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Guest blog post by Jonathan Berens

Jonathan Berens, LMT, Reiki Practitioner
Jonathan Berens, LMT, Reiki Practitioner

This is a post by Jonathan Berens, LMT, who is one of my students. He found out about my classes through the Oak Park River Forest Reiki Meetup. I asked him to share his experiences as a man practicing Reiki. 

  1. What got you interested in Reiki? What drew you into it?

“After graduating from massage school, I felt empty. Even though I did very well and proved to myself that I had accomplished a lot, including working full time while attending school, I still felt empty and lost. The school taught and practiced only the western aspect of massage and focused a lot on techniques, including Swedish massage, sports massage, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy to name a few. There was no feeling part. Nothing was taught about energy, energy of the body, or how to learn to work with energy that is within and all around the body of all living things.

“Practicing massage therapy I felt lost. So I decided to immerse myself in many different approaches including muscle energy techniques. The traditional, western massage techniques worked to make the client feel better but nothing lasted. In addition, nothing explained what I was feeling while performing this work. Why did I often feel overwhelmed by people? What was happening that I could feel their pain, discomfort, and felt empathy that was, at times, overwhelming and hard to understand? “

  1. What is your Reiki practice like now as a level 2 practitioner?

“I practice Reiki daily — offering it to people and their pets. I also practice it on my cats, either directly or through distance Reiki. I use distance Reiki when I am away and I send good health to my cats. Reiki has meshed well with my practice of myofascial release (MFR). MFR encompasses spiritual, physical, and energetic aspects. The subtle energy work of MFR has helped me understand and develop my own intuition and abilities to feel and see energy fields. This has helped immensely with Reiki and its practice and vice versa. As I continue to practice Reiki I am becoming more peaceful within. Each day is less of an emotional roller coaster. If not for Reiki and MFR I doubt I would have pursued my current path in life and would have given up. Much has shifted for me. And much has changed about my beliefs of the world and of myself. “

  1. How do you work with insights and sensitivities that come from Reiki?

“Men are usually taught to guard, or not show our emotions. I have always been an emotional being. It has always been a struggle hiding my emotions and not being able to effectively cope with the inner turmoil caused by societal expectations. Reiki seemed to help me free myself and allow me to feel, sense, trust my intuition, and finally pay close attention to my inner voice and spirit guides. This is what some people have called, ‘being in touch with my feminine side.’ I believe it to be the inner voice, that part of us that connects to the soul and is not the ego. It has to do with being, and feeling centered, and not operating out of fear and ego. This has been in direct conflict with many male friends. My coping response was to clear out this list of friends who were not there to support me in any way. As painful as this was, it turned out to be what I needed. Reiki only served to strengthen my resolve, and offer a way to cope and help me channel good energy from the universe through myself and to others.”

  1. Do you have any advice for other men interested in practicing Reiki?

“There are other men who, perhaps, have been afraid to step forward and embrace a better way to live. I believe Reiki offers one path. It asks us to set aside our usual testosterone ego-driven self, and instead listen to the quiet within. This is the part of us we sometimes tap during meditation. I think of Reiki as a way to meditate and bring good energy to ourselves and others. I would say, approach Reiki, embrace it, and allow the inner voice to be heard. This may be hard for men. I have not seen many men practicing Reiki. It’s time for men to open up, relax, and listen quietly to the inner voice. We need to set aside the ego and those damaging beliefs and values that society dictates.”

Jonathan Berens is a licensed massage therapist. He provides wellness and relaxation massages, along with other unique services of massage therapy including trigger point therapy, sports massage, John Barnes’ Myofascial Release, deep tissue work, and Reiki. With a strong background in athletics, including running, cycling, swimming, and strength training, Jonathan brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise and compassion, to his clients as they move towards wellness and freedom from pain.

 

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Top 5 reasons to talk about your grief

When some people hear that I’m a certified creative grief coach, they ask, “Why would I want to talk about my grief?” They think that talking about it will cause them to relive the grief and get stuck there. However, the opposite usually happens and people emerge from grief coaching sessions with the ability to live their lives more fully.  If you’re looking for a reason to talk about your grief, here are the top five:

  1. Holding in your grief is bad for your health. At a minimum, it decreases your immunity and interrupts your sleep patterns.
  2. Grief keeps us from living wholeheartedly.
  3. Remembering your loss honors your past, present, and future.
  4. Talking about grief helps you to process the myriad emotions that you hold.
  5. You’ll feel better!

If you’re ready to feel better and talk about your grief, please contact me!

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Even Reiki Masters get the Blues

Image of man, depression, ReikiI wish it were true that Reiki is a cure-all for human suffering, but it’s not. Even practicing Reiki at the Master level, one still experiences the fullness of life with its highs and lows. However, the difference is that one is able to observe, manage, and detach from the experience of one’s emotions in a healthy way by connecting with universal life-force energy.

For instance, there are days when I am gripped by dark emotions and moving forward is difficult. Sometimes I just don’t know what to do to help myself feel better or what has caused me to feel blue. There is one thing that always helps me to ride the wave of the emotion and that is Reiki. By placing my hands on myself and accessing the energy of the universe, I am able to feel calm and connected. Then from there I’m able to do things that help me to feel better. For instance, I may call a friend, go for a walk, write in my journal, or practice yoga. The Reiki and these actions help me to start moving out of the dark tunnel and into the light of the day.

Reiki is a tool in your self-care toolkit. It helps you feel better and heal better. It helps you take on the ebb and flow of emotions and the injustices of the world and still be your best self. Reiki integrates easily into your life and can support all your goals, including your creative, athletic, relationship, financial, emotional, and health goals.

Try a Reiki session today or learn to practice Reiki by taking a class! Wishing you the love and light of the universe!

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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.

 

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What I learned at the Waterpark

Like many Reiki Practitioners I have studied meditation for many years and have received excellent instruction.  In a meditation or yoga class, there is often a direction around observing our emotions.  As we do this observation, we notice that emotions arise and fall away.  For me, I was observing the negative emotions, e.g., anger, anxiety, resentment.

Image by Janice Lodato
Image by Janice Lodato

However, recently I had the opportunity to observe my positive emotions arise and fall away.  My family and I spent a long weekend at a waterpark.  It was a weekend filled with fun, laughs, lots of physical exertion and challenges to my feelings of safety.  I left the waterpark filled with feelings of enjoyment and happiness.  After arriving home, waking the next morning and commuting to work, those feelings had fallen away.  I missed them and mourned their passing.  I wanted to hold onto them and puzzled over why they had left.  Then I remembered the words of my meditation teachers, “Emotions arise and fall away.”  Now, I understood from an experience that was closely observed that this was true for positive emotions too.

So I invite you to observe your emotions in moments of their heightenedness and their everydayness.  You can do this through meditation, your Reiki practice, your relationships and your beingness.

Wishing you love, light and the companionship of your emotions.

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Reiki Resolution Technique

The past five days have been filled with anxiety, anger and pain.  Sometimes for me this has been almost disorientating and disabling.  I almost don’t know what to do next as I feel held by these strong emotions.

However, I have reminded myself of the wise and helpful technique presented by my teachers, Libby Barnett and Maggie Babb.  They call this technique the Reiki Resolution Technique.

The technique works as follows:  If you are a Reiki practitioner, level 2, then first do the mental/emotional symbol plus the empowerment symbol.  Place your hands on your heart and hold the emotion in your hands and heart.  Don’t shy away from it.  Don’t dismiss it.  Hold the anxiety, for example, in your hands and notice what happens.  (Hold it for about 5-10 minutes, with your eyes closed, your body relaxed and your breathing deep and steady.)  As I have done this the past few days, I’ve observed a melting away of the emotion as it replaced by a wave of peace.

If you’re not a Reiki practitioner, you can try this technique as well.  It is helpful to not turn away from our emotions but apply loving and heartfelt attention toward them.  The practice of self-compassion is very important.  The more compassion we create in ourselves, the more we generate this out into the world.

Try this technique and let me know how it works for you.

I will take a blogging break until after the new year.  I wish for each of you a Blessed Solstice, a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year filled with love, light and peace.

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Reiki Haiku

Jealousy grips my heart
Why her not me
Recognition and breath frees

by Janice E. Lodato, Reiki Master Teacher

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Reiki: Anxiety and Cancer Treatment

Reiki handsThis past Saturday, I offered Reiki during three one-on-one sessions at the Wellness House in Hinsdale.  The Wellness tune-up room is a spa-type room with dimmed lights, healing music (my current favorite is Steven Halpern’s Music for Healing), and a Reiki (aka massage) table.  I have been practicing here for over a year and each time is an energizing and humbling experience.  In a very general way, you can describe what I do as offering Reiki to cancer patients.  However, each experience is so unique, each person and his/her experiences are unique, and yet each person’s experience is so similar (even in its uniqueness).

Some people come to Reiki in the midst of treatment.  They are thin, nauseated, and engaged in the “battle”.  And yet others come to Reiki after treatment, full of energy and lingering side effects, busy with their work and home lives, and creating their new normalcy.

They all come to Reiki with stress, fear, anxiety and all of the side effects of their emotional lives.  They expect a lot of Reiki.  (Don’t we all?  And why shouldn’t we?  It IS universal life force energy.)  They expect: stress-relief, better sleep, freedom to live their lives.  That freedom might just include the energy to be active all day and sleep well at night from an appropriately tired body.  Or it might be the energy to do the things one loves throughout the day, even reading in the evening, curled up in a favorite chair and staying awake long enough to read more than one page.

Even when the session is ended and they report feeling so relaxed, they often ask in an anxious voice, “What did you feel?  What did you notice?  Was it good?”  And I wonder to myself, “What is my role here as a Reiki practitioner?  Do I diagnose?”  No.  Reiki practitioners do not diagnose.  Can I offer an encouraging and kind word or two?  Indeed, and I do, because invariably that is my experience – it is positive and I feel encouraged.    The Reiki is there for them.  They draw it in and get the healing they need.  Is it a cure-all?  No, unfortunately.  Is it complementary with other modalities and treatments?  Absolutely.  Do they sign up for more and bemoan the fact that they can’t get in more frequently.  Yes.

Reiki provides emotional and spiritual support during cancer treatment.  It helps to mitigate anxiety and fear and their side effects.  With Reiki one can achieve better sleep, increased physical energy and the support of the universe.

Please share your Reiki experiences in the comment section.

Wishing you peace and wellness.

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