Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means, MD.
This book is blowing my mind! It has so much information about the causes of rampant lack-of-wellness and disease in our world and very straightforward remedies.
She exposes heavy duty conflicts of interest in the medical industrial complex, Big Pharma and the processed food industry.
Really, you want to know this stuff so you can make good choices about your habits to build optimal health.
There’s a lot of science and hard facts for those who want the numbers and nerdy stuff but it’s very readable. I can’t recommend it enough.
From her website:
ABOUT THE BOOK
What if depression, anxiety, infertility, insomnia, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s dementia, cancer and many other health conditions that torture and shorten our lives actually have the same root cause?
The truth is, they do. And our ability to prevent and reverse these conditions – and feel incredible NOW – is under our control and simpler than we think. The key is our metabolic function: the way we make energy in our cells and bodies. The ability to make GOOD ENERGY in our bodies is the most important and least understood factor in our overall health, and the biggest blindspot in healthcare.
Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means, MD. This book…
SPOILER ALERT: Eventually it all turns out well.
There must be something wrong with me.
That’s the unconscious belief I grew up with. It wasn’t part of my rational thought process, yet it was there, lurking beneath the surface and driving much of my behavior.
Looking back with the knowledge that I’ve garnered over the decades of practicing holistic healing and studying the body-mind-spirit connection, I can see how it was installed during my formative years, before I had the cognitive awareness to argue that it’s utter nonsense.
The choices I made as a child for navigating this belief system were nearly as damaging as the belief itself. I was afraid to express myself or to be seen, hell, I was afraid to even sense that I had needs, let alone to do something about them. I swallowed my feelings and tried to be invisible.
This constant fear did a number on my nervous system, causing me to be perpetually hyper vigilant, jumpy, tense and shut down emotionally. It steadily eroded my life-force and gut health and ushered in chronic back pain. Without the energy or nutritional building blocks to repair the damage, chronic anxiety mixed with depression and fatigue set in. Without the awareness of what was really happening, all I knew was that I was extremely uncomfortable almost all the time and had no tools for handling this.
Naturally I turned to dulling and numbing these feelings and sensations with whatever was at hand. Books were my first escape strategy. Later came overeating and sweets, later still alcohol and pot, and co-dependent and dysfunctional relationships. Let’s not forget the people-pleasing and perfectionist tendencies, poor boundaries and overgiving, overspending, and attempting to micromanage everything.
Perhaps the worst of all? The betrayal of self to keep everyone else comfortable.
I did it all with stoicism, pretending that everything was fine and I was in control of my life.
I was not.
Through a bizarre set of “coincidences”, I found myself in a Reiki workshop one weekend in 2002. Little did I know that this was a pivotal moment in my life and that my trajectory would be forever altered.
I wasn’t yet aware of the complete absence of wellness in my life, but I instantly noticed a shift in the way I felt. I was less tense, less anxious, more at home in my body and the pain in my back decreased noticeably.
That was enough for me to carry on with my daily Reiki practice, slowly uncovering layer upon layer of wounds and scabbed over psychic infections that were poisoning me from the inside out. Over time, my nervous system became regulated more often than not and I was able to find a sense of ease and belonging that had eluded me my entire life. I kept at it, healing whatever rose to the surface rather than pushing it back into the archives of buried emotions.
I felt increasingly better physically and emotionally, and my confidence and self-worth gradually grew. I began to get in touch with my innate creativity and to experience more joy, peace, and dare I say, even pleasure.
I developed the curiosity, compassion and courage necessary to do the inner exploration and discovered the core belief that seems to be the foundation of my ailments. There must be something wrong with me. I know it isn’t true, but it’s a weed with tenacious roots. I’ve been gradually digging them up and have stopped feeding this weed with self-blame and self-criticism.
I suspect there is a a soul agreement to clear ancestral wounding at play here as other limiting beliefs have been much more responsive to my efforts. Yet, step by step, I continue making headway.
Whatever the source of this programming, my path is simple. I slow down and pay attention to what’s happening in me and meet it with Reiki and the loving intention to heal. If I were to focus on “how” to heal subconscious belief systems or ancestral trauma, I’d likely trigger overwhelm and doubt that I could handle such complex work.
Luckily, I don’t need to know how. Reiki knows. I just need to apply it consistently and be willing to receive the benefits. It’s been quite the adventure, this healing journey of mine. It’s wild to think that it all began one day in a funky old adobe building in Santa Fe, in my first Reiki 1 class.
If you’ve read this far, I imagine that some part of my story has resonated with you. It’s likely your story has different twists and turns, and your symptoms are different than mine, but I bet you have a core limiting belief that is wreaking havoc. You might be aware of it, you might not, but you probably have a sense that something is off.
That something, my friend, is not you. There’s nothing wrong with you. Someone taught you something that isn’t true a long time ago. If you’re willing to turn and face it, it can be healed. You don’t need to know how. Reiki knows.
I can easily provide you with this healing energy. You’ll need to get sessions on a consistent basis to work through all the layers. It’s much more affordable, however, for you to learn to do it yourself. If you’re in the Philly area, I have a class coming up soon. If you’re elsewhere, let’s connect about planning a remote training.
Whether you decide to take action at this time or not, do know that you aren’t alone. It’s rare that I meet someone who isn’t affected by something similar to this. And it’s not their fault. Nor yours. Sometimes just knowing this helps to begin the healing process.
If you’ve never been told, allow me to be the first. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you.And your spirit remains undamaged by any of the experiences you’ve had in this lifetime.
SPOILER ALERT: Eventually it all turns out well. There must be something wrong with me. That’s…
Reiki really gets a workout in my life. I use it every day for a wide variety of things. Stubbed toes, difficult conversations, noisy neighbors, dentist appointments, sugar cravings, anxiety, getting the good parking spaces and staying true to myself are common applications.
In case you’re new here and don’t yet know, Reiki is an ancient energy healing technique that treats the whole self- body, mind, and spirit. It saturates all aspects of ourselves with spiritually guided life-force energy. It is safe and easy to use, yet potent and quite effective.
Like most of us, I’ve had some traumatic experiences in childhood that lead to some coping mechanisms that are no longer helpful for me as an adult. Rather than glossing over the wounds, ignoring their impact or letting them steer my life, I have the power to heal them with my loving attention and Reiki.
Like most of us, I’ve got some limiting beliefs buried in my subconscious that are not aligned with my conscious thoughts and values. Same with the cultural conditioning and inherited baggage. Recognizing and reprogramming my patterns is a lot easier with Reiki.
Like most of us, I’ve got a storehouse full of unexpressed emotions that are festering in the shadows. Reiki helps me to reveal and integrate these rejected, neglected and abandoned feelings so I can be free of their shenanigans.
Like most of us, I’ve got some aches and pains from decades of living life fully, not always having the best support or all the necessary information, and the accompanying wear and tear. Don’t even get me started on the hormonal changes of perimenopause! Reiki helps me to optimize my physical wellness and enjoy the greatest health available to me.
Like most of us, I experience occasional imposter syndrome, resistance to change, procrastination, self-doubt and decision fatigue. Reiki gives me to boost of energy I need to get myself together and put my best foot forward.
Like most of us, I still often wonder, even at close to 53 years old, what I want to do when I grow up, who I truly am underneath the outdated armor and survival mechanisms and what my purpose is in this lifetime. Reiki helps me get in touch with my inner wisdom and power so I can see more clearly and not sweat the small stuff.
Whatever you’ve got going on, if you’re willing to do the work and show up for yourself on a consistent basis, Reiki can help.
I’m offering an introductory-level Reiki 1 training beginning soon if you’re in the Philly area.
4 Thursday evenings, 6-8pm.
July 11, 18, 25 & August 1, 2024.
Investment = $250.
My classes are deliberately small because I enjoy the personal interactions and being able to witness the transformation in students from week to week.
Plus I want to help you find your unique path. This is not a one-size-fits-all training and it’s my intention to guide you to a way that suits you just perfectly.
You can find more information on my website, along with a link to contact me to apply.
Reiki really gets a workout in my life. I use it every day for a wide…
Join us beginning July 11th for this 4 week in-person training in Philly.
Reiki is an ancient technique for healing that utilizes universal life-force energy to stimulate physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic wellness. It cultivates harmony, peace and vitality and removes blockages that stand in the way of experiencing the life you desire.
Best of all, it’s safe, simple and easy to use. Side effects include deeper sleep, reduced stress and pain, and being a kinder person.
Anyone can learn how to use Reiki. Yes, even you! There are no special skills or experience required.
It’s one of my greatest passions to introduce folks to this healing modality and to watch as they begin to transform right before my eyes.
We’ll meet on 4 Thursday evenings, 6-8pm. You’ll learn about what Reiki is, where it comes from, what it can be used for (almost EVERYTHING!) and how. We’ll practice giving ourselves and each other sessions and discuss how to adapt for your needs.
Join us beginning July 11th for this 4 week in-person training in Philly. Reiki is an…
There are many reasons you might have tight muscles. Many of them are worsened by stretching.
WHAT?
Yup.
When a muscle is habitually shortened, stretching can indeed help. If you just spent an hour lifting weights or jogging, i.e. contracting muscles to build strength, stretching them afterwards can help maintain range of motion. If you spend 12 hours every day sitting, your quads are probably chronically shortened and could benefit from daily stretching.
If a muscle is shortened through repetitive contraction or postural patterns, lengthening it will help recreate balance. Unless you go at it aggressively, in which case you will encounter the protective mechanism built into your soft tissue to prevent injury. If you override this, you will likely do harm. Best to stop just short of your edge, linger and attempt to soften.
So, mindful, gentle stretching can help some kinds of tight muscles.
But let’s look at other reasons a muscle might feel tight.
It could be overstretched. Imagine pulling a rubber band to its maximum length. It’s tight, right? Would stretching it release this tension?
No! It will make things worse. Overstretched muscles need slack to relieve tightness. The chronic tension you feel in the back of your neck and upper back? I can almost guarantee they are tired from holding your head up when it’s crept forward of your shoulders. These muscles are already at their limits.
A muscle will tense if any part of you senses danger. Think about getting punched in the gut. Did your belly muscles tighten defensively? Many of us have patterns of contracted muscles due to chronic stress and unresolved trauma. The result? Walking around unconsciously braced for potential attack- physical, emotional, verbal or psychic.
Trying to stretch these muscles is an act of war with yourself. They are holding on and you’re trying to pull them apart, which creates greater unease and sends a signal to the nervous system to tighten further.
Clench your hand into a fist. Everything feels tight, yeah? The solution is to send a signal to the muscles to let go. Trying to override messages from the nervous system that are trying to keep us safe causes more stress and… tension. Protective patterns are usually well-intentioned, but often unskillful, outdated and unnecessary.
Same goes for patterns of emotional protection. If you feel the need to guard your heart, your shoulders and chest might curve in defensively. These muscles will indeed feel tight but until the cause is addressed, any effects of stretching will be temporary at best.
It’s common for muscles to get recruited to protect an injury. If you have a micro tear in a tendon, stretching is going to aggravate it. After the injury is properly healed, stretching can help return to a balanced posture, but before then, those tight muscles are serving an important purpose.
Rather than systematically addressing all tightness with stretching, try something new. Something radical. Drop your awareness into the body, beneath the tightness. Sense what it needs. Is there anything you can soften with your attention and breath? What about shifting your alignment so that your skeleton is bearing more of your weight?
I wholeheartedly recommend moving the body through its full range of motion as a remedy for tightness that won’t worsen these issues. Some forms of yoga can do that- those that invite body awareness and deliberate alignment. Not so much the calisthenics varieties. Somatics is a form of movement reeducation that helps establish healthy patterns. I’m a huge fan of Gyrokinesis classes which do the same.
Addressing the sympathetic nervous system and chronic stress, however, is my number 1 recommendation. Deactivating the message that your brain sends to your muscles to tense will allow much of the tightness to simply melt away. The root cause is often not in the muscles but in the nervous system. The nervous system can be activated by our emotions or our memories and even just a hint of perceived danger can launch a full-on sympathetic response (fight, flight or freeze).
In my 20+ years of literal hands-on work of tight muscles, I can say without a doubt that most of it comes from stress and the nervous system. Many of my clients are trying to get relief by stretching and wonder why it’s not having any benefit. That’s because it isn’t the correct remedy most of the time.
It’s important to note that I’m not saying that stress needs to be eliminated. That’s simply not doable for most of us. Yes, definitely minimize the stressors that you can. AND find a way of managing the unavoidable ones.
It could be meditation, journaling, dancing, tai chi, qi gong, acupuncture, gardening, walking, or painting. Something that brings you joy and moves your body in a way that feels good.
Reiki and gentle massage are brilliant at activating the physiological remedy for stress as well as stimulating circulation and releasing tension. If you’re wanting some support on your journey, I’m here to help.
And in the meantime, if you’ve been stretching and stretching to no avail, give it a break. It’s possible that those muscles are already overstretched.
I get so frustrated when doctors diagnose arthritis and lead people to believe that there is nothing to be done about the pain they are experiencing. Gah!
True. There is no cure for arthritis. AND that doesn’t mean that it is a sentence to hopelessness and increasing discomfort.
We’re talking about inflammation of one or more joints. It can be quite unpleasant when left untreated. But don’t despair. It’s possible to manage inflammation and to create space in joints that might be jammed together because of tension or imbalanced movement patterns.
(If you’re over 20, I can practically guarantee you have at least one imbalanced movement pattern; perhaps from an old injury that didn’t heal 100% or repetitive actions from a job or hobby.)
It’s possible to have arthritis and to minimize the resulting pain. I see it all the time and feel it in my own body. Reducing inflammation, tension and misalignment can only benefit us. Why not give it a try?
Reiki is an amazing holistic healing technique that utilizes spiritually-guided life-force energy to reduce stress and pain. Stress is a primary driver of inflammation. It stands to reason, and has been backed up by my 20+ years of experience, that minimizing stress can provide relief to inflammatory conditions.
Reiki can also help process suppressed emotions. Releasing anger, resentment, worry and grief that might be blocking the body’s energetic flow can help joint issues. And will help prevent us from tipping over into the stress zone where cortisol triggers more inflammation.
You know what doesn’t help joint issues? A diagnosis presented without hope of a remedy. It’s unclear to me why the medical establishment hasn’t grasped this fact yet. Despair feeds tension that puts greater strain on the joints.
Reducing stress and re-establishing a healthy flow of energy in the body can support the reduction of muscle tension. This encourages circulation, providing the muscles with fresh oxygen and removes cellular waste, reducing pain in the muscles which can trigger a cycle of clenching, pain, clenching and more pain. It also allows for more space in the joints.
Reiki can also support body awareness and increase access to inner wisdom, helping us to notice when we’re using poor body mechanics and guiding us to new patterns or even therapies, such as Somatics, Feldenkrais or Gyrokinesis that promote balanced, healthy movement patterns, or products that activate the body’s innate healing abilities.
It might take time to relearn how to sit, stand and move in alignment, meet with and metabolize feelings and trauma, manage stress and reduce inflammation.
This is what holistic healing looks like: addressing the causes of imbalance rather than trying to eliminate the effects while carrying on with the offending behavior. It’s possible that these causes have been developing for decades; reversing this requires some patience and self-compassion.
But with some attention, effort and consistent Reiki support, there is hope of finding greater comfort and ease in the body and peace of mind.
To me, that seems like a much better option than doing nothing and bemoaning the doctor’s verdict.
I’d be delighted to work with you if you’re interested in pursuing Reiki treatment, or massage if you’re in the Philly area. You might consider taking a Reiki 1 class and learning how to give yourself daily treatments.
If that’s not your thing, I’d encourage you to explore one of the movement therapies I listed above, an anti-inflammatory diet or some form of herbal or homeopathic support.
Most importantly, know that there is hope, as hope is one of the greatest medicines available.
I get so frustrated when doctors diagnose arthritis and lead people to believe that there is…
I like to compare health to a bank account. Many of my students and clients find this analogy to be useful for understanding the benefits of Reiki. In the same way that we grow financial wealth by making more deposits that withdrawals, we can cultivate wellness wealth by accumulating life-force energy. Reiki is a safe and reliable method for amassing health credits.
Instead of relying solely on medical professionals to detect problems during annual checkups, there’s much we can do every day to boost the immune system and overall wellness. The body already knows how to be as healthy as it is able, and we can support its endeavors by giving it the energy necessary to do so. Reiki is a powerful, yet simple and safe way to help all the body’s systems function more effectively.
Life-force energy (called ki, qi, chi, and prana in other cultures) can be cultivated by lifestyle habits such as eating natural foods, spending time in nature, getting enough sleep, and expressing creativity. I view each of these activities as a deposit into a wellness account.
Conversely, chronic worry and stress, consistent consumption of processed foods, and being excessively sedentary can be viewed as ki withdrawals. Sadly, western culture generally steers us towards a deficit by overvaluing productivity and busyness and undervaluing rest and relaxation. In order to optimize wellness, we can take steps to offset the trend towards wellness debt.
Granted, there are factors beyond our control such as genetics, accidents, injuries, illnesses, and pollution. While we may not be able to change these circumstances, we can do everything within our power to give ourselves the best possible chance to enjoy the optimal levels of health and wellness available to us.
Given that I am not perfect in my pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and have some chronic health issues that require extra attention, I turn to Reiki to fill in the gaps. Reiki is an ancient healing method, commonly defined as spiritually guided life-force energy. It is gentle, powerful, completely safe, and complements all other treatments. I know of no other modality that is pleasurable to receive, universally beneficial, and has no negative side-effects.
Reiki is not limited by time or space and therefore can be received in-person or remotely from the comfort of your home. Some people enjoy the contact of human touch, some enjoy the connection of a video meeting, and others prefer to take a break from both. There are many ways to experience a treatment. Additionally, anyone can train to become a practitioner in a short period of time. During initiation, energy channels are opened, allowing access to this universal energy. Making daily health deposits is as simple as inviting the Reiki to flow.
Consider investing in your wellness account consistently. Rather than waiting for an unwanted diagnosis, you can actively pursue the best version of health possible for you. Filling up you ki tank, either as a client or practitioner, is one way to do so with minimal effort and expense. It’s never too late to take steps toward vitality and health. Why not begin today?
I like to compare health to a bank account. Many of my students and clients find…
This gets right to the heart of the matter for most prospective clients. They want to know if Reiki, and the magical results they’ve heard about on podcasts and from cousins, friends and strangers on IG will also affect them in such amazing ways.
The short answer: it largely depends on you.
Reiki can help re-establish body-mind-spirit balance. This holistic approach is the foundation for lasting healing as it addresses the root cause of imbalance.
It’s helpful to use analogies, so let’s consider a bucket as the container of your ki, or life-force energy. Reiki can fill up your bucket, 100%, no questions asked.
It can even repair holes in your bucket that may have come from unresolved trauma, chronic stress, outdated defense mechanisms, coping patterns, denial, avoidance, addiction, suppressed emotions, and tendencies to turn away from yourself when things get uncomfortable emotionally.
Depending on how empty or leaky your bucket may be, this might take time and consistent application, but is totally doable.
But if you continue to poke holes in your bucket, the results will be temporary. Reiki cannot heal you if you continue to engage in unhealthy behavior. It can help resolve the impetus for such behavior, but you will need to willingly participate.
If you’re allergic to strawberries and eat them every day, there’s only so much Reiki can do for you. Not because you’re bad or strawberries or bad, but because your body is sending a clear message that it doesn’t want any more… strawberries!
The idea of outsourcing wellness without taking any responsibility for changing the contributions to lack-of-wellness is completely at odds with holistic healing.
There are no magic pills. There are no miraculous treatments that will allow you to be well while still engaging in destructive patterns.
This does not necessarily mean that you’ll need to quit your soul-sucking job or leave a dysfunctional relationship, but it might. It’s possible to take actions to counterbalance such situations and resolve the stress, integrate the emotions, get your needs met in other ways, process the anger/grief/resentment/disappointment and refill the bucket.
This requires your active participation.
So, yes, if you’re willing to help by protecting the container of your ki bucket and preserve the wellness within, Reiki can indeed benefit you greatly. If you’re not, it can help you feel better in the moment, but will wear off as you return to any unhealthy patterns.
There is no issue that is too big, too deep, too ingrained, too attached to that Reiki cannot help to resolve. You don’t need to know what needs to be done to benefit from treatment. You do, however, need to be willing to receive the healing and notice the guidance that follows, the discord or lack of integrity that is exposed, and take the necessary steps to correct these hole-punchers.
Reiki will shine the light on the trail of breadcrumbs leading you to wellness. It’s then your job to follow the path, stay true to your mission and be kind to yourself on the way.
It’s much more complex than allopathic medicine, which, let’s face it, isn’t working for you or you wouldn’t be reading this.
So, yes, Reiki can help you. But the outcome is really up to you.
If you’re interested in adding Reiki to your wellness journey, I’d be delighted to work with you.
Luminous Heart Reiki & Massage 