Luminous Heart Reiki & Massage

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emotional wellbeing

  • Lately I’ve been hesitant to share that I’m doing quite well when so many others are suffering greatly. I’ve concluded that it doesn’t help anyone to hide my light, nor do I wish to tell lies or half-truths. So, when someone asks with genuine interest, I don’t hold back.

    I’m doing great!

    Somewhere in between withholding and gloating there is a middle ground, and that’s what I’m aiming for. Most of the time I hit the mark, but I occasionally still struggle with a strange, misplaced guilt. Who am I to be experiencing such freedom, peace, and joy?

    Here’s the thing. I’ve invested great amounts of effort and finances in my wellness. It hasn’t happened by default or simple luck. Every day I make choices that are often inconvenient and spectacularly unpopular.

    Choices like prioritizing rest and quality nourishment. Meaning that I regularly say no when people would prefer that I said yes. That I decline invitations for drinks or meals that would not serve my highest good. That I’m unwilling to engage in conversations that are draining or toxic in nature, and that I have deactivated my Facebook account.

    The most heroic endeavor, however, is allowing myself to feel all my emotions. Rather than suppressing, avoiding, or numbing, I turn towards the unpleasant reactions.Sitting in meditation when I get triggered and welcoming the totality of the feelings that arise is one of the most important commitments I’ve ever made to myself. This helps me avoid dragging yesterday’s the wounds into today’s interactions.

    Protecting my energy field from debris that I might absorb from others, monitoring my thoughts and releasing those that aren’t aligned with my calling, and keeping my heart open through it all requires diligence. Sure, there are times I want to crawl into bed with a pint of ice cream and the remote control. Since I now know such behavior only delays the inevitable, it’s much less appealing.

    Yes, I know the world is a crazy place. I am not exempt from what’s happening out there. Being super-sensitive, I’m also aware of the intense cosmic energies. Yet given the choice to embrace my superpower of feeling deeply or opting to feel less, courtesy of self-medication, I choose feeling deeply.

    When I’m hiding from my emotions, I have no chance of doing well. The best I can hope for is getting by. When I numb any part of myself, all of me gets numbed. There’s no such thing as selective anesthesia for the psyche.

    So… sorry, not sorry, I haven’t posted in ages. It’s because I’ve been busy doing great.

    I’m Doing Great! And it’s Freakin’ Hard Work.

    Lately I’ve been hesitant to share that I’m doing quite well when so many others are…

  • I don’t know about you, but I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster the past two weeks. Much of the time I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the tools and skills that help me navigate the intensity of this global crisis. Frequently I am overwhelmed by grief for the suffering that so many people are enduring. And in between there’s an entire of array of confusing, yet equally potent, feelings.

    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    I experience a lot of joy due to the freedom of a blank schedule. I feel frustration sometimes at being stuck in the house or not having access to the places I want to go. I feel anger when another effing jogger sneaks up from behind me and violates my personal 6′ radius. (Seriously joggers, you are not moving fast enough to escape rival contamination!) I can easily sink into a pit of despair thinking of the debt I will incur if I’m unable to work for months.

    This second tier of emotions is easy to explain away by comparing my situation to others. My relentless inner critic wonders how I can be happy, sometimes even thriving, at a time when so many are sick and dying? How can I be so insensitive when others don’t have a house to be stuck in or a credit card with which to buy the food necessary to fill their bellies? What of the hospital employees who willing go to work, the epicenter of contamination without proper protection?

    I’ve come to realize that yes, it is absolutely true that millions of others are suffering much, much more than I am. Yet this does not invalidate my emotional response to a very difficult situation. By denying or suppressing my own feelings, I block the flow of life-force energy in my body, putting myself at greater risk for illness and most definitely inhibiting my ability to help those in my community whom I am able to help.

    So I’m allowing the full range of emotional expression to work its way through my system. Pretending not to be joyous when I am joyous doesn’t help anyone who is sick and prevents me from receiving the heart healthy rewards of exuding joy. Pretending not to be worried about my bills wreaks havoc in my digestive system when simply acknowledging that I’m worried and that I’ve already done everything in my power supports greater assimilation of nutrients and elimination of waste.

    Somewhere there is a balance of accepting and experiencing my emotions and allowing them to move through me without distracting, numbing, avoiding or wallowing. I aim for that balance. Even if I never master this art, every step in the right direction is beneficial to my health and well-being. And that’s good enough for me to continue my efforts.

    Shelter at Home, Tip for Sanity: Acknowledge ALL Your Feelings

    I don’t know about you, but I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster the past two…

  • I get this question a lot from clients, often when they are in great pain; either physical, psychological, or spiritual. They come seeking relief, having been sent by a friend or Google search, correctly informed that Reiki and massage are powerful, holistic healing techniques. Recently a young woman jokingly requested that I vacuum out all her anxiety. If only I could! Alas, healing does not work this way.

    Human touch and muscle manipulation are potent vehicles of healing, as is the universal life-force energy transferred during a Reiki session. They can provide the nudge that the body or psyche needs to return to alignment with the Spirit. They can also offer the boost in motivation to follow through on lifestyle changes, the release of self-sabotaging beliefs, and the comfort of remembering that we are not merely broken bodies with problems struggling alone in an unfriendly universe. Reiki and massage are some of the most powerful healing tools that I’ve ever come across in my twenty plus years of spiritual awakening.

    And yet it is up to each of us individually to decide if we wish to receive the many benefits these tools have to offer. We are ultimately the ones in control of our own healing and well-being. Providers like myself can offer support to our clients, but until emotions have been fully acknowledged, felt, and released there is no shortcut. Our pain is very often an indicator that we have gotten off-track. It serves the function of reminding us of our greater purpose, our true nature, and our mission in this lifetime.

    My compassion allows me to dream of taking away the discomfort everyone experiences, but my inner knowing counsels that this would indeed be a disservice to the evolution and ultimate wellness of others. Being human is a difficult job. But we have been blessed with countless systems of support, transformation, and integration. If you’re wondering if a treatment with me might be helpful, please check out my website! I offer a free 15 minute phone consultation for this very reason. If you’re just not into massage or Reiki, that’s cool too. I hope you seek out one of the other alternative options so readily available today.

    Can You Fix Me?

    I get this question a lot from clients, often when they are in great pain; either…

  • Over the years of practicing mindfulness, I’ve come to recognize the warning bells of my mind whirling uncontrollably. It’s a sign that I need to stop everything and Just Be. Just for a few minutes, until I get realigned with my peaceful, harmonious nature. Otherwise I’m prone to accidents, mistakes, and attracting unpleasant people and situations.

    Been there, done that. No need to repeat those lessons, thank you very much!

    So I forced myself to sit on the couch for five full minutes and sip a cup of tea before I left for work. Man, was it uncomfortable!

    I didn’t respond to a potential student’s inquiry about studying Reiki considering her religious beliefs. I didn’t craft an email to another student who wishes to apprentice with me about forming a student clinic. Both are exciting projects and dear to my heart. They can wait, however, till I’m more centered and grounded.

    I took several deep breaths and a sip of my tea. I ignored the dust in my bedroom that is such a nuisance and soooo not a priority. I fought the urge to make a shopping list to prepare for the lunch I will serve my parents in a few days when they visit or a list about what to pack for an upcoming trip.

    A few more breaths and several sips later and I felt my shoulders relax. I did not engage in calculating the edits I need to make for the article I’m writing for my neighborhood food co-op or to my website. I absolutely did not allow myself to second guess my decision to go out to dinner and the theater last night for some much needed fun that kept me out late. And I certainly didn’t make notes about this blog and the ideas I wanted to share here.

    I just sat there, drinking my tea, and focusing on my breath. It didn’t matter that I had already meditated, practiced yoga, and flooded myself with Reiki healing energy. I needed an emergency intervention to keep myself from spinning out into an anxious mess.

    All of the above tasks are important to me and clearly need to be accomplished in the very near future. Except for the dusting. Seriously, I can’t seem to give a hoot about that! Yet none of them are more important than my peace of mind or well-being. So forcing myself to be still was a valuable remedy.

    It was mental torture for about 4 1/2 minutes. Then I was able to sink in and let go and the last 30 seconds got me ready to face the world. I’m feeling much more like myself and prepared to give my clients excellent service. I’d say that was five minutes well invested! Knowing that the rewards will ripple out and benefit everyone who crosses my path makes me doubly sure that this is true.

    Don’t Just Do Something- Sit There!

    Over the years of practicing mindfulness, I’ve come to recognize the warning bells of my mind…