wellness

Modern medicine is finally starting to recognize the detrimental effects that chronic stress has on our health. Physiologically, it’s clear that living under a cloud of too much to do, too many to care for, too little support and too few resources is a recipe for illness.

We know that the fight or flight response helps in an emergency situation, but when triggered 10 times each day before breakfast, it inhibits the immune system. It reroutes energy that would ideally be used for detoxification, digestion, assimilation of nutrients, cellular repair, creativity and focus and leaves us feeling fatigued, anxious, tense and stuck.

Activating the relaxation response is the foundation of the work I do. The number one thing clients say to me after a session is, “I feel so relaxed.” Or some variation of that. Sometimes it’s, “I didn’t know it was possible to feel so relaxed.”

Fantastic!

And then people generally return to their default patterns which generally do not preserve this relaxation.

I’m not pointing fingers here. We live in a world that promotes stress and busyness as markers of value and dismisses rest, relaxation and listening to the body’s cries for help as weakness. It’s totally understandable that most of us never learned how to relax, why it’s so important or how to keep it once we’ve gotten a taste.

If you get your car detailed, it will look great at first. How long will it last? Well, that’s up to you, isn’t it? It could be a minute or a month, maybe even two, depending on how you use it and your habits.

Same goes with relaxation. There is no one application that is permanent. It’s something that needs to be cultivated. There isn’t a “one size fits all” way to do that, though.

For those who are primed to change their habits and commit to a different way of interacting with the world, a treatment can be a jumpstart into their new routines.

Others will need consistent treatment until they find their footing and can build and maintain their routines.

Others will see a monthly treatment as ongoing support for themselves and all the care they offer to the world.

Others don’t even know where to begin. If this is you, I commend you for reading this far and being willing to consider what might be very much out of your comfort zone.

If your comfort zone has gotten too restrictive and you’re ready to expand it, I’d suggest trying my Reiki + coaching treatment and we can have a chat about small, simple actions you can take as well as fill up your tank with healing life-force energy.

Wherever you are, I’m here to help. There’s no need to worry that you’re too stressed or too anything or not enough of some other thing. We all have to begin our healing journey from where we are. Rather than bemoaning our starting point we can instead use that energy to step in the direction we’d like to go.

Today’s a good day to take that first step, don’t you think?

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Relaxation as a Portal to Healing

Modern medicine is finally starting to recognize the detrimental effects that chronic stress has on our…
Today I achieve level 54! That’s 54 voyages around the sun under my belt. How amazing is that?

There are two primary ways of dealing with birthdays and neither suit me.

One is bemoaning the loss of youth and collagen, criticizing the body’s aging process and wishing for the good ole days.

Bleep that! What most people call aging, I see as accumulated toxins and tension, suppressed emotions, buying into BS patriarchal beliefs that youth=value, and the result of decades of abusing and neglecting our poor bodies.

All of this is something I address daily with Reiki. And after 8,000+ days of soaking up healing energy, I’m just getting more and more powerful and wise and attuned to my worthiness.

The second popular way to celebrate birthdays is the f*** it approach. It could be performative- look at all the fun I’m having- see the photo proof on Instagram!

It could be self-destructive with overdrinking, overeating, overindulging, overspending, overdoing, trying to prove to the world that you can do/have/be it all.

Allow me to present a third option. One that becomes much more clear once you activate these higher levels.

An honoring of self. Here are some questions I consider when leveling up.

What would my soul enjoy doing today?

How can I express the essence of my true self?

What would feel really good for my body, not just in this moment, but also tomorrow morning?

What seeds do I want to plant for the next revolution around the sun?

Which weeds do I need to pull to fully activate the wise woman within?

Unsurprisingly, Jell-O shots and sheet cake, spa treatments and shopping sprees, amusement parks and bars do not make the cut. I’m more likely to opt for a visit to the woods, a bath or extra long meditation.

Next time you’re due to level up, I hope you’ll consider what is it that truly nourishes you rather than doing the thing that is expected.

Celebrating Level 54!

Today I achieve level 54! That’s 54 voyages around the sun under my belt. How amazing…
Seven is my lucky number. In honor of the seventh month, the seven chakras (as portrayed in several traditional systems), and the particularly potent full moon on the day I’m posting this, I’ve designed a new treatment.

It’s a remote Reiki session for cleansing, charging and balancing the energy centers.

I love Reiki because it is powerful, yet gentle, and never invasive. It always gives each client exactly what they need in that moment because it works with their bodies’ wisdom rather than attempting to impose some prescribed protocol.

By focusing in on chakra healing and removing the chatting element of a session, I’m able to offer this 40 minute treatment at only $77.

I recorded a six minute video to explain the how and why of remote Reiki for chakra healing. I could have gone on and on, but really tried to reel myself in to cover the basics. There’s a lot to be said about working with the energy centers and I’d much rather DO it than yammer on about it.

You’ll find buttons below for scheduling if it feels right for you.

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Chakra Healing Treatment

Seven is my lucky number. In honor of the seventh month, the seven chakras (as portrayed…
Quite frequently people who come to receive a Reiki session report feeling stuck. They want to let go of an emotion, thought, or behavior that seems to be holding them down or holding them back, but don’t know how. I think most of us can relate to this- I sure can!

Reiki has helped me to let go of resentment, to forgive myself and those involved in numerous upsets, to release grief that had lingered way past its shelf life, and to transmute cravings for unhealthy foods, and escape a wide variety of coping mechanisms. I’ve witnessed it do all this and more for my clients.

Flooding the energy field with Reiki helps us to rise above the ego-mind and to align with the higher self, that part of us which is eternal and unchangeable.

From this perspective, we have a better view of unhelpful patterns and the thoughts and beliefs that hold us hostage.

Being immersed in the flow of spiritually-guided life-force energy helps us to feel safe, accepted, and more at ease.

This sets the stage for the type of deep inquiry that can lead to lasting change. From this sacred space of realized wholeness and empowerment, we are able to create shifts that support the changes we desire in our lives.

And yet, it is really up to each of us to make those changes if we expect to see lasting change.

Reiki is indeed a tremendous support in this process, but it is not the process itself. It is not a magic elixir that enables us to sit back and watch as our world morphs into something more desirable.

The thoughts we think contribute to our future and also affect our ki (life- force energy). If we wish to improve our lives, it is essential that we take responsibility for becoming aware of how we continue to contribute to our troubles, either consciously or unconsciously. Reiki can help us do that (indeed it is a huge help in that department!).

The work of partnering with clients who want to go to the next level and get off the merry-go-round entirely is my real passion. So much so that I developed a Reiki + Coaching combo for those who want to do the necessary inner work that leads to transformation.

Finding the places (often thought patterns, outdated coping mechanisms, old protective strategies, or inherited beliefs) where people get stuck and helping them get unstuck is a true joy. It involves a more active treatment where the client participates in a dialog exploring resistance to moving forward in addition to the usual passive practice of receiving the healing energy.

Now this process is not for everyone. Examining one’s shadow can be uncomfortable and requires a great deal of courage. If you’re seeking a path to healing old wounds in order to recreate a life based on peace, love, and joy then my Reiki + Coaching treatment just might be the technique to help you along the way.

Learn more here.

I also offer a 3 session package at 10% off the individual rate, good for two months from the date of purchase and a 5 session package at 15% off, good for three months. Availability is limited. Packages are a great way to commit to doing the work. If you’re interested, please contact me to briefly share your goals and I’ll ask a few questions to see if we’re a good match.

Breaking Unhelpful Patterns with Reiki

Quite frequently people who come to receive a Reiki session report feeling stuck. They want to…
Tomorrow is the summer solstice here in the U.S. It’s the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. For my fellow Cancerians, it’s our birth month, the time when the sun enters our zodiac sign, shining blessings upon us. 🦀 🎂

All this sunshine and the resulting heat can easily tip us out of balance if we don’t take care. For me, irritation is very close to the surface this time of year.

Especially when I see temperatures in the high 90s when it’s only June! 😖

Given the choice of suffering greatly while feeling wilted and like a volcano ready to erupt or taking action to alleviate the excess heat, I choose prevention.

I enjoy the cooling effects of sun tea made with fresh mint leaves. Making cucumber water is as simple as dropping a few slices in a jug and letting the flavor infuse the water and has the added bonus of feeling fancy.

I’m especially fond of a pranayama practice called sitali breath. It’s sometimes called “taco breathing” as you make a shape like a hard taco shell with the tongue. No worries if you can’t do that (I recall a 9th grade biology lesson that says some people are genetically incapable of doing so); there’s a modification.

If you find yourself getting overheated just thinking about stepping away from the air conditioner, this can really help. Add a cool, wet towel to the back of the neck if you’re very heat averse or tend to generate a lot of internal heat.

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/beat-the-heat-sitali-and-sitkari/

The AC is cranking here at my office if you’d like to come have a treatment in the cool air.

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Happy Solstice!

Tomorrow is the summer solstice here in the U.S. It’s the longest day of the year…
Sat Yam Meditation for Depression/Anger/Grief Release

I’m seeing a lot of heightened emotions out there. Given the state of the world, it’s no surprise. Emotions aren’t a problem in and of themselves, but when we hold them in, they wreak havoc with our health, and when we fling them about carelessly, they wreak havoc in our relationships and contribute to the collective chaos.

There’s another way! We can alchemize our feelings using practices such as this meditation that my Reiki teacher Laura Bruno shares. Rather than repressing, suppressing, avoiding, escaping, or projecting you could engage in a process of responsibly and compassionately acknowledging and transmuting these powerful emotions.

It’s been a game changer for me and I hope you’ll give it a try.

Working with Uncomfortable Emotions

I’m seeing a lot of heightened emotions out there. Given the state of the world, it’s…
I’ve been collecting life-force energy for some time now. Having more deposits than withdrawals is part of my healthy aging plan. I think this is a brilliant strategy for wellness of all kinds, but is particularly important as we age.

What most people think of as “aging” is what I see as the compound interest of lifelong energetic debt. We can get away with neglecting of our bodies, even abusing them, for some time, but eventually the consequences catch up.

Every decision we make can include an awareness of this simple math. Will this action yield more or less healing energy in my system?

Don’t get me wrong- I’m no teetotaler. I don’t always opt for the supremely healthy choice, but when I don’t, I do the math first to decide if the results will be worth it.

Today, I went out for lunch. I usually prepare my own meals, but for the past 24 hours, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about bread. Very strange. I wondered if perhaps it was my body speaking to me? More likely a long-silenced part that never got onboard 25 years ago when I learned I had a wheat sensitivity. Whatever, the thoughts became a craving and I figured a sandwich would do the trick.

I knew that mediocre bread wouldn’t cut it. And gluten free bread isn’t usually great. It’s either crazy expensive, has questionable ingredients to make up for the gluey gluten goodness that traditionally holds bread together, or crumbles in your hands. I couldn’t think of any way to satisfy this desire at the grocery store and I had nothing at home that would suffice.

So off to the bakery I go. I chose what would be considered healthy fare by any American standards. Chicken salad on walnut raisin. Not a hoagie (hero, sub, grinder or bun the size of my head), just two slices of bread. It was most satisfying and quelled that incessant loop in my head.

As I stood up to bus my plate, I had to cough. This is highly unusual for me. Suddenly, there was a lot of phlegm in my throat. As I walked out the door, I noticed I was sniffly. Shortly thereafter, I was gassy. And then my ears started to itch.

No big deal, really. My body can manage all of this. But it’s using life-force to do so. I don’t need to feel guilty or worry or make amends. It’ll all even out if I offer an extra deposit- such as time in nature or meditating.

If this was my habit, though, it’s easy to see how I’d eventually end up in life-force deficiency. And I’d get chronically stuffy, which could create the perfect environment for a virus to move in. Or I could medicate the symptoms, ignoring the root cause and accrue even more problematic symptoms.

I thought of my friend Mika, who carries a digestive enzyme supplement with her for times like these. There are definitely ways to mitigate less than stellar decisions. But what I really want to point out is that I recognized these symptoms because they aren’t the norm for me. Many people wouldn’t identify phlegm-iness as a result of food choices.

The more active I am in building my life-force savings, the more obvious the costly fees are because the contrast is so great.

There is no one-sized fits all life-force savings plan. I’m not suggesting that you don’t eat out, or you don’t eat chicken salad sandwiches, or you go wheat- free. But I am suggesting you do some detective work, some experimenting, and begin an honest exploration into your expenditures and investments.

If you find yourself digging in your heels, unwilling to give up certain behaviors you know to be problematic, that’s ok too. To balance things out, you can put your focus on life-force deposits. So rather than taking something away, you can think of adding in a beneficial practice like yoga or tai chi. Or build a monthly session of massage and/or Reiki into your budget and calendar.

Find ways to make more deposits, even if your withdrawals remain the same, and you’ll accrue wellness credits over time. The benefit to quitting the habits that have less than desirable results, at least for a few weeks, is that your body can recalibrate and you’ll be better able to notice its reaction to something as simple as eating a sandwich for lunch.

Accruing Life-Force and Healthy Aging

I’ve been collecting life-force energy for some time now. Having more deposits than withdrawals is part…
Tight muscles are literally my business. It’s common knowledge that stretching will help, but I usually disagree.

To be clear, I mean deliberately holding a stretch to remedy muscle tension. I think that stretching like a cat and moving through the body’s range of motion is great for maintaining mobility. But sustaining a forward bend to address tight hamstrings, for example, often backfires.

So I made a three and half minute video to explain why.

P.S. I created a follow up video outlining what I do recommend.

I don’t recommend targeted stretching, and here’s why.

Tight muscles are literally my business. It’s common knowledge that stretching will help, but I usually…
A new client returned for his second massage to report that after his first session, he had slept without discomfort for the first time in months. Oh the joy of hearing updates like this! We still have work to do releasing patterns created by overuse and postural habits, but he was feeling hopeful.

He went on to tell me that his previous experiences with massage were so intense that he had been in massive pain for three or four days after each treatment. After experiencing relief from our session, he had come to the conclusion that the previous “strong sensation” (aka painful) approach had actually been making the condition worse.

I concur.

We had a brief chat about pain, the fight or flight reflex, and the resulting release of stress hormones and contraction of muscles. It’s my intention to create the exact opposite effect by encouraging the relaxation response: the release of feel-good hormones, unwinding tension, deep breathing, and muscle melting. It’s part of my mission to educate people about the power of coaxing the body into relaxation rather than attempting (and almost always failing) to force it into submission.

The thing that brings me even more joy is the next step in healing where people recognize that wellness is the result of listening to the messages their bodies deliver, treating themselves kindly, and taking good care of themselves. We live in a world that values doing more, going faster, powering through the upsets, and pushing ourselves incredibly hard. Until we begin to value wellness, relaxation, pleasure, and comfort equally as much, if not more, we will continue to suffer with chronic pain and promote the internal conditions that contribute to chronic and debilitating disease.

If you’re interested in a gentle, therapeutic massage and you live in the Philly area, this is my jam. I’m a no-pain specialist. The goal is to meet muscles where they are, sinking in until the first hint of resistance says stop, and lingering there while inviting the tension to soften. Schedule online here.

If you live elsewhere, I’d encourage you to do some research before scheduling a session. Some therapists are firmly entrenched in the “no pain, no gain” agenda and therefore going gentle is not in their repertoire at all. There’s a local studio that uses 💪 💪 💪 next to each of the providers’ names as an indicator of pressure range. Just like the 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ rating in a Thai restaurant, you can better choose appropriately if you know what to expect.

(I’ll add that out of a possible five 💪, none of these therapists offered a level 1, and only two of the eight offer level 2. There was a whole lot of hoopla about seven of them going all the way to the max. Sigh.)

If you call a spa and ask for a certain kind of pressure, you’re likely to get a “yes”. Yes, sir, how high sir? The goal in a spa is to book lots of sessions and the front desk folks are eager to get you in the door. You might try asking which therapist they would recommend given your desire to relax instead of suffer. Since they might never have had a massage, might enjoy something entirely different, or don’t know the staff’s strengths and weaknesses, this approach is hit or miss.

Instead, I’d suggest going with an individual in private practice. Someone who works for him/herself and has hopefully created some content online so you can get an idea of what to expect. Sure, the spas and the franchises will have glossier websites with lots of bells and whistles. But this mission is about finding a good match for your needs, and that’s likely to come from a humble site like this one.

You could start simply by saying that you enjoy a relaxing/gentle/medium or light pressure/full body treatment and wonder if that’s available. Then listen to what they don’t say. They might agree, but with hesitation suggesting that this is out of their comfort zone or that they just aren’t into work like this, even though they can do it.

Personally, I’d rather have no massage than to suffer through one that hurts or to have to constantly ask the therapist to back off. AND there are enough of us providers out there, I feel confident that you can find a compatible practitioner if you do a little exploring.

Massage doesn’t have to hurt. I truly believe that it shouldn’t. But you’re going to have to advocate for yourself because much of the world doesn’t know this yet.

Painful Massage is Not the Answer

A new client returned for his second massage to report that after his first session, he…