LunaHolistic Podcast

What is Perfectionism?

In researching for this episode, we found quite a few pithy quotes and definitions for perfectionism. Perhaps the best and most direct comes straight from the dictionary:

"the setting of unrealistically demanding goals accompanied by a disposition to regard failure to achieve them as unacceptable and a sign of personal worthlessness" ~Merriam Webster Dictionary

Ooof! That hits home, doesn't it? Perfectionism is a pattern of setting yourself up to fail and then beating yourself up when you inevitably fail. It gets you coming and going. It often gets in the way of true productivity and success and paralyzes forward movement. 

It's very different from healthy striving toward mastery. As Brené Brown says, "Healthy striving is self-focused. Perfectionism is other-focused." We get caught in the impossible task of pleasing others and endlessly trying to figure out what they want. It's a way of trying to act our way into connection rather than just being who we are and finding true belonging.

Tools to Release Perfectionism

There are many, but here are some of our go-to emotional and energetic tools to help untangle the perfectionistic impulse.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Reframing Perfectionistic Thoughts

Cognitive behavioural therapy is a tool that helps you reframe thoughts, identify thinking errors and look for the positive intent hidden within the negative thought. It's quite powerful and can help to understand the motivation behind the perfectionistic thinking. You can get help from a therapist, or you can try out a therapy app like Wysa. 

Get support from a Loved One

People who love us unconditionally are amazing to reach out to anytime, but especially when we're in the grips of perfectionism. Their kind and accepting energy can soothe the mental strain of trying to get it all right, perfectly every time. Listen to them! You're value is not tied to what you do, it is connected to your being, which never needs to change to be worthy of love and belonging.

Reiki and the Reiki Ideals

Of course, we like Reiki for most things here! It can help bring a gentle energy to the serious and harsh mode of thinking that perfectionism can cause. You can set your intention in a Reiki session to focus on gentleness, kindness, and radical acceptance. Then you can simply rest in that healing vibe.

One of the Reiki ideals is to be kind to yourself and all living things. This is a primary tool for releasing perfectionism. Offering yourself kindness, compassion, and gentleness is the antidote.

The Reiki ideals are these five simple but challenging concepts: just for today, I will let go of anger; I will let go of worry; I will be grateful for my many blessings; I will do my work honestly; and I will be kind to myself and every living thing. 

All of the Reiki ideals can pop up when we're dealing with something like perfectionism. There are many great tools in "The Secret Art of Happiness" that can help alleviate the energy that lies underneath perfectionism. The Affirmation Ladders for the Reiki Ideals are especially helpful to help shift harsh modes of thinking and gradually help you shift into a positive and relaxed mindset. 

Get a free pdf copy of the Affirmation Ladders for the Reiki Ideals.

Gratitude helps soothe Perfectionism

Whatever it is your shame gremlins or little perfectionist monsters are telling you about what you're doing, could you maybe find a teensy little aspect of it to be grateful for? You showed up? You're trying? That's amazing. And especially when there are harsh voices like that chirping at you, that is such a big thing in and of itself. Trying to reframe it with gratitude can soothe everything.

Don't fight with Shame. Just be kind.

There's a temptation to fight with perfectionistic shame. But that just begets more of that energy. So go back to gentleness, and even gratitude for the inner critic voice. Because it's really just trying to keep you safe. It's just trying to help you be connected and loved. It is going about it all the wrong way. But it has developed for a reason, because of something that you learned or something that occurred in the past. It is just maladaptive now. Take a step back and see what it is trying to accomplish. Then you can soften around the whole process. Entertain the thought, "Maybe it's true that I will still be worthy of love, even if this isn't perfect."

What if our imperfections are actually what makes us Real?

There can be such a drive towards correcting every single flaw in ourselves and our work that we can sometimes miss the beauty of our imperfections. In nature, the imperfect parts of a landscape are what makes it look real and genuine. When you look at a tree, a real tree in the forest. It's not symmetrical. The branches are not evenly spaced. There's live ones, there's dead ones, there's one going off and weird angles. But when you look at the whole of it, it's all beautiful.

And if we look at ourselves with that same kind view, maybe all of the things that maybe make us different or might be perceived as flaws or difficulties, what if they are actually what contribute to our beauty and our uniqueness in the world and make us exactly who we are.

Even the Earth itself is not perfect, it wobbles. It's not a perfect sphere. And yet, it's pretty good as planets go. Maybe give yourself that same grace, love, and acceptance. It's okay to not be perfect. It's wonderful to be uniquely you!

 

 

We have a new podcast episode every month! Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 

You can send us your question in the comments below or record your question here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/podcast/

 

 

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In this podcast episode, Angela Hoogeveen and Geneva Robins discuss the power of surrender and how to let go. A big topic! Surrendering is difficult, but it's truly the secret sauce in life. It's where you can connect to your power and transformative change. There's a lot of growth and all kinds of good stuff on the other side of surrender or letting go.

What does "Surrender" Mean?

The ego does not like surrender. Generally, when you hear the word 'surrender,' it relates to a negative experience. For example, when you're fighting with someone or in war, and you surrender, you're on the losing side. But there's another definition of surrender, and that is to let go.

Surrender is basically radical acceptance. You surrender into a situation rather than fighting it. 

You might think, "Well, I don't want to be here. I don't like where I'm at." So you fight it, and you push against it. But when you have that radical surrender and acceptance, you stop all the fighting against the present moment. And then, when you surrender to it, you can start to change the situation. You're coming from a more positive place rather than fighting against it. You can even learn to embrace change. and begin to not only deeply accept the situation, but use it a fuel for new growth.

Letting go is the opposite of what the ego wants.

The ego wants control. And surrender, or that radical acceptance, often feels counterintuitive. Surrender is a trust fall into the Universe. It's letting go of holding on so tightly and just doing that trust fall.

The key is when you surrender, that doesn't mean you allow yourself to drown. It's not totally giving up. 

There's a difference between letting go and giving in. So when we're talking about surrender here, what we're really talking about is letting go. We do not mean letting go to the forces of chaos or letting go to shame. You need to guard against giving in to the suffering of the mind. 

True surrender is when you let go of that struggle with awareness of what you're letting go into. You let go into peace or let go into that trust within yourself, trusting your skills, trusting the loving nature of the Universe itself. Letting go to something bigger, compassionate, and wise is best.

Why is surrendering so powerful?

When you gain radical acceptance, rather than using your energy trying to fight against the moment, you can use your energy to move forward. You quiet all the negative chatter, and you turn to the positive. You can focus on finding the positives or moving out of the situation.

Surrender brings you peace of mind. It drops you out of the anxious and ruminating thoughts. It puts you into a state of harmony and mindfulness. You can accept it even if you don't like where you are. And that act of acceptance brings enormous relief. 

In that softness and gentleness of letting go, you access the greater space and awareness where all the energy that's trying to get in to soothe the pain can reach you.

Why is Letting Go so Difficult?

Sometimes we cling and get into a state of control when faced with uncertainty. It can be hard to surrender because it might feel like the things coming up are big, scary, and unknown. 

You might be facing something really big in your life, and a lot of it might be out of your control. But when life has put you in an intense place, trying to grab on and push and pull tends to not work very well. 

Surrendering and getting to a place of acceptance of what is known and refraining from filling in the question marks, is another way of finding peace. 

As best as possible, try to leave anything that is unknown as a question mark. And do your very best to not fill in the blank with something based in fear. Let the future rest like an unopened present. You don't know. Accept the not knowing.

How do you let go?Get still and BE

The first step is to let go and just come to stillness. Just float. The Universe is always moving, and it's impossible to stay stationary. And when we let go into that bigger field of awareness, it's moving you to a better place. And so sometimes you get further by floating than flailing. Letting go of the struggle and bringing yourself to the point of stillness lets the earth carry you rather than holding the whole world on your shoulders alone. When you let go, the energy and wisdom inside you will start floating you toward better places.

In trying to struggle away from your pain and discomfort, it doesn't go away. Until you just sit with it. And in that stillness, you can connect to these moments of grace. The stillness, simply sitting with what is, can connect you to moments of great wisdom and comfort. You go into this present peaceful moment, then the voice of your wise-self can be heard. 

You can start embracing life as it is rather than trying to change everything.

Visualize Support

One of the things that might help you let go is to visualize handing over your worries to a positive, loving being of the Universe. Remember that you have a spiritual connection with something greater. Some might call it a higher power, God, Creator, Source Energy, Mother Earth, or just something bigger than you that is loving and kind. 

Breathing Relief

Accessing the power of mindful breathing is also helpful for letting go. Simply take a big sigh of relief. You can make a breathing practice of relief. When everything has worked out, you will breathe in a particular pattern. It's usually a big sigh of relief, like setting down 1000 pound backpack. Just set a timer for 5 minutes and practice letting your breath go with sighs of relief. It's amazing how calming that alone can be. Notice the tension dropping out of your shoulders when you do this one!

Shift your Energy

Meditation, Reiki, and self-healing are all wonderful ways to shift your energy into acceptance and surrender. It can help you connect to the universal oneness that gives you the feeling of support. You can shift your state to calm, peace, and trust within a few minutes of meditation. 

Practice Mindfulness Five-Minutes at a Time

 Mindfulness is really great for gaining radical acceptance and letting go. Simply focusing on the next five minutes is a powerful tool. Just do life five minutes at a time. Completely surrender to your own skills, knowledge, and capability. Let go into that loving force in the Universe that's looking out for you, at least for the next five minutes. When something new happens, you'll meet it then and not a second before. 

Set Your Intention and Deliberately Choose to Let Go

Sometimes the simplest practices are the best. Set your intention to radical acceptance and shake off the ruminating mind. When spiralling thoughts come up, calmly let them go and set them down. Remind your inner child gently, "No, no, dear one, we're not going there now. Let that go, and let me take care of you." Be gentle, firm, and kind with your mind and redirect to the positive, peaceful, and loving.

When you surrender, let go, and get into that radical acceptance, it brings you back into a state where you can respond. Then you become more powerful, intuitive, and connected. 

We have a new podcast episode every month! Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  You can send us your question here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/podcast/

Want to experience Reiki in the forest? Join us on an unforgettable self-healing and meditation retreat in Kananaskis - July 28 to 30, 2023

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In this episode, Geneva Robins and Alisia Marie chat about getting out of a funk and into alignment with the law of attraction and all of the good stuff in the Universe. Join us on our tumble down the psychic rabbit holes, and find out how the Universe syncs up with you. Thanks for being here.

Get out of the funk and into a state of action

Many people feel that burnt-out sensation of just feeling heavy like everything's dragging. Doing little bits of self-care in the form of meditation helps recharge things. Even imagining green plants and beautiful, sunny days can help you shake off that heaviness.

Knowing your cue to reset 

If you notice that you're numbing, sitting in front of Netflix, watching TV, scrolling through Facebook, going to the fridge and staring, eating more junk, these are all cues for self-care. Do something for yourself that will disrupt that old coping pathway. 

When you know your numbing cues and witness when you're in it, begin to take tiny self-care actions to move forward. Ask yourself, "How can I become more positive and aware and continue with the path?" 

Monitor what you're consuming

The first step is to look around and see what is happening. Just by witnessing the pattern, you can begin to turn the tide. Monitor what you're consuming on a daily basis. Include what you are looking at, hearing, interacting with, and eating and drinking because what you put in often reflects how you feel. 

Notice when you're avoiding whatever you must do, but it may be scary. It's vulnerable. It's important.

Disrupt what you're doing

Guided meditations are helpful and can shift your energy in just a few minutes. Look up white noise or calming instrumental music like binaural beats. Music is a powerful healer. Put on a favourite tune and dance a bit of joy back into your body. 

Gratitude! Write a quick list of what you appreciate, and if you're struggling, make it up! Gratitude is the opposite of criticism and can begin shifting your mindset within a few minutes. See Geneva's book The Secret Art of Happiness for more gratitude tools and affirmations.

Gentle exit routes back to yourself

Go back to the energy. Do really simple things like getting up and getting a drink of water, walking around or doing a little bit of stretching and yoga. Do one little tiny, positive, healthy thing for yourself. Choose something that is nurturing and gentle. Looking for gentle exit routes, back to what you need to do to move forward on your dreams. 

Pressure off leads to productivity

Sometimes it's as simple as going to bed early and getting a good night's sleep. Start fresh the next day. In taking that pressure off, you can also give yourself space to do the self-care to refresh your energy rather than push through. Play and let yourself have fun. Do things that recharge you and help you disrupt the negative cycle. When you return the next day, you're ready to begin again.

What do you do when you want to throw in the towel on your Dream?

Have a support system. Creating a group of friends or family who are your little personal cheerleading team is very helpful. When you feel like giving up, ask them to cheer you on and cheer you up.

Make it simple. Just do one thing instead of doing all the things. Everything you do in life is a step-by-step process. Sometimes when you start looking at the really big picture, it can become extremely overwhelming. But do a tiny thing, even a little nibble on the edges. Start tiny.

Switch to manifesting mindset

From a mechanistic mindset, the way the ego views the world, we might see ourselves as this little tiny person trying to push against a giant boulder. One of the things that really helps is to switch instead to the manifesting mindset, where you see yourself as connected to a conscious and loving Universe.

Everything is connected to everything else

We live in a quantum world where everything is infinitely connected with everything else. All states of matter, all atoms, vibrate, and below the level of the physical, the energy that is the field of awareness in the Universe is conscious. 

The foundation of the Universe is pure consciousness. When we can get ourselves into the state or frequency of pure consciousness in meditation or Reiki, we send a signal out that is responded to instantly by Source Energy. You send out the big dream, right from the centre of your heart, and you receive back the baby step.

The Universe communicates with The Feels

The Universe communicates to us with feeling, like a little magnetic nudge or impulse. It gives us only what we can handle, one or two instructions. All you can do is what you can do in this moment and not a single thing more. 

Follow the frequency

When you have what you want, how will it feel in your body? 

Get acquainted with that feeling of relief, freedom, satisfaction, and joy. Leave the details uncertain; you don't need to know how it will all play out; all you need to know is that feeling. And then, every time you have a choice, pick the one that aligns with that feeling of fulfillment. 

The Universe is a sea of superimposed possibilities.

Until you make a choice, all possibilities are superimposed; they all exist. As soon as you make a choice, you collapse that wave of infinite possibilities into one thing. And so if you pick an apple instead of an orange, that's a tiny little collapse of a wave function, your life then goes on a different trajectory, and you're now standing in a new place with a whole new array of options in front of you. 

If you're making those decisions from a place that is aligned with the feeling state of what you want to manifest, then you're going to get new waves of potential energy. 

You change the fabric of reality around you, and you get a different world. Doors that used to be closed or not even available start opening. You start meeting people; synchronicity goes up, you see repeated numbers and signs over and over again, and you get into this sort of sweet spot where you get these little indicators of synchronicity that you're on the right path. It creates a wave of joy in front of you, and life changes for the better.

 

If you've got a question, we'd love to hear from you. Go to LunaHolistic.com/podcast and we'll answer you in an upcoming episode. 

 

 

LunaHolistic Podcast 09 TranscriptHow Do I Get Out of My Funk and Into Alignment With the Law of Attraction

Hosted by: Geneva Robins – LunaHolistic 

Facilitated by: Alisia Marie

Podcast Air Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Episode: LHP09

0:05  Welcome to the show

GENEVA ROBINS: Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! I’m your host, Geneva Robins, and every month on this podcast, we'll talk about Reiki, as well as answering your questions on all things spiritual. We are gratefully located in Calgary in Treaty 7 Territory. Thank you all, and welcome to the show!

Hello, and welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast. My name is Geneva Robins. And today I have Alisia Marie with me. Say hi, Alisia. 

ALISIA MARIE: Hi! 

GR: It's good to have you here. I'm really looking forward to talking about magnetic manifesting and how we can align ourselves with the law of attraction and all of the good stuff in the Universe. It's something that we, you and I, talk about quite a bit. So, I'm happy to tumble down the psychic rabbit holes, [laughs] talking about how the Universe syncs up with us, with you today. So, thanks for being here.

AM: Yeah, thank you for having me. 

1:22 Breath of gratitude and micro-meditation

GR: Yeah. What we'll do to start, which is something I always love to do, is our collective breath of gratitude. So, just taking a little micro-meditation moment. So, for those of you listening, if you happen to be driving a car, you know, keep your eyes open. But for everyone else, you can gently close your eyes and just take a few deep breaths. Just letting everything go with a big sigh of relief. 

And just noticing the land below your feet, noticing the energy and vibration within the planet. Guiding, supporting and nurturing you in every moment. Might feel this, like, just the sense of gravity holding you steadily in its embrace. Just sending a thought of gratitude to Mother Earth, for all of the abundance the earth naturally provides, all the things that we maybe don't think about as abundance like clear air and fresh water and open beautiful green spaces.

Just allowing that gratitude to extend out from you in all directions and receiving back that wave of gratitude. Allowing it to fill your cup. Each exhale, exhaling gratitude, and each inhale, inhaling gratitude.

And see if you can soften the breath even more, letting everything relax, restore, and reset. Lovely, thank you. And when you're ready, you can gently open your eyes, wiggle your fingers and your toes. And yeah, thank you. Thank you for joining me on that little ride. How did that go for you, Alisia?

AM: That was great. I was able to have a few minutes of peace and quiet. So, that was wonderful to collect my thoughts. I love meditation very much.

GR: Yeah, it is really, really lovely. It's, for me, the “go to” move whenever I'm confused, or upset, or just kind of tired and dragging, taking those little moments wherever I can nab them. 

I always think of it as like stealing back time in five minute segments. [laughs] You know, I kind of look around really greedily throughout my day. And wherever I can find a slice of time for self care, I take it. [laughs] So selfish, taking all that time for meditation [laughs] 

But I think you have to. It was one of the things we were talking about before we hopped on the call, was just how you, I, lots of people are kind of feeling that, like, kind of burnt out sensation of just feeling heavy, like, everything's dragging, which I think is also kind of this time of year. We're recording this in February, so it's cold here [laughs] right now.

And there's sometimes it's just with the weather, and that it's dark, and it can really, like, kind of tap out your energy reserves. So, for me, doing self care in the form of meditation kind of helps recharge things a little bit. 

Even though it's wintry and cold. I imagine, [laughs] when I did that little meditation just now, I imagined green plants, because that's what [laughs] I want right now. [laughs] Yeah, so, beautiful, sunny days filling, filling my schedule. [laughs] 

But I'm curious for you, on that topic of, like, things that help you shake off that, like, heaviness. I know you have two awesome little boys who are, like, full of energy, which is exhausting all in itself. And you've got an incredibly full, vibrant, packed schedule. 

What are some of the strategies that keep you going, in terms of self care? What hits the reset button for you?

6:38 Knowing your cue to reset

AM: The reset button for me. I was just actually asked that question not too long ago, by another individual. 

So, when I notice myself sitting in front of Netflix, watching TV. I know, when I have a billion other things to do, and I'm sitting in front of the TV, I know that that is my cue to say, "Okay, I need to do something for myself."

In order to get out of this slump that we all see, especially with all the new seasons coming out, what I do is, I kind of look around and I monitor what I am consuming on a daily basis, because I notice what I put into my body reflects how I feel. 

And then I use a few different meditations, some from your website, on LunaHolistic, which is really beautiful and super easy to follow. 

And sometimes, if you just put into Google, like, white noise or calming effects, those are really, really good and very powerful, if you want to read or if you have to study, kind of gets you out of the mindset of that slump. And it's just similar [to] what you did before we started the episode, with the five minutes of Reiki and from gratitude. 

So, knowing your cue, I think, is the most important spot. And when you do know your cue, to move forward – "okay, how can I become more positive and more aware and continue on with the path?" Because if you sit in front of the TV that doesn't sometimes serve the best purpose, and it's just knowing when it doesn't serve the best purpose is kind of how I do that.

GR: Yeah, I always think of it as – there can be this slippery slope, right, of life.

AM: Yeah. [laughs]

GR: You can just tumble down into this spiral of numbing, that only increases, it doesn't decrease. And then sometimes it's also, like, accompanied with, like, the shame pit thoughts, you know, it's like, I think of it as, like, this terrible vortex that sucks you into the absolute darkness. And that along the flat part of this cone pit are all of these little red flags of, like, "Go back, go back!" 

You know, like, if I'm doing this, you said it – Netflix is seeing what your little numbing signals are, what your red flags are. If I'm doing this behavior, that means then I need to go do this. Yeah, so finding those little red flags that are sort of signals to, like, turn back and do something different, are totally important to know. 

And everybody has their own, right, of like, now I know I'm numbing. I'm not just kicking back and relaxing. This is like – I am absolutely avoiding whatever the thing is that [laughs] I don't want to do, or I know I need to do, but it's maybe scary. It's vulnerable. [Or it] could [be] because it can be both of those things, that can kind of get us stuck. 

And for me, my go to thing is, like, when I notice that I'm doing that, I always think – okay, I need to go back to the energy, so I must need a form of energy. But I'm not feeding myself the right fuel. So, coming back and doing a little bit of meditation, a little bit of Reiki. 

And then also, like, really simple things, like getting up and getting a drink of water, or walking around, or doing a little bit of stretching and yoga, like something that's going to disrupt what I'm doing. And it's like, because sometimes I find it's like, even if I can interrupt that numbing signal, or that urge to numb, even for a moment, then I can get myself onto a new track. 

So, it doesn't have to be like, "Oh, now I have to drag myself to do the thing." It's like, "I'm just gonna do one little, tiny, positive, healthy thing for myself that is nurturing and gentle." And sort of, I'm always looking for gentle exit routes, [laughs] back to it. 

And then also, just sort of like, if I know that I have a day where it's like, [ugh] I just really didn't get anything done, then I kind of will, sometimes I'll just say, "K, I'm calling it quits on this day." I'm not going to ask myself to do anything strenuous, but I am gonna go to bed early.  And so I will go to bed at, like, eight o'clock. 

Like, I find being tired or sort of dragging is, like, sometimes it's as simple as, like, going to bed early and getting [a] good night's sleep and, like, starting fresh the next day, because there's some days that are just, like, a gong show. And it's a write off. 

And then sometimes, in taking that pressure off -- sometimes my most productive days are the days where I let myself play, or I let myself have fun. Because then my mind starts getting curious. And I find curiosity is often the way out of that numbing and avoiding, [it's] like, let's just do something on the edges. 

Let's just do one little easy bit, let's do one part of it that I can put, like, stickers and glitter and, you know, I can get crafty with it. You know, if I can somehow make that thing fun, or enjoyable, or give myself a little, like, reward for my inner four year old, then, you know, [that] can [laughs] kind of get [me] going. 

Yeah. How does that sit with you, Alisia?

AM: Yes, I think that's very true. I took a psychology child class last semester, and curiosity was one of the biggest key traits for children's mind to develop. So, I totally agree with you. 100%.

GR: Yeah, but I think it's like, curiosity is, like, important for kids. But I think it's so crucial for adults – getting curious. 

For me, sometimes that can, like, take me out of anxiety. You know, it's like, because anxiety is this thought of, like, "what's gonna happen!" But then if you're curious, it's like, "what's gonna happen?" It changes the whole tone. 

And so you can kind of go into that mystery, into that unknown. And with a little bit more bravery, with the feeling of being an explorer, instead of being, like, pushed and shoved into the scary future, where you don't know what's going to happen. 

You know, so, yeah. Because vulnerability, and doing brave things, can often lead to this side effect of, like, numbing like mad, and avoiding like mad. 

You know, I know you're incredibly passionate about, like, helping people, and you've got a lot of irons in the fire. You work at LunaHolistic, and you're, like, doing a lot of things to help people, you know, in your career. 

And I imagine that you might get to places where you're like -- I'm just gonna, like, toss in [the towel], like, I don't want to do this anymore. This [is] [laughs] too hard. I know I have gotten there. What has helped you when you want to throw in your towel on your dream? [laughs]

14:15 Manifesting your vision in small baby steps.

AM: Yes, that happens often. I think the biggest key factor is: my support system inside of my home is very, very, very strong. My husband and my two boys, even though they're only little guys. Their [encouragement] and compassion towards me when I feel that way. They're like, “Mom, you can do it, you can do it!” 

So just [getting] your own little personal cheerleading team is very helpful. And when I get down to that, or I do want to throw the towel in and just go get a -- just stop everything, and just do one thing instead of doing all the things. I have a board in my office. It's kind of -- it's like a vision board, but it has a different type of vision. 

It's a calendar, and it has all the tasks on it. So, I look at the tasks, and then I can just start identifying them, like, in small baby steps. And then that helps me take a big chunk. It's just like, everything you do in life is a step by step process, it's when you start looking at the really big picture, sometimes it becomes extremely overwhelming. 

And that's when manifesting comes into play, you can manifest the big, big picture, but to get there, it's the small baby steps. And I think that's the key thing, and identifying that.

GR: Yeah, yeah, totally. Thank you for pivoting back to our original topic. [laughs] 

AM: Absolutely!

GR: Brilliant. Yeah, cuz it's, you know, when you do have that big, passionate vision, it's, you know, it can be daunting. And you also can sometimes feel, like, here's the thing that I really, really want to do. And if we tackle it from, sort of a mechanistic mindset, or like, sort of from maybe the way the ego views the world, we can see ourselves as this little, tiny person trying to, you know, push against a giant boulder to change things.

I'm making a huge assumption that a lot of our listeners are likely changemakers in the world, they've got, like, this big heart inside of them, and they want to help people. Yeah, I think that's a fair assumption [laughs]. If you're not one of those people, you can always send us a message, I'd love to talk to you. 

Most of the people I connect with these days are just these shining beams of light in the world. 

And so, one of the things that really helps or switches from that, like, ego mind, which is -- "I'm small, I'm alone in this, I can't do it, it's too big for me," -- is to switch instead into that, sort of, manifesting mindset. Where you see yourself – which I think is the truest truth, and is the real world, is that we live in a quantum world, where everything is infinitely connected with everything else, all states of matter, all atoms vibrate. 

And below the level of the physical, the energy that is the field of awareness in the universe, is conscious. In my view, it is loving, and it is connected to us. And it is pure consciousness. 

And so, when we can get ourselves into the state or frequency of pure consciousness, and when we can sync up with it with meditation, or Reiki, or sometimes this is, like, riding your bike or exercising. Sometimes people get into that peak and flow state, in their brain, where you feel connected, where you feel at one and at peace with the "all that is." 

And when we're in that state, that is like that peak frequency zone, where not only are you communicating to the universe, like, "hey, universe, I'd like some of this, please." Like, "I want this, you know, career path to be easier," "I'd like to get this kind of job," or "I would like to, you know, fill my schedule with clients, you know, people that I can help and I know I'm doing good work," you know, all of that, sort of thing. 

We kind of send that call out to the universe, it's like a signal that we send out. And then, when we're in those peak states, or without that seed of connection, we can get an answer back. And it's always that, I always think of it as, like, the big dream and the baby steps. 

So, you sort of send out your big dream as, like, right from the center, [the] core of your heart, right from your soul. Like, the longing inside of you is, like, "I know, this is part of my purpose." This is a feeling I have, being willing to serve humanity, the world, in this positive, illuminated, uplifted way. And how do I do that? [laughs] 

And so, you get back the baby step. Because all time is now -- every moment you've ever lived happened now. And the universe communicates to us with feeling, with knowing, with the, sort of, little magnetic nudge or impulse. And it gives us only what we can handle, sort of like Google directions, or whatever. You put where you want to go into the divine computer, and it's not going to give you all 122 steps of your path, from where you are to where you want [to] be, it will give you the next step. 

And if you're going really fast, like on a highway, it'll give you maybe -- turn left and then right, it'll give you one or two instructions, it won't give you everything. Because it knows, it's loving. All you can do is what you can do in this moment, and not a single thing else. 

And so it will only tell you, what's the next step. And then, what's the next step? And when you get into that flow, sometimes the next step is: go to bed early Geneva, [laughs] get up the next morning, but write a list of all the things you want to do tomorrow. And then we'll help you with that, you know. 

Or sometimes it's as simple -- like, in Reiki, we meditate with our hands in Gassho, which is in prayer position. And it's like, sometimes the instruction for me is literally, like, put your hands together, Geneva. [laughs] And so, I do. [laughs] And that gets me out of whatever funk I'm in, and into a sea of action. 

And it can make it really, really simple, because then you just follow that frequency, and follow those little, tiny breadcrumbs from one thing to another. Yeah, that's how it is for me. How does that sit with you? What's your spin on it?

AM: On how to manifest? 

GR: [Yes].

AM: Would you like my spin on it from a personal perspective, a school perspective, or a professional perspective? 

GR: Yes. 

AM: All three?

GR: All the above! [laughs]

21:46 How to properly manifest.

AM: Oh my goodness! Okay. That's wonderful. 

In my opinion, in my experience, to properly manifest, what works best for me is, what is it -- at the peak time, you know what, timing for me is important. With a busy schedule, with children, with school, with work -- when I'm driving, safely, of course, with my eyes wide open [and] on the road, it is a very good time for me where I can connect to Divine. I'm not quite sure what it is. But it's one of the safest spots that I do feel. 

And I think, as I'm driving, you're so focused on what you had said, like, "Okay, is it -- which turn is next, right? The steps... 1, 2, 3." And then, certain thoughts just kind of come to my mind, like, "okay, yep, I gotta do A, or I gotta do B, outside of driving. And then, when I come home, before I go to sleep, I really identify, like, what time I'm going to bed, whether it's nine o'clock or 10 o'clock. And that, for me, is really important, because it's a huge transition period.

If I'm manifesting at 10 o'clock, after a super long day, it doesn't seem to give the proper results. As opposed to -- if I'm more focused at nine o'clock, everybody's safe, everybody's asleep, and I'm not excessively tired. I can then really identify, like, "Okay, where do I want to go from all levels?" If it's a school level, professional level, and a personal level, the time for me is very important. So, I usually do that about nine o'clock at night. 

And I just have a really clear, focused mind when I'm making the cues in my head to manifest, and how that's going to happen. Sometimes I'll draw pictures, sometimes I'll take down notes. And if not, then sometimes – I usually fall asleep. And the reason why I like to fall asleep afterwards, is because it's the last thing that I thought about. 

So, when you're sleeping, your brain's really thinking about all of the things that you just thought about before you went to bed. Because, what does Google say, it's not good to watch TV or have any screen time two hours or so prior to falling asleep, which is almost impossible for a lot of people who work, or a lot of people who are in school, or ... maybe. 

But when I do follow those guidelines, when I wake up in the morning, I feel a lot more refreshed. And then, I continue on that little bit of manifesting and say, “oh, okay.” Like, this becomes more clear now, because I've unconsciously thought about it when I've been asleep. And then that allows me to create a bigger vision board, and then, that's just kind of the process that I go about it.

GR: That's brilliant. That's brilliant. It reminds me of a process that you did with me when I had a couple of options. I don't know if you remember this or not, but it stuck with me because it was really powerful. 

I had a couple of choices that I was sort of wrestling with and I wasn't quite sure. It was really difficult to, kind of, get a clear read on sort of, my compass, you know, the "which way is the best way?" And you got me to write down -- take two little pieces of paper. 

Do you know this? You know what I'm talking about? Do you want to explain how you do that -- making choices by the feeling of ... yeah.

25:03 Alisia’s advice for choosing the right path.

AM: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So, what I suggested to Geneva was to write down, on two pieces of paper -- because you have two hands, that's where the two pieces of paper came from. And you write down the two thoughts that you have, or the two answers that you want to know, or the two of anything that you can't seem to figure out, and you put them in your hands. 

One left, one right. And then, what I believe, if I remember correctly, is just really take a deep breath, and essentially kind of close your eyes, and feel which one has more of a positive feeling in your hand, or more feeling of, like, that is a connection. 

And that --sorry, backtrack, you mix them up, so you don't know what is in what hand. [laughs] 'Cuz I was like, "wait, I'm missing something!" And then, when you put them in your hands, you don't know which [one] is in which hand. 

So, I believe that you do have that connection to that thought or idea. And then, when you close your eyes, you don't know which one [is] in your hand. And then you open your hand to the one you think that you feel the most connected with. Is that correct?

GR: Yeah. 

AM: Yes! Okay!

GR: Yeah. And it was neat because one felt -- 'cuz I remember it, so clearly. One felt like holding, like, a staticky, spiky, crackling ball of electricity, and the other one felt warm and glowing, and filled with light. And it was so fascinating to me, because it wasn't like – you know, I thought both of the options were kind of good. [laughs] 

Like, they weren't – it wasn't like, I was like, "here's one terrible option, and here's one great option." I really did feel like they were -- I was struggling to choose. But it was so apparent to me that my body knew, and that was the other thing, when you gave me this, like, beautiful cue, which was to, like, go into, like, what the body feels, or like my deep soul intuition is, like, the part of me that knows. The part of me that I can always trust to make the right choice is the part that's connecting to the energy.

And it's this vibration of truth, like the truth inside of me is responding to the truth inside of those two options. And it was so obvious, and I was a little bit surprised [by] what I pulled. I can't even remember what my choices [were], like, what was on those pieces of paper, I just remember the process so well. 

And that's one of the things that – little plug here – one of the things that Alisia is so great at, if you happen to be listening, is that she is so incredibly gifted at tuning into the Law of Attraction. And when you are at, say, a crossroads, I really like calling up my friend, Alisia, but you can book in as an intuitive session, or a Reiki session at LunaHolistic. And just ask – here are these things, this is where I want to go with my dream. And these are the choices that I'm facing. 

You know it sort of is nice if you are confused, to get a little bit of help getting clear on your own compass. And what I like about it is that it's a combination. I find your readings are a combination of my intuition and your intuition. That you encouraged me to – you have this, like, beautiful way of like, encouraging me to use my own knowing, and tapping into my own sort of instincts. 

And then, also combining it with your own – you know, the information that you're getting. I find that it all aligns really, really well, you know, and that when you say something, it's like, it zings with me. 

And so, it's paying attention to that, sort of like – Louise Hay calls it sort of your inner "ding." Or just something, you know, like you get sort of a sensation inside, or it rings as truth. Sometimes people get, like, head to toe chills of just like, "yeah, that resonates with me." 

Because it forms a harmony with – inside you, where you want to go, where your big dream is. And then, you get this sort of, like, clarity of what your next steps are. 

So, that's why you're awesome. [laughs] 

AM: Aw, thank you! Right back at you!

29:21 How to find your ideal workplace.

GR: Thanks! [laughs] One of the things that, you know, we also do here is Reiki. And with Reiki, we spend quite a bit of time at the beginning of a session, which I think is always so key to the results of the session, to set that positive intention. 

So, if you've got a dream, or a vision of something that you want to have happen -- so, maybe more abundance, or a more aligned career that's sort of more in harmony with your soul. Or if you're in a stage where you want to make sort of a pivot in your life, and, you know, that you don't want to be where you are, and you want to be somewhere else. 

One of the keys is to sort of take a moment to tune in to: how will it feel in your body when that dream is manifested?. So, one of the things is that, sometimes we don't know how we're going to get from point A to point B. How are we going to go from where we are to where we want to go? 

And we have, like, this sense of – maybe you want a better job. And something that's more aligned with your soul path. And so, even if you're not sure what that job is, you can get a sense of it. So, I often think of, like, imagine sitting in your ideal workplace, and then close your eyes. And you will have a feeling in your body of being in the perfect workplace. 

And it usually feels like: open, free, creative, productive, satisfying. Everybody has their own sweet spot mix. You know, some people are like, "I will feel empowered and driven and passionate," and other people will be like, "I will feel mellow and peaceful." And so, everyone has their own energy mix that they thrive on. And so, you will get that sense, and it's really --  feel it in your body. 

And get really accustomed and acquainted with that feeling of relief, and freedom, and satisfaction, and joy. And so, then you can leave the details uncertain, like you don't need to know how it's all going to play out, all you need to know is that feeling. And then, every single time you have a choice, and I mean, every choice -- from, like, what snack you're going to have, to which way you're going to drive home from school or work, or whether you're going to call your friends now or later. 

You know, every time you have a decision, you do – what they call [it] in physics is – you collapse the wave function. So, until we make a choice, all possibilities are superimposed, they all exist. And as soon as you make a choice, you collapse that wave of possibilities, of infinite possibilities of how that moment's gonna occur, into one thing. 

And so, if you pick an apple instead of an orange, that's a tiny little collapse of a wave function. Your life then goes on a different trajectory, and you're now standing in a new place, with a whole new array of options in front of you. And if you're making those decisions from a place that is aligned, or as close to that feeling state of what you want to manifest, then you're going to get new waves of potential energy. 

You actually, literally change the fabric of reality around you, and you get a different world. And doors that used to be closed, or not even available, start opening, and all of a sudden you start meeting people, synchronicity goes up. You see repeated numbers over, and over, and over again. You get into this, sort of, sweet spot where you get these little indicators of synchronicity that you're on the right path. 

And life becomes more and more joyful, because [for] every choice you're tuning in -- which one feels more like open, which one feels more like alignment. And even if you've got an array of terrible choices, one of them will always be, like, a little bit more like a breath of fresh air, you know, there'll be a little bit more of a flow to it. And so, then you just take a step towards that one. And bit by bit, step by step, you get into a different place. 

34:25 The need to know where you are headed. 

GR: So, there is that, like, need for that big vision, we need to know where we're headed. Otherwise, we just end up in some random place. You know, it's sort of like, if you get into the back of a cab, the driver says "where to?" And you just sit there and you don't say anything, right? 

Like, if you don't give the universe a direction, it's just gonna give you a smattering of random places, you know, and you won't be directing, sort of, the trajectory of your life. And you have to let the universe provide the most optimal route. 

You don't need to worry about [making] a wrong choice, because just like GPS in your car, it will reroute you. You'll get a new set of options, and then you can redirect. And so, don't worry about missing out or, sort of, I forget the common term or phrase, which is like, missing the ship or something, you know? [laughs]

AM: Like FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out.

GR: Fear Of Missing Out is, like, you know, don't worry about missing that opportunity. Because, you know, ships run on schedules, you know. There's always a next one, the next day, and these opportunities come at regular and rhythmic opportunities. 

And if you do this little tool, to tune in to the vision, know how that feels, and then make every choice that's closest to that feeling, you can create opportunities that didn't exist before. 

And that's why you're listening to this podcast right now, is because I did that, to walk myself out of a job that was totally fine. I was good at it, made lots of money at it. And it wasn't my calling, it wasn't my best area of service. And when I was in it, something in me was suffering, because I knew there was something more I was supposed to be doing with my life. 

And so, I knew it was healing. And I knew Reiki was a big part of it. But I didn't know how that would look, because I didn't start there. You know, I had no examples of anybody who went from a science job to a spiritual job. 

And so, for me, it was like, there was no path -- I had to make my own. And so, I just stepped one step, by another step, by another step. And then, I would course correct and tune into my vision, get help along the way. And now we're here. [laughs]  So, yeah, how does that sit with you, Alisia?

AM: I think that's really perfect. Especially because a lot of people who are most likely listening, or maybe have just skimmed by the podcast, maybe they're not happy in a job that they currently are [in]. 

So, to hear your bravery of stepping out of a well liked job, well paid job, into the unknown, I think really would, kind of, [be] in sync with a lot of the people who are listening. So, to have that bravery is very important. And you succeeded, because you're on the other end of a very successful, positive company. And it's run beautifully. 

And I can say that, I've worked in a lot of different places. So, you've made it work on the other end, with no path. So, I think it's very, very well suited.

GR: Awesome. Thank you. Thank you for that little plug [laughs]. 

AM: You’re welcome. 

GR: Yes, yes, and you also have walked that path of leaving a job you're good at, and pays lots of money. And instead followed a dream, and a passion to, you know, go back to school, and you know, work at, you know, LunaHolistic part time. And while you're raising these two little boys, like, you've got a lot on your plate, but you know, you're walking the talk. 

So, I think that's, you know, a really good fit for anybody who is maybe at a juncture, sort of standing at a crossroads. Where you don't want to be where you are, but maybe you're not sure where, what the next step is. You can book in with Alisia, or any of the other practitioners here at LunaHolistic. 

I do Energetic Eight Business Coaching, which is basically using the model of the chakra system to, sort of, move you forward on your big dream. And using lots of the strategies that I've learned, and put together, and created for myself, and learned from other people, to basically give you a framework to make decisions about your business you want to go into. 

Or maybe it's a creative dream, like that book you've always wanted to write, that's sort of burning a hole in your back pocket. Or a course that you want to create, or anything like that. I do that as coaching. And then, I also have an Energetic Eight Business Course, which is in pilot mode. So, I am creating it as we speak. 

And so, you can get in now, it's never going to be cheaper than it is today. Eventually, it'll be a several $100 to maybe several $1,000 course. Right now, it's an incredibly good deal. So, go check that out. You can find that link on the resources page. And we're here to help you. 

So, to close off Alisia, do you have any final thoughts or, sort of, wishes for listeners?

40:09 The power of your own destiny.

AM: No, I think the best thing I can offer anybody who's willing to listen is to be open to any dream that you want to have. Because nothing's out of reach as long as you believe that it's not out of reach. 

You're the power of your own destiny.

GR: Ah, brilliant! Nailed it. Mic drop. No further words are required. Thank you so much for being here today with me, Alisia.

AM: Thank you for having me.

GR: We'll catch you all next time. 

Outro:

GR: Thank you for joining us on the LunaHolistic Podcast. We're so grateful that you are here. If you've got a question, we'd love to hear from you. Go to LunaHolistic.com/podcast and we'll answer you in an upcoming episode. Be sure to subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And also, please rate, because you never know where your little five stars will go to shine light into somebody's heart today. So, thank you very much and we'll see you next time.

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In this podcast episode, Geneva Robins and Melissa Jaswal (Adams) talk about distance Reiki. What is Distance Reiki, how does it work, and how might it help you.

 

What is a Distance Reiki Session like?

Distance Reiki is where the practitioner can do Reiki on someone, literally anywhere in the world. Your Reiki practitioner could be here in Calgary, and you could be in Ontario or Japan; the distance doesn't matter. This is possible because Reiki transcends time and space. It will reach that person if their intention is to receive Reiki. As soon as the session starts, the energy starts flowing. 

With a Virtual Distance Reiki session, you pick a time that works for you, and all you need to do is be in a place where you can relax. And just like a regular Reiki session, we chat together, and you talk about what's going on, and then set an intention. The intention is the focus of the session, what you want to get out of the session or the energy you would like to draw into your life. Then the practitioner sends you Reiki and guides you into a meditation. At the end, you chat about your experiences, just like an in-person session.

Relax at Home 

The shifts you can make in a Distance Session are just as big as those in an in-person session, sometimes even bigger. Sometimes you can go in such a deep, relaxed state because you're at home. You're in this restful place where you feel totally comfortable. And when you are more relaxed it can be easier to notice the energy helping you. 

Get into alignment with the Law of Attraction

If you're working on things like drawing your life purpose towards you, manifesting the beautiful life you want, or getting into alignment with abundance, you can set that as an intention in a distance Reiki session.

The law of attraction is a frequency-based process. When you're in the same harmony or frequency as what you'd like to draw into your life, then it starts arriving. You can set your Virtual Distance Reiki intention to be in that energy of fulfillment. Then we can hold that space for you and help you stay in that high vibe frequency that matches everything you want. Then you just stand back and watch what happens in your life. 

A virtual distance Reiki session is like an energetic fine-tuning. 

Beyond Time and Space with Distance Reiki - How Does it Work?

As a practitioner, you do the same steps in the same order as you would in person. The only difference is that you're just missing the physical touch on the body. But in terms of the energy, everything else is identical. You don't need to be in the same room as the person, because the energy is beyond time and space. 

The studies have yet to be completed, but a possible working hypothesis on how Reiki works is that it is a quantum mechanical effect. When you get past the atom level and go into that subatomic quantum realm, there is a field of energy that underlies all matter and is infinitely connected with everything else.

With Distance Reiki, the practitioner is sitting in their home, and they use Reiki, which you could think of like quantum tools, to create a pathway or an opening in time and space and reach out their energetic hands to wherever the person is. The practitioner imagines the energy flowing to the person as though they were in the room. The effect and energy will instantly arrive wherever that person is. 

Distance Reiki Works!

We know from our own experience and our clients' experience over all of these years that it works. We know that to be true. So we always have a 100% guarantee you'll be happy with the session you got. And if you're not, we'll give you a full refund, no questions asked. 

Experience a Session

The more relaxed you are when you receive a Reiki session, the more likely you will connect to your intuition. Sometimes, you are also more aware of what's happening with your own energy. 

In virtual Reiki sessions, we like to keep people on the line. So we'll do the session over zoom or over the phone. When you're in a distance session, treat it like a regular session, sit still, and get cozy. We guide you into a meditation and relaxed state. We might coach you to breathe and visualize with different colours or energy. And then we always leave the last little bit to share experiences. 

It's so amazing. We're not really adding anything in Reiki sessions, both distance or in-person. We're letting that beautiful spirit that's always been there, your heart, your soul, and that energy have more space. You get more space to breathe and let that sure, confident, beautiful, loving, compassionate self lead more choices in your life. 

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Geneva Robins and Angela Hoogeveen chat about being stuck! In this podcast episode, we share all the ways you can get moving again. 

Why do you get stuck? What happens when you're stuck?

It can be so depressing, hopeless, and frustrating to be in an uncomfortable place. Being stuck makes you feel like you can't move back, forward, sideways, up or down. You feel like you need to be more connected and engaged with the life you want but just can't seem to get there. 

When you get stuck, your inner critical voice might be yelling at you. It might be very harsh, pushing you to move faster than you can and saying everything you should be doing. 

The main theme of the inner critic is "never enough," so no matter what, you get yelled at to get moving faster. It's very damaging. That inner critical voice often makes you more stuck. 

Even though we might think that a kick in the butt will get us moving, it never lasts for long. The inner wise part of us wants to stop the inner violence. Things externally will grind to a halt. Anytime there's that pushing or pulling or pressure from the inner critic, it is the fastest way to stop everything and get in that really stuck place. 

The Illusion of Safety in Being Stuck

The other side of stuckness is that sometimes it's a protective thing to try to keep us out of what our ego perceives as danger. The inner critic loves you being stuck. Because if you're stuck, you're safe. In its view, if you're not doing anything new, scary, or vulnerable, then it is happy. But being stuck can get so uncomfortable because we need growth, change and transformation to feel alive. 

Accepting that little tiny bit of emotional risk that comes with doing something new can create the energetic change that can get you unstuck.

How do you get unstuck?

The steps to get out of a stuck place are: soften, relax, get gentle, notice where you are, come back to your body, see what can change, notice a tiny thing you can be grateful for, and then take even the tiniest little sliver of action. Any tiny movement will move you, even if it doesn't seem like a lot. 

Stop Struggling against being Stuck

The first step out of being stuck is often to stop struggling and get still.  

Noticing where you are is the first step to getting out. It's uncomfortable to notice the discomfort of the present moment. Nobody wants to do that.

 It's much easier to numb, but the numbing only pauses, what's happening, it doesn't process it, and it doesn't end up moving you forward. It just is a delay, which can add more pressure on you.

Being stuck in your life is no different than being in a mud puddle. You've sunk in up to your knees. And the more you flail, the worse it will be for you. And so the first thing is to stop, get still, and really pay attention to what's happening in the body. 

Returning to that state of presence, to your breath, and a state of calm will help you get out. Stop, get present, get grounded, see where you are, and then look for the possibilities around you.

Compulsive future-looking doesn't help you navigate. To get anywhere, you have to know where you are first. 

Gentleness is the key to getting out of a stuck place

The way forward is just loving yourself more and being okay with where you are. Simply being gentle with yourself and loving yourself through it is the key to breaking free. It feels counterintuitive because, growing up, we are often pushed to go forward. There was a belief that you needed a kick in the butt to get unstuck and get you moving forward. 

Simply say to the inner critical voice, "You know what? It's okay. Yes, I do want to be over there. I want to be doing things I'm not currently doing. But it's okay. It's okay. I'm here. I need to accept where I am. And love myself through it and be gentle with myself." 

You can just lower your expectations of yourself. Then once the pressure of the inner critic stops, there is a kind, loving voice that fills the silence that can give you peace, comfort and guidance. That takes away that stuck feeling, and then moving forward becomes natural.

Being soft and gentle creates real freedom from the inner critic. If the energy keeping you stuck is harsh, then you need the opposite to break free. 

Just soften around all of it, don't put so much pressure on yourself, and appreciate your life where it is. The more we struggle against where we are, the worse things can feel. 

Reframe your thoughts to get unstuck

Sometimes it's a thought that can keep you stuck. Reframing how you think about your situation can help you move forward. 

A great app to help improve your mental well-being is Wysa; it's a little cognitive behavioural therapy app. It's fantastic for helping you reframe your thoughts. It can take you through a reframing exercise, help with gratitude journalling, and even has some yoga and meditation practices to help you regroup.

All or none thinking can be a contributor to getting stuck. You want to leap immediately from one place to another with no in-between. That rush or pressure creates so much tension that it can halt all forward movement. This type of thinking diminishes even the tiny things that move you forward because it is never enough.

Surrender the details and the plan and let it all go; let it be in the hands of the Divine. Spend some time relaxing, doing Reiki or meditation, reading something inspirational, or even watching people being creative on YouTube. Find ways where you can feed your brain new ways of looking at things. Getting curious about anything moves you forward and can inspire your own creativity. 

Just take a step back and try to look at your life almost as a third party. When you do, you'll realize how far you have come; you are doing big things. Sometimes you need a minute to take a breath. You can reframe being stuck as just taking a breather, a rest. Maybe you just need a moment. 

Tiny positive actions move you forward

Shifting your thinking to embrace any tiny movement forward can really help. You can't leap from where you are. But you can make a tiny little change. 

Usually, these tiny incremental changes get us from point A to point B. It's the little tiny things that we do every day that add up over the long term. 

It's much better to change the underlying habit than to get the result. Loosening your grip on the results and knowing that the results are baked into the process creates so much ease. So if we can change a tiny little habit to a healthier one, the progress we're after will appear with time. 

What is some way that you can make even a symbolic movement forward? What's the next little baby step? Just take that tiny action and then another. And then, when you turn around, you'll notice that you've come a really long way. 

When Things are Beyond your Control...

Even in intensely difficult situations when you don't know how things will resolve, the principles that can help you are the same. Take tiny moments and breaks to return to your breath; return to the present moment. When the future is very uncertain, the only safe space is the present moment. The present moment can be this little island of relief when everything else is up in the air. 

Doing little tiny kind things for yourself, like taking a shower, making sure that you're well hydrated, making sure that you're meditating and reaching out to loved ones, all those little things are enormously important. 

Anything that brings in that little breath of relief and comfort and makes you feel good is a step. Remember, forward is forward; it doesn't matter how small.

You've got this!!

We can go step by step and move away from that stuck place to that place of freedom. The gifts of those stuck moments are that we learn so much when we're stuck. We need to do the same strategies when we're in the flow. 

Everything you're learning is important and will help keep you in the flow once you're free. You're ultimately building skills to be in that resilient space. And you won't be as fearful when you are stuck. You'll know you can move forward and be in that flow again.

We have a new podcast episode every month! Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 

You can send us your question in the comments below or record your question here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/podcast/

We are also very happy to share the gift of Reiki through our Giving Back Program! Every month we give away free Reiki sessions to exceptional people. 

Learn more here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/giving-back-program/

 

 

LunaHolistic Podcast 07 TranscriptHelp, I’m Stuck! - How Do I Move My Life Forward?

Hosted by: Geneva Robins – LunaHolistic 

Facilitated by: Angela Hoogeveen

Podcast Air Date: Sunday, January 15, 2023

Episode: LHP07

0:05  Welcome to the show.

GENEVA ROBINS: Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! I’m your host, Geneva Robins, and every month on this podcast, we'll talk about Reiki, as well as answering your questions on all things spiritual. We are gratefully located in Calgary in Treaty 7 Territory. Thank you all, and welcome to the show!

Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! My name is Geneva Robins. Welcome, everybody! I'm so happy to have Angela Hoogeveen here with me today. Say hi, Angela.

ANGELA HOOGEVEEN: Hi! Hi everyone.

GR: Good to see you! I'm so glad to be talking about our favourite topic, Reiki, with you today. And our main theme is: Help! I'm stuck! 

AH: [laughs]

GR: And what we can do to get unstuck. And we'll both be sharing, sort of, the things that we do to get ourselves to a new, fresher place. 

But before we jump into that, we'll start with [a] collective breath of gratitude. Just a way of connecting in, and little mini meditation. If you're operating any kind of vehicle, please keep your eyes open and maybe skip ahead. 

Otherwise, I invite you to gently close your eyes, and take a big sigh of relief. Settling in and connecting, noticing the Earth below your feet. Sending a big wave of gratitude into the Earth. 

Thanking that energy for nurturing and supporting all of your needs. Noticing the plants, and animals. The sky, the water, the land, are all around you. Letting that gratitude ripple out from you. And feeling that wave of gratitude return. And when you're ready, you can open your eyes. 

[Sighs] So nice. Thank you! 

AH: Lovely. [laughs]

GR: Thank you for joining me today. Before we jump into our main topic, I was curious. Reiki is our favourite topic, but, and, is kind of all of the topics. 

AH: [laughs]

GR: What do you love about Reiki, Angela?

AH: Well, there's so many things! So, when I first got started with Reiki, someone who was a Reiki practitioner told me that Reiki was going to change my life. What I sort of thought [was] "sure, okay," maybe not even really believing, or understanding how Reiki could change my life.

But now, you know, several years later, it's 100% true. Reiki has changed my life for the absolute better. It's even hard to articulate what it's done. It's definitely helped me through a lot of things, a lot of feelings, a lot of old, stuck traumas, and old, stuck feelings that I wasn't able to process. 

And then, just in regards to being a practitioner, being able to help my clients and seeing the changes in their life through Reiki. Yeah, it's just, it's awesome. 

Well, what do you love about Reiki?

GR: Ah, all of the things, I really do. It's a fantastic self-healing, you know, self-care practice. I think that's the core of it for me. Like, one of the things we say in our Reiki classes all the time is that "all healing is self-healing." 

And so, as a practitioner, I'm always doing my own work, regardless of what's happening. So, even if I never did another Reiki session for anyone else, I would still be doing my own practice, because it can shift things. 

And it's remarkable to me how, even after all this time, I will get sort of stuck in my head a little bit. And I will… I'll try to use my mind to solve problems – terrible idea! And really a few minutes of Reiki can shift things, and it helps me find solutions where I just didn't see any options before. 

And so, that part is just transformational to me. So, to me, it puts you in touch with your inner wisdom, and it creates this space so that you can connect to, sort of, that calm, quiet inner knowing. 

And when we're in that place, that sort of like… obstacles don't seem as big, and solutions come in, you know, we get ideas, and we get connected to creative solutions. And it also just makes you feel, like, good, and well, and peaceful. 

That's what I like about it, for me. And it's helped heal so many things for me, you know – injured back, and migraine pain, and has significantly improved my allergy and asthma symptoms, to the point where I don't even have an inhaler anymore, which is, you know, results may vary [laughs]. 

So, not everybody is going to have that same experience. But for me, it's been one of the many things that has shifted a bunch of physical things in my own body. But deeper than that, it's cleared a lot of long-standing thought patterns, you know, shifting the inner critic voice to a more kind, interior landscape. And really, it's a practice to, kind of, keep that going and flowing. 

And then, it's just absolutely the best job in the world when I get a chance to work with other people, because I get to create the space where people can connect to that Divine space inside them. And that place of healing, and rest, and recovery. 

And I basically just get to facilitate somebody else's miracle, like, to connect, you know. We kind of open up this energy space, and then people can connect to it in whatever way they need to. 

So yeah, it's endlessly fascinating to me. And it is absolutely -- my conscious mind, or my ego-mind is, like, cannot wrap its head around what is happening. It doesn't seem like it would be possible, but it somehow is, because we just keep seeing these amazing results over and over again. And we keep experiencing it ourselves. 

So, it's just that, you know, even for people who aren't connected to the energy, or don't really believe in that stuff, you know, you might even just chalk it up to, like, the power of the mind. And that mind-body connection, and that our brains are these, you know, living computers that are inside our physical body. 

And when we think a new thought, or we're in a different mental state, when we're in that, sort of, calmer, parasympathetic response, we're not in that stressed, "fight or flight" response, then that's when our immune system can do all the healing work. 

And so, it's almost like we get ourselves out of the way. So that that energy can shift things for us. So yeah, that's what it is for me. Thank you.

AH: So, just a few little things [laughs].

GR: Just a few! Just, like, it's just all of the things [laughs].

AH: It does sound crazy, like you said. The mind -- it's hard to fathom, or maybe even accept that Reiki can help with your asthma, and your allergies. 

But, you know, I know for myself when I broke my ankle, other than the initial break, I really didn't have any pain throughout the whole process. But I was also giving myself a ton of Reiki. 

And along with that, like you said, mind over matter, you know, that you can have control over your body with your mind. I convinced myself that I was healed, and it was feeling good. 

And my cast came off. I didn't need physio. It was kind of crazy how... yeah, I mean, you would think with a broken ankle, you know, it wouldn't just, kind of, "snap" [snaps fingers], go back to normal, but it did.

GR: Yeah. Yeah. And that's something, because you're a big hiker. And so, [laughs] you know, ankles are somewhat important when you hike as a hobby [laughs].

AH: Absolutely! 

GR: You would know if something was wrong, but yeah, that's amazing! It's really amazing. 

I like this next topic, which is: "help, I'm stuck! How do I move forward?" And the reason I like it is because it's so, like, everybody has been there. And it totally sucks when you're in that stuck place. 

I don't want to diminish anybody who's feeling stuck, because it can be so depressing, and hopeless, and frustrating to be in a place that is uncomfortable. Where you feel like you can't move back, forward, or sideways, up or down. 

You just are in this, sort of, stationary, static place. Or the feeling, or perception that you're not able to move from that place. That's, you know, sometimes it's being stuck in something that's uncomfortable. 

And sometimes it's just being stuck in the bleh, you know, not really feeling a lot, not really, you know, being connected or engaged with the life that you want to have. And, you know, there's lots of tips and strategies of, kind of, how we each have gotten through this.

But I'm curious for you, Angela, like, what does stuckness mean for you? 

08:33 What does stuckness mean for Angela? 

And then, what are some of the ways that you get yourself unsticky stuck and help others as well? Like, what, kind of, pops up for you?

AH: Well, I'm definitely familiar with the feeling of being stuck. I recently have gone through that, where I was really, really stuck, as you know, because I had to come [in] for a Reiki session where it felt like I had cement boots on. 

And, you know, I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and where I wanted to go. But I had so much resistance to it, that I didn't do any of the things, I was just literally stuck. I couldn't move. 

I mean, I could -- I mean, physically, I could move, of course -- but it just felt like I couldn't. And it's an awful place to be. And now I do feel unstuck. I feel like I am moving forward, and I am a lot happier. 

And what worked was, again, absolutely, you know, having a Reiki session, that will help move that, kind of, stuck energy. But when I'm stuck, it's that critical voice yelling at me, and saying all [of] the things that I should be doing. 

"Why aren't you doing this? You should be doing this." "Look where you are, you haven't gotten out of bed for hours!" It's very damaging. And that voice just made me more stuck, because it was: "don't tell me what to do. I [laughs] am going to do this." 

And I find that just being gentle with myself, and loving myself through it. You know it kind of almost feels counterintuitive. I guess because growing up, it was more: "come on [claps hands], let's go, let's do it." You know, "move!" There wasn't a softness to it, you know. 

There was a belief that I just... that you needed a kick in the butt to get unstuck, and to get you  moving forward. But for me, that absolutely doesn't work. It may work for some people. But for me, that doesn't work. 

So yeah, it is just loving myself more, and being okay with where I am. And, kind of, lowering my expectations of myself. Or of that critical voice that's, again, telling me what I need, or what I should be doing, and where I should be. 

And just saying, "you know what, it's okay. Yes, I do want to be over there, or I do want to be doing these things that I'm not currently doing. But it's okay. It's okay, I'm here."  

I need to accept where I am. And love myself through it, and be gentle with myself. And then, usually that is what helps that, you know. 

Once I stop pressuring myself, once that pressure is gone, and once there is a kind, loving voice in my head, then that seems to take away that stuck feeling. And then I'm able to move forward.

GR: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. I agree. And honestly, I don't think that anybody... that the pushing through, or the, like, the kick in the butt works really for anybody long term. I think it can work for people in the short term, but it's, like, it's a system that relies on kicking, [laughs] you know. 

AH: Yeah. Yep. 

GR: So, it isn't... definitely isn't a comfortable way of going, you know. It's, like, it's getting stuck in the push and pull. And for me, anyway, I agree with you. 

I've got a nervous system that's similar. It's like, anytime there's that pushing or pulling, or that, like, that pressure. That, like, "I have to get all of these things done, and I have to do it immediately. And I have to do it perfectly." 

And it's like, "Ugh!" It just... it is the fastest way to stopping everything, and getting in that, sort of, really stuck place. And then, you know, and how mean our minds can be, as well. 

Which kind of comes back to that, like, acceptance piece, that there's a real freedom from it, by just being soft and gentle. And being the opposite of the energy, you know. If the energy that's keeping you stuck is harsh, then you need the opposite to break free. 

So, whatever energy is keeping you in that stuck place, and is holding you stationary. So, sometimes it's a thought, you know. [It's] that we feel like we're stuck by circumstances sometimes because of, you know. 

"Well, I can't tell these people no, so I have to keep on doing all of these other obligations, that are not letting me do the things that I want to do for myself." So, then I feel like I'm not moving forward on the things that really matter, you know. And then, that can contribute to the stuckness. 

16:36 The importance of noticing where you are is the first step to getting out. 

So, often it's about, like, kind of, stopping the struggling. For me it's, like, noticing where you are is the first step to getting out. 

It's uncomfortable to notice the discomfort of the present moment. Nobody wants to do that, it's much easier to numb, right? But the numbing only pauses what's happening. It doesn't process it, and it doesn't end up moving you forward. 

It just is a delay, which can add more pressure on us, because then we think "Oh, now I've been stuck for a really long time! Three years, five years, 10 years, same place, oh my gosh," you know. 

Like, all-or-[nothing] thinking is also a contributor to the stuckness, you know. It's often something that's, like, a belief we're holding in our mind. 

And so, thinking about it in, sort of like, these little, tiny incremental changes is, like... "well, maybe I can't leap from where I am, and don't want to be, to where I'm gonna go. But maybe I can make a tiny little change. Maybe I can notice little changes that are occurring all around me." 

And kind of get [out of] that panic, you know, of like... I'm in a place and I don't want to be here and it's uncomfortable. And I don't want to keep on being here, but I also don't know how I'm going to go from where I am to where I want to be. 

So, the whole thing can get really bound really quickly. And so, when I notice that I'm in those spaces, my first thing is to stop. Stop struggling, it's sort of like being in a mud puddle, you know, up to your knees. And it's, like, the more you flail, the worse it's going to be for you. 

And so, the first thing is to stop, get still, and really pay attention to what's happening in the body, you know. So, coming back to that state of presence, you know, which is very, very difficult when you don't like where you are. 

But that compulsive future looking doesn't help you navigate, you know, because in order to get anywhere, you have to know where you are first, you know. Like, where are you? If you know where you want to go, the first thing is to stop, get present, get grounded, and see where you are. 

And then see, what possibilities do you have? And to make tiny changes. Because I think our egos, like, want us to leap immediately there. But that's rarely the way things happen. It's usually these tiny, little incremental changes [that] get us from point A to point B. 

And it's the little, tiny things that we do everyday that add up over [the] long term. So, it's like, for me, it's like, much better to change the underlying habit than to get the result, you know. So it's, sort of like, loosening our grip on the results, and just, sort of, know that the results are baked into the process.  

So, if we can change a tiny, little habit that's healthier, you know. So, something like: when you're tired, stop and rest, you know [laughs]. When you need inspiration, like, go and watch inspiring videos, right? 

So, you know, looking at ways where you can, like, kind of, feed your brain new ways of looking at things. And getting curious about, and creative about: here is where I am. It's not super comfortable, but what is some way that I can make even a symbolic movement forward? 

20:23 How to deal with the fear of being stuck. 

You know, I remember before I left my other career, and I really knew I didn't want to do it anymore. I knew I really wanted to do Reiki full-time. 

And so, every minute I was at my other job was just kind of torture, because it felt like I was taking that time away from Reiki. That's a pretty difficult place to be in. And so, my solution was just to soften around all of it, to not put so much pressure on my little, tiny growing career to be the everything. But just to appreciate it for where it [was]. 

The more I struggled against where I was, and the more I made my day job "bad," it actually undermined the work I was doing to move forward. It was actually the best way of staying stuck, or being in this state of, like, constant tension, which is not the energy I wanted to bring to the work. 

So then, my reframe was to just see my day job, at the time, as a source of funding capital for my business [laughs], you know. It was [an] investment source so that I could do this on the side. 

And then, it was this, sort of, inner commitment that no matter how long it was gonna take, I was going to take the time that was required. And I was gonna surrender everything else and let it all go, and let it be in the hands of the Divine. 

And then, also not... and, like, to be really, really, really grateful for everything I had. And from time to time, I will feel stuck. But the stuckness is almost an illusion, you know. 

And so, it's this softening into what is, doing Reiki, doing meditation. I really, really like the app Wysa. W-y-s-a. It's a little Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy app. It's fantastic for helping you, like, reframe your thoughts. 

Yeah I think, you know, the biggest thing is, like: soften, relax, get gentle. Notice where you are, come back to your body, see what you... what tiny thing you can be grateful for. 

And then, take even the tiniest little sliver of action, even if it doesn't seem like a lot. Because the other thing that I notice is that the inner critic is really quick to, like, beat up on us for not moving forward. And then, really quick to completely dismiss any tiny, little action that moves us forward. 

You know, so it's, like, it will always say that whatever you do isn't enough, right? It's this constant tape. Not enough, not enough, not enough. Where you are isn't good enough: stuck [laughs], you know. You did five minutes on the project, that's not enough: stuck, right? 

So, it's like, it loves you being stuck. Because if you're stuck, you're safe. In its view, right? It's, like, it can keep a watch on you at least, if you're not doing anything new, scary, or vulnerable, you know. 

So, that's the other side of stuckness, is that: sometimes it's a protective thing, to try to keep us out of what our ego perceives to be danger. You know, but that's all the good stuff. 

You know, accepting that little bit of the tiny emotional risk that comes with doing something new, or doing something for the "effing first time" as Brene Brown calls it [laughs], you know. And we don't like it, and it sucks. 

And so, it's much better to get and stay stuck, and then find ways of keeping yourself in that immobilized space. Because then no movement can happen, and no change can happen. But it's misery being there, you know. 

And so, sometimes it's just a matter of, like ... sometimes what moves us forward is the discomfort of being stuck. It sucks so much, not moving forward, not doing something that is loving, kind, generous, creative – that it's worth the risk, you know, the little risk of vulnerability feels less awful than staying where you are [laughs], you know. 

But, yeah, how does that sit with you, Angela?

25:11 The pressure of the critical voice – it’s never enough.

AH: I've been nodding my head the entire time [laughs] [you've been] talking, because it all resonates. And it is that pressure of the critical voice, that "it's never enough." 

Yeah, okay, maybe you walked a kilometer today, but you "should" have walked 10, or whatever it is. As you say, it's just, it never seems to be enough, which then causes more stuckness. Because you're like, "Well, then why should I bother?" 

But it is absolutely surrendering. And it's being okay, and understanding that it's about baby steps. And that we can't go from A to Zed, there's all of those letters in between. 

You know, one thing that you say often is that: no push, no pull, which I really tried to, like, "okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, no push, no pull." It's huge. And life becomes a lot easier when there's no push, no pull, when you can flow.

But yeah, it's that critical voice, it's that ego voice that can sometimes just take a hold of you. And, like you said, they, you know, the critical voice wants you to stay where you are. 

So, you're fighting yourself. And it can become quite ugly, and quite disheartening. And then, you know, yeah, you start to numb, and it's just this downward spiral. And, you know, it can leave you stuck for a very long time. 

But, you know, again, when you're gentle with yourself, and you're loving yourself, and you surrender into... "okay, this is where I'm at," you know. I might not like where I'm at, and I don't want to be here. But this is where I'm currently at. 

And what's the next little step? What's the next little baby step? And then, as you say, when you turn around, you're like, man, I've come a really long way. You know, those were big, big steps through the baby steps. 

GR: Yeah. Yeah. And each baby step can feel like a giant leap, you know [laughs], sometimes.

AH: Absolutely. 

GR: You know, and some of them are tiny, but momentous, right? Like, you know, "click send" is a very tiny action, but can launch a lot of dreams, right? Writing a single email can be a very tiny step in the grand scheme of everything. But it can change a lot. 

And so, you know, sometimes we feel that forward motion. And so, then we're pulling back from it, just [trying] to stay out of it. But what are some tools that you like that move you out? What is your little baby step repertoire for getting in the flow again?

AH: Of course, a Reiki session absolutely helps. And, again, just taking that step back, and trying to look at my life almost as a third party. And to realize, you know what, you have come far, you are doing big things. And sometimes you do need a minute to take a breath. 

And so, almost to reframe it that I'm not stuck, I'm just taking a breath. I just need a moment. And, you know, and that moment might be a week, or maybe a day, it might be an hour, I don't know. 

But then it's like, "okay, yeah, let's go." And then, loving myself enough to hold my own hand in a sense, and be gentle with myself, and kind to myself. To say: "we can do this, come on, let's go. Let's go. It's okay." 

29:16 The importance of being in the present moment. 

And to give myself credit for even, like you said, you know, in regards to sending that email, but even having a shower [laughs] sometimes is a big step and a big deal. And accepting that, you know what, that was... and even if that's all I do in a day is have a shower. You know what? Well, that was a step. And it's okay. 

Even though my critical mind and my ego is saying: "oh, that's all you did today? Come on!" But it's a "no no, no, no, no, no, no. I love you." They'll hush up. I had a shower today and I'm proud of that. And then, tomorrow I'll have a shower and I'll go for a walk. And then the next day... you know, so it definitely... as it goes in that downward motion, it can go in that forward motion as well.

GR: I think it [is], like, any tiny, little thing that creates movement. So, it doesn't, you know... anything that brings in that little breath of relief and comfort, and makes you feel good is a step, you know. 

And getting support, and, you know... yeah, I'm a big... my go to is Reiki as well, Reiki or meditation. Or I love, you know, going to sort of my book mentors, or to, you know, podcasts or YouTube videos. Or things [from] people who have done their own amazing thing, you know. 

I like to put myself in the vicinity of creativity, even if I don't feel creative, and I don't know how I'm gonna get from point A to point B. Connecting with inspiration and inspiring people is a big part of, kind of, my mental self-care. It's, like, "well, if they can do it, then I can do it," you know.  

Just, you know, even just, like, the Field of Dreams, you know [laughs], watching that movie [laughs]. Like, it makes a big difference to sort of connect in. It's like, okay, I don't know how, but maybe I don't need to know how. 

And that's the other thing that I like is, you know... often in Reiki, we say, like, we don't need to know how that person's gonna go from the pain they're in to where they want to be. Our job is just to see it as possible, to see them in that happy, joyful, smiling space. 

And then, surrender everything to the Divine, and we just, sort of, completely let go. And then, trying to apply that to everything in my life [laughs]. You know, so, if I'm stuck and I'm struggling, it's like: "let go," you know. 

And even in situations that are... [it] seems like there's no way out, you don't know how things are going to resolve, you know. You don't know where things are going to go from where you are, you know. And maybe you're going to be in this uncomfortable space for a while. 

I think the principles are the same. And where things are just... [it feels] like they're just, kind of, beyond your control, and may be beyond your control. And in those circumstances it's, yeah, taking those moments and breaks to come back to your breath. 

Come back to the present moment. When the future is very uncertain, the only safe space is the present moment. 

And so, in some ways it's like the present moment can be this little island of relief when everything else is up in the air. And so, coming back to your breath, coming back to grounding. And then, doing little, tiny, kind things for yourself, like taking a shower, like making sure that you're well hydrated. Making sure that you're meditating, and reaching out to loved ones, because all of that is little, tiny movements forward. 

And the universe is never static. And no matter where you are, you will never be there forever. Because everything is in a constant flow of change. And if it's changing, it can be changed. Anything that's changeable, will change. And all things can be changed. It might take a very long time. 

But it's… every little breath, every little step, is a tiny movement forward, and one day closer to not being in that spot. And regardless of what the future is bringing, it's like: how do you want to be through those moments? 

So, it's coming back to that presence and being, and the intention, and finding joy and gratitude, even if it's the teeniest, tiniest, little thing. Like, I can take an inhale and then exhale. Like, that's a moment of gratitude. It can be a lifesaver. It can keep your mind sane when everything has gone insane [laughs]. 

So, that's my strategy for times of great intensity and strife. It really is, like, whether you get stuck by choice or by accident, really the tools are very, very similar in both spaces. 

And in some ways, it's like, the greater the intensity, the more important... and more careful and kind and gentle you need to be with those tools. It really brings you back to just, you know, being present, and being grounded, and being safe, and reaching out for support. And, yeah.

AH: Mmhmm. But I think a lot of it feels counterintuitive, you know. That surrender, it's a hard thing. I think people feel that you need to hold on tighter. 

And again, just going back to, you know, that kick in the butt, where you just gotta, you gotta push, and you gotta move, and you hold on tight, and it's gonna be okay. 

But really, it is that surrender and accepting what is, which, again, to me, oftentimes feels counterintuitive. But it is the way through. And I absolutely, also, will listen to a lot of videos or audio books, and just knowing that I'm not alone, that other people have felt these things. 

And then, you know, they talk about their tools, and maybe not all of them will resonate with me, but just knowing that, again, other people have felt this way. And it's normal to feel this way. That definitely, yeah, helps for sure.

GR: Yeah, yeah. And there's a huge difference between surrender and giving in. Our ego sometimes flips surrender into giving in or giving up. And it's not that at all. It's about stopping the struggle that's maybe miring you, or making the situation worse, you know. 

And that, you know, if you're in the state where it's, like, kicking yourself there could actually get you there, you would be there by now, right? 

36:40 When we’re stuck, it’s like another form of control. 

Because usually the intensity that we feel when we're stuck is because we're trying to not be there. And we're trying to push, push, push our way through it. And the push, push, pushing isn't getting us anywhere, other than more, like, caught and entangled in the situation we're in. 

And so, it's almost, like, that the pushing is like another form of control, right? Like, we don't like where we are, and we want to control our way out of it. But that isn't how it works, we have to surrender our way out of it. 

And then we can, kind of... like, the bonds on us, you know, the tangles and the snarls in the muck, it all just sloughs off. And then we can.... we get connected to our creativity and our ingenuity, and we come up with new solutions, and ideas pop into our head. 

If you're under a lot of pressure intention, those creative epiphanies can't come to you. You're doing the same thing and expecting different results, which is crazy [laughs]. It keeps you further in it. 

And so, the surrender we're talking about is about, like, gentleness and softening. And in some ways sort of mentally letting go of the plan and sort of surrendering into something greater. So that you're not surrendering to chaos, you're not letting it go to just, sort of, the winds, you're letting it go into the wisdom inside you. And the wisdom of the Creator, of the Universe, of... you know. 

That we live in this interconnected fabric of reality. And that Intelligence, that is underlying all matter, is constantly communicating with us. And then, when we let go, we let that bigger force and bigger energy communicate with us. 

And then, that's where all of these sort of ideas you didn't have access to before [come in]. And the celebrating the tiniest, little forward movement and step, that all happens because we're in this place. And then we can just, you know, in that flow and connection, we can just, step by step, move our way from that stuck place to that place of freedom. 

And when we do that, you know, the gift of those moments, you know -- the looking back on the stuck places, and getting ourselves free -- is that the things that we need to do, and the lessons that we learn when we're stuck, we need to do that when we're in the flow too. 

So, we have to keep on doing it. We have to keep on coming back to surrender. We have to keep on coming back to being in the flow, and being in harmony with our inner wise self. 

We notice a lot when we feel stuck and in a bad place. But we... those tools, everything you're learning right now. You happen to be stuck [laughs], you know, welcome to the party [laughs].   

AH: [laughs] 

GR: We're all there at different times. And everything you're learning now is one more increment moving you forward to sort of greater and greater joy, and is ultimately building skills so that you can be in that resilience space. 

And that you won't resist or be as fearful when you are in a stuck place, that you can move forward and be in that flow again. And if you get stuck, you get stuck. You soften, relax, and come back to the basics. 

Come back to those little, tiny movements forward, and just heap joy and praise on every little bit and motion. And [keep] noticing how things are constantly changing. So.

40:57 Angela’s advice for people who want to get into the flow. 

AH: Mmhmm. Abraham Hicks talks about that a lot, where you're trying to push your boat against the current. And it's just work, and it's work, and it's work, and you're not really moving. 

But once you surrender, or accept what is, accept where you are, and you go down current, as you say, everything is just easy and flowing. And yeah, things move a lot, well, just a lot easier.

GR: Yeah, yeah. And you're putting your efforts towards things that are actually moving you, and moving you in the direction that is in that, sort of, maximum harmony and joy. 

It's not a place that's devoid of effort, either. It's not that we're not doing anything, it's just that we're in a more relaxed internal space. So that the stuff that we are doing is more in alignment with the energy where we're headed. 

And so, even if you're putting in a lot of work, to create and make things that are going to move you forward, it's a much more restful space. You can celebrate all of the tiny, little accomplishments, you know. 

If you're writing something, you're celebrating each sentence, each word. You're paying attention to how joyful it feels to, like, hold your pen; how fun it feels to type up the words, you know. Noticing where you struggle, and then you find ease. Like, those, kind of, little incremental changes are... that's the whole process. 

So, you get lost in the process and let go of the product. You know, if you're fixated on where you're going, or what it's gonna look like when you're there, you miss the magic that's happening along the way. 

And even in the most dark, depressing times, there's always these little moments of joy. There's these moments of epiphanies, there's delight, there's wonder, there's grace. And if we're not present, we'll miss them, you know. 

You know, there's always sunrises happening. And there's always sunsets happening. So, you have these, like, two opportunities every day to connect to joy and wonder, if you're there for them, because they're ephemeral, they don't last. And to really be, and be present with it, no matter what else is happening that's uncomfortable. 

And those things are, like, the anchor for me, that can move me through very dark times, and very stuck places. And then, sort of, coming back and expanding. Coming back to the tools, you know. Coming back to Reiki. 

Like, Reiki is fantastic because it connects you to that limitless flow. And can put you in this, kind of, deep state of peace and harmony. You can connect to that moment of, sort of, grace, where you're like, "I don't know how I'm gonna get to where I want to be. But I know it's possible. I can feel it." 

And I can feel that little breath of movement, that little breath of wind or fresh air. It's on the way for me, and I'm going to just keep going in the direction that feels like ease and flow. And swim downstream for a while instead of upstream, like you said.

AH: Mmhmm. Yeah, my previous corporate job that I've had for forever, that was absolutely upstream, where the last few years I was miserable. I didn't realize at the time how miserable I was in that job. 

But it wasn't that I was terribly unhappy. There were definitely moments of happiness in my life. But it was still a struggle. But then, once I gave that up and, you know, turned to go downstream... now, it's just so much easier, as you say, kind of appreciating those little moments. 

And I don't have all that stress piled on me where I couldn't. You know, when I had that stress, I couldn't appreciate those moments. But now that I'm flowing downstream, and I have Reiki as a career, everything has changed.

GR: Amazing! I love it! I love it. Well, I'm so happy to be on this downstream journey with you. [laughs] 

AH: [laughs]

GR: And I'm also happy to have you as a companion when we... and helper when I get stuck, when you get stuck. We can, like, help pull each other out of the muck [laughs]. 

And for any of those listening, we're very, very happy to help you. We have great compassion for all of the various places, whether you're in the flow or whether you're feeling really stuck. Come try Reiki. 

It might be the thing that can really put a little breath of wind in your sails and give you a little bit of a boost to move forward. Or feel, you know, at least peace and acceptance with wherever you happen to be. 

Thank you everyone for joining us today! Thank you, Angela! It's been awesome talking to you. And we'll catch you next time!

AH: Thank you Geneva! Take care. 

GR: Bye!

Thank you for joining us on the LunaHolistic Podcast. We're so grateful that you are here. If you've got a question, we'd love to hear from you. Go to LunaHolistic.com/podcast and we'll answer you in an upcoming episode. Be sure to subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And also, please rate, because you never know where your little five stars will go to shine light into somebody's heart today. So, thank you very much and we'll see you next time.

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What do you do when your healing work is done? In this podcast episode, Geneva Robins and Kim Johnston chat about the neverending awakening and expansion of the spiritual journey. Our favourite thing to talk about is the transformative process of unpacking old stuff and expanding further into the light.

 

With an engineering background, Kim had been doing energy healing work since childhood but kept that part of her life hidden. The journey of learning Reiki helped her go through some really challenging times. She began learning Reiki with Geneva while in graduate school to get her Ph.D. in engineering. 

In graduate school, there are times when it can be really difficult and lonely. Like many people in grad school, Kim was dealing with impostor syndrome and thoughts like "What am I doing here in graduate school?", "What can I do with my life?" and "Who am I?"

Learning Reiki helped Kim feel more comfortable and confident and heal old thought patterns. Coming into the community of Reiki class was so supportive and nurturing. Opening her heart up to self-love, expansion, and acceptance was a big shift in her spiritual journey. 

Now, as an engineering professor, Kim works with psychologists to create programs that are starting to change the culture. Mental well-being is essential, and we need to be able to talk about difficult topics everywhere, including in the university setting.

We're human beings, not human doings.

Our culture teaches us that much of our value is based on productivity and accomplishments. A big part of the spiritual journey, in the beginning, was unlearning that attachment to having to be productive, to have value. 

The truth is that your worth is just simply you being you. You just have to show up and breathe, and that's enough. 

Connect to the unconditional loving space

If your worthiness is based on something external, you pay such a great inner cost. You're always chasing the thing outside of yourself. It's always just beyond your grasp. It doesn't matter what you accomplish; it doesn't matter how good you are. If there's a tape in your head that says "Never enough, " it just never shuts up. 

There's no amount of enoughness to satiate that beast. And then, in the chasing of the external, we can lose that numinous, luminescent, ephemeral beauty that's part of life. We lose our ability to witness the miracles happening all around us all the time. 

The spiritual practice is really about connecting to unconditional, loving energy. And the spiritual doorway or mind-body mental health tool that gets you to that luminous state is up to you. 

That unconditional love state can be created inside you by connecting to the universal lifeforce energy. For us, Reiki is one of the many pathways we use to connect to that infinite well-being. You get in harmony with the greater flow of Divine energy, and then you can create absolute magic in the world. 

 And so then, what's next? What do we do when we've healed our stuff?

The first few years of the spiritual journey are often about healing the old stuff, clearing out limiting beliefs, and things from childhood. 

Then there's a time when your spiritual work shifts from the pain of the past to expanding further into joy and happiness. You come to a place where you're really comfortable and in a good place on many levels. You begin to love yourself and have true inner acceptance and peace. 

Transformation and Elevation in the Spiritual Journey

The work transforms as we do. You begin to ask how you can help support other people in their journeys and start to heal our culture. 

How can I be the next level of myself and usher in a little bit of a new way of being for myself and society? 

What opens up is choice and freedom. Letting go of the idea of a 'right' or 'wrong' choice and opening up to all options being good and wonderful in their own way. Sometimes when you're faced with multiple options, you can feel trapped because it might seem like there is a right way or wrong way, that one way is safe and the other is not.

But after clearing and healing old beliefs, a new, open, and expansive environment is created, where all of the options are actually beautiful and delightful. You start to flow easily with creativity and choice. When you start doing your healing work, you realize everything we do is a choice; we get to choose every aspect of it. 

Connection to Creativity on the Spiritual Journey

The old internalized beliefs fade away as you follow your spiritual journey. Dualistic beliefs, that we are one thing or another, lessenas we do our spiritual work. We let go of the idea that you're either creative or scientific. You're either a man or a woman; if you're a man, you don't get to be womanly, and if you're a woman, you must not be manly. When those limiting beliefs fade, you can be anything.

Aspects of creativity can open up, and you get ideas for projects you want to make and bits of life you want to experience. These can be artistic or applying creative solutions to your daily work. It is all part of the greater creative flow of energy that naturally opens when you are on your spiritual journey.

Keep Going with your Spiritual Practice

The exact same practice that helped you heal will also elevate and transform you as you expand into your spiritual self. And really, both happen at the same time. No matter how far along you are on your spiritual path, there can always be things to heal and bring to the light. And even if you are new to the path, you can have these deep and transformative experiences that elevate yourself and others.

When you have something to be healed, Reiki will heal it; when you don't have something to be healed, Reiki will elevate and transform you and uncover something new. 

As you deepen your spiritual practice, you undergo a process of unveiling and transformation. You unveil different aspects of yourself and allow the most genuine version of yourself to be uncovered. In that process, you bring more of yourself into your life, and in that way, you create so much good in the world around you.

Your Spiritual Journey Heals the World

Uncovering the creative self opens up after healing trauma. You connect to the energy and ideas within you with flexibility and openness. And most importantly, your healing creates the safety to play. 

You create a safe space to explore who else you can be and how else you can express things. That space opens for you, but then you can also hold that space for others.

Your spiritual journey creates a massive shift in communities and, ultimately, the world. Because if everyone felt safe to bring the best of themselves to the world, that would bring about illumination on a global scale. It means transcendence of suffering and the flourishing of the individual and everyone else.

Human consciousness is evolving in a bit of a different way. People are no longer content to be kept in one little box of identity. All of the things that used to be rigid and unyielding are becoming a lot more expressive and open. We are expanding our consciousness and are using all these tools, Reiki, yoga, meditation, reading, self-help books, and positive psychology. It all works together to create joy and expand the light.

It's an exciting time to be alive in the space of expansion of human consciousness.

 

We have a new podcast episode every month! Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 

You can send us your question in the comments below or record your question here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/podcast/

We are also very happy to share the gift of Reiki through our Giving Back Program! Every month we give away free Reiki sessions to exceptional people. 

Learn more here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/giving-back-program/

  

 

LunaHolistic Podcast 06 TranscriptWhat Do You Do On Your Spiritual Journey After You’ve Healed

Hosted by: Geneva Robins – LunaHolistic 

Facilitated by: Kim Johnston

Podcast Air Date: Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022

Episode: LHP06

0:05  Welcome to the show.

GENEVA ROBINS: Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! I’m your host, Geneva Robins, and every month on this podcast, we'll talk about Reiki, as well as answering your questions on all things spiritual. We are gratefully located in Calgary in Treaty 7 Territory. Thank you all, and welcome to the show!

Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! My guest today is Kim Johnston, and we're going to be talking about this big, huge spiritual expansion and awakening journey, that you can ride many wild carpet rides through [on] your spiritual path. Reiki has been a big one of ours. 

And so, we'll be talking about that today. Say hi, Kim.

KIM JOHNSTON: Hello everyone! I'm so happy to be here.

GR: Yeah, welcome! It's so great to have you here. And to talk about our most favorite thing in the whole world, which is this big spiritual awakening we've all gone through and [are] going through, it's a never ending journey. 

Basically, what do you do when your healing work [is] done? When you've kind of patched up all the holes in yourself? And then what? You know, where do you go from here? So, we're gonna be talking a little bit about that. So, thank you for being here.

KJ: Thank you. I'm so excited! I love that you said it's our favorite thing because it is – our favorite thing! 

GR: [laughs] Literally the favorite-ist thing in the world. 

KJ: It's just - it's so good digging into yourself, and then being like, what's the next little thing that I'm going to unpack and expand?

GR: Yes!

KJ: It's my favorite thing to talk about. 

GR: Yay! Fantastic. Awesome. 

2:00 If you’re in a still place, just take a deep breath of relief.

We like to start this podcast with a little collective breath of gratitude, which is just a little mini meditation, just to help everyone fully arrive [in] the moment. Of course, if you're driving, you know, keep your eyes open, for sure. But if you're in a stationary – or still, or passenger even – location, then you can gently close your eyes now, and just take a deep breath of relief. 

Sometimes just a simple sigh can connect you back into that anchor inside yourself. And then, feeling that energy below you, deep in the earth. That wise, nurturing, supportive energy in Mother Earth rising up to greet you, to meet the bottoms of your feet. 

And just send an enormous amount of gratitude into the Earth. And feel that gratitude rebounding, reflected back to you, nurturing and supporting you in all ways. Letting it fill you up all the way, filling your heart with gratitude, letting it extend out through your throat, and the top of your head. 

Sitting in a bubble of gratitude, feeling grateful for the air that you're breathing now; for all the plants and animals that keep everything functioning and flowing. Just noticing the harmony within life, and harmony within you, interconnected with all of the interconnections.

Coming back to your bubble, noticing the energy around your body and your aura. Coming back to your feet and your ground. And when you're ready, you can open your eyes.

[Sighs] Wonderful. Thank you! Thank you everybody. It's always nice to have these little mini moments of meditation. I find it such a little anchoring practice. I like to sprinkle these little suckers in everywhere [laughs] in my day. 

So, anytime I am in a place of waiting, then I'm doing these – grounding, the violet breath of Reiki – just coming back to my bubble. And back to that sort of, clear, still space inside. 

So, yeah, thank you. How'd that go for you, Kim?

KJ: Well, that was delightful! I've been, you know – you and I just mentioned this before we got [onto] the call – but you and I have been together for 10 years. And so, I've been meditating to your voice for 10 years. 

And it does wonderful things for me, like immediately just connects me, and grounds me, and brings me into a different kind of vibe. So, thank you! 

GR: Aw, that's so sweet!

KJ: Thank you for your voice.

GR: Thank you for the very generous compliment that I certainly did not pay or bribe you to say [laughs]. 

KJ: [Laughs] That one's free. Cheque's in the mail. 

GR: Yay! Awesome. [Laughs] Thank you!

So Kim, we have known each other for quite a long time!. We've been on this Reiki ride together, especially the teaching part, because you were one of my first Reiki students! But I'd love to hear sort of, your take on what Reiki has meant to you, this last bit? 

Oh, yes! For people who are new, Kim is a Reiki Master with me here at LunaHolistic and does many other marvelous, wonderful, spiritual things. But yeah, what sort of drew you into Reiki? What's your Reiki history?

KJ: What a delicious question! Thank you. 

GR: [laughs]

06:12 The journey of coming out of the spiritual closet. 

KJ: It's varied. And it's been a wild ride. I do really like that kind of word. And it's interesting, I think some of this journey for me is going to include a little bit of like, coming out of my spiritual closet.

I'm an engineer in my day job. And, you know, I went into engineering school right out of high school. And I worked as a professional engineer. And right now – I went back to like, I went back to grad school. And I am an engineering professor currently. And so, there were periods of time for me when my spiritual journey was a little bit closeted. And I didn't necessarily feel like it was okay to be both of those things. 

So, I sort of learned to do some energy work when I was a kid – my mom taught me some energy work. And that was something that was very secret, like my family knew about it, but nobody else really knew. And I met you, Geneva, when I was in graduate school. So, I was doing my PhD. And I was feeling a little bit like "I need something else in my life, other than just engineering." And just that.

And you had another synchronicity, which we discovered when we met, which was – I went for my very first Reiki session at almost the exact time when you got attuned to your master symbol. And that had been, like, about five years before we met. And then we met! 

I was like "I'm ready, like, I'm ready to go and explore this." And you, I think, were just ready to start teaching. And both of us kind of came out of the closet a little bit together. And it was 10 years ago. 

The journey of learning Reiki really helped me go through some, like, challenging times. I don't know if anyone – I know that you've done graduate school. I don't know if anyone else who's listening has done graduate school – there [are] times where it can be really, really hard and lonely.

Now, some of the work that I do as an engineering professor, I actually work with psychologists. Mental well-being is a really big topic these days. So, we actually work with psychologists around like, how are we starting to change the culture so that we can talk about mental well-being in the three dimensional world – like in the university setting. 

One of the topics we talk about is Imposter Syndrome. And so, probably at that point in time, like, I had a ton of impostor syndrome, and like, "what am I doing here in graduate school?" And "what can I do with my life?" and "who am I?" 

I'm coming into community, with you and with Reiki – [which has] really helped me feel more comfortable in myself, for myself. Like, there's a word, you know, we're human beings, not human doings. 

08:40 The importance of self-love in healing. 

I've really learned a lot of my value is based on my productivity and my accomplishments. And some of what happened for me in my spiritual journey was like – learning [about] that attachment to having to be productive to have value. 

And so, learning to sort of like, open my heart up to love and expansion and acceptance – self-love, self-acceptance. "I'm willing to change" is such a big mantra for me. That was 10 years ago. And at that point in time, really, the beginning of my Reiki journey was the beginning of my connection to my emotional self, the beginning of my connection to my spiritual self. And starting to do a lot of my own healing. 

At that point I was probably close to 30. So, I had sort of 30 years of stuff that had been building up that I needed to clear through. And that was a lot of the work, was like clearing my patterns from my childhood, and clearing my patterns that were keeping me stuck, and clearing my thought patterns that were holding me back. And that was probably the first few years of my journey, was like healing my old stuff.

I've also gone on a bit of a myriad path. I went and did Kundalini Yoga teacher training as well. I've explored some – for myself – some Sacred Sexuality. And so like, blending of sexual energetics with my healing spirituality as well, which has been a pretty transformative experience for me. 

And then in the past few years, it sort of changed from like "Okay, I think I've caught up on all of my past healing." You know, I've kind of come to a place where I'm really comfortable. And I really do love myself and I can get to this place of self-love and self-acceptance. And so, then what's next?

And in the past few years, I feel like I've really tapped into a different vibration of like, transformation and elevation. And how can we use this work to – first of all, help support other people in their journeys – but also start to heal our culture? In some ways there's, like, challenges with our culture.

And so, just like – "How can I be the next level of myself, and usher in a little bit of a new way of being?" For myself, for society, for everywhere around. So, that's been the piece of it for the last couple of years.

GR: Yeah, that integration and wholeness!

KJ: [Sigh of relief] Yeah!

GR: And yeah, I love what you said about that switch from, you know, the way our culture raises us. And it's kind of been fairly effective, you know, we can get a lot of stuff done with like, pressure intention. 

And that focus on 'what you do is your worth', you know, that your worthiness is tied to what you can accomplish and what other people can see and use. Versus your worth being an innate quality of your being, that you just have to show up and breathe, and that's enough, you know.

And that transition is such a joyful one, but very difficult, because in some ways, you have to sort of dismantle these learnings that aren't helping you. In some ways, it can be quite a [successful outer] pattern, but you pay such a great inner cost, which is, you know, you're always chasing the thing outside of yourself. 

If your worthiness is based on something external, you're sort of always [chasing it]. It's always just beyond your grasp. It doesn't matter what you accomplish, it doesn't matter how good you are. If there's a tape in your head that says "Never enough, never enough, never enough," then it just kind of never shuts up. 

You know, because there's no amount of enoughness to satiate that beast, you know. And in the chasing of it, we can lose what is most – like that numinous, luminescent, ephemeral beauty that's part of life. We lose our ability to witness the miracles that are happening all around us all of the time. 

In the midst of this murky, mucky, chaotic life, there's real beauty happening all of the time. And we connect to that with our being, you know, when we drop into that "being" space. Like you were saying, like identifying with your beingness, and that beingness doesn't have to move, you don't have to be better than you are, you don't have to be in a different place.

It's really connecting to that unconditional, loving energy. And it's sort of – which spiritual doorway or which mind-body mental health doorway gets you to that luminescent state. You know, for some people, it's going fishing, being out in nature and being in [that] harmony and flow for them, you know, casting this fly on the water. 

And other people, it's Reiki. For us it's mostly Reiki, I'm not a fly fisher!

KJ: [laughs]

GR: Even though I also come from a science background, too, you know. And I know that feeling of like, you know – you work so hard on your graduate studies, and then you have to finish it with a defense. You have to like, stand in front of, or be in front of this panel of people who you know are going to criticize you. It's terrible. [laughs] 

KJ: [laughs] Yes!

GR: And then switching it, you know, is – one of the ideas that I've kind of connected with lately is this idea that, you know, there's different chemicals in our body that are tied to different emotional states. 

So, that stress "fight or flight" state, it is that sort of cortisol, adrenaline cocktail inside our bodies where we can sort of push the final mile, we can hike up that last bit of hill. It's the pushing, it's the Go, Go, Go. It's the doing, doing, doing. 

And that works for short little bursts. But it isn't great. It's like a long term, 30 year wave mode of being [that] grinds you down, because there's no rest in it. There's no rest and digest. There's not enough nurturing. 

The other chemical that motivates us to action is oxytocin, which is the love chemical, which is the bliss chemical. And so, we can use pushing, or we can use love, and that love can be generated inside us by that connection to that Universal Life Force Energy –which for me, I connect easily with that with Reiki, that's my doorway to the Divine. And many others – I like going for walks too. [laughs] 

But when we are in harmony with our spirit and our being, I always think, like, the work – that the external world work is the last 5% of it. You know, it's like 90% Yin and 5% Yang, you know. If you think of like, a baby being incubated in a womb, right, it's like most of that magic is happening in darkness.

It is just simply being, it's doing its own thing. And then there's a big, you know, labor push at the end. But like, a lot of the miracle of life, even at the, you know, most visceral level, is happening of its own accord. 

And when we get in harmony with, like, the rhythm of nature, rather than the rhythm of culture, I think we get in harmony with some [of] this greater flow.  And then we can create magic! We can create absolute magic in the world.

So, which kind of leads us to our question today. Thank you. That was a lovely little ramble. [laughs]

KJ: Thank you. Thank you for your lovely little ramble. There's so many juicy nuggets in there.

GR: There's so many juicy nuggets in all of it. Yeah. [laughs]

16:16 What do we do after we’ve healed ourselves? 

So, our question today is like, what do we do after we've healed all of our stuff? What's left on the spiritual path? 

Because a lot of people get drawn into things like Reiki, and meditation, and yoga, and many other forms of healing and spiritual work. You know, therapy, and all of that sort of stuff. You get drawn into it, because the [motivation] – like, you've got this sort of like hound on your heels, [laughs] you know, of your pain and trauma. 

And you do your work as a reaction to that, you know, trying to soothe or heal that pain in a new way. Rather than using an addictive or coping way, trying to find a new path to a place of peace and comfort. 

And that's a great doorway in, but then you get to this, like you said, that space where you feel whole, where you feel pretty good about yourself. And then there's this, sort of like "and now what?" "What could I do with the time on my hands?" 

Because I find for me, it's like a, you know, huge sort of creativity opens up. But I'm curious for you, like, what is the path after? Like, how do you guide – you're definitely in that space of guiding people through that all the time. What's your take on that?

KJ: I think it's such an interesting question. And part of the reason I think it's such an interesting question is because I grappled with it a few years ago. It was like, I was almost so used to having the negative self-talk, and the stresses, and the fears that like – what brought me to this work was healing those, you know. 

And then I'm starting to get into this space of – like it works, like, the work works. So when it really is healed, and I go back, and I look through my mind, and I'm like "Hey, I actually don't have anxiety happening in there."  Like, I don't have this fear monster that's chasing me, that's trying to like, you know, keep me down. 

And so, then what do you do in that space? And it's been really, really interesting for me, because what's really opened up – I'm loving this word "choice" lately, like just "choice and freedom". 

I feel like ten years ago, when I was faced with multiple options – in some ways, I even felt trapped when I had choices, because I felt like there was a right choice or a wrong choice. Or a way to do it to keep myself safe, or a way to not be safe. And there's a risky one, and there's a good one, and there's a bad one. 

And in these last few years, what I've really felt is this open, expansive environment, where all of the options are actually beautiful and delightful and possibilities. And you can start to easily flow with creativity and choice. And in that space, what I've really started to find is that this work has started to become transformative for me, instead of healing for me. 

I'm finding that the same sort of practices – and it is the exact same practice. Like, when you're healing, you can go sit in a meditation and the meditation tool is the same tool. 

19:26 Reiki is something that will heal you.

The meditation works for you wherever you're at. If you have something that needs to be healed, meditation is something that will heal it. Reiki, when you have something to be healed, Reiki will heal it. 

When you don't have something to be healed, Reiki will elevate you and transform you and uncover something new. So, what keeps happening for me is this process of unveiling and transformation – like I meet new aspects of myself. 

I sort of connect with, like, masculine and feminine energies and the Divine Goddess and so, I actually keep sort of unveiling different aspects of the Goddess for myself. I unveiled entire aspects of my creativity. 

Like I say, I'm an engineering professor. When I was young, I internalized a belief, that's a bit of a dualistic belief, that we are one thing or another, you're either creative, or you are scientific. And those two things are exclusive. Right? 

You're either a man or you're a woman. If you're a man, you don't get to be womanly. If you're a woman, you don't get to be manly, like there's internalized dualistic beliefs. I internalized a belief that because I was good at science, there was no aspect of me that could be creative. 

And so, in these last few years, aspects of creativity have opened. There's a simple aspect of it, which is art – like, I actually just, I really like creating art these days, which I never knew that I would. 

But there's also an element of creativity that goes into my day job – like, I teach engineering classes. And if you want to try and connect the concepts to different people in different minds, that actually takes creativity. Like, even though I'm teaching a concept that's been around for hundreds of years – something like an equation that's about fluid flow, and how we represent laminar fluid flow – different minds interpret it [in] different ways.

And so, actually this delight and creativity of – I learned it in a lecture in a certain way. And then, if I want people to learn it in … or if I have a diversity of minds in my engineering classroom, we need to get creative in how we teach. 

And uncovering that level of creativity for myself is an option that opened up for me, in this post "healing my trauma" space. You know, having this flexibility and this openness, and the safety to play. 

21:47 Human consciousness is evolving in a different way. People are no longer content to be kept in one little box of identity. 

And so, "who else can I be?" And "how else can I express things?" And what other opportunities can open for the people that I'm connecting with? 

I think it's such an exciting experience, and I'm seeing it almost everywhere that I go – I think that our world's like, post the global emergency that was the pandemic, is actually – it's like the human consciousness is evolving in a bit of a different way. I think that the people that I'm interacting with, and the people that I'm seeing, are no longer content to be kept in one little box of identity, right? 

Like, we're seeing it where even just a gender – like you as a person, it's okay for you to be somewhere in that androgynous aspect. You can be in a female body, and you can embody masculine traits, and all of those things are becoming a lot more expressive and open. 

So, I feel like what's happening is human beings are expanding their consciousness, and are using these tools – Reiki, you know, we've mentioned this, Reiki is a big one for you and I. All of the tools work, you know – yoga, meditation, reading self-help books, Positive Psychology. 

Even like the study [of] psychology, the science of psychology, used to be about fixing disorders, and it's moving towards helping people be better. We're not just fixing problems in psychology – [we're] moving to places like "how do you help healthy people thrive more?"   

GR: Yeah. 

KJ: Right? We're learning to elevate, we're learning to transform, we're learning to become more of who we are. It's just a delightful and exciting – I feel like it's an exciting time to be alive, in the space of expansion of human consciousness.

GR: Yeah. Which is really, really cool!

KJ: So, just that!

GR: It's so good! I love – there's like a billion things I would love to dig into [laughs]. 

But all of the ... like every single ... there's just like – I do this little thing, so that I can listen to people, where I like, I program my fingers to help me remember what I want to talk about. And I was like "I'm running out of fingers!" [laughs]

KJ: Amazing! 

GR: I want to come back to this, and so I'll hold my thumb. And then I remember…

KJ: I love the sentiment of using up all of Geneva's fingers! 

GR: [laughs]

KJ: I feel like – I didn't know that that's what I've always wanted to do, ever since I was a little girl, but I've always wanted to just use up all of Geneva's fingers.

GR: I would just – there's so many things, and I'm like "yes!" I agree with you on so many of those different levels. 

And I love that element of choice, and coming back to – what's really interesting is that as you start doing the healing work, the things that we thought were automatic, like, "oh, I have to do this because it's always been done this way." I can't say no to this person. I have to go to, you know, my family's for this holiday because it's always happened that way, even though it may not be a great whatever. Not saying that's the case for me [laughs].

But it's like, people encounter these difficult choices, but they don't see them as moments of choice. But when you start doing your healing work, you realize everything we do is a choice, we get to choose every aspect of it. 

And when you're doing your healing work it would seem like – and I love the Tao Te Ching for this, because they talk about like, there's a point where you need rules, and you need a sort of restricted form, to sort of contain the chaos, you know. 

But then as you keep on doing your healing work, the need for rules fades because you develop your own internal rules, because you become in harmony with the life force spirit that's running through you, which provides that natural balance. And that brings us into that state of balance. 

So, even just balancing the needs for the internal versus the external, or balancing the needs for spiritual versus physical. And then there's a point where you don't even really see those as opposites, because they're really not, they're all one thing. 

And we get to flow and choose, depending on what part of us or what aspect of our life needs tending. And what needs care. So I love that. And I love that, like, the flourishing of creativity and the different forms that creativity can take. 

Because I think, yeah, people feel like creativity is, you know – it's like our culture takes something that's, like, diverse and wants to shove it into these little, confined boxes, you know. So it's like, it's not creative unless – it's not real creativity, or real art, unless it's hanging in a gallery, and people paid millions of dollars for it. 

You know, I think that can inhibit people. Or "I am not a person who is creative" or somebody criticizes – you know, we carry these, like, creative wounds. And part of doing the healing work is we lift out those wounds. So, then we can start exploring – like, "Gee, now, what could I do with the time I have?" 

And there's this neat part of like, bringing your gifts to the world. Bringing the things that you've always wanted to do, the things you've always wanted to experience, you know. All of the little creative ideas. And it can come through in things that look like art that you can hang on a wall, and it can look like things that happen just connecting to Creative. 

27:22 Connecting to the energy that’s flowing in. 

These sort of leaps in logic, because I think of it as like the – in science it would be like the Eureka effect, you know, of like, the knowledge exists in this energy state. And how do you connect to the energy that's flowing in. And that's where, you know, Reiki for scientists and engineers is fantastic, because if you're stuck, it gets you unblocked, you get connected to – especially if you feel like the idea, the thing, is just out there, I just can't put my hands around it. 

Sometimes going into that sort of diffuse and lantern-like consciousness where you're not in that sort of focus state, but you're in the sort of broader, faster way – it lets all the ideas sort of fall into place, and make those sort of greater connections, which I think is so, so cool. Yeah, I've run out of fingers and toes. So, I love all of those things. 

But yeah, I think that, you know, one of the things that you said that really resonated was this – that we're entering this Golden Age of Miracles, and it's nice to hear from you. Because I know you deal with a lot more people on a regular day than I do [laughs]. I still deal with a lot of people, or meet a lot of people, but you know, like seeing on mass. 

And that's, you know, when we look at the news and we see the world, and you're like "oh my gosh," war and famine and plague, and another plague [laughs]. Like, "Oh, and there's another one." And people, you know, [are] still stuck in very old modes of class-based and racist and "ist" thinking, and it can be kind of disheartening for people, but I see this rapid rise of people's compassion. 

Like you said, like we all got sent to our rooms [laughs] for the pandemic, and it pushed people inside, but it also connected people with this huge well of compassion. 

And so, what I see is – there's this wave of compassionate action in the world and people connecting very, very deeply, and very rapidly to their healing, to their spiritual connection. They're coming in for a Reiki session. It's blowing their mind and then they're like "I want to learn how to do this. And this is the thing I want to do now," which I've experienced. 

I know you have people that you've been interacting with where they're just like – it's this sort of, like, what's the doorway? What's the thing that's gonna make the spark of connection, where it sort of lights you up physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually? Kind of like all your chakras just light up like a Christmas tree. And it's the thing that resonates with you. 

30:16 Reiki is the first doorway into the enlightened path.

And it's, you know, maybe not the only doorway into that sort of enlightened path, but it is the first one maybe. And that's really cool. And then, also the sort of progression of like, what you said, that transformation and elevation of spirit. That we're all sort of moving towards this – not just getting healed, but getting really, really well. 

And then bringing the best of ourselves to the world, which is really neat. So it's like, all of the things that you've been dreaming of, now you don't have an inner critic telling you not to do it. So, then you can just start the making of it. 

And if the inner critic's voice is quiet, then it's easier to make attempt, after attempt, after attempt, which is like – with creativity, the people who are most masterful are the ones who are willing to fail, over, and over, and over. 

And just be in the joy of it, be in the experience of the process, loving the technique, and that fluid flow of consciousness that happens, when we sort of connect into that, you know, those flow states. And yeah, so all of those things.

KJ: Yes. 

GR: Blerg la la [laughs] came out. And it feels like a random order. [laughs]

KJ: It is – it's a random order. And it is what it is, you know? We're all this big mishmash of a variety of different things that are happening. And it's just, it's such a delight, I think, connecting with people over and over again, who are becoming more of themselves. 

Like, I do feel like this huge elevation in consciousness in this Golden Age of Miracles is – there's a dismantling of the artificial hierarchy and it's a bit of a dismantling of the gurus, and the experts. And there's this new way of being, that can be that people can be their own experts. 

And you can start to move through life, starting to learn to trust yourself and starting to learn to just use the tools that work for you, right? And Reiki is like this as well. Reiki is a spiritual practice, but it's not a jealous spiritual practice. Like "Come try Reiki, try any other type of meditation." Psychology is doing this too, like "go do gratitude journaling, try anything and see." See who you are and see what works for you. 

And we're ushering in this new way of being that is: your gifts and your light are there to elevate everybody else, and just go be that, and shine that [light], in this, like, beautiful constellation of consciousness elevation.

GR: Yeah, I've found that it's been coming for quite a while, this sort of increase in awareness. And even just like how common Reiki is now, is how rapidly it's been increasing. 

Because we've been doing this for a while, and when I started out, I'd tell people that I did Reiki and they'd be like "what?" And they'd look at me really strange. And then sometimes – I have had experiences where people have shuffled backwards [during a] house party... 

KJ: [laughs] 

GR:  ...and go "uh huh, uh huh, uh huh." And then they just, like, don't talk to me or make eye contact with me for the rest of the night. And so, it was this very, very weird thing. And now it's like, I think it's on Bling Empire, like everybody's sort of talking about this spiritual connection. 

And I think it's because everybody is wanting – yearning – for that sort of connection to something more, and something greater. And they're finding it through Reiki, through meditation – like you said, there's so many ways that you can drop into that state. 

And when we're in that sort of connected state, I always think of it as like – when we do Reiki, I'm not adding anything, I am opening up the space so people can connect to themselves. 

And that, you know, we do this work of, like, setting an intention in a Reiki session – basically to dial in the frequency that the person wants to sit in, you know, and then wants to harmonize with, and/or expand and you know, let that continued transformation and elevation happen. 

And when we do that, it's almost like we couldn't get to that intention statement if it didn't already live within the person. That there's a light inside and it's just letting go of the stuff that's restricting that light flow. 

And that, you know, people are basically their own spiritual authority and nobody can interpret that Divine connection other than you. Each person understands it in their own way. 

35:08 Reiki sessions can take you to a deeper understanding of yourself, your purpose, and the nature of the universe.

And I love that Reiki is so multi-faith as well. It works really well with all faith backgrounds. 

For me, I'm quite visual. So, I connect to Ascended Masters and whoever that person prays to shows up in the Reiki session. So if they work with Jesus, there's Jesus in the session. If they're Sikh, it might be Guru Ram Das, or one of the other gurus. 

If they connect with angels, or if they connect with spirit animals, like, those beings are present, because prayers are real [laughs] and they create a big vibration. And then, if the person's atheist it's like, I see galaxies swirling. 

So, I love that, sort of, like, you can take this energy wherever you need it to go. It's fluid, it doesn't have to conform to any known understanding. It can take you to a deeper understanding of yourself and the nature of the Universe itself. Wherever you want to go. 

And you don't have to have something to "fix" to come in for Reiki. It can be about like, helping shine a light on your purpose and your path, and where you want to take, sort of, these ideas. And sort of shining the spotlight of where the next step is, or how to, you know, access that greater being inside of yourself. 

So, we've got like, Reiki sessions – so you can do distance Reiki or Reiki at LunaHolistic, we do that. We do intuitive readings, too. 

And a resource that might be helpful for other people, who have these sort of big creative ideas and they're like "I'm ready to like, share this next big thing with the world." Under construction mode is this Energetic Eight Business School, which is basically how you take [steps on] your creative dream or idea. 

Maybe you want to write a novel, maybe you have a business idea that you want to make. It basically takes you through the energetic blueprint of the chakras. And you connect to sort of that deeper why you want to make or bring this work to the world. And chakra by chakra, we just sort of work through the expansion of that. 

Yes, so the Energetic Eight Business School, you can find that on our resource page on LunaHolistic.com. If you have questions about the Universe, and the Spiritual Consciousness, and this Age of Miracles that we're in, and how to get support with fellow lightworkers, and transformational Goddesses and Gods that we all are, you can send in a question through a little recording widget on our LunaHolistic podcast page. 

So, go to LunaHolistic.com/podcast, and send in your magical question, and we might answer it in our next episode. We love to hear from you. Even if you just want to share a comment, just drop us a little line. 

We love to hear from you, and how maybe you have filled up your fingers and toes with things that you want to add to our conversation! You can always drop them in there. We'd love to hear what you've been experiencing through your expansion journey. 

So, thank you all so, so much! Thank you, Kim, for joining me! It's been fantastic having you here. And we'll catch you next time!

KJ: Thank you so much for having me! It was lovely to have the conversation.

GR: Thank you! Thank you. Bye everybody!

KJ: Mwah!

Outro:

GR: Thank you for joining us on the LunaHolistic Podcast. We're so grateful that you are here. If you've got a question, we'd love to hear from you. Go to LunaHolistic.com/podcast and we'll answer you in an upcoming episode. Be sure to subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And also, please rate, because you never know where your little five stars will go to shine light into somebody's heart today. So, thank you very much and we'll see you next time.

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Geneva Robins and Natalija Radovanovic chat in this podcast episode about the intense energy that can be generated as you awaken your intuition. The energy can sometimes be very powerful and challenging to manage and understand. With a few simple strategies, you can protect your sensitivity and continue leading your full, rich life in the 3D world.

Both Natalija and Geneva are very familiar with this powerful download energy in their work as intuitive readers. Activating your psychic powers, what we call your intuition at your third eye chakra, can be a wild ride. Still, we have several tips and strategies that help you stabilize this energy flow. 

The Universe will connect you to the best resources at the perfect time

You come into Reiki when you are meant to. There are these perfect-timing moments. You connect to these Divine synchronicity moments as you begin to build your spiritual practice. The more you sit in meditation and move your body to your breath in yoga and other practices, the more likely you will just stumble into your spirituality. You might have a sudden awakening of your intuition and connection to the Divine.

This might be new and even unsettling at first, but don't worry, we are well practiced at helping others ground this energy and make sense of the messages they are getting from Spiritual downloads.

How do I handle the intense energy as I open up to my intuition?

Sometimes you get connected to this very, very intense flow of light and energy, almost like information downloads. You might get really strong feelings and guidance when you're opening up your spiritual practice.

People get sort of suddenly and rapidly connected to their spiritual team, and they start hearing this guidance in their heads. The energy is so strong they can't ignore it anymore; they have to take action, but they don't quite know where the guidance is taking them. 

It's definitely a departure from what you would normally experience, and it can be an unsettling thing. But it's okay! We can help you navigate this new and exciting phase of your life.

Sitting with the rapid increase in spiritual energy

When Natalija sees clients who are going through those big, massive shifts or spiritual awakenings, she cheers and celebrates. She likes to remind them that this is a new space for them and a new time for connection. 

The downloads and messages come in pretty hot and fast, and there's not much else you can do; just practice receiving it. Really sit with the downloads and energy; it's all aligned with your highest good. You're meant to get those messages. 

To sit with the energy, spend a few minutes every day in silent meditation. Just feel the energy and be open to the love, support and guidance it carries. Let the energy flow through without resisting it, and be patient. Just like a downloaded file, you need to wait till the full energy of the message is received before you can make sense of it.

Take a notebook with you wherever you go. Spend a few moments every day simply writing in your journal. Don't edit or cross anything out. Just let the experience flow through. Document what you are experiencing in your journal because sometimes, just writing it down, it begins to make sense.

What is a spiritual download?

It's almost like an energy surge. When the downloads or spiritual energy coming through is really intense, it's usually in response to a big question or opening up your creativity. As you start moving more and more energy through your system, you also get access to greater and greater amounts of information. 

If you've been putting out a call and asking for guidance, in particular, there's a response with the energy. And so sometimes you feel this very big surge. 

It might feel like your crown chakra, at the top of your head, has taken in a big gulp of water. It's almost like pressure, but it's not a headache; it's more like a sensation of fullness that might be tied to a feeling of heat or rushing energy going through the body. 

It's intense, but it's not necessarily uncomfortable. So if you're going into discomfort, and there's a headache or anything like that, check with your doctor. But if you're otherwise healthy and you actually feel okay, then it's probably simply a spiritual awakening. 

It's almost like this sensation, or wattage of how much you're experiencing the world around you, has suddenly increased. You might find that your perception of colours, light, and other people's energy suddenly gets louder. The ego has been silenced, and the messages from Spirit that have been trying to get through are shouting at full volume. It can feel like a sudden increase in your perception of the information. That rush of energy is a cue to go and sit and meditate and get your journal nearby. 

Check in with your physical well being

One of the first things we recommend is to make sure you are attending to your physical needs and environment. Big rushes of energy can sometimes feel like you are floating, so it's important to nurture your body. Get lots of rest, eat nourishing and healthy foods, and drink fresh water. 

Sometimes simply tending to your physical environment can reorient you to your aligned and whole state. This attention to the present moment and your physical needs won't stop the flow of energy. It helps you begin moving the energy through so you can start to make sense of it.

If in doubt, check in with a medical professional. Accessing more spiritual energy feels intense, but there is no physical discomfort. It feels important and meaningful, but the messages are always loving and supportive. If it is a frightening or painful experience, it is important to check on your physical and mental well-being. Spiritual downloads, even big ones, still make you feel good physically.

Grounding Meditations to integrate

Doing the grounding meditations will help to lessen that load of energy. Grounding helps you tap into the stabilizing energy of the earth and will help support the smooth expansion of the experience.

Once you ground and connect the energy to all your chakras, you can gain the understanding you are seeking. Try out our Tree Meditation or our Grounding Meditation to help you flow the energy and information through.

Gentle releasing activities, such as writing in a journal, meditating or doing yoga, will let it process. Even walking can ground you. You're still moving that energy. It's important to move that energy because it will not get any less intense if it's just sitting there. 

Slowing down is one of the biggest things. After all, in those moments when the energy is flowing in, it might not feel totally comfortable because it is all so new. You'll continue processing it by becoming still in meditation and reflection in your journal. The more you sit with it, ground and connect with it and try to find what messages are in there, it will help you move through those waves a little bit easier. 

Move the energy through your chakras

When you move the energy through your chakras and ground it, you let the wisdom within each of your chakras help you understand the fullness of the message.

Because when you do get those massive downloads, or when you're open up to the Divine, and your intuition in your third eye chakra is massively open, you're working your upper energies and upper chakras. If you leave the energy there, it can create an imbalance. Reiki can help you to process it physically through the rest of your energy centers. 

The chakras are energy centers connected to every major organ center in your body and help you with different parts of your life. You can think of them as different parts of your spiritual intelligence. 

The crown chakra at the top of your head helps you with spiritual connection. The third eye chakra at your brow is responsible for your intuition. The throat chakra helps you with communication and listening. Your heart chakra is the centre for love and compassion. 

The solar plexus chakra in your upper belly helps you with willpower, confidence and identity. Your sacral chakra, in your lower belly, helps you with knowing your value, worthiness, and creativity. The root chakra at the base of your spine helps you with order, structure, routines, and safety. 

These centers are connected by the Hara line, the central energy channel flowing through all the chakras. That channel helps all of your energy centers communicate with each other and flow energy from one part of your system to the other. In Reiki, we work extensively with the Hara line and the flow of energy through the chakras and the aura.

When we're talking about processing that intense energy download, we're basically taking that energy information and very gently letting it go through every single chakra and letting every chakra interpret it. Once it integrates your heart chakra, for example, the energy will probably tell you a lot about compassion and how to bring this greater self-love and awareness into your life. 

At the root chakra, the energy surge will become well-grounded, and you'll have a practical sense of how to put this energy and guidance into practical action. 

You can check on the energy levels in your chakras with our Chakra Energy Quiz. This gives you a simple overview of where your levels are at and gives you even more information on restorative activities that help rebalance your energy.

Get help moving the intense energy

Sometimes you might need help sorting those messages out, and that is when it's really good to come in for Reiki or an Intuitive Reading. 

While the energy is super big, Reiki can help you get back down to a manageable state for yourself. It feels like the information makes sense and plugs into the right places. 

When you come in for a Reiki Session or Intuitive Reading, you get to check if your intuitive compass is still pointing north. You get to compare your interpretation of the energy to somebody else's. It's like a signal check.

Going for a session or reading helps strengthen your own intuition by getting confirmation. We are often reiterating what you're already receiving. And when we're accurate with the message, you get an internal resonance feeling inside, or even shivers or goosebumps. Truth resonates like a bell ringing inside you.

You keep learning and evolving in your spiritual path. And it is so nice to get support along the way; we do the same! Asking for help and guidance from others is a big part of the practice and healing journey.

 

We have a new podcast episode every month! Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 

You can send us your question in the comments below or record your question here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/podcast/

 

 

LunaHolistic Podcast 05 TranscriptIntense Energy and Your Spiritual Awakening – How Do You Manage It?

Hosted by: Geneva Robins – LunaHolistic 

Facilitated by: Natalija Radovanovic

Podcast Air Date: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022

Episode: LHP05

0:05  Welcome to the show

GENEVA ROBINS: Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! I’m your host, Geneva Robins, and every month on this podcast, we'll talk about Reiki, as well as answering your questions on all things spiritual. We are gratefully located in Calgary in Treaty 7 Territory. Thank you all, and welcome to the show!

Hello, my name is Geneva Robins and this is the LunaHolistic podcast. Today, I have Natalija Radovanovic with me. Natalija is a Reiki Master and Intuitive Reader here at LunaHolistic. Say hi, Natalija.

NATALIJA RADOVANOVIC: Hello, I am happy to be here. Hello, everyone. 

GR: Yeah, I'm so glad we got a chance to connect and chat about a whole pile of things, including our favourite topic, Reiki, and all of the spiritual things. So, thank you for joining me today.

NR: Yeah, I'm happy to be here. And I love talking about Reiki and energy and that's the perfect place for it. So, I'm excited.

1:22  The collective breath of gratitude.

GR: Sweet, awesome. At least so far, we've started every episode with a collective breath of gratitude. So, just a little mini-meditation to help us settle in. 

If you, as the listener, you are driving a car, then don't close your eyes, and you might want to skip ahead so you don't get into an altered state of consciousness behind the wheel, not recommended. 

Otherwise, please feel free to close your eyes gently and take a few deeper breaths, just settling in. Noticing the tug of gravity connecting you to the planet. And let everything go as a few settled sighs of relief. Just connecting in to the flow of gratitude that lives within you. Noticing the gratitude that lives deep in the Earth. And feel that gratitude reflected by you. 

As you send thoughts of gratitude into the Earth, that gratitude rebounds and fills you. Noticing all the plants and animals, birds, the wind, the stars, the moon, everything around you. That organic, flowing natural system that we get to be a part of. Just feel immense gratitude for all of these gifts of nature. And gratitude for all of the people, all of the creativity and growth. All of the kindness and love that exists within the planet. 

Just noticing that, and feeling that gratitude flow back to you. Letting everything get clear and noticing the energy around your body, your aura. Maybe even letting a rainbow form around you, feeling clear and connected and filled with the highest light. And when you're ready, you can open your eyes. Ah! [laughs] 

NR: That was so nice! [laughs]

GR: I always love doing meditations together. It's the go-to move. [laughs]

NR: Oh, totally, no matter what. No matter if you're opening an energy session or just in your day. I mean, it's, that feels amazing.

GR: Yeah, yeah. And I'm a huge, huge fan of sprinkling these little moments of meditation in throughout the day and just letting that energy, sort of, these little, like, micro top-ups. You know, as you can find them, wherever they are. So, yeah, amazing.

NR: Me too. 

GR: Yeah. [laughs]

NR: I do it at work, in the car, like, if I need to ground or connect real quick or just kind of charge myself up, I definitely do that. [laughs]

GR: Yeah, it makes such a huge, huge difference. I always think that a big cornerstone of the practice is building in frequency first. So, doing little, tiny meditations throughout your day, and every day, for me, has been a game changer, so. 

NR: Yeah, likewise. 

GR: Awesome, yeah. [laughs] So, Natalija, what drew you into doing Reiki? Like, how did you get to be here today chatting with me about Reiki and spirituality and intuition and all that good stuff?

NR: [laughs] I feel like I love answering that question. I love reflecting on that question and never gets old. I still don't quite know the answer as to what kind of landed me into Reiki and into Reiki classes and training and going through all the levels, but I give full credit to the Universe for that one, because something was pushing me in there. 

But I think what started it was just my own spiritual and healing journey. I felt like, many moons ago, when I first walked the path of energy and Reiki and metaphysical things, I was at a place where I kind of needed something, but I wasn't sure what exactly that was, and something that felt really intuitive and aligned with me. So, I'm always open to this type of realm and world. 

And I worked at a yoga studio for a little bit and bumped into a Reiki Master there and went for a session and a card reading. And it was really profound. And I remember leaving that session feeling, now what I know, is to be, like, so grounded and, like, realigned. It just felt, it felt really perfect. 

And even in that moment, I knew I was definitely going to go back and be a Reiki client and come back for sessions and healings and whatnot. And then I think I just started to look for it more in the city and see how available it was, and kind of went from there. 

I bumped into LunaHolistic and did some research online as well at other places, and kind of kept coming back to that. And, you know, like I said, again, like I wasn't even really sure that I was, you know, signing up for classes or trainings. And then it kind of pulled me in and kind of went from there. And then sat in on Level I and it opened up a whole bunch of everything, right, and kind of really started to make more sense of my life for me in a way that I wasn't able to before then. 

So, I never looked back since. And now I get to, you know, I'm a Master Level and been helping people in their practice and journey. It's been, it's been really neat. 

7:42  The “Hand of the Divine” is guiding you along.

GR: Yeah, so cool. I love that because it's like, seeing that, sort of, “Hand of the Divine” kind of guiding you along, like, "Come along, here; we'll just take you to these different places where you'll start to connect to the resources and the tools that are going to be the most meaningful and important for you." And I love all of that. That's so great. 

NR: Yeah, no, I totally feel the same. And even when clients come in, you know, and they're like, "I'm not really sure why I came today." And it's like, "It doesn't matter. It's all aligned." You see, you come in for Reiki when you're meant to and, you know, after the session, it all kind of makes sense for them. So, yeah, it's just, it's so beautiful how, like, Reiki and energy kind of find you. 

GR: Yeah, yeah, it is. It is. And I always think that there's always these “perfect timing” moments. You start to connect to this Divine synchronicity as you start to become curious about, sort of, spirituality and your connection, and opening up your intuition. Definitely, like, doing meditation and yoga, which is so, so broad and common now. There's sort of a yoga studio in every neighbourhood, at least where we live in Calgary. 

And I think that's amazing, and just that growth, and I think the more you get people sitting in meditation and moving their body to their breath, they're going to stumble into their spirituality. You know? [laughs] Because yoga is a spiritual system, and it's designed to awaken you. 

And that kind of brings us to the question that we've been getting from people who've been coming in, that on the spiritual path, sometimes you stumble into this really intense energy. And the question is, you know, how do I handle the intense energy as I open up to my intuition? 

So, sometimes you get connected to this very, very intense flow of light and energy and, sort of, almost like downloads of information. People get, sort of, suddenly and rapidly connected to their spiritual team and they start, you know, hearing this guidance in their head, or they start getting really, really strong feelings. They're so strong, they can't ignore them anymore. They have to take action, but they don't quite know where it's taking them. It's definitely sometimes the departure from what you would normally do. And it can kind of be an unsettling thing. 

I'm wondering, Natalija, like, what do you see with that? And what are some of the things and tools and strategies that you suggest to people who are, sort of, caught off guard by these, kind of, rapid increase of spiritual temperature? [laughs]

10:46  What to do when you get massive downloads and don’t know how to process it.

NR: Yeah, I mean, you know, first, when I see my clients that have gone through those big, massive shifts or spiritual awakenings, I mean, there's a part of me that's like, "Yay! It's exciting! You're gonna love this!" While they're like, "My life is falling apart! I'm not sure how to handle this." 

So, it's kind of that, but also, like, I just like to remind them that, you know, and remembering that this is a new space for them and a new time for them, but also, like, having that intense energy come in fast. I mean, we know, too, like with the Divine and the downloads and the messages, they come in pretty hot and fast, and there's not really much else you can do but just kind of, like, receive it. 

And so, that's kind of what I've been finding people are at, where they're getting these massive downloads, filling them up and in their space and energy, and they don't know what else to do with it, or how to shut it down.

So, I kind of like to, depending on their session and where they're at with it, I like to, you know, just remind them to still check in with their physical and ground and do, like, the grounding meditations to kind of lessen that load, but also, to get them to really sit with what the downloads have been. Because for whatever reason, it's all aligned and intuitive, so they were meant to get those messages. 

But sometimes I've been finding they've been needing a lot of help sorting those messages out. And so, more often than not, they've come in for Reiki. But to help them with that, I kind of, I do offer first, like, that grounding and connecting with your physical, because when you do get those massive downloads, or when you're open up to the Divine, and your intuition is, and your Third Eye Chakra is massively open, you're working your upper energies and your upper chakras, and it can create that imbalance and that divide of not processing it physically through the rest of your energy centres. And as you do that, and sit with that, it helps not make it feel so unbalanced or so intense. 

So, I find from experience with the clients, they've said that, you know, once they ground and connected, and more often than not, they do need help with that, so it's like Reiki sessions are good while the energy is super big to kind of get you back down to, like, a manageable state for yourself. But once you really ground and give that back to the universal life force energy, it feels a little bit more manageable, and it feels like it makes sense and it plugs into the right places. 

So, that's kind of what I've seen in my experience, where they get this massive download, and then they don't really know how to move it or how to process it. And slowing down – I feel like slowing down is one of the biggest things, because in those moments, it's almost kind of like, how I interpret it, when they're going through those moments, it's like they have that, like, anxiety, fight or flight kind of moment, where it's like it's not comfortable to sit with it. It's more comfortable to kind of, you know, expel that energy and kind of release it. 

But there's no other way to, kind of, ground it but to download it and continue processing it. And reminding them that the more that they sit with it, and then the more that they ground and connect with it and try to find what messages are in there will help them move through those waves a little bit easier as well. 

So, you know, practising releasing, but gentle releasing activities, such as writing in a journal or, you know, meditating or doing yoga, like, gentle type of ways to release that, but also letting it process, because even walking can ground you and you're still moving, but you're still moving that energy. So, I would tell them that it's important to move that energy, because if it's just sitting there, then it's not gonna get any less intense or feel any less intense. And if you're not moving it lower, it's gonna stay up in your headspace. And then if you're still open to more messages, it's just gonna, it's just gonna to be massive, right? So.

GR: [laughs] Yeah, yeah. 

NR: What's your experience with that?

14:57  What’s a massive download?

GR: Well, I kind of want to even jump back to the very beginning and even just describe what the sensation is, because everybody experiences it a little bit different. And I'm kind of thinking, maybe people are, like, scratching their head a little bit, of, like, "What do you mean by massive download? Like a computer?" 

And everybody experiences this – sort of, it's almost like an energy surge. I'll sort of describe it for me, and then maybe you can describe it, because I know you've experienced the massive download state before as well. 

For me, when the downloads or this energy coming through is really intense, it's usually in response to, for me, anyway, it's a response to a big question I've been asking. So, if I've been very curious, or if I've been opening up my creativity, I get a sort of surge of energy in reply. And one of the things we talk about in Reiki is that Reiki is energy, but it's also information, because it's tied to, sort of, this "fabric of the Universe." 

So, as you start moving more and more energy through your system, you also get access to greater and greater amounts of information. But it's almost like that energy or the answer to your questions, or that, sort of, you know, if you've been putting out a call and asking for guidance, in particular, there's a response with the energy. And so, sometimes you feel this very big surge. 

And for me, sometimes it feels like my Crown Chakra at the top of my head has taken in a big gulp of water. So, like, when you swallow really hard and really fast, and it's like, there's just a really, it's almost like, pressure, it's not like a headache, it's more like a sensation of fullness, it might be tied to a feeling of heat, or sort of rushing energy going through my body. It's intense, but it's not necessarily uncomfortable. So, if you're going into discomfort, and there's a headache or anything like that, and like, check with your doctor, always, you know!

NR: [laughs]

GR: Double-check that you don't have something, like, genuinely neurological going on with you. But you know, if you're otherwise healthy, and you actually kind of feel okay, you're just finding that, it's almost like this sensation wattage, you know, of how much you're experiencing of the world around you. 

You might find that your perception of colours and light and other people's energy has all of a sudden gotten louder, almost like, the dim hum that's been in your head has, all of a sudden, been silenced, and the messages that have been trying to get through are sort of shouting at full volume. 

You know, sort of like when you're out and talking and they're sort of in a group setting and everybody's sort of chatting, and then all of a sudden, people aren't chatting and the voice gets very loud – it's sort of like that, you know – this sort of sudden increase in, kind of, your perception of the information. 

That's kind of the way I feel these downloads, and I always use them as a cue to go and sit and meditate and get my journal nearby. So, I love sort of just sitting with the energy and just noticing it. And the more I sit with it, the more it will start to flow down through my body, like you had said, with the Chakras, and almost think of it as, like, if I've got a lot of energy up by my head, I almost want to let my levels settle out.

Like, all of my Chakras were these cylinders of different colours, liquids of water, and you took the barriers out between them, and you just want all of the energy levels to be equal, you know. And it might sort of slosh back and forth a bit as the energy gets, basically out of compression, and into a state of flow. 

Because it's when we move, like you'd said, like was when we move that energy through all of our Chakra system, and, is when we can really connect in with what that message truly is. And then we can come from a grounded state. 

And it's not about shutting off the flow of energy or information or answers, because that's kind of not what you want. You want to connect to this. It's a process that's been started by you. Your guides, your team, just don't dump energy randomly on people who aren't ready for it. [laughs] While some people might be disagreeing with me right now, like, you wouldn't be experiencing it if you weren't ready for, sort of, this levelling up with your connection to the Divine. 

But that's kind of one part of how I feel it and sense it. For you, like, when you get an energy download, sort of, how do you feel it and you know, in your body, the sensation of it, that sort of thing?

NR: Kind of similar to what you kind of experienced is again, it doesn't feel like it's so, like, yeah, that uncomfortableness, it's kind of just more of, like, okay, there's the big message I'm kind of meant to receive. So, just accepting it. 

20:46  Writing in your journal to interpret the energy.

But for me, yeah, like, I really need to kind of move it through, because I feel like if I leave it up in my headspace a little bit too much, then it gets all convoluted, right? When I get the massive, intense energy coming in, I like to write in my journal, for sure. That's a really good exercise that I found that helps me. It just brings that clarity to whatever that message I'm meant to get from that moment, or what my team or spirit guides are wanting me to know. 

And yeah, I find the most clarity when I do that, because then I'll read it back. And it's like, you're in a different state. Right? Like, it's not you, but it's like processing through you. And I found a lot of people comment that, too, where they're like, "It's not like, I don't feel like it's me." And it's like, "Well, because it's the Divine." Like, it is you, you're part of the Divine, you are the Divine, but it's a higher consciousness that's coming through you with these messages. So, it's really neat to hear that, too, when that happens. 

And yeah, but I will get that kind of tingling and just that need to move. So, when that happens, I write and I walk. [laughs] I'm a mover.

GR: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, definitely things that move your body and your breath and gets you in nature. And yeah, yoga is fantastic for moving that energy. And Reiki too, because Reiki is a generally downward energy flow from the Crown, through all of the Chakra centres, down to the Root. 

And so, it can help with processing the energy so that it's not just, like you said, built up by your head and sort of milling about there and, you know, in the space where your ego could get a hold of it and create a story that might be strange, you know. [laughs] 

22:46  What are the Chakras?

So, and even just like moving things through the Chakras, like, for those of you who maybe aren't as familiar with the Chakras, the Chakras are like energy centres that are connected to pretty much every major organ centre in your body. 

So, there's the Crown Chakra at the top of your head. The Third Eye Chakra, which is sort of responsible for your intuition, at your brow. There's the Throat Chakra at your throat, your Heart Chakra, and your Solar Plexus Chakra in your upper belly. Your Sacral Chakra in your lower belly, and then your Root Chakra at the base of your spine. 

And these centres are all connected by what in Reiki we call the Hara Line, which is sort of the central channel of flow of energy. In yoga, it's called the Sushumna. And that channel basically helps all of these different energy centres communicate with each other and flow energy from one part of our system to the other. But they're also awake and alive and attuned to different parts of our lives. 

And when we're talking about processing that energy download, we're basically taking that energy information and very gently letting it go through every single Chakra and letting every Chakra interpret it, because it's going to interpret another piece of it. 

So, you know, the energy, once it's hit your Heart Chakra, is probably going to tell you a lot about compassion and how to bring this greater self-love and awareness into your life. At the Root Chakra, it might not only be well-grounded, but it will, you'll have a practical sense of how to put this energy and this guidance into practical action. 

The thing that I find with people is that – and probably because we live in a very, like, doing-based culture – where, as soon as you get the energy, you want to leap immediately to action. And I find that quite challenging to keep ourselves from immediately acting on something that we've just got. And so, sometimes when people are in this process and they're new to spiritual awakenings, they kind of get a little bit erratic, you know. [laughs] And they, and it can be disruptive to your life, but it also can be quite joyful. 

But what I find is most stable and what I love about Reiki as a practice is that it's a very stable way of activating your Chakra system and integrating it is that it brings it down into very, like, sort of practical and worldly, "Okay, now what do I do? How do I take this from just being an idea of, like, 'Hey, did you know that the Universe is everywhere, and we're never outside of the Universe, and we're part of the Universe and the fabric of the Universe is love.' So, that means that who I am, the core of me and all of my atoms are vibrating with love. And love is all there is. And it's everywhere, and we're all connected to everything," is a wonderful feeling to be in. 

It's even more wonderful when we can integrate it down all the way to our roots, all the way to our feet. And then we can start to make stuff and create stuff and build programs and reach out to different people, and actually put it – that, sort of, compassion – into action, which is, you know, where we get, like, amazing changes and social movements and bringing that light to the world, really. You get to make stuff, you get to share stuff, you get to understand this energy in a deeper way, so then you can start talking about it with other people who might not have a clue what you're talking about. [laughs] 

So, but that's sort of where I sit with it, but that, like, how does that sit with you, Natalija?

27:08  How Reiki can help you move through your energy and feelings.

NR: I feel like that was all, encompassed, all of it. But, and yeah, and just bringing it to the Reiki again, like, it's just, Reiki is really great for that. And I tell, you know, anyone, that no matter what you're going through, or what have you, even if you just want an energy boost, like, it's good to just come in for a Reiki session for yourself. 

But also, book some Reiki sessions. They're good to come in, especially when you're moving through that, when you don't necessarily, you might not necessarily know like, you know, "I know meditation, but how do I really use meditation to get me through this?" You know, and it's okay if you, you know, need support in that. And it's all about building that community. 

And like you said, kind of like, sharing Reiki with others and kind of opening that up and connecting with communities and people who are well-versed in that that can help you move through that. And that's the lovely part about Reiki, and what I just naturally find, because I feel like that's, you know, Reiki bringing us back to, you know, how do you get to Reiki? Reiki kind of finds you. And they come in, and they're like, you know, "I think this is where I'm meant to be." Right? And then they come in and you help move through that. And it helps move you through that. 

And like you said, you kind of want to just ground and connect that and not be so quick to jump to, "Ah, energy! Let's go do something with it!" Where, and that's the beauty with Reiki as well, because I find once I'm grounding them, like from their hips down and really in that Root Chakra, that's when all the messages are coming through for them. 

That's when they're like, after the session in the debrief, they're like, "You know, this makes more sense," or, "I need to focus on this," or, "I'm gonna start taking steps here." And it's like, that's exactly what, you know, that energy or those messages were trying to tell you, and kind of what you were meant to hear and know for that moment in time. 

And then, you know, the next session or next moment can look completely different, right, but that would be the biggest thing that I would tell anyone anyways. Like, if you're going through that and not really sure what to do with it, come for a Reiki session. Just like when you're not feeling well but don't know what's going on with you and you go to the doctor just for a checkup, it never hurts. Or just like an energy checkup, right? 

So, help you move through that, but also, like, help you learn more about yourself and what you're calling in. Because you're right, it is everything that you're calling in. And you're meant to, kind of, go through those energies as sometimes shocking or surprising it can feel when they happen for you. 

GR: I agree, and it's also, I think, incredibly valuable to have another intuitive person hold space for you.

NR: Yes.

GR: And what I find, often, you know, with Reiki sessions, we definitely share, sort of, as practitioners, we share what we get, you know, in terms of our intuitive guidance and what's happening with the person's energy. And sometimes it comes through as, you know, sort of, recommendations for self-care, or different messages sometimes come through for the practitioner when we're doing Reiki sessions for others. 

So, I often find that that is such a huge support for people, because then, it's almost like I'm not telling them anything new, which I think is so wild, is that they've already heard this message. But it's, when you're first starting out, you know, strengthening your intuition, you're like, "Well, maybe that was just wishful thinking that I'm, like, truly a lovable being and everything I do is fine." [laughs] You know? 

Because it's so contrary to the inner critic, which is saying, "Nothing you do is fine. You're never going to be good enough, ever." And those voices are so loud. And as you start doing this healing work from any angle, maybe even starting with, you know, affirmations and the work with Louise Hay, You Can Heal Your Life book, you know, when people start doing their spiritual, and just, healing work in general, it starts opening them up to all of these different ways of thinking and being and, which are quite lovely. 

But it's nice to have another human being with a physical presence say, "No, I heard them say you're loving and lovable, over and over and over and over again, the entire session." And it's so nice to get that reflection back. 

Or if somebody's, like, "I think that's my Dad, you know, sending me signs and signals." And I'm like, and when we confirm, you know, through our own intuition, it's like, "Yes, that is your Dad. And he is looking out for you and he is connecting with you and sending you love from afar, even though he might not be in a physical body anymore." We, experiencing these things, and we've learned over time to trust them. 

And, you know, and we do the same thing. We combine that into our intuitive readings here as well. So, we're sort of connecting into, sort of, this Divine information. But for me, what's really cool is really working with the person who's getting the reading, their own intuition. 

And I'm such a big believer that everybody is their own spiritual authority, and has their own connection to their own truth. And I love it when I do a reading or even, you know, discussing the session at the end of Reiki, of just, sort of, going through it and saying, like, "This is what I got," and having the person go, "Yes! Yes, that's totally it, or, "That resonates," or, you know, because truth resonates deep within. There's a resonance like a bell ringing inside you. 

Sometimes you get this, sort of, like, head-to-toe shivers or chills or things that just, it just sits right, it just feels right. And when we listen to that intuitive feeling, the more and more we listen to it, I find the better and better life tends to go. And that when we don't listen to our deep, intuitive selves, that's when things go haywire. 

And that's definitely for me. I don't know, how about you, Natalija? [laughs]

33:34  The benefits of getting readings from other people.

NR: We're human. So, there's, you know, sometimes you kind of go against your intuition or you're like, "Hmm, like, let's try it this way," right? And then you, but you know, you have that internal knowing, where it's like, you can hear that voice. 

And that's another, all the many reasons why I love Reiki so much, too. It's reiterating again, just kind of that it's helping you build your intuition with yourself and building that trust, you know. And sometimes it's nice when you're on that journey to just have someone else be like, "Yes!" Kind of confirm that for you and validate that for you and help you, you know, distinguish what your connection with your intuition or what your connection with receiving messages or the Divine looks like, right, because you can kind of scale that. 

But the more that you get into that practice and journey, the more that you can kind of know. And Reiki and connecting with other intuitive people just helps strengthen that, so it's really, I love that too, at the deeper use of a Reiki session. 

And it's just like, "How did you know that?" or like, "I sensed that too." And it's also, I think, confirming for them too that it's like, wow, like, if your intuition is that much, kind of, you know, "on the money" or can pick up on that, then I think it also kind of helps them believe that like, "Oh yeah, so what I was feeling is right," or like, "Me coming to this Reiki session was right," or, "Me thinking these energies might have something to do with this, but I'm not fully sure." It's like, all of that stuff kind of connects. So, yeah.

GR: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's definitely nice to have that sort of reflection back. You know, that's what I love about, you know, getting readings and getting Reiki from other people is because you can't, just like you can't ... 

NR: You can't get enough! [laughs]

GR: You can't see your own blind spot, right? You can't see the back of your head. [laughs] You know? And, you know, it's sort of like, why do you go to a hairdresser? It's because your arms don't bend that way. Right? Like, you can probably do your hair pretty well, but the back is always gonna look better when somebody else does it, because of just the angle, right? 

Or, the same thing of, like, if you get a massage, right, like, you can massage your own shoulders, but boy, is it nice to get somebody else to help you. And I find that is such a nice thing too, because you can kind of relax a little bit. You get support and guidance, you know. For Reiki, it helps you move the energy. 

So, if you find that the energy is getting stuck, or maybe there's some pain or trauma in your lower chakras that's sort of blocking the full grounding of this intense energy, you know, Reiki can really open that, all of that up. And then the intuitive readings are amazing for just helping people sort of getting that reflection back of, "Where are things going, and what do I need to be doing now to connect with what I want?" So, yeah.

NR: Yeah, no. And the same for me, like when things are sitting, kind of, a little too stagnant, or if I just can't, kind of, move it on my own, I know now to just book in a Reiki session or to book in a reading, and it's nice, right? Like, it's, we could do it, you know, once you have a good relationship with your intuition and opening up that channel, but it's nice to kind of take that self-care, too, right? 

Where you don't have to, it's almost, I almost feel like I always tell people, it's like, "I could do it, but then it feels like you're working overtime." Like, why not just, why not just take some time off and just, like, let yourself receive, too, right, because even though you can do that for people and hold that space for people, it's nice to give it back to yourself and receive that. 

And at LunaHolistic, you know, there's many, many talented, intuitive folk. So, yeah, I always love doing that. It's definitely part of my self-care. And I book in Reiki sessions and readings, and [it's] just fun to experience other people's messages and how they perceive the energies around you and stuff. It's, I never get tired of that.

GR:Yeah. It's sort of like, when you come in and you get a session, it's like, you get to check if your compass is still pointing north, you know, because you get to compare it to somebody else's compass, that you trust their ability to orient to the Divine, right? It's like that signal check. Like, "I feel like I'm getting this information. How does that sit with you? Like, how, what are you getting around the same thing?" 

And I find it really can help progress people through their, sort of, expansion and healing journey. It's really, it's been a huge thing for me, for sure. Yeah. 

NR: Yeah, 'cause no matter where you're at, like, we're all on the journey, right? And it never ends. And it's so, like, even practitioners or just everyone, right, you just keep learning and you keep evolving, and you kind of keep getting that support and building that community where you're like, oh, yeah, you know. And then you never stop learning. You never stop moving through things and it's always moving and going. It's nice.

GR: So good. So good. Well, thank you so much, Natalija, for being here with me today. I've loved our talk.

NR: Listen, you're so welcome. I'm happy to be here and just chatting about all of this. It's just, I love it. I love it, and I love when people are exploring energy for the first time, or if you're really been on it for years into your practice and healing journey. It's just, it never gets old. So, thanks for having me.

GR: Yeah, you're welcome. Have a good day, everyone, and we'll see you next time. Bye!

NR: Bye!

Outro:

GR: Thank you for joining us on the LunaHolistic Podcast. We're so grateful that you are here. If you've got a question, we'd love to hear from you. Go to LunaHolistic.com/podcast and we'll answer you in an upcoming episode. Be sure to subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And also, please rate, because you never know where your little five stars will go to shine light into somebody's heart today. So, thank you very much and we'll see you next time.

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In this podcast, Geneva Robins and Rita Reddy talk about change! Ugh, sometimes it's the actual worst. There can be some real gross parts of change, but some delicious bits too. Rita shares a lesson from her work in Trilotherapy, the Apple Tree Cycle. 

The metaphor of the apple tree cycle is a simple yet profound way of understanding change as an organic and natural part of learning and growth. You get a gentle way of looking at each stage of the cycle of life without fear or resistance. It's a really supportive and transformational Trilotherapy tool.

What is Trilotherapy?

Created by Zen Master Nissim Amon, Trilotherapy is based on his own training in Zen Buddhism and meditation plus elements of his learnings in Western psychology and Eastern philosophies. It's a retreat-based program with a series of workshops that can be taught individually or in a group setting.

The main philosophy of Trilotherapy is that you have a Center self that you're born with and come into every life with, and two inner children, your rational mind and emotional mind. And our job in Trilotherapy is to help you figure out what place you're making decisions from; to help you make decisions from the Center, which is always your true self. 

Your two inner children, we call them your rational mind and your emotional mind; they create your personality. They take in all the information and process it, and then you're the one who's going to be making the decisions. Sometimes we're allowing these children to make the decisions for us. But the idea is to parent ourselves and these inner children to help us make the best life decisions. Trilotherapy helps us figure out where we're coming from and why we decide certain things.

How do you deal with change?

At times we all have to deal with enormous amounts of change and the feelings that come along with it, like grief and loss. Big changes can really challenge our ability to let go.

Nobody likes change... unless it's the good parts of change! When the bad parts come around, which are always going to come around, that's when things get really hard. We sometimes misname change to be only the gross parts we don't like, but there is beauty in the whole cycle.

Embrace Change with the Apple Tree Cycle

The Apple Tree Cycle is a Trilotherapy tool to explore the natural cycles of change in our lives, so it's not so scary. The stages of change are represented by the metaphor of the life cycle of the apple tree:

1. seed and gestation, which is the new idea or start of something new;
2. plant and growth stage; where your new creation is expanding;
3. fruiting and enjoying the creation;
4. death, where the creation is complete, the fruit falls, and the tree dies; it involves letting go;
5. rotting, which is the disintegration and complete release of the creation back to fertilizer; and
6. back to gestation, the cycle always returns to the start.

Everything goes through the apple tree cycle, even tiny little mini ones. You might go through 10 of them a day. It's basically the beginning, the middle, and the end of anything that's going on, whether it be a relationship or going to the store and getting groceries.

We tend to like the beginning parts of the cycle when the little sprout is happening. There's forward progress like things could change; that'll be amazing. Then the growth part, you see things take form, and everything is expanding. And then, in the fruiting stage, you're starting to enjoy some of the things you've created and put into motion. 

But then there's the rotting and death stages, where in the apple tree cycle, the apple's fallen off of the branch and is now in the process of letting go and returning to the earth. It's when things degrade and turn into fertilizer. And so that's usually when we feel like poop!

But it's also so beautiful because you know that poop is nourishing. It's food for the seed. And that's what we need. And there's beauty in it, even though it's the stinky gross part of change. 

Gratitude helps us Embrace Change

The Signs of Spring is a process from Geneva's book The Secret Art of Happiness: Change Your Life with the Reiki Ideals. It's a gratitude process that you use daily. It is especially helpful when you're in an uncomfortable place, and you're the in the turmoil of change. But even in those places, there's forward movement and progression, tiny sprouts and signs of spring. And when you start noticing them, tiny little signs that things are turning in your favour, then it can be the fuel that pulls you through the rough parts. 

Even at the lowest point, there's some little thing you can look to that says, "This is a temporary state. And it's going to get better." 

Life is a Cycle, just like the Apple Tree

Our western world thinks after the end is nothing. It is a very linear view; the start and the end never link back up with each other. The end is final, and there's nothing but the abyss of loneliness and terror on the other side of death and rotting. 

But with the apple tree cycle, what's on the other side of that death and rotting is more life. This is the life-death-life cycle, which comes up in one of Geneva's favourite books, Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. The book deconstructs fairy tales in a Jungian and poetic analysis. It turns out that many ancient stories exist to help us so that we don't need to fear the death and loss stages of our lives. 

Because it is in the death and rotting stages where we get our strength and courage. Sometimes in times of hardship and struggle, we come together as a community. We reach out to other people and start learning and connecting with our inner and outer resources in new ways that maybe we wouldn't have before the change happened. 

The Wilderness of Change

Where do you find that comfortable place with the uncomfortable? 

Having an understanding of what stage you are in helps you to release fear. You can spot when you leave the cycle or cut things off before they grow. By reflecting on the apple tree cycle, you can see where you may self-sabotage. You get an opportunity to notice your patterns in the cycle and what part of the cycle gives you the most trouble. Seeing things from a different angle can make all the difference. 

Your Center might know more than the emotional or rational mind. But when we choose from the Center self, it might make you stand out, which puts you out into the wilderness. This is incredibly uncomfortable but is also often very necessary. We have to be willing to find our own way to our own Center.

Even the people that love you the most aren't able to know the core of your own heart. And when they make kind suggestions, they can only recommend what has worked for them. It's not a replacement for following your own guidance. 

Only you can know your own heart. 

Sometimes people do what they think they should do rather than what is calling their own heart forward. They end up living a life that doesn't fit them. They're fitting in rather than really belonging. The book Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brené Brown is really helpful if this sounds familiar. In order to truly belong, you have to first belong to yourself completely. That is where choosing from the Center self can lead you to that wholehearted life.

Reiki supports people through change. 

Reiki is very gentle and supportive. It helps connect you with this eternal, everlasting energy that supports all things. Reiki is connected to the energy within the fabric of life itself and the continuity of the cycles. It taps us into this eternal yet timeless frequency. And in that frequency, there's this moment of real peace and grace. And with great loss, sometimes it's only that which heals. There's a moment where we go into the infinite.

We get comfort and peace with that transition stage so we can honour the love underneath the pain. Reiki helps set the grief to rest and let go with respect, love, and grace. We get to a place of peace, comfort, and acceptance. 

We're always here to help you no matter what part of the apple tree cycle you are in. We can cheer you on when things are going amazing and let things those roots deepen and ripen. And we can also help you process any pain that might pop up. You can get a bit of help, soothing, and support no matter where you are. You're doing great. 

 

We'll have a new episode every month! Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Add your question to the comments below or record your question here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/podcast/

 

 

LunaHolistic Podcast TranscriptEmbracing Change with the Apple Tree Cycle

Hosted by:             Geneva Robins – LunaHolistic 

Facilitated by:        Rita Reddy

Podcast Air Date:  Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022

Episode: LHP04

0:05  Welcome to the show

GENEVA ROBINS: Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! I’m your host, Geneva Robins, and every month on this podcast, we'll talk about Reiki, as well as answering your questions on all things spiritual. We are gratefully located in Calgary in Treaty 7 Territory. Thank you all, and welcome to the show!

Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast. My name is Geneva Robins and I'm here today with Rita Reddy. Hi, Rita.

RITA REDDY: Hello.

GR: I'm so glad you can make it here today. Rita is a Reiki Master and Trilotherapist here in Calgary with me at LunaHolistic. And today, we're going to talk about a whole pile of things connected to spirituality and Reiki.

Before we dig into that, we'll start with a little collective breath of gratitude, so just a little mini-meditation. If you happen to be driving, you can skip ahead, or just, you know, don't close your eyes or anything. But otherwise, if you're in a nice, safe space, you can gently close your eyes and take a few inner breaths. 

Just settling in, letting all of your energy regroup and reground. Feeling a sense of gratitude and wonder for the planet that we are sitting on. Feeling the energy below you rise up to greet you from the centre of the Earth to support you. Rising up through your body and out the top of your crown, and radiating all around you like a beautiful rainbow, completely held in safety, love, and support, yet also feeling free to expand. 

Sending some gratitude to all of the plant life that surrounds you, to the air, that fresh air the plants create, to the animals and birds and insects that live all around you, the life within everything. And sending out some gratitude to all the people that inhabit your world. And, of course, gratitude for your own heart for being here with us today. Thank you for joining us. Ah! And when you're ready, you can open your eyes. 

Ah! That's nice. How was that for you, Rita?

RR: Oh, yeah, that was great. 

GR: Good, yeah. We've got some nice, juicy questions to explore and ponder. Before we jump straight into that, maybe we can start with what drew you into Reiki?

3:17  What drew you into Reiki training?

RR: Yes. I love this question. Because I was curious. I was in a healing kind of journey. And then I was meeting all these people who knew about many different things, like Reiki and Trilotherapy and other therapies. Yeah, in the circle that I was in, I came across some people who were doing Reiki on each other. And I asked them what that was, and they kind of showed me you know, like, what it was. And then I was curious. 

So, I found your course. I can't even remember how – maybe it was through Kim Johnston. Yeah, I just signed up because I was curious about what Reiki was, and how I fit in, because most of the people were telling me, "Oh, you'd be really good at Reiki because you're already, like, tapping into things that that you can tap into way better with Reiki training." And so, I was like, "Cool, what is it, like, what's Reiki training?" 

And so, I looked into all different kinds, and I found yours. And I really liked the way it was set up, like with 10 sessions of, like, going through your chakras, and I'd just gone through another course about chakras. And I was really like, on this like, path of learning about that. And so, I loved how your workshops were set up. And so, I, yeah, I signed up for the first one, and then of course, I was in! I was hooked. 

GR: [laughs]

RR: And so, I wanted to know everything about it. I wanted to become a Reiki healer as well. And so, here I am.  

GR: Yay!

RR: Yeah!

GR: You are a Reiki master, and a good one. [laughs] And one of the first couple of students I ever taught, too. 

RR: Yeah.

GR: So, it's been really, really cool to get to go on this ride with you, which is awesome. 

RR: Yeah! 

GR: Oh, so great. I love it. I love the winding paths that we find our way into spirituality. 

RR: I know, right?

GR: And I find it's like a little path that's sort of dotted with these gems, and you just get led from courses to classes to books to – you get the resources you need all along the way, which I think is amazing, so.

RR: Yes.

GR: Yeah. So great. Well, thank you. Thank you for being here. One of the things that we were talking about, and something that we've talked about quite a bit, you and I have talked about this a lot. And your take on this has really helped me, which actually comes from your Trilotherapy background, which maybe, before I ask the question, you can just briefly, like, what is Trilotherapy, and how do you use it to help yourself and help other people?

6:24  What is Trilotherapy? How does it work?

RR: Trilotherapy is created by Zen Master Nissim Amon. I met him in Calgary, but he lives in Tel Aviv in Israel. He basically invented Trilotherapy based on a bunch of his own training in Zen Buddhism and meditation. And he uses elements of his learning about Western psychology, and then Eastern philosophies. And he brought them together in this program called Trilotherapy, which is basically like another set of workshops. It's a retreat-based program. But at LunaHolistic, obviously, I teach it as well, on a one-on-one basis. 

The main idea is that you have a centre-self that you were born with and you come into every life with. And then you have these two children that are like your rational/irrational brain and your emotional brain, your emotional mind. Those three aspects work together to kind of guide you through decisions in life. And our job in Trilotherapy is to help you figure out what place you're making decisions from and kind of get you to making decisions from the centre, your centre-self, which is always your true self and your highest self. 

Yeah, your two inner children, we call them your rational mind and your emotional mind, are, they create your personality, and they take in all the information and process it and then, yeah, you're the one who's going to be making the decisions. And sometimes we're making decisions and allowing this child to make the decision for us. But the idea is to, like, parent ourselves and parent these children to help us make best decisions for our lives and figure out, like, where we're coming from and why we're deciding certain things.

GR: I love it. It's so great. I find it's quite transformational. And it shifts your perspective with these sort of beautiful analogies, probably drawing from the Zen Buddhism aspect, where you have these very simple, seemingly simple-on-the-surface things, but they have very, very deep roots. 

And they can, I find when, you know, we've worked together on a few sessions, that it helps really flip my script. And, like you said, like, it [can] get me from, you know, my two little bratty children that, when, like [laughs] – they're both throwing temper tantrums and fighting with each other, and get me back into the centre where I can actually just care for them in a loving way with compassion, and sort of give them what they need without giving in to them.

RR: Yeah, totally.

GR: Just like bratty little children are just, you know, they just have needs that are unmet, and meeting them in a way that is nourishing rather than addictive, you know. 

RR: Yes! Totally.

GR: Like the toddler in Superstore throwing a fit about not getting candy, when really they need a nap, right? So, it's like coming from that wisdom place. You give them the nap. You don't give them the candy, you know, and from an adult perspective – you go for a walk, you don't have a beer, you know. [laughs]

RR: Exactly.

GR: Or whatever example of numbing you might use. Yeah.

RR: Exactly, yeah.

GR: Yeah, amazing. So, the question that comes in from many people who are dealing with a lot, as we all are, because just, our whole world changed, and is changing again and changing again, and it just seems like a constant, a constant thing dealing with outer-world changes, but then also inner world changes as we sort of adapt to things like losing jobs and changing relationships, and all kinds of things are kind of up for people, which is just sort of life these days. [laughs] 

But for you, Rita, what are some tools that you use to deal with this enormous amount of change, and maybe the feelings that come along with it, like grief and loss and an ability to let go, like, what works for you, or what's your go-to thing in your back pocket when you're in that mucky change business? Ugh, who likes change?

RR: Ugh, nobody likes change, unless it's the good parts of change. Change has so many good parts, and then when we have bad parts come around, which are always going to come around, that's when things get, like, really hard. That's what we call change, sometimes, like, we misname change to be like, the gross parts. 

11:23  The Apple Tree Cycle is a Trilotherapy workshop

But my tool, my main tool, I think, that has been coming up so much for me lately, is the Apple Tree Cycle. And it's a Trilotherapy workshop that Nissim taught us. And I teach myself pretty much all the time. It's basically going through the stages of an apple tree, from the seed being fertilised and the gestation period of a seed, to the growth and the plant coming out. Growth is the next stage and then fruiting. So, all the fruits of your labour, and then the inevitable death of the cycle, and then a rotting of the cycle. And then back to that gestation period, where something new comes about.

And you know, everything, everything goes through the cycle, even tiny, little, mini-ones. Like, you might go through like 10 of them a day, you know, like, it's just basically the beginning, the middle, [and] an end of anything that's going on, whether it be a relationship or going to the store and getting groceries.

GR: Yeah, we tend to, but not always, like the beginning parts of the cycle. Like, when the little sprout is happening, it's like, you can see, oh, there's forward progress, like, things could change, that'll be amazing. And then the growth part, you get to see, like, how putting things into action are expanding. And then in the fruiting stage, it's like you're starting to get to enjoy some of the things that you've created and put into motion. 

But then there's that rotting and death stage, where, you know that, in the apple tree, it's like the apple's fallen off of the branch, and is now in the process of letting go and returning to the earth, which is like the fertilisation. And so, that's usually when we feel like poop. [laughs] You know?

RR: Yeah, because we're turning into poop. 

GR: We're turning into poop. [laughs]

RR: But it's also so beautiful, because you know that that poop is nourishing, and it's food for the seed. And that's what we need. And that's like, there's beauty in it, even though it's like the stinky, gross part of it. 

GR: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

RR: Yeah, and I just thought of something, I think in your book, The Secret Art of Happiness. You talk about the Signs of Spring. Is that where you talk about it? 

GR: Yes.

RR: Yeah, so Signs of Spring are so wonderful. And that's where the little sprouts come out. And yeah, everyone loves that. When you're going to plant like, that's your favourite part. You're like, it's happening, it has a plant!

GR: It's happening. Yeah, yeah. And that Signs of Spring is like, we do that, for me, I do that process which is basically like a gratitude process. You're noticing that, even before you see any change happening, you're in an uncomfortable place, you're dealing with the grief and loss and the turmoil and you're in a, maybe even a stuck place and you don't like it, you know. 

Sort of like the winter season, where it's just like, there's just snow and ice and it's miserable and I don't like where I am, I'm uncomfortable. But even in those places, there's forward movement and progression. And when you start noticing them, like tiny, tiny little signs that things are turning in your favour, and then really heaping love and gratitude on those things, it can be the fuel that sort of pulls you through the rough parts, so that even when I'm feeling at my lowest point, there's some little thing that I can look to that says, "This is a temporary state and it's going to get better." 

Which, I like the idea of a cycle, is that – and that might be with, like, the way the rational mind likes to think about things, which is very linearly, that there's, that it's a line, it's, we have a start, we have a middle, and we have an end. The start and the end never link back up with each other. The end is final, and there's nothing but the abyss of loneliness and terror on the other side [laughs] of that death and rotting. 

And with a cycle, it's like, no, what's on the other side of that death and rotting is more life, and more growth, and more fruits, and then more death, and then more life. And it's this life-death-life cycle, which comes up in one of my favourite books. 

So, the book that, you know, totally changed my life is Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. And she talks a lot about, she sort of deconstructs fairy tales, in this sort of Jungian analysis. And I love, I love, love, love that book. And she talks a lot about this life-death-life cycle. 

And so, that we don't need to fear, sort of, these death parts of our lives when there's a feeling of loss or there is actual loss that we have to process. Because in that, there is beauty, like you'd said, and that's also where we get our strength, our courage. 

Sometimes in the times of hardship and struggle and turmoil is when we come together as a community. You know, we reach out to other people, we start learning and connecting with our inner resources and our outer resources in new ways that maybe we wouldn't have before all of the change happened, so yeah. Yeah, I love that. I love, it's such a neat, it's such a neat metaphor, for sure.

17:40  The Apple Tree Cycle during the fruiting stage, and seasonal cycles.

RR: And I'm really glad you said the thing about winter, because also in Nissim's workshop, and in Trilotherapy, in the Apple Tree Cycle during the fruiting stage, we can think of things as having seasons, so interests are like spring, summer, fall, and winter. 

And then again, so they're, the mini cycles are happening even though, you know, the larger tree is still here, you can see, like, the different mini-cycles happening in the fruiting stage. And that's okay, too. And just like you use the apple tree, or the apple falling off of the tree, rather than the tree dying itself. So, that's the seasonal cycle, and so there's also that. And you can find those in life and in your cycles that are happening.

GR: Yeah, I find it's such a gentle way of looking at it that can help, you know, I find those, like, "reframes" really useful to just, seeing things from a different angle sometimes can make all of the difference. But yeah, when you get to that, like, moment, though, where you're right in it, you know? [laughs] Like, when you're in that, like, moment of discomfort, where do you find that comfortable place with the uncomfortable, you know? [laughs]

RR: Yeah, so I think having an understanding of what stage you're in, I mean, sometimes, you know, people will sabotage, in my diagram, in my mind [laughs] of the Apple Tree Cycle, there's all these exit doors at each stage, where we might jump ship, like, you know, you're in a new relationship, and you're going through that growth stage, and you're ready for commitment. 

But you're so afraid of it, because there's sometimes these little traumas that come into play that are like, you know, “I'm not worthy of that,” or “I can't commit right now.” And you're just like, you jump, you take a perfectly good, budding relationship, and you might say, you know, “I don't deserve that,” or “I can't have that right now.” And you leave and you exit and you fast-forward to the death and the rotting. 

But having that awareness, you know, over time that that's what you're doing, I think, like, sometimes people get these, like, lightbulb moments where they're like, "I always leave the relationship at this stage." And things like that, like, just noticing the patterns in your cycles and noticing where, you know, you kind of have the most trouble.

And I mean, I think I was telling you this earlier that most people come to get healing or Reiki or help when, or, you know, like in therapy, when they're in that death and rotting stage, because those are the grossest parts. And like, that's when you're like, "Can I handle this? I can't handle this." 

20:32  Understanding the cycles of your life.

The positive parts are where, you know, you see the Signs of Spring, and you're growing, and you're having fruits of your labour, like, you know, you're loving the person you just met, and you move in together, and you get engaged, and you're having a wedding. And like, those are such beautiful parts. And like, those are the parts that are even idealised in media and everything, and nobody loves talking about the breakup and the decline of the relationship. And nobody loves talking about stuff like that, no, but nobody loves being in it. [laughs] 

So, understanding the cycle, and like, that's like, and the stage you're in, is so important for healing and for making it through to the, to the next, you know, the next relationship or the next business idea, or whatever, like, that didn't work out. And so, the part where you're, it's not working out, you can also, once you recognize the cycle, you can jump out at that death stage and be like, "Nope, I know that this is dead, and I am letting it go and I'm moving on. And I want to start something new." 

And, you know, sometimes your next cycle is already percolating within your current cycle. And so, you can do that. You can like, fast-forward things if you are, have an awareness about what's happening.

GR: Yeah, the change that you choose, you know, of the relationship metaphor, because instead of, you know, seeing it through all the way through its fruit and rotting, it's like, you might know, like, your centre, your core, might know at the first date that this is not the fruit you want to be picking, you know. 

RR: Yup.

GR: That this isn't leading you forward, and it can be really scary to say "no" to somebody or to let somebody down or to end something or step away, because we don't want to make them feel bad. We don't want to hurt them. You know, it's uncomfortable for us. Why would we ever leave something that looks so good on paper, you know. 

And I think we can allow our rational and emotional minds to sort of pull us off our centre when we know deep inside what we truly need and want. And turning inward and listening to your inner wisdom is the piece, which is your inner guide knows what part of the cycle you're on and if this is a cycle you need to be on for your soul's growth. 

RR: Yeah.

GR: And, because anything else won't feel right, you know. Even if there's discomfort, I think there's, when you're doing something that is meaningful and matters to you, and, in whatever capacity, there's joy in every stage. And I like that you talked about the exit points – there's joy in every stage, and there's also terror in every stage. [laughs] You know.

RR: Yeah, right. 

GR: And that, you know, and some people might not even want to plant that seed, you know. Don't even think about things being better, because then I might hope for things to be better, and then my hopes might be dashed. And then it's a very painful place. So, don't even start to change anything because it might turn out badly. 

So, knowing where, which part of the cycle stops you, and that only really bothers us when it sort of bothers us deep inside. It's like, "No, but I'm longing for that. There's something inside me that maybe writes, wants to write that book." 

Or maybe you want to have children one day, or maybe you don't want to have children one day and maybe you want to travel the world and explore things and you don't want a relationship or any of that stuff, but you think you have to because that's what you've been told to do. So, you keep on hopping out because you don't actually fit in that cycle. 

And you need to find your, what calls your own heart and spirit forward, which can represent a big shift and change in, you know, changing things that, changing things from the status quo. So, maybe you're not an apple tree - maybe you're an orange tree, you know, [laughs] and you're not living, maybe you're not a tree at all, you know? [laughs]

RR: Yeah, yeah. Totally. 

GR: Some other living being that has its ... 

RR: Some other organic thing is what everything is.

GR: Yes, yes. Maybe you're a fish in the sea, and you need to swim. [laughs] Just be in freedom.

RR: Yeah, or fly, like you're a bird and you want to fly. And that's, like, you're not rooted in that same sense that a tree is rooted. Yeah. And if they do, like, they're not rooted, but they're having these organic experiences and like, having this cycle where, yeah, it's true, like, it doesn't fit into the formula. That's a really interesting point, too. 

I was gonna say, about exiting too early – so, when I was talking about fast-forwarding, you could technically, you know, like, you're having a relationship, you know, you've been in it for 20 years, and then you jump out, and you make a new one with somebody, like, tomorrow. That's probably too early, because you also need to go through, sometimes, the death and the rotting stage, and sometimes people avoid it. 

And so, it's really important to know if you're avoiding something, or if you're actually aware of, like, what your needs are during those stages. And yeah, if you're really, like, processing and allowing your, kind of, spirit to, like, heal and become new again and be ready for the new cycle.

26:41  What happens if you decide to leave early?

GR: So, if you do decide to leave early, so, at the germination stage, it's like, "Oh, I tried this thing, I sampled a bit of life. This isn't for me, and I know it isn't." Letting yourself go through the, completing the cycle, and knowing that the part of the cycle that we avoid, tend to avoid the most is the death and rotting stage. So, it's like, letting it rot and letting it turn to compost and letting it get into the space where you're truly okay with not sampling that bit of life, you know. 

And processing that, you know, sometimes it's a processing that by not wanting to sample that bit of life, that maybe is part of a cultural norm or a stereotype or whatever it is, that there's another rotting that happens underneath that, which is that by choosing myself, sometimes it puts me at a distance from structures and, you know, traditional supports. 

And maybe it also makes me stand out a little bit, which puts you out into the wilderness a little bit, which is incredibly uncomfortable, but is also often very necessary when we're going through massive change, you know. 

We have to be willing to find our way to our own centre. I think of it, like, with one of the things I share a lot in Reiki is the importance of following your own heart, because even the people that love you the most can't know the core of your own heart. 

RR: No, yeah.

GR: And when they make suggestions, which might be very kind, loving, helpful suggestions, they only have the capability of recommending what has worked for them, or what they've seen work for other people. 

RR: Yeah.

GR: And it's not a replacement for following your own guidance and knowing, and recognizing that when people are offering kind suggestions, you know, you might have a real reaction. It's like, "Ahh! Stop telling me what to do!" And that's okay, like I'm greeting that reaction, because all it is is that it isn't in sync with what your heart is telling you to do, but it is in sync with their hearts. 

And so, sometimes what I find is that when people do what they think they're supposed to do, they're the good girl or the good boy or the good person, genderless person, that they do what they feel they ought to do or they should do, rather than the thing that is calling their heart forward. They end up living a life that doesn't fit them. They're fitting in rather than really belonging. 

And I really love the book Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown, because she talks a lot about that concept that in order to truly belong, in order to truly feel that peace and harmony, you have to first completely belong to yourself. And when you completely belong to yourself, then when people connect with you, you feel that true connection.

30:06  How would you support someone through the gross parts of change with Reiki?

RR: How would you support someone through the gross parts of change, or the really good parts of change with Reiki? Like, how would we use Reiki to support people through change?

GR: Yeah, what I love about Reiki is that sometimes you can have the awareness, but it still doesn't shift the feeling, because the feelings are, get really locked in there, and they can be really complex. So, there is that, sort of, embracing and respecting, sort of, the grief parts of loss, like the grief, the loss, that sort of death and rotting. 

And sometimes it can be processing actual deaths of people that you know and love, and that represents, sort of, a very big, massive change that you didn't get to choose, but is part of the inevitable, organic nature of our being, is that all things will age, and all things will also die. 

And in that passing away, it creates space for transformation and growth. It's a change in that person's energy from one state to another state. The grief we feel when somebody we love passes is there because we love them. 

It's somebody passing away, but we can also feel that grief when we transition from a job or a child goes from one grade in school to another grade in school, you know, or switches schools, and we're supporting a kid through, you know, if we're parents, supporting a kid through that change, and we can see them, basically every day, walking further and further away from us, which is difficult. [laughs] You know? And can bring lots of tears. 

There's some really huge losses, and there's also many smaller losses, but respecting that "passing away", that there's an ending of a cycle. And that the reason that we feel a lot of grief around it is because we care so much. And so, it's like an honouring and respecting the feeling. 

And one of the things that I love about Reiki is that it's really, really soothing. And it's very gentle and supportive, and helps connect you with this sort of eternal, everlasting energy, the energy that supports all things, that's within the fabric of life itself, and is the continuity of the cycles, that taps us into this eternal yet timeless frequency. 

And in that frequency, there's this moment of real peace and grace. And with great loss, sometimes it's only that that heals it. There's a moment where we let go into the infinite. But it's like we get some comfort and peace with that transition stage so that we can honour the love that's underneath it. And we can process the pain that's overtop of the love. 

And when we process that pain and trauma, what we're left with is the gifts. We're left with the strength and the resilience and all of the things that we've learned. And we basically, you know – fully processed, any emotion at its core turns into wisdom. And so, then we can take the gifts, take the lessons, what did we learn? 

And the last cycle through the Apple Tree Cycle, and then we can incorporate that, we can take all of the good experiences, we can hold the love close to our heart, we can hold the lessons and the experience close to us. And then we can let everything else go. We can shut it and let it be released. 

And that's the other part that's amazing with Reiki is it helps clear off the stuff that's covering up all of the other good stuff or the nice feeling stuff. And it can sort of safely discharge and, kind of, setting it to rest, really, and honouring it, you know. There's this memorialising it or placing it in a place of respect and love and grace, and letting it go to a place of peace and comfort and acceptance. 

And that might take many times, you know, there's big things that take a lot to fully process and heal, and just giving yourself that space of like, "Oh, I'm grieving. I'm grieving this loss and grieving is okay. It's uncomfortable. But underneath grief is love, and underneath pain is lessons and growth and wisdom. And when I understand the lessons, and then when I transform this pain, I will be left feeling whole. I will be in a different place, because there's no 'back'. I will be transformed by this process of change. And I will accept and embrace the new me that is now living this new life. And I will move forward day by day with grace and gratitude and strength." 

And for me, that's what Reiki gives me. I find I can tap into that space where I don't know how, but I just sort of know deep in my core, the part of me that's eternal, that's seen everything, that part knows I will be okay with this. 

So, that's what it is for me. How does that sit with you? 

35:53  The 'fifths' of the apple tree cycle.

RR: Yeah, that's so beautiful. I thought of something, maybe like the rational side of the Apple Tree Cycle, is to think of things in fifths. So, you know, if your relationship was five years, then one of those years is going to be spent on that death period. And then the next is the rotting period. And if your relationship was 25 years, then five of those years are going to be death, and five of them are going to be rotting because five was gestation and five was growth and five was fruit. 

And you know, you have those 15 years of wonderful change, but what you were saying about the pain, being inside of that loss, and, like, on top of it at the death and the rotting stage, that comes from all of this wonderful, beautiful stuff, the positive stuff, I guess. And yet, this is beautiful, too – the other pieces, like, that all of it becomes fertiliser for the next. And it becomes this nourishing fertiliser for the next cycle and the next thing. Yeah, I love that energy that was there, and it's being, like, released and expressed. Always, like constantly.

GR: Yeah. Amazing. Thank you so much, Rita, for joining us here today. And yeah, I'm just so, so grateful that we got a chance to connect and talk about this. Those of you listening will have some of these resources, the books that we love, about processing change, and all of that in the show notes. And as always, you can look at LunaHolistic.com/resources for some great resources and meditations and courses and whatnot to help you process any of the changes. 

You can book in Rita for Trilotherapy and Reiki, and we're always here to help you, no matter what part of Apple Tree Cycle you happen to be in. We can cheer you on when things are going amazing and let those roots deepen and ripen. And we can also help you process any pain that might be popping up between – trauma, grief, all of that stuff. You can get a bit of help and soothing and support, no matter where you are. You're doing great. You're doing great today! So, thank you all. And thanks, Rita.

RR: Thanks, Geneva. Thanks, I always love talking with you.

GR: Thank you for joining us on the LunaHolistic Podcast. We're so grateful that you are here. If you've got a question, we'd love to hear from you. Go to LunaHolistic.com/podcast and we'll answer you in an upcoming episode. Be sure to subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And also, please rate, because you never know where your little five stars will go to shine light into somebody's heart today. So, thank you very much and we'll see you next time.

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Geneva Robins and Angela Hoogeveen are talking about the weird nature of Reiki in this podcast episode! We love Reiki, and Reiki is so delightfully weird. It brings us to the edge of our knowledge and into the unknown mysteries of the Universe itself. We discuss why we think that Reiki is so wild, weird and wonderful.

Angela shares what brought her to this wild Reiki thing. Something just felt right about Reiki. She leapt into the course with no intention at first of doing it as a job. She really followed her heart and trusted it.

Trusting the decisions that come from the heart, while at times confusing to the mind, very often leads to the best places. Sometimes the best decisions in life are ones where the brain does not get a vote! 

The heart calling us to our purpose creates a wave of energy that gives the mind a vacation. For Geneva, she finds that the mind doesn't know what to do; it just tries to keep her out of trouble. The ego mind keeps her on the 'safest route,' but that is never where the juiciest and most satisfying soulful choices live.

It can be very vulnerable to lead from the heart, but it is absolutely the best decision, at least for Angela and Geneva! When you follow those heart decisions, there's a deep feeling of 'rightness.' It's vulnerable but so worthwhile.

Vulnerability comes up when you follow your heart, but there is a space inside that is certain. We call that wise and quiet space inside your soul. The soul is eternal and isn't afraid of anything. It has so many energy resources; it's calm, certain, and grounded. 

Courage is living from the heart space.

The ego is fearful, but it doesn't have all the information. The ego will keep us stuck in discomfort and find better ways of managing it instead of following the wise guidance of the soul. Angela and Geneva are well practiced at living in this soul-space, and the choices from that energy have always been the best.

Practise following your heart with the little tiny choices in your day from the feeling of the fulfillment of your wishes. It creates a wave of potential energy in front of you and brings you your manifestation faster. Highly recommended!

Why is Reiki so Weird?

We love it so much, but it is truly weird. Reiki is all unseen, so sometimes, it's difficult for the mind to grasp. Even though we have practiced Reiki for several years, we are still in awe of the process. 

The word 'weird' means supernatural or uncanny and comes from an Old Scottish term that means "a person's destiny." We think this fits perfectly as a description of Reiki!

Reiki takes you into the unknown and into the spiritual dimension. Reiki is universal life force energy from a quantum mechanical space beyond matter to the field that unites everything. 

It's weirder than you can think!

If quantum physics is new to you, a fantastic movie exploring the connection between the subatomic realm and our larger world is "What the Bleep do we Know." Quantum physics is weird. The nature of reality is strange and difficult to understand, even from a scientific or spiritual view.

If you study the nature of the Universe, you eventually bump up against the edge of our knowledge and worldview. So with Reiki, we dabble right up to the edge of the unknown, and that makes it weird to us.

How is it even possible to release a massive lifelong trauma and pain in a 5-minute Reiki session? We don't know! But we've experienced it ourselves and have helped others do the same.

In the post, Quantum Leaps: How Reiki Works, Geneva explores this connection of Reiki to the weird mysteries of the Universe.

Reiki is the definition of weird. 

It doesn't make sense to the material-focused mind. In Reiki, we are directly interacting with the quantum nature of the Universe. As practitioners, we have a method to bring in this universal life force energy and direct it to a positive intention.

We practice getting the ego out of the way in Reiki sessions so the energy can flow smoothly. But honestly, it is not likely that the ego can understand it. Just simply the intangible nature of Reiki causes the ego confusion. It pushes on the boundary between what is known and unknown.

For us, Reiki is like peering into the mystery of the Universe, which is wild and weird. Yet, we continue to see major changes in ourselves and in our clients even if the mechanism is still being understood from a pure science point of view. 

Reiki can help to shift the energy around you.  

Reiki is inherently non-judgemental. It simply meets you wherever you are with grace, love, and unconditional support. We love that Reiki creates a space for all of the feelings and helps to transform and heal at a deep level. It helps to process the feelings and the energy residue in your body and mind.

We open up the energy in the room and create a space where people can connect to that universal life force, and it soothes and lifts the heaviness. As a transformative practice, Reiki has helped us move through so many things. Reiki helps with your spiritual well-being and fits very nicely with other forms of therapy.

How do you Stay Clear as a Reiki Practitioner?

We are protected and safe as practitioners because the Usui Shiki Ryoho System of Natural Healing gives us a very safe method to be in a very clear field of energy. It's like standing in a waterfall of light, like being in a very special place of being a witness to someone's miracle process.

Even when people are in a state of suffering, the Reiki energy answers it with an even more powerful flow of love, hope, and healing. We're honoured and grateful to facilitate those big sessions for others. We get to witness other people's growth and transformation; it is humbling and a huge honour.

When we are in the presence of a miracle, we know it because there is a win-win-win effect for all involved.

A Course in Miracles says, "Miracles are a kind of exchange. Like all expressions of love, which are always miraculous in the true sense, the exchange reverses the physical laws. They bring more love to both the give and the receiver." Miracles are weird because we don't understand how they work. But we experience them, and experience is always the best teacher!

Reiki helps us participate in the miracle process of another's healing. And for that, we are extremely grateful!

 

We'll have a new episode every month! Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Add your question to the comments below or record your question here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/podcast/

 

 

LunaHolistic Podcast TranscriptWhy is Reiki So Weird?

Hosted by:             Geneva Robins – LunaHolistic 

Facilitated by:        Angela Hoogeveen

Podcast Air Date:  Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022

Episode: LHP03

0:05  Welcome to the show

GENEVA ROBINS: Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! I’m your host, Geneva Robins, and every month on this podcast, we'll talk about Reiki, as well as answering your questions on all things spiritual. We are gratefully located in Calgary in Treaty 7 Territory. Thank you all, and welcome to the show!

Welcome everyone, this is the LunaHolistic podcast. My name's Geneva Robins and I'm here today with Angela Hoogeveen, who is also a Reiki Master here at LunaHolistic. Hi, Angela!

ANGELA HOOGEVEEN: Hi Geneva!

GR: Thank you for being here with me today.

AH: Thank you!

GR: We're gonna have a good time talking about all things Reiki, and I'm so glad that you could join me today. We'll start, as we tend to do, with a collective breath of gratitude, just a little mini-meditation. So, for those of you listening, if you happen to be driving or operating machinery of any kind, don't close your eyes right now. But everyone else, if you're safe, and still, and you have 30 seconds to a minute where you can comfortably close your eyes, we invite you to close your eyes so you can go into a deeper world. 

And just take a big sigh of relief. [sighs] That's the stuff. And just let all of the energy travel all the way down to the bottoms of your feet, noticing the land below you, the Earth below your feet, and that comfortable tug of gravity holding you close. Feeling that settled, nurturing energy just below you. 

Maybe take another big sigh of relief. And just feel a deep sense of gratitude for the land and all of its inhabitants, wherever you happen to be sitting, noticing the people around you, maybe sending a deep sense of gratitude to any Indigenous people in the land that you're in. 

Feeling a sense of warmth, and thanks to the plant life all around you, to the water, to the air and wind, to the animal life, wherever it happens to be. Just noticing all of the great benefits that come from having solid earth below your feet and sunshine over your head every day. Everyday we get this. 

And take another breath and expand yourself up big and tall, taking up all the space that belongs to you, your personal bubble. And when you're ready, you can open your eyes. 

Ah, thank you! Thank you, Angela. 

AH: That was great.

GR: That was great.

Ah, so good. I love that stuff. Yeah, thank you for being here with me today. I love all of these Reiki things. And I'm so excited to talk to you today. Maybe before we hop into our questions today, you can fill us in about some of your Reiki backstory – so, how did you get to be here talking with us today? What drew you to this Reiki thing? [laughs]

AH: [laughs] This crazy Reiki thing!

GR: Yeah!

4:08  Angela’s background with Reiki:

AH: I was thinking about it. It's actually been just over three years since I had my first session with you. I had known about Reiki for many, many years. Didn't give it a lot of thought. A friend of mine, a number of times over the years, asked if I wanted to join him and take a Reiki course and, "yeah, no," I wasn't really that interested. And then I don't even really remember what my motivation was to finally say, Okay, I need to have a session with the intent of hopefully then signing up for the course. I don't know if you remember, but we hadn't even had the session. And I said okay, I'm signing up for Level I. Sign me up! [laughs]

GR: Yeah. [laughs]

AH: It just felt right. It all felt right. And that first day, it was like, "Yep, okay. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna be a Reiki Master." Again, with no intention of doing it as a job. It was just to hopefully meet like-minded people, to go deeper into my own spirituality. And then, of course, the pandemic happened, I quit my extremely stressful job, and ended up becoming a practitioner at LunaHolistic. And it's awesome. 

GR: Yeah. It is awesome, it is awesome! [laughs]

AH: Yeah! [laughs]

5:39  Why you have to trust your heart to make the decisions:

GR: Yeah. It's so wild, I think probably you more than any of the people that I have taught, you were one of the few where you just leapt in with your whole heart. I always trust those decisions that come from, like, deep inside. Like, it's not even, like your brain doesn't even get a vote. It's not consulted in the process. There's just something in you that says move forward, move forward this direction and do it now.

AH: Yeah, and that's exactly how you phrased it, which I'm still sort of trying to reconcile. Like, my brain did not have a vote in it, so it all happened just, almost with my brain going, "Okay, yeah, I guess we're doing this now. Oh, okay! Here we are."

GR: Yeah, yeah. I think that's like the definition of, like, a calling. Right, like that, like people talk about that often, of being called into it. And it's something that's hard to explain, because we have to use the mind to explain it. The mind wasn't ever a part of the decision. [laughs] It was not consulted. 

AH: Totally, that's been my experience, yup.

GR: So, which I think is just wild. Every time that happens to me, that I get, like, a feeling inside and it moves me, that decision comes not from the logical mind, focus-centred, like, "Hmm, I'm going to plan this out. And I'm going to take this step and that step." But it's like, "No, this is the way to go. Just flow with it." 

Every single time I follow that calling of my heart, it always works out. It always works out. And I've learned to lean into it and trust it so much – so much so that all of the major decisions in my life all come from that heart-soul-deep energy.

And one of the experiments I started September of last year, I was like, "If I trust the Universe with all of my major decisions, maybe I can trust it with my task list." Like, the little, tiny, day-to-day tasks. Like, if I trust the calling deep inside of my heart to decide, "Oh, you have to move your business to a new location," – and I used my heart to decide which one to go to, you know? [laughs] 

But I trust it with that, then maybe it can help me, it's like, "Oh, okay, Wednesday at noon, you're going to be, this is what you need to do now," you know. So, I started doing that, and it is magic. I highly recommend just giving your brain a giant vacation. 

The more I play around with that, the more I realize that the mind is just making stuff up. It actually doesn't know what to do. It only knows how to keep us out of trouble. And it's constantly scanning – or at least my brain, I can't speak for other people's minds – but my brain is always trying to minimise getting in trouble with other people and making other people angry by making the wrong choice, and never knowing exactly what choice other people want me to make. So, my mind just, oh, it takes me on little rabbit hole, squirrels, squirrelly – he gets squirrely. 

8:49  Follow your heart with the little tiny choices because they add up:

And so, if I listen to my mind for my little tiny choices, it ends up taking me on the safest route, but not the best route. Safest to my ego route, safest for keeping me out of the unknown, and in its view, out of trouble, or decisions that will manage or minimise other people's ego responses. So, my ego is busy trying to manage other people's egos and make choices that will ruffle the fewest feathers, including my own, but it's never the thing that is most satisfying. 

And it's never where the juiciest, most creative work is, but it's also kind of terrifying because you get led into all these vulnerable places. And then you look back and be like, "Oh, I'm doing all this new stuff!" Like, but it feels right, so it's like, it's vulnerable, it's nervy, taking those steps into the unknown territory, but everything in you says, "Go." Like, "This is the way, this is – this is the path. This is where you'll be free." It's not easy, but it's entirely worth it. 

So, if anybody out there is maybe stuck in a job that isn't so nurturing, or in any kind of situation, you can follow your heart with the big moves, but I also think follow your heart with the little tiny choices, because I think they add up, every tiny step. If you make every choice and a point of joy, or when everything is resolved in your outer life, how will you feel? And you're making the choice that matches that feeling. 

So, maybe, in your perfect life, you'll feel a sense of contentment and ease and relaxation. So, then you just choose things that bring that feeling, not what you think will bring you that feeling, but which one actually – you know, you're given two routes home, like, really tiny choices, like I can take Crowchild or I can take Deerfoot. [laughs] We're in Calgary, so people who live here know that both are terrible options!

AH: Awful! [laughs]

GR: [laughs] And so you can just feel into it, it probably doesn't make a giant difference in terms of your day, but one will feel a little more open than the other. And I did that for years and it led me here, so I can only speak from my own experience - here is pretty great! It's not without its challenges, but it is the most purposeful, soulful time in my life where I know every single day I am helping somebody, which is incredibly satisfying. That's my little thing. How does that all sit with you, Angela?

AH: I totally agree with what you said. It's definitely a challenge, especially for people like me who are very, like, list-driven, and I have to think everything through and weigh the pros and cons and be very practical. And so, doing this was absolutely not practical and didn't seem like maybe the smartest decision at the time, but absolutely, it was the best decision. 

I did the same thing when I moved out here, where I didn't think it through – I just said, "You know what, forget it. I'm moving. I'm moving to Calgary from Toronto." Actually, sorry, to Canmore. I moved to Canmore first. 

But I had been at my job for 10 years, I sold my house, I left my family. People were shocked. I was kind of shocked, again, because I didn't think it through – it was very much a heart decision. And now, gosh, I think I've been here for, like, 16 years. So, even though sometimes it can be very scary, like you said, you're vulnerable, but definitely, it's worthwhile. It is, for sure.

GR: Yeah. That's where all the juiciest stuff lies, is like, at the end of the branch. [laughs] You're quivering and quaking every single moment. But then, one part of you is, that's one thing that I've been really exploring, because, FYI, this podcast makes me feel incredibly vulnerable. So, if you're thinking about doing a podcast yourself, do it. 

13:22  When you’re doing something that your heart says yes, it’s not all parts of you that are vulnerable:

And it might have your knees knocking, but I've been really exploring vulnerability, and when you're doing something that your heart says, "Yes, do this." And one of the things that I've noticed is that it's not all parts of me that are vulnerable. There's a space inside me that is completely comfortable. It knows that this is the path and there's a solid, steady, warm, comforting feeling inside. 

And then there's another part of me that is freaking out because it's all new. It's what Brene Brown calls the FFT – the effing first time. [laughs] So, when you do something new, it creates a big wave of vulnerability, but vulnerability is just the feeling you have before courage kicks in. And I think courage, that living-from-that-heart-space, is underneath it all. 

And so, it's all about finding a practice that can get you connected into that heart space, that soulful space, the space that is eternal and isn't afraid of anything because it's lived forever and will live forever and is connected to all of the Universe and all of the Universe's wisdom. 

And that space inside you, you know, some people might call it the soul with a spirit, that space inside you has so much, so much resources of wisdom and energy and it's calm, it doesn't get ruffled by things. And when we can tap into that space then it can lead us through a whole bunch of turmoil that our mind gives us. [laughs]

AH: Yeah, but it's, you know, the ego with all the fears that you have to wade through and get through to get to that space, that's the challenge is not listening to that voice in your head that is fearful and telling you, "No, this is dumb, this isn't gonna work. No, no, no. Stay where you are, stay safe."

GR: Have the illusion of safety, even though where you are is incredibly uncomfortable. And so, our ego will keep us stuck, even though we're literally dying. You know, we just can't break out of the space we're in, and feel like, kind of, underneath all of life, and it's piling up, piling up, piling up. And ego will be like, "Well, that's comfortable, so just stay there. We'll just find better ways of managing the discomfort instead of moving into something that is unknown, because everything unknown is scary." So, it's just been my experience. I can only speak for myself. [laughs]

AH: Yep, nope, I'm there with you. [laughs]

GR: Angela, one of the questions that I get, and I know we've been talking about – we, you and I – have been talking about this for a while, which I always think is so funny, is, "Why is Reiki so weird?" [laughs]

AH: It's so weird! [laughs]

GR: It's so weird! And I, we both love it so much. 

AH: A hundred percent, absolutely.

GR: So much. But yeah, it is kind of weird. And maybe someone is listening and they haven't really explored Reiki, haven't had a Reiki session. They don't know much about it. Maybe they've listened to a couple of podcasts here or saw the word in different places, but it is kind of weird and it is kind of new. And [I’ll] let you answer this question. Why is Reiki so weird? Why is it so good and weird? 

AH: Very, yeah, it's awesome, but so weird, and, but I think it is weird, like, not in a derogatory way – obviously, I do it, I love it, it's amazing and awesome – but it's just so strange. And I think for me, because – again, I like lists and I'm practical, I like to see things – and this is all unseen. 

And so, it's hard for me to sometimes, I don't even know, like fully grasp it because I don't understand it. I know it works, and I mean, I myself have had huge, huge sessions. I've facilitated huge sessions. I have all the proof I need. I know it works. But it's just how exactly does this work? [laughs]

GR: Yeah, yeah. 

AH: So, yeah. So, it's weird. It's weird and wonderful.

GR: Yeah. And we Googled it, the definition of the word "weird".

AH: Oh yeah.

18:12  The problem with googling things:

GR: And it actually truly is weird. I don't have it in front of me so I have to use my brain. That's the problem with Googling things – you have to load into your brain! So, "weird" means supernatural, the word weird. This definition is “supernatural or uncanny”. And it has an old Scottish definition, which means “a person's destiny”, which I think is like, yeah, it is completely in alignment, and I love that we kind of had that talk about following your heart and following your destiny.

And it is truly weird, because it takes you into the unknown and it takes you into the sometimes unexplainable spiritual dimension, which is, by its definition, is "entering the mystery". It's going into the wilderness or going into, dropping into the Universe. Reiki's definition is "universal life force energy". So, it's energy that comes from a plane of beyond matter. 

So, in the subatomic realms, for a long time, they thought atoms are the smallest particle that made up matter, and atoms make up molecules, which makes up everything in our world. As they kept on doing these physics explanations, they found out that atoms weren't the smallest thing – they found protons, neutrons and electrons. And then as they kept on drilling down into smaller and smaller and smaller particles, they discovered that it's not really stuff anymore. 

So, when you go way deep inside the centre of an atom or even the centre of an electron, it's more like a wave of possibilities. It's a whole pile of energy that's superimposed upon all other forms of energy, and it's all entangled. And it gets very, very weird down there. 

And one of my favourite movies is What the Bleep Do You Know? Fantastic, if you haven't seen it, it's very, very much worth a Google and a watch. And one of the quantum physicists in there says that, “quantum physics isn't just weird, it's weirder than you can think.” 

Like, it's hard for us to even grasp, even from a strictly science nature, what matter is, what the stuff that makes up all the stuff, like the tables and the chairs and the notepads and the pens and our bodies and the planets and everything, the sun, this stuff of matter, it's hard for us to understand what is happening there, because it's sort of all happening at once. And it's not like a solid thing anymore, it gets influenced by our thoughts. 

And so, that's sort of the weird basis for Reiki. Anybody who studies the nature of matter and the Universe from any angle, the deeper and deeper you go into it, whether it's from a science point of view, or a spiritual point of view, you get to a point where you kind of shrug and go, "Well, I don't really know what's happening. It's kind of weird," which is sort of the edge of the barrel of our knowledge, but also maybe the edge of our worldview or the edge of our understanding, and we're dabbling in it past to things that seem improbable or implausible. 

So, how is it even possible that in a five-minute Reiki session, you can release a massive trauma that you've held your whole life and, or pain, and it's just gone! You get, you leap from one state to another state. And I've been doing this since 2005. I know, many years. And when I'm present or participate or experience that big shift occurring for people, I can't explain it either, which is I think what you say of, like, this stuff is so weird, because it doesn't make sense to our linear, logical, material-focused minds. 

22:42  What is Reiki and how does it work?

And honestly, there aren't many things that we do where we're directly interacting with the quantum nature of the Universe. So, the way that Reiki is described is, you know, it's universal life force energy that underlies all matter, and it's like a field of energy that exists everywhere in everything. And as Reiki practitioners, we learn meditation tools to connect to this universal energy, direct it through our body. 

You know, that energy is called "ki", there's a "Rei-ki". So, "Rei" means "divinely guided", and "ki" means "energy". And if you've done martial arts, then that will be a familiar word, is, it's connected to "Qi". So, it's the energy that's alive within you, it's alive within everything around you. And in martial arts, we use Qi, or Ki is the Japanese version, to kick and punch. In Reiki, we use Ki to heal. It all gets directed with your intention. 

So, as practitioners, we've learned ways of connecting with this energy, allowing it to flow through us like a wire and directing it to a positive intention. So, we chat with the person when they come in, [and] get their intention. And then we have a method, because Reiki also describes the method that we use. 

So, there's a series of steps that you get trained to do as a practitioner, to bring in this energy and to move it through safely. And then you focus on that positive intention. You see the person in that highest light, and basically help harmonize where the person is, where they're vibrating right now, which we can learn to see, feel, and sense, with the energy of their intention. 

So, basically matching up or bridging those two frequencies so that the person can feel and experience that connected and whole state. And then we surrender, which is also a big part of Reiki is getting the ego out of the way, the part that doesn't know, isn't capable of understanding – I don't think our ego can understand it because it's so far outside of its experience. 

So, when we set that ego mind aside and just let the energy flow and also get out of the way of the outcome. It's like, just let the outcome be the outcome, let the person take that energy wherever they go. Because a fundamental tenet of Reiki is that all healing is self-healing, that as practitioners, all we're doing is helping that person connect to the energy that's all around them, because sometimes that's hard to do on your own. 

It can be very, very hard when you're in a place of suffering to connect to that universal well of goodness. So, we're basically just the human in the room helping the person connect to their own flow. I love it so much, because when are you ever going to be done peering into the mystery of the Universe? For me? Never. But yeah, how does that sit with you, Angela?

AH: Yes! [laughs] But that's totally it, the ego. Like, again, with me being, you know, so practical, and things have to make sense. And it doesn't make sense, but it's so transformative. You know, my past trauma definitely has been, maybe not healed 100%, but definitely, has helped me move through a lot of trauma. Yeah, it's really been life-changing for me. Yeah. [laughs]

GR: Yeah. Yeah, it has, yeah, it's such a good complement to other forms of therapy. So, it works so great with traditional talk therapy and EMDR, and other forms of, you know, cognitive behavioural therapy. It works great with physical therapies, and acupuncture, and all kinds of things. And Western medicine is a beautiful complement to that, is each thing that you do to support your health and wellbeing is like a wedge on the wheel, it's a little piece of the pie. 

And I feel like Reiki really helps with that sort of spiritual and emotional and energetic wellbeing piece, it's really, really great. And because it's at the centre, you know, if it's a wheel and the middle of the wheel is your total perfect wellbeing, you know, we still, Reiki is amazing, but we still need to drink water, you know? We still need to have good connections with our loved ones. We still need to get outside and enjoy nature. We need all of those pieces of our wellbeing working together and the whole team working together. 

And Reiki is so nice, because it fits very nicely in there. And I find it's awesome for moving us to the next level. So, particularly when you sort of have done a course of treatment, there's been an improvement, but now you're ready for the next bit, it can kind of help you over that threshold into the new phase, so.

28:19  How Reiki can help you move to the next phase of your healing:

AH: Absolutely. I mean, just the other day when I had a session with you, and I was feeling so down, and just so crappy for quite a while. And then I had a session, and sort of all of that energy was cleared off of me so that then I was in a space where, then, yes, I could take it to the next level and do the other work that I needed to do to feel better. Yeah, definitely helps along the way. Absolutely. 

Well, for me in that session, it cleared that black cloud that was around me. You know, when you have that black cloud, you don't want to, or for me, anyway, I don't want to do anything. I wasn't doing my self-care, and my spiritual practice. But once that black cloud, that energy was cleared off of me, then I had the energy to, as I say, do everything else that I need to do to stay in a good headspace and a good frame of mind and to feel good and to be happy. 

GR: Yeah, yeah. Where we are fluctuates from moment to moment, day-to-day, we're dealing with different things, we're still living in the world. And that's also one of the things that I love about Reiki is that it takes you where you are, respects where you are. It's fundamentally non-judgmental. It's inclusive. It works with every faith background. It works with you and works with your energy. So, wherever you are, just, you're just met with grace and love and unconditional support, and then it just moves you to, you know, often a better feeling space. 

And that's one of the things that I've really loved about Reiki as, for me, as my self-care practice, my main self-care practice, is that I've become less fearful of my, in quotes, "negative emotions", or the uncomfortable ones, and have really opened up a more loving, gentle, and unconditional space inside me for all of my feelings. And as soon as I do that, those feelings, they have the space to move, and I don't have to be in them as long, but I'm not trying to shoo them away. 

The other amazing thing with Reiki is it's actually transformational. So, we're not putting, like, a happy face sticker on it, we're not putting a Band-Aid on top of a gaping wound. It's actually healing from the inside. And that's, the thing is that sometimes there's a lot of feelings in there. And so, you get help moving through those deep and sometimes painful feelings, but it's actually like processing them, and clearing them out of your system, whatever doesn't need to be there anymore, whatever energy you've already taken the learning and lessons from, you know, you've already talked it out with your therapist. 

So, now you can come into the Reiki session, and you can clear it out of your body, you can clear it out of your energy, you know, body, and it has a way of, sort of, leapfrogging you from state to state to state. And, which makes it seem very weird and remarkable, like, how is that even a possible thing? But it is. 

And it's just, it's just wild. And I just, I think some of the biggest sessions, I feel like I'm just standing there, you know, I've just opened up the energy in the space and brought the Reiki energy into the room and created the environment where a person can connect and breathe, and get that connection to that universal energy, clear off any of that heavy stuff, let it all go, and that kind of leads me to a question that you get asked a lot.

32:10  What happens when the negative energy gets displaced from the intention of light?

AH: As practitioners, how do we protect ourselves from taking on that energy? That other person's energy that we're trying to clear?

GR: Yeah, yeah, because a lot of that energy gets displaced, right? Because the negative stuff can't, or – I don't like using the word 'negative', but the uncomfortable stuff, the black cloud, you know, shall we say – can't coexist in the same frequency as the intention of light and feeling good and feeling happy and feeling peaceful, which is usually where most of the intentions are headed. And so, as all that nice-feeling, comfortable-feeling energies are going in, it displaces the opposite. 

And so, when that happens, as practitioners, that's the beauty of the Usui Reiki system. So, we're trained in Usui Shiki Ryoho System of Natural Healing. So, that's its full name. There's many, many, many different styles of Reiki; that's our primary, that is our one at LunaHolistic, and so we are used to be Reiki practitioners. Master Usui was the founder of Reiki, and we can get into a little bit about Mastery Usui and his life, maybe in future podcasts. 

But in the System, this Usui Reiki System, we learn a method to basically keep our energy completely separate from the other person's energy. So, for me, it feels like standing in a waterfall of light. So, it's all around me, it's flowing through me, filling me up, and it's all around my aura, my protective shield or bubble. And because I'm filling up with the flow of light, I get invigorated – I actually feel amazing. I get whatever that positive energy, that intention, energy, and frequency has been called in, that's all flowing through me. 

And so, I often feel really blessed to be a part of a session. So, even the big, heavy stuff, if people are moving through massive trauma, deep grief, just all kinds of things, like, whatever horrible thing you can think of, I've probably had a client who has experienced that or a part of it or has witnessed it. 

And all I can say is in those sessions, it is amazing, because whatever the suffering is, and this is also a big piece of how I stay clear, is the nature of this loving Universe that we live in, that's my belief, is that the fabric of the Universe is woven with love. 

And that is what we are connecting with, is that whatever the suffering is, the love is about a million-billion times greater. It's so much bigger than we can even fathom. We can't even understand how much we are held in this unconditional web of love and grace. So, when somebody comes in with a huge amount of suffering, I feel the answer to it, which is amazing. It's like having an angel step into, around you, over your body, flow through you. And you're just the person holding the space. And it's wild. It's amazing. 

AH: Weird. It's weird! [laughs]

GR: It's weird! Thank you, my favourite word is weird. How about you? How do you feel when you do Reiki sessions that are big and heavy for people?

36:02  Angela’s favourite part of being an empath is that she gets to be a witness to others’ transformation.

AH: When I facilitate a big session for someone, it is – it's sort of, you can't really describe how it feels. Like, I'm honoured to, you know, I really am honoured to do that. Even though the person might be in a lot of pain, like you said, it's dealing with just a lot of hard, hard things and big feelings. And absolutely, I have empathy for them. But then, you know, after the session, for them to say, "Wow, like, I feel better. I physically don't have that pain, and I feel lighter, and I feel relaxed," and that things have shifted and changed. 

And it's, yeah, it really is an honour. I'm so grateful that I do this. And you know, and I think we've talked about before that being an empath has always been a negative for me, you know, when you have those big, big feelings and you take on energy, it was just, it wasn't fun. But now, I am so grateful that I am an empath, because that allows me to feel all these things and to connect and to be able to do Reiki, I think, better …

GR: Yeah.

AH: ... as an empath. 

GR: Yeah.

AH: So, it's hard to explain how satisfying it is, but it really is very, very satisfying and humbling that you're able to help someone. Like, it's actually the best feeling, really. 

GR: Yeah, yeah, it is. It's absolutely amazing. And when we step out of the way, it's, I think, the best job because we get to be a witness to other people's transformation. And that just blows my mind.

AH: I know in my own life, how much Reiki has helped and absolutely transformed my life. And yeah, and when people leave the Centre and they're happy and they're grateful and they're excited, it makes my heart happy. 

GR: Yeah, same, same. 

AH: Yeah. [laughs]

GR: It is very, very nice to do this work. And it's amazing. That also is a weird part of it, is that, you know, what other job do you get to go in and help people and the helping of them makes you feel good, it makes them feel good, and it creates a positive ripple throughout their whole – everybody that is connected with them. 

It's a win-win-win-win-win, which the Course of Miracles says that when you have, you're in the presence of everybody winning, and everybody improves, there's net benefit all the way around, that you're in the presence of the miracle. And miracles are weird, because we don't understand how they work! But we experience them. Yeah, amazing. 

You, dear listener, if you're interested in learning more about Reiki and how it works, we teach this stuff at LunaHolistic! You can check out the website. And you can also look for a – and [we'll] put the link in the show notes – an article called, "Quantum Leaps: How Reiki Works," where I go into a little bit more about how Reiki works, or how I feel it works, and a little bit about distance Reiki and all that amazing stuff. But thank you for being here. Thank you for listening. Thank you, Angela, for chatting with me today. It's been a delight. 

AH: Thank you, Geneva! Yes, yes!

GR: As always, our favourite subject! Thank you, Angela, and we'll catch you next time. 

GR: Thank you for joining us on the LunaHolistic Podcast. We're so grateful that you are here. If you've got a question, we'd love to hear from you. Go to LunaHolistic.com/podcast and we'll answer you in an upcoming episode. Be sure to subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And also, please rate, because you never know where your little five stars will go to shine light into somebody's heart today. So, thank you very much and we'll see you next time.

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In this episode, Geneva Robins and Alisia Marie talk about how to stay emotionally centred as an empath and highly-sensitive person. And, of course, we talk about Reiki! Empaths feel other people's feelings, and at times, that can create anxiety. Alisia's strategy is to take time every morning to ground and focus and then tune into the heart chakra to help to keep things calm. 

Keep things out of the spin cycle!

Accessing the heart chakra opens you up to a more beautiful version of reality and connects you to the main purpose of why you are here. By taking time to connect to the pure love and light inside, it helps to put things into perspective. Alisia loves it as a strategy to regain focus and stay out of anxiety.

Awareness and Nature, Two powerful tools for sensitive folks.

Noticing the feeling states in the body helps to get Geneva out of swirling thoughts. Bringing the breath to the spaces in the body that are under tension creates ease and flow. Even just noticing the body is helpful for highly-sensitive people to drop out of the mind and ground the energy.

Go for a nature walk! That is Geneva's favourite way to settle her nervous system. Just go outside and notice nature moving. When you notice the organic movement occurring in real-time, it brings you into the present moment. Just returning to what you are sensing, inside your body and outside your body, helps you reconnect.

Highly sensitive people are superstars at helping others. The gift is that you are a big feeler. You feel everything. It can be challenging, but it is one of your greatest gifts and makes you amazing at helping others.

Aura Up! Energetic care for sensitive people.

The aura is also so important for empaths to keep clear and bright. The aura is the energy container that goes all around your body. The energy of the universe flows through us, through all the chakras and surrounds us. We are basically sitting in bubbles of this energy.

When your aura is in a high-vibe state, you feel settled and in your own container. Other people's emotions flow around you rather than attaching to you when your energy bubble is clear and vibrant. You still keep all your sensitivity, but that sensitivity is protected. With an intact and powerful aura, you can be a compassionate witness to others without taking on the emotional load. 

The simplest way to balance the aura is to imagine you are sitting in a bubble of light. Pick your favourite colour and just use your imagination to put that protective light all around you.

Geneva loves Reiki for helping her move the energy. Reiki is a wonderful technique to balance the chakras and circulate the energy through the aura. It leaves you feeling safe, contained, and clear. 

In Reiki sessions, we help you maintain the energy in your aura. Reiki lasts a long time, much longer than the session, because it is working beyond time and space. So you can stay clear for quite a while after a session, especially if you have a home practice that moves energy like yoga, meditation, or tai chi.

Sensitive kids need Bright Aura's too!

Alisia uses visualization and Reiki to put energy and protection all around her home, vehicles, and herself! She helps her kids imagine their own auras, which helps them navigate big days, like the first day of school. She encourages them to find their own special way of connecting to the energy they want for that day, like a sparkly shield or a superhero feeling. 

Just imagining the energy puts it there. Even little kids can do it! You can choose the frequency of light you want around you and let it be different each day to match what you need.

The Rainbow Tree meditation is another tool that helps your sensitive kids (or you) to clear their chakras, get a bit of grounding, and fill up the aura. You pretend you are a tree and imagine the chakra colours in each chakra, all the way down the roots. Then you pull a big bubble of light around you. Kids love it, and it keeps the nightmares and monsters away!

Alisia asks, 'How did you get through the pandemic lockdowns as a business owner?' 

'Everything starts with your own practice!' says Geneva. You have to take care of yourself before you can help others. She spent a lot of time on self-care and journalling to connect with her Divine Team. 

Staying true to the intention of business and connecting to why we are in this work has been huge. For all the big choices, tuning into that core feeling has been a guide. 

Living by the Reiki Ideals is a core foundation of our work here. Staying consistent with our practice and coming back to these ideals was key. The Reiki Ideals are five principles for leading a happy, joyful life. You can learn more from the book Geneva wrote! The Secret Art of Happiness: Change your Life with the Reiki Ideals.   

A lot of gentleness is very important too, especially when you're dealing with a lot of really harsh things. It has been a challenge but also such a great joy.

 

We'll have a new episode every month! Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Add your question to the comments below or record your question here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/podcast/

 

LunaHolistic Podcast 02 TranscriptStaying Emotionally Centred as an Empath and Highly Sensitive Person

Hosted by:             Geneva Robins – LunaHolistic 

Facilitated by:        Alisia Marie

Podcast Air Date:  Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022

Episode: LHP02

0:05  Welcome to the Show

GENEVA ROBINS: Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! I’m your host, Geneva Robins, and every month on this podcast, we'll talk about Reiki, as well as answering your questions on all things spiritual. We are gratefully located in Calgary in Treaty 7 Territory. Thank you all, and welcome to the show!

Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast. We're so grateful you are here. My name is Geneva Robins. I am a Reiki Master here in Calgary. And I have with me Alisia Marie who is also a Reiki Master here in Calgary with us at LunaHolistic. Say hi, Alisia. 

ALISIA MARIE: Hi, how is everybody today? Thank you, Geneva, for having me. I am so excited to be here.

GR: I'm so glad to have you, and so looking forward to chatting with you today about all things Reiki and spirituality. And this time, our topic is on mental health and helping people with, alleviate depression and anxiety, or bringing a few more tools and resources into your pocket. Because we all need all of the resources and tools in our pocketses as we can jam in there. Because whoo, this stuff is real! Right?

AM: Yes, I agree. One hundred percent! [laughs]

1:38  Collecting a Collective Breath of Gratitude

GR: Yes, and we'll start with a little collective breath of gratitude. So, it's like a little, teeny, tiny meditation. If you happen to be driving or operating some sort of moving vehicle/carriage thing, don't close your eyes, and maybe even skip ahead so you don't get lulled into a deeply altered state. 

But otherwise, if you're in a safe space, and you can close your eyes, we invite you to close your eyes and just take a few deeper breaths. Maybe even a nice big sigh of relief. 

Just noticing the land that you're sitting on right now, the Earth just below you. Deep, deep, deep below you, spreading out all around you, just sending an energy of gratitude into the Earth that's supporting you. 

Noticing the tug of gravity, keeping you held safely on the planet. Noticing the plants and trees. They're growing all around you. The birds and animals and insects, sending all of that life around you a big wish of gratitude, noticing all of that life and energy. How the plants fill the air with oxygen. 

Take another deep breath, expanding up tall, taking up lots of room. And when you're ready, you can open your eyes. Ah, thank you. Wonderful. 

AM: Thank you. 

GR: Thank you for being here, Alisia. 

AM: Thank you very much. That was wonderful. 

3:45  Alisia’s Introduction to Reiki

GR: Yeah, thank you. Maybe we can start with a little introduction that you are a Reiki Master here with us at LunaHolistic. How’d you get into doing Reiki? What drew you into doing this work?

AM: Oh, I was in Reiki for the first time, oh, I believe it was 2009 in a retreat in Quebec. So, I have practiced with two different ladies, and it was the most amazing experience. So, I've carried that on throughout my life. And then I had some babies and I have two children. I met Geneva back in 2016.

GR: Yeah, I think so.

AM: I think it was? Yeah.

GR: ’Sixteen or ’17.

AM: ’Sixteen or ’17. And then during that time, I just, I knew that Reiki was the place for me to continue, because it allows you to heal in such phenomenal ways that a lot of other resources, that I personally have tried, haven't allowed me to move forward in a well-rounded way. And so, Reiki, for me, has allowed that healing in all aspects of my life, from physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. So, this is why I stuck with it. And here we are today.

GR: Amazing, amazing. Oh, that's so great to hear. Yeah, I love this Reiki stuff. And I'm always fascinated to hear more about people's Reiki journeys, because it leads you into all kinds of interesting epiphanies and helps you with all kinds of things. 

5:21  How to Stay Emotionally Centred as an Empath and Highly Sensitive Person.

One of the questions that I get asked a lot in Reiki classes and with people who come in as clients, and you've probably heard this or similar kinds of questions along your Reiki journey as a Reiki Master and practitioner, and one of them is, “How do I stay clear and emotionally centred as an empath and highly sensitive person?” What do you do, or what do you recommend to people, Alisia?

AM: That is a really great question, because I am definitely highly sensitive and an empath, for sure. Like, I just feel other people's feelings, just by looking at their face, and it creates, for me personally, whether they're good feelings or bad feelings, or positive or negative, they create a lot of, at times, anxiety, which you know, can filter and spiral. 

So, for me, what I do is I always make sure that I have time to ground myself, because if I ground myself, I can then become a little bit more clear and focused on the emotions that – nope, those are not my emotions, they're somebody else's. And if they are mine, then I allow my Heart Chakra to really kick in and really feel the feelings, whether they're positive, or whether they're negative. 

And as long as I really feel them to the full capacity, I'm able to move through pretty much any emotion, any situation that I go through – whether that's in my university courses, that's being a mother, that's being a friend, a wife – I can move through all of those emotions in the most positive way, as humanly possible. 

And that is, because I choose to find myself and find the grounding first. And that's really what it ultimately boils down to.

GR: That's amazing. That's amazing. And if you don't mind, take us into, like, your process, especially with the heart. Because I know, like, when we have a racing mind, it can just keep us spiralling in the feeling, and it's like circling the drain. 

You know, I've got these crazy wild thoughts, and they're just whipping me up into this spiral that I, if I don't do something to disrupt my thoughts, then I can stay stuck in the feeling for weeks, [laughs], weeks and weeks. What do you do, in particular with your heart, and feeling the feelings of sort of getting out of the mind spin – the spin cycle? [laughs]

AM: Yeah, I was just, as you were wording it, I was thinking, I'm like, that is so true on all levels, because sometimes, you do, you get stuck in your own head, and then your thoughts spiral, which that can cause anxiety, or that can cause depression or any other different multiple forms of mental health. 

8:11  When you access your Heart Chakra, you remember what your main purpose is.

But what happens is, for me, when I access the Heart Chakra, it really allows me to open up to a more positive side of things, because everybody has a beautiful heart, and everybody is full and capable of love. 

And I think during the times of chaos, when your mind's spiralling out of control, those are the times where you forget, because it's so easy to – it's like surfing the internet or scrolling through the feeds. You just scroll and you scroll and you search and you forget the main purpose of what you were trying to search for. 

So, instead, it's, with opening your Heart Chakra, you remember what the main purpose is, whether that's love, whether that's kindness, whether that's trying to help a friend in need, or trying to help yourself, whether you're in a stressful situation, or whether you're trying to be just a human, because that's hard enough these days. 

So, when I open up my Heart Chakra, what that looks like, is just pure love and light. And for me, because I have two sons, those are the images that come to my mind right away. Because those two boys mean the world to me, and they're like my whole being. So, I just focus on them and then my Heart Chakra just opens up to, like, an extraordinary – oh, I'm getting teary-eyed. 

Like, just an extraordinary experience, so then I'm able to regain my focus and regain why I chose to be in that situation or how or if I got into a situation, whether it's studying, whether I'm driving, whether I'm stuck in traffic, because all of the things on a day-to-day basis do trigger myself on the daily.

GR: Mm-hmm! [laughs]

AM: So, [laughs] I find that I've always tried to figure out, like, "Okay, like, just be calm. It's gonna be okay, we're gonna get through this." And as long as you have, like, just that one positive thought that can access your Heart Chakra, you're able to move through mountains. And that's how I do that.

10:13  Connecting back to your heart.

GR: Mmm, mm-hmm. Amazing, amazing. Yeah, it's almost like coming back to your heart and coming back to sort of, a touchstone of connecting into a great feeling of love, or compassion, or kindness, and maybe bringing up, you know, your kids or your pets or even, like, I find nature is one of those things that connects me back into my heart. 

You know, like being outside, being able to breathe, like, coming back to gratitude is, connects me into my heart. And, yeah, and then also, just like, noticing what's happening in my body is one of the ways that I do that, is noticing how each thought has a feeling in the body. 

And then, you know, we can put words to the feeling like depression or anxiety, or I'm feeling low or sad, or feeling amped up or hyper, but those come with a particular flavour. So, it's like, "Well, I'm feeling tension in my stomach," or "My heart is racing," or, "I noticed my breathing is off," or, "I can't really feel my feet." 

You know, like, I'm not really fully present or fully embodied, which I think was nice when you were talking about grounding, of just sort of connecting back in to the energy going all the way through your body and connecting in with the Earth energy and sort of letting everything balance with a few, like, settling breaths. That's, yeah, that's kind of where we're headed there, but [laughs].

AM: Yeah, so, that's wonderful – awareness in nature. Definitely a huge game-changer.

GR: Yeah, I am a huge fan of going for nature walks, and you can do this in the middle of a busy city. And you just go out, and you just look for nature moving. So, the wind through the trees, see if you can spot any birds or squirrels. Just taking notice of the weather, the changing season, the clouds in the sky, that kind of thing, because all of that's happening real time, and it brings you back to the present moment awareness. 

And when you're in the present, you don't, you're not thinking about the past, you're not thinking about the future. And that, to me, is where anxiety and worry live, is in the past and the future. And your mind just takes you on a wild, wild ride. But so, as soon as you can come back to, "What are you sensing inside your body? What are you sensing outside your body?" It sort of reconnects back in, so. So, yeah.

AM: Yeah, that was beautifully said. That is 100 percent true. I definitely agree with you. 

GR: Yeah, oh, that's great. Like minds. [laughs]

AM: Yes. [laughs]

GR I'm guessing that our listeners are probably also very highly sensitive, empathic people. And I just want to encourage all of you who are listening – you're not alone. Look, there's two of us right here! [laughs]

AM: Yes, and we're here for you!

GR: Yes, and that's one of the gifts of being highly sensitive, is that you are a big feeler, like you feel everything, which can be challenging, but is also one of your greatest gifts and skills. And particularly if you're drawn to helping people, it makes you a rock star at helping people. And that's such a huge, huge thing.

13:54  What is an Aura and how do you use it?

One of the techniques that I also use – and I'm curious how you, Alisia, how you use it, as well – is I make sure I pay attention to my Aura. And for those of you who don't know what an Aura is, it's basically your electromagnetic field that goes all around your body. It sort of is this energy container. 

So, we're made up of physical matter, but we're also made up of energy. And that energy that we feel within our body and flows through our Chakras and it flows through us as Reiki, it's connected to everything in the Universe. And we are basically sitting in bubbles of this energy. 

And when we pay attention to the energy that surrounds our body, and you can learn techniques to basically clear that energy and make sure you're basically in this very bright, vibrant, clear light. 

Usually how you feel when your Aura is clear and strong and bright is you feel settled and in your own container and, sort of like, you know, things can slide off you like Teflon, or water off a duck's back. Like other people's emotions, you can be a compassionate witness to them, but you're not absorbing them or taking them on, and they're not taking you under or taking you down, maybe even. 

And so grounding is a huge one, I love that you mentioned coming back to the heart, but the Aura is always really, really big for me. And so, for me, like the simplest thing is just imagine you're sitting in a bubble of light. And that's one of the things that I fell in love with Reiki about, is because all of a sudden, I had a technique or a tool to move that Reiki energy through my body, but also circulated around my Aura. 

And as soon as I started doing that, I all of a sudden felt safe and contained and clear, and better able to be respectful to others and leave them be. Like, I didn't have to try to coerce people into better moods so that I could feel better. So, that sort of like, trying to please everybody, because I can feel their discomfort so much, this shooting straight through into my soul that I want to crawl out of my own skin. 

And so, the Aura is sort of like, one of the ways that I take care of it is, you know, through Reiki and meditation, and just even that visualization brings the energy there. So, that's been a huge, huge tool. And I definitely learned that in Reiki, and it definitely helps me tremendously. [laughs] 

And it's one of the things that we do when we do Reiki sessions is we basically help you maintain that energy. So, even if you're like, "I have no idea what you're talking about. That sounds, you may as well be talking about the other side of the moon. I don't know how to do that," don't worry – you can get help clearing your Aura, and Reiki lasts a long time, much longer than the end of the session. It's beyond time and space. 

So, it really goes with you and can sort of keep you in that nice little bubble for a long time. That's my little blurb about how much I love the Aura and how much I love Reiki! Alisia, what's your experience with the Aura, and just sort of navigating lots of energy, [laughs], highly energetic environments as a very sensitive person?

AM: Yeah, right? Yeah, I love your description of the Aura and I definitely agree. And with my experience, the Aura is very important, because it's essentially everything you said, it's the energy you give off, it's the energy that other people give off, it bounces back and forth, because it's like a real live molecule, right? 

So, what I do is, in really, you know, maybe situations, if I'm going to write an exam, for example, or if we're going to go on a family trip to Vancouver, and we're driving a long-distance, the Aura for me is also about energy and also about protection. 

I do this a lot with my kids, especially if they're nervous for their, like, first day of school, they're like, "Mom, like, I have a big event coming up." Like, "Okay, like, let's change your Aura, let's bring out like the bright white light. And we, you know, I ask them, like, "What does it feel and what does it look like to you?" And my older one says, "It's like superpower heroes," and like, okay. And my little one's like, "It's sparkly, like a rainbow." I was like, "Yes!" 

So, we just picture whatever comes to mind on that day, because it changes from a day-to-day basis, just like energy does. And that's the part that I really appreciate with the Aura. And for me, it's always like a little bit of sparkle in there, but you just cover yourself with it. And that for my family works really well, whether we're going on long trips, like we, for us on a personal level, we cover our vehicles because we're so paranoid of anything happening. And we want good energy around our vehicles so nobody hits it. And same with us as we don't want to be hit by anything, so the Aura for us is really important. 

It's one of the biggest compacts of life and one of the biggest compacts of Reiki because it's like a vibe – everybody feels it, whether they want to call it an Aura or an energy or a vibe. No bad vibes, all good vibes. That's how we try to move forward and how we try to live as a family. 

And when it comes to Reiki sessions with clients of mine in the past, I've had them specifically say, like, "Yeah, like, your Aura is amazing," or, "My Aura is amazing," or, "How do we get our Auras up and running?" "Well, okay, here's your tools." 

As long as you can create, I think, on a personal level, then your Aura should always be however you choose it to be. And majority of the time, it's positive and it's happy. And if it can't be positive or it can't be happy, like, that's okay, too. Everybody has their days. So, that's the really cool part about the Auras. There's no right way, there's no wrong way. It's just such an interchangeable way. And I love it so much.

GR: Oh, that's so great. I love that you use that as a tool for your kiddos. It's really big. 

And that reminds me, there is a Rainbow Tree Meditation for kids. It's a Chakra- and Aura-clearing meditation. And it's just a few sketches on the website. But yeah, so we've got lots and lots of resources on our website. So, if you go to LunaHolistic.com/resources, you'll see the link to the Rainbow Tree Meditation because it's that good. 

But basically, it's like, yeah, it's a little practice you can do with your kids or big kids can do it too, where you basically, like, pretend you're a tree and you bring energy into each of your Chakras, imagining each of the rainbow colours and each of the Chakras all the way down to your feet. So, you get a little bit of grounding, and then you pull the energy up all around you, like a big bubble or balloon, all around you to 100 percent. 

And that's something that came about when my son was very little and he would have nightmares. So, we would do the Rainbow Tree every night and it kind of kept the nightmares away.

21:31  Connecting into the intention of the business and why it exists.

AM: Okay, so Geneva, I have a question for you. As a business owner, with all of the world changes that have happened in the past and the current that are always going to continue to happen, how have yourself and LunaHolistic moved forward in such a strategic way? Like, you moved through the pandemic, you guys are up and thriving on a very successful level. So, I'm just so curious on how you're doing it.

GR: Oof, ahh, baby, tiny, teeny baby steps, lots of tears, and lots of Reiki and support. [laughs] But no, but it's, it really is, like, I think one of the things that I do is I walk the talk, like I have to. One of the principles of Reiki is that 'all healing is self-healing,' so everything starts with your own practice. So, and I believe that's true of many, many disciplines, so, where you're helping people on a daily basis, so if you're a coach or, you know, an energy healer, or anything like that, you need to take care of yourself first before you can take care of other people. 

So, I was doing so much Reiki over the past couple of years – self-healing, meditation, loads of journaling, and lots of connecting into my guides and my Team and connecting into the intention of the business. So, to make sure that I've got that sort of clear energy feeling of which way I'm headed in the world, and making sure that I'm connecting to that reason why I'm in this business, the reason why LunaHolistic exists, and who we are serving, and the big ripple that our work makes. 

And coming back to that anytime I wasn't sure about which direction to take. We did have to move our offices in the middle of all of that, and then got into another little lockdown and out of lockdown and all of the things that have happened since then. 

And so, just every single step and every single question, coming back to, "Okay, so now that we're here, this is why we're in business. We're in business to help people with Reiki, and how do we keep on doing that?" And really tuning into that core feeling has been really huge. 

And then, as much as possible, supporting each other and staying connected through messaging and things like that. And then also just a lot of gentleness. I think it's been a very, very hard couple of years for many, many people for lots of different reasons. [It] hasn't hit everybody the same way. 

And so, when you're dealing with really harsh things, I think gentleness is always the way to go with getting really soft, being very forgiving, being very kind, to first yourself. You're doing the best you can and you're doing great. And just repeat that over and over and over again. 

I gave my husband a 'sad script.' I basically wrote out, "This is what you say when I'm sad and I feel like I'm lost and I don't know what I'm doing. You just say, 'You're doing a great job! What you're doing makes a difference. Keep on going, stop crying, it's going to be okay!’" You know, and then [he adds] a couple of jokes in there so that I laugh, I get over myself and I can get back to work. [laughs] 

So, that's also a really good thing, if you have a partner or a friend, is you just say, "I just need another human being to read this to me and I don't care if you mean it." [laughs] So, that's been my strategy. [laughs]

AM: I love it. And those sound really close to the Reiki ideals. Maybe the listeners would want to know the Reiki ideals.

GR: Oh, yeah. So, the Reiki ideals - I wrote a whole book about it, The Secret Art of Happiness.

AM: Sure did! Best book ever!

GR: My little plug! So, the Reiki ideals are five principles for leading a happy, joyful life. They're called the Secret Art of Happiness, is their other name. And the first one is, 'Just for today, I will let go of anger. I will let go of worry. I will be grateful for my many blessings. And I will do my work, my spiritual work, honestly. And I'll be kind to myself and every living thing.' And just coming back to those over and over and over again, are so key to moving forward.

26:31  How Reiki can support people through the ups and downs of life.

But yeah, thank you for asking. It's been a challenge, but it's also been such a great joy, because being able to move through all the ups and downs of life, and to support other people through it, has been absolutely amazing. 

I've learned a lot. I've learned so much about Reiki [laughs], so much about Reiki the past couple of years, it kind of blows my mind how powerful it is and how much it can support people through all kinds of things. And just how much it is insulated from what we're going through as practitioners. It's really cool, because you are able to learn these techniques to stay in this very clear space. 

So, even if you're going through a lot personally, you can still support people with a lot at the same time. And because the Reiki energy is flowing through you like you're a wire, you're a conduit of it, but it isn't your energy, so, which is just, kind of defies logic, because there aren't many things where it doesn't matter so much about the practitioner. 

But that's yeah, we'll probably pick that up in other episodes of just the mechanics of how Reiki works and where it comes from and why, and maybe a little bit of about how distance Reiki works, because that's also kind of mind-blowing and gets us into, like, cool things like quantum physics. Amazing. 

Well, thank you so much for being here with me, Alisia! This has just been totally awesome chatting with you, learning some of the tools you use. 

AM: Thank you very much, Geneva, for being the most amazing leader ever and having me on this episode. I'm very grateful for you.

GR: Thank you, thank you. I'm very grateful for you as well. It's awesome having you here. If you, the listener, have questions for us, we love to hear from you. You can record a little blurb on LunaHolistic.com/podcast. And we'll probably answer that in an upcoming episode. You can ask anything about Reiki, about Chakras, about energy, anything at all, the nature of the Universe, and we'll do our best to answer it for you. 

28:53  Outro

GR: Thank you for joining us on the LunaHolistic Podcast. We're so grateful that you are here. If you've got a question, we'd love to hear from you. Go to LunaHolistic.com/podcast and we'll answer you in an upcoming episode. Be sure to subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And also, please rate, because you never know where your little five stars will go to shine light into somebody's heart today. So, thank you very much and we'll see you next time.

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