inner work ~

I just returned from a backpacking trip in Shenandoah. I feel reset. The trip involved 16 miles of hiking, sleeping in a tent when the temperature was 34 degrees and being with my thoughts, lots of thoughts. I went with a friend who is both great to talk with and probably more important, is great to be silent with. I enjoy backpacking because I love being in nature, food tastes amazing after carrying your pack and it helps me recenter. It gives me space to remember what I want in my life and what I don't.

During a frigid mountain stream crossing which we had to do barefoot I had the experience of how intense and then temporary discomfort can be. My mind screaming "get out this will never end", and then it did. Reminding me of all the times I think, I won't survive this and I do. And then we got to do it again a 1/2 a mile later. The second time the feeling just as intense but my mind being more elastic and knowing it will be over soon enough.

We also spied the beginnings of the spring emphermels. They always show up right when I'm so weary with winter.

This year I've tried to schedule these type of resets because my calendar tends to get crowded if I don't. I also have been trying to create resets within my day. Each of these times offers a moment to re-focus, I can bring my attention back to the life I want. I can ask what is my intention for the day, the moment? Here's a few that have worked for me; Reiki self practice in the AM, when I walk the dog (making it a choice not a chore), making a cup of tea mid afternoon.

If you're looking for some resources to tune into yourself, may I suggest the following; Reiki training (see below), the book Effortless; Make it Easier To Do What Matters Most by Greg McKeown and the song, Best Time of My Life by Cloud Cult and if you want a healing to reset, my schedule can be found here.

I hope this finds you well and if you have things that have worked well to recenter, please share.

Best ~ Kim

Below is an upcoming event offered at Hara Studio in Crozet.

March

I have invited Becky Holtzman of Orange Flower Healing to come and teach First Degree Reiki. If you aren't familiar with Reiki it's a type of energy work / healing that uses a light touch. I've found it can bring a sense of relaxation to the energy field. Reiki is something you can practice on yourself or others so it is a valuable tool to calm the system.

First Degree Reiki

This will be held March 30th, 31st, April 1st, and 2nd, 2023.

Thursday 5-8 PM, Friday 5-8 PM, Saturday 5 -8 PM, Sunday 9 AM -12 PM.

$175 / $100 deposit by March 10th to reserve space. *

Space; limited to 6 students.

*Deposit is refundable up to March 20th, after that date deposit can be applied to a future class.

To register contact Becky.

Already taken First Degree and want to dive deeper? Becky will also be offering Second Degree Reiki when she is here, contact her for more information.

Keeping up with self care when the world feels like it's falling apart

Once again I have been experiencing that feeling that I can't quite catch my breath before the news of the latest tragic event rolls in. Then it seems like my own personal life wants to offer me a cup of tea infused with a beautiful problem. During a difficult time in my life years ago a friend gave me advice that I needed to make a list of how-to-cheer-myself-up when I'm down. Simple things like brush my teeth, go for a walk, buy a magazine and unplug the phone. I haven't used a list like that in a long time but following what has happened in Las Vegas, I think I need to recreate one. A tip for making that list: you can't make it when you're down, as the list tends to be sarcastic. Once again I've called on that friend, Becky Holtzman, to shed some light on self care, with a post about self healing through Reiki. Even if you haven't studied energy healing, you can still send healing energy to yourself just by placing your hands on your body and intending energy to go to that area.
Take care ~ Kim

Becky Holtzman is a Reiki practitioner with Orange Flower Healing and practices Reiki in Bloomington, IN. You can learn more about her practice at www.orangeflowerhealing.com

Reiki and Self-Healing ~ Becky Holtzman

The Japanese word Reiki describes both the concept of Universal Life Energy (Rei = Universal, Ki = Life Energy), and the practice of Reiki itself. It is a hands-on healing technique that encourages the body’s healing process by promoting balance and relaxation at the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.

After being initiated or “attuned” in a Reiki I class, the heart of Reiki is a commitment to regular self-practice. A full self-treatment takes about 40 minutes, with hands placed on the head, throat, chest, ribs, belly and pelvis. Reiki passes through the hands and into the body. Since each person is unique, and every day is slightly different, the variety of experiences is wide. In my 4½ years of self-practice, I have noticed physical sensations (warmth, tingling, pulsing), and emotional shifts both profound and subtle. I am still surprised at the quiet power of Reiki.

By practicing on ourselves every day, we learn through direct experience how Reiki works for us, as an individual. You might think of it as you would a martial art, yoga, or meditation: the more you do it, the more familiar and confident you become with the process. For me, self-Reiki is a way of continually building a body-memory for relaxation and restoration. When I place my hands over my eyes, at the sides of my head, or at my heart, my entire being immediately understands the invitation to drop into Reiki.

What I always feel after a self-treatment is better, even if I was feeling perfectly fine before. I’ve also noticed that I have an easier time choosing my yeses, noes, or maybes in decisions both important and minor. If I feel uncertain, cranky, or upset, I give myself a few minutes of Reiki. When I am happily surprised, or delighted, I’ve noticed that I spontaneously place my hand at my chest and feel Reiki start to flow. Like the Tao, as described in Lao-Tzu’s Tao te Ching, Reiki “is always present within you. You can use it any way you want.”

Reiki never goes away. Once you’ve got it, you can always return to it. Even if you haven’t practiced for years, when you place your hands on yourself and invite Reiki to flow, it will. It might feel erratic at first—think of a how a rarely used faucet spits and chugs when it’s finally turned on—but patience and practice will strengthen that flow. Invite Reiki to teach you. Notice what happens, and how you feel.

There is so much that is out of our control in the world, but with self-Reiki we are always able to comfort ourselves, support our own ability to heal, and listen for our deepest truths. That self-care will naturally spill out into the rest of our lives, to the benefit of everything we care about: partners, kids, pets, gardens, work, and our communities, both local and global. When we make time to care for ourselves, things shift, perhaps subtly, sometimes notably. Either way, everything around that initial shift moves a bit, too. A process has begun.