Why I chose to limit my charges for Reiki

I have been a Reiki Master of Western style and Japanese Gendai (Doi Sensei) styles of healing since 1994. I spent many years just keeping Reiki as a private spiritual practice and waited a time before I thought to begin initiating others with attunements. When I did, I never charged for the attunements or the class; if anything – only the cost of Xerox copies of materials and splitting the cost of any space rental that was accrued to teach the class.  Instead, I have always promoted payment through service to your community in whatever way you feel called to do so (whether continuing a Reiki share at a place you received, or maybe even helping out people or animals locally that need it).

This has been repeatedly met with skepticism and opposition, mostly in part, because as a Western culture we operate primarily from a Left Brained mentality (cause and effect). Some of the more common thoughts associated with this line are:

 “1) If it’s that cheap {or worse-free}, he must be a charlatan.

   2) I must clearly have “trauma” associated with money because I refuse to charge for it.. or   

   3) There are plenty of viable healers out there that charge for their time and money. By you NOT charging it’s somehow hurting them from making a living.

All of these are very valid arguments. However, I would invite those who feel this way to indulge a different perspective.

I have always looked at skills and training as those that are “inherent” to all people as a whole, versus skills that are person specific. For example, all of us are “taught” to walk, talk, hold silverware, use the potty, brush your teeth, etc. None of these skillsets were ever CHARGED by the parents or elders (though I can imagine some people suddenly scratching their noggin’ thinking at the possibility), they are things we learn and CAN ALL DO.  This is very different from a specific talent. So everyone may be able to pick up a pencil and draw a stick figure, but not everyone could continue on and draw a masterpiece. The latter WOULD require training to cultivate, because not everyone has that skill and you want to develop what you have. Reiki has always been promoted as something that has been clearly expressed in EVERY PERSON. PERIOD! Yes the argument may be that they need an attunement to open it up the process, but how is that any different than providing a child training to use the potty? You joyfully provide the service and praise the recipient when they “got it” and can carry on their own.

My concerns on money, are not WHAT it is, but our mindset on where it’s attached. Sometimes it feels as though marketers have used money as a tool to sway the populace. Ever noticed how people will go crazy to spend hundreds for a named brand item and turn their nose up at a non-named brand at a fraction of the cost? There is a certain level of “prestige” associated with money. And with prestige is the potential for ego. And with Ego comes the potential for separateness (Us vs. Them).  We have evolved into a disposable society. It feels like we alienate ourselves in our phones and computers with the emergence of online shopping and banking. We stop using our hands and talents; we withdraw from our community.  When something wears out, buy a new one – discard the old. As the term “modern-convenience” becomes more of the norm, there appears to be a rapid decline in personal interaction as a tradeoff. Why learn how to cook, bake or grow your own foods when it’s just easier to go to someone else and have it done for you? “Why invest the time to give back to the community?? I have places to be, life is too busy…I’ll just fork over the extra cash, get what I need and be done with it.”  

 I received my Gendai training from Sensei Doi before leaving the navy in 97’, (before the publication of his first out-of-print book Iyashino Gendai Reiki-ho, A Modern Reiki Method) Several of the things he said in class resonated with me, some of which were never repeated in print until an interview with William Rand in the REIKI NEWS MAGAZINE (Spring 2014 edition).

…”When we see the Reiki method as “the way of health and happiness”, advantages and disadvantages of Western and Dento Reiki become clear to us. Western Reiki has had a focus on collecting medical evidence because practitioners place priority on its healing effects. Dento Reiki, on the other hand, today considers the healing practice to be more on the level of home remedies and is not so interested in the scientific examination of its effects.”…….(cont.) “ The attitude of Western Reiki is validated by its historical background: Hayashi Sensei had developed the healing method according to his medical perspective and Takata Sensei first used Reiki to cure her diseases.”…(cont.) Western Reiki had started from these two people. So it is quite natural that it emphasizes it use for healing treatments. But it seems the importance of spiritual advancement, which is the basic philosophy of Usui Reiki Ryoho, was not exported to the West enough.”

“….to heal the heart and soul first, then heal the body second”, “to create good human relationship” –Mikao Usui

When we focus on Reiki through western teachings as “professional healing practice”, money certainly can become a point of contention. However, from an Eastern mindset; my goal with Reiki has never been to pump out a profession of healers or become a renowned teacher, but rather to reach out to people to create a slightly more community based initiative. (Smiles are contagious – pass em’ on.) I desire to help provide you with the tools to find your own answers and let your own light shine. And those insights are only ones YOU can answer. For me, I feel that is a gift that doesn’t require a payment plan; only an opportunity to put the tools to use.

Our Greatest Fear – Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson

Tips dealing with foot neuropathy

Sources of peripheral foot neuropathy can vary. One common form is a result of diabetic foot neuropathy. For many, pain can result continuously throughout the day, becoming almost debilitating. However, its more commonly experienced at night when one reclines to go to bed for the evening.

Symptoms can range from tingling, lack of circulation, or even minor shaking that focus on toe/foot and ankle area. I have worked with many people of different age groups with neuropathy in their feet. For some, it became a wall or stumbling block to make any progress because it prevented prolonged standing or it would impede balance.

Here are some quick tips to help aid in pain reduction:

1 - When it comes to corrective exercise, gravity isn't always your "friend". Standing upright forces the feet to take on the brunt of the body's weight. Fluid retention/edema can result, all compressing soft tissues around nerves that run through the foot. A pool is invaluable here. Start in the shallow end off the steps to have slow, controlled flutter kicks.
                 
                          Try gentle toe points and foot rotations to open up the foot / ankle.

                          

 

                       

          Use one of the foam tubes to exercise the glutes, hamstrings and foot/ankle

 with controlled Leg Pressdowns

Ideally, once you've worked the structures, you will want to move out of the shallow end. (Your feet are still supporting your weight while in contact with the floor of the pool) Move out more towards the deeper end where you float and use your feet more freely. Simply treading water here is a great, low impact exercise, while gently pumping out excessive fluid and improving circulation.

2 - When a pool isn't available, a foot spa is still a great option to perform the above foot exercises. The jets help stimulate nerve endings and using warmer water helps to promote circulation in the feet before bed. Try getting into a habit of using it 45 min or so before you go to bed.

Additionally, try working the glutes and hamstrings to help free up the sciatic nerve and circulation down the leg after you have finished your foot soak...

Try these simple tips and see how they can make a difference for you!

"What's contributing to this pain!?!" - Thinking outside the box

Frequently, there was a question asked when I worked with people both as a body-worker and now through Corrective Exercise. "What's causing this pain??"

Many of my clients can come with a range of pre-existing conditions brought on by illness or physical trauma. There are, however, a growing number of people seeking advice for pains that surface from NO APPARENT cause. 

"This knee pain just started...", "I haven't lifted anything heavy or done anything out of the usual routine, but my neck and back are suddenly killing me..." 

The truth of the matter is, we live in world that has become symptom relieving. When we hear WHOLISTIC, we tend to think health store / spa-indulgence. In reality, wholistic is referring to the BIG PICTURE! So we start small and look at the area of pain, then we look at moves and muscle groups that directly impact that area. Finally, we step back and look at the big picture. Day to day activities or the things that we do regularly and how they affect us as a whole.

Justin Price, the creator of the BioMechanics Method gives a really good look at 3 examples of this. Lasting pain relief comes from understanding the contributing causes as well as addressing the immediate symptom.

Check out this video and see if it can help you think outside the box on some of your own pain issues.

There are many lower back problems that people can experience that are a result of an overly-rotated Anterior Pelvic Tilt. This tilt, (where the front of the hip bones are rotated forward towards the floor), can hike the back up the hip/sacral area up. This creates an exaggerated curve in the lower back in what is referred to as Excessive Lumbar Lordosis.

Over time, these misaligned back muscles work overtime to take up the slack for the body not being used. The front of the legs (quadriceps) shorten and weaken and the hamstrings in the back of the leg get very taut and tight from being overstretched. For some, this can cause problems with circulation and sciatica issues of pain.

Stretching out the front of the legs with single leg lunges is a great way to help re-align the hips and relieve some lower back pressure. The problem for some though, is that balance and mobility can make doing this movement difficult or in good form.

Here is where I am grateful for the many modifications I have learned through SilverSneakers and Arthritis Foundation Exercise Programs Instructor certifications. I like seated modifications! Not only do they offer safer alternatives for people with pain or balance issues, but it also provides a means for stretches at work (For example, in an office cubicle, where space is an issue). This exercise is provided courtesy of Healthways SilverSneakers and I invite you try this for the Lunge Alternative:

Stretching your arm over your head and across your body while in a deep lunge feels great. It also happens to be pretty tough. That's where a chair comes in very handy. This move stretches everything from shoulders to legs without straining your body.

1.     Have a seat on a chair while holding a fitness ball, and then rotate your body to the right so your left knee is nearly touching the ground. The toes on your left foot should be touching the ground, and your right foot should be flat on the ground with your right knee perpendicular to the chair. Hold the fitness ball in your left hand, and fully extend it to your left.

2.     Using your right hand and forearm to brace you against the back of the chair, stretch and move the fitness ball over your head and right shoulder. Reach until you feel a comfortable stretch. Hold it for 10 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

Why the BioMechanics Method for Chronic Pain relief?

It’s been an interesting journey for me throughout the last decade in learning and incorporating different approaches in bodywork within a body-mind wellness model. I began studying different Holistic medical modalities while overseas and still serving in the Navy years ago.  When I came back stateside, many of my international certifications were not recognized stateside. Many forms of bodywork that were specialized overseas were initially lumped under a Massage Therapy licensure (back in 90s). So, in order to use my training in neuromuscular therapy and acupressure, I went back to school stateside under this path initially so that I could practice what I previously trained in.

The bulk of my practice was while living in North Carolina. My practice seemed to evolve and focus in two main areas. I found myself mostly working with returning Veterans with medical considerations. I also worked with pain management and lifestyle coaching for Active Seniors. I covered the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill areas. I loved my skill sets. However, I found that they had some clear cut Pros and Cons. 

On the Pros side, by having the person relaxed on the table, I was able to accurately feel out spams, knots, pains and adhesions and work them out; I felt like I was able to work both acute and chronic conditions with great success.  If their pain was caused by something short term; a neck cramp from sleeping wrong, a fall, or a work related injury, the results of the therapies used could be long lasting.

The Cons side of this was that I saw a recurring pattern. Usually my clients had reoccurring pains that were a result of repetitive misuse or misalignment. (Sitting patterns at a work desk, prolonged lifting on the job or even something as simple as shoe problems with posture.) In these cases, the pain relief was short lived and the client became a “regular”, whether to spot fix a pain, or to be preventative in keeping it from returning. Mind you, that is ok if that is what the client wants.

My concern was that I disliked that clients were feeling like they were dependent on someone else to give them relief. I think a healthcare provider should be there to initially facilitate hands on if needed. But ultimately, only YOU know how you truly feel and are recovering. I wanted to provide relief for my clients, and continue to empower and educate them to keep themselves that way. The second concern is that it’s only been over the last few years that our healthcare system has been taking a more of holistic approach when it comes to treating pain or rehabilitative therapy.

Holistic you say? No I am not talking about New Age crystals and droning music. Holistic, or more aptly WHOLISTIC, is used from the standpoint that having a pain problem in one part of your body will eventually cause problems with other parts of your body, as a whole, that are having to step in and take on an extra workload to compensate for the injured area. When my father had a recent hip replacement, the damage to the hip socket was extensive.  He had pain in his leg and hip for many years before this.  He was using a cane and even a walker at one point. Constantly shifting his weight on the other leg, as well as bending over, caused all sorts of havoc on the opposite knee and foot on the “good” leg.  This even travelled up, manifesting as migraines, and neck/shoulder problems. He went to physical therapy after his surgery.   He asked if they could help him with these areas that have been affected. He was told that his insurance wouldn't cover that. So the leg was fixed, but the other problems still remained because he was out of alignment and wasn’t given the tools to correct them on his own.

Herein lays an example of why I chose the BioMechanics Method. In the simplest terms, I wanted a system to help YOU be the best therapist for the job. The BioMechanics Method is a cutting-edge approach to pain relief and performance enhancement (whether in recreational activities or in day-to-day living). It is an education and training program that integrates structural assessment procedures, self-massage and muscle testing, corrective exercise principles, and life coaching strategies to ensure successful elimination of pain.

Is the BioMechanics Method of Corrective Exercise, right for you? Corrective exercise programs may not help everyone because there are situations that may be more complicated. Each body has its own particular design, and everyone has different circumstances. On top of that, I’ve been asked:

Question: I see many sites coming out with online downloads of corrective exercise routines I could do for my problem pain areas. What makes this different? Why go with a certified specialist?

The simplest answer for this is a personalized program based on YOUR needs. All corrective exercise programs, like all bodywork therapies can be helpful. However, many of these downloads clearly state that the routines offered are based on the most common misalignments. This means that if you don’t quite fall into that category, but try following a routine but not taking everything into account, you may actually AGGRIVATE the surrounding muscles and make it worse. You might not be performing exercises correctly without someone to observe and initially guide you through the movements. That can add further pain, leading to frustration and feeling like yet another dead end. You are able to better understand what is going on within your body and work towards being pain free through structural assessments and personalized routines.