Reiki can be a wonderful tool to help with everyday life. I’ve posted link above for an article I found on Reiki Rays concerning how a Reiki Practitioner can protect and guard their own energy during a session. I’ve used similar practices when doing a Reiki session, but I’ve found these practices to be helpful during my clinical practice.
When I do a Reiki session, I typically ground myself with a few minutes of meditation, focusing on my feet, and much like this article mentions, allowing my energy channels to receive and transmit.
As a physician, I found doing something similar is a lifesaver. I’m much busier in clinic, so its a luxury to have more than a few minutes between patients. Once I enter an exam room, I ground myself as I sit to speak with the patient. I also invoke Reiki, but as you can imagine this isn’t so easy in a busy clinic. I can use my feet as I sit to ground during the patient’s appointment.
I feel that everyone needs some kind of grounding throughout the day. Simply engage with the Earth through your feet and take a few deep breaths. If time allows, you can do a few minutes, but even a few seconds can help build a protective shield as well. Taking a few deep breaths at the same time helps even more.
Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful evening!
Happy Spring Everyone! I have recently been through a wonderful and challenging transition of starting a new job in a new city and state. I have been so busy I’ve been neglecting my blog but I want to use April 1st, a new month (not an April Fool’s) to reconnect.
One of my favorite sites for inspiration is Reiki Rays.
Every month they are releasing a calendar of daily activities using Reiki. Having been so busy, I’ve been meaning to write about the power of Reiki in the real world, which I’ll get to in a later post.
Today’s schedule is to “Embrace your Reiki Angel role on planet Earth”.
I have discussed my path to Reiki in a previous post. I have been a practicing physician much longer than I have been a Reiki Practitioner, but I am so thankful to my teachers and to Reiki for this wonderful practice that brought back compassion to my role as a physician. Prior to being lead to Reiki, I loved my job as a physician, but I was quickly losing touch with what I was doing and why. I felt pulled in so many directions to produce, see more patients, make more money.
Reiki helped me to connect with myself, then connect to others. As a physician, Reiki is a gift beyond description. I rely heavily on evidence based medicine and scientific research. But when I’m face to face with a patient who is struggling, Reiki helps to find an answer that is not so “left brained” and logical in nature. Reiki helps me to have empathy in a meaningful way. I hope all of you who are Reiki practioners feel the same. I also hope that if you are considering getting closer and learning Reiki, you will. You won’t regret it.
Reiki has so many wonderful applications. One of my favorites is the World Peace Meditation created by William Rand. Please see this link for details, history of the World Peace Meditation, as well as the handy crystal grids that you can download and print to use during the meditation.
The premise of the World Peace Meditation is that if as many of us as possible focus healing energy on the entire world, a wave of healing will be created. Anyone can participate in this event, ideally you can meditate for about 15 minutes at 7:30pm in your time zone.
I am taking advantage of a wonderful WordPress feature, using this future blog post as a reminder to myself as well to send healing energy and so that I will not forget myself.
IARP has released the latest Reiki Report yesterday. There is an interesting article that as an internist I enjoyed reading. Hypertension is extraordinarily common, affecting 31.1% (95% confidence interval, 30.0-32.2%) of the world’s adults had hypertension (1). Hypertension is easily one of the most common conditions I see throughout the day.
High blood pressure typically has no symptoms. It is typically found when vitals are checked at the beginning of a doctor’s visit. A normal blood pressure is somewhere around 120/80 (there are many recommendations on what is considered your normal, but around 120/80 is fairly good). If your blood pressure is higher than this, there are many factors that will go into if you should be on a medication.
Blood pressure is a wonderful indicator of overall health. A low blood pressure can indicate conditions such as severe infection, anemia, or life threatening dehydration. Blood pressure fluctuates depending on time of day, activities, stress, pain, as well as diet.
Elevations in blood pressure may occur transiently, sometimes called “white coat hypertension”, in which the stress of the clinical environment causes elevation in the readings. However, clinical studies have shown that “white coat hypertension” is a strong warning for chronic hypertension.
Hypertension has to be addressed, but many patients are surprised to learn that lifestyle modifications are the mainstay of treatment, while medications may be an addition to treatment.
IARP gives some nice examples from medical research on how Reiki can help to control blood pressure. Reiki treatment by a practitioner, or self treatment can be very helpful in lowering blood pressure along with your physician’s treatment plan. Reiki as a treatment intervention will lower stress, improve sleep, and may lead to some personal insight.
When teaching patients about the mind-body connection, one of the easiest lessons is checking a blood pressure after talking, then guiding the patient with deep breathing for about 3 minutes, then repeating the blood pressure. Patients are amazed to see their pulse and blood pressure naturally go down.
Remember to follow your physicians instructions. If you have been prescribed medications, not taking these as instructed can lead to dangerous consequences. Applying a holistic approach along with your treatment plan can and will help your overall health.
Correct way to monitor your blood pressure
If your are currently under the care of a physician and being treated for high blood pressure, you likely have been instructed on checking your blood pressure at home. I like patients to know a few things:
Wrist blood pressure cuffs can be accurate, but you’ll need to measure at heart height, usually by placing your wrist on your chest.
Try to sit quietly for at least 5 minutes before checking.
Warm drinks and caffeinated drinks will raise your readings, as will many over the counter cold medications.
1. Mills KT, Bundy JD, Kelly TN, et al.: Global disparities of hypertension prevalance and control: a systemic analysis of population-based studies from 90 countries. Circulation. 134:441-450 2016
Today is the start of a free online event through The Shift Network. I have participated in many of these free events. They are are great way to get inspired especially in these cold winter months. See the link before to attend today!
After my first Reiki attunement, I had no plans of sharing Reiki with others. I soon learned, like many Reiki practitioners, that once you open yourself to Reiki, the healing energy finds you in numerous ways. One of the most interesting things that happened after each Reiki attunement was the shift in my patients. Without being prompted, patients began asking me about using energy medicine, crystals, essential oils, herbal supplements and all kinds of healing modalities to aid in their healing. Even more interesting, many of my patients began to acknowledge a sense of wanting to know more, wanting to dig deeper within themselves. The year after I became a Reiki master, many patients would share with me having a spiritual crisis at the same time as a health crisis, often relating the two without me even asking.
My own personal healing journey was brought on by a crisis on multiple levels. I went through the end of a relationship, as well as the beginning of burn out in my practice. I begin to experience intense anxiety despite cognitively knowing I was in no imminent danger. A dear lifelong friend had mentioned to me a particular yoga studio which I should attend, and after many weeks of insomnia, I started attending classes at Yoga Home of Therapeutics.
One of the topics that will come up frequently for many of my patients or Reiki clients is what to do or where to go once they begin to question life, and what steps to take to heal and grow has a human.
I’m going to post several resources I use, as well as books I’ve read that hopefully can help others wondering where to start.
Healing Modalities
The healing modalities I am most familiar with are traditional allopathic medicine, Reiki and Yoga. I will reference those I am familiar with. On occasion, I will recommend patients and clients to try one of these healing modalities as I am familiar with these.
Part of a healing journey is continued learning. I plan on updating this list frequently.
IARP is a wonderful starting resource for those seeking a Reiki Practitioner as well as for Reiki Practitioners looking for support for their practice. This website has information for those considering receiving Reiki such as this link. There is also research information on applications of Reiki in Healthcare, one of my favorite resources. Reiki Practioners will find that membership is very affordable, and there is an exciting new affiliate program you may consider, have a closer look here.
This website is better if you already have started or will be pursuing your Reiki training. There are many Reiki lineages, but the Usui lineage that many of us learn was founded by William Lee Rand is found here. One of my favorite activities is the World Peace Meditation. The link will take you to a PDF that describes what the World Peace Meditation is, as well as crystal grids that can be used to aid in your meditation experience. The World Peace Meditation takes place every month. I usually try to post a reminder when I receive the reminder as well.
This is a great website for experienced Reiki practitioners as well as those that are interested in learning more about Reiki. I highly recommend signing up for the newsletter if you are a Reiki practitioner. In addition to the wonderful articles, there are frequently many free ebooks with so much useful information.
Online directory to locate a Reiki Practitioner near you. If you are a Reiki practitioner, this a a great website to find online resources and grow your Reiki business.
Yoga Resources
Your local yoga studio is one of the best places to start. I will always recommend for any new student in yoga to try a local studio first. If you have a friend that can recommend a yoga studio that’s a great place to start. If you don’t live near a yoga studio, starting a home practice is easy. You can easily purchase a mat, a couple of yoga blocks, and a yoga strap (all can easily be found in most stores that have work out equipment).
One of the best resources are family and friends as far as a yoga studio to try. This link will send you to a directory of registered yoga instructors in your area.
Online paid membership site with several yoga courses that are appropriate for beginners. In addition to beginner’s yoga classes, there are many guided meditations. Membership is reasonably priced, and access is easy.
Online paid membership website that focuses on yoga. There are many wonderful articles that can take you deeper into your yoga practice as well as guide you in a Yogic lifestyle.
Reading List
Books are a wonderful resource if you are wanting to dig deeper into your healing journey. There are a large number of books covering chakras, yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, crystal and essential oils. I am an avid reader, but I understand that many people do not have the luxury of time to endlessly explore books in order to make progress in their healing. I have started a reading list with books that may be a good place for you to start. Please see the link on my blog page. I am open to comments as well if any if you reading have further comments or suggestions. We’re all in this together so any knowledge we share can help each other.
Thank you so much for being patient, and please leave any comments.
Patients frequently ask me if as a diabetic, is it safe to ready fruit. It’s not a simple question to answer. I received an update from Medical News that answers this question very nicely. The short answer is, yes, got can safely consume fruit add a diabetic. However, all things in moderation. In general, if you are diabetic, you should be aware of calories. You want to avoid fruits with a high glycemic index. Otherwise, you do want fruit as part of your diet. You also want to incorporate vegetables as well.
If your looking for ways and reasons to incorporate fruits and vegetables in your diet, please check out one of my favorite sites Nutrition Facts
Your brain is designed to work in cycles. In the morning, your brain is in its it’s full functional state. Your sensory organs are fully engaged, allowing for sight, hearing, touch, taste and scent. Your eyes will operate normally, and your blink reflex (the response to a fast moving object coming towards your face) is active. You are also in complete control of your motor cortex, so you have full control of your muscles, allowing for normal movements.
Your heart beat is on an automatic system but gets outside input from the vagus nerve. Your heart rate will rise when physical demand requires more blood flow. Your breathing is automatic as well. You can override the automatic breathing cycle yourself by doing something like meditation or breath holding. Your respiratory system will go back to your default automatic program as soon as your conscious brain moves on to something else.
During the awake state, your digestive system is ready to work, and particularly during the day hours the stomach, small intestines, and colon work in coordination to digest for and extract nutrients as well as eliminate waste.
The Drowsy Brain
You begin to register the sensation of feeling sleepy when your blood pressure begins to drop. Your heart rate will also begin to slow down. Your ability to form new memories decreases, and any new information that reaches your brain will not be stored. The electrical activity in your brain begins to change as well which can be seen on an EEG. This corresponds to an alteration in your eyes, which will start an automatic slow back and forth movement.
Light Sleep
N2 or light sleep will follow the first stage of sleep. The electrical activity of the brain will continue to change, reflecting a lower amplitude of activity on EEG’s. The eyes will stop moving at this point, tending to stay in one place. Breathing is now automatic. When your awake, if you hold your breath, you will get a strong urge to breathe within a few seconds due to your body’s mechanism to respond to elevated carbon monoxide levels in the blood stream. In N2 sleep, your body may not do this. You will spend about half of the night in this stage of sleep.
N3 sleep
In this deeper stage of sleep, brain activity continues to slow even more. Your brain will cycle between N2 and N3 several times throughout the night. The body is even less responsive to rises in carbon dioxide in the blood stream than in the lighter stages of sleep.
REM sleep
REM, or Rapid Eye Movement, is the necessary sleep stage that allows for true rest. It is during this phase that the all motor control is frequently lost; This is the stage of sleep when dreams occur.
Waking up
After going through several cycles of sleep throughout a night, your body will prepare to wakes itself. In the early morning hours, your blood sugar will rise. This effect can become exaggerated in diabetics, leading to the Dawn Phenomenon, or early morning high blood sugars despite being in a fasting state. The cycle starts again
Sleeping is a complex process, and as you can see, there are many steps in the process to ensure a good night’s sleep. I frequently discuss an abbreviated form of the the sleep process with patients because many people don’t realize that the highly coordinated process is deeply disrupted with alcohol, several medications, as well as bad habits such as ruminating at bed time.
Once again, I am so appreciative for readers that stop by to read my blog. Being a practicing physician, many of these important topics I often rush through, so it’s nice to spend a little more time on issues.
In my next insomnia post, I will start delving deeper into how to analyze your sleep issue and approaches to deal with them.
Resources:
Goldman, L., & Schafer, A. I. (2016). Goldman-Cecil medicine. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
Cell phones can add an amazing dimension to healthcare. Whereas patient used to tell me about a rash that’s now gone, now a savvy patient can snap a picture from their cell phone that I can use to make a diagnosis. Patients can keep track of blood sugars, blood pressures, activity levels, migraine attacks, sleep, etc on their cell phones. They are social tools, their with you at every outing, capturing awesome pictures and updating your social media.
They are filthy. Literally.
In a study, cultures from cell phones were found to grow Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphlococcus aureus, Enterococcus feacalis, and Bacillius¹
Just for kicks and giggle:
Escherichia coli and Enterococcus feacalis are coliform bacteria…yep….they’re in your poop.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes serious skin and blood stream infections.
Its for this reason that:
If I’m seeing you as a patient in the clinic, I will do everything possible not to handle your phone.
Before I touch your cell phone, I will wear gloves as if handling any other bodily fluid.
Keeping your phone clean:
Some studies show that a case on your cell phone can reduce the amount of bacteria.
You can reduce the amount of bacterial contamination by wiping the phone down with diluted rubbing alcohol.
I personally use commercially available eyeglass cleaner wipes once or twice a day.
While patients are not suprised to see me put on gloves for a variety of reasons, I’m now gloving up to touch your personal electronics.
Thanks for reading! I appreciate all the readers that stop by an spend a few minutes here.
Akinyemi, K. O., Atapu, A. D., Adetona, O. O., & Coker, A. O. (2009). The potential role of mobile phones in the spread of bacterial infections. The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries,3(08). doi:10.3855/jidc.556
I knew blogging at times would be a little difficult, and unfortunately, the past few weeks, I’ve actually been working on the same two posts for weeks.
I am so thankful to receive an honorable mention for an essay contest here:
