So, what is Reiki?
Reiki is an energy healing modality.
At the core of it is the understanding that everything is energy; That we are energy. This means two important things:
1. We are all connected and
2. We can positively change our emotional and physical state by raising our energetic vibration.
Energy of any kind needs to flow. The energy within us needs to flow but sometimes parts of our energy can become blocked so that it doesn’t flow so well or, in some cases it doesn’t flow at all. When this happens, we start to notice negative impacts in our emotional and / or physical well-being.
Reiki provides a gentle, non-invasive way for us to channel higher vibrating universal energy, that is all around us, to help us restore balance and flow.
Reiki is not an energy we can see as it vibrates at a much higher frequency than the energy of physical things that we can touch & see. Despite not being able to see it, there has been an increasing amount of research to show that Reiki does have significant benefits. It has even started to be used in hospitals as complimentary therapy, as it has been shown to accelerate patient recovery, reduces the stress of serious illness, promotes more positivity, and overall enables patients to leave hospital faster.
Reiki may be received either face to face using our palms to channel or via distance Reiki.
In both cases it’s about setting the intention to open up to the energy and channelling it. We obviously share distance Reiki., which blows some people's minds. It it relates back to the fact we are all connected energetically therefore we do not need to be together physically. We just need to set the intention to channel Reiki and as a recipient it helps for you to be open to receiving it.
Reiki works on a physical and emotional level. Often emotional issues manifest as dis-ease in our bodies.
It reveals the emotional baggage we're holding. Unlike talking therapy that accesses our conscious thoughts, Reiki takes things to a whole other level. It allows us to access the junk we've got bruied deep down. Stuff we didn't even know we were holding! We may become aware of the root cause problems as a conscious thought or image and some will be released without full realisation of what happened but a very real knowing that something has been released. Folks often talk about feeling lighter - like a heavy burden has been lifted.
This is why the combination of the coaching and Reiki together is so powerful. Once we become aware of what is going on we can use the techniques to let it go.
Reiki brings greater awareness of our connection to each other. It brings balance and feelings of being in harmony with nature and our fellow human beings. It's based on the teachings of Mikao Usui. He re-discovered the healing energy and how to channel it in Japan at the beginning of 1900’s. He introduced 3 symbols to help us channel universal energy:
The Power symbol for physical healing. The Harmony symbol helps to balance our emotions, let go of limiting and disempowering beliefs and to open up to our intuition. And the Connection symbol to help us realise we are not alone, that we are all connected; To recognise and allow the light within each of us to shine.
There is a spiritual element to Reiki but it isn’t religious in anyway or about talking to dead people. The essence of Reiki is about re-connecting with ourselves. With our innate wisdom and with that comes peace, harmony and love for ourselves, and of course for those around us
The Reiki sessions we share are all guided. So, no matter whether you are a newbie, a fan or someone who didn’t really ‘get on’ with Reiki and meditation before, it doesn’t matter.
Reiki really helps to accelerate your self-healing – both in terms of any physical ailments you may be experiencing and your emotional wellbeing. You’ll find you sleep better, have more energy, feel calmer and more content. And who doesn’t want more of that?
Why we use Somatic Practice
Where the answers are...
Somatics is an umbrella term for body-mind practices that helps us tune into our internal physical perception. Modern neuroscience has confirmed that the mind and body are not two separate entities. The “Body-mind” is both of these parts of us that actually work together. Call it your gut reaction, your intuition or you have a “feeling in your bones”
When you learn to tap into the body-mind you are able to shift stuck emotion or trauma trapped in your body that would otherwise cause disease, shift old cognitive patterns that keep you in a loop in life, never seeing you evolve and grow, calm anxiety symptoms and lift depression. It also brings us a deeper sense of acceptance for our bodies as the vehicle that takes us through life.
Somatic work focuses on both our cognitive sense of our self and our Introception/ Proprioception which is how the body senses the world around us. This is sometimes referred to as our Organic Intelligence.
Studies have proved that how successful we are at relating to others relies heavily on how well regulated our nervous systems are, which are controlled by our Introception and Proprioception or “Felt-sense.”
You may have heard of the Fight/Flight/Freeze reaction we have to danger?
That is the “Sympathetic” nervous system response to threat. The shutdown response to deep trauma is known as “Dorsal” nervous system response.
Our minds and bodies go to these responses when we are in survival mode, and both are powered by the ventral vagus nerve which connects our brain to every major organ and muscle group. Interestingly, our brains are just 20% of the response we have to threat, 80% of our ability to take ourselves out of danger comes first from the felt sense or body’s perception of its environment. Which in turn informs the brain.
When we are calm, safe, and happy we are in “Ventral Vagus” state (This is the good one to be in most of the time!)
Somatic practice supports nervous system regulation and helps us navigate the world in our bodies. This type of coaching meets its clients with the understanding that the client is whole, complete and have authority over themselves. It increases your emotional intelligence and ability to connect to yourself and others.
Using the body’s innate wisdom, somatic techniques help a person ground into the present as a way of making sense of the past and moving into a sustainable future.
The client is in the lead as no one knows better than themself what they need, insomuch as a soma led session will see the coach expect the client to do what the body needs first, including using the bathroom which flies in the face of how we are expected to put our body second (having to ask to use the bathroom in a school environment or waiting for breaktime etc..) choosing to stand, sit or lye down as they feel more comfortable.
Somatic technique recognizes that our body-mind has been conditioned to live in a world filled with persistent threats and few reliable resources, and that this is even more true for those of us living in traumatised bodies.
Your body does not exist in a vacuum. Your body carries the stories of your life and absorbs the stories of others, including your ancestors whose experiences are notched within your DNA and the way your family members and caregivers modelled coping, caring, and connecting. This is where inherited disease originates.
Recognizing the inherent wisdom in our bodies, our communities, and our cultural perspectives, it helps us get back in touch with what we already know in our hearts and souls. Connection to your body will allow you to have a safer, richer, more connected, and happy experience of both yourself and life. Learning these techniques gives you an early warning system for both your mind and body, stopping you ever getting to the point of exhaustion or breakdown.