Saturday, January 31, 2015

Reiki-Very Useful For Opening Up and Balancing

At the end of 2014, I decided to revisit Reiki. I'd had reiki sessions in the past, probably 10/12 years ago. This was before I had become interested in energy work and didn't know much of what to expect. Fast forward to now-I've been doing some research and am generally more interested in the idea of energyheaeling, so I went into the experience with some preparation.

Here's a brief bit of info on reiki (taken from the website, www.reiki.org) :

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy." 
A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results. 

Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.

On this professional journey into the various forms of self-care, I chose reiki as a starting point because it was something I had already experienced and felt comfortable doing. I began my search as many people do, via Google. From the list of reiki practitioners I found on Google, I began reading reviews on Yelp. From there, I found Davina Holistic Center and Naglaa Gaafar.

Everyone seeks a healing session for their own unique reasons and it's up to the practitioner to set the tone by first having a discussion with the client about what brings them in. Once the story has been told, the treatment begins. In my case, Naglaa was able to pick up on my presenting concerns quite quickly and within moments I was comfortably talking about the things that I had to come to work on. We spent about an hour talking about my history and current concerns. Naglaa used a lot of practical examples to explain how reiki works and what to expect from my treatment.

The treatment itself was quite relaxing. She used a combination of hands-off and hands-on healing, which was calming and grounding. I experienced my usual intrusive thoughts of mundane activities I had coming up (appointments, what to make for dinner, etc) but after awhile I was able to let that go and enjoy the experience. I felt a flowing of color and warmth/coolness. I could feel the sensation of energy moving throughout my body. Combined with the cathartic discussion we had right before the treatment and the treatment itself, I left feeling very light, confident, and unburdened. I knew I had more work to do on the concerns I brought to the treatment session, but felt that I had begun that process with a strong, positive energy. I ended up booking a 4-pack of sessions for the future, simply because I had the distinct impression that the work was just beginning. I can see myself (and anyone for that matter) benefiting from regular reiki to keep themselves grounded and fully functioning. Almost like a life-force maintenance program.

Overall impression-very wonderful experience. The session inspired me to continue to seek reiki as a part of my regular self-care routine and also, to learn more about energy work in general. I ordered several books online and can't wait to delve into this new learning experience:) More info to come!!

Friday, January 16, 2015

Welcome!

Hello, and thank you for visiting my blog! :) On this page I will share my own experiences with a variety of healing modalities in order to educate and inspire my readers as they travel their own road to wellness. My focus will be on the importance of prioritizing self-care, by looking at multiple resources for healing the body, mind, and spirit. ME Psychotherapy, LLC is located in Pawtucket, RI, and the practitioners I visit will be located in the surrounding areas throughout New England. Some of the treatments I may review include (but are not limited to!): reflexology, traditional massage therapy, reiki, acupuncture, rolfing, cranial-sacral therapy, the rosen method, alexander technique and yoga. A detailed explanation of each service will be given in the corresponding write-up. I am excited to take this journey with you!

Best,
Marisa