Reiki is a healing tool typically used in a state of meditation. Most of us perform Reiki treatments on ourselves while seated, laying down with very little distractions. When possible, a full self Reiki session is the best.
Do you ever use Reiki in other ways? Reiki is a tool, meant to be invoked whenever and wherever possible. Let’s review some of the simple ways to add more Reiki to your life.
Keeping Reiki in my life everyday has helped me cope when I work with my patients in clinic. Let’s explore ways to use Reiki in everyday life.
1. Reiki in the Morning
The first few minutes of waking up sets the tone of your day. The few minutes are so very precious. This is a perfect time to invoke Reiki.
Before starting your day, rather than immediately turning on the TV or checking social media, use this time to perform Mental/Emotional Reiki (or meditate if you are not a Reiki Practitioner). Doing this allows you to set an intention for your day. You take ownership of your energy, and you can claim control of your day.
No need for timers, just plug and play to start your daily session now. My 9 Minute Guided Reiki Session is great for morning Reiki.
2. Reiki While Driving
Reiki while driving? Absolutely!
You can do this by drawing CKR on your steering wheel. While you’re driving, Reiki can be flowing from your hands to your car then all around you.
You can also draw or envision SHK on the hood of your car. This ensures you remain safe, as well as sends vibrations of safety and calmness to the drivers around you.
Before I get to work, I get some coffee, do some yoga, listen to an inspirational audiobook on my way to work. Once I arrive at work, I give myself Reiki. Before I enter the exam room, I use Reiki to set an intention with each patient. I intend to assist in each patient’s healing, and to clean up any of my own negative thoughts.
If I feel a patient had a difficult visit, I will often use Distance Reiki after the visit. Sending Reiki back to the visit can help heal the emotional burdens for the patient.
Reiki can be used in many ways at work. Reiki can help make learning skills easier. SHK can be used before doing any training. Any Reiki symbol can be used to ease workplace conflict. Reiki also can help in big career decisions, such as starting or leaving a job.
4. Reiki Naps
Napping is one of the most underutilized tools for health and wellness. I found that I often have trouble relaxing during the day. I will use Reiki to help myself relax into a nap. My like using a 9 Minute Reiki session to help me initiate a restorative nap.
5. Journaling
Keeping a journal serves many purposes. Planning, processing, and digesting emotions can all be done effectively with a planner. Using Reiki with journaling is a beautiful way to help in this process. Reiki can be applied to the journal. You can turn your journal into a “Reiki Box”. Write down what you are worried about, or your hopes and dreams. Then perform Reiki directly to the piece of paper. This is one of my favorite ways to reduce my own worries about the future.
6. Reiki in Emergencies
Emergency situations push us to our limits. Anxiety attacks, hearing bad news, or anything that activates the Flight-or-Fight, or Sympathetic Nervous System,
Anyone coping with the early stages of grief can also use Reiki to help the pain of grief. Doing Reiki on the heart chakra can help calm down the intense feelings of early grief.
Doing Mental/Emotional Reiki on the head after the dust has settled can help to calm the severe anxiety of an emergency situation. This can easily be done with using SHK on the crown for 3-5 minutes.
There are no limits to how you can use Reiki in your everyday life.
Wanting to start you Reiki journey? Healing Arts has resources to help you explore Reiki and get started with your training today!
Sound healing is a healing modality that embraces the power of sound waves to heal the mind, body and spirit. Sound Healer and Reiki Master Kathy Harmon-Luber shared a sound healing session on the Art of Healing podcast:
The human body is mostly made of water. According to Kathy, sound travels through the water in the body, and this is where the resonance can lead to healing. Water can be programmed, as shown by the scientific studies conducted by Masuro Emoto show that water responds to different sound vibrations. In his studies, Emoto showed that positive words such as love, hope and thank you, cause water to form well organized crystals. When words such “you fool” caused the frozen water to form disorganized crystals.
Kathy states that many of the healing tools used in sound healing generate frequencies that are much higher and lower thatn the range of the human ear.
A sound bath creates healing by immersing the body in the sound frequencies, so hearing the sounds on a conscious level is not necessary in order for the healing to occur.
3. Sound healing creates a Theta waves in the brain
The human brain generates electrical activity that varies in frequencies. When we are awake, the electrical patterns generated by the human brain are alpha, gamma, or beta waves. Theta waves are associated with a higher level of subconscious activity.
The vibrations generated from sound healing help cells regenerate. A small study showed an instrument called a Cymoscope was able to restore red blood cell membrane integrity.
Loss of red blood cells leads to anemia, which causes fatigue and reduced ability to heal. Using sound to renew red blood cells also has little risk, and can be combined with other healing modalities for healing.
5. Sound Healing can help cells that have gone dormant wake up
Kathy states that sound healing can help cells become restored. The combination of relaxation from theta waves in the brain along with the healing frequencies can create an environment that allows cells to heals.
6. Sound Healing Balances the Energy in our bodies
We feel our bodies in solid form, but quantum physics teaches us that solid matter is simply light particles slowed down enough to form a solid. Sound healing allows the energy center in the body to balance themselves. Energetic alignment allows the mind and body to heal themselves.
I recommend having a look at Kathy’s website www. survivetothrive.com to learn more about sound healing and schedule your session. I’m getting my sound healing session soon! I’ll let you know how it goes.
This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on these links takes you to products I trust, and I may receive a commission on any purchases you make.
April is Anxiety Awareness Month. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disparities, affecting as many as 25% of the population during the pandemic.1 Anxiety can be a temporary state of feeling nervous, or a chronic condition such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Anxiety Disorder frequently begins at or around the age of 30. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by chronic, unfocused, excessive worry and stress associated with clinically significant distress and functional impairment, often accompanied by insomnia, restlessness, muscle tension, and fatigue.2 Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic increased the number of individuals experiencing anxiety.
Severe anxiety can lead to anxiety attacks. Anxiety attacks are an episode of feeling a sense of doom, palpitations, sweating, hyperventilation, and digestive symptoms.
If you are living with anxiety, it’s important to know that small actions throughout your day can make you anxiety better or worse. Let’s explore three things you may be doing right now that could be making your anxiety worse.
Rapid Breathing Makes Your Anxiety Worse
How is your breathing right now? Is it fast? Sleep? Deep? Shallow? Do you notice you’re holding your breath at times?
I noticed that my patients tend to breath rapidly, shallow, and even hold their breathe. When I’m with a patient who is upset, agitated, scared, or angry, the quality of the breath often indicates what’s going on internally.
Patients coming in to discuss anxiety breath rapidly. When they discuss their anxiety symptoms, they will increase the rate of breath. Hyperventilation, which is rapid breathing associated with decreased carbon dioxide in the bloodstream often accompanies panic attacks. You can create anxiety in your mind and body with intentional rapid breathing.
How you sit controls your mood…have a listen to this podcast to practice
Try This Instead
Learning to breath with slow, deep breaths helps reverse the habit of rapid, shallow breaths that can create a state of anxiety.
Noticing the breath is a practice commonly done during Mindfulness Practice. Observation of breath can help slow down the mind and create a sense calmness.
Hay fever and allergies can disrupt your breathing as well as anxiety. Check out my recommendation to support respiratory health at FullScripts.
Being in touch with your breath is a healthy habit you can develop easily. Practicing breath work through mindfulness is an easy practice.
Giving Your Thoughts too much Power Makes your Anxiety Worse
One of the main symptoms of generalized anxiety is excessive worry. Worry can’t be avoided. It’s part of being human. How do we not worry about the things we care about such as our family? Our children? Our parents? Finances? Health?
I ask my patients when they discuss their worries, did focusing on these worries actually solve the problem? No it does not. Worrying about many different things will most likely create more worries.
Try This Instead
Try questioning if your worry thoughts are really true. As each worry thought enters your mind, simply respond with a question of it’s true.
In the podcast, Cleaning Up Your Thoughts, we walk through how do redirect anxiety thoughts while journaling. You can to this anytime of day. If you find you have made worrying a habit, spend a few minutes every day redirecting your thoughts.
Junk Food Is Making Your Anxiety Worse
Many of us rely on food to calm our anxious mood. Snack foods such chips, cookies, or candy seem like a quick fix for feeling anxious an overwhelmed.
Eating the wrong kinds of food can make your anxiety worse. Ingesting excessive amounts of sugar increases insulin production. High insulin causes increased production of cortisol and adrenaline from the adrenal glands. Ingesting sugar to alleviate anxiety will make anxiety worse. As the insulin levels rises, you will get hungry very soon after eating. You may also notice episodes of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, that feel like anxiety.
Try This Instead
In this podcast, Health Coach Lisa Airhart shares her wisdom on how you can approach eating to attune to the needs of your mind or body. In her book, she shares how you can approach your food in a loving way and help choose foods that are better for your mood.
Anxiety is hard on your mind, body and spirit. Doing everything you can to support your mind and body with breathwork, mindfulness and mindful eating helps you to avoid experiencing anxiety.
Spring is here! The days are getting longer and warmer. All of us are ready to shed the winter and get out more. The flowers, trees, and grass are blooming. What does that mean?
I’m going to share my favorite supplements to get ready for spring allergies to help you be proactive before your allergies start.
Optimize Your Vitamin C
Getting more than enough Vitamin C helps your immune system work efficiently. Allergies are a result of your immune system overreacting to pollen, dander or dust.
I recommend taking Vitamin C in a form that will be well absorbed and easily available to your system. Getting enough Vitamin C assures that your immune system will be able to handle infectious threats as well as stabilizing your system during allergies.
Turmeric can help with many inflammatory illnesses. Having turmeric in the kitchen is a good idea for this reason.
Turmeric (or Curcumin) “was found to exert diverse immunomodulatory effects, including suppression of IL-4, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor α and increased production of IL-10 and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule” 1
Anxiety and depression often occur, or get worse, during allergy season. The same inflammatory markers that worsen allergies also worsen depression. Having allergies can worsen these conditions as well2.
I recommend keeping calm during allergy season. Activating the Parasympathetic Nervous System using tools such as meditation or Reiki is one way to calm your nerves.
Magnesium is an excellent way to relax especially at night. Adequate magnesium can decrease headaches, muscle spasms, and improve sleep.
Check out my magnesium recommendation with Fullscripts, and take advantage of this great sale.
Wu, S., & Xiao, D. (2016). Effect of curcumin on nasal symptoms and airflow in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, 117(6), 697–702.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2016.09.427
Rodrigues, J., Pinto, J. V., Alexandre, P. L., Sousa-Pinto, B., Pereira, A. M., Raemdonck, K., & Vaz, R. P. (2022). Allergic Rhinitis Seasonality, Severity, and Disease Control Influence Anxiety and Depression. The Laryngoscope, 10.1002/lary.30318. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.30318
If you are curious about Reiki, you’ve landed in the right place. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of Reiki for beginners and how to get started on your Reiki Journey.
Reiki is a healing modality that uses channeled energy to heal. Reiki can be done by a Reiki Practitioner, or you can give yourself Reiki with training.
If you are new to Reiki, is it better to get a Reiki session? Or should you start learning Reiki right away?
Many healing modalities (medicine and acupuncture, for example), requires years of study and practice. These healing modalities often require another practitioner for treatment. You can’t practice medicine on yourself (and I’m a physician saying this).
Reiki can be done by someone else, or you can do it on yourself. So how to get started?
Want to learn more about Reiki ? Download the free Reiki 101 book now.
What Is Reiki?
Reiki is a healing modality that channels energy into a receiver via a trained Reiki Healer. The energy that is channeled is from a source that serves only the highest good. The Reiki Practitioner channels energy from a higher source to the recipient.
Reiki Energy currently can’t be measured or quantified. Researchers have attempted to quantify Reiki in the form of the Human Biofield. Currently, it is difficult to place a direct measurement on Reiki Energy.
Reiki Healers use intention to channel healing energy. The intention is to heal the client.
I often explain Reiki as acupuncture without the needles. Reiki can be applied directly to meridians and chakras. Reiki can be used an any part of the body with direct touch or with hands off the body.
Learn how Reiki goes beyond the limits of space and time to heal.
Reiki can be sent over distances. This is one of the most power aspect of Reiki. Reiki can be sent to any person, any place, and in any time. Only your imagination limits who Reiki can be used.
Distance Reiki can be sent across a room. Distance Reiki can be sent to another room, like if you’re visiting a loved one in the hospital who is in isolation.
Reiki is a healing practice, a spiritual practice, or a mindfulness practice. Practicing Reiki does not go against your religious practice in any way. You can combine Reiki with your other practices. If you already meditate, Reiki can be a form of meditation.
What Reiki Is Not
Reiki is not a religion. It is considered to be a spiritual practice, but there is no doctrine or structured religion with the practice. Because of this, Reiki is available to all people, including atheist.
Reiki is not a way to change or alter someone else’s behavior. Reiki can be used to bring blessings or ease a situation such as a difficult relationship.
Where did Reiki come from?
The origin story of Reiki starts in Japan, at the famous Mount Karuma. The first Reiki Practitioner, Dr. Mikao Usui, created Reiki after taking a spiritual pilgrimage to Mount Karuma, fasting for 21 days and becoming attuned to the healing energy of Reiki. Although Reiki started in Japan, it has been taught and practiced all over the world.
Does Reiki Work?
Yes and no.
I advise my clients and patients that I consider Reiki to be part of a spectrum of healing modalities that can definitely help to heal, but if it does not match the energy of the disease, it may not work quickly enough.
Does Reiki Work? Watch to learn more Reiki
Where Beginner’s Can Learn More about Reiki
If you are new to Reiki, there are some great online resources you can consider researching. You can start learning about the various types Reiki.
No, it can’t replace an evaluation with a medical or psychological specialist. Reiki not a diagnostic tool, although it can give you insight.
Can Beginner’s Learn Reiki?
Reiki is a healing modality in which you can learn it yourself! While I love the idea of seeking a professional especially if you’re new to Reiki, no need to wait.
Reiki Training can be completed live, online, or on a self-paced course. The training tends to be a healing in itself. Reiki Training typically involves studying, reading, an attunement then practices.
Curious about Reiki Certification? Check out Healing Arts Reiki I and Reiki II.
Online Resources
Here are some of my favorite resources to learn about Reiki here.
4 Signs you are in a Dark Night of the Soul, and what to do next
I first heard the term “Dark Night of the Soul” during a Reiki class. This is a time of major disruption in life. This can be job loss, breakups, illness, fear, anxiety, and overall feeling like you can’t take one more thing. If you are experiencing this, there is no accident. You are likely starting, or currently in a time of your life of intense growth.
What are the signs of a Dark Night of the Soul?
During an interview, I asked Psychic Development Teacher Heather of heatheryish.com, we did a deep dive into the “Dark Night of the Soul.” She shared her personal experiences with how she navigated these rough water. Here is some of the knowledge she shared during the interview.
1. Weakening of the Foundations of Your Life
When you are going through a “Dark Night of the Soul”, it appears as if your world is falling apart. The aspects of your life that create our daily routines, such as relationships, work, home, and health began to change quickly. This results in breakups, endings, being fired or laid off, or becoming ill.
Even more uncomfortable is that major changes may happen all at once. It may feel like the sky is falling, and in your world it may be. One unwanted change may lead to another, then another.
You may find yourself suddenly with much more time on your hands because of the end of a relationship, or the end of a job. If the loss is the death of a loved one, this can feel like a chasm that is painful and you desire to fill immediately.
Why This Happens
Many spiritual leaders and coaches see the journey in to the Dark Night of the Soul as a time of transition. The choices you have made may have served you at that point in time, but not must be let go. Relationships that hinder your growth on a soul level must change or end.
Breakups, financial losses, career setbacks are emotionally painful and are powerful teachers on your soul journey. They are not meant to be easy, but they always serve a purpose of crating a major shift.
How to Survive The Crumbling of the Foundations In Your Life during the Dark Night of the Soul
Your were built to survive this challenge. Your faith has likely taught you that you can survive, and thrive in any challenge that comes your way.
Heather advised us during her interview that feeling emotional overwhelm is expected to happen. She encourages us that higher guidance from your spirit guides and your God are with you.
During the tumultuous times of the Dark Night, you can find your emotional center using meditation. Daily meditation calms your nervous system. During times of change, your Sympathetic Nervous System will be heightened. You may have trouble with appetite, sleep, and finding inner calm. Working with your nervous system through intentional meditation daily can help you find your inner calm, and create a buffer for you during this difficult time.
My 21 Day Meditation Challengecan help you start and continue your meditation. Course includes downloadable meditations.
2. Desire to Withdraw from Others
During out interview (which you can download here), I asked Heather for some of the subtle signs that a Dark Night of the Soul is coming. She noted that in her clients, withdrawing from what’s familiar, particular from the community you’re in, is a sign that big change is coming.
Why This Happens
This kind of withdrawal may be accompanied with fatigue. You may be so tired that getting out of bed feels monumental. You previous relationships also may be draining your energy, so it is now impossible as you move through this change to connect with others.
Creating a Safe Space During the Dark Night of the Soul
As you journey through the Dark Night of the Soul, energy preservation is necessary. It may feel selfish, but your mind, body, and spirit demand that you allocate your resources to yourself.
Heather’s advice is to create your own safe place. Create space and time to heal, feel protected and to rest. How do you do this?
Creating your own safe place can start with developing and enhancing your healing rituals. Starting a daily Meditation Practice such as the 21 Day Meditation Journey helps you create a healing ritual you can return to day after day.
Reiki creates a safe place to recover during the Dark Night of the Soul. Receiving Reiki from a trusted Reiki Healer is wonderful, but did you know know you can learn Reiki and heal yourself?
Reiki creates a safe space for gentle healing. Performing Reiki on yourself daily will create a safe space through healing ritual. It is possible to do this for yourself. Learning Reiki is therapeutic as well. You learn about you Chakras, the history of Reiki, and your anatomy. What you learn in Reiki can serve as guiding lights as you navigate the Dark Night of the Soul.
3. Disconnection from Your Own Desires
Being unable to identify with your desires, your wishes, and your passions is a sign that you may have drifted from you path in life. If you feel that you are busy, doing many things, but none of them bring joy to your life, this is a sign that you are entering a Dark Night of the Soul.
Why This Happens
Failure to acknowledge your feelings, desires and needs leads to disconnection. This disconnection form yourself creates a crisis in the mind, body and spirit. Each of us has a purpose, a calling, or a chosen mission that our souls selected before we came to exist in this time. If decisions you have made have taken you away from this, you will experience trouble with knowing what it is you want.
How to Reconnect With Your Desires During the Dark Night of the Soul
Finding ways to reconnect with your desires requires quiet, reflection, and intentional healing. During our interview, Heather recommended using therapy as a way to reconnect.
Working with a counselor, such as my podcast guest, Brandi Gibson, can help you understand when you feel stress in your body. Have a listen to her episode, Stress Awareness in the Mind Body to learn how therapy can teach you to reconnect with your physical body.
Longing for major changes in your life may be more than fantasy. If you’ve had a dream of a career change, or longed for living in a different place, these desires may be much more than fantasy. You may have feelings of guilt about these longings, but as we learned during this podcast episode, you want to approach these desires with loving kindness.
Why This Happens
Experiencing a Dark Night of the Soul is a sign that major change is coming. Changes in your home, career, personal life and yourself are coming. Embracing that change is eminent makes this easier to accept.
Embracing the Changes That Come with the Dark Night of The Soul
During this time of transition, educate yourself abundantly. Reading, taking courses, listening to podcast and reading blogs that support your journey through the Dark Night of the Soul will help you embrace these changes and grow from them.
Reading has helped me through my own Dark Night of the Soul. Reading as a therapeutic intervention is known as bibliotherapy. I have a list of recommended books that I have found inspiring and helpful.
My wish for anyone who is in a dark time is that this time will serve to help you heal, progress, and grow. Accept the signs that you and your life must change. Use this time to learn meditation. Learn Reiki to heal yourself. Understand that as you progress on this journey, it is for a purpose.
Reiki has been shown to improved Cancer Related Fatigue1
A small study performed at the University of Calgary with 16 patients sought to measure if Reiki treatments could improve Cancer Related Fatigue. The study showed high compliance of participants (inferring increasing interest in complementary care). This study compared prescribed rest periods with Reiki sessions in patients being treated for cancer. The overall results show that repeated Reiki treatments helped to improve Cancer Related Fatigue.1
Reiki for Anxiety
“REIKI IMPROVED PAIN…ANXIETY BY 59.8%²“
Anxiety can be crippling. Anxiety attacks are a culmination of chronic stress that causes the autonomic nervous system to shift form a “rest and digest” mode to a “fight or flight” mode. When the autonomic nervous system maintains too much sympathetic tone, anxiety is one of the results.
Reiki creates immediate relaxation. During a Reiki session, but client and practitioner feel a sense calm as the Reiki energy is channeled. The setting is usually calm, allowing for surrender to an inner sense of peace.
Medical evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment commonly cause anxiety. Most of my new patients are anxious to be at a new clinic meeting a new doctor. They are also nervous about possible diagnosis.
Reiki is an amazing way to alleviate anxiety. My Reiki clients find anxiety resolves quickly. I use Reiki for my own feelings of anxiety.
Reiki for Pain
Tsang, K. L., Carlson, L. E., & Olson, K. (2007). Pilot crossover trial of Reiki versus rest for treating cancer-relatedfatigue. Integrative cancer therapies, 6(1), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735406298986
2. Vergo, M. T., Pinkson, B. M., Broglio, K., Li, Z., & Tosteson, T. D. (2018). Immediate Symptom Relief After a First Session of Massage Therapy or Reiki in Hospitalized Patients: A 5-Year Clinical Experience from a Rural Academic Medical Center. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 24(8), 801–808. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2017.0409
What an exciting time in your life! You are now a Reiki Healer! There’s so much to do.
But wait, let’s take a breath, before you rush of to change the world, let’s protect your energy.
I can remember how empowered I felt after my first Reiki Attunement. I would like to share with you some of my insight about how to protect your precious energy so that you can heal yourself and other more effectively.
It is so easy after learning The Healing Art of reiki to want to jump in full fledged into practicing on others right away.
When I first learned Reiki, I did not intend to start treating others. I soon found myself doing sessions in my home. It was not very long before I realized that without setting some boundaries, I would be treating others and possibly overextending myself, possibly draining my own energy.
As you know from your training, Reiki does not deplete your own personal energy. However, offering Reiki sessions before you’re ready will!
Many people seek Reiki during difficult times in in life. They are likely experiencing loss, trauma, grief, or illness. Similar to the practice of medicine, people will seek Reiki when they want help and healing.
You are definitely vital in helping others heal, but my wish for you is to be ready and learn how to set appropriate boundaries.
1. Do Not Start Offering Sessions Before You Have Selected a Space
Do you know where you want to start taking clients?. For many people the easiest place to offer Reiki is in the home. If you feel you have adequate space where you can set plenty of boundaries and prevent distractions this is a great idea. However, I’d like you to keep in mind that the Pandemic of 2020 has changed everything. If you’re opening your home to clients, you need to consider keeping yourself and your family safe. Will you have a way to screen for someone that could be ill? Will you have clients wear masks? How do you plan to perform hand sanitation?
Another option is to consider renting a space from a friend who may already be in practice. I know some Reiki practitioners who jumped right into this option. This is great but keep in mind once you rent, you’ve now created automatic overhead. This will mean that you will need to get clients right away to pay for your rental space. The benefit with this is that you’ll have a place away from your home and it’ll be much easier to set boundaries. However you will now have the pressure of paying rent, and possibly contributing financially to a business that is not yours.
I believe one of the easiest and most overlooked ways to start your Reiki practice is online.
Distance Reiki is powerful, read this blog post about how Distance Reiki unleashes the real power to heal without limits.
Reiki is not limited to time and space. I think a new Reiki practitioner should take full advantage of distance. You can keep yourself and your clients safe, you can set appropriate boundaries, and you can also offer sessions and unlimited fashion.
I encourage new Reiki practitioners to share their new passion and let everyone know what they’ve just completed. It is an amazing accomplishment and you should definitely be proud!
I learned very quickly in my Reiki journey that not everyone is prepared to learn about this healing art. Matter of fact, for many individuals, learning that you’ve taken this brave step to heal yourself and others May trigger their own wounds. Some of my closest friends did not like hearing about Reiki when I first learned it.
It is important to share what it is that you’ve learned. I think doing this carefully can help not only to educate others but grow your practice. My advice is tell people what you’ve done, offer to educate them on what Reiki is, but don’t necessarily offer a treatment unless someone asks specifically. Reiki is not well known among the public. Healing modalities such as acupuncture, tai chi, and meditation are more commonly known. Be a source of education. Those that are needing you will show up with very little effort. No need to drum up business with strong advertising.
3. Do Not Offer Free Reiki Sessions
If you’re using universal energy to heal others, from an unlimited source that never ends why in the world would you charge?
The reason you want to charge is because it is not just channeling energy that you’re providing. You are providing your time and creating a healing experience. You need to exchange energy in order to keep from draining yourself. Taking payments assures you are respecting your energy, and that your client will get the best results. You can consider bartering services such as a Reiki session for a pre-cooked meal, or a ride to the airport.
This is the toughest lesson for new Reiki healers to learn. I was fortunate in that my first clients wanted to pay me right away. I know of many Reiki healers who started working for free and have significant trouble learning to charge for their services. If this is you, spend some time healing your solar plexus chakra. Learning your own motivations and self-worth will make you a more powerful healer.
4. Do Not Try to Convince Naysayers that Reiki Works
Lightworker, you know your path has been chosen. You’re on your mission and you’re ready to change the world. As you step into your own light, you will feel stronger than ever and ready to tell everyone that they can heal themselves or you can heal them.
Your positive energy will attract many, but it will also repel many.
This is a test. Consider this one of your first challenges is a New LightWorker.
As a practicing physician, my personal networks consist of many physicians. I have had many of my physician friends tell me that they don’t like that I practice Reiki. I’ve had many of them laugh in my face that I believe that I could heal others with just energy.
My response to this is nothing. I listen, I offer to answer questions, I assure them that there is no harm in being a reiki practicing physician.
I have been surprised that many of my biggest naysayers would later ask me for a Reiki session. I am so happy that I never chose to argue, because the door remained open to offer true healing and it was truly a blessing to me personally.
5. Do Not Assume That Your Journey is Done
It is so easy to assume that your journey as a student is done. Especially if you’ve completed Reiki to a Reiki master.
Nope!
There is a universe of new skills and training for you to learn. After you’ve completed your Reiki training, consider this is a very strong base for the next steps.
Reading about your craft not only keeps you engaged, but enhances your skill as a Reiki Healer.
Check out the9 Minute Reiki Sessionin which you Plug and Play for a quick Reiki Tune up.
Being a channel of healing energy is a blessing, but you require maintenance of your mind, body and spirit. This means that you must devote time to your own healing. You should also consider getting Reiki sessions for yourself.
I forgot this lesson myself recently. I received a Reiki session from a dear friend. I was so surprised and how much negative energy I had to release, and I perform Reiki on myself daily.
The top three things every new Reiki healer shoul get started with.
Advancing to the next step in your Reiki journey is very exciting! Congratulations! Each level of attunement brings you closer to who you truly are and your true purpose on this planet.
Each level of attunement is a transition. Your energy is shifting to a higher vibration. It helps to understand that with each one of these vibrational shifts you likely will feel differently. In addition to the three steps I offer below making sure to take yourself care very seriously is very important in the initial weeks after your Reiki Attunement.
With each new level of training you have shifted your energy with powerful intention. The best way to maintain this heightened energy is by practicing Reiki daily.
“I don’t have time to do this.”
Naturally it’s easy to think you don’t have time to spend several minutes a day treating yourself.
Yes you do. A full session is best, but even 3 minutes if mental/emotional healing will suffice.
Start Using Reiki in Every Area of Your Life
In addition to performing a daily practice on yourself, you should try to use Reiki in all kinds of ways within your life. It’s fun to use Reiki at work, at home, while traveling, and before difficult meetings.
Once you are feeling comfortable in your personal Reiki Practice, start sharing! There are so many ways you can reach out to others and educate them on this healing modality. It is a fun way to connect with people and has definitely brought a bit of joy into my life by letting people know all of the benefits of Reiki. There are so many ways of sharing from social media, to in-person conversations, to talks online or in person. Most importantly, Reiki healers are not common. It is very likely you will be the only person in your social circle that is a Reiki practitioner. It’s so cool to become a resource for this.
What happens after Reiki Attunement and how to fix it.
After a Reiki Attunement, it is common to have physical changes and emotional shifts. The purpose of the Reiki attunement is to raise your vibrational level. This vibrational shift must create changes in your body. Anytime we undergo major changes, it’s not usually comfortable. Puberty is uncomfortable. Menopause causes symptoms. Spiritual awakening causes symptoms in a similar fashion.
This article will cover some of the common signs and symptoms after a Reiki attunement and how to cope with these. Know that although these symptoms are uncomfortable, it is a sign of your progression on your spiritual path.
The biggest shift is with Reiki I. There are vibrational shifts thereafter, but typically you are more prepared for these and have more tools to deal with anything that comes up.
Many individuals complain of lower back pain after the Reiki attainment. We all anticipate after doing so much intense spiritual work we should come out of that work feeling fantastic. Why would this happen?
The Chakra System of a human body maps seven major energy centers to seven regions of the body. The lower back, also known as the lumbar spine, is located in the First Chakra, also known as Muladhara. As a Reiki practitioner your Root Chakra is where you will develop energetic roots to keep you firmly planted in the here and now.
Reiki I practitioners should ground their energy to allow for easier access to Reiki energy. Reiki II and Reiki Masters benefit from being grounded when it’s time to treat clients. Being properly grounded allows for you to be present, aware, and stable. You will provide a sense of safety to your clients by grounding your own energy.
The Fix: Getting Grounded
Performing Reiki on your First Chakra is as simple as placing your hands on your lower back. If you’re finding that you feel ungrounded, you can perform this several times a day.
Check out my free ebook for other ways that you can ground your energy. These are 9 short routines that can help ground your energy.
These are simple exercises you can be doing everyday to help you stay grounded. It is not unusual for most of us that have completed Reiki training to have a feeling of not being grounded for about 3 weeks or 21 days after each level of an attunement.
2. Feeling Strong Emotions after Attunement
After a Reiki Attunement it is common to have sudden surges of emotions. This may show up as crying, anger, or anxiety. The emotional storms may not always be negative emotions. Elation, joy, or excitement likely will follow a Reiki Attunement.
Your energy channels have been opened up, and it would be expected to feel many emotions during the initial period after your attunement.
Strong emotions can pull you away from your emotional center.
Finding your emotional center is necessary, particularly if you pursue Reiki training beyond the first degree. New clients may come to you with very strong emotions. Your professional Reiki clients may show up with storms of emotions, and will require an emotional release in order to heal.
The Fix: Get Centered
Mindfulness is a simple practice that can help you stay in the moment. Mindfulness can be practiced as a part of meditation, or can be a stand alone practice.
Practicing mindfulness is as simple as choosing to put aside thoughts of the future, past, others and ourselves. Mindfulness involves focusing on what’s happening in the moment.
Practicing mindfulness on a daily basis allows you to identify the emotions that arise, and not react. Learning to be less reactive allows you to develop a stable inner landscape in which the strong emotions after Reiki Attunement may bring up.
Your gut is smarter than your brain. Scientists have shown that there are actually more neurons in your digestive system than your brain. Knowing that your digestive system responds to the same neurotransmitters as your brain, we would expect changes in the digestive system after a Reiki Attunement.
The Third Chakra, or Manipura, is where we carry the energy of motivation, will power, and empowerment. Changes in motivation, will power, and mental clarity. Traumatic events that causes changes in your states of being often attach to the Solar Plexus Chakra. Being blocked in the Solar Plexus Chakra often leads to digestive issues such as stomach ache, diarrhea, or constipation.
Becoming a Reiki Healer is incredibly empowering. As you step into your new role as a healer you are empowering yourself and coming closer to your soul’s purpose.
Your solar plexus is the center for your stomach, liver, pancreas, spleen and part of the digestive tract. As you shift into this higher energy much of the toxic energy you carry there will be released. This can lead to changes that create very unpleasant symptoms.
The Fix: Focus on You
It is tempting for new Reiki practitioners at any level to want to overextend themselves. Feeling all of that wonderful energy that allows you to heal yourself in others it’s hard to hold back. Every new Reiki practitioner at every level wants to start sharing right away. You should allow yourself adequate time to adjust, hence the 21 day period we all take after each level of attunement for self-healing. During this time performing a full Reiki session on yourself everyday should help.
You should allow yourself adequate time to adjust, hence the 21 day period we all take after each level of attunement for self-healing. During this time performing a full Reiki session on yourself everyday should help. If you don’t have time to do a full Reiki Session, at least a few minutes of Reiki will help you adjust to the new energy.
I have created a guided Reiki Session called the 9 Minute Reiki Session for Mind, Heart and Gut:
Substances like alcohol or smoking also impact you. Consider stopping these.
4. Chest Pain after Reiki Attunement
Have a listen to the Art of Healing Podcast on Chest Pain…Want to know when new episodes come out? Sign up for email alerts
Chest pain is always serious and needs to be evaluated by a medical professional.
That being said, just like any other parts of the body, Reiki Attunement causes your body to shift to a higher vibration like we were beginning to release toxic energy. Depending on how you’ve been holding this energy you may experience chest pain, discomfort, shortness of breath. Again I advise to seek help from a physician to get a medical evaluation.
The Fix: Self Love and Self Care
After seeking appropriate medical help, it’s time to take time for yourself.
Reiki is the energy of love. It’s time to love yourself in an intentional way.
I keep a Self Love Journal. Every morning that I wake up, I write down one thing that I love about myself.
Gratitude also protects your vibration. Here is a free Ebook to help offer some inspiration for practicing Gratitude.
Your immune system becomes stronger as a Reiki practitioner. Unfortunately, it does take time to get there and initially many of us experience a weakening of our immune system. This makes us prone to becoming sick very easily. As your mind, body and spirit shift, for reasons we won’t likely ever understand this is to be expected. While this is bothersome, it is definitely a sign that you’re moving in the right direction.
The Fix: Protect Yourself
Self care is more important than ever after your Reiki attunement. You want to make sure that you devote as much time and energy to yourself as possible. It is not unusual after each level of Reiki Attunement that someone will approach you about treatment. I strongly advise that you give yourself at least 3 weeks before you start to treat others. Do what you can to reserve your energy for yourself.
Self care is more important than ever after your Reiki attunement. You want to make sure that you devote as much time and energy to yourself as possible. It is not unusual after each level of Reiki Attunement that someone will approach you about treatment. I strongly advise that you give yourself at least 3 weeks before you start to treat others. Do what you can to reserve your energy for yourself.
6. Headache After Reiki Attunement
The 6th Chakra, also called Ajna, or the 3rd Eye Chakra is where we hold the energy of our senses. It is also the energy center of intuition and psychic abilities.
The Reiki Attunement works directly on your 3rd Eye to open up the flow of energy. This is why so many Reiki Practitioners notice increased psychic awareness. Increasing the flow of energy here, particularly, positive, high vibration energy such as Reiki will displace any toxic energy.
Unfortunately, this release of toxic energy can lead to headaches, dizziness, or ringing in the ear.
Do not be shy about getting a medical evaluation as headaches could be the sign of something serious. However, if you are someone who is prone to headaches such as migraines then you’re likely aware that any energy shift causes you to start having more headaches than usual.
The Fix: Restore Yourself
Headaches or other 3rd Eye Symptoms are a clue that it is time to spend some time restoring your energy. If you typically engage in a vigorous exercise regimen, consider stepping back to something less intense. Consider Restorative Yoga as an option. Take gentle walks in nature rather than your usual jog. Increase your water intake as well.
7. Insomnia After Reiki Attunement
Insomnia is the most likely side effect most of us experience after a Reiki Attunement. There’s nothing more frustrating after spending so many hours in your personal development than not sleeping.
The act of falling asleep is complicated. The Pineal Gland, which sits deep within the brain, is in the region of the 6th Chakra. It likely communicates the most with the 7th Chakra, or Sahasrara. The pineal gland secretes melatonin in response to light exposure. As light exposure reduces, such as twilight, melatonin is increased which causes drowsiness.
Many of us experience insomnia after a Reiki Attunement. This may show up as waking up around 3 or 4 am.
Dealing with insomnia can be frustrating, particularly after working so hard to feel better.
The Fix: Opening to Guidance
Your insomnia holds wisdom. If you find you are waking up frequently, use this time to meditate or treat yourself with Reiki.
Use this Short Body Scan if needed to help meditation
Hopefully, performing Reiki during this unfortunate time of wakefulness will allow you to relax and return to sleep. If you still aren’t sleepy, you’ll at least have had a full Reiki session.
Lightworker, you are ready for this. Any discomfort you feel in the first few days and weeks after your attunement are simply carrying you closer to your purpose.
In the previous blog post, we found ways to use Reiki in real life. In this post, let’s find a few other ways Reiki can be used off the Reiki Table.
Reiki Before Driving
Doing Reiki while driving? Well, maybe before you hit the road.
Doing Reiki on your car before you leave is an excellent way to make your car a Reiki machine. Adding some intention to your trip allows you to relax during the trip while you help yourself and other drivers on the road.
Here’s some inspiration to turn your car into a Reiki Vehicle:
Draw Sei He Ki on the roof of the car before leaving. Channel Reiki for a few minutes to assure a safe, stress free trip.
Use the steering wheel. Before driving, envision or draw Cho Ku Rei on the steering wheel before leaving.
You can imagine your car sending Reiki to all the cars around you , keeping all the drivers and you safe and stress free.
Napping has many health benefits. Napping for a duration of 20 minutes has been shown to increase productivity, improve mood, and lower stress.
I love naps, but I often struggle with finding the time during a busy clinic schedule. I also can’t wind down sufficiently enough to actually get into sleep.
I have trained my mind and body to use a short Reiki session to replace a nap, or to use Reiki to help me relax into a nap.
While an entire Reiki session is preferred, I have found doing Reiki on the Mind, Heart, and Gut can clean up any toxic energy, create instant relaxation, and replace a nap.
We cook for so many reasons. Nourishment, bringing our friends and families together, and for fun!
Is there a better place to add Reiki than with the food we prepare?
The food we eat provides calories and nutrients to fuel our bodies and minds. We absorb the energy of the food we eat on multiple levels. Beyond tasting better, food prepared with intention and love is better for you.
There are so many ways to use Reiki on your meals.
Beam any Reiki symbol directly onto the food while cooking.
Reiki your groceries before putting them in the refrigerator to reduce harmful vibrations from transit.
Reiki prepared meals prior to serving yourself and family.
Do you work at a hospital, clinic, or traditional Health Care setting and want to share your thoughts on whole body healing? Are there secrets you like your patients to know? Shoot me an email!
Most people think of Reiki in the form of a treatment or healing session. A Reiki Practitioner treats a client on a table in a beautifully appointed room. While this is a fantastic way to receive Reiki, there’s an even more powerful way to use Reiki.
Reiki can be a tool for empowerment. Reiki is meant to be used in any setting. Using Reiki in real life adds intention, purpose, and healing to even the most mundane tasks.
Using Reiki in real life can make challenges tasks easier, and remove blocks.
When cleaning the house, you dust, mop, shine and disinfect. What about the energy? A room that is cluttered creates stagnant energy. Even after a thorough cleaning, sometimes you can still feel the “ick” factor in the air. That same “ick” may still be present after having an unpleasant guest in your home. Even after your guest leave, you may notice your home may just feel wrong.
An excellent test of the energy in your home is putting your home on the market. If your house is on the market, have many potential buyers come to look but you get no offers? The same “ick”, which is stagnant energy in the home may be lowering the value of your home. Buyers may come through and pick up a bad vibe and keep moving.
My house sat on the market for a long time. Finally, after finding the right real estate agent, and performing Reiki on my home, it sold to a very nice family.
Is there a part of your home you avoid? It seems dark? Make you tired or you simply don’t like it?
Doing Reiki on a part of your home, a room, or the whole home can help clear out that negative energy and is easier than saging your home.
You can perform Reiki perform Reiki in your home in the following ways:
Reiki a part of the home or a room by beaming CKR then SHK toward one or more walls in the area. I usually do this for about 3-5 minutes. Doing each wall of a room, the ceiling and the floor will deliver Reiki to the entire room.
Stand in the center of the room Channel Reiki through yourself, then envision it spreading from you to the entire room.
Reiki your home as you would using Sage, walking while beaming Reiki from your hands, attempting to cover every space you can reach.
Finally, use Distance Reiki on a picture of the house.
2. Reiki at Work/Business
The 5 Reiki Precepts can serve as a guiding principle in any area of your life. We expend much of our life force in our vocations. I personally feel that incorporating Reiki in the workplace and business not only reduces stress, but improves your productivity.
Worried about some aspect of your work or business? Write down what it is that worries you. Then perform Reiki on that piece of paper. If the object of your worry is large or intense, perform this task daily. You may find the solution to the problem generates itself.
Anticipating a stressful meeting? Send Reiki to the meeting using HSZSHN to prevent angry outbursts during the meeting.
Needing to increase productivity Start with 3 minutes of Reiki before performing any task to help keep your vibration high.
Feel like the office is getting toxic? Use Reiki to send thoughts of kindness to your workers. You can try writing down kind intentions then performing Reiki on the intentions to raise the vibration of the office.
Make a lousy of everything you were grateful for in the workplace. You can use CKR on the list for an extra boost.
3. Reiki for Travel
Traveling can be exciting, but stressful. Flight schedules, who you sit next to, making sure to stay healthy while traveling during the pandemic, all add to the stress. There are so many factors that you can’t control when traveling.
Use Reiki before your next trip.
I send Reiki to flights, rental cars, hotels as well as to anyone I will interact with. Rather than worrying about all the many factors I can’t control when traveling, I turn it over to Reiki and relax.
Send Reiki to the Future using HSZSN to all your flight plants to help with cancellations and delays
Use CKR and SHK on yourself before and during travel to keep your nerves calm and your immune system strong.
When going to bed in a strange place, SHK on the head/heart/belly can help with relaxation.
Reiki is a healing tool typically used in a state of meditation. Most of us perform Reiki treatments on ourselves while seated, laying down with very little distractions. When possible, a full self Reiki session is the best.
Do you ever use Reiki in other ways? Reiki is a tool, meant to be invoked whenever and wherever possible. Let’s review some of the simple ways to add more Reiki to your life.
Keeping Reiki in my life everyday has helped me cope when I work with my patients in clinic. Let’s explore ways to use Reiki in everyday life.
1. Reiki in the Morning
The first few minutes of waking up sets the tone of your day. The few minutes are so very precious. This is a perfect time to invoke Reiki.
Before starting your day, rather than immediately turning on the TV or checking social media, use this time to perform Mental/Emotional Reiki (or meditate if you are not a Reiki Practitioner). Doing this allows you to set an intention for your day. You take ownership of your energy, and you can claim control of your day.
No need for timers, just plug and play to start your daily session now. My 9 Minute Guided Reiki Session is great for morning Reiki.
2. Reiki While Driving
Reiki while driving? Absolutely!
You can do this by drawing CKR on your steering wheel. While you’re driving, Reiki can be flowing from your hands to your car then all around you.
You can also draw or envision SHK on the hood of your car. This ensures you remain safe, as well as sends vibrations of safety and calmness to the drivers around you.
Before I get to work, I get some coffee, do some yoga, listen to an inspirational audiobook on my way to work. Once I arrive at work, I give myself Reiki. Before I enter the exam room, I use Reiki to set an intention with each patient. I intend to assist in each patient’s healing, and to clean up any of my own negative thoughts.
If I feel a patient had a difficult visit, I will often use Distance Reiki after the visit. Sending Reiki back to the visit can help heal the emotional burdens for the patient.
Reiki can be used in many ways at work. Reiki can help make learning skills easier. SHK can be used before doing any training. Any Reiki symbol can be used to ease workplace conflict. Reiki also can help in big career decisions, such as starting or leaving a job.
4. Reiki Naps
Napping is one of the most underutilized tools for health and wellness. I found that I often have trouble relaxing during the day. I will use Reiki to help myself relax into a nap. My like using a 9 Minute Reiki session to help me initiate a restorative nap.
5. Journaling
Keeping a journal serves many purposes. Planning, processing, and digesting emotions can all be done effectively with a planner. Using Reiki with journaling is a beautiful way to help in this process. Reiki can be applied to the journal. You can turn your journal into a “Reiki Box”. Write down what you are worried about, or your hopes and dreams. Then perform Reiki directly to the piece of paper. This is one of my favorite ways to reduce my own worries about the future.
6. Reiki in Emergencies
Emergency situations push us to our limits. Anxiety attacks, hearing bad news, or anything that activates the Flight-or-Fight, or Sympathetic Nervous System,
Anyone coping with the early stages of grief can also use Reiki to help the pain of grief. Doing Reiki on the heart chakra can help calm down the intense feelings of early grief.
Doing Mental/Emotional Reiki on the head after the dust has settled can help to calm the severe anxiety of an emergency situation. This can easily be done with using SHK on the crown for 3-5 minutes.
There are no limits to how you can use Reiki in your everyday life.
Wanting to start you Reiki journey? Healing Arts has resources to help you explore Reiki and get started with your training today!
Sound healing is a healing modality that embraces the power of sound waves to heal the mind, body and spirit. Sound Healer and Reiki Master Kathy Harmon-Luber shared a sound healing session on the Art of Healing podcast:
The human body is mostly made of water. According to Kathy, sound travels through the water in the body, and this is where the resonance can lead to healing. Water can be programmed, as shown by the scientific studies conducted by Masuro Emoto show that water responds to different sound vibrations. In his studies, Emoto showed that positive words such as love, hope and thank you, cause water to form well organized crystals. When words such “you fool” caused the frozen water to form disorganized crystals.
Kathy states that many of the healing tools used in sound healing generate frequencies that are much higher and lower thatn the range of the human ear.
A sound bath creates healing by immersing the body in the sound frequencies, so hearing the sounds on a conscious level is not necessary in order for the healing to occur.
3. Sound healing creates a Theta waves in the brain
The human brain generates electrical activity that varies in frequencies. When we are awake, the electrical patterns generated by the human brain are alpha, gamma, or beta waves. Theta waves are associated with a higher level of subconscious activity.
The vibrations generated from sound healing help cells regenerate. A small study showed an instrument called a Cymoscope was able to restore red blood cell membrane integrity.
Loss of red blood cells leads to anemia, which causes fatigue and reduced ability to heal. Using sound to renew red blood cells also has little risk, and can be combined with other healing modalities for healing.
5. Sound Healing can help cells that have gone dormant wake up
Kathy states that sound healing can help cells become restored. The combination of relaxation from theta waves in the brain along with the healing frequencies can create an environment that allows cells to heals.
6. Sound Healing Balances the Energy in our bodies
We feel our bodies in solid form, but quantum physics teaches us that solid matter is simply light particles slowed down enough to form a solid. Sound healing allows the energy center in the body to balance themselves. Energetic alignment allows the mind and body to heal themselves.
I recommend having a look at Kathy’s website www. survivetothrive.com to learn more about sound healing and schedule your session. I’m getting my sound healing session soon! I’ll let you know how it goes.
This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on these links takes you to products I trust, and I may receive a commission on any purchases you make.
April is Anxiety Awareness Month. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disparities, affecting as many as 25% of the population during the pandemic.1 Anxiety can be a temporary state of feeling nervous, or a chronic condition such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Anxiety Disorder frequently begins at or around the age of 30. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by chronic, unfocused, excessive worry and stress associated with clinically significant distress and functional impairment, often accompanied by insomnia, restlessness, muscle tension, and fatigue.2 Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic increased the number of individuals experiencing anxiety.
Severe anxiety can lead to anxiety attacks. Anxiety attacks are an episode of feeling a sense of doom, palpitations, sweating, hyperventilation, and digestive symptoms.
If you are living with anxiety, it’s important to know that small actions throughout your day can make you anxiety better or worse. Let’s explore three things you may be doing right now that could be making your anxiety worse.
Rapid Breathing Makes Your Anxiety Worse
How is your breathing right now? Is it fast? Sleep? Deep? Shallow? Do you notice you’re holding your breath at times?
I noticed that my patients tend to breath rapidly, shallow, and even hold their breathe. When I’m with a patient who is upset, agitated, scared, or angry, the quality of the breath often indicates what’s going on internally.
Patients coming in to discuss anxiety breath rapidly. When they discuss their anxiety symptoms, they will increase the rate of breath. Hyperventilation, which is rapid breathing associated with decreased carbon dioxide in the bloodstream often accompanies panic attacks. You can create anxiety in your mind and body with intentional rapid breathing.
How you sit controls your mood…have a listen to this podcast to practice
Try This Instead
Learning to breath with slow, deep breaths helps reverse the habit of rapid, shallow breaths that can create a state of anxiety.
Noticing the breath is a practice commonly done during Mindfulness Practice. Observation of breath can help slow down the mind and create a sense calmness.
Hay fever and allergies can disrupt your breathing as well as anxiety. Check out my recommendation to support respiratory health at FullScripts.
Being in touch with your breath is a healthy habit you can develop easily. Practicing breath work through mindfulness is an easy practice.
Giving Your Thoughts too much Power Makes your Anxiety Worse
One of the main symptoms of generalized anxiety is excessive worry. Worry can’t be avoided. It’s part of being human. How do we not worry about the things we care about such as our family? Our children? Our parents? Finances? Health?
I ask my patients when they discuss their worries, did focusing on these worries actually solve the problem? No it does not. Worrying about many different things will most likely create more worries.
Try This Instead
Try questioning if your worry thoughts are really true. As each worry thought enters your mind, simply respond with a question of it’s true.
In the podcast, Cleaning Up Your Thoughts, we walk through how do redirect anxiety thoughts while journaling. You can to this anytime of day. If you find you have made worrying a habit, spend a few minutes every day redirecting your thoughts.
Junk Food Is Making Your Anxiety Worse
Many of us rely on food to calm our anxious mood. Snack foods such chips, cookies, or candy seem like a quick fix for feeling anxious an overwhelmed.
Eating the wrong kinds of food can make your anxiety worse. Ingesting excessive amounts of sugar increases insulin production. High insulin causes increased production of cortisol and adrenaline from the adrenal glands. Ingesting sugar to alleviate anxiety will make anxiety worse. As the insulin levels rises, you will get hungry very soon after eating. You may also notice episodes of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, that feel like anxiety.
Try This Instead
In this podcast, Health Coach Lisa Airhart shares her wisdom on how you can approach eating to attune to the needs of your mind or body. In her book, she shares how you can approach your food in a loving way and help choose foods that are better for your mood.
Anxiety is hard on your mind, body and spirit. Doing everything you can to support your mind and body with breathwork, mindfulness and mindful eating helps you to avoid experiencing anxiety.
My original curiosity about Reiki was for for my own wellness regimen. I thought it would be nice to have a healing tool I could use on myself.
I completed the 21 days of self-healing and I felt better and I had in years. I have come to appreciate that becoming a Reiki healer has healed me as much as my clients. I am now from believer that being a Reiki practitioner improves the mind and body of the Reiki practitioner as well as their clients.
Learning Reiki has created benefits beyond what I had expected. I would have never anticipated so many areas of my life to improve by learning Reiki.
Even if you don’t practice Reiki on others, here are the reasons that you will want to consider learning Reiki for your own Health and Wellness .
In order to get the energy flowing in Reiki, you must be able to quiet the mind and center the body. It is well known that Reiki healer’s absorb some of the healing energies of Reiki. This is likely because Reiki is a form of a mindfulness practice. There is a sense of peace and calm that occurs wile performing Reiki on oneself as well as others.
The overall affect if feeling very grounded and centered in the present moment. On of the Reiki precepts is “Do Not Worry”, and it is nearly impossible to worry during a Reiki Session.
When performing a Reiki session on myself or anyone else it is almost impossible not to become centered in the present moment. Even if my mind begins to drift the flowing energy quickly pulls me back to the present. After completing the session I typically feel wonderful.
Improve Relationships
All relationships are energy exchanges. Some relationships, like casual acquaintances or friendships are an exchanges of only a small amount of energy. Other relationships, such as romantic ties and family can involve large exchanges of energy.
Improving your own energy with the practice of Reiki can improve your relationships with others. Your ability to listen with your heart and soul will grow with every Reiki session you give yourself.
Setting Boundaries
Being able to set boundaries professionally, emotionally or in other ways is important to maintaining a healthy mind, body and spirit. Having a personal practice such as Reiki has helped me in this way.
Being a busy primary care doctor, time is often a resource that is lacking. There is always a struggle between spending enough time with each patient while being respectful of the schedule and those that are waiting. I’m able to find gentle yet empathetic language to let patients know that although I want to hear what they have to say it’s simply not possible to spend hours with them.
Setting this boundary lets patient know I will honor their time with me, as I will honor time with each patient that comes.
Preventing Illness
My initial interest in learning Reiki was to prevent illness in myself. I am frequently exposed to infectious disease in my medical practice. I was very excited to have something in my toolkit that I could use in myself to prevent an infection. If I feel the early warnings of an infection I start using Reiki on myself for longer sessions. During the day it is not unusual for me to perform a 5-minute Reiki session for mental/emotional healing at lunch time. I frequently perform Reiki on myself at bedtime to help relax and to help with insomnia.
I have learned from my own body as I suspect many readers have learned that stress plays a role in pretty much any ailment I have. So I usually include Reiki anytime I’m feeling that I may become sick. I consider it one of my long-term disease prevention tools.
Becoming a Reiki Healer improves your communication
Listening with an open heart and a non-judgmental mind is a life skill that helps all of us. Unfortunately, so much of modern life trains us to communicate in a rapid pace, focusing more on our responses to the person rather than listening.
Reiki encourages a mindful state of being. Practicing Reiki oneself and others helps the healer quiet the mind. When the mind is quiet, it is much easier to listen during conversations.
Reiki practice can help heal judgmental thoughts. Judgments about a person or a situation can make communication difficult. When we try not to judge, and especially following the precept, “Do Not Get Angry”, we can communicate with others more effectively.
Increases Intuition
Many individuals are born with natural gifts. They may have psychic abilities which allow them access to information that is not normally available to the rest of us. This can include being able to see, here, feel things the rest of us cannot. This can also include increase empathy to the point that they’re able to sense others feelings (or being empathic).
My own intuition increased after Reiki I training. This blessing allowed me to sense what was going on with patients by making observations about their energy bodies in addition to there physical bodies.
This is a wonderful gift to have but please be aware that these are not always reliable. Using psychic abilities often requires you to be able to enter mindful state which can be difficult during busy times. It also takes practice. You need to be able to perform Reiki on yourself even briefly on a daily basis in order to engage these gifts.
Increase Awareness of Future Events
Training to become a Reiki Healer has been known to create a phenomenon individuals in which their psychic senses are opened up. I do not believe that this is a typical results. I do believe that having a quiet and calm mind opens the mind up so that information that is not normally available becomes available.
In my own life I’ve experienced an increased ability to predict future events. This goes with increased self-awareness as well as awareness of others around me. I would not say that this is an increased ability to be psychic. However I definitely can see how this would be possible especially in individuals that are naturally gifted.
I find that this ability to predict future events helps me most in my personal life and in my own health. Having the increase awareness of what’s driving my stress levels too high, what vibrations are bringing me down helps me to avoid events I may not want to be a part of.
Reiki Helps you Connect to Yourself
We all spend so much time communicating, taking in information and outputting information. Media images often shows us images of individuals that appear happier, healthier, wealthier, and overall thriving in life.
It can be difficult to sort out our own feelings of what is real and what seems real.
Practicing Reiki on yourself can help to reconnect you to who you are, and what your true heart desires are. Practicing on yourself and others can help you sort out what you need and you see around you.
Blogs, podcasts, and more…let’s keep in touch!
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Reiki II for the Caregiver$60.00
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