Thoughts During Trying Times in American Health Care System

Lately, I have been seeing lots of posts on social media with people having long bouts with illness, frustrations with care, and procedures galore with many times experiencing harsh side effects or complications. This is not to mention the uncertainty of the quality of care under the current political climate.

This is just a thought as I see so many people put on drugs or "needing" procedures ...

My Story

• I was told i needed a root canal about 9mo ago. I drank turmeric tea and gave myself jikiden reiki and never ended up needing root canal.
• I also cleared up 2 bacterial infections last year without use of antibiotics.
• I was also told I needed a hysterectomy too 2 years ago. I employed spiritually based therapies such as Jikiden reiki and happy to report no hysterectomy needed.

My point I'm trying to make is why NOT try holistic therapies FIRST before putting something into your body that carries a host of other issues or a procedure that carries risks or complications.

Or is what you are doing REALLY going to "fix" the underlying cause of your problem? If not, then pause a moment and listen to the body as it holds a wealth of information and knowledge.

Our western culture has become numb and has forgotten that our bodies have everything we need built in and are designed to heal themselves. We just need to sometimes help the body remember.

I'm not saying in some cases drugs or procedures are not necessary, but in my own journey I have assisted my body in healing and therefore, averted unnecessary drugs or procedures as listed above.

A drug or a procedure in SOME cases is NOT necessary.

This is not to mention, imagine if ALL Americans began to reclaim their health, and employ spiritually based holistic health therapies into their life, the savings to the sky-rocking health insurance premiums could theoretically begin to significantly drop.

GOT PETS? 

My 11yo dog who had a punctured salivary glad due to being attacked by another dog that caused what is called a salivary mucocele. I was told she needed surgery to remove the gland. I employed jikiden reiki therapies, and happy to report NO surgery needed.

I wrote a blog post on this for anyone interested in reading titled "Effectiveness of Reiki For Wounds on a Dog; Zygomatic Salivary Mucocele".

I hope this short but brief post guides you to be more self empowered and more in control of your own health.

A Mother's Story: How Reiki Healed Her Son's Injury Preventing The Need For Surgery

Photo by: Laura Joseph, Healing With Spirit, 
All Rights Reserved.
Photo taken during one Jikiden Reiki training. 

There are days where you receive amazing news from one of your students. Then there are days where I question myself, as to whether I feel more like a mother bear watching her cub bloom or a teacher watching her student flourish. Either case, this was a story that made me smile when I heard it for the first time.

This is a story by one mother, who just happened to sign up to learn reiki when her son got injured playing hockey. Could this have been some divine intervention? The timing of everything could not have been more optimum.

When this mother came to us on the first day of class and told us about her son's injury, we guided her on how to administer reiki for his shoulder injury. By the next day, she was elated that not only was he open to receive reiki, but that he loved it and asked for more daily. 

After a few months had past, we happened to see Suzanne, the mother, and she told us how her son went from needing surgery and out of playing hockey for the season to no surgery and playing hockey. She believed this was the result of the reiki she administered to her son. Here is Suzanne's story in her own words:

I was blessed to have the opportunity to earn my Shoden Level of Jikiden Reiki during a weekend Seminar with Laura Joseph September 23-25, 2016. My youngest son had suffered a complex shoulder injury playing hockey the weekend before on September 18. He was hit from behind into the boards sustaining a left shoulder dislocation, humeral fracture with a floating fragment and was found to have a torn labrum. He was seen in the ER that same day and we were told he would most definitely require surgery but with the amount of swelling he had, we were advised to follow up with the orthopedic surgeon in 10 days. My son had considerable pain, bruising and swelling with severe limitations in his mobility. He was also informed he would not be able to return to play hockey for the rest of the season.

After having been attuned I could not wait to go home and practice Jikiden Reiki on him. He was very open to receiving and I practiced on him nightly. We were seen by the orthopedic surgeon on September 26th who ordered a comparison x-ray from the original done in the ER on the 18th. He was amazed at the alignment of the bone and how the fragment had settled back into its original place. My son still had bruising, pain, swelling and mobility limitations. The surgeon was still recommending surgery but wanted an MRI to be sure of the extent of the injury. We had the MRI that weekend and we were seen by the orthopedic surgeon a few days later. All the while I continued to perform Jikiden Reiki on my son each night. His swelling decreased as did his pain and bruising. We returned to the orthopedic surgeon on October 6th and had a repeat x-ray done and were informed of the MRI results. The surgeon was “optimistically pleased” with the x-ray results commenting again at how nicely and quickly the bone was healing. He informed us of his concern with the result of the MRI and the revelation of a labrum tear. However, for the first time, said he was willing to hold off on the surgery to see how the healing progressed. He did warn us that surgery might still be a reality.

We continued with our nightly Jikiden Reiki sessions and my son continued to report that his shoulder felt better. We returned again to the orthopedic surgeon on October 27th. At this time another x-ray was done. The surgeon was again “pleased” with the healing process and my son’s mobility even though very limited. The surgeon decided to allow my son to begin Physical Therapy in 2 weeks but reinforced that this did not mean a return to hockey.

My son was evaluated by a physical therapist on November 14th who reviewed the original ER X-ray, and MRI and stated he was “shocked” that with this type of injury, surgery hadn’t already taken place. He also informed us that my son assuredly would not be playing hockey again this season. My son participated in physical therapy 2-3x’s per week and we continued our nightly Jikiden Reiki sessions. We were seen again by the orthopedic surgeon on December 15th. This time the surgeon was more than pleased with the progress my son had made. He actually allowed him to return to the ice to skate without contact with his hockey team. We continued with our reiki sessions and continued with PT. His physical therapist was amazed at the progress he was making with his strength and mobility. We returned to the orthopedic surgeon on Jan 4th and to everyone’s amazement my son was cleared to return to full contact hockey. He played in a tournament the last weekend in January and finished the season.

I truly believe my son was able to avoid surgery and heal so rapidly as a result of the gift and practice of Jikiden Reiki.

With Gratitude,
Suzanne McCarthy 

For more information about reiki classes by Laura at Healing With Spirit, please visit her website.

Effectiveness of Reiki For Wounds on a Dog; Zygomatic Salivary Mucocele

Ava, a 11 year old Sheltie, 3 weeks post dog attack 

By: Laura Joseph, Healing With Spirit

Have you ever wondered if reiki could be used on your pets or even if it would be an effective treatment option?  

I am sharing with you my story and personal case study using reiki to heal my 11 year old sheltie, Ava, after she was attacked by another dog that resulted in two lacerations on the head and one puncture wound to her salivary gland in her face.

Sometimes when bad things happen, something magical may come out of it. In this case, despite all I already know, I learned to trust more in the power of healing within.  By writing and sharing this experience, I hope to accomplish a few objectives:

• My hopes is to shed light on the benefits of reiki as a viable treatment option especially in the area of wound care.
• Many times I encounter loving pet owners struggling with the health of their pets spending thousands of dollars of medications and procedures. So my goal here is to show how beneficial reiki can be for our beloved pets on many different levels without the heavy cost. Reiki is complementary to traditional medical and veterinary care.

The Story 

Ava one day after attack

So just before the holiday, my small dog, Ava, that I use periodically as a therapy dog was attacked by another dog. This stunned me and shocked me on many levels as I did not see it coming. Usually my intuition kicks in any time I feel a dog nearby has aggression or dominance issues. Not this time. There were no warning signs.

I just happened to be talking with the other dog owner about coyotes and how to watch out for them, protect their dog, while living in harmony with them when this attack happened.

There is some irony here. The night before while taking Ava out for her final walk, we came within 15 feet with a coyote, but with no incidence. The coyote who trotted past did not have a care in the world or take interest in my dog. I live in an area abundant with wildlife of all kinds. So learning to live in harmony with awareness is key.

Above:  Ava's head wound one day
after attack.  Below: Puncture wound
to the salivary gland

We have come in contact with a coyote by itself at least a dozen times and on at least two occasions with a pack, with no incidence. I have chosen to learn to live in harmony with these magical beings that some would like to call vermin. Coyotes are omnivores whose diet vary primarily of deer, rabbits, hares, rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Since I live near the water, we tend to have a pest issue too. So I welcome the coyote who naturally take care of the problem.

I am not naive as I take precautions when I am out especially at night and take added measures to protect my pets. It starts with awareness and vigilance. I do not fear the coyote so it does not smell fear on me. There was one occasion where a coyote stopped and stared at me as if he was going to challenge me. I picked Ava up in my arms and chased him yelling just to let him know who the alpha dog is around here.

So, I was stunned that what appeared to be a nice domestic dog would just attack and rip my dog’s head open with no warning or signs. Everything I ever knew and trained for came into question.

If you recall how the year 2016 ended, you might recall how chaotic the energies were then too. The cosmic energies and planetary alignment were quite intense and people were feeling it, I wondered if this seemingly nice dog did too. I am not sure as I can only presume.

So instead of getting mad or upset at that moment, I stepped into action for immediate medical care for her. I chose to step back emotionally and reflect on what happened which was hard for me to grasp. I even felt a sense of sadness for the other dog and could not only get the image of the attack out of my head, but when the other dog sniffed my hand with blood on it, it had the look like "Oh crap. I did that?" with the ears back and eyes saddened.

THE CARE

Christmas Day - 5 days after attack

After the initial emergency veterinary care, it was discovered the puncture wound in the mouth area could not be closed since it punctured a salivary gland.  Ava was sent home with the instructions of  frequent warm compresses and medications.

At one point, I was extremely emotional due to the ongoing ever changing wound care needs questioning every moment whether or not I was giving enough to this dog who has done nothing but give unconditional love and healing to me and so many. 

A mucocele that developed
about the size of a walnut

At first, I did not initiate reiki for the simple reason that the puncture wound of the salivary gland needed to drain and was concerned it would seal faster than needed in this case.

I know how effective reiki can be, especially the Jikiden Reiki®, in healing wounds. However, in this case I struggled with the decision to refrain because in one hand, we want the wounds and the gland to heal, but on the other hand, we want the puncture wound to remain open and not close.

Everything using traditional veterinary care was working up to this point and she finished her medication. However, one week post attack, things began to change. The puncture wound became harder to drain and she developed a zygomatic mucocele.

At one point we were wondering if she would need surgery to repair a salivary gland and even consulted a surgeon on day 8. Upon further research, we discovered that there are only two options for her situation.

1. To surgically remove the entire gland. This would prevent the mucocele from returning. However, despite no veterinary research to validate, I was concerned about digestive, teeth, and gum issues. How can there not be any secondary problems if the salivary gland is removed? If you understand physiology, it is a logical concern.
2. To aspirate the mucocele to get it to drain. To do this showed benefits that could last months. However, from what I discovered, these results were temporary according to the veterinary medical articles I read.

Day 7, I began adding a holistic regimen which comprised of the following:

• I began adding turmeric to my dog's food 2 times a day - once in the morning and once at dinner time. 
• We all know the power of prayer so I called upon the community for prayers.

Within one day, day 8, her wound is suddenly improved and the surgeon opted to "wait and see" since the wound was draining fine. It was recommended to continue the warm compresses every 2-3 hours and holistic remedies. At this time I still have not administered reiki. The turmeric seemed to be helping keeping the mucocele down.

However, by day 12, the puncture wound sealed and the mucocele returned preventing the accumulation of saliva to drain. THIS IS WHEN I ADMINISTERED REIKI as I was determined to not put my dog through something more traumatic of having surgery.

Day 12 - The Administration of Reiki

I initiated reiki treatments as follows:

• 20-30 minutes in the morning
• 20-30 minutes in the evening

Reiki never ceases to amaze me, yet I was still astounded at the level of toxins I felt in the wound site.  There is a technique we use exclusive in Jikiden Reiki to help move the toxins in the body. I was trying to figure out how to adapt the technique suitable for a 25 pound dog. 

Day 15 - Jikiden Reiki

By day 15, her mucocele was stable, and not increased in size. Redness had also diminished greatly. I then decided to do an abbreviated version of this technique seen in Jikiden Reiki to see if we could help Ava enhance her healing process.

Results

• Within 24hrs, the mucocele was more than 50% reduced. 
• Within 36hrs, the mucocele opened and completely healed.
• One week after initiation of this technique (day 22), still no mucocele.

Today's plan:

• Reiki 20-30 minutes daily
• Turmeric once daily in her food
• Warm compresses as needed 

18 days post attack running and playing the recent 2017 blizzard

Because of the medical research showing chances of relapse, I am choosing to continue this routine as long as necessary.  At the bottom of this post, you will find links for more information regarding the mucocele and reiki. 

Despite my years as a reiki professional with over 10+years of experience, I find what happened here with Ava in regards to the Reiki was undeniable.

So right now, I take it one day at a time with NO SURGERY or gland removal or aspiration of the mucocele planned in the future. That makes for one happy dog owner and hopefully for one happy senior dog.

I hope you will consider reiki as part of your wellness and health not only for yourself, but for your beloved pet.  After all, they give us such unconditional love.

If you are a reiki practitioner, I hope this personal case study helped broaden your view of the reiki practice. If you are new to reiki, I hope this inspired you with options. In the end, I hope your eyes have been opened to possibilities. 

Remember, just because someone suggests surgery, keep in mind the following:

• That individual may or may not be schooled or taught in the methods of holistic healing options or alternatives.
• Procedures and surgeries are costly and may or may not be necessary. So please trust your instinct and when in doubt, get a second opinion.
• Also, as the medical literature alludes to, procedures and surgeries seem to be the easy option many times. Hence, more convenient. If you are too busy to give your pet the care it needs, then maybe you ought consider what it would feel like if your loved one was too busy to care for you when you were hurt or sick. I apologize if this offends some of you, but it is a sad reality in our culture. All you have to do is look at the filled animal shelters to see. I am hoping this brings awareness so we can change our own behaviors. It begins within. 

If you would like to learn more about obtaining reiki, learning reiki, or just more information about reiki, please visit the various other posts on this blog or visit my website.

With love and appreciation,

Laura  Joseph

Usui Reiki Master Teacher, Shihan Kaku Jikiden Reiki® Practitioner and Teacher,  
Public Speaker, and Teacher

  

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RESOURCES:

1. Zygomatic salivary mucoceles in the dog; Schmidt GM, Betts CW.; PubMed; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/649488
2. Swelling of the Salivary Gland in Dogs - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost; Vetary; https://www.vetary.com/dog/condition/swelling-salivary-gland 
3. Learning Jikiden Reiki in a Western Reiki World; Laura Joseph; All About Reiki;  http://hwsreiki.blogspot.com/2016/07/learning-jikiden-reiki-in-western-reiki_5.html
4. What is Reiki; Jikiden Reiki Institute; http://www.jikiden-reiki.com/en/info/info0.html

Disclaimer:  Reiki is not a substitute for medical care or veterinary care. Please note: Seek medical attention when necessary. These are opinions based on a personal case study and Laura's alone.

URGENT APPEAL Regarding the State of Reiki in Massachusetts

☆☆ Urgent Appeal ☆☆

Thank you to the work by those from the Celebration of Reiki Conference on researching this

 Massachusetts Senate Bill S2461, which is moving quickly through the Massachuetts legislature. Legislators are very concerned about human trafficking and do not want to appear in any way "soft" on it. The Bill has been through two votes in the Senate without a single “No vote" and is moving to the House for consideration in Committees there before a floor vote.

If this Bill passes, Reiki practitioners will not be able to practice Reiki in Massachusetts without first having a license from the state.

The following modalities are affected by Bill S2461:

• Feldenkrais method; reflexology; Trager Approach; AyurvedicTherapies; Rolf Structural Integration, Polarity Therapy; Asian bodywork therapy; acupressure; Jin Shin Do; Qi Gong; Tui Na; Shiatsu; body-mind centering and Reiki.  These modalities are being placed in the category of "Bodywork".

The Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing will be taking testimony via email from interested parties; the committee has only until August 27th to move this through- there is a very good chance that they will not take the full time to review this bill.

That is why we are calling for a Call To Action TODAY.

First, some more background on Bill S2461:

• All practitioners listed above will need a license from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in order to practice.
• This Bill classifies Reiki as a "bodywork therapy."  This bill is based on a misunderstanding of Reiki and a misunderstanding of "Bodywork".  There is no such profession as "bodywork" or "bodywork therapy".  Further, many Reiki practitioners define Reiki as a mind-body-spirit healing practice and not "bodywork" at all.  “Bodywork” is just a catch-all term for a broad field containing many disciplines, some of which are full professions that already have their own bodies of knowledge, educational programs, codes of ethics, standards of practice, etc. as well as professional organizations to administer these. 
• According to the Bill, all practitioners, including Reiki practitioners, must pass "a course of study consisting of at least 500 classroom hours or an equivalent number of credit hours of supervised instruction in a nationally accredited bodywork therapy program”.  As you know this is not applicable to Reiki practitioners, as we do not have a "nationally accredited program", nor does Reiki training require "at least 500 classroom hours."

This bill would harm our practitioners and the citizens of Massachusetts who benefit from their services. 

Citizens of Massachusetts receiving services from these practitioners would no longer be able to continue receiving the benefits these modalities have to offer. 

You can make a difference by using your voice to educate lawmakers on the consequences of their actions.

PERSONAL NOTE:

Something for reiki practitioners to consider, and hope I voice this correctly and clearly. 

However, speaking as someone who has worked with survivors of abuse, as a reiki professional, speaker, advocate, and reiki teacher, this bill will also prevent victims of sex trafficking from gaining access to qualified reiki professionals to help them with long term healing without draining taxpayer funded economic resources or dept of public health resources or health insurance costs.

 The start up Massachusetts Survivors Outreach that I helped launch for survivors of abuse in Massachusetts will fail before off the ground as direct result of this bill. So this could also potentially negatively affect organizations providing care to abuse victims. Something I've been outspoken about as benefits of reiki on a much under served community.

The idea that it's used in hospitals etc ... may or may not be seen as relevant to this bill since it's about two things we are discussing

1. Sex trafficking

2. Reiki. 

Food for thought

HOW YOU CAN HELP STOP THIS BILL

Become informed and read the Bill itself. Please send an email ASAP to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing Michael.Cannella@masenate.gov and include the following: 1. Salutation: Dear Representative So and So 2. Subject: Opposition to S24613. Your name and address 4. State that you are a Reiki (and/or other) Practitioner 5. Say you oppose the passing of S2461 6. State the reasons why you oppose S2461. This is an impact statement of how this Bill would adversely affect you and your business personally. Be sure to personalize your letter: If you are a Reiki practitioner, state the negative consequences the bill would have on your practice, e.g., the bill would put you out of business, create unnecessary expenses, the bill does not understand what Reiki is and does not understand what bodywork is.  If you are a Reiki recipient, please state the negative impact the bill would have on you and your loved ones, e.g. you would no longer be able to receive the services/benefits of (include the name of the modality).  Please do not wait to send this. The email does not have to be long or complicated. Take a few minutes and send it out today. Everything depends on everyone taking action now. It is very important to follow up your email with a phone call and be sure to ask them to officially log your call in opposition to the bill. Reach out to your loyal clients for them to write an impact statement to send to the committee, as well.  Please volunteer, even if you do not reside in Massachusetts. We need help getting the word out. If you can spare time to make phone calls, send emails, etc. For more information, please visit the Celebration of Reiki Conference Email. There are additional ways to help--writing to house and senate members of the Healthcare Finance Committee and volunteering to help us get the word out. I am grateful! Laura

Learning Jikiden Reiki in a Western Reiki World

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a simple form of energy healing from Japan known as "Shinshin Kaizen Usui Reiki Ryoho", which translates as "Usui treatment fo the improvement of body and mind".

Some of you reading this may have had the opportunity to experience the wonderful benefits of traditional non-westernized Japanese reiki with Jikiden Reiki. 

Jikiden Reiki® personally changed my life more than any other modality including my dedication to my more western Reiki for 10yrs.  Nothing I have ever seen where I bared witness to such amazing healing results from non healing wounds last over 3mo suddenly closed in hours to incurable cancer not being found on scans to long term severe eczema suddenly gone to ptsd finally in the past to traumas no long reoccurring to increasing the quality of life in end of life issues etc etc.

I wish I had the words to describe what I've seen happen where traditional medicine failed except to call them miracles in a westerners eye. 

For a long time, I have a passion of healing traumas associated with abuse ... domestic abuse, child abuse, and sex abuse. For the first time, I truly feel we can end abuse through healing one frequency and vibration at a time using this form of healing. 

Beginning this month, I am honored to take my Jikiden training to a whole new level. I am now authorized to begin offering Jikiden Reiki Training in the Massachusetts area.

I recently returned from San Diego from my 10 day intensive training with Arjava Petter!!!! I am now officially certified as a Shihan kaku in Jikiden Reiki and accredited by the Jikiden Reiki® Kenkyukai (Institute) in Kyoto, Japan.

What an amazing journey this has been so far. I met a lot of great new friends. I had an incredible class, and got to have a little adventure to boot. What else can one ask for?

There are sooooooo many people to thank who helped make this dream a reality ... who supported me and my desire to help others in their healing process especially those struggling to heal from trauma associated with abuse. 

You all know who you are. My heart is filled with so much gratitude.

Laura and Frank "Arjava" Petter
2016 Jikiden Reiki Shihan Kaku Training

SO WHAT'S IN STORE FOR YOU?

I am already a reiki master teacher in the Western version of Usui Reiki, but felt a calling to Jikiden Reiki a couple years ago and I am honored to have been studying with such authentic teachers who are also some of the world's leading reiki historians.

The lessons I am learning is molding my teaching style to be more authentic and my own personal healing more profound.

Since I personally switched from practicing Westernized Reiki to Japanese Reiki, I have seen a huge difference and shift in my personal practice, spiritual growth, mediumship, and results my clients are experiencing. It's like a coming home. So much is NOT taught and learned with western reiki and I am excited to bring back to Massachusetts the original/direct teachings.

Westernized Reiki training is not standardized. It varies widely from teacher to teacher. Most Reiki teachers receive their entire training in just one weekend. Many start teaching Reiki classes immediately without the benefit of experience. This often leads to the passing of misinformation to students. Unfortunately, many students who take classes from these types of teachers leave unsure and confused. They feel something was missing from their training. 

Laura administering Reiki to a silver
back gorilla. 

One of the benefits I cherish with Jikiden Reiki is the thoroughness in training and qualifications of it's teachers to be authentic as Chiyoko Sensei and Dr. Hayashi Sensei taught. I look forward to now being authorized to begin teaching Jikiden Reiki. The term "Jikiden" means direct teaching in Japanese, so it is free from Western influence. 

Jikiden Reiki® classes are presented with credibility and clarity from authentic Japanese lineage. This lineage goes from Dr. Hayashi to Mrs. Chiyoko Yamaguchi, Tadao’s (current President of Jikiden Reiki Kenkyukai) mother, who learned Reiki in 1938. Because this lineage has not gone through Mrs. Takata, it lacks the Westernization of Reiki. 

It is entirely free of Western influence. Its roots go back almost to the discovery of Reiki itself. It differs from “Western” style of Reiki in approach, attitude, and ideas.

This is what I've been practicing in my office for over a year now with incredible results after practicing western reiki for over 10yrs in its original beauty and simplicity.

What I have learned over the past year?

Well because Jikiden Reiki is non-westernized, there have been numerous personal developments I have experienced on top of what I have witnessed with others.

Here is what I noticed in myself:

• I have had a long battle with sugar my whole life and trying to reduce it or eliminate it has been difficult. What I have noticed without conscious effort, is that I no longer crave sugar. I have unconsciously eliminated 95% of sugar from my diet.
• I crave healthier foods. Ironically, I have been craving things like spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, flax seed, cucumber, etc salad. I say ironic, because eating more vegetables have been difficult for me as well my whole life. 
• I have had a reduction of systemic bouts of yeast.
• Enhancement of my mediumship connections to those on the higher side of life with less "preparation work".
• A near elimination of all spiritual based practices on cord cutting, clearing spiritual or energetic attachments
• A significant reduction of the need of spiritual based protections such as using or wearing protective stones, rituals, prayers, etc.
• A significant reduction in psychic attacks
• Elinination of taking on "other's" stuff energetically.
• Improved sleep
• Improved ability to handle my own personal elimination of toxic releases stemming from old traumas associated with abuse.
• Improved relationships.

Bottom line, every area of my life has significantly improved without much conscious effort.  

Who is Jikiden Reiki For?

Jikiden Reiki® is for anyone interested in learning Reiki and for current practitioners who wish to deepen their practice & understanding.

Currently, I use reiki in a medical setting as a viable treatment option for issues such as anxiety, post traumatic stress, spinal stenosis, cancer, eczema, dementia, depression, arthritis, inflammation, wound healing, kidney stones, breaking bad habits and much more by removing accumulated toxins from the body. 

If you are interested in scheduling a private session or attending a Jikiden Reiki Training Seminar, please email me or visit my website.   

With love and appreciation,

Laura  Joseph

Usui Reiki Master Teacher, Shihan Kaku Jikiden Reiki® Practitioner and Teacher,  Public Speaker, and Teacher

  

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www.laurahealingwithspirit.com 

All content and photographs are copyright protected. ©2016 Laura Joseph of Healing With Spirit. All Rights Reserved. All content and photographs or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of the author.

My Story of Embodying Reiki to Heal Trauma Associated With Abuse

By: Laura Joseph, RMA, RMT

Yesterday I had a pretty deep conversation with a good friend of mine regarding the struggles to survive fleeing an abusive relationship where I lost my sense of self for over 20yrs. This in depth conversation brought to the surface certain pains and traumas from the abuses the victim part of myself would assume to forget.

However, in reflecting about this conversation and previous ones, it got me thinking about my path on where I was, where I am, and where I am going.  I look back now through a different lens amazed how far I have come since I made that crucial decision to leave an abusive partner who displayed narcissist sociopathic tendencies that nearly killed me more than once.  I am happy to say, his wish was not granted, and not literally buried six feet under.

I am still here to not only talk about it, but to share bits and pieces of my healing path to reclaiming my power back in hopes to inspire others on their healing journey.

Probably one of the decisions I made early on was to never doubt my gut or intuition again as it tried to warn me of the dangers that lay ahead at that time.  One of the things that saved my life was my connection to spirit followed by the healing path.

I first had to learn how to trust again and have faith in the unknown which is not simple feat when dealing with the after effects of abuse especially "gaslighting". I had been beaten down physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. So how do I learn to trust again so I can heal?

By embracing Reiki in its full embodiment not only helped me regain sense of self, but my sense of purpose. It helped me to heal the past while staying present, and not let my triggers of the past cause worry or fear of the unknown. It was not easy and I still feel I am a work in progress learning, healing, and growing every day.

This process didn't happen over night, but over the course of 11 years. I had to learn to surrender to the Universe, which is probably the most difficult task in the entire process. The mind/ego wants to shield and protect you from any repeats of what had happened to you in your past. It is like an loop constantly repeating itself that has to be broken in order to heal and move forward in your life. 

I knew I could not trust the system, domestic abuse groups, family, community, and the like as the mighty power of a skillful abuser can sway anyone in their favor creating an avalanche of being re-victimized. So if I could not trust people, who could I trust? Well it was spirit after all that tried to save me from this fate and I ignored the signs.  So I went back to my faith knowing I could trust Spirit. That started the surrendering process leading into my healing. 

I started with meditation and started going to church again rediscovering myself in the process. The more I learned to trust in the divine, the more healing took place in my life, which led me down the reiki path. Receiving reiki and learning reiki was the single most best decision I made for myself as it not only changed my life, it saved my life.

However, what I have learned over the years in studying the various different forms of Reiki, is it is not learned in one day as some may believe. I have been learning Reiki now for 11 years and I practice Reiki daily embodying all that Reiki has to offer.  

You can not learn that after one class and receive your certificate.  You must master Reiki completely and incorporate it into your life so you can BE REIKI. This process takes years of discipline to develop. 

What I wrote in the picture are truly five things you can start to do today that over time will change your life. They stem from the teachings I learned in reiki so I know this to be true. I personally say these in Japanese as a mantra every morning when I wake and every evening when I prepare for sleep. By chanting these precepts, you begin to change the way you see yourself and the world around you.

This year is the grand year of transformation, a nine year in numerology. It is the year of completion, and I personally look forward to fully and unequivocally shining in my own light at full strength once again. I wrote about the importance of this year in 6 Tips To Guide You Towards Soul-fillment in 2016 if you wish to read more on that topic. 

Reiki is more than taking a one day class, receiving a certificate, and laying hands on someone.  I think this is the greatest travesty of misconception of what our Western society believes is important. Reiki is so much more. It is a way of being and a way to self discovery back to soul. Our bodies are designed to heal themselves, so all we have to do is tap into that source energy. Reiki helps facilitate that.  I have been practicing Reiki over a decade now, and even after all this time, I feel like I have so much to still discover about the magic Reiki offers all of us inside and out. 

Healing trauma is not easy, but I am so grateful for the system of Reiki and all the teachers I have had along the way to guide me in my spiritual path to healing and self discovery.

For those who are struggling now or feel like you can't see above water, please keep the faith. I remember days, where I felt like it was the end, and I am not only here, but I am beginning to thrive. You can too.  I am here to help you best I can and so are so many other wonderful reiki healers.  

If you struggle with healing from trauma associated with abuse, here are some tips in choosing a reiki practitioner. 

1. Make sure you find a qualified practitioner who has trauma informed care as part of their training.
2. Make sure you find a practitioner who has been practicing Reiki for a long time as trauma has its own intricate needs.

Ask questions about the Reiki practitioner's training and belief system

1. What system of reiki did they study?
2. What was included in their studies?
3. What level of Reiki have they completed?
4. How long have they been practicing Reiki?
5. Do they practice reiki every day? (My apologies as many reiki practitioners may disagree,  I feel THIS is the most important question). If they are not practicing reiki every day, how can they possibly understand how to help you? This goes beyond just reiki, but understanding trauma and all its intricate components.
6. What is their level of experience and training in working with people with trauma?
7. How many clients have they used Reiki for healing trauma?
8. Ask how they use Reiki in healing trauma.

This is just a simple guide, but you can also check out the article I wrote on Reiki Can Do No Harm or Can It? for more tips and guidance.

I hope what I wrote helps someone out there in need who needs something to help them survive in order to thrive. Please share the love and compassion.

With love and light,

Laura  Joseph

Usui Reiki Master Teacher, Jikiden Reiki Practitioner,  Public Speaker, and Teacher

  

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Copyright 2016 All rights reserved. Laura Healing With Spirit. May not be copied or reproduced without expressed written consent

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Adventures in Reiki with Surgery

The bowl of a kuan yin statue owned by a loved one. Love the message.
(c) 2015 Laura Healing With Spirit

I don't normally share my personal stuff publicly, but feel this might help another somewhere somehow and felt compelled to share my surgical story and the power of reiki healing.

For years I suffered from various issues that ultimately led to surgery recently involving my ovaries. Leading up to the surgery itself, I had been experiencing an increasing amount of ‎anxiety and insomnia. I was stumped as to what was possibly causing such a surge of emotions, because I do practice what I preach with lots of rest, ‎healthy eating, exercise, meditation, and self ‎reiki‬. So I was a little surprised as to why the sudden increase.

I feel the source could be part karmic‬ and part life changing. I really don't want children at this stage in my life, but at same time, I mourn the loss of my own. Without going into details, I suffered years of abuse much of my life. Although, I have spent the last 10 years  working on healing the roots from all the traumas associated with abuse.

So I decided to just sit and embrace whatever ‎emotions‬ surfaced at that time. This is important to pause and ‎nurture‬ the child within while staying present at all times. If this was so called past stuff emerging, I embraced what is. I accepted and through mindfulness based techniques, reiki, and other energy work, I lovingly assisted these issues to past through me.

I also chose two mantras to repeat:

The first one: "I accept‬ what is. I  surrender‬ to what was, and I have faith‬ in what will be. ... and so it is."

The second one is the Gokkai in Japanese or the Reiki Precepts in Japanese: "Kyo dake wa (Just for today). Ikaru na (Do not anger). Shinpei suna (Do not worry). Kansha shite (Be grateful). Gyo o hageme (Work diligently/dutifully). Hito ni shinsetsu ni (Be kind to others)."

I went to the hospital and experienced a phenomenal staff with some profound spiritual experiences which is a story for another time. I will say my surgery was more than a medical procedure for the physical body. That part went superbly well and experienced no pain afterwards. This was part of a larger spiritual journey and healing karmic cords not just in my life, but the lives of those nurses brought into my life to care for me pre-op and post-op.

I recently had my post-op follow-up with my surgeon. Since my surgery, I've been doing lots of reflecting and realization. 

1. The more I partner with my soul, unite with soul, live soulful, the more I reclaim my power. I no longer accept the demands or perceptions of what society wants to dictate to me. Instead I trust my soul, and lively more authentically.
2. The Power of energy healing such as reiki‬ is way under estimated. It is because of the self reiki prep I did pre-op and all the distance healing sent from all of you, I experienced no pain after the day of surgery. I had some discomfort, but nothing worth taking even a motrin for that reiki couldn't do.
3. The only complications I had were due to being told by the surgical prep team, I was not going to be fully incubated due to history of brain bleeds only to wake up to realize I was completely out for over 2 hours. I experienced some unanticipated brochiospasms, difficulty in speech and breathing, and faintness. If I knew I was going to be fully put under anesthesia, I would have prepared there too. This only goes to the power of reiki again, because of what i did experience when reiki was used. 
4. My surgeon, although an Osteopath, was a little shocked I took "no" pain meds after surgery. I told her I had a wonderful team of healers and reiki practitioners behind me so it was not necessary. I thought to myself, if modern medicine and our society as a whole would embrace again the ideology and belief that our bodies were designed to heal themselves and used treatment options to embrace this, the drug use in America may look different.

I wanted to share my story, because I wanted everyone to be reminded that our bodies are designed to heal themselves. The power to heal lies within us all.

Not only doing reiki, but living reiki and being reiki is even more important. I thank you for being a part of my ‪spiritual‬ ‪journey‬.

Have a great reiki filled fall day.
Laura

For more information, please visit www.healingwithspirit.webs.com 

(c) 2015 Laura Healing With Spirit. All rights reserved.