Reiki

I’ve been experiencing intermittent pain in my left foot for almost a year now. It comes and goes mysteriously, aggravated by hiking, dancing, and bouncing- basically the types exercise that bring me joy. At first I tried to ignore it; after all it’s usually a dull ache, with short spurts of intensity, but generally tolerable. Obviously this strategy was a failure!

For several months I’ve been using all my tools: anti-inflammatory diet, healing essential oils, ice packs, rest, elevation, and of course loads of massage and Reiki treatments. Nothing seems to have any lasting effect. A friend suggested castor oil packs, which did seem to allow for more mobility immediately afterwards, but now not so much. As summer is approaching, the idea of sitting still with my foot in a castor oil-soaked sock wrapped in a heating pad is decidedly unappealing.

So what to do when all the healing techniques you know aren’t helping? It seems there are four basic answers for me, and I’m exploring them all with full gusto. First, get some help. Sounds obvious, right? Trading in fierce independence for a more balanced regime of giving AND receiving through interdependence is a big lesson for me. I am determined to keep practicing this skill. I’ve started receiving acupuncture twice a week to relieve pain and to balance the energy flow through my body.

Secondly, can I accept that forces bigger than myself are at play? Can I acknowledge that I’m feeling frustrated at my seeming failure to heal myself and the resulting lack of mobility? And at the same time, can I investigate the possible silver lining? Can I react favorably to a forced rest period that allows me to read <gasp!> novels and to journal? Can I learn to accept that this is what I have to work with in this moment, and release all my attachments, judgments, and expectations that only increase my suffering? Although I’m not 100% there just yet, I’m convinced that yes, I indeed can do this.

Thirdly, what is the message my body is trying to deliver? At first glance, asking for and receiving help and enjoying more stillness are answers that float to the surface. Yet I want to tap into the deeper layers. Yesterday during my acupuncture treatment, I asked my inner self, “What am I not seeing?” I had an instant vision of dense roots reaching up from the earth, trapping me in place. While I’m still contemplating the full meaning of this experience, it seems obvious that fear of moving forward, of stepping into my full potential, and rising above my current belief system has been tethering me.

It’s tempting to be lured into the story of why, when, and how I got here; I have the tools to release fear and tap into my inner strength, purpose, and willingness to heal without intellectually understanding this ailment. That’s the beauty of Reiki; it is spiritually guided and I don’t need to know. Now that I have a goal of getting unstuck and releasing fear of the unknown that change is certain to bring, I can begin to appreciate the final answer to my question of what to do when nothing is working. Gratitude, mingled with trust. Clearly the universe has a plan in place for my growth and awakening that I am unable to see.

For some reason, this chapter is a part of my journey. For now, I can accept this on faith and remain open to the lessons at hand. I’m also reminded of my upcoming role on a panel for Healthy Aging at my neighborhood holistic health fair. It’s a fantastic opportunity to share my knowledge about growing older while prioritizing health, recharging Ki (life force energy), and heeding pain as a messenger. This helps create a healthy lifestyle that cultivates wellness and vitality, regardless of the hand (or foot) we’ve been dealt.

Ouch! That hurts.

I’ve been experiencing intermittent pain in my left foot for almost a year now. It comes…
One of the most valuable aspects of being a Reiki Master is the ability to give myself daily treatments. I love that whenever I want, wherever I am, I can flow life-force energy for healing. It’s simple and powerful and helps me connect to my deeper truth every time. I also get a boost of energy each time I give a client a session. As Reiki flows through me, my body naturally absorbs some. It’s the best job perk ever!

Because I have access to healing energy on a daily basis, I sometimes forget the magnificent feeling of receiving a session from someone else. Yesterday I arranged to be the client and allowed myself to be flooded with Reiki. It was magical! I felt a deep sense of serenity and weightlessness that was profoundly nurturing. I felt like I was floating in a sea of wellness and that I belonged there. Afterwards it seemed like I had released a lifetime of burdens that had never been mine to carry.

It was a tremendous reminder to me of not only the amazing benefits of Reiki, but also of the importance of asking for help. Often I find myself identifying with the label of “independent woman” and trying to do everything myself. I am learning to recognize that there is no shame in asking for help, just as there are no rewards for going it alone. Receiving a gift allows another to enjoy the blessings of being a giver. Being in the flow of give and take is a beautiful aspect of belonging to a community. Allowing interdependence means becoming a better receiver, and that is a goal I am ready to pursue.

Radical Self-Care, Get Help

One of the most valuable aspects of being a Reiki Master is the ability to give…
Last night I was thoroughly exhausted. When I found a video in my inbox called Four Mistakes that Zap Your Energy, I paid attention! It’s part of a free series offered by Hay House and Kris Carr, a NY Times best selling author and holistic health pioneer. It’s only available for a limited time, so if you’ve missed that window, check out her website; there’s tons of other helpful info there.

I learned a lot from what she had to say. I won’t try to repeat her message, but will encourage you to listen for yourself. I tuned in while doing restorative yoga poses and flooding my weary body with Reiki healing energy. Then I went to bed at 830 pm, so clearly my innate energy needs to be uncovered. I will start implementing her suggestions today.

Radical Self-Care, Uncover Your Innate Energy

Last night I was thoroughly exhausted. When I found a video in my inbox called Four…
When giving a Reiki session, it’s pretty obvious to me that there is an overflow of energy. The client naturally receives an abundance of Reiki, but the excess will spill over, filling the room and beyond. Pets are able to sense this and are drawn to the room where I am working when I do outcalls. People comment on the “good vibes” in my office space and sometimes I joke about creating a Reiki café where people can hang out and soak up healing energy. This is because Reiki is not confined to the limits of time and space. Let’s just say that universal energy is pretty darn miraculous! I’ll probably never intellectually understand how it works, but I’m astounded again and again by its vast power and unfathomable-ness.

I’ve been observing this phenomenon for over a decade, so when I was invited to offer a Community Reiki Clinic at a wellness center, I wholeheartedly agreed. It’s my hope that Reiki will one day become a popular source of wellness maintenance. Therefore offering people the opportunity to receive a treatment in a group setting got me pumped. This lowers the cost significantly, making it available to a much wider range of recipients than those who are able to schedule frequent one-on-one sessions. It’s also a great joy for me to watch the transformation that takes place on people’s faces as they relax for an hour in a Reiki-infused environment. And I get to rotate through the room several times delivering personal attention and connecting with each participant.

When learning how to give a Reiki treatment, we are taught that it is our intention that opens the channels for Reiki to flow. In the beginning, it might be helpful to use a few words (“Reiki on” or “May Reiki flow through me now for the highest good of Sally.”) for the mind to accept the power that lies at our fingertips. Eventually though, it’s enough just to think about Reiki and poof! The energy is flowing strongly. I’ve been experimenting with different “settings” for distributing the ki (life-force energy). I call the setting for hands-on Reiki “Super Soaker” after the popular water gun that releases a strong stream of water. This is the setting most practitioners rely on during treatments. I’ve also been using a “Fountain” setting, for filling the room with Reiki, and a “Sprinkler” setting as if I am watering the garden of participants resting before me.

I can only imagine that there is a limitless variety of ways to share healing energy. I always encourage my students to be creative and to experiment with different styles. I’m delighted to discover a new format of practicing that is more affordable and accessible to more people. I’m even more excited to remember that I am limited only by my thoughts, and that as I open up to the realm of Limitless Possibilities, I will be led to new ideas and circumstances that will expand my growth and ability to serve. I look forward to my experiments with the even more new settings and the opportunity to share them with you. If you’re in or near Philadelphia, check out Mama’s Wellness Joint for the next Community Reiki Clinic.

Community Reiki Clinic

When giving a Reiki session, it’s pretty obvious to me that there is an overflow of…
I like to think of my health as a savings account. Every day I make deposits and withdrawals based on my thoughts, words, and actions. Obviously I want to continuously increase my balance, so I aspire to make more frequent and larger deposits than withdrawals. This way I am giving my body the support it needs to do its job of being well and energetic.

Stress seems to be the number one withdrawal to our health accounts in modern society. Whether it be at work or home, from family or society, financial or social; it seems inescapable. Worse yet, it often drives us to seek comfort in activities that further deplete our health such as over-drinking, -exercising, -eating, numbing out in front of the TV, or any type of distracting behavior that saps our life-force energy. When these withdrawals exceed our healthy deposits, we make ourselves more vulnerable to disease and discomfort.

Perhaps the most healthful thing we can do for ourselves is to practice kindness; not only towards others, but also towards ourselves. This looks different for each person as our passions and challenges are all unique. For me, being kind to myself means planning nutritious meals and regular mealtimes, making time to rest, meditating, reading inspiring books and blogs, and dancing. These are all activities that make me feel great and boost my energy. And they all take time, special props or settings, and a good deal of effort.

I have discovered a super-power for creating limitless deposits with little effort. I’m talking about daily application of Reiki healing energy. Reiki is a powerful healing technique that uses gentle touch to flood one’s body with universal life-force energy. This is the same energy that the immune system uses to function at maximum effectiveness. Most people don’t have the luxury of scheduling an appointment every day with a professional Reiki practitioner, so I am a huge proponent of self-treatments.

One of the great things about Reiki is that is can do no harm. For this reason, it’s super easy to learn and to treat oneself. There are no prerequisites or special abilities involved. I’ve distilled the essence of what people need to know for self-use into a three hour class that promotes a simple sequence of hand positions that is my absolute top recommendation for maintaining wellness. Even better, it’s easy to give oneself a dose of Reiki “on the fly” in stressful situations or during downtime. Think meetings, airports, subways, exams, family holiday dinners, and busy checkout lines.

If you’re interested in making daily contributions to your health savings account and becoming your most vibrant self, I am here to encourage you to take a Reiki class and commit to giving yourself the gift of a 10-20 minute blast of healing energy daily. If you live in or near Philadelphia, I’d like to invite you to my Reiki for Self-Care: Banish Stress from 2016 class on Sunday, January 17. We may not have control over the amount of stress that life deals us, but we absolutely have the power to manage it with daily practices of self-care and kindness.

Daily Health Deposits

I like to think of my health as a savings account. Every day I make deposits…
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

I’ve heard many spiritual teachers quote this profound statement. Many of us seem to have forgotten this truth, and have become identified with out personalities, our bodies, or our circumstances. When we remember the radiance of our True Selves, we no longer resist the flow of creativity and become aligned with well-being, peace, love, joy, and freedom.

I’ve been using Reiki self treatment to assist me along my path to awakening. Flooding my cells with this universal life force energy brings me into alignment with my true nature and helps me to let go of attachment to my seeming challenges, mistakes, and limitations. As I begin to remember who I truly am, I release all thoughts of separation from my inherent divinity and can feel the love which I am expanding.

Certainly Reiki is not a requirement for waking up, but it clearly is a boost along the journey. Given my longing to feel the serenity of returning home to my Truth, I’m grateful to have it as a guide and companion. Every moment I am able to spend immersed in Reiki inspires me to surrender all delays that keep me from knowing Who I Am- a spiritual being having a human experience.

Awakening

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human…
Every day we are all faced with circumstances we have no control over. Changes in barometric pressure, hormones, and pollen are a few that come to mind because some people suffer terrific headaches as a result. Yet it is my belief that when our body/mind/spirit balance is maintained, we can minimize or even eliminate the effects of these seeming troublemakers.

When our life-force energy is flowing harmoniously, our chakras and glands are vitalized and toxins are easily disposed of. Our immunity is functioning in top-gear and we are distinctly less susceptible to outside forces. The closer to optimal balance we are at any given moment, the less likely we will be toppled off-balance by any outside force. This can also apply to someone cutting us off in traffic, excessive or unpleasant fragrances, behavior in a colleague that we judge as rude, or a late bus.

There are countless ways to achieve balance in our lives. Reiki and meditation are the easiest, quickest, and most accessible tools that I know of for inviting peace, harmony, and well-being to become our default zone. Vacations are delightful, but they come too infrequently and end to quickly. Therapy is helpful, but we are reliant on someone else to meet with us. Exercise is irreplaceable, yet sometimes inconvenient. Both Reiki and meditation can be utilized anywhere, anytime, without any preparation or outside assistance. Practicing these simple techniques can stack the deck in our favor and keep us ahead of the potential discomfort of unforeseen events.

Stacking the Deck

Every day we are all faced with circumstances we have no control over. Changes in barometric…
I’m a huge fan of Eckhart Tolle’s visionary book, The Power of Now. Ever since I read it, I’ve been experimenting with Reiki self-treatment to help me stay present in The Now; the only place I have access to my true power. I’ve also been working with my clients to reach this goal as well; both through intention setting and in our sessions together. The results have been amazing!

I’ve been noticing an enhanced willingness to let go of grievances that weigh me down, and to forgive both myself and others, rather than dragging the past into the precious Now. Reiki is helping me to actualize that willingness into reality. I’m also feeling a great deal of security that comes not from a change in income or expenses, but from a Knowingness that all my needs are provided for. Rather than simply repeating these words as an affirmation (which btw, I’ve been doing for a decade!) I’m actually trusting that they are true. This trust enables me to surrender worries about the future. Once again, I am catapulted into The Now. I like it here! It’s heavenly!! I’m ever so grateful to The Power of Reiki for helping me to transition into my new residency. The more the merrier, so please consider joining me. How about Now?

Here and Now

I’m a huge fan of Eckhart Tolle’s visionary book, The Power of Now. Ever since I…
Today as the U.S. celebrates Independence Day and freedom from the tyranny of foreign rulership, I am celebrating freedom of Spirit. As I focus on using Reiki self-treatment for spiritual healing, I have come to realize that I have total freedom to choose my thoughts. When I am not feeling the comfort of a joyful, loving, peaceful inner experience; I can choose again. Today I commit to choosing Truth and expressing My True Nature. This allows me the freedom to escape from the tyranny of fear, judgment, sadness, and sense of separation. And what a wonderful gift this freedom is!

Blessed Freedom

Today as the U.S. celebrates Independence Day and freedom from the tyranny of foreign rulership, I…