What is Reiki, Anyway?

Sorry, I can't give you a definitive answer to that question! Reiki is still a bit of a mystery to me, although the results I see in myself and my clients show that it is very real.

In simple terms, Reiki is a form of energy work that utilizes the energies that surround us -- you know, that energy that keeps you alive with every inhale. These energies are harnessed and brought to the body for healing at a cellular level.

But all you really need to know, anyway, is that a Reiki session is probably the most relaxing, calming thing you'll ever experience! It is a great stress reliever, calming the body and mind so that the natural healing abilities of your body can do their work efficiently.

Imagine this: You lie comfortably on your back, wearing your street clothes and sock-footed. If it's chilly (hard to imagine during this heat wave but it will happen!) you are covered with a nice blanket. You may detect the aroma of lavender in the air. You close your eyes and the session begins. Sometimes you feel a gentle touch of the hands, sometimes you don't, but mostly you don't care because after a few minutes you are in a state of calm and relaxation that you didn't think was possible!

So, what is Reiki? It is a comfy, non-invasive stress relieving modality that makes you feel better. Way better. Ahhhhhhh.

Water, Water, Everywhere!

Weight Watchers ruined water for us. Didn’t lose any weight last week? Well, how much water did you drink? Tummy growling? Drink a full glass of water before you have a snack; maybe you’re just thirsty!  True; but there’s more, much more, to plentiful water consumption than just weight loss. Besides, if water was the magic weight loss cure, I’d be thin as a reed . . . Yes, drink plenty of water, but for a hundred different reasons, not just weight loss.

I can hear you already: But when I drink the recommended amount of water I spend half my day in the bathroom. Come on, it doesn’t take that long to pee unless you’re still wearing pencil skirts and panty hose. (That was a workout!) Wearing jeans, I bet you take less than a minute in there, and that includes washing your hands. You can cut that time down by simply staying in yoga pants all day (my personal tip). It’s recommended to get up and move every hour anyway, so with frequent potty breaks, you’re killing two birds with one stone!

Consuming the recommended amount of water (50-80% of your body weight in ounces) can seem daunting, but when you want your body to be clean and smelling fresh, is your first choice to take a little bowlful of water and swish yourself with that? No, you take a nice long shower or soak in a tub full of water (ever mindful of water conservation, of course!) It’s the same with drinking water. You need copious amounts to clean and refresh all the nooks and crannies of your inner workings. Water washes away the lactic acid loosened by your morning workout. It keeps your saliva flowing and keeps your digestion moving. Water carries oxygen to your muscles and to your brain, keeping you strong and smart! Water lubricates your joints so you remain flexible and pain-free. Water is used by every bodily system, so drink up.

And there’s more! Harken back to high school science class, or to that episode of Desperate Housewives when Edie is killed off, and you’ll remember: Water conducts electricity. Our bodies’ energy systems need water to function properly. A glass of water and a few deep breaths can quickly raise your energy, as the water carries the oxygen (and the million other beneficial things we breathe in that we don’t even have names for yet) through the body to enliven us from tip to toe. Water conducts your body-electricity to enhance your own EFT or Reiki or meditation practice. If you can’t get out of a slump, or your brain is woozy, breathe and drink (uh, water, of course) and sit up straight and notice the difference.

Water is the magic elixir. ‘Nuff said.

Just being near water makes us feel great!

P.S.  Well, maybe one more thing: Go ahead and put lemon or mint in your water, drink herbal tea and a moderate amount of coffee, just don’t add sugar or, shudder, artificial sweeteners. And remember, this is the Om Minute and not the Om Doctor (which you probably realized from my Desperate reference) so feel free to do your own research, both online and through personal trial-and-error. Salut!

Cables of Connection

“Yoga” translates to “union”.  When we greet one another with “Namaste”, we acknowledge that we are “all part of the same light”.  When doing Reiki, one draws on the energy of the Universe, that same energy that surrounds, permeates, flows through everyone and everything, now and since time began.  (See the Law of Conservation of Energy:  Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transformed.  We’ve been using the same energy since the Big Bang!)

So, we are all connected; we are all One.  We may each be different and special in ourselves, but underlying us all is this connection of Life Force Energy that we share with every breath.

Remember this connection next time someone cuts you off in traffic, pushes ahead of you in line, says something dopey, or just generally irritates you.  Maybe you can dredge up some compassion for them, see them from another angle, or just shake your head fondly and send them some loving thoughts across those lines of connectivity.  It is through these cables of connection that we can learn to live with each other in peace.

Om Shanti.