Reiki in Philadelphia

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…
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.

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Reiki + coaching

Cultivating Inner Freedom

We’re approaching Independence Day here in the U.S. While I’m not much interested in parades, day…
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…
Common replies I hear when I tell a client that their Reiki or massage treatment is over:

“That went by so fast!”

“The shortest hour ever!”

“Already?”

And my all-time favorite?

“Nooooooo!”

It’s not that I’m cutting sessions short; truly an hour has passed, but it often doesn’t seem that way because in a relaxed state, time isn’t linear.

Many people experience altered consciousness during a session. Not quite asleep, not quite awake, someplace in between.

I suspect some enter a delta or theta brainwave state. This is the zone where deep healing happens.

In the in-between, minutes don’t matter, nor do they tick by in the way we usually experience them.

I’m usually in a flow state while providing sessions, so I have to keep an eye on the clock because time is different for me too.

Time might be relative in the treatment room, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable. Please believe me when I say that nobody is playing tricks with the clock!

You get the full benefits of a session, even if you’re asleep or in-between. Maybe even more as the healing can bypass any resistance from the conscious mind.

Time might be relative in the treatment room, but I can say with 100% certainty that when that happens, so does healing.

Time Flies When You’re Getting a Session

Common replies I hear when I tell a client that their Reiki or massage treatment is…
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…
Recently I shared a short video about why I usually don’t recommend stretching for my clients with muscle tension.

What?! 😳

Yup. Very often it doesn’t create the desired results because stretching doesn’t address why a muscle is tight. So it may or may not help in the moment, but rarely has a lasting effect, if any at all.

Here’s what you can try instead if you’re not getting anywhere with traditional stretching.

Of course, massage and Reiki can help with this too. Book a session if you need extra support- I’d be happy to put my skills to work! AND even if you’re getting regular bodywork, daily interventions like this can really make a difference.

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A Holistic Remedy for a Tight Upper Back

Recently I shared a short video about why I usually don’t recommend stretching for my clients…
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…
We have so much information at our fingertips today that it can be overwhelming. If you’ve ever attended Google University seeking a self-diagnosis and treatment, you’ve likely come up with tons of contradictory information.

How I Healed XYZ in 5 Days

7 Easy Steps to Cure XYZ

The One Thing That Fixed Everything

Headlines like these abound. They often lead to confusion, frustration, and sadly even a worsening of the situation.

Why? Because they are addressing symptoms, not the root cause.

Let’s use insomnia as an example.

There are a gazillion reasons people don’t sleep well. It could be churning thoughts, physical discomfort, a lumpy mattress, a snoring spouse, or excess caffeine.

(Not an Ambien deficiency. You might find relief through a prescription, but the side effects often outweigh the benefits. Please consider exploring the underlying condition while you’re taking the pills so maybe you won’t need them someday in the future.)

Each of these causes will obviously have a different plan of treatment.

So when I read about someone who quit drinking coffee, improved their sleep patterns, and touts this as the number one cure, I’m a bit tetchy. I don’t even drink coffee, so who’s that going to help me?

Whether you’re dealing with insomnia or back pain (two conditions I’m intimately familiar with on a personal and professional level), psoriasis, headaches, or fatigue, there are a few things I can suggest that will always be beneficial as they help uncover the root cause.
1. Stress management. There are countless practices that help the body digest the physiological consequences of chronic stress. They will calm the mind, reduce tension, and support all the body’s systems.
2. Curiosity. Be your own detective and explore what’s going on in your life, in your psyche, in your body. If you’re trying to quit a problematic habit, get curious about what’s underneath and why you reach for the behavior or substance and how you might circumvent that pattern.
3. Compassion. Be kind to yourself! Especially if you’re struggling and suffering. Your inner dialog has a direct impact on your physiology. Berating yourself or stewing in resentment will increase your stress response, cortisol levels, tension, and inflammation.
4. Reduce exposure to toxins. Including emotional toxins in the form of unhealthy relationships, doomscrolling, and the compare and despair dynamic so prevalent on Instagram.
5. Presence. Learn to be with yourself, especially during difficult times. Develop a daily practice of turning inwards, with compassion and curiosity, and check in rather than checking out. This can be uncomfortable, so start small. Three minutes can go a long way.
6. Breathe. Obviously you are breathing or you wouldn’t be reading this. But what is the quality of your breath? Shallow and rapid? Can you drop into presence and cultivate a calming, nourishing pattern? Some people swear by “box” breath; I’m partial to extending the exhales so they’re slightly longer than the inhales.
7. Boost your life-force. This is big. And overlooked completely in our medical system. If you are chronically depleted, running on empty, burning the candle at both ends, taking care of everybody but yourself, your body will try to communicate its distress with you. I recommend listening before the consequences amplify!
Insight Timer is a free app and a wonderful resource for simple, guided practices that will help you do many of these things. I found the yoga nidra (a sort of meditation where you systematically bring attention to areas of the body) to be invaluable.

My all-time favorite and go-to remedy is Reiki. Reiki treatments offer an infusion of spiritually-guided life-force energy that relieves stress, tension, anxiety, and pain and promotes the body’s innate healing abilities.

It won’t, however, address your spouse’s snoring-like-a-chainsaw issue. For that you’re going to need some hefty earplugs or a separate bedroom. I’ve heard about successful elimination of snoring by diffusing sweet marjoram essential oil, or changing pillows or sleeping position.

While Reiki is amazing and can help with a lot of problems, it really depends on the root cause. It won’t make you sleep soundly after a late-night triple espresso, but it can help you build better sleep habits.

There is no such thing as a miracle cure. But there are numerous ways to address the root problem. All of them will require your participation and willingness to make changes.

If you’d like some support in this arena, you can use this button to book a session.

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Getting to the Root

We have so much information at our fingertips today that it can be overwhelming. If you’ve…
So many people suffer from itchy eyes and nonstop sneezing this time of year. Sadly, there’s not much allopathic medicine can do for them other than allergy pills that are woefully inadequate, temporary, and laden with side effects.

I have a different perspective. What if pollen is not your enemy?

Huh?!

Humor me for a moment.

What if pollen is like the straw that broke the camel’s back?

What if lowering the overall burden placed on the body and its detoxification system would lessen the impact of the triggers of seasonal allergies?

The way I see it, we can do our best to reduce the toxins we’re exposed to daily. I’m talking about toxins in body care and cleaning products as well as food and water. (Body sprays, air fresheners, anything with “fragrance” on the label would be my #1 suggestion for the elimination pile.)

We can support our body’s capacity to function optimally by metabolizing stress and saturating ourselves with life-force energy.

I’ve just recently learned that some foods have been reported to have higher levels of histamine and some have been reported to release histamine.

Adjusting one’s menu, reducing toxic exposure, stockpiling life-force, and managing stress are things that can be done with a little effort and don’t require a big financial investment. The side effects are all positive and the results could last indefinitely instead of 12 hours.

I’ll add that there are herbs and homeopathic remedies that work for some as well. Although that’s beyond the scope of this post, you can easily find this info online.

If you’re tired of suffering and unsatisfied with the current regime, why not give something new a try?

Reiki supports stress relief and the body’s innate detox process and is a safe, yet powerful, source of healing energy. If that’s something that interests you, go ahead and book a treatment and we can get started on clearing off the proverbial camel’s back so that a few specks of pollen won’t cause so much harm.

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Seasonal Allergies: A Holistic Approach

So many people suffer from itchy eyes and nonstop sneezing this time of year. Sadly, there’s…