Category: transformation

Posted by PamelaHipp on in alternative medicine, emotional well-being, holistic healing, Reiki, self-care, transformation, wellness

Easy, Accessible, Doable Self-Care

Taking good care of ourselves can be a radical act in this day and age. Tapping into our inner wisdom, choosing to stay present with ourselves, and responding with compassion is downright revolutionary.

I’m not talking about tropical vacations, spa days, bath bombs, mani-pedis or goopy facial masks. (Unless that’s your thing.) There’s nothing wrong with pleasure-full indulgences, but that is not the heart of self-care.

What I’m talking about is committing to a daily practice of caring for yourself in only the way you can.

The simplest, safest, yummiest, and most impactful way I know how to do that (and I’ve been exploring for nearly 30 years!) is Reiki.

Anyone can learn how to do Reiki. It’s simply the art of connecting with universal life-force energy (which surrounds us all the time) and using intention and attention to direct it for well-being or any other goal that is aligned with your highest good.

It can be used to support magical and mystical studies, but in and of itself, it’s a very practical technique. There’s no need to have any woo-woo inclinations whatsoever (unless that’s your thing). The power is in the application. Meaning, when you make time to give yourself consistent Reiki treatments, over time you’ll see tremendous benefits.

It doesn’t require any special skills or pre-disposition. No fancy setup, music, crystals, oils, or herbs are necessary (unless that’s your thing).

All you need is a desire to experience something different and a willingness to take consistent action.

You’ll notice that I’ve used the word “consistent” several times. That’s because the work of healing means restoring balance in a world that is constantly promoting imbalance and integrating body, mind, and spirit in a culture that values the mind at the expense of the rest. Changing patterns against the tide requires devotion.

But it doesn’t need to be hard or even time-consuming. 10-20 minutes per day, most days of the week can contribute to amazing results. If you truly desire change, that’s a small price to pay!

I’ve created the most compact training for ordinary folks who want to participate in cultivating their own wellness, happiness, and creativity. My Reiki for Self-Care and Empowerment Class is coming up soon. It’s three 90- minute online classes. It’s the most convenient, affordable, accessible class I teach and it begins March 23, 2023.

Investment in yourself = $113.

Come and join the revolution.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in emotional well-being, holistic healing, inspiration, self-care, transformation

The Value of Self-Compassion

I’ve already chosen self-compassion as my theme for 2023. I’m guiding a group on New Year’s Day in my Meetup group, and figured I should do my own work ahead of time. I chose the solstice for my introspective inventory of what’s going on in myself and in my life and what I’d like to call in for next year.

What came up for me is a desire to be 100% on my side, 100% of the time. I saw so clearly how I sometimes reject my feelings when they are uncomfortable or inconvenient and how very unkind that is. I had the image of shoving a lollipop in a little girl’s mouth with the intention of stopping her tears. NOT how I want to be responding to my own emotions!

I made short video of a process that I use to cultivate compassion. It’s so simple! And we don’t often see it modeled in our culture, so it might seem completely foreign. I feel confident that everyone can learn how to do this with some practice.

If this resonates with you, you might be interested in an upcoming event, an installment of my Holistic Wellness series, which will focus on self-compassion. You can learn more and sign up here. If that’s not your thing, I hope you’ll at least take the exercise from the video out for a few spins and see how it lands for you.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, emotional well-being, healing, holistic healing, inspiration, transformation

How Slow Can I Go?

A quick update on my Slowing Down for December intention. The universe heard my request and has responded with half of my clients cancelling appointments this week and last. It’s a good opportunity to let go of the ancient fear of not having enough, to re-examine the wisdom of the “careful what you wish for” maxim, and to renew faith that things always work out, often in unexpected ways.

For the greater part of my days, I’m camped out of my Bio-Mat, surrounded by a stack of books that I’ve wanted to read for ages, a cup of tea, my journal, and an array of colorful markers. There’s something about having a beautiful notebook and great pens that makes the task of inner exploration seem less daunting. As do my comfy pajamas- it’s hard to take things too seriously when you’re covered in lemons and wearing your favorite fuzzy socks. 🙂

I do have some structure provided by guided meditations and written exercises designed to help me uncover what’s beneath the surface identities that I present to the world. The process of letting go of attachments and conditioned beliefs can be unpleasant, and I have a circle of friends with whom I check in frequently. It’s helpful to hear that they are facing many of the same challenges, and like me, continue to show up and face whatever arises, nonetheless.

Curiously some physical discomfort has amplified-or is it that I’ve removed enough distractions that I can actually receive the messages my body is sending? I’ve pulled out some massage tools to apply gentle pressure andstimulate circulation. (This is key! The goal is not to punish muscles for misbehaving or to beat them into submission, but to give them some loving attention and bring awareness to postural and movement patterns. More on this in an upcoming post.)

I ventured out to the farmers market for some produce and have been getting out most days for walks, so I’m not entirely reclusive aside from work. The goal has really been to clear my schedule so I can tune into my needs and desires with minimal influence from those insidious “shoulds”. As it turns out, I prefer books and trees to small talk, media of all forms, and shopping. No surprises there!

Basically, I’m playing detective and discovering what I can let go of and what I can cultivate in order to move into the new year in the most authentic way. Being present with emotions and sensations seems to be the only way to get an accurate reading on what to keep and what to release. Being still and quiet supports the inquiry.

We’re really in the darkest of days here in the northern hemisphere as the moon wanes and the winter solstice approaches. It’s really no hardship to stay tucked inside my cozy little apartment as much as possible. While it’s not exactly easy either, I am grateful that I decided to give myself this gift of doing things my way. It’s my hope that you’ll lean into doing things your way too.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, emotional well-being, holistic healing, inspiration, Reiki, transformation

Slowing Down for December

Once again, nature is slowing down during these short winter days. Most of the plants are stripped back to the bare minimum and many animals are hunkered down in their dens. I feel the same impulse to stay at home and do less. When I do venture out, I’m moving slowly and intentionally. 

I’ve cleared my calendar of all extraneous events. Easier said than done, I know! I’m also looking at my daily rituals and habits and wondering which can be paused for now. At first glance, everything seems essential, but I know that’s not entirely true. Which of these tasks are fueled by “shoulds”, such as what society informs me is necessary or from my own ego, clinging to an identity that may no longer be valid?

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be wiping the slate clean. Letting go of who I think I should be, who I think I am, and who I am expected to be in order to allow the truth to emerge without the imprint of conditioning. The activities I engage in will be flavored with this sense of inquiry and intention of releasing old patterns. For example, this post is still being written (obviously!), and aligns with December’s exploration and my desire to share the processes that support me. 

(I’m fascinated by how much of life can fall into the “both this and that“ category when I let go of “either this or that“ thinking.)

While I do still have responsibilities to meet and bills to pay, I’ve created a spaciousness that will allow me to slow down. The goal is to be more present with what arises in each moment in order to be more mindful of my inner landscape. Ideally, this awareness will help me let go of all the embedded beliefs that prevent me from experiencing and expressing my essential self. 

I imagine a backpack that contains all the beliefs I hold about the world. Some of these concepts were dropped in before I had the capacity to object and others snuck past my defenses when I wasn’t paying attention. It’s my hope to empty this backpack, examine those beliefs, many of which I’ve been carrying around since the 70’s, and carefully choose which to keep and which to discard. Ideally, I will be more discerning moving forward, and only collect items that align with my desires and values. 

I’m very much looking forward to lightening my load!

If you have access to Reiki, it can be a helpful tool for analyzing your belief system. I find that activating Reiki when I’m doing any sort of introspection helps me remain in the present moment, focused on the task at hand, without getting too caught up in memories or projection. 

Reiki also helps me calm my nervous system, reduce the impulses to run away from the discomfort, and accept myself just as I am, 40-year-old baggage and all. My go-to technique is to turn on the flow of healing energy, place one hand on my heart and the other on my belly, and state my intention. I do this at the beginning of my process and whenever I feel the urge to do the laundry, check my emails, or any the other distracting/avoiding/numbing strategies that are so familiar. I return to this hand position and my intention, allowing the Reiki to help me find my center again, as often as necessary. 

Is there just one thing you can let go of this month that is no longer serving you? I’m choosing to stick firmly to my work schedule and stop making minor adjustments to accommodate clients. There are parts of me that feel afraid that this will affect my income, but I have trust that the clients who are meant to work with me will adapt, and those who aren’t will move on, making space for new ones who are more compatible. 

I did such a good job of letting something go last year that I can’t even remember what it was! Several years ago, I stopped rushing. That’s one goal that I can recommend wholeheartedly. I allowed more time in between appointments, especially if traveling was involved. I also stopped filling up every last moment with some sort of activity. Now, when I find myself with five minutes until my next client arrives, I take the opportunity to sit quietly and meditate rather than the trying to squeeze in a chore. It’s been great for cultivating a calm feeling within me. 

I’d love to hear how you’re slowing down. Maybe next month we can truly claim to be moving like molasses in January. 

Posted by PamelaHipp on in awareness, inspiration, transformation

When Everything is Falling Apart

It can be really difficult when things don’t go as expected. It can be even more difficult to trust that what is falling apart is what holds us back. The good news is that you don’t have to figure anything out. It’s a simple matter of remaining present with whatever comes up in the moment. (Notice I said “simple” and not “easy”. They are often very different!)

I love how Kyle Cease breaks it all down in this 15 minute video.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in spirituality, transformation

Happy Equinox!

I find it so fascinating that this home of ours, a hunk of rock spinning around a fiery ball in vast space, manages to predictably provide us with times of equal light and darkness twice per year. 

Impressive, right?! 

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, today is the autumn equinox. Hooray! Personally, I’m happy to say goodbye to heat and humidity. Equally as wonderful, we will soon have the best display of colorful leaves here in Pennsylvania. And then they fall to the earth to decay and eventually provide support for spring’s glorious eruption of green. Which is what is happening in the southern hemisphere, where they celebrate the spring equinox today. 

This turning point of the seasons is an invitation to align with nature and bring more balance into our own lives. It could be something as simple as a breathing practice. Alternate nostril breathing brings our right and left sides (brain and body) into balance. “Square” breathing equalizes every inhale and exhale. 

It’s also helpful to consider our current imbalances when choosing strategies. If I’m feeling anxious, slightly extending my exhales could help calm me down. A slight emphasis on the inhales could pick me up when energy is low. Knowing where you are relative to where you’d like to be can inform your decisions. Putting on another sweater isn’t going to help if you’re already too warm. 

Photo by Shiva Smyth on Pexels.com

Today we experience equal lengths of day and night in the macrocosm. How can you take advantage of these cosmic energies to cultivate more balance in your microcosm? It could be time to release something that no longer serves yourself or the community or commit to something that has been twinkling in the back of your mind for some time. It could be as simple as removing some clutter or cleaning the windows so that you can think or see more clearly. 

Chances are that you’re the only one who truly knows what action (or inaction!)  will support your unique equilibrium. Take a few moments today to turn inward and inquire. “How does it get better than this?” is a great prompt if you want some help getting started.

If you have Reiki superpowers, turn on the juice during your contemplation and goal setting. It will help your thoughts and actions to align with flow of nature and your greatest good. If you don’t yet have Reiki superpowers, but would like to, learning is easy in fun. I’m teaching a beginners course in October.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in holistic healing, Reiki, transformation

Reiki and Kundalini

In the past month, I’ve had several inquiries from prospective clients wondering if I could activate their kundalini. I got the impression that they expected it to happen in a single session. 

The short answer is no. A hard no. If your kundalini is not awakened, there is a reason for that: your system isn’t ready yet. 

Reiki can be a tremendous support on this journey. Without a doubt. It can help open the energy pathways by addressing blockages caused by suppressed emotions, cultural conditioning, and limiting beliefs. It won’t, however, just blast through these blockages as they need to be integrated.

Reiki will not forcibly clear the way. I think it would be dangerous to even try. 

Kundalini yoga is an ancient technology that uses mantra, mudra, and asana to invite kundalini to rise up through the chakras to the crown for healing and enlightenment. Yogis practice daily with devotion and mindfulness. I don’t believe there are any shortcuts. 

I understand why folks are seeking a kundalini experience. I’ve had glimpses of the blissful sensations that such an activation delivers. I trust that when my system is ready to handle more, it will emerge organically. Until then, I keep up with my practice of clearing the way with Reiki and yoga. To do otherwise would be the equivalent of putting rocket fuel into a 1977 Ford Pinto. It’s more likely to explode than lift off into space. 

It’s rare that I reply “no” to a “Can Reiki do x?” question. It simply won’t bring things to you that are not aligned with your highest good such as a psychotic break or nervous system overload. 

As far as I can tell, the only way to awaken kundalini is the old-fashioned way. Practice. 

In case you’re wondering, other services I do not offer are fortune telling, past-life readings, and exorcisms. I get occasional inquiries about these as well. They are not within the scope of my practice! Other Reiki practitioners may have trained in these fields and blend the services together, as I do with massage, but Reiki itself is simply the transference of divinely-guided life-force energy. 

Reiki can flood your system with powerful, yet gentle, energy to relieve stress and pain, soothe anxiety and distress, and activate your body’s innate healing abilities. It can help you experience the best version of yourself available in this moment. If you’re interested in having such superpowers at your fingertips, I’m offering an online training next month. Get in touch and we’ll see if it’s a good match for you. 

And if you’re a Reiki practitioner with different views on kundalini activation, I’d love to hear from you too!

Posted by PamelaHipp on in inspiration, transformation

What the… Frog?!

Last night, I met a friend at a park to honor the new moon and to create intentions for the upcoming lunar cycle. New moons are a great time to plant the seeds for what we’d like to experience. Layering that with even a rudimentary understanding of astrological events, we can surf the cosmic energies rather than struggle against the current. 

We talked through our individual circumstances and goals as they related to the astrology and did a simple tarot reading to add another layer of guidance from the mystical realm. These particular cards were challenging to decipher, but we did our best. It helps not to take things too seriously!

As we were heading home in the near-dark night, a frog jumped across the sidewalk in front of us! Maybe that’s a common thing where you live, but this is Philadelphia, one of the largest cities in the U.S. Sure, there was a pond in the park we had just left, but that was about a half mile away, and all the times I had been in this area, I’d never seen a frog. Certainly not on the sidewalk!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

When you’re on the hunt for guidance, it’s easy to cling to every little occurrence. If a squirrel or cat or mosquito had crossed our path, it would not have been noteworthy. But we both agreed that a frog was such an anomaly that it held meaning. Plus, the timing was too significant to ignore.

There’s plenty of information available online about the spiritual message frogs might deliver. I’m not going to repeat any of it here; you can find it easily enough. What’s even more important is the unique meaning that frogs carry for us. Happily this unusual sighting clarified and amplified the tarot reading as it related to the new moon energies. All of these clues allowed us to craft specific and potent intentions.

I’ve written a series of posts on accessing intuition- Intuition Chronicles. While this particular incident falls more into the category of divine guidance via synchronicity, it was intuition that helped us capture and decipher the guidance. It’s simply a matter of asking for support and paying attention to what unfolds.

The more tuned in I am to what’s happening in and around me, the more I am certain that the universe is dropping breadcrumbs along the path to my greatest good. It’s helpful to remember that powerful information can be found outside the traditional intellectual approach if we’re open to it. Deeper meaning and guidance are available to all of us if we choose to slow down and receive it. I’m heading down to sit on the porch and see what surprises the world has to share with me.

Posted by PamelaHipp on in holistic healing, inspiration, transformation, wellness

Springtime!

Happy equinox from Philly, where the snowbells are rioting.

Spring has definitely sprung here and today makes it official. It’s also the beginning of a new astrological year, making it a particularly good time to get clear about what you wish to create during this next spin around the sun.

What can you let go of that is no longer serving you? What beliefs need an overhaul? How can you invest your precious life force energy more wisely?

Clearing out the old helps make way for the new. If ever there was a time to brush ourselves off and make deliberate choices about the next steps forward, it’s now!

Posted by PamelaHipp on in holistic healing, inspiration, transformation

Letting Go

I recently came across this amazing poem written by Robert Moss. I know him as The Dream Guy because his books are teaching me to access the guidance delivered through my nighttime dreams. He apparently wrote the words I’ve copied below about a dream of his own. It illustrates perfectly what I’m seeing lately in Reiki sessions and in my own life.

We’re in a tremendous transition period. As the outside world shifts and changes, we’re being called to do the same on an internal level. Clinging to outdated coping mechanisms and limiting beliefs causes great suffering. The universe is encouraging all of us to examine our choices (thoughts, words, and actions) and evaluate which are serving our highest good, which need to be tuned up or repaired, and which need to be let go of entirely.

It’s a process that requires dedication, clarity, motivation, and resilience. We must simply choose again and again to follow the soul’s guidance rather than moving toward what’s convenient, conventional, or comfortable. Sometimes they overlap, but not always. Sometimes our loved ones cheer us on from the sidelines and other times they’d prefer that we didn’t rock the boat.

I just love how the poem expresses the journey of transformation with such vivid imagery. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Robert Moss, The Man with a Corpse on His Back

When you die to the old life

you must bury it well

or you’ll stumble on

with the corpse of your old self

strapped to your back.

Bury it well and do your grieving.

Set right what can be set right

with those you hurt

and those who hurt you.

Give up the souls you’ve stolen.

Reclaim what was stolen from you.

Then walk on and don’t look back.

Others will dig up your corpse.

Not only enemies and abandoned lovers

but your very best friends.

They’ll exhume your bag of bones

and lash it to your shoulders

to prove you haven’t changed.

You’ll be dragged, down and back.

You’ll need a second wake,

a second burial.

The grave-robbers will come for you

again and again

to chain you to your dead self

until you are changed so utterly

you can only be seen

by those who have changed their eyes.

You’ll vanish into the sunlit spaces

where those who cling

to the ghost of what you were

can’t find you anymore.