“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.” —Maya Angelou

Imagine doing something over 17 thousand times per day and not noticing it, not even once? It sounds crazy, but you do it every day: breathing. Our lack of awareness when it comes to breathing is—as my yoga teacher would say—the biggest clue that we seldom live in the moment.
Yes, breathing should happen automatically. But paying attention to its rhythm for just a few moments each day can result in incredible benefits at all levels: physical, emotional and even spiritual. 

1... 2... 3... Relax!
When I studied Life Coaching, the emphasis was in the process: the questions, the goals, the action plans, etc. Once I started coaching, I noticed my clients would arrive to the sessions in a rush, breathless and restless. Not a great place to start. 
I realized that the first step to move forward was to actually pause and catch your breath.
Now, as soon as my clients come in, I ask them to close their eyes and breath deeply, visualizing the air coming in through their nose and into their lungs. To feel their lungs expanding, then pause and exhale slowly, with awareness. I ask them to repeat this for a total of 3 breaths.
The transformation is amazing: from scattered and stressed to present and centered. 

Why breathing?
Breathing balances our body and quiets our minds so we can focus, reconnect with ourselves and—during life-coaching sessions—find honest answers to our questions. 
Physically, breathing not only keeps us alive. When we breathe with awareness, we help restore our body's internal movement and we massage our organs so they can oxygenate better.
Emotionally, it helps us to let go of limiting beliefs, release emotions and identify negative patterns. It also helps us relax and regain our center.
Spiritually, it helps us connect to the life force/energy, what some call Chi or Prana, thus increasing our level of awareness.

Ready to try?
Go ahead: sit comfortably. Be aware of your posture. How does your back feel? Your neck? Your feet? Close your eyes and inhale through the nose. Retain your breath to the count of 3 and exhale slowly through the nose. With each breath, notice how the air fills your lungs, your diaphragm... every space. Feel how it revives your strength and energy. When you exhale, notice how the air is getting warmer.
Repeat 5 to 10 times. 
I usually recommend to do this exercise twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed time. Of course if you ever feel anxious, you can use this technique to regain your balance at any time. 
I hope this exercise also helps you live more in the moment, not in a past that can't be changed, or in a future that may fuel anxiety. Because living in the moment is when things happen, things that, as Maya Angelou well said, "can take our breath away"... in a good way!

Niky Pauli s a certified Life Coach by the International Coaching Community, a Leadership Life Coach by the Sura Center and is trained as a Reiki practitioner. She's the founder of  NikyCoach, which combines traditional Life Coaching tools with meditation and energetic healing modalities.

 Photo Credit: Amanda Hirsch via Flickr

“La vida no se mide por los momentos que respiramos,
sino por los momentos que nos dejan sin respiración.”  
—Maya Angelou.

Que con frecuencia hacemos un montón de cosas automáticamente, no es secreto. Pero repetir una acción entre 17.280 y 23.040 veces por día y no notarlo conscientemente ni una sola vez… es, como diría uno de mis instructores de yoga, la prueba innegable de que no vivimos en el presente.
Concedo que respirar —sí, esas son las veces promedio que respira un adulto sano, por día— es una función automática, pero dedicarle nuestra atención consciente unos minutos cada jornada puede brindar beneficios físicos, emocionales y hasta me atrevería a decir, espirituales.

1…2…3… Relaaaaax…
Cuando comencé a estudiar Coaching el énfasis estaba en el proceso, en la clarificación de la meta, en las preguntas poderosas, en los planes de acción… Sin embargo, con frecuencia mis Coachees llegaban a las citas casi sin aliento, corriendo de tarea en tarea, sin pausa para pensar, para sentir lo qué ocurría en sus vidas, hacia dónde deseaban ir, o cómo llegar allí. ¡Era claro que había espacio para mejorar!
De mis clases de meditación, yoga y sesiones de Breathwork, decidí tomar algunas técnicas de respiración para incorporarlas a las sesiones de Coaching. Cada cita inicia con al menos tres respiraciones profundas, conscientes, en las que invito al Coachee a cerrar los ojos y a visualizar el aire que entra por su nariz, llega a sus pulmones, lo llena y se expande… Y luego, a hacer una pausa por unos segundos y visualizar nuevamente el aire que sale por la nariz. Un simple ejercicio que me permite ser testigo privilegiado de la transformación que ocurre ante mis ojos: De un Coachee generalmente agitado y con entrecejo fruncido por el estrés, paso a contar con un Coachee presente en el aquí y en el ahora… en apenas unas respiraciones.

 Y respirar… ¿para qué sirve?
Y es que esa respiración clara y consciente ayuda a centrarnos, a enfocarnos en nosotros mismos, a sentirnos y fundamentalmente a reconectarnos con nuestro ser a diferentes niveles. Respirar, ayuda a balancear los ritmos de nuestro cuerpo e incluso, a aquietar nuestra mente para que encontremos un espacio en el cual esas preguntas poderosas del Coaching encuentren terreno fértil para que las respuestas ya no sean agitadas o reactivas… sino profundas y conectadas con intenciones.
En lo físico, más allá de mantenernos vivos en este plano (¡menuda tarea!) respirar conscientemente restaura los movimientos naturales internos del cuerpo, masajeando los órganos y posibilitando una mejor oxigenación.
Emocionalmente, ayuda en el proceso de transformar nuestras creencias limitantes, identificar patrones, liberar emociones y abrirnos —gracias a la relajación que sentimos— a nuevas posibilidades. Al centrarnos, podemos sentir alivio, menos stress y ansiedad, y dejamos ir con menos resistencia aquello que ya no sirve a nuestro bienestar.
Y espiritualmente, respirar de forma consciente nos permite conectarnos con el flujo de la vida, o lo que en algunas prácticas se llama Chi o Prana. A través de esa conexión, podemos expandir nuestro nivel de consciencia y acercarnos más a nuestra naturaleza espiritual.

¿Listo para probar?
Como suelo decir con frecuencia: ¡No tienes que creer todo lo que digo! Por eso, te invito a probar, a incorporar una práctica diaria de respiración consciente.
La sugerencia es que hagas este ejercicio al menos dos veces por día. Quizás, la primera, por la mañana, antes de arrancar con tus actividades rutinarias, y la segunda, por la noche, antes de acostarte. Por supuesto, si en el día pasas por un estado de ansiedad o simplemente necesitas un “recreo” para llenarte de energía, busca un sitio tranquilo y repite… que mal, ¡no hace!

Siéntate en un sitio cómodo. Sé consciente de la postura de tu cuerpo… ¿Cómo está tu espalda? ¿Tus pies? ¿Tu cuello? Rejala los músculos de tu cuerpo. Cierra los ojos e inhala por la nariz. Retén el aire. Cuenta hasta tres suavemente —o menos, si sientes que tres es mucho tiempo—, deja ir el aire suavemente por la nariz. Repite entre cinco y 10 veces, lo que sea mejor para ti. Puedes ir ampliando el número de repeticiones a medida que expandes tu práctica.
Con cada respiración, nota como el aire ingresa por la nariz, va hasta tus pulmones e incluso hasta tu abdomen…como llena cada espacio… Siente la fuerza vital que ha entrado en ti y te llena de energía. Y cuando dejes ir, nota conscientemente ese aire, ahora más cálido, que sale por nariz.

Es mi deseo que esta simple práctica los ayude a centrarse en el presente. No en el ayer, que ya no se puede cambiar. No en el mañana, que pudiera generarnos ansiedad… Sino en el mágico momento del aquí y el ahora, el único momento que realmente nos pertenece, el que notamos y apreciamos conscientemente… Ese, que como decía Maya Angelou, puede “dejarnos sin respiración”.

Niky Pauli es una "life coach" certificada por el International Coaching Community y el Sura Center. Es la fundadora de NikyCoach, que combina técnicas tradicionales de Life Coaching con modalidades de meditación o de sanación energética tales como Reiki. 

 Photo Credit: Amanda Hirsch via Flickr

To breathe is to be alive. The ancients knew this and cultivated whole rituals around deep breathing exercises and techniques.  Yoga, one of the more famous transplants of the Indian traditions adopted by the west is, at its core, about breathing deeply and cultivating pranayama.  Most disciplined exercises from Qi Gong, Aikido and Tai Chi are also about cultivating breath or qi, the life force or energy. The following herbs can help you cultivate your own qi.

Huang Qi (Astragalus membranaceus)
This versatile herb is one of the best herbs to tonify lung qi.  Its warming and moistening effects help nourish dry and damaged lungs.  It is specific for asthma, dry coughs and people suffering from shortness of breath. 
Preparation: 2 tsp. root to 12 oz. Water, decoct 20 mins., steep 30 mins.
Dose: 3 cups, daily.
Do not use to treat influenza or other bacterial or viral diseases as it causes stagnation.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Non-irritating expectorant. That means, when you have a cough or even laryngitis, smoking this in combination with the other herbs suggested below can reduce irritation.  A tea can also be made of the dried leaves for bronchitis, pertussis and asthma.
Preparation: 2 tsp. dried leaves to 8 oz. hot water.  Steep 40 mins. 
Dose: Drink 2-3 times, daily.

Dang Shen (Codonopsis pilosula)
If you suffer from a dry cough and shortness of breath, Codonopsis is your herb!  A qi tonic for people who suffer from deficient lung qi, Dang Shen nourishes and moistens the lungs.
Preparation: 2 tsp. dried root to 16oz. Water, decoct 30 mins. steep 1-2 hours.
Dose: Drink 2 cups, daily.
Do not drink if you have diarrhea.

Prince Seng (Pseudostellaria heterophylla)
The “Ginseng of the lungs,” this root has it all.  Not only does this root restore damage from too much heat or dryness, but it can also help alleviate bronchitis, hot pneumonia, COPD and even emphysema. Useful to replenish vital energy and reduce symptoms of ashthma.
Preparation: 1-2 tsp. root to 12 oz. Water, decoct 30 mins., steep 1 hour
Dose: 4 small cups daily.
Do not use for damp lung conditions with mucous and do not exceed more than 16 oz. daily.

Cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis)
A caterpillar fungus with an alter ego!  This fungus is so powerful that it's been used traditionally as a tonic for pulmonary tuberculosis. 
Preparation: ¼ tsp. with other herbs (any of the above or more traditional, chamomile, etc.) to 10 oz. Water, decoct 15 mins., steep 1 hour
Dose: 2 cups, daily
Do not exceed recommended dosage.

BONUS: You can go one step further and combine all the dried herbs below. 
A part can be ¼ cup, ½ cup, 1 cup, etc. depending on how much of the blend you'd like to make.

• Mullein  - 3 parts
• Mugwort (slight mind-altering effects.  Also welcomes dreaming) – 2 parts
• Peppermint or lavender (for flavor) – 1 part

My two favorite sites to order great quality herbs are Mountain Rose Herbs and Kamwo.

Lauraine Velez is an experienced clinical herbalist who trained at the David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies. She uses Traditional Chinese Medicine along with Western, Ayurvedic, Middle Eastern and Cherokee herbal traditions. She's the founder of Apothecratic Oath.

Breath is the bridge between the body and the mind. Regulate breath, and the body and mind will follow.

There are moments when things happens. You get so upset you get tunel vision, you start hyper ventilating and...yes, you do/say/write something stupid. Believe me, I know. I've been there. Not one. Not ten, but hundreds of times. I used to work in advertising, an industry where things got awfully bad, awfully fast and for awfully stupid reasons: a celebrity didn't like the hem of a dress, a nail got chipped, your boss hated the font you used on a presentation.

Tired of so much drama creating havoc in my body, I tried loads of methods to calm down quickly. Many sucked, but these 3 simple breathing exercises really helped me regain a certain sense of calm and balance amidst emotional chaos. And the best, they work even if you don't have a meditation or Reiki practice!

BREATHING IN CALM
Sit down with a straight back, place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Close your eyes and inhale deeply through the nose as you let your diaphragm expand outward, like an inflated balloon. Let your breath spiral downwards through your chest into your ribs, filling up your lungs. If your mind starts to wanter, keep returning to the sound of your breath. Exhale deeply through the mouth, guiding the navel towards the spine and release. Repeat this for 3 to 5 minutes. 

RELAXING BREATH OR THE 4-7-8 BREATHING EXERCISE
This one is from Dr. Weil and it works wonders: it's like a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. On the plus side, it's super simple and can be done anywhere, On the con side, the whooshing sound it creates may want to make you scramble for privacy.
Sit with your back straight. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. 
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of FOUR.
Hold your breath for a count of SEVEN.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of EIGHT.
This is one breath, now repeat the cycle 3 more times for a total of 4 breaths.
If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep the ration of 4:7:8.

BEE RELAXED
This breathing exercise is called Brahmari Pranayama. Brahmari in sanskrit means bee (you'll see why soon) and it's utilized to relieve stress. 
Choose a comfortable seating posture. 
With your index fingers, close your ears.
Hold your elbows up at shoulders level and close your eyes. 
Inhale deeply through your nose.
Exhale through your mouth while creating a humming sound like a bee (come on, don't take yourself so seriously) until your lungs empty.
Inhale again through your nose and repeat this breathing exercise for 10-15 mins.

Nathalie Jaspar is the co-founder at Natky927 Wellness Collective, a group of professional Reiki practitioners supported by life coaches, clinical herbalists and yoga teachers in New York City and Miami. 

Photo credit: Ashley Rose via Flickr

My lungs and I spent many years battling: I had asthma as a child and smoked in my 20s. When I practiced yoga, I was the person in the room who teachers addressed when they said, "Remember to breathe!"
When I started practicing Reiki, this changed. First, during my meditation practice—I had to work with my breath to build qi, which then translated into my sessions. Being aware of my breath really transformed my practice. How? 

1) Being one with my breath keeps me centered. No more, "Is this the right position? Is the person feeling it? What does that sensation in my left hand means? Is this a weird place to put my hand?" When you are one with your breath, it's almost like white noise: you create a peaceful space in which doubts have a tougher time disrupting your session. 

2) Clearer boundaries. When you are aware of your breath, it's easier to maintain healthy boundaries between client and practitioner, reducing (and with practice) eliminating that feeling of being drained or exhausted after a session. (Keeping your eyes open is also key!)

3) No labeling. When practicing a Reiki session, you follow the sensations but are not supposed to label or judge them. When you are busy breathing with awareness, it's a lot easier to let go of that instinct to classify.

4) Your session becomes more intense (in a good way). In many spiritual practices, breathing builds life energy (prana/chi/qi). The same happens in Reiki, where the ki part stands for life force. Try taking a deep breath all the way into your diaphragm/hara and then exhale slowly through your mouth: feel what happens to your hands. Notice the difference? That's what I mean.

5) Breathing keeps the little Napoleon inside at bay. During my practice, especially at the beginning, I had this little Napoleon that would pop out (hey, I was born in Europe.) He would say stuff like, "Way to go, girl, you are good, look how warm your hands are!" The shame I felt after these thoughts was so intense it disrupted my whole practice. I tried fighting my inner Napoleon, but it only made him sneakier. Breathing, however, brought calm and acceptance. As soon as he starts talking, I breathe deeply and remain centered in the now and connected to the right kind of oneness. 

Nathalie Jaspar is the co-founder at Natky927 Wellness Collective, a group of professional Reiki practitioners supported by life coaches, clinical herbalists and yoga teachers in New York City and Miami.  

You slept 8 hours and woke up tired. Your digestion is playing tricks, your mood swings are taking you on a bumpy ride, and—no matter what you do—those dreadful black circles under your eyes won’t fade.
You may be suffering from early stages of what experts are calling Burnout Syndrome, a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress.

 But worry not; here are 7 tips to help you get back to your radiant, bubbly self:

 1) Forget meditation, just breathe: Sit on a chair with a straight back and your feet on the floor. Inhale deeply to the count of 4, retain your breath to the count of 4, and exhale to the count of 8. Repeat this 5 times.  Breathing patterns can help reduce stress and provide a nice boost of oxygen to your brain (and skin!).

2) Try Reiki: A 60 minute session can help you relax deeply. It’s like a natural reboot. It makes most people feel renewed, recharged, balanced and hopeful. And the best part: you don’t need to do anything, just lay down on a lovely massage table.

3) Give a clinical herbalist a quick visit to fight digestive troubles that can be ruining your mood and your skin: Herbal supplements and tinctures help balance stress hormones and support your digestive system. Do make sure your herbalist has a clinical background, especially if you take medications, to avoid any kind of negative interaction.

4) Don’t try to outrun your problems on the treadmill: Running like a madwoman will keep you from chocking those pesky colleagues that are making your life miserable and keep you fit. But it will also drain you from valuable energy at a time when, let’s be honest, you don’t have a lot to go around. Stick to gentler exercise like stretching, walking or Hatha yoga.

 5) Pave the way to a good night sleep with a Restorative yoga class: Try it on Friday evening to relax and disconnect from the workweek and get a full night of repairing sleep.

6) Try something old, something borrowed, something new: Reconnect with yourself. What small things do you enjoy? Ask your close friends what makes them tick in a good way, and borrow their secret happy routines. They may work for you. And lastly, try something new. Step our of your comfort zone and do something opposite of what you usually go for. If you always use pink lipstick, try red. If you always go jogging, try a cycling class. It will feed your brain with new stimuli and keep it active.

7) And the most important one, GO EASY ON YOURSELF: You are suffering from burnout because of driving yourself too hard. Give yourself permission to slow down a little bit and smell the roses this spring.

Nathalie Jaspar is the co-founder at Natky927 Wellness Collective, a group of professional Reiki practitioners supported by life coaches, clinical herbalists and yoga teachers in New York City and Miami. 

Photo credit: YSL Touche Eclat advertising.

We have been trained to avoid #fear, to hide it under other feelings or shop it away, drink it away and even Rx-it away. The thing with fear is that the more we hide from it, the bigger it grows. This week try to make friends with your fears. Let them come up, don't fight them, just observe them. It's amazing how quickly they subside, like a wave (ok, sort of a scary one), letting you ebb into #calmness and #acceptance. If you have a #Reiki practice, try meditating on the first symbol, and notice the small changes: the grounding, the acceptance... and let us know how it goes.

How do you choose a #Reiki practitioner among dozens that are offering their services. Here are 5 questions that can help you make a decision.

1) How can Reiki help me?
Beware of miracle claims or sentences involving power. Although Reiki promotes relaxation and balance and can provide you with many benefits, it won’t fix your life in one or two sessions. The answer will also give you a peek of the practitioner’s personality and view on wellness.

 2) Do you practice Reiki on yourself every day?
It may seem like an odd question to ask, but #Reiki practice is based on the principle that a practioner has to take care of himself first in order to take care of others… Think of it like the oxygen mask policy on airplanes. 

3) Do you practice Reiki full time? For how long?
Most Reiki sessions are relaxing and lovely, but practitioners who have practiced longer do have more experience, like when it comes to treat people who have difficulty moving or positioning themselves on the massage table, or on how to handle emotional releases. Additionaly, hours of experience are more important than the master title, which implies rather the capacity to teach others than to a higher quality of sessions.

4) What’s your “Touch” policy?
Some practitioners let their hands hover, others prefer to touch or are open to adjust their touch according to your sensitivities. Find out what you can expect from their treatments and how to communicate during the session if the touch is in anyway uncomfortable.

5) Do you offer packages or multiple session discount?
Most practitioners are open to negotiation if you commit to multiple sessions or to a monthly/bi-weekly treatment schedule. Ask them. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain!

What to answer when people ask, ‘Did you get any messages?’ after a Reiki Session?

 When you take a Reiki class in one day like I did, you learn very fast—so fast that thousands of details fall through the cracks. Among them, what to do with the so-called “messages” given by spirit guides.

I’ve been practicing for close to five years and handling sessions has become easier. Handling my clients’ expectations when it comes to messages however became tougher and tougher.  

 While practicing at the JCC Reiki clinic with Reiki Master #PamelaMiles, her ‘No-Message Policy’ was easy to execute. Even when people asked we barely had time to answer, “It was our pleasure to offer you a Reiki session,” before they were ushered to the exit.

For a long time,  I tried to guide my clients' attention to what they felt, but I didn’t totally grasp the why, grasp it not only with my mind, but with guts and heart. And that probably affected my confidence when handling the matter.

It took a really awkward situation (a client literally kicked me out and refused to pay the session for lack of what she called “guidance”) to realize that I needed to understand why sharing these messages didn't feel right and communicate it clearly.

So, I did some digging.

According to Reiki masters and authors #FransStiene and #BronwenStiene, ‘hibiki’ or the sensation we feel during a "hands-on" healing session/meditation literally “means an echo. The reason why these sensations are called ‘hibiki’/echo is because they are not real—an echo is empty, like a reflection or an illusion.”

How then do we know that messages are real if ‘hibikis’ are not? Worse, what if messages are not only echoes, but also echoes that have been distorted further by our own experiences and emotions?

If, as Stiene explains, we are to experience Hibiki without labeling it, shouldn’t we do the same with messages? Experience them and then let them go, trusting the session to do its work?

Later, talking to Reiki Master #DeborahFlanagan, she mentioned that #Reiki practice was all about reconnecting with yourself. It seemed to me then that by giving messages, a practitioner may actually be getting in the way of his client’s best interest.

I gave it some thought. And what came to me was very simple.

When my clients ask for messages or guidance, they are—knowingly or not—shifting the responsibility of their own healing into my hands.  And that’s why it’s so important to gently shift it back into theirs—because, after all, they are the ones doing the work.

I’m not claiming this is a universal truth. But this works for me, for now. It doesn’t have to work for you. But I do believe that as we progress in our practice, it’s important to ask ourselves questions—even if they have been answered a hundred times—meditate on them, and come up with our own unique answer.

What’s your POV about messages*, would love to hear it.

* When I talk about messages in this post, I am not referring to the "there is a lot going on in your back" kind, but more to the "that person who hurt you recently? Not worth it" kind of messages.

Photo credit: http://purpleturtles.muzy.com/#lightbox_post_93097755

Next Thursday April 18: Join our R&R Yoga class: Reiki touch and Restorative Yoga for maximum relaxation, maximum renewal. Sign up early as they are only 5 slots!

A great article from the #NYTimes on how employees are all too often expected to work long hours and then be on call nights and weekends. The result? Employees running in empty, lower productivity and increasing rates of #Burnout syndrome. If you feel identified, we invite you to try a #Reiki treatment to help bring back balance and fight the symptoms (believe us, we know, we have been there!)

When I tell people I am a multicultural mutt, 99% say “how exciting!”

And it’s true. Being born in Europe, growing up in Latin America, and then spending over a decade and a half in New York has enriched my life in unbelievable ways. For that that I am forever grateful.

But every pro has a con, and in this case, not a small one: I never ever felt like I truly fitted—too cold for Latin Americans, too warm for Europeans and too passionate for Americans. Even in a city like New York, I’ve met with people who—when they hear my thick Spanish accent—start speaking slower or smile condescendingly.

Not fitting didn’t affect my self-esteem, but it did affect my sense of self-worth. I spent most of my life trying to prove I belonged, starved for approval. It drove me to become a type A personality (under the cover of a sweet, goofy persona) and a perfectionist. I never cried and was proud of my so-called-strength.

For years I worked at different jobs in journalism and advertising, raising fast through the ranks, giving the famous %110 percent and more. Deep inside, I was always fretting about what I said, about what people were thinking of me, or even about the distant future. My needs, feelings, and body’s health were no concern of mine.

I was so disconnected from myself, that one day I heard a Mozart aria and it hit me: an Austrian dude dead for over 200 years had more inkling about a woman’s heart than I did. I ignored this insight—I actually became a type-A opera freak. But there was something else I could not ignore so easily: breakdowns.

They started very mildly in my early 20s, but grew in strength in my early 30s as my body stopped keeping up with my drive. Panic attacks became more frequent and would paralyze me for weeks at a time. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was suffering from what is now called Burn Out syndrome, or exhaustion of the adrenal glands due to prolonged stress exposure.

I started to look for a way out. Anti-depressives were not an option—as a writer I could not function while medicated. Yoga helped… a little. I tried meditation but could not concentrate. And then I heard of Reiki. I don’t remember where or how. I just remember googling “Reiki classes” and choosing the nearest available. The class was a total disappointment. I had unrealistic, almost magical expectations and got a teacher who was boring, uninspired and probably not prepared to teach a lifelong spiritual practice.

But Reiki kept showing in my life, so I decided to give it another go. I got more enthusiastic teachers, great mentorship and practiced at Reiki clinics. But most of all, I committed to the practice with respect and humbleness. It was a totally different experience.

Reiki practice has helped me find balance, harmony, patience, and—above all—acceptance: of who I am. Of my good side and not so good side.

Is my life perfect? No. But it’s actually pretty good and I am grateful for it.

Am I enlightened yet? Not really. I am still very much myself. Actually more so than before: more loving, more hopeful, more empowered. It feels great.

And yes, I still say goofy jokes.

My clients don’t seem to mind. They seem to share my appreciation for the peacefulness and wellbeing that comes from Reiki practice.

 Do you have a similar story? I would love to hear about it. Send it to me here.

I was discussing with a group of colleagues from other healing modalities and we agreed on coming up with one-liners for each other’s specialty in terms to understand what we did and be able to communicate it to other in case we wanted to do a referral. It was a great exercise, because it made me focus on the benefit I love the most about Reiki practice: BRINGING BACK #HOPE. So if you are feeling exhausted, powerless and totally hopeless right now, get yourself to a #Reikiclinic, call a #reikipractitioner or even consider taking a Level 1 class and start connecting back to the feeling of hope (OK, OK…it doesn’t have to be a #Reiki treatment, but do something: go dancing, laugh, hug someone you love, and get your feed of joy and lust for life!)

The other day I had an interesting session. I was practicing on a new client.  We focused on her back, which was very tense, and she could feel the warmth of the hands and how the tension was literally melting. Yet when the session was over, she looked at me with questioning eyes, and said: “I need to ask you something: ‘What am I supposed to feel during and after a #Reiki session?'” I told her people experiment different things, bust mostly a feeling of relaxation and wellbeing, probably some warmth and tingling as well. She looked at me again and asked: “So I am not supposed to have this big spiritual awakening or vision?” When I said, ‘Not really’, she looked relieved. She actually enjoyed the treatment and was feeling quite good, but because of what people had told her, she had other expectations.
Walking back to my house I started thinking on how the expectations people set for Reiki treatments and meditation sometimes hinder these modalities. How people may give them up after a few tries because they didn’t feel a “life-changing energetic shift” or a “mystical experience.”
It’s so easy to forget that contentment and peacefulness, as well as relaxation and balance, are gifts both rare and precious, even if they come without fanfare.
When you are centered you can think straight, and make decisions that will alter your life in a positive way. When you are content, you appreciate what you have and feel grateful. Your life makes sense. You get distance from craziness and become less reactive.
As a Reiki practitioner, working from a place of gratefulness has worked way better for me than working from great expectations.
So, next time you try a #Reiki session, be gentle with yourself: allow your body and mind to relax, let go of the need to meddle or control, offer it with simplicity and humility, and notice if your practice feels different.

Once during a shoot, I was in the dressing-room of a well-known model. We talked about meditation, thankfulness and life’s mission. A refreshing topic amidst the beauty world. When we ended the chat, she urged all of us to be careful with our thoughts as “in these times, everything manifests quickly!”

Later I got some news that could hinder my plans for a long-planned, much desired sabbatical, which is supposed to start in a month. It was just a scare, a problem that may go away easily, bad news that may never happen, yet I got a huge panic attack. And then… I went into a guilt trip. It felt that I should spend more time meditating on the wanted outcome instead. I also felt like I was unable to control my fears (so they were manifesting and derailing my dreams) and that made me feel totally worthless.

I was on the verge of drawing a list of what I wanted and sit for hours to visualize it with a feeling of stubborn purpose… and I stopped. One thing is manifesting, the other is trying to control destiny. So instead I extended my #Reiki self-practice and meditation time for the day. So I would calm down. So I would be able to let go of my fears. So energy would flow where I really needed it. So I would learn to accept with equanimity challenges. After all, without them, there is no growth.

Sometimes we talk about something we want to do for so long, we get it out of our system and never do it.
But others, we go for it overzealously, with a full checklist of steps and goals that leaves us exhausted. We work at it 24/7. We push the door so hard in order to open it, and yet it remains locked.
What we seldom do is create the space in our lives for the thing we want to come, to happen.
An empty space in our calendar and our soul.
A space of quiet, of emptiness and calm.
A void that by law of nature has to be filled.
Today in your #Reiki practice connect with this space, feel it. Acknowledge it. Appreciate it. Feel content to leave it as it is. Do not try to fill it or control it. For it is the space where your hopes and dreams can finally start to grow.

Image: http://jamesturrell.com/