INTRODUCTION
The universe is made of energy. We are also made of energy.
In the same way that you exercise your muscles, stretch your ligaments, and massage your fascia to keep your body flexible, flowing, healthy and strong, your energy also needs this love and attention to remain balanced and flowing. Reiki addresses this vital need.
THE LINK BETWEEN STRESS, ILLNESS AND REIKI
Our bodies have an amazingly intricate nervous system that affects more functions than you could imagine! It is the body’s master control system. Every thought, action and emotion reflect its activity.
The nervous system consists of multiple structural and functional classifications. The two most relevant to this discussion are, the Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic divisions, both which are a part of the Autonomic Nervous System. Their responses effect the same organs in the body, but in different ways, creating balance when functioning optimally.
The Sympathetic Nervous System is responsible for our fight or flight reactions. In a threatening situation this system brings about many effects to help you cope with this seen or unseen perceived danger. While in this state the system does many things. It withdraws blood from your digestive organs to send to your extremities. It increases heart rate and releases stress hormones from the adrenal glands. These will linger in the system, even once the threat is over. Health issues can occur when your body becomes “trapped’ in this system for extended periods.
The Parasympathetic Nervous System is primarily working when the body is at rest, and not feeling threatened. In this state your body digests and eliminates, including toxins. Your heart rate slows, your blood pressure reduces, tension eases and you enter a state of relaxation. Relaxation promotes healthy immune function, deeper, restorative sleep, a calm and focused mind and a sense of overall wellbeing. In this state of homeostasis your body is healing and repairing itself.
Chronic stress, and the cascading effects that take place in the body are now linked with so many health issues that can alter your quality of life, physically, emotionally and mentally. Reiki treatments bring deep, long lasting relaxation, improving the body’s capacity to promote healing.
SOUND HEALING
Sound healing, which is now used world wide, is a practice that dates back thousands of years. It is used to promote balance and healing to the mind, body and spirit. It involves the use of sound waves to influence the subtle energy of the body.
All living, and non-living entities have their own unique vibration. From a tree, to the food we eat, to our internal organs, they all vibrate at a specific speed. The number of vibrations per second is known as the frequency, measured in hertz.
Our bodies’ frequencies are affected by environmental influences, such as toxins in our food and air. They are also affected when we catch a virus, or when we go through emotional hardship. These all can cause an imbalance in ourselves, which can lead to further illness, and even disease. Sound therapy uses specific tones to encourage the bodies’ cells to vibrate at their optimal frequencies, promoting whole body wellbeing.
I grew up in a small town in the North of Ireland and moved to Canada with my family in 2016.
Growing up in my house, it was customary to use alternative methods of healing. This ranged from charms performed by spiritual healers in towns far away to remove burns, to rubbing potatoes on growths and burying them in the garden. Life in Ireland has a mystical way about it, and I was always aware that the unseen was not to be dismissed.
After 27 years working in the service industry, making a living cooking for others, I knew I needed something more grounding as my future path. I had experienced some health issues that led me to meditation. Meditation brought me to being sober, and sobriety brought me clarity. With this clarity I was able to see that I needed to change the path I was on.
From that point I started practicing Qigong regularly, continued with my meditations, and started my journey with Reiki. Luckily, my wife was already on this journey and joining this path was a natural, easy transition for me.
As a child, I felt that I was always searching for something. I knew that there was much more out there then what I could see, but I didn’t realize it would become a lifelong journey of discovery.
When I moved to Ireland in my mid-twenties, I was able to start living a slower, more natural way of life, and it all felt very right to me. I started looking into how I could live a healthier, more balanced life. I learned what I needed to include, and what I had to let go. It was then that I decided to do an online nutrition course. When my family and I moved back to Ottawa, shortly after beginning my course, I attended the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and became a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. During my studies there I began my journey with Reiki. I am now a Usui and Holy Fire Reiki Master. I also recently finished my level one teachers training Qigong course, a system of wellness that involves meditative movements, breathwork, and acupressure points. Qigong changed my way of thinking about exercise, meditation, and the energy within me, and I am so excited to share it!
Raven is our hypoallergenic Maltese poodle. She loves to let us know when new people arrive, but settles nicely and is just an all-around lovely wee soul. She has never bothered anyone who has allergies, including me. If this poses a problem however, please do let us know. We can always schedule a day for her at her grand-parents! (which she will love😊)
