For the last few days, I’ve been pondering on why we are so hard on ourselves.
We do it because we want to be better, feel better, live better. But by being hard on ourselves, we focus on what we perceive as our “negative” qualities, mistakes or “areas of improvement.”
We try to become more positive by spending hours hashing and rehashing the negative.
How can we achieve balance in this way?
We can’t. 
By definition, we would need to have equal parts of positive and negative to achieve balance. Which means both nurturing our positive, bright side, but also accepting our “dark” side. Coming to a truce if you will. 
Many of us won’t give ourselves “permission” to enjoy anything unless we achieve an X-amount of things. And when we achieve what's in the list, we don’t reward ourselves. We come up with an even more demanding list.
No wonder we are anxious and exhausted.
In traditional Japanese Reiki practice, you meditate to build the light inside you. The joy, the happiness, the contentment, and the gratefulness. By feeding your inner light, you dispel the darkness. 
You don’t need to practice Reiki to do that.
As the spring light builds up with each passing day, start building your inner light as well. Appreciate the good things, the funny things, even the quirky things that make you… you.
Love,
Nathalie
PS: Ready to become lighter? A Reiki session can help. Check out its many benefits!
Reiki Mentorship: Learned Reiki 1 or 2 and struggling with your practice? I now offer mentorship via skype or in person if you live in NYC. Drop me a line and we can chat about it!

I love sessions. But as the days pass and I advance slowly (oh, so slowly) on this road, what I'm enjoying most are the very simple breathing/meditations. Their power to ground, recharge and bring clarity never stop to amaze me. 

To explore this area further, I signed up for Frans Stiene's virtual practice group, where every month he introduces us to breathing exercises/meditations inspired by the original Japanese practice. 

Not only am I enjoying thoroughly each session, but I've started to draw some of the exercises we do. I've been struggling to find words to express these experiences, but it seems that if I let my hand express it for me, the result is a lot more fluid and charming.

As with sessions, from now on, it seems I have to let my hands do the talking for me. 

Purifying breath.

Practicing #Reiki has always been easier than talking about #Reiki. Doing a podcast was for me a daunting challenge, but a very exciting one. Enjoy the show!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/conversation-with-healers/2016/02/15/nathalies-story

Photo credit: Painting by German artist Anselm Kiefer

Here is what to do when it comes to our Distant #Reiki sessions.

• 1—Choose a quiet place, where you won't be interrupted.
   
• 2—Take the volume off your phone, turn off TVs and computers.
   
• 3—You can lower the light, light a candle, or play some relaxing music if you like.
   
• 4—I'll text you at the start of the session. You can either lie down comfortably on a bed/sofa or sit on a chair with your feet planted on the floor. 
   
• 5—Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths to bring some awareness to your body. Then breathe normally. Set the intention to receive whatever is needed at this time to enable your healing process. 
   
• 6—Do not try "too hard" to relax or "feel" the session. Observe your thoughts and let them go. Distant sessions are more subtle than hands-on sessions, but by no means less powerful. 
   
• 7—If you feel like laughing, smiling, crying, go ahead. Reiki is all about reconnecting with emotions so we can process them, release them or benefit from them.
   
• 8—I will be texting you approx. 10 minutes after the session is over. Stay a few more minutes in your quiet space—note any difference, any idea or feeling that comes up. 
   
• 9—Some people like to jot down their experience on paper. In my experience, this is a good idea. Many of the thoughts or feelings that come may be very fleeting. 
   
• 10—Afterwards, you may want to drink a couple  glasses of water more than you usually do to keep you well hydrated. To benefit most from the session, avoid drinking alcohol or going to crowded places for a few hours. 

And remember, I'm always happy to answer any question you may have before or after the session! 

Namaste!

Photo credit: Heaven's Rain from Elizabeth James.

I've experienced so many beautiful things during the last two months. Amazing workshops, sessions, conversations, meditations and insights. 
So many, that I lack the words to express them in a coherent manner. 
It's so hard to describe how it feels when you give your first session working from a space of complete compassion without any interruption from the mind.
Or how sometimes fear will take over my whole system but I can't escape it like before. I can only face it, hold it, makes friends with it until acceptance comes and washes it away.
Or talk about my new obsession: diving into the Buddhist concept of "Right Effort" in relation with the Reiki precepts in order to find out ways to extend the peacefulness and stillness of the practice into all corners of my life (and hopefully others).
So, I apologize for my silence and hope words come back my way soon!
 

Photo credit: The Man with the Bowler Hat, by Belgian painter René Magritte. 

When I started my Reiki practice, the main benefit I was looking for was to make my life easy.

Yep, that simple, that lazy.

I wanted things to flow and “manifest” without effort, just a half-hearted intention. I wanted to see life from a lofty point of view and feel 100% peaceful 100% of the time.

Are you laughing yet? I am.

On Day 160 of my challenge, things have not become easier. In part because my mind is not used to the concept of ease—struggle has been in my DNA since early childhood and letting go of this concept requires a few more years of ommms.

Instead, life has become… richer.

You see, before I would BE angry. Or happy. Or anxious. Or content.

I would see red, white, grey or gold.

Now I FELL angry. Or happy. Or anxious. Or content.

It’s a subtle play on words but a humongous difference in being.

And when I feel anger vs. becoming angry, I can still be aware of other feelings like happiness, peacefulness, sadness or compassion.

I can see the red threads of angers mixing with the blue threads of peacefulness or the light green threads of love—something I could not when I was BEING angry.

OK, sometimes I AM still angry: this is New York City after all. But less than before. A lot less.

Life has become like a rich tapestry where threads mingle and create beautiful patterns that form and dissolve. All of them are me. None of them are me.

It’s kind of cool.

How has Reiki practice change the way you feel during your day to day?

Photo credit: Hunt of the Unicorn, Medieval tapestry hosted at the Cloisters Museum, New York City. 

—By Nathalie J.

I have an issue with power. Always had.

If I were a shrink I may guess the cause is that I'm the third sibling. Third siblings have little power when it comes to deciding what TV show to watch, where to go on weekends and what to eat for dinner. Most of the time, the only power we have is that of annoyance: to cry until we drive the whole family mad (I was particularly good at exercising this power by the way.)

Going back to power...

I've been reading Frans Stiene's latest book, The Inner Heart of Reiki, and enjoying the many layers and meanings of symbols. Especially CKR. I was never a lover of CKR. I did not grasp this idea of using it to "open chakras" and "put the power of the universe here or there." I'm somewhat of a minimalist and I like to keep my practice really simple. Using loads of symbols during a session would totally drive me out of my space of stillness and connection. It's a personal thing, probably based on my being slightly dyslexic. I am in no way criticizing other ways of practicing. 

"CKR is sometimes seen as an electric outlet where you plug yourself in order to practice."

But I really felt sort of upset that by calling it Power Symbol instead of by its mantra we may be depriving practitioners of the full beauty and depth of this symbol, of its qualities of grounding, of focus, of acceptance, of seeing things as they are. Of the internal work it ignites vs. seeing it like an electric outlet where you plug yourself in order to practice. 

I was ranting and ranting to myself until I started laughing. I was just angry at myself for not having done my work of digging a little deeper into my practice sooner. I could not fool myself and blame others anymore. After all, these past few weeks have been all about Seeing Things as They Are. And being ok with it. 

Photo credit: Napoleon in his Imperial Throne by French Painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1780-1867



 

Summer is over and we have to face a new season—not always easy, especially when it means leaving the sun and summer fun behind. But fret not! There are herbs that can make the transition smoother.

Fall is the perfect time to start building our immune system for the winter. Think of incorporating herbs such as Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia) or Cat’s Claw  (Uncaria tomentosa).

Another group of herbs that are ideal for autumn and can help you find your balance during this season. There is a long list but some of the most common are Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Ginseng (Panax ginseng) and Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus). Add these to some of you favorite recipes or get them as supplements at any health food store.

And if your joints are extra sensitive to temperature changes, try plant-based remedies such as Harpagophytum (Harpagophytum procumbens), also called grapple plant, wood spider and most commonly devil's claw—a genus of plants in the sesame family, native to southern Africa. Be careful not to exceed dosage. 

Although plant-based solutions can help a lot, do remember to always check with your doctor, especially if you have any health condition.

Based in Madrid, Spain, Eva Miquel specializes in preparing simple and safe natural remedies to balance and energize your body. She can be reached at evamn@hotmail.com. 

Anger, fear, anxiety, sadness and jealousy… As "good people," we are not supposed to feel these emotions. So we read, go shopping or indulge in food and drink to try and escape them.
Or we try to self-improve and ommmm our way out of them, with a “fix it now” attitude.

Why? In my case, I have this fixation that to be a a really spiritual person, I can’t feel negative things. Childish I know, but this thought is actually quite common.

After a few years of Reiki practice where non-judgment and non-labeling are paramount, I’ve become more accepting... and more real. It is not—after all—about having or not having these feelings; it’s about how we react to them. They are a source of energy and if accessed and harnessed correctly, they can actually work in our favor. 

How can we do that? Here are a few suggestions that worked for me:

• FACE IT: The more we fight or run away from our negative feelings, the more power they have over us. Facing them is a scary thought, but once you do and see how short lived they are, it gets easier.
  Are you angry, scared or very sad? Sit on a chair, feet on the ground, with a straight back. Connect with the feeling. Observe where it’s located in your body. Breathe through it. Don’t try to reason it away, justify it or make it better. Feel the pain going through your body, feel how it peaks, cry if you need and then observe how… it fades away. Observe how your body feels lighter, how your thinking feels clearer. Celebrate with a warm cup of herbal tea!
   
• GROUND IT: When we feel fear or anger, it’s almost like the feeling takes over our head: our thoughts spiral away, we become hyper excited and do things we may not be proud of afterwards.
  Time to get grounded. Whenever negative feelings take over your thinking, sit down in a chair, feet firmly planted on the ground with a straight back. Locate the feeling in your body (probably in your upper torso, neck or head area). Imagine it has a color and a word that describes it. Stay with it for just a few seconds. Then start dragging it down. If it’s in your head, lower it to your heart and observe how it feels there. Then lower it to your solar plexus. Observe the difference. Lower it once more, this time to a couple inches below the navel. Observe how it has lost most of its high, crazy vibration and it’s settling down. Keep your attention to the navel area, inhale and then exhale the feeling (with its color and name) to the earth through your root chakra. Breathe deeply and freely. And voilá!
  *During this exercise it’s important not to react to your feelings and leave the chair. Stay with it, no matter what.
   
• SHAKE IT OUT: This one is pretty easy and pretty effective. The idea is to release the excess energy caused by stress and anxiety to regain your balance. Stand up, feet hip distance apart. Shake your right leg, then your left leg. Now shake your right arm, your left arm and then both arms together. Shake your head at the same time. Fold down, letting your torso swing while you shake your arms, shoulders and hands. Then stop, breathe deeply in and out. On the second inhale, come up to a standing position. How does that feel? A lot better, right?

I'm always experimenting on ways to connect and process feelings and ideas. If you have any modality or tip on how to do it, I would love to hear about it in the comment section :-)

Nathalie Jaspar is the co-founder at Natky927 Wellness Collective, and a Reiki Master/Practitioner based in New York City. You can reach her at natjaspar@mac.com

Photo credit: "Outre Songer" by Argentine surrealist painter Leonor Fini (1907-1996).

Después del verano toca afrontar los cambios de estación. A veces no son fáciles de sobrellevar y es importante saber que las plantas nos pueden ayudar con esa adaptación.

La entrada al otoño es una época ideal para preparar nuestras defensas para el invierno, así que plantas como la Equinácea (Echinacea angustifolia) o la Uña de gato (Uncaria tomentosa) están súper indicadas para ello. 

Otro grupo de plantas ideales para mantener el equilibrio durante el otoño incluyen el romero (Rosmarinus officinalis),  el tomillo (Thymus vulgaris), el ginseng (Panax ginseng) o el Eleuterococo (Eleutherococcus senticosus).   

Y para aquellos que sientan los cambios de temperatura en sus articulaciones más rápido que un meteorólogo, la planta indicada para sus dolores articulares es el harpagofito (Harpagophytum procumbens). ¡Cuidado de no exceder la dosis!

Las plantas os pueden ayudar muchísimo, pero no olvidéis consultar con vuestro médico antes de tomarlas. 

Basada en Madrid, España, Eva Miquel se especializa en crear remedios naturales simples y seguros para balancear y energizar el organismo. La puedes contactar via evamn@hotmail.com. 

The Cherokee have a story that inspired me many years ago.  Unlike the dominant culture, the Cherokee and many other indigenous cultures believe that everything is interconnected.  The story talks about the origin of our suffering, our disconnection from ourselves and other forms of life, which began when our heart and shadow became ruptured, similar to the plot in “The Dark Crystal”, which is one of my favorite renditions of this concept.  The goal, is to weave these parts of ourselves back together.  Not only did this rupture separate parts of ourselves, it also created a wound in the middle of our chest.  Many try to fill the wound with shopping, work, drugs, sex, alcohol or the pursuit of power, which we know does not work.  We must heal the wound, not fill it.  To do this we must cultivate mind, spirit and body by knowing ourselves... our darkness, our light, strengths and weaknesses, our ego.  The Eleusinian Mysteries, a sacred rite held in ancient Greece to the Goddess Demeter used herbs to alter the consciousness of the initiates.  According to Plato, the core teachings of these mysteries were, “Know Thyself” and “Nothing in Excess.”  These teachings are helpful to us even today, so many thousands of years later.

KAVA
Kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant native to Polynesia and Oceana and is traditionally used by Polynesians in their Kava ceremonies.  The importance is not only in the plant, but in the ceremony itself.  In the gathering of community, in sharing space and ingesting the plant as part of a group.  We are slowly reviving these traditions in our dominant culture of ‘individualism.’  I believe this is an integral part of reconnecting with our selves.
Kava relaxes the muscles, reduces stress and relieves anxiety; providing a deep feeling of relaxation without feeling tired.  This allows the mind to be open and can facilitate meditation.  

Modern Preparation:
4 tsps dried root to 8 oz. hot water; simmer 15 minutes; carefully pour in a blender and mix until completely liquid; steep 1 hour.  

Contraindications:
Use roots from plants that are 4 years + only. Not for excessive use and not to be combined with alcohol or medications.  Not to be used for people with Parkinson's.

MUGWORT
Mugwort (Artemisia argyi) is a common weed that grows in temperate zones throughout the world.  Usually called the dreaming herb, this plant stimulates active dreaming. You can prepare as a tea, but also prepare smudge sticks of the fresh plant to cleanse the air in your home and invite connection with the spiritual world. Mugwort tastes a little bitter so feel free to combine it with honey, organic roses, cinnamon or any of your favorite flavors.  

Prepare tea:
3-4 tsps. dried leaves to 24 ozs. of hot water. Steep 30-40 minutes. Drink at least 1-2 hours before bedtime.

Smudge sticks:
Respectfully harvest fresh herb. Allow to dry upside down for one day. Combine about 4-6 stalks and wrap tightly with cotton string, securing at 4 inch intervals before proceeding. Let dry one more day before cutting just above 4 inch mark. Allow to dry for another 5-7 days before burning.

Contraindications:
Pregnancy; people with sensitive skin should use gloves when harvesting. Do not exceed dosage as may cause dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
 

HAWTHORN
Hawthorn (Crataegus oxycanthoides) is one of the best heart herbs. Not only does it work on a physical level by restoring healthy functions of the heart such as irregular heart beat, mitral valve prolapse and ischemic heart diseases to name a few, it also lowers blood pressure (a risk factor for heart attack) and LDL and VLDL cholesterol. Traditional use also includes opening the heart center.  We hold our stories within our bodies and our heart can unknowingly hold our grief, sadness and depression. To know ourselves is to bring those pieces back home and deepen our connection to heart and shadow, spirit, body and mind.

Preparation:
8 tsps. dried berries to 24 oz. hot water, steep 1-2 hours, drink 3 cups daily. The flowers can also be used in combination with berries by adding 10 tsps. flowers and steeping for half hour.

Contraindications:
Cardiac medications, especially Digoxin.

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.

Photo credit: "Carrefour D'hecate" by Argentine surrealist painter Leonor Fini (1907-1996).

—By Nathalie J.

Until now I had only practiced Reiki professionally in New York. It's the world's most diverse city but there is a common tread to the majority of its citizens: going inwards and spirituality are not always a priority. 
Many people have a tough time valuing the work we do as Reiki practitioners and paying our fee. They find it expensive and prefer spending the money on a nice dinner or a few drinks—which is totally valid.
During the 10 days I've been offering Reiki sessions in Mexico City, my experience has been the opposite. Sessions may be in pesos and adjusted to local income, but they still represent a very good dinner at an expensive restaurant or groceries for a few days. Here, however, most people prefer to skip the dinner and go for the session.
And they skip more than one dinner: They get their own session and then get sessions for the people they love: their moms, their aunts or friends who can't afford it at the moment. Their support to their loved ones is in itself the most healing part of the process.
Everything may not be perfect in Mexico, but the warmth of heart and feelings is just beautiful to witness. 
Feeling absolutely grateful for the chance to practice in lovely Ciudad de Mexico. 

Photo credit: Las Dos Fridas by Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954).

—By Nathalie J.

“Humility” was a big thing when I was growing up. My family pride itself in being humble.
Yes, this sounds contradictory.
And it is.
Because being humble, for us, meant thinking we were smarter and better than the rest, but we would never say so aloud. We will self-deprecate ourselves in the hopes we would be contradicted. And if someone didn’t…well…let’s say this person would not be “welcome” for a while (forever.)
Yesterday I was meditating on this precept, and it felt so different and light than my psychological history could surmise. Humility was the act to accept the need to practice every day, the understanding that “spirituality” is about daily efforts. A road that all of us can travel.  And the more we talk about the road, the more we think we advance and remain in place. The more we walk, slowly and sometimes painfully, the more we truly advance.
I am a talker. I love talking. Doing… always been a little harder. But yesterday practice was so humbling in a good way, so honest and beautiful that—for once—words alone just won’t cut it. 

I have not worked in advertising for 10 months.
I forgot how competitive and weird things can be.
Living with a little bit more awareness is a strange thing. You can feel your own competitiveness taking over and playing tricks... but you can also push it aside using your new tricks.
You can feel your own insecurities taking over... and then leave them behind, calmly (meditating on CKR helps like crazy!).
And you can feel your surroundings. How people who smile  are actually very angry and stressed. Or how that arrogant looking girl is just scared and shy.
I'm only doing a freelance, but it's an interesting experiment on how to bring awareness and some Reiki help to survive (thrive?) at the workplace.
 

Photo credit: Drawing by Italian renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci.

—By Nathalie J.

I love the simplicity of Reiki practice but as an ex-journalist (I'm way too curious for my own good) I love to explore other modalities and read a little bit of everything. 

The other day I was reading Sri Chinmoy's writings on "Death and Reincarnation." When it came to his vision of bad karma making you reincarnate in a more difficult life, his descriptions of being born without an eye, missing a leg or mentally disabled, made me wonder. Is it always this obvious? Or could it be more insidious, slow and even gratuitous?

Like in the case of this city filled with wealth, opportunities, attractive people, comforts... and so much unhappiness. So many people having it all, and not being able to enjoy it because of depression or mental frameworks. Feeling broken and not being able to blame a missing arm or leg, popping pills every day to get by. Isn't it also hell? 

Do you believe in reincarnation. If so, what do you think?

Photo credit: "Head III" by Irish-born painter Francis Bacon (1909-1992)

Lately I've been really into the concept of holding healing spaces. I wrote a note inspired by it for our bi-monthly newsletter and I've been practicing with many friends, holding the space so they can do their own work.

I love how supportive yet respectful it is as a concept. You are there. Helping. Without invading. Without influencing. Respecting. Just being.

It's—in my opinion—the same space from which it will be ideal for me to give hands-on session. I'm not there 100% yet. There is still a part of me that wants to help, get involved and make sure positive shifts happen.

Last week, however, it became evident that this issue has nothing to do with Reiki practice but with family conditioning. My family is the kind of over-zealous helpers that overflow with constant advice. They come to your house and reorganize it the way they think it should be. If you feel down one day, they won't relent until they've talked you, pampered you or fed you out of your funk. Because they love you and "know better." In fact, they smother you in love and support until you run away (5000 thousand miles to be exact.)

During last week's visit, however, I was not smothered. I was shocked. Seeing them competing to help and pamper me, made me see how much like them I am. How I tend to hover over people to make sure they're feeling 100% fine. How I spend hours doing things for people who may just be happier if I left them alone.

Thus probably my interest in holding healing spaces. Hopefully a technique I will master in my practice... and in life.

And meanwhile, friends": cut me some slack!

Any tips are super welcome! You can leave them in the comments section or mail them at nat [@] mac [dot] com.

Photo credit: "La danse," by French Painter Henry Matisse.