you can use this infinite, gentle yet powerful energy to support your goals. Writing your intention on an index card and Reiki’ing the card is an easy way to focus the mind and concentrate the energy. If you haven’t yet signed up for your first Reiki class, you can activate the power of intention by visualizing yourself having a smooth journey and feeling how lovely it is to glide through the process receiving all the support you need.

And if you’d like some professional help, let me know! I am delighted to offer long-distance sessions to help ease your mind and your path wherever you go.

Reiki for Smooth Travels

Pamela: Whenever I plan a trip, I use the long-distance symbol to send Reiki ahead and…
Karen: Can you explain how “free will” and Reiki work together? Is it possible to surrender free will so that Reiki fixes everything?

Pamela: Yet another intriguing question! This is a fascinating topic for me. From my perspective, free will is a universal law, like gravity. It just is. Everybody has the power to make their own choices within the circumstances they’re in. These choices help influence future circumstances.

When it comes to healing, each person is free to decide if they wish to receive it or not. This is an important distinction when it comes to long-distance Reiki treatments. When students first learn how to send Reiki to those who aren’t in the same room, they are eager to share it with family and friends, near and far. The issue is that some of those folks aren’t all that keen on being Reiki’ed.

While some teachers demand that you first receive permission before sending Reiki, this isn’t always possible. For example, if I’m in a coma or a hurricane or otherwise unreachable, I do wish to receive all the healing energy possible! I teach that first we must tune in with our hearts to check if our motivation is selfless, and tune in with our intuition to see if the recipient is willing. I imagine that we each have a gate keeper; an aspect of our higher selves who stands watch protecting our free will.

Even when someone has asked for help, I sometimes feel a resistance to healing a particular chakra issue. That’s the higher self saying, no, not yet. I simply move on to a different area, and sometimes when I return, the resistance has dissipated. Sometimes not. I could try to force my way through, but it would be both invasive and pointless. Instead I choose to respect this boundary. Reiki cannot supersede universal law.

Can we surrender our free will entirely? I’m not sure. I don’t think I’d want to! Perhaps that would be the ultimate expression of faith. I’m not there just yet. What I do instead, is surrender on a case by case basis. 🙂 If I’m struggling with worthiness, and intending to receive Reiki for healing this nonsensical belief that any spiritual being could ever be unworthy, I can surrender in that moment to that particularly healing. I do often pray to be shown the way to my greatest good, and will surrender to the keys that arise in that regard on any particular day.

You’ve really got me thinking! Is it possible to surrender my free will to the infinite, divinely guided healing energy of Reiki? How could that not be for the greatest benefit of my health, happiness, and life purpose? Is there any reason other than my ego’s need to feel a sense of control that prevents me from doing so?

This subject deserves some thorough research! I’m going to experiment on myself and observe. When I check in at this moment, fear is what holds back. Fortunately, I can use Reiki to excavate this fear, see what lies underneath and repair the foundation of any faulty thinking that may be the source. And I’m totally willing to surrender to that.

Reiki and Free Will

Karen: Can you explain how “free will” and Reiki work together? Is it possible to surrender…
For the past several months, I’ve been receiving a long-distance Reiki treatment every Sunday night. The practitioner intends for the healing energy to arrive when I’m asleep. This is a trick I learned from my teacher: when the conscious mind is not active, barriers are relaxed, and receptivity increases. The result is that I wake up each Monday feeling relaxed, at peace, and rather blissful.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

My regard for distance treatments continues to grow over time. Now that I’m experiencing consistent sessions myself and observing the amazing results, I’ve become a wholehearted cheerleader for the process! The bliss is actually a lovely side effect, and the work we are doing in these treatments is very profound and transformational.

Through personal growth and spiritual awakening I’ve become aware of some very harmful and persistent limiting beliefs that prevent me from experiencing the life I desire. These beliefs are deeply rooted in my subconscious, where they were planted in early childhood. The story of how they got there is not important to the healing process, but recognizing the damage they’ve created is. Awareness is the first step in the healing process.

Reprogramming thought patterns that have enjoyed free reign for decades is not an easy task. I’d been making slow but steady progress on my own and finally had the good sense to seek out some support. It became obviously pretty quickly that it would take some consistent intervention to break the cycle of these well-worn neural pathways.

Through my intention to release all blockages to receiving the love, peace, joy, harmony, and abundance I crave and the weekly Reiki, I am beginning to notice monumental changes in my daily life. For starters, my mood remains consistently positive most of the time. I don’t get as upset or stay upset as long as I used to when things don’t go my way. I’m more resilient, more flexible, more patient, more kind. I seem to attract loving and appreciative people into my life.

I find it easier to maintain my personal boundaries and say “no” when I don’t want to do something. I trust that I’m exactly where I supposed to be, doing exactly what I should for the greatest good. I seem to attract business and opportunities that are aligned with my purpose and goals. I find it easier to devote myself to the spiritual and self-care practices that bring me peace and joy. Quite simply, I’m reclaiming wholeness and worthiness, and as I do so, the Universe responds accordingly.

Healing old wounds takes time and steady application. All the feelings that were ignored, suppressed, or numbed eventually rise to the surface and need to be felt and released. It’s easy to get trapped in the story of trauma or victimhood or feel overwhelmed and the compulsion to run away. Being willing to face one’s shadow side takes courage and perseverance. Yet the reward of freedom from coping mechanisms and avoidance techniques is a wonderful motivator. Just like me, you don’t have to go it alone.

Contact me if you’d like to schedule a session or for more information. I’m here to help.

Monday Morning Bliss

For the past several months, I’ve been receiving a long-distance Reiki treatment every Sunday night. The…
Karen: Can Reiki get mad at you? Like if you don’t make the underlying change that keeps coming to the surface, will it stop helping you until you make the change? For example – I keep using Reiki to help heal the blisters I get from wearing a particular pair of shoes. I love these shoes even though they destroy my feet and keep wearing them because the Reiki helps to keep the pain at bay. It’s like that friend who refuses to break up with her jerky boyfriend and keeps wanting to talk about what an jerk he is. Would the Reiki ever just get fed up and be like “STOP WEARING THE SHOES OR I’LL STOP WORKING!” ?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Pamela: What an intriguing question! I appreciate the specificity of your example as it really helps illustrate the point I’d like to make. Reiki is completely non-judgemental. It is simply an energetic gift from the Universe (insert your word here for that which is greater than we mere humans). I find it to be much more generous than I am! While I have a tipping point for listening to a friend complain endlessly about a jerky boyfriend, Reiki will continue to show up and offer support.

I’ve never heard of Reiki not working for a willing recipient. I have some issues that I personally have been working on for ages that come around in cycles. Reiki continues to show up and provide healing for me even when I’m stuck in a rut and repeating harmful behavior. It never demands fealty or obedience. It doesn’t threaten to abandon me should I not comply with its demands.

What I suspect will happen as you and I both continue to fill ourselves with this healing energy is that one day we will value ourselves so much that we’ll simply no longer wish to harm ourselves or our precious feet. The change will come from the inside rather than being imposed from the outside.

Rather than struggling to fix ourselves, we’ll simply remember that we’re perfect, whole, and complete. And then those shoes, and those distractions or chocolate chip cookies, will no longer appeal. In the meantime, Reiki for blisters is a perfectly valid approach.

Can Reiki Get Mad at You?

Karen: Can Reiki get mad at you? Like if you don’t make the underlying change that…