wellness

Last week a client reported that his girlfriend had really enjoyed the Community Reiki Clinic they attended a few months back. I was delighted to hear this; it had been her first experience with Reiki healing and I hadn’t gotten a chance to check in with her afterwards. He went on to tell me, “She quit her job soon after that.” What? That was certainly unexpected! I joked that I would not be using this as a testimonial on my website.

He then explained that she had been wanting to leave her job for some time and just hadn’t found the motivation. Apparently the Reiki session helped her to get clear that it was time to move on and she started looking for new employment. Once the wheels were in motion, it didn’t take long to find a position that was better suited to her. He claims she’s much happier now.

Actually, this story isn’t uncommon. Very often people report that they feel stuck in uncomfortable situations; jobs, relationships, housing, and health are the most common scenarios I hear about from my clients. They know something needs to change, but they just aren’t sure how to begin. Reiki can quickly help them see the bigger picture, and align themselves with the improvement they seek. Somehow the disharmonious circumstance drains a person’s energy, leaving them floundering and uncertain. Once they get a Reiki recharge, focus and stamina are boosted, and the way is made clear.

This is the same phenomenon that prevents me from answering “yes” to the common question, “Can you heal me?” Sometimes what people mean when they ask me that is if I can magically make them happy in an environment or relationship that is not serving their highest good. I’ve seen Reiki change lives in dramatic ways to support the recipient. Indeed it is not always convenient, but it is a powerful energizer. When our lifestyles are not in alignment with our highest good, Reiki seems to attract the necessary circumstances to motivate us to seek change.

Reiki: it will make unhappy circumstances intolerable. If you’re feeling stuck, in your job or elsewhere, it can give you the nudge you need to transform your life. It always supports our highest good. I’m considering a new tag line: Get Reiki and Say Goodbye to Everything that Holds You Back. Nah, too many words. I’ll stick with Relax, Renew, Restore.

Letting Go, Moving On

Last week a client reported that his girlfriend had really enjoyed the Community Reiki Clinic they attended…
Lately I’ve been doing quite a bit of long-distance Reiki. It can be a difficult concept to grasp, but energy is not limited by time or space. There is a symbol that level 2 Reiki students learn that allows us to send energy to someone who is not in the same room. Reiki can be transmitted across the globe for the healing benefit of a recipient far away. There are scientific explanations for this phenomenon, but let’s face it; we’re talking about a spiritually guided energy. It’s a whole lot easier for me to grasp that the higher power directing Reiki knows how to deliver a package to wherever it needs to go, than to wrap my mind around Quantum physics.

What I especially appreciate about long-distance Reiki (also called remote Reiki), is the simplicity and convenience for the client. There’s no need to get dressed, leave the house, trudge through traffic, scout out a parking spot, or face inclement weather. It helps stay-at-home parents who would otherwise need to find childcare, those with transportation challenges, and people who just plain don’t want to go outside. It eliminates the need to block out time from a busy schedule for traveling time and allows one to integrate the healing energy from the comfort of home rather than on the freeway.

When I offer a long-distance session to a client, I suggest that they make the time to create a quiet space in which they will not be disturbed. Their only job is to rest and be comfortable. Usually people lie down, but some like to be in nature, or in their favorite chair. As long as they are relaxed, they are allowing themselves to receive the maximum benefits. I simply go into a meditative state, invoke the Reiki symbols, and imagine the client is before me. Some practitioners use a teddy bear or a pillow as a surrogate to help focus their attention. It’s not necessary, but can be a useful tool.

When I’m working with a client I haven’t met in person, we communicate in advance by email. Not only does it help me connect with them and get a sense of their intention, but it also reassures the recipient that this virtual stranger whom they have hired to send healing life-force energy to them is for real. (Yes, I know. It can be a difficult concept to grasp!) Often after the first three or four sessions we both become comfortable enough to minimize the electronic connection.

I’ve read stories of miraculous recoveries people have experienced through remote Reiki. Blood clots disappearing, tumors shrinking and mysterious ailments evaporating. While I believe all that to be possible, mostly what I have witnessed are clients who have a greater sense of ease in their minds and bodies, and are better able to cope with the stresses of their daily lives. This seems to me to be the key to maintaining health and quality of life. Managing stress is a necessity of modern life. Long-distance Reiki offers people an opportunity to do this in a super-easy, convenient, comfortable way, without adding the stress of having to arrive on time at an appointment across town. What could be better than that?!

If you’re interested in learning more, visit my website. I offer complimentary 10 minute phone consultations to those who are unsure if my services can benefit them. There’s no topic I enjoy more than health and healing, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’re interested in learning more.

Ultimate Stress Relief- Long Distance Reiki

Lately I’ve been doing quite a bit of long-distance Reiki. It can be a difficult concept…
Such glorious words to hear from a client! It’s pretty common for people to show up for their first appointment with me in pretty rough shape. Pain is a powerful motivator, and is often what drives people to seek help from the healing arts. While the vast majority of people feel better after one treatment, the effects begin to fade over time as stress once again drains their wellness reserves. I endeavor to find the rhythm that supports people to stay ahead of that stress. For many, this is mean scheduling a treatment once or twice per month.

I have observed that when people begin to actively manage their stress (through meditation, yoga, tai chi, massage, Reiki, acupuncture, diet, etc.) that many of their chronic pains begin to disappear. I have four clients that I currently work with who are learning to avoid debilitating headaches. One was even able to reduce the headache prevention medication that made her forgetful and feel foggy-headed. True, headaches are not a life-threatening illness, but anyone who has ever suffered from frequent bouts understands that one’s quality of life is greatly diminished.

It seems we all have a threshold of stress that our individual bodies can tolerate. When we cross that threshold, the body sends us messages, sometimes in the form of pain, to get out attention. These painful signals are cries for help. When we heed them and seek balance, very often the pain disappears as it is no longer necessary; just like the fuel warning light on the dashboard of a car disappears when we fill the tank with gasoline.

When we give the body what it needs (adequate rest, oxygen, nutrients, hydration, movement, pleasure, and expression) it is able to function more smoothly and can often heal itself. Ideally this would be our normal state. However, we live in a world that is faster and busier than suits most nervous systems. This ongoing stress takes its toll on our body chemistry and eventually our muscles, joints, organs, and glands. It seems we have three choices: move to a tropical island, suffer from chronic pain, or support our wellness by managing stress. I, for one, have happily chosen the third option, and delight in reporting to my support system, “I had a great month!”

“I Had a Great Month!”

Such glorious words to hear from a client! It’s pretty common for people to show up…
I’m really focusing on the somewhat radical belief that pain is a message, from our bodies or our spirits, indicating that something needs our attention. When we acknowledge it as such, and receive the message we can then make the appropriate adjustments. This acceptance and taking of responsibility may or may not result in the lessening or elimination of the pain, but will absolutely promote a deeper healing from within.

I’ve been working with a client who’s recovering from an auto accident. She has both good days and bad days. On the days when she’s feeling pain, she will often take a muscle relaxer. Then she says she feels better and can do the things she wants to do. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, then she perceives a false sense of strength and well-being and tends to overdo. She thinks she’s feeling better, but actually she’s just feeling less. She’s missing out on the message from her body to rest or slow down or take it easy. Then that sets off a whole other chain of events as her recovery is set back by harmful activity.

Over the course of the 60 minutes we spend together, she’s starting to see that overriding her body’s request to have down time for healing is actually creating a longer period of recuperation. She’s recognizing that forcing her agenda of returning to her former state of athleticism before her muscles and nervous system are ready is causing her to feel worse in the long run. She’s coming to the awareness that the pain she experiences is an important message.

By no means am I suggesting that she stop taking the meds. Really that’s her decision and it’s not for me to know whether or not they are helpful. What I’m suggesting is that if she chooses to take them, to remember that she may have shot the messenger, but that doesn’t make the message itself any less important. As she learns to honor the input her body is readily sharing, I have no doubt that her healing will progress much more quickly. She can choose to feel less AND honor her body’s request. It’s just a matter of being mindful.

Pain as a Messenger

I’m really focusing on the somewhat radical belief that pain is a message, from our bodies…
In addition to private sessions and teaching classes, I’ve been offering community Reiki in center city Philadelphia for the past several months. While being quite a different format than traditional treatments, I’ve come to really look forward to these events. It’s a great opportunity for those who are curious about Reiki to experience the healing energy in a super-affordable way. While Reiki is always gentle, being in a community setting seems to diffuse the energy making it less intense, although it is just as powerful. Think sprinkler, vs. hose. Both get the job done, but the delivery method is extremely different.

I’m really pleased to partner up with Paige Chapman, owner and operator at Mama’s Wellness Joint to present another Community Reiki on Tuesday, March 29 at 7:30 pm. What a great way to unwind and get some support during the middle of the week. We’d love to have you join us and get “soaked” by the Reiki sprinkler! Wear comfy clothes and arrive a few minutes early to get settled in and set yourself up to relax on the floor with blankets and bolsters. $10-$20 suggested cash donation.

If you’re wondering what the heck Reiki is and why you’d want to experience it, check out my website for more information. It truly is a magnificent technique for healing on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It works well with all other treatments and is safe for everyone. Best of all it creates a sense of deep inner peace that is simply divine. Put it on your calendar and come receive some healing energy.

Community Reiki Clinic

In addition to private sessions and teaching classes, I’ve been offering community Reiki in center city…
I taught a Reiki for Self-Care class this weekend. It was a great joy to attune three new practitioners to this powerful healing art. I’ve condensed my Reiki 1 curriculum down to the bare essentials of what students need to treat themselves in order to be active participants in their own well-being. In two and a half hours I cover the basics of what Reiki is, where it comes from, and how we can use it in our daily lives to boost our immune systems and relieve stress. It truly is so simple that one afternoon can change our lives.

I saw a friend afterwards who was surprised that the class was so brief. “How do you teach people to feel energy?” she wanted to know. I was stunned for a moment, as I have absolutely no idea how to do that! Practicing Reiki over more than a decade has opened up my receptivity to feeling energy, but no one ever taught me this skill. I realized that she thought sensing energy , blockages, and auras was necessary to practice Reiki. Luckily it isn’t.

I was grateful to address this misperception because it gave me insight as to why some people might feel unwilling to take my class. It had never occurred to me that someone might be worried that they couldn’t feel energy and would therefore not be a successful Reiki practitioner. Since Reiki energy is spiritually guided, practitioners need not worry about how it is distributed. I teach a series of hand positions that targets all organs, glands, and chakras to cover all the bases. Once students have been initiated through the attunement process, they simply follow the series to tune-up the whole system, or place their hands on or near an area of discomfort for minor first aid treatment.

It really is that simple! We don’t need to detect any negative energy or blocked energy or weak energy. We don’t need to investigate anatomy or physiology or pathology. We don’t need to speak with our inner children or higher selves. We just turn on the juice and let it flow where it’s needed. The hand positions are actually just suggestions that give our minds something to hold onto. The mere intention to flood ourselves with healing energy turns on the tap. The Reiki takes over from there, allowing us to sit back and soak it up. It’s sometimes hard to imagine that something so powerful can be so simple. And that, my friends, is the beauty of this miraculous technique!

Learning Reiki

I taught a Reiki for Self-Care class this weekend. It was a great joy to attune…
Recently a client asked me if her hair was interfering with her chi flow. We were doing a Reiki/massage combo and she had tied it up, Sumo style, to keep it out of the oil. She was worried that the clump of hair might block the flow of chi (life force energy, same as the “ki” in Reiki) from entering her crown chakra. I assured her that chi is powerful enough to navigate through.

I could almost see the wheels spinning as she processed this information. A few beats later, she asked A Really Big Question. How could our chakras ever get blocked if chi is so powerful? I generally don’t like to converse during a treatment because it keeps the client from sinking into deep relaxation. However, this concept is so important to deep, lasting healing that I was grateful for the opportunity to respond.

Much has been written on this topic. I could go on and on about it for days, but it’s really quite simple. We have free will. We have been given the power to choose our thoughts, and sometimes we choose thoughts that are out of alignment with our True Nature. It’s our thinking that blocks the chi; when we choose new thoughts, loving thoughts, the chi will begin to resume its natural flow.

We were created as sacred beings; innocent, free, peaceful, joyful, loving, and loved. This is our True Nature. Thoughts of fear, worry, jealousy, anger, resentment, guilt, and shame disrupt the flow of life-force energy in and around our bodies. We might think that we’re feeling upset because of unacceptable circumstances, but really we’re upset because our thoughts are causing us to feel separate from our True Nature. The willingness to surrender misaligned thinking is the remedy to restoring chi flow.

She sighed deeply and agreed that this really struck home. Accepting this truth is quite empowering as we then have the opportunity to create change. It’s also a big responsibility as we are no longer able to point fingers and blame other people, events, or situations as the source of our blockages. To me, it’s just like any other law of nature, such as gravity. It just is; I might as well learn to work with it rather than waste my time and energy struggling against it.

Blocking Chi

Recently a client asked me if her hair was interfering with her chi flow. We were…
This year, I’m trying something different with my New Year’s Resolutions. While I do have some very specific daily and weekly goals, I’m allowing myself a great deal of flexibility. For example, on January 1, when I found myself on an airplane at the hour I’ve designated for exercise, I didn’t get agitated. When I awoke on January 2 feeling quite exhausted after traveling home from spending nine days chasing toddlers around, I allowed myself to go back to bed and rest.

Some people might say I’m lazy or undisciplined. I prefer to think that I’m discerning. I’ve set a primary intention to be happy, healthy, and free this year; and this intention supersedes all other goals. I find great comfort in this structure of flexibility. It allows me the liberty to decide each day if the well-designed routine I’ve created is the best strategy to align with my intention, or if there’s a more effective option.

It’s not my goal to be my own drill sergeant or to cross off a lengthy to-do list. Certainly the ego enjoys such tasks and is strengthened when I ignore the call for rest or gentleness in favor of rigid discipline. But Spirit encourages me to actively engage in life in a way that honors all of me, and that’s where the flexibility comes in. This is not a failure to stick to my resolutions; rather a refinement that allows my resolutions to work for me and my highest good.

I invite you to think of the intention behind your goals. Get in touch with the feeling that you’re hoping to create in the new year. And recognize that while your plan might be sensible and solid, there will be days, even weeks, when it just won’t be healthy to push on through to earn that gold star. (P.S. There is no gold star!) Because I enjoy it and recognize the tremendous benefits to my overall wellness, I’m going to exercise tomorrow morning. Unless I choose not to. I must assess those reasons for myself when the time comes.

Flexi-lutions. The evolved, flexible resolutions of 2016.

Flexi-lutions

This year, I’m trying something different with my New Year’s Resolutions. While I do have some…
When giving a Reiki session, it’s pretty obvious to me that there is an overflow of energy. The client naturally receives an abundance of Reiki, but the excess will spill over, filling the room and beyond. Pets are able to sense this and are drawn to the room where I am working when I do outcalls. People comment on the “good vibes” in my office space and sometimes I joke about creating a Reiki café where people can hang out and soak up healing energy. This is because Reiki is not confined to the limits of time and space. Let’s just say that universal energy is pretty darn miraculous! I’ll probably never intellectually understand how it works, but I’m astounded again and again by its vast power and unfathomable-ness.

I’ve been observing this phenomenon for over a decade, so when I was invited to offer a Community Reiki Clinic at a wellness center, I wholeheartedly agreed. It’s my hope that Reiki will one day become a popular source of wellness maintenance. Therefore offering people the opportunity to receive a treatment in a group setting got me pumped. This lowers the cost significantly, making it available to a much wider range of recipients than those who are able to schedule frequent one-on-one sessions. It’s also a great joy for me to watch the transformation that takes place on people’s faces as they relax for an hour in a Reiki-infused environment. And I get to rotate through the room several times delivering personal attention and connecting with each participant.

When learning how to give a Reiki treatment, we are taught that it is our intention that opens the channels for Reiki to flow. In the beginning, it might be helpful to use a few words (“Reiki on” or “May Reiki flow through me now for the highest good of Sally.”) for the mind to accept the power that lies at our fingertips. Eventually though, it’s enough just to think about Reiki and poof! The energy is flowing strongly. I’ve been experimenting with different “settings” for distributing the ki (life-force energy). I call the setting for hands-on Reiki “Super Soaker” after the popular water gun that releases a strong stream of water. This is the setting most practitioners rely on during treatments. I’ve also been using a “Fountain” setting, for filling the room with Reiki, and a “Sprinkler” setting as if I am watering the garden of participants resting before me.

I can only imagine that there is a limitless variety of ways to share healing energy. I always encourage my students to be creative and to experiment with different styles. I’m delighted to discover a new format of practicing that is more affordable and accessible to more people. I’m even more excited to remember that I am limited only by my thoughts, and that as I open up to the realm of Limitless Possibilities, I will be led to new ideas and circumstances that will expand my growth and ability to serve. I look forward to my experiments with the even more new settings and the opportunity to share them with you. If you’re in or near Philadelphia, check out Mama’s Wellness Joint for the next Community Reiki Clinic.

Community Reiki Clinic

When giving a Reiki session, it’s pretty obvious to me that there is an overflow of…