emotional healing

  • Relaxation as a Portal to Healing

    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?

    Relaxation as a Portal to Healing

    Modern medicine is finally starting to recognize the detrimental effects that chronic stress has on our…

  • Chakra Healing Treatment

    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.

    Chakra Healing Treatment

    Seven is my lucky number. In honor of the seventh month, the seven chakras (as portrayed…

  • Cultivating Inner Freedom

    We’re approaching Independence Day here in the U.S. While I’m not much interested in parades, day drinking or fireworks these days, I do like to honor the spirit of the holiday.

    Freedom.

    It’s buzzing in the microcosm and I’m going to take full advantage, bringing that energy into my microcosm.

    Much of what inhibits personal freedom can be addressed from within.

    Outdated coping mechanisms and unhealed wounds can cause behavior that is not aligned with our intentions.

    Limiting beliefs absorbed in childhood can diminish self-worth and cause us to expect less from life than what is actually available.

    Habitual thought patterns and addictive tendencies can keep us stuck.

    Addressing all of this begins with awareness, compassion, curiosity, and the willingness to choose differently.

    When you feel into the intention of experiencing more freedom, what stands in the way? When you feel into that obstacle, what lurks beneath it? And beneath that?

    Keep going and I’m willing to bet that you arrive at a fundamental disconnection from your essence and the divine nature within you.

    One simple remedy is to place a hand over your heart in a gesture of loving kindness and to speak to yourself using the words you’ve always longed to hear.

    I see you. I’m here with you. You’re doing great. You’ve got this.

    Find that words that resonate deeply and really drink them in.

    Follow it up by repeating “freedom” as a sacred mantra. Let the frequency of freedom vibrate within you and spread throughout your entire being.

    Make this a daily practice. Repetition is key. Healing is a process and requires devotion and stamina.

    You are worth the effort.

    If you have access to Reiki superpowers, absolutely turn them on for this simple healing ritual.

    If you’d like support for this endeavor, or whatever you’re working through, I’m just a few clicks away. If you want to go all-in, I have one opening for a 5 session Reiki+ intuitive coaching package.

    Cultivating Inner Freedom

    We’re approaching Independence Day here in the U.S. While I’m not much interested in parades, day…

  • Breaking Unhelpful Patterns with Reiki

    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…

  • 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…

  • Whether you’re unsure of how to get your healing journey started or stalled somewhere along the way, it can help to have a simple, daily practice to rely on. Something to sink your teeth into.

    There’s so much information available to us these days that’s it’s easy to get lost down never-ending rabbit holes, exploring all the options, but never actually taking the first step.

    I love kundalini yoga. I find it to be immensely transformative. Mantra, mudra, breathwork, movement, and meditation are all basic components that are combined for synergistic rewards.

    You’ll have to leave your need to know at the door. While there are indeed reasons why making particular sounds and hand gestures creates a particular effect, the learning of these reasons often leads to years of study. Study is not practice. It produces information, not results.

    I will say that chanting produces a vibration in the head that is said to affect the pineal gland. If that means nothing to you, don’t worry. It’s not necessary to understand to reap the rewards.

    I’m not going to get into the history of kundalini yoga. Let’s just say it’s THOUSANDS of years old. From a time when there were fewer distractions and adepts could more easily drop into the moment and their bodies and notice the changes brought about by their efforts.

    Nor will I get into the potential benefits of this particular practice other than to say it can help you get unstuck. But only if you do it.

    I’ve chosen share kirtan kriya because it is so easy to do. It requires a mere 12 minutes of your time. It has four simple syllables, to be combined with four simple hand gestures.

    This video does a good job of guiding the way. The chant is done aloud, then whispered, then silently, then whispered again, and finally aloud. Just follow along.

    Traditionally a practice like this is performed for 40 consecutive days for maximum benefit. If that seems like a big commitment, ask yourself how much you’d like to experience relief. If you want to feel differently, you must do something different.

    If you have access to Reiki, activate it before you begin and enjoy the bonus of marinating in healing life-force energy. While Reiki remains my number one all time suggestion for healing, for those who haven’t yet been trained or don’t want to or have access to a practitioner, this is a fantastic alternative.

    It’s especially great for folks who find meditation or resting in stillness to be torturous. The movements and chanting give the mind something to focus on. This can be done sitting in a chair or standing, even lying down, if that’s necessary.

    What do you have to lose? Twelve minutes a day is a pretty minimal investment. Give it a try and see how it feels. Showing up for yourself on a consistent basis is one of the most compassionate and empowering acts possible.

    And you’re worth it.

    Feeling Stuck? Try This.

    Whether you’re unsure of how to get your healing journey started or stalled somewhere along the…

  • In this day and age, most of us live lifestyles that are deficient in life-force.

    We spend most of our time indoors, in climate control and recycled air, under artificial lighting. So we’re not absorbing energy from nature much of the time.

    We’re inundated with chemicals that our poor bodies must consistently detox. From the food we eat to personal care products to downright toxic cleaning supplies, air pollution, water pollution, electronic radiation, and crops that need to be genetically modified to withstand the pesticides that would otherwise kill them… Well, it’s a lot and our systems utilize a ton of energy processing this junk.

    Chronic stress and busyness further depleted our coffers, draining our energy tanks, and leaving us floundering.

    Repressed and suppressed emotions are stored in the body and disrupt the flow of life-force. Same goes for unprocessed trauma and wounds from childhood.

    In short, we spend more vitality than we accumulate. We’re in life-force debt. Most of us, most of the time.

    I make considerable effort to minimize wasted life-force, to generate internal life-force and maximize my exposure to Nature, and still I would be in the red if it weren’t for Reiki.

    Reiki is a natural form of life-force energy and practitioners are able to tap into it and use it for healing and to support goals such as creativity, connection, freedom, joy, resilience, and peace.

    I suspect that our ancestors lived in the flow of this energy.

    And then we got civilized and industrialized. We disconnected from Nature and began to honor the intellect over the body and the emotions.

    People began to live longer, but with poor quality of life because they didn’t have any vitality in reserve.

    Reiki is the easiest way I know to fill up your batteries and give the body what it needs to do what it knows how to do.

    Yes, absolutely, the body has innate healing abilities. It has tremendous wisdom and incredible power. But it can’t function optimally on an empty tank.

    If you’re in need of a jumpstart, consider a Reiki treatment. It’s a safe, gentle, yet powerful technique for giving yourself the juice you need to carry on.

    If you’re in need of consistent life-force deposits, consider learning how to give yourself Reiki. It’s easy and anyone can do it. The capacity to tap into this universal energy is transferred from teacher to student in a Reiki 1 training- it’s not a skill that needs to be learned or a gift that comes naturally.

    Anyone can learn Reiki and can use this healing energy to bolster well-being, heal core wounds and trauma, to break free from ancestral cycles, to tend to the inner child, to support all the body’s systems, to regulate the nervous system, to cultivate peace and joy and freedom.

    I’m offering an in-person class in Philly, beginning February 27. I’m also open to teaching online; if that’s what you need, let me know.

    And if you don’t have the capacity to learn how to do this for yourself, know that you can schedule a remote Reiki session, and receive the myriad of benefits from your home, in your pajamas, without needing to lift a finger.

    If you have zero interest in Reiki, get yourself outside and start absorbing some of the life-force that is freely offered from the earth, the stones, the rain and snow, the trees, the wind, and the sun.

    Why is Reiki so Important?

    In this day and age, most of us live lifestyles that are deficient in life-force. We…

  • I often imagine a world in which children are taught important life skills in kindergarten.

    Things like meditation. Nervous system regulation. Reiki.

    How different things would be if everyone had the capacity to nurture calmness, vitality, and presence in themselves. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

    Which is why I just love teaching Reiki classes! There’s something magical that happens in Reiki 1 after the attunement, when students open their eyes and recognize that they now have lifetime access to this amazing healing energy.

    I was telling my mother recently how excited I am about the upcoming training I’m offering.

    Her response? “But then they won’t need you.” As if teaching people how to use Reiki for themselves was going to put me out of business.

    I guess that’s one way of looking at it.

    In my experience, though, it’s not usually the case.

    Giving yourself a Reiki treatment every day is a profoundly healing experience. It is the fuel that allows long-standing problems to begin to shift gradually.

    It’s not the same thing as leaving your home and the chores that need doing, coming to my cozy office which smells yummy and has soft music playing, and being the recipient of 100% of my attention.

    We can all benefit from doing our work and cultivating a self-care routine. That doesn’t necessarily take the place of receiving support from a professional. It often does allow folks to go longer in between appointments, but most people continue to see me while doing their own thing too.

    Taking a Reiki training doesn’t mean that you need to shoulder the entire burden for your healing journey. It just means that you’re willing to do your part and be on the team. It means you can have blasts of healing energy any time you want and share it with your friends and family.

    And if the budget is super tight, yes, it does mean you can take the Reiki ball and run with it, taking full responsibility for your healing life-force energy deposits.

    I want everyone to have access to Reiki in the way that works best for them. If you’re in the Philly area, check out my upcoming class. If you’re elsewhere in the world, send me a message and we’ll see if we can pull together a virtual training that suits your schedule. If you already have too much on your plate, schedule a session, in-person or remote, and I’ll do all the work.

    winter beauty

    I Wish I Could Teach Everyone Reiki

    I often imagine a world in which children are taught important life skills in kindergarten. Things…

  • Interested in giving yourself daily infusions of spiritually-guided life-force energy?

    It’s so easy to learn!

    Anyone can gain full-time, forever access to Reiki healing energy with minimum investment of time and money.

    It’s the most affordable way I know to get consistent treatment for physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic issues.

    Chronic pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, digestive issues, fertility issues, sleep challenges, focus, creativity, peace, joy and freedom are some of the myriad goals it can be used for.

    I know because I’ve done exactly that every day for 21 years. And IT’S WORKING!!

    Reiki is an ancient healing technique that uses universal life-force energy to cultivate body-mind-spirit balance, stimulate the relaxation response, and relieve stress and tension.

    It’s a seemingly magical reset that helps all systems come back online and integrate for maximum wellness.

    I’m offering a Reiki 1 certification training, the starting point for those who want to learn how to treat themselves and their loved ones.

    We begin on Thursday, October 17th at 6pm in my Mt. Airy (neighborhood of Philadelphia) studio.

    This can be the beginning of a new phase in your life if you commit to blending Reiki into your life.

    Get Your Lifetime Pass to Healing Vibes

    Interested in giving yourself daily infusions of spiritually-guided life-force energy? It’s so easy to learn! Anyone…