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.*

How Adventure Saved Me: Domesticated Wreck to Wild Woman Rising

My soul was suffering.  Suicidal thoughts plagued me daily.  It took an enormous effort just to get through each day.  The same monotonous life, day in and day out.  Get up, get the kids ready, take them to school, go to work, boring fucking office job that I hated but still had to be grateful for because it helped to pay the bills, pick up the kids after work, make dinner, get the kids ready for bed, go to bed myself only to get up and do it all over again the next day.  Mixed in there, of course, are the other usual things like cleaning and doing laundry (so much fucking laundry).  There were gymnastics classes, soccer, basketball and 

baseball games.  Those did offer some rays of sunshine into what I considered an otherwise drab existence. Don't get me wrong, I love my children dearly and they are the ONLY reason I kept going but I remember feeling like I was missing something.  There was some puzzle piece that needed to be fit into place.

"We should try backpacking," my then-husband says out of the blue one day.  Me with a puzzled look on my face, "Huh? What are you talking about?"  "Backpacking.  I heard some people talking about it," he says.  "You get a big backpack and have all of the gear, food, etc. that you need to survive for a few days and you head out into the wilderness.  What do you think?"  I'm sitting there, mulling this idea over and wondering if it's possible.  The thought of surviving out of a backpack wasn't the issue.  I was in love with the idea the moment he explained it.  The issue... we lived in Texas.  Not a ton of "wilderness" readily available, at least not what I considered to be wilderness.  "Sure, I'm in.  But where would we go?" I ask.  So the planning began.   

A few trips to the local sporting goods store ended up with a mountain of gear and supplies.  Backpacks, a cook set, fuel canisters, and a backpacking stove, sleeping bags and pads, tent, nifty dehydrated meals, the list goes on.  We were so uneducated it was funny.  We brought an axe.  AN AXE.  That thing weighed a ton!  Now we just needed a destination.  I wanted to keep it simple and close for the first time out.  It would be just the two of us to see how it went.  I planned a canoe float trip that was only a few hours from home but seemingly in the middle of nowhere.  Perfect!  This also made it much easier for us to be able to

have our packs in the canoe instead of having to try to carry all of the unnecessary (and HEAVY!) things we had acquired.  The company we enlisted would haul us and the canoe upstream to a put-in point.  We would then float down the 26 miles over the next couple of days to the company's property which was our ending point.  We could camp anywhere we wanted along the river as long as there wasn't a "Private Property" sign.

I had been car and RV camping as a child and always loved it but I couldn't imagine what this "roughing it" experience would do for me as an adult.  Upon setting out into the wilderness, I remember being thoroughly giddy.  This is a feeling that I hadn't had in a very long time.  I felt like I could breathe for the first time in ages.  We canoed, we fished, set up camp along the river, made a campfire, ate dehydrated meals, stargazed and fell asleep to the coyote's song.  I was a little sore the next morning from having paddled the canoe the day before but that didn't matter.  For the first time that I could remember since being a child, my soul felt alive.  This.  This was the missing puzzle piece.  The wilderness, being one with nature, the adventure.

After returning home I felt rejuvenated.  This was exactly what I had needed so I did what any (somewhat) sane person would do.  I started planning the next adventure.  Obviously, we needed to get our shit together as far as our gear was concerned.  We couldn't afford new gear right then after already having spent a small fortune on the "wrong" stuff.  I started researching backpacking and gear, subscribed to several outdoors magazines like Backpacker and Outside so that when it came time to make new 

purchases I would be well educated.  I researched places to go, "must do trails" and figured out how long it would take to get there since a lot of them were out-of-state.  "If we take turns driving overnight then we'll get to the trailhead around 4 am and can sleep for a couple of hours in the car before hitting the trail," was a common thought when it came to destinations.  Crazy, I know but you do what you must for the sake of the adventure.

New Mexico, just outside of Ruidoso, was the next adventure.  This was a true backpacking trip.  There was something so exhilarating about having everything I needed to survive for the next 3 days stuffed into a pack and carrying it on my back.  The packs were still heavy as fuck but I didn't mind.  I was young and could handle whatever it took to be able to be out there.  My first time backpacking, doing it at elevation, having come from basically sea level, 16 miles over 3 days and I rocked it!  I was officially addicted.  THIS is my happy place.

The planning and going, the time put in researching and then being able to carry out that plan, that is what saved me.  The adventure fed my soul and gave me back something that I was desperately needing but it was the planning that kept me going day to day.  I had a trip planned every summer to an outdoor destination, spring break, and every 3-day weekend was mapped out to include a backpacking adventure.  When I was feeling down, I would research destinations.  It didn't matter that I already had stuff planned.  The thought of a new place, a new adventure helped me to make it through some very dark times.  I would remember the feelings while on the trail.  I'd look through the photos and I'd think about the sounds, the smells, and how my pack felt, the comforting weight of it.  "If I can just make it to the next trip, I'll be fine," became my mantra.   

I know first hand what suicide can do to a family.  I made a promise to my children to never put them through that so that is the reason I held on when I wanted nothing more than to give up.  I guess one would argue that it was my kids that saved me.  While that is not untrue, I was simply going through the motions of what needed to be done.  I was existing without living.  Adventure is what saved me from the dark abyss, the prison that had trapped my soul.  Yes, I still struggled but now I had something to look forward to. The coals of a long-dormant fire had been stoked and it now burned within me and has yet to be extinguished.  I am not saying that backpacking is for everyone because it isn't.  However, there is a healing quality within nature.  Adventure gives us back something we lose in the transition from childhood to adulthood.  I know it saved me from a place that I couldn't have dug myself out of otherwise. 

I honestly believe that it is time for us to rewild ourselves in order to save ourselves. 

Peace, love, and light.  Blessed be.

*If you or a loved one are having suicidal thoughts, please seek help.  You are not alone! *
   

  National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

            Call 1-800-273-8255

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!

Alright, STOP... Meditate and Breathe

If you are one of those people that believe that meditation is for Buddhist monks and yogis, you need to reevaluate your thinking. Meditation gained popularity among the everyday crowd once they began to learn of its benefits.  For us witches, shamans, empaths, energy workers, and other sensitives, a regular meditation practice is highly beneficial and has been used for centuries.

The foremost reason that sensitives should begin a regular mediation practice would be to reduce stress and/ or anxiety.  For energy workers, these are often symptoms that we take on from other people or as a result of our hypersensitivity to our environment.  By reducing stress and anxiety, one can also lessen the symptoms of other medical conditions associated with them. Studies have shown a reduction in stress-related conditions including irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fibromyalgia among those with a habitual meditation practice. They have also shown reductions in blood pressure, social anxiety, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. When we can reduce our stress and anxiety, we will find that our sleep patterns also benefit from this. Those that practice regular meditation reported falling asleep quicker and staying asleep longer which resulted in a more restful night’s sleep, more energy, and an overall better mood. 

Meditation also promotes self-awareness and mental health. Meditation can help you develop a stronger understanding of yourself, helping you grow into your best self. Some meditative practices teach you to recognize thoughts that may be harmful or self-defeating. When you gain awareness of your thought habits, you can then steer them toward more constructive patterns. If you are able to reduce negative or self-defeating thought patterns, depressive episodes may lessen.  One study followed 18 volunteers as they practiced meditation for over three years. The study found that the participants had notable long-term decreases in depression. Another study compared the electrical activity within the brain of individuals that practiced meditation and those that did not.  Those who meditated showed measurable changes in activity in the areas related to positive thinking and optimism.

It has been shown that meditation can lengthen attention span and may help reduce age-related memory loss. Focused-attention meditation is like weight lifting for your attention span.  It helps to increase the strength and endurance of your attention. One study showed that human resource workers that regularly practiced meditation stayed focused on a task longer than those co-workers that did not. It also showed that those that were meditating remembered details of their tasks better than those that were not. Improvements in attention and clarity of thinking may keep your mind young, which in turn can combat age-related memory loss. Kirtan Kriya is a method of meditation that has proven in multiple-age related memory loss studies to improve the participants’ ability to perform memory-related tasks.

On a metaphysical level, going within during meditation can help you to unlock your subconscious. It can show you your fears, help you to open up to your dreams, show you what needs to be healed within you, and better connect you with your own strength and power.  It 

can also awaken your psychic abilities and your own inner guidance.  Meditation is also a way to connect to the Divine.  You may receive messages from Spirit, the Universe, guides, angels, or animal and plant totems.  Being able to connect to these energies is vital to a magickal practice.  Set your intention before you begin your meditation and ask for guidance.  Meditation may also need to be a part of your ritual or spellwork.  It can also serve to ground and center you before beginning your workings.  

If you have tried meditation and are one of those that say, "Oh, I can't' meditate. I've tried and I cannot empty my mind," DO NOT GIVE UP.  There is a reason why it is called a "practice".  You must continue to try and regularly, if I may add, to get into that meditative state.  The more you do it, the more proficient you will become.  If you have ever daydreamed then you have entered an altered state of awareness.  I am pretty sure that I'm not the only one that has daydreamed. The only difference is that meditation is more of a guided experience as opposed to simply drifting.  Another important note, not every meditation is filled with messages, images, or magick.  Let go of those expectations.  Sometimes the messages come later. 

Witches, Shamans, healers, and energy workers have used meditation for centuries.  Along with all of its health benefits, it connects us to ourselves, the beyond, and to Spirit.  Blessed Be...