Reiki for Athletes at Northwood University

Northwood Basketball teamOn October 25th, I had the honor of presenting a workshop on Reiki to the men’s basketball team at Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was a great opportunity to discuss the practical application of Reiki for athletes. The focus of my presentation was on how Reiki helps with relaxation and focus. In order to face a competitive event, athletes seek relaxation and require intense focus to create an atmosphere for optimal performance.

In addition to relaxation and focus, we talked about how when you are trained in Reiki and you’re in a situation where, for example, a referee makes a bad call during a game, Reiki can help. Imagine you’re on the bench and feeling angry about the call. Doing self-Reiki can bring about calm and allow you to refocus on your goals for the game.

Another example, was how Reiki can be combined with visualization to improve an athletic skill. I talked about how I use it for my erratic tennis serve. With visualization, I use Reiki to imagine a well-timed, accurate serve, and a ball toss that is in the ideal spot. All this brings about focus and a state of calm where my body and mind work in sync for the ideal outcome.

Each player who wanted to, received a sample of Reiki on his shoulders for about 5 minutes or less.  Here’s some of their feedback: one player said, “I still feel your hands on my shoulders and that was 15 minutes ago.”  A couple of them said, “I feel a pleasant tingling sensation on my shoulders.”  Some of the coaches received a sample treatment as well.

Reiki helps to facilitate mental clarity and focus. It is also an excellent way to facilitate the body’s healing process. There were a number of athletes at the workshop working with physical injuries. I explained that Reiki goes where it is needed but, during sample treatments, also placed hands on knees and the top of the head for two athletes who preferred that to address their acute injuries.

Reiki is an excellent tool for athletes to facilitate relaxation and focus. If you’re an athlete, please share your experience with Reiki in the comments below!

 

(I extend my gratitude to all those who coordinated the Reiki workshop  on 10/25/14 at Northwood University, Florida.)

 

 

Reiki for . . .

I started writing this post as “Reiki for Hospice Staff and Volunteers” and then realized that I write a lot about “Reiki for <this group of people>Reiki and <that condition>,” so I thought it would be useful to get clear on what Reiki is “for” and what it is “not for.”

Reiki is for:

  • women, men, children
  • people who are sick or healthy
  • the stressed out
  • cancer patients, survivors, and families
  • nurses, doctors, therapists, bodyworkers, lawyers, athletes, musicians
  • moms, dads, coaches, teachers
  • hospice staff and volunteers
  • people with fibromyalgia, allergies, migraines, insomnia, anxiety, depression, or PTSD
  • blessing your food
  • increasing gratitude in your life
  • helping others and yourself
  • finding your keys and fixing things*
  • mindfulness
  • skillful speech
  • comprehension, confidence, clarity, and cohesion
  • working with difficult emotions
  • finding your true calling
  • connecting with the universe

The list could go on and on. When we say: Reiki is complementary with any treatment or medication and can be used to treat all types of conditions, this is what we mean. It is universal life-force energy and its application is universal. There are no counter-indications.

Reiki is not for:

  • mind reading
  • use as a replacement for proper medical treatment when that is called for
  • harming others or yourself

Reiki is for increasing love, light, and healing in your life.  It is not for things that decrease love and light.

So the next time someone asks you what Reiki is for, you can say: Reiki is for whatever you need to achieve your highest healing good. Reiki is always for that!

 

 

*Take a Reiki 2 Class to find out more about using the Reiki symbols in everyday life!

Saying “no” without the guilt

Lately, I’ve had the opportunity to say, “no” to a number of personal and business-related requests, invitations, and, probably nearly a millionNo sign after-school activities for my daughter. It seems mind-boggling sometimes to face the sheer volume of ways that we can use our time.

I have to say that I am somewhat addicted to busyness and can easily fall over a cliff of being so insanely busy, that, well, it makes me act insane. When I get this busy I lose the joy in the activity and in those around me. I lash out, I struggle, and I shutdown some of the areas that are vital to my existence, especially in the realms of relationships and creativity.

Saying “yes” to everything and “doing it all” is definitely toxic for me.  However, I often experience anxiety over saying no. What will other people think? If I’m not busy, what will I do with my time? (And I know I’ve jumped off the metaphorical cliff, when I land at a thought that can be comically summarized as, “If I’m not saving the world, who will?”)

Now imagine what happens when I have one of those unusual days where my schedule is not packed. I start to question my self-worth. If I’m not busy and being productive, what is my purpose for being? (If you’re following this mental condition, then you know that being sick is incredibly difficult for me.)

Being busy is highly valued by me (and by our society), so I often feel guilty about saying “no” and admitting, “I can’t do it all.” I can’t keep a perfectly clean house, work two jobs, balance the family budget, throw an awesome party, exercise until I look like a gym-rat, and keep all my relationships in tip-top shape. (Certainly there must be something I forgot on that list.)  And then there is the other painful realization that, “I don’t do everything well. There are many things that I’m plainly not good at.” Ah, the perfectionist trap!

Some people like to remind me that, I’m not a human doing, I’m a human being. Oh, I love that saying. It’s funny, isn’t it? When have you chatted lately about your beingness? For someone like me, how do I get in touch with my beingness? How do I disconnect from my to-do list and reconnect with my soul?  If you follow this blog, you know the importance of Reiki and nature in my life.  These are essential for me to switch from doing to being. After I’ve done that, I can be more present for my family and myself.

How do you say, “no” and disconnect from busyness and perfectionism? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Wishing you love, light, and the peace of knowing you’re enough exactly as you are!

Can Reiki Save the World?

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
– Margaret Mead

If Reiki is widely practiced throughout the world, can it save us from the suffering that is so common to our human existence? I thiReiki Save Worldnk the answer is, “yes,” in some important ways. Reiki can be a catalyst for change in our personal lives which can lead to significant change in how we interact with others. When we experience the healing that Reiki can bring about in our minds, bodies, and spirit, we are able to move forward with positive action. Bringing these positive acts into the world helps to create a world filled with love and light rather than darkness and pain.

When we experience Reiki, we often feel very empowered because we have connected with Source (aka, the Universe, the Spiritual realm, etc.).  Connecting with Source, helps us to feel grounded and supported. When we feel safe, connected, relaxed, and healthy, we are able to bring our personal gifts to the world which makes the world a better place.

Some people might say that Reiki cannot save the world because it is too mysterious and superficial.  In part they are correct because it is not Reiki alone that will save the world but the collective positive actions of individuals working to make the world a better place.  Reiki is here to support each of us in saving the world.

This simple, calming, and supportive practice can make the world a better place. Imagine a world where people are calm, centered, connected, healthy, and supported.  Isn’t this a world where we can eradicate poverty, hunger, and hatred?

What do you think? Can Reiki save the world?  Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Dunno

My Reiki teacher, Libby Barnett, often says, when asked to explain how Reiki works, “Dunno.” She invites us to be in this space of “I don’t know,” this space of being, rather than knowing. As a Reiki teacher, I use this approach as well, but it is a dance because one wants to meet people’s minds and gently guide them to the “dunno.”

Like many others, I adore Mary Oliver’s poem, The Summer Day. I often hear in my head these lines:

“I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,”

Last night, during a Reiki Session with a client, the following poem came to me.

Dunno

I don’t know know how to pray,
but I do know how to beg and plead
and get down on my knees
and be . . . silent.

I don’t know what to say,
but I do know I’m here
with you
and we’ll be okay.

I don’t know how to walk,
but I do know how
to feel the earth beneath my feet
and move.

I don’t know how to cry,
but I do know how
to let go and feel.

I don’t know how to grieve,
but I do know how to
feel sad and lonely —
how to pull up the sheets over my head
and want what is not.

I don’t know how to love,
but I do know how to
light up in your presence,
hold your hand,
and listen.

I don’t know how to heal
you
or me.
Dunno how healing happens.
But I do know it happens.

I know I rode through darkness
and then danced with the fleeting light.

Acknowledging and Working with Strong Emotions

Woman filled with strong emotionsWhen I started the Creative Grief Coaching certification program, I was concerned that I would be overwhelmed by strong emotions, especially the “dark emotions.”  Last week, I started to experience a wave of physical manifestations of my emotional life. I noticed stomach pains, headaches, insomnia, and intensified dreams.  This was all very noticeable for me because I don’t often experience these physical aches and pains.

One morning while I was lying in bed with a fit of sleeplessness and a gut full of emotions, I said to myself, “I’m feeling overwhelmed.” That acknowledgement alone was so helpful. In the same way that we feel comforted by being heard by a friend — being heard, seen, and felt by our conscious mind can provide us with the supportiveness that we seek in order to move forward and take action.

One of the actions that I knew I had to take was to do an intense (even if brief in duration) yoga session. I needed to be in my body and fully feel my emotions and not ignore them.  I needed to breathe into them and feel them release through the poses; and then, rest in savasana and feel the support of the universe. Later that day I found time for a yoga session that was full of intensity, not the least of which were tears that came to my eyes as I stretched my body and stopped holding back my emotions.  I just allowed what I was feeling to flow both physically and emotionally.

That morning, I also reminded myself of the Reiki Resolution Technique, which I have written about previously.  This technique is usually taught in a Reiki 2 class and is a powerful way to work with strong emotions. However, I will review it here so you can experiment with it even if you have not completed a level 2 class yet.

  1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position
  2. Close your eyes and select the emotion that you would like to work with
  3. Place your hands on your heart
  4. Visualize holding the emotion in your heart
  5. If you’re a Reiki 2 practitioner, use the appropriate symbols. If not, skip this step.
  6. As you hold the emotion in your heart, breathe deeply and notice what you feel
  7. Sit with the emotion for several minutes
  8. When you’re ready, slowly open your eyes and notice how you feel, especially how you feel around the emotion that you were working with

For my most recent work with the Reiki Resolution Technique, I sat with the “overwhelmed” emotion and noticed what happened as I held it in my heart and allowed universal life-force energy to flow with the emotion. Afterward, I felt calm, aligned, and supported.

How do you work with strong emotions in your life? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.

 

Your Kids are Reiki Naturals

When you take a Reiki Class, the teacher often asks you to be childlike during the class.  “Let’s be like 3-year-old kids today,” I said the other day during a Reiki 1 Class I was teaching. When I ask my students to be childlike, I’m asking them to be open-minded and intuitive. I’m asking them to not judge Reiki, but rather to do it and notice what happens. In the doing comes the knowing.

Kids ReikiThis openness to the experience is vital in our Reiki learning journey, so it should come as no surprise that your children are Reiki naturals. A kids’ Reiki class is an open, playful, and joyous event. In teaching kids, there are very few questions about the mechanics and history of Reiki. Children innately know about the healing touch that comes from this energy and they seek it.

When my daughter was 2 years old, she broke her collarbone on the playground. During her healing process I rarely touched her shoulder directly because I didn’t want to cause her any discomfort.  However, when we cuddled, I knew that the Reiki would go where it was needed. Sometimes during our cuddle or reading time, she would take my hand and bring it up to her collarbone; seeking that comfort that comes from direct touch and the placement of Reiki hands on an injury site.

Reiki cannot overwhelm children, even newborns. It is completely complementary with other therapies and there are no side effects. When your child learns Reiki she/he can access universal life-force energy for physical healing as well as bringing on emotional comfort in stressful situations.

Very young children can learn Reiki 1 and they love to integrate it into their playtime and interaction with family and friends.  Level 2 Reiki classes require a somewhat older child — there seems to be a sweet spot between ages 7-11 or 12, before the teenage questioning sets in, but with enough motor skills to work with the symbols and emotional maturity to keep the symbols secret.

Reiki is a wonderful gift for self-care that makes it a natural addition to your homelife, including for your kids!  If you’re interested in learning more about the schedule for the next Reiki for Kids class, please contact me!

10 Health-Promoting Reasons to Take a Reiki Class

Hands as in a Reiki ClassAs a Reiki Master Teacher, I’ve noticed that people take Reiki Classes for a wide-variety of reasons. Some people are seeking an addition to their professional practice as a physician, nurse, or therapist. Others are looking for a self-care practice to manage their stress and promote their healthy lifestyle; while some people are inexplicably drawn to the class. They are not sure of the reason that they are there but they are certain it is the right thing to do.

If you’re considering taking a Reiki Class, here are 10 health-promoting reasons to sign up today:

You want:

  1. A self-care technique that is available to you anytime, anywhere
  2. To feel calm and relaxed in your body and mind
  3. To experience inner peace
  4. A connection with the energy of the universe
  5. Greater presence, connection, and mindfulness in your relationships
  6. An additional technique to use in your current work as a caring professional
  7. Better sleep more regularly
  8. The possibility of accelerated healing
  9. To work toward greater mobility
  10. To experience regularly the love and light that is our essence

I hope you’ll join us at an upcoming Reiki Class to experience all of these things and your deepest health-promoting intentions for yourself and those around you.

Wishing you a greater connection to the light and love of the universe.

In-Training Creative Grief Coach

in-Training Creative Grief CoachI’m so excited to announce that I’ve started training to be a Creative Grief Coach. I’m studying with Kara Jones and Cath Duncan from the Creative Grief Studio.  This will be a journey for me into my own experiences with grief and help me to connect with my personal interest in miscarriage and the grief stories that women carry from that experience.

As a graduate student in Philosophy, I was a teaching assistant in a course called, “The Philosophy of Death and Dying.”  This was really a course about the Meaning of Life, which is a classic philosophical inquiry.  I’m delighted to return to studying this and delving into how our encounters with death inform how we live our lives.

I think this will work will blend beautifully with my Reiki practice and the intentions that we set in our sessions. I’ll keep you posted on how things go over the next four months and look forward to hearing about your interest in this work!

Reiki Reflections and Natural Abstractions

I had a wonderful vacation with my family this summer. It was so refreshing to get away from our day-to-day lives and spend time in nature. As I took photographs during our vacation, I was drawn to a style of photography that I had not used in a long time. Several years ago, as a fine art photographer, I worked on a series of images that I referred to as, “Natural Abstractions.” I was using images from nature to create abstract photographs and question the representational nature of photography itself. It was a very energizing and creative project for me and I loved making the photos in a black and white darkroom.

I present here some images, with quotes from the Tao Te Ching, that harken back to that photographic project I worked on several years ago. I hope you enjoy them.  For me, they are Reiki reflections on life, nature, and the essence of being human.

May you be well and filled with peacefulness.

Reiki Reflection and Natural Abstraction 1
Image by Janice E. Lodato

“When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.” *

Reiki Reflection and Natural Abstraction 2
Image by Janice E. Lodato

“Practice not-doing,
and everything will fall into place.” *

Reiki Reflection and Natural Abstrations 3
Image by Janice E. Lodato

“Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn’t possess,
acts but doesn’t expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.” *

*from Tao Te Ching: An Illustrated Journey, by Lao Tzu, Stephen Mitchell