Reiki in Philadelphia

  • I like to compare health to a bank account. Many of my students and clients find this analogy to be useful for understanding the benefits of Reiki. In the same way that we grow financial wealth by making more deposits that withdrawals, we can cultivate wellness wealth by accumulating life-force energy. Reiki is a safe and reliable method for amassing health credits.

    Instead of relying solely on medical professionals to detect problems during annual checkups, there’s much we can do every day to boost the immune system and overall wellness. The body already knows how to be as healthy as it is able, and we can support its endeavors by giving it the energy necessary to do so. Reiki is a powerful, yet simple and safe way to help all the body’s systems function more effectively.

    Life-force energy (called ki, qi, chi, and prana in other cultures) can be cultivated by lifestyle habits such as eating natural foods, spending time in nature, getting enough sleep, and expressing creativity. I view each of these activities as a deposit into a wellness account.

    Conversely, chronic worry and stress, consistent consumption of processed foods, and being excessively sedentary can be viewed as ki withdrawals. Sadly, western culture generally steers us towards a deficit by overvaluing productivity and busyness and undervaluing rest and relaxation. In order to optimize wellness, we can take steps to offset the trend towards wellness debt.

    Granted, there are factors beyond our control such as genetics, accidents, injuries, illnesses, and pollution. While we may not be able to change these circumstances, we can do everything within our power to give ourselves the best possible chance to enjoy the optimal levels of health and wellness available to us.

    Given that I am not perfect in my pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and have some chronic health issues that require extra attention, I turn to Reiki to fill in the gaps. Reiki is an ancient healing method, commonly defined as spiritually guided life-force energy. It is gentle, powerful, completely safe, and complements all other treatments. I know of no other modality that is pleasurable to receive, universally beneficial, and has no negative side-effects.

    Reiki is not limited by time or space and therefore can be received in-person or remotely from the comfort of your home. Some people enjoy the contact of human touch, some enjoy the connection of a video meeting, and others prefer to take a break from both. There are many ways to experience a treatment. Additionally, anyone can train to become a practitioner in a short period of time. During initiation, energy channels are opened, allowing access to this universal energy. Making daily health deposits is as simple as inviting the Reiki to flow.

    Consider investing in your wellness account consistently. Rather than waiting for an unwanted diagnosis, you can actively pursue the best version of health possible for you. Filling up you ki tank, either as a client or practitioner, is one way to do so with minimal effort and expense. It’s never too late to take steps toward vitality and health. Why not begin today?

    Cultivating Wellness with Reiki

    I like to compare health to a bank account. Many of my students and clients find…

  • This gets right to the heart of the matter for most prospective clients. They want to know if Reiki, and the magical results they’ve heard about on podcasts and from cousins, friends and strangers on IG will also affect them in such amazing ways.

    The short answer: it largely depends on you.

    Reiki can help re-establish body-mind-spirit balance. This holistic approach is the foundation for lasting healing as it addresses the root cause of imbalance.

    It’s helpful to use analogies, so let’s consider a bucket as the container of your ki, or life-force energy. Reiki can fill up your bucket, 100%, no questions asked.

    It can even repair holes in your bucket that may have come from unresolved trauma, chronic stress, outdated defense mechanisms, coping patterns, denial, avoidance, addiction, suppressed emotions, and tendencies to turn away from yourself when things get uncomfortable emotionally.

    Depending on how empty or leaky your bucket may be, this might take time and consistent application, but is totally doable.

    But if you continue to poke holes in your bucket, the results will be temporary. Reiki cannot heal you if you continue to engage in unhealthy behavior. It can help resolve the impetus for such behavior, but you will need to willingly participate.

    If you’re allergic to strawberries and eat them every day, there’s only so much Reiki can do for you. Not because you’re bad or strawberries or bad, but because your body is sending a clear message that it doesn’t want any more… strawberries!

    The idea of outsourcing wellness without taking any responsibility for changing the contributions to lack-of-wellness is completely at odds with holistic healing.

    There are no magic pills. There are no miraculous treatments that will allow you to be well while still engaging in destructive patterns.

    This does not necessarily mean that you’ll need to quit your soul-sucking job or leave a dysfunctional relationship, but it might. It’s possible to take actions to counterbalance such situations and resolve the stress, integrate the emotions, get your needs met in other ways, process the anger/grief/resentment/disappointment and refill the bucket.

    This requires your active participation.

    So, yes, if you’re willing to help by protecting the container of your ki bucket and preserve the wellness within, Reiki can indeed benefit you greatly. If you’re not, it can help you feel better in the moment, but will wear off as you return to any unhealthy patterns.

    There is no issue that is too big, too deep, too ingrained, too attached to that Reiki cannot help to resolve. You don’t need to know what needs to be done to benefit from treatment. You do, however, need to be willing to receive the healing and notice the guidance that follows, the discord or lack of integrity that is exposed, and take the necessary steps to correct these hole-punchers.

    Reiki will shine the light on the trail of breadcrumbs leading you to wellness. It’s then your job to follow the path, stay true to your mission and be kind to yourself on the way.

    It’s much more complex than allopathic medicine, which, let’s face it, isn’t working for you or you wouldn’t be reading this.

    So, yes, Reiki can help you. But the outcome is really up to you.

    If you’re interested in adding Reiki to your wellness journey, I’d be delighted to work with you.

    Will Reiki Work for You?

    This gets right to the heart of the matter for most prospective clients. They want to…

  • Whoosh. There’s nothing like Reiki to get me out of my crazy busy head and into my body. It’s amazing how quickly it happens each and every time.

    I find that thoughts just dissolve when the energy is flowing. We don’t need to think or reflect or plan while healing is happening. In fact, our minds can often be obstacles to healing, harboring the ego’s tricks of delay and distraction.

    Last night in Reiki 2 class, we started with a self-treatment. I found myself amusingly unable to find words for the simplest things. I couldn’t remember the names of the “tubes” in our throat for breathing and swallowing.

    (I meant esophagus and trachea, but just couldn’t grab hold of those terms!)

    What’s especially cool is that this would have embarrassed me in the past. I would have allowed the stunted vocabulary to mean something about my abilities as a teacher or value as a person.

    But because of my daily Reiki practice, which has been filling in the gaps of self-worth that did not come organically during my childhood, I saw it as a funny thing that happened to me rather than making it mean that I’m a failure.

    I don’t usually use Reiki on myself when I’m teaching because accessing my communication skills is obviously important. But this was a great learning experience for me and we all had a good chuckle about the tubes.

    Not only did the usual monkey mind of swirling thoughts dissipate, but the inner judge was nowhere to be found. Hallelujah!

    There’s a Reiki 1 class coming up soon. That’s the starting point for folks interested in learning how to use healing energy for themselves and their pets, friends, and family. If you want to stay in the loop and receive notifications about upcoming classes, please join my mailing list.

    You can also read about Reiki classes in general or book a Reiki session and I’ll do all the work while you lie back and receive.

    Getting Out of My Head

    Whoosh. There’s nothing like Reiki to get me out of my crazy busy head and into…

  • Living in a culture with a completely different mindset is really bizarre. Sometimes I find it deeply frustrating, other times humorous, and always strange.

    In my mind, health is something we cultivate, neglect or diminish with every single choice. It’s not something that gets relegated to an annual checkup or a team of experts that specialize in one small aspect of the human body.

    I’ve stopped using the words “alternative” and “complementary” to describe the work that I do because they imply that conventional, western medicine is the norm. This is thinking that I’d like to challenge.

    Holistic healing means looking at lifestyle, values, nutrition, movement, body mechanics, habits, patterns, belief systems and relationships and bringing them into alignment with our goal of wellness.

    If I want to be free of knee pain, I need to stop the activities that cause it, provide adequate support and rest, supply the necessary nutrients for repair, meet any underlying or resulting thoughts and emotions, and manage stress. I can apply salves that promote healing as a bonus.

    While I’m doing all of that, I might take a pain reliever because there’s no sense in suffering in the meantime.

    But I can’t keep doing things the old way, pop some ibuprofen, slap on some kinesio tape and call it healing.

    It just doesn’t work that way.

    When people first come to holistic therapy because the conventional route has failed them, they’re often looking for different answers without adapting their understanding of what healing entails.

    They hope for something like an herbal pill to make the pain go away without changing all the ways they are contributing to the pain.

    Or a magic salve. Or pressure point. Or stretch. Or recipe.

    While all of these things can be helpful, healing requires addressing the source of the problem, learning to accept that our bodies have limitations, and we need to take care of ALL aspects ourselves according to our own unique needs.

    Rejecting our emotions or values or worthiness in order to go-along-to-get-along will always take a toll.

    Yes, it can be uncomfortable, inconvenient, even revolutionary to choose to address the inner landscape. You might find little support or even pushback when beginning to make changes.

    If it were easy you would have already done it.

    If there were a pill that truly worked you would have found it.

    Holistic healing can be the magical cure you hope it will be, but probably not the way you thought. Creating inner harmony does indeed have miraculous results, but you’re going to need to participate in the journey.

    At the very least, there needs to be a willingness to change any destructive thought patterns and welcome all emotions as valid. I’ve never met anyone who overcame a condition while continuing to think hateful thoughts about themself or another or stuff their feelings down.

    The rewards are well worth the efforts. The peace, joy, comfort and freedom on the other side of regulating the nervous system, processing emotions, compassionately caring for the body, and cultivating life-force are spectacular.

    And it all begins with one step in the direction you want to go.

    If Reiki is a step that appeals to you, I’m here to be of service. It will help shift patterns, soothe your nerves and discomforts, and provide the energy needed to heal.

    Maybe you prefer acupuncture or Somatic Experience or yoga therapy. There are tons of options and loads of practitioners to help.

    Lying on the earth, sitting by a tree, or listening to sound healing are super-easy and cost-free practices that over time can have amazing results. These things will shift your vibration, helping you to notice and accept the changes that need to happen.

    Pick something and get started today. Your future self will thank you.

    Holistic Healing: A Whole New Paradigm

    Living in a culture with a completely different mindset is really bizarre. Sometimes I find it…

  • Just a few clicks and you can have a lovely gift for Mom. It’s a win-win-win situation- easy for you, an exquisite experience and lasting memory for her, and a joy for me to be a part of the tradition of honoring mothers.

    Use the code MOMS10 at checkout to save 10% on any gift certificate or 5 session remote Reiki package.

    Save 10% on Gift Certificates through Mother’s Day!

    Just a few clicks and you can have a lovely gift for Mom. It’s a win-win-win…

  • Aromatherapy is finally here!!

    I’ve been testing and sniffing and consulting with a colleague and master aromatherapist about creating delightful essential oil blends.

    They are each designed to evoke a particular physiological and emotional outcome AND smell divine.

    Choose from one of the four mixes and elevate your healing experience.

    Calm: lavender, bergamot, and frankincense

    Ground: spruce, sweet orange, and vetiver

    Uplift: tangerine, cypress, and petitgrain

    Balance: lemongrass, rosemary, and geranium

    Some medical conditions don’t pair well with these oils- they are pretty potent medicine and need to be treated with respect. It’s important that you share any conditions or if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, with your therapist.

    The special for May is a free upgrade with a 90-minute Reiki-massage if scheduled by May 31, 2024.

    Prepare yourself for a next-level healing experience! I hope to offer this as an add-on for all appointment types in the future, but for now the 90-minute combo is the way to go.

     

     

    Aromatherapy Special

    Aromatherapy is finally here!! I’ve been testing and sniffing and consulting with a colleague and master…

  • Yay! I’m delighted to announce the next level 2 training, to be held in my Mt. Airy office.

    A series of 5 Thursday evenings, 6-8pm.

    May 23 & 30, June 6, 13 & 20, 2024.

    Investment = $300

    This class is suitable for anyone who has already taken Reiki 1. It doesn’t matter if it was last month or 20 years ago, if you studied with me or someone else, or if you’ve been a devoted practitioner or not.

    Once you’ve received your first attunement, you have lifetime access to Reiki and it will be there waiting for you to invite it to flow.

    If you want to enhance your skills and learn how to use the powerful, sacred, healing symbols, this is the way to go!

    A lot of students come to this level of training desiring to share Reiki with people in faraway locations. It’s pretty amazing! Then they learn that the long-distance symbol can also be used to send healing to the past or future and kaboom! Minds are blown.

    The power symbol amplifies the energy and the harmony symbol boosts mental and emotional balance. Yes, please!

    I break the training up into bite-sized pieces to allow for greater retention and integration and to give students time to digest and practice in between meetings.

    My space is small, so I cap in-person classes at four students. If you’re interested, contact me about registering now while seats are still available.

    In-person Reiki 2 Certification

    Yay! I’m delighted to announce the next level 2 training, to be held in my Mt.…

  • I spent a lovely hour in the woods the other morning. It’s pure therapy for me to be outside amongst my tree friends. Today I visited a tributary of the creek and found it to be rushing instead of its usual trickle.

    We’ve had abundant rain lately, along with occasional flooding of major thoroughfares and copious mud puddles. A bit more dramatic than usual, but isn’t that the way things have been?

    While I was enjoying the fresh air, the sounds and beauty of nature and the sunshine, I realized that this little waterway was a reflection of what I’m sensing in life.

    Things are really moving fast these days! Perhaps it’s the energy of Aries, where assortment of heavenly bodies are currently clustered, the effects of the recent eclipse, or… well, who knows exactly, but I’m guessing you’ve felt it too.

    What really popped out on my walk, though, was that the water flows fastest where the creek bed is narrow. In the places where it widens out, the water slows and becomes more leisurely.

    This was one of those ding-ding-ding moments where something that seems completely obvious clicks into place in a deeply satisfying way.

    If I want to enjoy the benefits of these quickly moving currents, focusing my attention on where I want to go AND how I can surrender to the flow will amplify my efforts.

    It’s the combination of using the power of my intention combined with riding the natural energies that will yield the greatest results. I can choose to narrow my focus and feel like I’m kayaking through the rapids or I can diffuse my focus and feel like it’s a lazy, slow inner tube float.

    Both are necessary for me in my personal life and business, but different goals call for different methods.

    If you’re finding the flow to be too fast, too activating, maybe even overwhelming, zoom out and place your attention on the bigger picture. It’s likely your nervous system is all riled up and could use some soothing, but you can’t really feel that when you’re riding the rapids.

    Likewise, narrowing your focus might help you to catch a lift on those rushing currents and bring some excitement and inspiration into your efforts.

    I chose the latter and found myself being carried by exciting inspiration. I have some new services brewing, a potential collaboration for a new workshop and a new blog: A Soul’s Journey, found on Substack.

    The cool thing about Substack is that it’s reader-supported rather than ad-supported, and I’ve made most posts available for free while offering twice-monthly guided practices for paid subscribers. If you’re interested in exploring the spiritual realm with me, I hope you’ll join us over there.

    And if you’re interested in staying up to date on events and services I offer, please join my monthly newsletter.

    And if you’re interested in receiving a session, I would delighted to work with you, no matter if you’re wanting to go narrow and fast, or wide and slow.

    Focused Flow

    I spent a lovely hour in the woods the other morning. It’s pure therapy for me…

  • Yowza. I’m hearing a lot of reports from folks who are feeling daunted by the next phase of their healing journeys. It seems a lot of wounds and imbalances are coming to the surface; while this can be quite uncomfortable, it’s better than having them festering beneath the surface preparing for sneak attack.

    If you’re feeling this way, know that you aren’t alone.

    Whether it’s taking that first step or leveling up, overwhelm might be an unwelcome companion on this trip. There’s so much information out there, it’s hard to know what is relevant for you and where the heck to begin.

    Misaligned habits, unprocessed trauma, limiting beliefs, cultural conditioning, suppressed emotions, dysfunctional relationships, unhealthy environments, outdated coping mechanisms, and chronic stress can all contribute to lack of wellness. To make it extra-interesting, many of these factors get tangled together and it can be difficult to trace to their origins.

    It can be A LOT!

    And… all journeys begin with just the first step. In my experience, managing stress is a wise place to start. Stress affects all of our bodily systems- digestion (gut health, we are learning, is the cornerstone to wellness), mental/emotional state (another cornerstone), quality of sleep (yup, this too!), cardiovascular capacity (need I say it?) and detoxification (mmhmm…) in particular.

    By addressing chronic stress, we can free up life-force energy from perpetual survival state functioning and allow it to support the body’s innate healing abilities.

    I’m not talking about a tropical vacation or meditation retreat or retirement. While that might be the route that you choose, it’s possible to learn to metabolize the effects of stress rather than avoiding it altogether through a complete lifestyle makeover (again, that may be for you, but don’t freak out if it isn’t!).

    When I feel overwhelm bubbling up and my shoulders creeping up to my ears, I find moving my body to be a miraculous remedy. A few songs spent dancing (or thrashing!) about my living room can work wonders. Deep breathing, being in nature, expressing my thoughts and feelings (within the safe confines of my journal), singing, chanting, time spent on a creative project, laughter, and Reiki are all elements that help me manage the stress of the world.

    Now you might read that as an assignment and think, well how in the world am I going to do all of that?

    Good news! You don’t need to do it all. Choose one thing and start there. I’ve been at this for decades, and my healthy habits have accumulated over that time, bit by bit, but I started with just one thing.

    One strategy is to choose the action that will have the biggest impact.

    For me, that’s Reiki, a powerful but gentle healing energy that grounds me and activates the physiological antidote to stress.

    Another strategy is to choose the easiest thing to implement as that will build your sense of accomplishment and encourage progress.

    For me that’s also Reiki! How easy is it to absorb healing energy?

    Your circumstances are obviously different than mine, but I feel confident that there’s something you can do today that will help. Ten conscious, deep breaths. A walk around the block. Watching a silly cat video. Calling a friend who knows how to listen.

    It doesn’t need to be perfect, and it needn’t be the solution to all your problems. Just one thing that helps you feel calm in the moment. Just give it a try!

    And if you want some Reiki healing deposited in your wellness account or some soothing bodywork, that’s what I’m here for! Book a session and I’ll do the work and you can sit back and receive.

    And subscribe to this blog! I share lots of tips and tricks about holistic wellness, monthly specials and metaphysical tools. On most devices, the button to subscribe is found on the lower right corner.

    Overwhelmed? Just Pick One Thing

    Yowza. I’m hearing a lot of reports from folks who are feeling daunted by the next…