What is Reiki and How Can it Benefit You?

rei·ki

/ˈrākē/

noun

1.    a healing technique based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the patient by means of touch, activate the natural healing processes of the patient's body, and restore physical and emotional well-being.

      The word “Reiki” means “mysterious atmosphere, miraculous sign.” It comes from the Japanese words “rei,” meaning universal, and “ki,” meaning life energy.

Like so many other alternative healing methods, Reiki practitioners have seen a rise in their business over the last 8-10 years. There is no doubt that some people are frustrated with traditional medicine when it fails to bring them relief. Many of those people have turned to alternative forms of healing, including Reiki. Many medical doctors have begun to accept these alternative forms of healing as wonderful compliments to traditional medicine, effectively treating the entire body, mind, and soul. "Reiki aids in healing by helping people become energetically balanced- physically, emotionally, mentally, and spritually," Reiki Master Victoria Bodner, LMT states.

The spiritual healing art of Reiki can give your body a boost where it is most needed. Practitioners send a powerful flow of positive energy into your body through touch. This flow of energy may bring near immediate sensations of relief. Reiki is known to be gentle yet regarded as a powerhouse healing method when it comes to reducing anxiety and stress. Stress causes a number of health issues including chronic headaches and fatigue.

When your body is able to let go of the stress it is holding on to, you might start to notice the following things happening:

·       A boot to your body’s natural  healing     mechanisms will help them to function more   effectively, thus increasing your immune   system strength

·      Potential reduced blood pressure, heart rate and   stress hormones

·      A shift from the stress response of “fight or flight” to a more relaxed response

·      A restoration of balance to your body, mind and soul.

In its long history of use, Reiki has aided in healing virtually every known illness and injury including problems like:

·       multiple sclerosis

·       heart disease

·       cancer

·       skin problems

·       cuts, bruises, broken bones

·       headaches

·       colds, flu, and sore throats

·       sunburn

·       fatigue and insomnia

·       impotence

·       poor memory

.       digestive issues

With virtually no side effects, it is highly beneficial and works to improve the effectiveness of all other types of therapy. If a client has a health condition, and wants to be treated with Reiki, it is recommended that they do so under the supervision of their medical doctor or other enlightened health care professional. Reiki can improve the results of all medical treatment, acting to reduce negative side effects, shorten healing time, reduce or eliminate pain, reduce stress, and help create optimism.

Reiki sessions typically last 45 to 60 minutes. During the session, the client will lie down fully clothed as the Reiki practitioner gently places their hands on or just above the body in specific energy locations. This is not a massage and the healing session is completely reliant upon the practitioner.  There are no crystals or wands or any other vehicle of energy delivery other than the practitioner's hands. A series of 12-15 different hand positions may be used and the length of time in each position is determined by the flow of energy through their hands in each location.

Perhaps your journey is calling you to become a Reiki practitioner. Where do you start? The best place is to first be a client yourself. This will open your mind, body, and spirit up to the practice and the energy. No prior training, education, or experience is necessary to enter the Reiki attunement certification training. This attunement process requires a Reiki Master to transfer the energy and healing techniques to the student. While training may vary, one can expect to learn about the energies in the body, how to work with healing energy, and ethics of working with clients. There are also 5 key principals to Reiki that one must learn and try to master. They are:

         * Just for today, do not worry                

         * Just for today, do not anger

         * Just for today, be grateful

         * Just for today, be honest

         * Just for today, be compassionate

Preparation for attunement may include avoiding alcohol and caffeine for 3-5 days, meditation, time in nature and releasing negative emotions. There are three levels of mastery to become a Reiki Master.  Those who reach "Master" level will then be able to teach others and often develop the skill of remote healing. 

There are countless teachers and opportunities for reiki attunement certification. One of the beautiful things about the practice of Reiki becoming more prevalent and more widely sought out is that there is likely a Reiki Master within a reasonable distance to study with.

Whether you are looking for a complimentary treatment to your existing medical care or you simply need a boost to your system, Reiki may be the answer.  The world needs more healers. Is this part of your journey?

*Please speak with your physician before trying alternative forms of healing.  Reiki and other forms of alternative healing methods are not a substitute for seeing a medical doctor.  Please seek medical attention with a medical physician or practitioner for medical concerns.*

Crystals 101

Welcome to Crystals 101! 

A large portion of the general population will tell you that the use of crystals for anything other than a fashion statement is just a bunch of hocus-pocus. However, for those that are called to work with crystal energies, it is a completely different story. Formed over millennia within the belly of Mother Earth, crystals harness the energy of the sun, the moon, and the oceans. When this energy is released, the vibrations it creates can do wonderful things.

Crystals have been used for ages to dispel negative energies and act as protectors of our own energy. Black tourmaline not only absorbs negative energies but also repels it. Wearing this crystal is an added layer of spiritual protection. Selenite can quickly cleanse your aura. Crystals are also used for grounding our energies and to help with anxiety. Hematite, with its magnetic properties, will pull you back down to Earth as soon as you touch it. Blue lace agate has a dreamy blue hue that can quickly bring calmness just by looking at it.

If you are just beginning to work with crystals, try picking ones that "call to you" first as they are emitting an energy frequency that is already aligned with yours. Usually, these crystals are ones that you will always want to work with or one that you need in your life at that particular moment.  The ones that we are "meant to work with" are much like that of an animal totem. You can become so attuned to the energy of that crystal, that you can call it to you without actually having it on your person.  If it is a crystal you need for that moment in life, maybe it is meant to bring you peace and calm or help you to heal a broken heart. Let the crystal do its work. 

You can use crystal energy to help manifest your intentions and what you want to create in your life. Crystals pick up on your unique energy. Holding one in your palm while thinking about what you would like to bring forth in your life will program the crystal to that intention. This energy continues to connect with you when placing them in your immediate environment. Every time you bring that intention to mind, the crystals pick up on your energy and will amplify the positive vibes that you’re cultivating.  Green aventurine and pyrite are geat stones for manifesting wealth and financial prosperity.  Try rose quartz to bring in more love and is a wonderful healer.  I suggest getting a book on crystals and their properties.  The Book of Stones by Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian or The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall are both great choices. 

When you are more adept with crystal use and their energies, you can begin to work with crystal grids.  These grids can be for any number of things. In a grid, you may bring together a few types of crystals in a sacred geometry pattern to combine their energies and thus helping to facilitate the working.  You can create your own pattern or use a template. It is easy to find printable ones online or purchase a really nice one on Etsy. Use amethyst, clear quartz, and turquoise for a healing grid.  Utilizing the energies of obsidian, smoky quartz, and black tourmaline, you have yourself one hell of a protective grid. 

Since crystals hold a vibration and charge of their own and can easily pick up on your own energy, they can help to align your chakras. They do this by clearing away blockages so that energy can flow freely between these points within your body. Each chakra has its own vibration so it is important to choose a crystal that will correspond with that chakra’s energy. Generally, “the color rule” holds true for healing the chakras with crystals. Look for crystals that are the same color as the one that is assigned to that chakra. For example, the heart chakra is green so stones like jade, green calcite, and green tourmaline work great. You can also set up a grid arranged in the chakra order with the corresponding crystals to do a full alignment. 

Crystals can easily fit into your everyday life to bring about change, calm anxiety, help with grounding, or help you better attune to your spirit guides.  I typically have a least one on my person, usually in my bra, haha. I know I'm not the only one that stashes them there!  I have a couple of them on my desk at work and they are throughout my home to bring in love, tranquility, and protection. If you're not out of the broom closet yet, you can still use the energy of crystals such as wearing them in jewelry or keeping one in your pocket or purse, or hidden under your bed or couch at home. 

It takes a conscious effort to open your heart and mind to the power of crystals, but once you do, you are sure to find unique crystals that will ROCK your world.

Balancing Your Spiritual Energy

                                           

For all of us witches, energy workers, empaths, and other highly sensitive people out there, if your spiritual energy becomes unbalanced, you will begin to feel it. These imbalances can eventually manifest into very real physical symptoms.  If you are getting sick often, continually have an upset stomach, struggle with anxiety and/or depression, or suffer from adrenal fatigue, these issues, and many more can be linked to manifestations of energetic imbalances.  As my High Priestess would say, "Is this a physical manifestation of an energetic problem?" 

Your energy centers, or chakras, need loving care, just like the rest of you. There is a

multitude of ways to balance each one individually but for today, let’s focus on the whole. Tried and true, these simple workings can make a big difference for your overall spiritual and energetic health.

* Breathwork: The simple act of sitting still and focusing on your breath can do wonders when it comes to realigning your spiritual energy. When you concentrate on the breath, it gets you out of your head, bringing attention to the feeling of the body. It also helps to release tension and pent up emotions. When we can release, it naturally brings us back to our center.  There are many downloadable sessions out there or printouts that will walk you through the different exercises. 

* Meditation: Take the breathwork a step further and sink into a meditation.  A deep meditation is highly restorative as it brings you to your true self. Let all of those thoughts and troubles slip away for just a while.  You simply exist as pure awareness in those moments and this allows the energy centers to purge and heal themselves. Meditation can also be used to unblock specific chakras as well as ground our overall energy.

* Yoga: Like breath work, yoga is a concentration on the breath but taken even further as it is applied to movement, stretching, and holding poses. It too gets you out of your head and into your body. The unique combination of poses and breath work can unblock your energy centers, releasing the vital life force, or prana and thus helping to realign your spiritual energy. You can attend a class or practice within your own home.  There are apps and streaming available for various forms of yoga as well as those sequences that focus on the chakras. 

* Nature walks: Walking within nature fosters mindfulness of the earth beneath your feet, the air that you breathe, and the natural sounds around you. When you are focused on the trail in front of you, the sounds and smells of Mother Earth, and even animal friend encounters, it gets you out of your head.  Studies have shown that a connection with nature is one way to reduce stress, and other harmful emotions, as well as ground your energy.  This helps to keep you mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy while also realigning your spiritual energy. 

Music: Music, tones, and chanting can be utilized to balance the chakras.  Each one responds to a specific sound-healing frequency known as solfeggio frequencies. These frequencies make up an ancient 6-tone scaled used in sacred music and chanting. Music or sounds that generate these vibrations help balance and assist with the flow of energy and bring you back into balance. You can listen to these tones or chanting but I have found that when I follow along and chant myself, it brings about greater changes within my energy field. Tibetan singing bowls are another tool that creates a frequency to unblock the energies of the chakras.

Being aware of and taking your energetic health into your own hands is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.  These simple yet very effective methods will help you ensure your spiritual energy stays balanced.  Take care!