self-care

Yesterday was my day to go for a hike in the woods, but I just didn’t have the energy. I was in need of rest, but I knew that I always feel better when I spend some time outside. So I decided to go for a short walk at the arboretum in my neighborhood.

I was pleased to see a few deer grazing in the meadow. You’ll have to trust me when I say that’s what the shape below in the center is as it was too far away to get a good pic.

I was strolling about with the intent of finding a sunny bench to read my book. The spot I was thinking of was overrun with dozens of 10 year-olds on some sort of field trip and seemed very unappealing.

I tried a path I’d never been down before and a hawk popped out of the bushes just a few feet in front of me and swooped up into a nearby tree. Whoa! That made me take notice. I don’t recall ever seeing one so close and at eye level before. It must have been on the ground just off the path.

Below the tree where it perched was an empty grassy area with a few patches of sunlight. I decided that the universe had chosen an unlikely messenger to suggest that I have a seat here. I decided to lay down in the grass, realizing that earthing (the act of connecting with the ground and absorbing healing energy) was a better aligned with my needs of the day than hiking.

It’s rare for me to come into contact with the earth without rubber soles in between us. I don’t have a yard and spend most of my outdoor time on sidewalks or rocky terrain, neither of which are amendable to bare feet. It was an extra special treat to breathe fresh air, bask in the sun, and feel supported by the ground.

On my way back to the car, I saw much evidence of ground hogs and one of the critters itself. At least that’s what I think the furry thing scurrying underground was! Hard to be certain from a distance. I finally did find a bench in the sun as was able to spend some quality time with a novel in the great outdoors.

I’m so glad I didn’t push myself to do my scheduled activity or abandon my nature therapy altogether. I’m even glad for the bus load of rowdy kids who steered me in a different direction so I was available to be ushered by a hawk to a different form of nature therapy.

It was a wonderful two hours and a lesson to be willing to adapt my plans to suit my needs and the resources available. And a reminder that many of the best things in life are free if we only pay attention.

Thank goodness for getting rerouted

Yesterday was my day to go for a hike in the woods, but I just didn’t…
I recorded a guided practice for my Reiki students and figured I’d share it here. It’s for anyone who has received a Reiki attunement. This is a meditative practice for meeting whatever is alive in the moment with compassion and healing energy.

I hope you find it helpful! Let me know what you think. 🙂

Guided Reiki Practice

I recorded a guided practice for my Reiki students and figured I’d share it here. It’s…
Here’s the thing about Reiki: it’s an amazing healing technique. I’ve personally experienced incredible transformation simply by applying it consistently over the years and I’ve witnessed the same in countless clients.

But it’s not a magic wand. People don’t experience incredible healing while continuing the behavior that caused their lack of wellness. There’s is no escaping the universal law of cause and effect.

Makes sense, right?

You can’t keep eating poison and expect to get well. Health is about balance. Somehow in our modern society we’ve lost track of that. We’ve been ensorcelled into believing that we can carry on dysfunctional patterns and treat the symptoms with pills, and the side effects of those pills with other pills. The proliferation of pharmaceutical commercials has conditioned us to believe this is a normal approach to healthcare.

It is not.

Strangely, we call this covering up of symptoms “medicine” in our society, but it’s definitely not healing. Healing involves cleaning the mess up that’s been swept under the rug and looking at the hidden motivations for continuing unhealthy behavior so we can stop harming ourselves.

Reiki can help with all of that. It helps us get clear about why we’re feeling compelled to do the very thing we’ve promised ourselves we won’t, how to get a handle on the compulsion, and how to face the underlying triggers.

My post about Reiki and bladder issues is one of the most popular articles I’ve ever written. Every month more than one hundred people open it. I’m assuming these are people who suffer ongoing bladder issues that “medicine” has failed to eradicate.

However… zero people have contacted me to schedule an appointment! Seriously, not a single one. I suspect they’re not keen on the idea of looking at the unexpressed anger that I mentioned in that blog as being a prime suspect.

I get it. Nobody enjoys spelunking in the caverns of messy emotions. It’s uncomfortable and inconvenient and might cause a revelation that a relationship or career is just too toxic to be sustainable.

Yet going through this exploratory process, which is temporary (depending on one’s willingness to really face reality and stop feeding the anger) is the solution that will prevent future occurrences of a painful condition.

In holistic healing, we go to the source of the problem to remove the imbalance. That is often chronic stress, unhealed trauma, or suppressed emotions. These factors wreak havoc on our bodies from the inside (via our hormones) until we intervene.

Yes, it’s no fun going there. But neither (I’m guessing) are recurrent UTIs. On the other side of meeting with the anger, or whatever else has been festering deep down, is a sense of freedom that is most delightful.

It’s important to note that you’re not doing this work alone. Reiki is a powerful source of healing energy. It is spiritually guided life-force and it totally works. I have countless texts from clients post-treatment expressing gratitude and sometimes awe about this. Reiki works. But you need to let it in and you need to be willing to meet with the emotions that arise as a result.

You don’t need to do it all at once and it’s rarely necessary to make sweeping lifestyle changes. And for those who are adamantly opposed to addressing emotional factors, consistent Reiki treatment can help manage symptoms. But for true healing, most people need a combination of support from a practitioner and the courage to look within and the willingness to find a safe expression of the pent-up feelings. (I’m a fan of writing expressive letters that I’ll never mail. Then I can ceremoniously burn or shred them. Other people like smashing cheap dishes or hitting pillows.)

About 95% of my clients experience relief after their first session. Shifting the underlying patterns takes some time; usually a series of about seven sessions, depending on the duration and severity of the condition. Often people find the rewards so impactful that they continue on with a monthly-ish maintenance treatment and enjoy watching the benefits spread into all areas of their lives.

Wherever you are in the world, you can receive a remote treatment from the comfort of your own space. If you’re in the Philly area, you can visit me in Mt. Airy.

Book a Session

Reiki and Bladder Issues, part 2

Here’s the thing about Reiki: it’s an amazing healing technique. I’ve personally experienced incredible transformation simply…
One of the most common desires I hear from students and clients alike is to be more in touch with their intuition. There is a genuine yearning there, but often a lack of clarity about how to proceed. When people put pressure on themselves to jump from novice to expert quickly and divine answers to major life questions before developing the basics, it can get even more difficult.

Today I want to talk about an important, oft undeveloped skill: listening. One of the biggest difficulties I see that gets in the way of receiving our guidance is being too busy going, doing, thinking, planning, analyzing, etc. for the messages even to get through.

It’s like asking a question and then continuing talking rather than waiting for a response. Our intuition is always available, but we need to learn how to listen.

The other night I received a directive that is the perfect example of how easy it can be. As I was getting ready for bed, I heard, “Check the door.” It wasn’t exactly a voice in my head, but it wasn’t a thought either. A sort of transmission from my higher self, perhaps?

Checking the door is not part of my usual nighttime routine. Since I have a strong habit of closing and locking the door immediately when I arrive home, I don’t check to see that it’s locked before I go to bed. I’ve never once found the door to be unlocked in the morning. And I’ve never seen anyone in my apartment building who didn’t belong here, so it’s doubtful that it would be a problem if it wasn’t locked.

There was absolutely no reason to check the door. It was not a fear-based thought born of reading the neighborhood watch alerts or the news. It was just a simple, clear call to action. Much more clear than my dream messages, that’s for sure! And because I was in a relaxed state, having just completed my evening meditation, it arrived without any interference.

It would have been easy to write it off as nonsense. But this ain’t my first rodeo, so check the door I did. And… would you believe it was unlocked? What?!

This is how we learn to trust our inner voice. By slowing down and quieting the mind so that we can hear it, being open to the messages it’s trying to deliver and trusting that there is a reason for them, even if we don’t understand what that reason is.

Who knows what would have happened had I ignored this prompt. For sure I would have been upset with myself in the morning. Instead, I got out my trusty intuition journal and added a recording of the incident, to further cement my desire to be in communication with my higher self and take action as guided. I’ve acquired quite a bit of “proof” on these pages that reminds me to keep my ears open.

Connecting with our inner wisdom might seem like an arduous and mysterious path, but it doesn’t have to be. Asking for guidance, making ourselves available to receive it (just like we had to do in the olden days when waiting for a phone call!), listening to the answers, and following through. All easy steps, but worthless unless actually taken.

Over time, you’ll begin to trust yourself. That’s where the journal comes in handy. But really, it’s all about practice, practice, practice. If you want to be in touch with your intuition, you have to do the work just as you need to make an effort to learn most new skills.

I’ve found Reiki to be an invaluable tool for helping me to be calm enough to listen and clear enough to understand my intuition better. It helps propel me from just knowing what to do into actually doing it.

Let’s chat about this if you’re interested in adding this amazing tool into your repertoire. Anyone can easily learn how to give themselves Reiki and have lifetime access to healing energy at their fingertips. I’m happy to design a course that will give you the exact knowledge you need to cultivate connection with your inner knowing.

Contact Pamela

Intuition Chronicles: Listen!

One of the most common desires I hear from students and clients alike is to be…
Fatigue is one of the more common ailments that brings clients to me for treatment. Very often people have been through a barrage of testing and are told there is nothing wrong. Gah! This is so frustrating. Just because the medical system can’t find a cause doesn’t mean there isn’t one. I think we can all agree that when someone is so exhausted they can barely function despite getting adequate sleep and nutrition, there is indeed something wrong.

If we look through a holistic lens, we’re more likely to notice dysfunction or imbalance that exists in the mental, emotional, spiritual, energetic, relational, and lifestyle areas. Correcting any of these conditions can have a profound effect on physical health and overall wellness. Reiki is a very useful tool for doing that.

First and foremost, it’s a gentle infusion of pure life-force energy which can begin to shift chronic energy depletion.

Second, it releases stress and tension, which are gigantic drains on our systems. Chronic stress is the equivalent of having a gaping hole in your fuel tank. No matter how often you fill up, gas is just sloshing out all over the place.

Third, it can help dissipate blockages, allowing for a more healthy flow of energy. Common blockages include unprocessed trauma and suppressed emotions. These form a sort of coagulation of life-force which can impede the flow.

Fourth, Reiki can help balance hormones, which have a tremendous effect on our energy levels.

Fifth, it fosters better quality sleep. ‘Nuff said.

Sixth, it can activate clarity and enable access to intuition, helping us to see where and how our energy is being wasted or siphoned in our daily lives. Very often there are some uncomfortable conversations around boundaries that can help protect our energy levels. Saying yes when we really mean NO! is a tremendous drain of energy. Persistent over-giving when our tanks are empty takes a toll on our bodies. We need to rebel against the BS cultural conditioning that it’s better to give than receive and prioritize our own well-being.

I could probably keep going, but I imagine you get my point. It addresses the inflow and outflow of energy and supports a healthy balance so that we can thrive rather than merely surviving.

Perhaps the best thing about using Reiki as a treatment for fatigue is that it can be administered remotely. Yup. You can stay at home if you’re unable or just uninterested in venturing out into the world and receive a session from the comfort of your own space. Just like a automatic deposit to your bank account, there’s nothing that you need to do!

I’ve found that when somebody has been chronically fatigued, it can take three or four sessions for a shift to be noticed. Then gradual improvements are reported. When the client is able to remove some of the worst energetic vampires and willing to meet with the stored emotions that arise, a more balanced flow becomes the new normal.

True, it takes some time and consistent application and often some lifestyle upgrades for lasting results to take root. Just as it’s harder to get out of debt without curbing spending, it’s harder to heal fatigue when dysfunctional relationships or circumstances are not addressed. So it goes with holistic healing- we look at all imbalances from the biochemistry to the psycho spiritual factors. There’s only so much I can do for folks who are committed to unhealthy habits. Those who are serious about getting well realize that if they want things to change, they have to make some changes.

If you’re ready to get started on this journey, I invite you to book a remote Reiki session. You could also come for an in-person session if you’re in the Philly area and need a change of scenery. Once you start feeling better, you might like to learn how to give yourself Reiki. It’s easy to do and no special psychic or mystical powers are necessary.

Reiki has helped me more than any other technique with chronic pain, autoimmune issues, anxiety, and fatigue. And it can help you too!

Book a Treatment

Contact Pamela

Reiki for Fatigue

Fatigue is one of the more common ailments that brings clients to me for treatment. Very…
I took a class with Lee several years ago and learned so much about correcting postural imbalances and relieving the resulting discomfort in simple and gentle ways. He’s the one who taught me that many tight muscles are screaming because they are already overstretched and that stretching an overstretched muscle is downright counterproductive, if not harmful.

Yup. Radical, huh? Keep to stretching for muscles that are shortened, and bring some slack into the over- elongated ones. This was so profound for me that I finally made a video about upper back and neck pain because I got tired of explaining it over and over.

In this short video, he shares tips for sitting upright to reduce pain. It’s so simple! I remember a fellow student in that class I took waiting all weekend for some mind blowing, high-tech solution for improved sitting strategies. He seemed disappointed that it was so easy and involved a cheap pillow.

Isn’t it funny how our minds can correlate expensive and complicated with effective? Curiously our Reiki lineage includes this thinking. That’s why Mrs. Takata charged $10K for Master Teacher training! Luckily, one of her students disagreed.

But I digress.

Here’s the video. Check it out. I bet you can easily give it a try without spending a dime or more than 10 minutes. Let me know what you think!

Lee Alpert’s Advice on How to Sit for Less Back Pain

I took a class with Lee several years ago and learned so much about correcting postural…
Last night I closed up shop early because a street festival was taking place in front of my office. It’s always chaotic and not the energy I want my clients to slog through. Instead, I decided to brave the heat and the ginormous potholes for which PA is so famous and go on an adventure. To the suburbs. 🙂

My birthday is coming, and as you might already know, we Cancerians like to celebrate the month, not just the day. So I planned to have dinner with a friend I haven’t seen in a few years and explore the area where she lives.

She pointed me to a delightful metaphysical shop that really made my day! SO many gems to view, so little time. I had decided to splurge on a necklace as a birthday treat. I enjoy wearing my crystals so the healing energy is with me all day.

Rather than looking for a particular type of stone, I browsed. I waited for something to call out to me. A gorgeous rosy stone with delicate white swirls caught my attention. I nearly choked when I saw the price tag, but there was a smaller pendant next to it that didn’t blow my budget out of the water.

This photo pales in comparison to the real thing!

Rhodochrosite. I’d never heard of it. The staff was so helpful and shared about some of her (yes, this particular stone anyway, is most definitely a her) qualities and it was exactly the medicine I’m needing! If I had spent 100 hours online researching which crystal would serve me best, I doubt I could have made a better match.

I wanted to share this story because so many Reiki students ask me about using crystals in their practice. Reiki doesn’t need crystals to be super-powerful, but they do work nicely together as they are both natural energies. It can be overwhelming when you’re learning about crystals from a book because there are so many variations and so many benefits from each of them.

I start with the gemstone that wants to come home with me. I observe how I feel when we’re together and then, and only then, do I look at the information that is readily available from external sources such as a guidebook or website.

It’s important to cleanse your crystals right away as they are batteries for storing energy and you don’t need to be soaking up the residual vibes of everyone else who has handled them. You can then use Reiki to charge them, intending a specific healing purpose, if you like.

It turned out to be a lovely day and I’m so glad I got out and about for a change. I had the most delicious salmon tacos, sat on a bench under the trees by a creek in the park, and had a great catch-up with my friend over dinner. It turns out there was also a street festival there, but we ate inside since it was crazy hot.

I had to laugh that one event was the motivation to go elsewhere and a similar event was happening there. I don’t understand the desire to dine on the sidewalk when it’s 90 degrees out, but hundreds of people apparently do. Lucky for us, that made indoor seating much easier to come by.

All in all, this was a great reminder to go with the flow and let Life lead the way. I’m always pleased with the results when I do.

Let Your Crystals Choose You

Last night I closed up shop early because a street festival was taking place in front…
Today is the summer solstice for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s the longest day of the year. I saw my first firefly last night, which confirms the arrival of summer here. Ironically we have a blessedly cool day blooming, despite the sun working overtime.

For everyone in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s winter solstice and the longest night. For all of us, it’s a turning point. A time when the pendulum reaches the extreme end of its arc before beginning it’s journey towards center.

It’s a great time to review the past 6 months, noticing any patterns, stuckness, or imbalance. Are you in harmony with nature’s energy? Is there anything you can learn that will benefit you moving forward?

I find it helpful to do a simple inventory of where I am currently (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, energetically, circumstantially) this time of year to help me evaluate where I am going in the next 6 months.

Themes that are up for me are prosperity, musculoskeletal health, and community. I’m going to spend some time contemplating how I can support my goals while surfing the soon-to-be waning sun and lengthening nights energies.

If that seems like too much bother, a simple way to honor this day is to enjoy local fruits and vegetables. Celebrating the bounty of the summer crops by savoring the harvest (cherries, strawberries, sugar snap peas, and cucumbers for me) can help us get in touch with the land where we are and align with the season.

Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, I wish you a lovely day filled with all your favorite things. May the sun shine gently upon you.

Happy Solstice!

Today is the summer solstice for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s the…
Today is the summer solstice for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s the longest day of the year. I saw my first firefly last night, which confirms the arrival of summer here. Ironically we have a blessedly cool day blooming, despite the sun working overtime.

For everyone in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s winter solstice and the longest night. For all of us, it’s a turning point. A time when the pendulum reaches the extreme end of its arc before beginning it’s journey towards center.

It’s a great time to review the past 6 months, noticing any patterns, stuckness, or imbalance. Are you in harmony with nature’s energy? Is there anything you can learn that will benefit you moving forward?

I find it helpful to do a simple inventory of where I am currently (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, energetically, circumstantially) this time of year to help me evaluate where I am going in the next 6 months.

Themes that are up for me are prosperity, musculoskeletal health, and community. I’m going to spend some time contemplating how I can support my goals while surfing the soon-to-be waning sun and lengthening nights energies.

If that seems like too much bother, a simple way to honor this day is to enjoy local fruits and vegetables. Celebrating the bounty of the summer crops by savoring the harvest (cherries, strawberries, sugar snap peas, and cucumbers for me) can help us get in touch with the land where we are and align with the season.

Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, I wish you a lovely day filled with all your favorite things. May the sun shine gently upon you.

Happy Solstice!

Today is the summer solstice for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s the…