What is Reiki?
This energy modality can balance your biofield
Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is an energy modality that was developed during the last century by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese healer. (The history of Reiki is readily available online and is both interesting and controversial.) The word itself means "universal life energy", and Reiki is administered by "laying-on hands". It is a simple and powerful technique that can be learned by anyone. It is passed from teacher to student by attunement.
What that continues to excite practitioners and clients about Reiki is that, first of all, it works, and secondly, that experiments in quantum physics are proving this beyond doubt. I use Reiki nearly every day on myself, my clients, and even my dog and my plants. Furthermore, what Dr. Usui, other Eastern healers and their patients, and countless Reiki practitioners have proven by experience is now being proven in Western laboratories through double-blind studies.
One of the things that quantum physicists have proven is the existence of the Zero-Point Field, which is a substructure of energetic frequency (sometimes wave and sometimes particle) that underpins the universe. The Zero-Point Field also functions as a recording medium of everything, providing a means for everything to communicate with everything else. When you consider that on a subatomic level, cells and DNA also communicate through frequencies unrelated to the physical nervous system and that they also communicate directly with the Zero-Point Field, you have the basis for how Reiki works.
Reiki makes use of the energy from the Zero-Point Field to balance the Human Energy Field or Biofield. The attunements that Reiki healers receive set intentions that, incredibly, are part of the record of the Zero-Point Field and serve to insure that Reiki does no harm to the healer or the client. It seems that the more people who hold an intention over time, the greater the probability that the intention becomes "fixed" and affects the physical universe from its quantum origin.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), "People use Reiki for relaxation, stress reduction, and symptom relief, in efforts to improve overall health and well-being. Reiki has been used by people with anxiety, chronic pain, HIV/AIDS, and other health conditions, as well as by people recovering from surgery or experiencing side effects from cancer treatments. Reiki has also been given to people who are dying (and to their families and caregivers) to help impart a sense of peace. Clients may experience a deep state of relaxation during a Reiki session. They might also feel warm, tingly, sleepy, or refreshed. Reiki appears to be generally safe, and no serious side effects have been reported."
Reiki is easy to learn. Suzanne is teaching a Reiki II class at the Wepner Wellness Center on August 7, and plans a Reiki I class in 2011. If you'd like an update on when it will be offered, please send her an email.
Reiki is easy to integrate with massage or other modalities like Craniosacral Therapy, or you can have Reiki alone and even stay fully clothed if you like. It's a great modality for someone who is a little modest about massage, and Reiki alone has many of the same benefits as massage. It's also good for the very ill for whom massage that directly manipulates the tissues would be painful or otherwise contraindicated.
If you'd like to experience a Reiki treatment for yourself or purchase a gift certificate for someone else, please call Suzanne at 828-315-9900.
Summer Health Tips
Summer is a time for outdoor fun. The days are longer, the weather inviting, and opportunities for fun are practically endless. However, the season is not without risks.
Here are some practical tips to help you enjoy the season more:
Image: Idea 22 /stock.xchng
- Drink plenty of water. Your body is mostly water, especially your connective tissue. Staying hydrated means fewer injuries to your musculoskeletal system and insures optimal functioning of your organs. (Your brain is at least 85% water!)
Dehydration is the number one cause of summer headaches, and it can lead to more serious conditions. If you are out in the heat and start feeling dizzy, experience nausea, or become confused, get out of the heat and start drinking slowly to replenish your body's H2O. Remember that alcohol dehydrates. If you drink alcohol, you'll also need more water. - Use a natural insect repellant. Essential oils are a wonderful way to discourage bugs (see article below. ) Ticks can cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease. Mosquitoes carry West Nile Virus. Flies carry all manner of infection, and dogs and cats are more likely to carry fleas home in the summer.
- Wear the right shoes for your activity. If you are planning on walking all day, forget the cute sandals and flip-flops. You feet need support to keep the rest of you out of pain. If you are moving a lot, you need to support those arches and protect those toes. Cotton socks can also help to prevent blisters by absorbing perspiration.
- Check the air quality report before planning outdoor activities. This is especially true if you have allergies or respiratory problems. Around here the pollen count, the ozone levels, and the particulate levels can skyrocket on hot, humid days. Take your inhaler or antihistamines with you when you are out on code yellow or orange days. On code red days, stay inside.
- Wear sunscreen and sunglasses. Most people understand that UV rays from the sun cause skin cancer, but they don't realize that UV rays sunburn corneas and cause cataracts, eyelid cancer, and macular degeneration. Wearing a hat with a bill also helps.
- Travel smart. If you have health problems, get a letter from your doctor describing your conditions, so that if you have to see a doctor in another city, you will be treated competently.
Keep you medications in their original containers and pack them in a waterproof container in your carry-on luggage so they don't get separated from you. You should take about two weeks more than you will need if you are going on a trip out of the country, so that if you get stranded by weather or other natural disaster (remember the Iceland earthquake?), you will have the medications you need. - Dry off after swimming. Toweling off removes certain parasites that can be found in fresh and chlorinated waters. Be sure to dry your ears to avoid swimmer's ear, and don't spend all day in a wet suit if you are prone to yeast or urinary tract infections.
- Promptly refrigerate leftovers. Don't leave perishable picnic items on the table after everyone has eaten. Food-borne illnesses are especially prevalent during hot summer months. Items with eggs or mayonnaise and meats are especially vulnerable to spoilage in the heat and may not taste spoiled immediately. Always wash utensils that have been used to cut raw meat before using them on cooked products.
Don't let summer maladies ruin your summer fun. Follow these tips and have a great summer!
Essential Blend of the Month: AWEO's Purity
Purity is Ancient Wisdom Essential Oils' version of Young Living's Purification.
Both blends have powerful antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Thus, they can be used as sanitizers and for eliminating odors on surfaces and in the air. They also act as insect and mouse repellents and can be used on bug bites to neutralize the poisons. However, some of the oils in the blend can irritate skin, so it is best to dilute the blend with olive oil, almond oil, or another carrier oil before applying directly to sensitive skin.
The scent of Purity is clean and fresh. Each of the oils in the blend has particular properties:
- Citronella may help fight colds, fatigue, flu, headaches and migraines, neuralgia, excessive perspiration, and oily skin. The plant from which it is distilled is related to lemongrass and palmarosa. It is most commonly known for its insecticide properties. Inhaling it directly can cause the heart rate to increase, so those with heart disease should breathe it directly with caution.
- Lemongrass has been used historically to treat infectious illnesses and fever as well as for bladder infections and reducing edema. It is said to speed the repair of ligaments and other connective tissues, to wake up the lymphatic system, and to relieve respiratory problems. It is mildly sedative to the nervous system.
- Rosemary cineol is from the mint family, and many ancient civilizations regarded rosemary as a sacred herb. It helps with respiration because it is an expectorant and an anti-catarrhal. Other uses are for arthritis, cellulite, dandruff, nervous depression and fatigue, hair loss and vaginitis. It should be avoided by people with epilepsy or high blood pressure.
- Melaleuca (Tea Tree) has been used for centuries by the Aborigines to heal cuts and skin infections. It is said to treat all sorts of fungal infections from Athletes Foot and toenail fungus to thrush. Found in many mouth washes and toothpastes, it helps treat periodontal disease, mouth ulcers, coughs, and sore throats. It is also a good acne treatment.
- Lavandin is a hybrid of true lavender and spike lavender or aspic. It has a sharper scent than lavender and is especially good for treating insect bites; some claim it greatly reduces the itching and swelling.
- Myrtle was also considered to be a sacred plant to the ancients. It can be effective for bronchitis, coughs, flu, hypothyroidism, insomnia, cystitis, and respiratory infections. It is said to soothe anger.
Image: Gabor Bibor / stock.xchng
I use Purity essential oil when I go outdoors to keep the bugs away. I keep a bottle of distilled water and a few drops of Purity to spray on the dog when she goes for a walk where there might be ticks, too. I also diffuse it inside my home to clean the air. It has a fresh scent that gets rid of doggy odors and helps me breathe during allergy season.
Caution: Do not use the oil directly on the skin of pets or children under two years of age. Although Purity is generally safe for all but the most sensitive skin, for most the most prudent safety, dilute the oils for those with sensitive skin, including children over two, pets, and the elderly. Women who are pregnant should not use essential oils unless a doctor approves them.
