Posted on

First Thoughts upon Waking: What did I do . . .?

IMG_0582If you’re a Reiki practitioner, you may have a self-Reiki practice that begins as soon as you wake up in the morning. I know I do and I cherish those minutes of self-care that begin my day, focus my attention, and connect me with my higher purpose.

Perhaps you’ve also noticed, that just upon waking can be a moment of great insight. This can include insight into your own psyche or the revelation of a solution to a difficult situation that you may be facing. Sometimes there is great clarity as we face the first moments of our day.

Recently, I was startled by a thought that greeted me upon waking, “What did I do wrong?” Now guilt and blame have been my companions at other times in my life, but I was startled by how clearly I heard this thought. When I heard it I knew instantly that it was one that must be running in my subconscious during the day.

A few minutes later I asked my self, “What did I do right?” And then I asked myself to continue with that question throughout the day. As I moved through my day I noticed that there were people in my workplace who were focused on wrongdoing and blaming. As I reflected further on this, I felt that I had picked up from them this perspective and had internalized it with the constant thought, “What did I do wrong?”

I then thought, “Well, maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m particularly sensitive to this blaming and guilt and that’s why I picked it up from these people and this environment.” Then, the next day, one of my coworkers was talking about her work and she said, “I’m always thinking, ‘What did I do wrong? Did I make another mistake?’” I was relieved, in some ways, to see I wasn’t the only one who had caught this perspective and provided her with reassurance on her excellent work performance.

So after all this reflection and all these revelations, I came back to the thought, “What did I do right?” After a few weeks, I was feeling much better and was focused on how many things I do right in a day. Granted there are still many mistakes, but they don’t have to be the focus.

Another benefit of the “what did I do right?” perspective was how I started applying it to others in my life. It helped me to focus on the positive things that my family, friends, colleagues, and strangers are doing on a regular basis.

So I offer to you today, ask yourself, “What did I do right today?” I think you’ll be delighted by the answer and it will give you the energy to cultivate even more of those positive actions.

 

Do you have experiences with thoughts upon waking or focusing your inner dialogue on what’s right? If yes, please share your experiences in the comments below! Thanks!

Posted on

5 things I want to tell the naysayers

Reiki during chemotheraphy
Joan Pouch performs Reiki on cancer patient Margaret Briscoe, to help relax her during a chemotherapy infusion.

Last week, an advertisement was posted in the UK for a Reiki Spiritual Healer to join the staff, in a paid position, at St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping, Essex. This created a bit of a storm in the webosphere with some people criticizing the hospital for condoning “quackery.”

Here are the top 5 things I’d like to say to all the naysayers:

  1. We’re not just physical machines. To be human is to be composed of body, mind, and spirit. These aspects are continuously linked during our lifetime. A healthy mind helps to create a healthy body and spirit. A healthy spirit contributes to a healthy mind and body, etc.
  2. Doctors and nurses don’t do the same thing as Reiki practitioners. The Reiki practitioners are helping the doctors and nurses. They help by creating an environment where a patient can relax and receive his or her treatment with less stress and anxiety.
  3. There are studies that show this is helpful. See, for instance:

Rachel S.C. Friedman, Matthew M. Burg, Pamela Miles, Forrester Lee, and Rachel Lampert “The Effects of Reiki on Autonomic Activity Early After Acute Coronary Syndrome.” J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 2010; 56;995-996.

Baldwin, A. and Schwartz, G.E., “Personal Interaction with a Reiki Practitioner Decreases Noise-Induced Damage in An Animal Model”, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, January 1, 2006.

Bengston, W., Kinslet, D. (2000) “The Effect of the ‘Laying On of Hands’ on Transplanted Breast Cancer in Mice,” Journal of Scientific Exploration, Fall, vol. 14(3), pp.353-364.

And more here.

  1. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but there are Reiki practitioners in many large hospitals. You can often find them offering Reiki during chemotherapy treatments. Why don’t you stop by and ask the patients what they think of the Reiki?
  2. Wake Up! Our bodies/minds/spirits are asking for holistic and complementary care. Please step aside while we provide it.

 

 

Posted on

No Guarantees

Twisting staircase, no guaranteesLet’s get straight to the punch line for this post: With Reiki, as with life, there are no guarantees. I wish there were, but there are not.

I’m writing this because as a Reiki Master I often have the following exchange with potential clients.

Client: “Will Reiki help with my . . . [fill in any physical or mental health ailment]?”

Janice: “Reiki will provide a state of deep relaxation where your body, mind, and spirit can reach their full potential for healing.”

Client: “Is there a guarantee this will heal me?”

Janice: “There are no guarantees. However, it will help you achieve a state of deep relaxation where your highest healing good can be achieved. When we’re relaxed our body heals faster, our minds are clearer and more creative, and we can relate with each other more authentically.”

Client: “What percentage chance is there that Reiki will heal my . . . “

Janice: “Reiki is a healing practice. I don’t have a number to quantify it.”

Client: “I’ll try something else with a guarantee.”

What is the something else with a guarantee? Does the medication you take come with a guarantee that it will heal you? Do you know how it heals you? Is it possible that it is your mind and your body’s natural abilities that are healing you?

Dr. Andrew Weil’s book, “Spontaneous Healing,” addresses this exact phenomena where a patient’s body is healed without conventional medicine’s intervention, even in the case of severe and prolonged illness. He writes:

“I regard the placebo response as a pure example of healing elicited by the mind; far from being a nuisance, it is, potentially, the greatest therapeutic ally doctors can find in their efforts to mitigate disease . . . Unfortunately, this view of placebo medicine is very much out of fashion today. . . . If a drug begins to work in too many different conditions, most doctors lose interest in it, because they think lack of specificity means lack of an underlying mechanism. In other words the drug could be — perish the thought! — merely a placebo.”

So, Reiki . . . maybe it’s a placebo, maybe its effectiveness really is all in your mind, and, definitely, there are no guarantees that it will work. Why, then, should you spend your time and money on a Reiki treatment? Here are a few compelling anecdotes:

  • A seven-year-old girl fractured her humerus and required surgery to insert three pins. The post-surgery recovery time was slated at 6-weeks, minimum. The girl received daily Reiki treatments and recovered in half that time – 3 weeks.
  • A 45-year-old man had knee surgery. He asked his wife, a level 2 Reiki practitioner, for treatments on his knee. At his 6-week follow-up visit the orthopedic surgeon was shocked by the speed of his healing. He called in his colleague to show him the progress of healing and recovery that the man had achieved which was what they normally see at 12 weeks or more post-operatively in people 10-15 years younger than the man.
  • A 60-year-old woman, grieving the death of her husband and living with the side effects of chemotherapy treatment for her breast cancer, received a Reiki session once a week for six weeks. After two treatments she reported an improvement in the quality of her sleep and increased energy. After three treatments she reported that the neuropathy in her hands and feet had stopped. After six treatments, she said, “I have my life back.”

Won’t you give Reiki a try? Yes, there are no guarantees, but there is a good chance you’ll feel great and facilitate your body’s natural healing abilities.

Wishing you abundant wellness!

Posted on

Why should you attend Reiki Clinic?

Reiki Master Phyllis FurumotoIf you’re a Reiki practitioner or master you may wonder: Why should I attend a Reiki Clinic? This was the topic of a recent conversation with a friend of mine. He pointed out to me the other day that many Reiki practitioners probably don’t want to participate in a Reiki Clinic because they are giving away their services for free with little benefit to themselves. This may be a very practical explanation, however, I hope that you are receiving many other benefits from attending Clinic.  I hope that you know (on all levels) that the practice of Reiki occurs through self-practice, practice on others, and living the precepts.  Clinic provides an opportunity to practice on others and often to receive a short treatment yourself. Do you need an additional benefit?

By practicing, you have the opportunity to learn from Reiki. To receive the insight and healing that you seek and that your body, mind, and spirit are innately capable of. As Takata said, “Let Reiki teach you.”

For instance, if you take a tennis class, study meditation, or take a piano lesson, and if you expect to advance, improve, and learn more about the game, about your mind, or about music, you will practice. For example, you will find a tennis partner and go to the court and hit the ball back and forth. You will probably do this at least once a week in addition to your lessons — if you expect to integrate what you have learned. Learning Reiki is like learning to play tennis. Take the class and then practice.

If you need more motivation to attend Clinic, or need to be re-inspired to practice, I highly recommend listening to this talk by Phyllis Furumoto. There are many heart-warming stories that she recounts about the teachings from her grandmother, Hawayo Takata. I especially loved this quote from Takata that I had not heard before: “If you can count to four you can practice Reiki.”

Perhaps that’s one of the issues with Reiki for those of us in the United States. As a group of people, we may want something more complicated.  (“What? I only need to count to four?! How effective can that possibly be? If I count to 4,000, then maybe it’s worth practicing.”) However, Phyllis repeatedly reminds us of the simplicity of Reiki and the way that Reiki works by tapping into our innate healing abilities. It will teach you when you practice it.

Hope to see you at an upcoming Reiki Clinic. And remember, as Takata said, “Reiki, Reiki, Reiki. . . . Do Reiki and Notice.”

 

Posted on

The Ergonomics of Reiki

Reiki hand positionsWhen I learned Reiki back in 2001 at Kripalu, my teachers, Libby and Maggie, taught us to be mindful of how we, as Reiki practitioners stood during a session. Not that the standing (or sitting) position matters to the flow of energy, rather it matters because a steady, relaxed position allows the practitioner to remain still. In a still and steady position the practitioner then only needs to move when switching hand positions and not because of her/his own physical discomfort.

As I’ve offered Reiki sessions over the years, I have done so in a variety of settings. My preference is to stand for most of the session as I find that the movement of a chair or stool is often loud and disruptive to the client. However, this requires me to be very mindful of how I’m positioning my feet and back as I’m standing. Also, I need to check the height of the table before I start because it needs to be high enough that I’m not reaching too much. When I have to reach in order to get my hands into position, I end up with a lot of back fatigue and I find it difficult to remain still during a session. (As practitioners, however, we need to make sure that a stool or step is available for our clients to easily get on a table that is slightly higher than they might be used to.)

A Reiki colleague once recommended that I think of the standing positions as yoga poses, i.e., that I mindfully place my feet and align my back in a position that I can comfortably hold for at least two minutes. This has been really helpful advice. Over the years, when I have done consecutive sessions without that mindfulness, my back has been painfully tight after a few hours.

Another aspect of the ergonomics of offering a Reiki session is the position of your hand and wrist in relationship to your arm. Some hand positions put a strain on the wrist. As I teach Reiki hand positions in a level 1 class, I instruct my students to modify some hand positions so that the angle of the hand is not so extreme. Again, because this is more comfortable, it allows the practitioner to remain still and steady, therefore not disrupting the client’s experience through the movement of his/her hands. Also, I have found that some hand positions that don’t seem so extreme have actually irritated tendinitis at the base of my thumb. I have had to modify some hand positions at the crown of the head to make sure my wrist and thumb are not at too an extreme angle.

In summary, for Reiki practitioners, I recommend the following steps to achieve healthy ergonomics:

  1. Set up the Reiki table height so that one does not have to reach during a session. This height is determined based on whether the practitioner is standing or sitting during a session.
  2. Position your body, whether standing or sitting, for steadiness and stillness by aligning the feet and back in a grounded stance.
  3. Be mindful of the angle of your wrist. Do not put the wrist in extremely angular positions.
  4. Test your position with a deep breath. If you can take a slow, steady, and deep breath, this is probably a position you can comfortably hold for at least two minutes.
Posted on

Having a vision for your life

Crazy Horse MemorialImagine having less than $200 to your name, a young family to take care of, and agreeing to carve a mountain to honor Native American heroes. No one was going to help you — it would be just you, the mountain, tons of rock, blasting equipment, and the occasional herd of mountain goats, but this would become your life’s work.  Through thick and thin and, I imagine, many naysayers, you would persevere because you have a mission, a calling, a vision, to honor Native Americans. Can you imagine having such a driving vision for your life?

Recently, my family and I visited the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota and we encountered the story of a man, Korczak Ziolkowski, who had such a singular and encompassing vision for his life. The Memorial is a huge mountain carving (larger than Mount Rushmore) and a tribute to one of the great Native American heroes. It is more than just a carving in a mountain though, it also has a significant museum about the Memorial and Native American culture, and the foundation has created the Indian University of North America that provides numerous educational scholarships to Native Americans.

The story of the creation of the Memorial, which Korczak Ziolkowski started in 1947, is truly inspiring. At the request of Henry Standing Bear, an Oglala Lakota Chief,  Korczak took on this task and had the vision to include in it a Museum and a University. Today, the carving and blasting continues on the mountain-side and the University is a work in progress as well.  Korczak and his wife had 10 children, some of whom still work at the Memorial. What struck me about them is how he was virtually broke and started this carving. He saw it as his life’s mission and he had a vision for his life.  That vision had three parts: the mountain carving, the museum, and the university.

Throughout our visit, I felt humbled by the vision and determination that it took to take on this task and see it through. The Memorial is completely privately funded from admissions and contributions to the Foundation. I kept wondering about what my vision is for my life. What is the big thing I am meant to do? Or in the words of Simon Sinek, what is my “why”?

Indeed I want to help people with Reiki and coaching. I want to make the world a better place, care for my family, run a few races, have some fun, and eat some great meals. But, why? What’s the big vision? What really great and powerful thing can I accomplish that will leave a lasting impression on the world — that will make the world at least a little better than it was before?

I’m not certain of the answer yet, but I’m enjoying the exploration of my vision for my life and my “why.” How about you? What is your vision for your life? How do you express it? And how does it shape your day to day life?  Please share your story in the comments below!

Posted on

Self-Reiki: What is it and Why practice it?

Self-Reiki Hand PositionsIf you’ve taken a Reiki level 1 class hopefully you’ve been taught how to have a self-Reiki practice. This practice usually entails a regular practice at the beginning and end of each day plus regular applications of self-Reiki throughout one’s day. There are particular hands-on positions that one follows (some of them are illustrated in the image on the right) or the practitioner uses a free-form approach.

It’s interesting to hear the experiences of Reiki students, however. Often one hears how daily self-Reiki practice has fallen away because of a busy schedule or the lack of recognizable results. The result of a regular self-Reiki practice can be very subtle. However, those of us who practice every day notice how grounded we feel and how those few minutes of calm attention at the beginning of each day set the tone and approach to the day. Like so may practices, self-Reiki requires regularity. Even without regularity, once was has learned Reiki, it is always available to you for self-care and relaxation. (The impact is more noticeable, however, with regular application/practice.)

If you haven’t been practicing regularly, it’s no big deal. Just begin. Practice again, just for today. When tomorrow comes you can do it again, “Just for today.” And on and on. It’s so simple and so accessible.

I know, life is complicated and not simple. Sometimes our morning plans are disrupted or completely out of our control. So you’re 100% into your day and you realize, “I didn’t do my morning self-Reiki practice. Ugh!” Ok, so what? Are you driving, talking on the phone, in a meeting, working at the computer, playing with your kids? Can you get one hand free to place on your leg, on the side of your head, in your pocket, or on your heart? Can the hand linger there for at least a few minutes? If you’ve answered, yes and yes, then you’re on your way to your first self-Reiki treatment of the day. Go for it! What about right now?! You’re reading a blog, can you free up one hand and place it on yourself for a few minutes? How does it feel? What do you notice? Ah, ha! You’ve found it! Time to practice your self-Reiki!

To an outsider, this sounds so simple — it can’t possibly work! However, through our experience, we know it does. We feel the flow of energy in our bodies, we calm our minds, and we experience the present moment. Sometimes, we also experience “Aha” moments or notice the profound healing of a bodily injury.

Does this kind of self-care and connection sound yummy to you? If you’ve taken a Reiki class, remember: Hands on, Reiki’s on. Do it right now! You can!

If you haven’t take a Reiki class, won’t you join us this fall? Sign up today!

 

Posted on

Reiki for Mental Clarity

Photo by Janice E LodatoCheryl came to my office for a Reiki session. When she arrived she appeared tense and agitated. I asked her what she would like from the Reiki and she responded very clearly, “Mental clarity!” Of course, Reiki is helpful with getting the mind focused and honing in on a solution to a problem or a decision that needs to be made.

So I asked Cheryl what was going on that she wanted mental clarity about and she said that she and her husband were trying to decide whether to move to Oregon from the Chicago area and continue their semi-retirement. She went on to explain that this would involve selling their beloved home and moving away from their grandkids. She also said that she would deeply miss hosting dinners at her house and her close circle of friends who were part of her book group. Then she started to list off the advantages of living in Oregon — it’s natural beauty and opportunities for outdoor activities. In addition, her husband wanted to make this move. With this background and the intention of mental clarity, we started the session.

At the end of the session, Cheryl slowly sat up from the Reiki table. I offered her a glass of water. She drank some and then a smile came over her face. She said, “I think I’ve come up with the solution! We can go there for a month in the summer when things are quiet here and then maybe for longer time periods if that feels right.”  Her demeanor was lighter and brighter after the Reiki and she left the office with the clarity she sought and greater relaxation. While we often focus on the physical benefits of Reiki, it is also an excellent tool for achieving greater mental clarity and improved decision making.

Another instance of this came about for my client, Jill, who wanted to manifest greater confidence, especially as it related to decision making and parenting. As a single parent of two young children, Jill felt challenged by the demands of her children and wanting to make the right decisions about how to raise them. She questioned every choice she made and wondered if every instance of their misbehavior was her fault and the result of “bad” parenting. On the other hand, she knew in her heart that she was a good parent and doing the best that she could.  She knew that her children were well cared for and, mostly, well behaved — the missing component for her was the confidence in herself as a parent and manifesting that when faced with making a decision.

In her Reiki sessions, Jill sought confidence. For her, the visualization that she liked to focus on during a session was of her standing confidently in her kitchen, with it filled with bright light. She would imagine a smile on her face and precise and determined words flowing out at just the right moment and delivered in just the right way. This visualization would bring a smile to her face. By the end of the session, her posture would be straighter and her voice stronger. Jill continues to receive Reiki every other week to maintain that feeling of confidence and to continue with her decisive decision making.

While we often talk about the physical benefits of Reiki, the deep relaxation that one achieves from a Reiki session is also excellent for improved decision making and greater mental clarity.  When we’re relaxed we heal faster, think more clearly, and connect with others more openly.

Wishing you mental clarity!

Please note: Clients’ names are changed to maintain anonymity.

Posted on

Photography Exhibit: Touching Strangers

Jessie and Michael, New York, NY, 2013, Photograph by Richard Renaldi
Jessie and Michael, New York, NY, 2013, Photograph by Richard Renaldi

Last week, I was thrilled to visit the photography exhibit, “Touching Strangers,” at the Loyola University Museum of Art with my dear friend, Nancy Paul. When I first saw an ad for the exhibit I thought to myself, “Touching strangers! That’s what we do!” If you’re a Reiki practitioner, I’m sure the title resonates with you too.  Of course, as with the subjects in the photographs this is touch based on mutual consent and the highest level of respect for each individual.

When you view the images in the exhibit, which I highly recommend, the power of human connection is palpable. (The exhibit is at the Loyola University Museum of Art, LUMA, in downtown Chicago through August 2nd, 2015 and travels to many other locations through next year.) You’ll find in it heads gently titled toward each other, the equality of touch between two individuals, and the kindness of body symmetry or facial expression between those being photographed. One of the powerful aspects found in this collection is that many of those photographed come from different ethnic, racial, or age groups. In our minds, we “know” that, perhaps, they are indeed strangers to each other, but that they have found a commonality that they are presenting to the photographer.

The opposite is found in this group of images as well.  There are images where the discomfort between the subjects is vibrant. Where a subtle clenched fist or body slightly tilted away depicts an emotion of resistance from at least one of the individuals. Most of the images were taken in outside settings and the photographer, Richard Renaldi, does an amazing job composing images with backgrounds that enhance the overall image and work so powerfully with the humans in his portraits. There are at least two images at the LUMA exhibit that were photographed inside. This internal environment lends a layer of greater intimacy to the images which in one instance adds warmth to the experience of the photograph and in another instance creates a discomfort over why these strangers are inside together.

The exhibit is accompanied by a video documentary that includes interviews with some of the individuals photographed. It shows Renaldi’s process for approaching his subjects and how he pre-screens them — looking for those individuals who may be receptive to being photographed with a stranger. In their experience those photographed recount feelings of awkwardness and uncertainty at the beginning of the photo session, then a transformation occurs. By the end of the session, they feel a strong connection and concern for the other person. In the video they are shown hugging and the bonds of a human relationship are formed through this experience of being photographed while touching a stranger.

In Reiki sessions, we touch in order to connect with a subtle and unseen energy that infuses and surrounds us. Through this touch we relax into the connection with each other and the universe and we find the power to heal ourselves in mind, body, and spirit.

————————-

Please share your thoughts in the comments below:  What do you think of Richard Renaldi’s series of photographs, “Touching Strangers”?  What is your experience with respectful human touch and the human relationships that it forges?

Posted on

Using Reiki for Working with Grief

IMG_0211

When we are faced with a significant loss in our life we want the pain to just go away. Instead of light we often feel engulfed in darkness and unable to make even the simplest decisions. One of the great (and painful) ironies, of the dark emotion known as grief, is that ignoring it and shunning it — over the long run — only makes it grow. When we can sit with our grief and journey with it, we experience a shift that allows us to see light again and live our lives.

Reiki is not a cure all

Sometimes people ask me if Reiki will make grief go away. Unfortunately, Reiki is not a cure-all. However, it is an excellent tool for self-care whether you are a Reiki practitioner or not. By receiving Reiki we can experience deep peace that helps us to exist with our pain. For some people when they experience a Reiki session while they are grieving, they feel a sense of lightness throughout their body afterwards. Some clients have reported a feeling of openness in their chest after receiving Reiki. They say that though the grief is not gone, it seems easier to face it and move through their day.

Keep the light flowing

One client, her name is Holly, told me that the pain of her father’s death seemed to haunt her every step.* She said one day she passed by a mirror and noticed how her shoulders were slouched forward as if she were protecting her heart. After receiving a Reiki session, she said that her heart felt lighter and more open. After a series of sessions she noted that her posture had improved and she said, “There’s a spring in my step again. Reiki didn’t make the grief go away, but it seemed to bring back the light. So now I’m living with lightness and grief.” Holly felt this was a real improvement in her life and she continues to receive Reiki periodically to “keep the light flowing.”

Living in the “and” space

Lightness and grief — this is sometimes called, “living in the ‘and’ space.” This is important when working with grief because when we are so hurt by our loss we feel as if we can never love again. However, when we think of it as an “and” — that is, we love AND we grieve — or, we grieve because we love. If we didn’t love, then there would be no grief; but because we love, we grieve when there is loss. So rather than making grief go away, Reiki reopens ones heart to the love, a sense of wonder, and curiosity about this crazy, and often sad, life that we live.

You are not alone

Another aspect of grief is the profound loneliness that we often feel. Isolation from others exacerbates our grief. When we’re able to share our story with another person, we often feel a lifting of the burden that we are carrying. I encourage you to find that person to talk to. That person may not be within your family or current circle of friends and that’s ok. What’s important is to find someone who will listen and support you. Someone who will help you feel that you can open your heart to love again and journey with love AND grief.

What is your experience with grief? What have you found helpful in this journey?  Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

*Names are changed to protect each client’s privacy.