Reiki Archives - Renu Massage, Energy & Bodywork in Madison

Body Treatments, Craniosacral Therapy, Healthy Living, Lymphatic Drainage Massage, Massage, Natural Remedies, Oncology Massage, Reiki

Oncology Massage & Lymphatic Drainage

Renu now offers both oncology massage and lymphatic drainage massage – both of which are highly specialized, and both of which are more gentle forms of massage than therapeutic massage typically is.

Oncology massage can be a great help to someone undergoing treatment for cancer, with benefits including:

Improved sleep
Improvement in the ability to tolerate side effects of cancer treatment
Fewer headaches
Less chronic pain from the cancer or its treatment
Less stress and anxiety

Lymphatic drainage massage relieves swelling that occurs after a medical procedure or when chronic illness interferes with your body’s lymphatic system. The massage session will release the lymphatic fluid in your tissues and redirect it to be reabsorbed in the lymph nodes.

Elizabeth Moore has been trained in both of these specialized areas, and she has many years of experience. Elizabeth is a thoughtful, kind, and caring practitioner who will take great care of you during your session.

Elizabeth also offers Swedish massage sessions for those who don’t have a need for medically specific massage. She is also a Reiki Master and is trained in Craniosacral therapy, so every session with Elizabeth has an added bonus of energetic healing as well as fascial release. We are grateful to have her on our team!

August 30, 2023/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Natural Remedies, Reiki

Kids Home? Reiki Can Help!

Want to be your best self as your kids come home from school this summer? We’ve got you!

Massage is fantastic for self-care, most of us already know the benefits. Did you know Reiki can reduce anxiety and also promotes a positive mental state? Reiki is all about balance and healing.

We’ve talked before about how Reiki can reduce pain and speed up healing, but we should not underestimate the effect Reiki can have on your mental and emotional well-being. Summer is a busy time filled with activities, and it’s important that we continue to take care of ourselves so we can both enjoy this beautiful season and also be our best selves for our partners, our children, and our friends.

Is it time you discovered what Reiki can do for you?

June 5, 2023/by Heidi

Insomnia, Natural Remedies, Pain Relief, Reiki

5 Things to Expect from Reiki

Want a Deep, Overwhelming Sense of Love? Don’t We All?

Your intention matters. Always. If you decide a session is not going to benefit you, then you will be right. Your mind is very powerful! This is why so many self help books focus on training your mind. Think The Secret and other such books – what we focus on really can manifest because our mind wants to make it so. As I was taught when riding motor bikes in the desert as a child – don’t look at the rock in the path, look at where you want your bike to go. If you look at the rock, you will hit it. Your thoughts are a form of energy, and they will definitely impact your Reiki session.
There is no universal experience, so expect to have your own unique experience with Reiki. Some people can feel the energy shifting – which is what your Reiki Healer is facilitating. We all have an electrical field, and our neurons and synapses firing are themselves energetic. This we accept in Western culture and science, but Eastern medicine has found energetic pathways throughout the body, much like our lymph system, and keeping those pathways open and flowing is important to our health and well-being.
In Acupuncture, you may have heard this energy force called qi (pronounced chee). The “ki” in Reiki is the Japanese version of that energy flow.

You will generally experience things in the way you are most adept at (sensing energy, something visual, something auditory, etc.)

Some other experiences people have had include:
1. Feeling vibrations
2. Feeling spacey
3. Having vivid visualizations
4. Seeing flashing colors
5. Feeling a deep, overwhelming sense of love – doesn’t that sound fabulous?
An immediate reduction of pain – if pain is what you came to work on. If you have chronic knee pain, for instance, you will very likely feel an immediate reduction of pain. Is it gone forever? No, but Reiki is very good at getting the healing ball rolling, so even one session will be helpful to reduce pain. For chronic conditions, it’s helpful to receive multiple sessions. And the best part? Your healing will speed up after your session.
Improved sleep – you may even dose off during a session! (I have done this.) If you struggle with insomnia, Reiki can help you sleep that very night. And once again, it is getting the ball rolling for improved sleep going forward, but you will likely need more treatments for an extended benefit if the insomnia has been chronic.
Relaxation – we all need more of this! When was the last time you prioritized your relaxation? Many of us are doing too many things and not taking nearly enough down time to feel restored. Reiki can help restore the balance our minds, bodies and spirits so desperately crave. Receiving energy work is investing in your health and getting some much needed restorative time. It will help support you during the busy times of life and help you feel better until you can take a proper vacation.

It is especially important to realize and remember that even if you don’t feel something during a session – since not all of us are attuned to our energetic force – Reiki will still be helping you for several days after your session. Isn’t it time you got some support for this challenging life?

March 8, 2023/by Heidi

Craniosacral Therapy, Healthy Living, Natural Remedies, Reiki

Are You Part of the Great Disconnection?

Energy Work Can Help!

Do you feel overwhelmed? Like you’re reacting more than directing each day? Do you wish you could recover more quickly from things that upset you? Do you feel lonely and disconnected? Anxiety and stress are so prevalent these days. So many things are vying for our attention, and it’s so hard to be present and intentional throughout each day. It seems that many of us spend so much time putting out fires that we can lose sight of the bigger picture of our overall health and wellness. We have chronic pain. We feel anxious. We medicate (or self-medicate) to help us through the day. And we’re exhausted, stuck in a coping mode.

Our western society has evolved into a never-ending source of seemingly urgent matters, now that we receive notifications on our phones for absolutely everything. We’re in a constant state of having our attention pulled in so many directions, no wonder we’re exhausted! Those of us of a certain age remember the world worked just fine before cell phones and the internet. And while we now have much more convenience with that technology, are we sacrificing our inner peace in the process? (I suggest leaving your phone on silent for a week and see how that changes things… I get notifications from my contacts marked “favorites,” but nothing else till I check the phone.)

But this is not a post about healthy phone habits, as important as those may be. Our western society also focuses on treating symptoms when things go awry, rather than looking at ourselves as a whole to find a systemic cause. This is why energy work can be so important in restoring that feeling of calm and peace that most of us seem to lack. We seem to be collectively out of balance, and energy work is one of many ways to find our way back. Energy work will help build your resilience, lower your stress and anxiety, and help you feel better.

Renu has always been about healing mind, body, and spirit since we are all connected beings, and all three facets are important. We offer Reiki, Craniosacral Therapy, and Biochemical Kinesiology (listed as Muscle Testing for Energy Balancing), in addition to the acupressure we already incorporate into massage, because each individual technique works a little bit differently, and each is complementary to overall health and wellness. Energy work is not only important complementary, but also vital to your overall wellness if you are trying to heal or improve in any way.

We’ll be delving into more details about energy work in future posts.

Is it time to add energy work to your wellness regimen? Now’s a great time to try it and see!

February 22, 2023/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Natural Remedies, Reiki

How Reiki Speeds Up Healing

Why is Energy Healing Important for Your Basic Health?

The Human body is a wonder of physical, mental, emotional, and energetic components. All of these systems are intricately connected to each other in ways that are not fully understood yet. Since we are all energetic beings, our system being out of whack can affect multiple aspects of our lives. For the purposes of this article, we’ll just focus on how energetic imbalances can affect your body’s health.

You may be asking; how can energy really effect how I am feeling? Well there are multiple ways that this can work. I’ll give a basic example. Scientific evidence supports that there is a direct correlation between your emotional state and your physical health. It is much more common to get sick when you are feeling stressed, sad, or angry versus calm, and happy. When dealing with these “negative” emotions our body becomes more susceptible to disease and illness because our energetic system is out of whack and therefor by extension so is our body. This is why during the winter months, when the sun is limited and we are more prone to depression and stress, it is more common for people to become sick. While “negative” emotions are all valid emotions, it is important to properly work through them and allow them to flow or they eventually turn into an energetic block that can create many more issues. Having these emotions is not the problem, feeling different emotional states is a cornerstone to the human experience. There is no such thing as a negative emotion, all of them are important and serve a vital function. Not properly feeling and working through the emotions is what turns them negative. It is perfectly okay to feel sad, angry, stressed and other iterations of these feelings. But when they are not properly dealt with and released, they become stuck in the body. The more a person suppresses their emotions, the more physical ailments manifest in the body.

Think of your body in terms of a flowing river with the water being the energy that flows through all of us. This isn’t exactly how it works but bear with me for the example. If something, say a log (i.e. emotion), were to become trapped in the flow of the river it would disrupt the natural course of the current. If the log is not properly allowed to flow along with the current it could lead to more and more problems like debris piling up to create a damming effect. When the river is dammed, it only has a limited if any flow downstream and causes the upstream flow to go into a state of discord. The blockage would cause disruption and distortion to the ecosystems both inside and outside of the river.

Let’s move on to talk about the physical body for a second. Depending on multiple variables, the human body is stated to be an average of 60% water. Water is a great energetic amplifier. If you are unfamiliar with how water can be shaped by thoughts and emotions, I urge you to check out Dr. Emoto and his studies of water. These studies go into detail about how water that is exposed to loving intentions result in pleasing geometric shaped molecular formations while those on the opposite side of the spectrum form distorted formations. This shows that the vibration of an emotion can cause distortion. One of the amazing things water is capable of is diffusion through the process of osmosis. Meaning that water will spread from an area of high concentration to an area of lower concentration until it forms an equilibrium. This is also true for your energy field. If the energy of a “negative” thought, emotion, or pattern is held in the body long enough it will spread throughout the entire body. While at first the body exhibits a more localized ailment relating to the specifics of the blockage, with enough time more ailments will pop up as the blocks become worse and the energetic discord elevates.

How can Reiki and energy work help this? Getting to the root of the problem, dealing with the emotions, and balancing the blocked energy leads to the body healing the ailment caused by the distortion. While anyone can do this inner work, it can be difficult to see the solution to the problem when you are in the middle of it. Getting in touch with an adept energy healer can not only speed up the process, but help you out in the future. Reiki practitioners improve and redirect the flow of energy in and around the body to rebalance the system. This allows the body to properly heal what was in a state of constant discord. When our energy is balanced, our immunity is strong and our physical health increases. No matter who you are and what you have been through, you deserve to be happy and healthy. Try out a Reiki session with me and experience how it can help you.

Rebecca, Reiki Master Practitioner

February 9, 2023/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Natural Remedies, Reiki

Want To Be Less Reactive to Triggers?

Each of us is plagued with our own internal saboteurs, who once protected us during childhood, but now just get in the way of us feeling at ease. Finding your true inner wise voice takes time and practice, but it really is just as simple as noticing what your saboteur is up to, and choosing a different path and reaction. (Note that simple does not mean easy!) It helps to set a timer throughout the day to retrain your way of thinking – do a short meditation, ask your older, wiser self what matters most about the things troubling you today, that sort of thing.

There are many tools out there to help retrain your brain out of its typical reactions to triggers. But another big help is to focus on your own “life force energy” – and that is where Reiki comes in.

Reiki is a form of energy healing that originated in Japan. At Renu, our clients are very familiar with various Chinese methods of healing that we employ, including cupping therapy and acupressure.

Reiki is more akin to acupressure in that it seeks to bring balance and flow to your energy fields. Reiki is simply another methodology to accomplish what acupressure and acupuncture also see to do. As with acupressure and acupuncture, you may or may not notice your energy shifting during a session, but the session will still be helpful to your overall wellbeing and growth.

Are you seeking more balance and wellness in 2023? Perhaps it’s time to try something new and different like energy work and see if you start feeling better after a few sessions.

February 3, 2023/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Natural Remedies, Reiki

10 Things You Didn’t Know about Reiki

Renu is thrilled to have a Reiki Master joining our team! Rebecca has many years of experience with energy healing. We’re excited to build a practice with her.

Here’s 10 things you (probably) didn’t know about Reiki:

It’s not just for people
You don’t have to be physically present to receive a session
It’s not just about stress relief but can be used for physical, mental, and emotional ailments
It’s considered and “intelligent energy”
Intention matters
Works in tandem with other modalities or professional healthcare
It’s Japanese it it’s origin (ok, you probably knew that one…)
It’s not a religion, but a spiritual practice
Anyone can learn it
It can be used for almost anything, including charging objects

Interested in learning more? Check out Rebecca’s FAQ’s on our Reiki page! Book a Reiki session here, and book any session from the Schedule Online button above.

January 20, 2023/by Heidi

Natural Remedies, Reiki

The Gift of CranioSacral Therapy, by Kathy Bryant

lotus zen spiritual healing A friend of mine and I met the other day at an EVP Coffee®. We were joking about similar circumstances we are both facing in our lives while her 18 month-old played with his food. I’ve always admired her for her sense of humor, unique insight and strength, all of which make her not only a great friend but, an excellent mom. While commenting on our frustrations, at one point she turned the conversation and asked, “So, tell me about CranioSacral. What is it exactly?”

I had just finished a 4-day course through the Upledger Institute®. “I push your bones around and make you feel better,” I say with a smile. “Seriously, it’s using cranio-fluid within your body – the stuff that lubes your spine, for instance – to help release places where your joints or bones are ‘stuck.’” I emphasis it is a simple, gentle movement that is almost imperceptible.

Osteopathic Physician, John E. Upledger, pioneered CranioSacral therapy (cranial osteopathy, cranial therapy). Upledger served as Professor of Biomechanics at Michigan State University where he tested and researched what the cranio-fluid does within the body. Through his evaluation he developed this gentle-touch therapy, which releases tension and relieves pain through the process. “The pressure,” I add, “is about ‘this much.’” To demonstrate I lightly touch the top of her hand with the “weight of a nickel.” Clients go through a range of sensations from not feeling anything (which usually means they are not in tune with their body yet) to actually feeling the bones move as they release.

“What does it help with?,” she prompts. Here is where my memory freezes and I trip over trying to remember all the incredible things it helps with. “Memory. It could help with my memory if I got a treatment…” We start laughing. “Oh!” I say. “Now I remember: It can help with a range of symptoms from chronic neck pain, brain or spinal cord injuries, ADD, Learning Disorders…” and several other physical or mental issues. Almost anyone can be treated from babies to the elderly, minus those with contraindicated symptoms.

I describe the student in our class who had a shoulder injury from, which she was not able to lift her arm up above shoulder sacral chakra height. The teacher, Michael Morgan, CST-D, asked her to come to the front of the class to demonstrate. She told him it had been that way for several years. Morgan worked on her for about 5-8 minutes then asked her to sit down after, which we broke for lunch. Upon returning Morgan invited the student back up to the front of the class and asked her to raise both arms. When she did she was able to raise her bad arm above her head to almost full height.

Dr. Andrew Weil, a well-known physician and author, supports the work of cranio therapy as well. “Dr. Weil… recommend[s] cranial osteopathy therapy for many conditions including colic in babies, earaches and hyperactivity in children, for infants who are not sucking well during breast feeding, … [and] migraine headaches, disturbed sleep cycles, asthma, neck pain, sinus infections, TMJ syndrome, Ménière’s disease and ear problems in adults.”²

CranioSacral Therapy, though around since the late 70’s to early 80’s, is just now beginning to come into mainstream society. Medical Doctors, Pediatricians, Physical Therapists and Chiropractors are a just a few of those learning this valuable healing modality. If you haven’t tried it, take the advice of another friend who said, “What have I got to lose but some aches and pains?” ‘Zactly.

Kathy Bryant contracts with Renu Massage, Energy and Body Work. She helps clients develop the best healing “prescription” through the use of CranioSacral Therapy, Reiki, Acupressure and Crystal Therapy. For more information go to http://renumadison.com or call (608) 438-5342 .

References.

Upledger Institute International: CST FAQ’s. http://www.upledger.com/therapies/faq.php
WEIL™, Wellness Therapies:Cranial Osteopathy http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03223/Cranial-Osteopathy-Craniosacral-Therapy.html

March 3, 2016/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Natural Remedies, Reiki

Smile Your Way to a Healthier Heart, by Kathy Bryant

Smile Your Way to a Healthier Heart

In the center of our own body, there is a small shrine in the form of a lotus flower

And within it can be found a small space.

The heavens and the earth are there: the sun, the moon, and the stars, fire and lightning and winds – the whole universe dwells within our heart.

~ Adapted from the Upanishads, M. Shimoff

What does it take to have a healthy heart? Exercise? Friends? A loving partner?

Loving our self.

A healthy anything starts with a desire to take care of our self and, most importantly, our heart. For eons people all over the world have known that the heart is the seat of our emotions. We recognize this when we suffer “heartbreak.”

Healing from such pain can take days, months or ever years. How do we do it? Marcia Shimoff, author of Happy For No Reason, writes, “Happy people let love lead in their lives.” Just as much as we feel the pain of heartache, we can feel the joy of happiness in its place. I know, I suffered from a heartbreak for years until I learned her secret.

chakras meditation reiki balance “All of our emotions can be divided into two basic categories: Love and Fear,”(2). When we love with an open heart, we are literally, opening up the energy field for love to flow out and to come into our hearts. When we reside in fear our hearts “contract” and close off to any heart-healthy emotion: gratitiude, forgiveness, lovingkindness, etc.

Of course we know this but, do we know this? When we are angry or sad we give in to the emotion – which is healthy initially (as long as we don’t harm ourselves or another). It’s when we stay stuck that it becomes unhealthy and can be debilitating. One way to get out of this is to “force” your self to think about the positive. Our brains are not “cemented” to a certain way of thinking. We train our brains to think certain things by ignoring the subtle signs we are headed down that path. But, we can retrain them to go down the path of uplifting and loving thoughts as well.

Daniel G. Amen, of Change Your Brain, Change Your Body, offers similar advice, “Focus on what you love about your life and those around you, and your heart will be healthier and happier.” It will also help you live longer.

I can tell you from experience this sometimes seems impossible but, just try these few steps listed below the next time you find yourself “stuck in a rut” over something and see if it helps – even a tiny bit. After all, you didn’t get in that habit overnight. Doesn’t it make sense to try to change it back to “Happy” one thought at a time?

Laughter – Laughter can influence our whole bodies, uplift our moods, reduce levels of stress hormones (i.e., cortisol, dopamine and epinephrine) and increase the love-your-body hormones, endorphins.
Gratitude – You don’t need more of anything in your life to be happy – just simply be grateful for what you do have. Look around you. Think of ten things right now that you can be grateful for: a wonderful spouse/significant other, kids who laugh (they’re a natural at this!) for silly reasons, cool socks with funky designs – make a list!

Having a hard time with that? Commit yourself to this then: Every time you think a negative thought, force yourself to come up with 5 positive things about that one negative situation. However, remotely connected push through the negative to think positive thoughts. It may truly be a struggle sometimes but, you CAN do it!

Meditation and Yoga – Both are proven stress reducers, which leads to opening our hearts.
Warm hands – Yes, I said, warm your hands. Not just blowing your breath on your hands but, using biofeedback techniques to increase the blood flow from your brain to your hands will help your body relax (think of placing your hands in warm mittens or, “seeing” the blood flow from your brain to your hands, etc.). Or, grab the hand of your partner. A study done at the University of Colorado at Boulder, “…found that holding warm things may actually make people view others more favorably and may also make people more generous.” (1)
Get some body work done: soothe your heart with some Reiki energy, an acupressure treatment, an overall body massage – anything to help relax you and aid in releasing the stress and emotions you’ve been carrying around.

There are lots more ways to take care of our hearts and lead happier lives. Start with these simple steps and you’re on your way to more “healthy and happy” overall.

Change Your Brain, Change Your Body, Amen, Daniel G. 2010, Harmony Books, New York, NY.
Happy For No Reason, Shimoff, Marci 2008 Free Press, New York, NY.

Kathy Bryant contracts with Renu Massage, Energy & Bodywork, is a Reiki Master Teacher, a Certified Crystal Therapist, trained in acupressure and is currently working towards certification in Cranio Sacral Therapy. She is a native Madisonian and enjoys helping people achieve overall body wellness.

January 30, 2016/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Natural Remedies, Reiki

Let’s talk about Reiki

Several months ago, I shared with readers how Reiki is helping my chronic pain – it was the beginning of my journey with chakra stones energy services that particular method of emotional and spiritual healing. I recapped my history with lingering chronic pain and shared how Reiki was helping to release another layer, and how wonderful it felt! I promised an update when I felt my journey was complete, and though I can’t know with certainty if completeness has occurred, I do feel enough changes have occurred to provide that update.

What exactly is Reiki? I find a whole lot of people have no idea. It is spiritual; it works with the energetic forces in our bodies similar to acupressure and acupuncture, and it helps release and resolve areas that get “stuck” with various baggage we’ve been carrying around from old injuries, traumas, and stressors. Stuckness creates an environment for pain to thrive, and it literally keeps us from moving forward when it is time to let go. A gifted Reiki practitioner can assist us in letting go on levels we are not aware of, like a therapy for your subconscious and spiritual self. A am so thankful for the very gifted therapist at my place of business who has done wonderful work with me!

I do have to be honest – I slacked a bit on consistency with Reiki after giving it a solid go in the Spring. But over those slacking months, my emotions were also in a stuck place and weren’t yet ready to move. That’s the thing with Reiki – as with most any type of therapy, you have to be ready for it and be willing to partner with your therapist to see results. I began regular Reiki treatments in March for my chronic pain, then in April a bunch of things got shaken up in my world, and it took several months for my attitude to be okay with the changes. Coincidence? I’m thinking not. It seems when we open ourselves up to a treatment to help us change, move on, or move through any type of stuck pattern, we should not be surprised when our world gets shaken up a bit. I took a break from Reiki while my attitude decided it wanted to stay in an unhappy place for awhile.

As I started to accept and embrace the changes, I saw that these changes really were good for me, and it seemed to be confirmation that the Universe was giving me wonderful gifts despite my begrudging attitude at my inconvenience and things not happening the way I had planned or envisioned. Then I noticed something else… I had not felt my back pain in quite some time! It had been getting pretty bad there for awhile, and though the Reiki did provide some relief, it wasn’t going away entirely. Somewhere in that span of time when I decided to catch the wave of change and ride it instead of fighting it, I also let go of my pain.

reiki energy bodywork session When I went back to Reiki, I felt some amazing sensations during the session, which seemed to be getting deeper into areas I have felt were holding onto past pain. I was told my energy is much smoother than it had been several months prior. It was such a beautiful experience! And as before, it seemed to stir things up again for awhile as things shift within me (this time internal, not with my external surroundings as had happened before). And now I feel more in tune with what I’m feeling and experiencing, like I can tell we’re getting to some really good things.

I know I’m not complete and done with Reiki, but as I was feeling some deeply held sadness over the holidays (that I still marvel can hide out within me for so long), it actually felt like I was reaching the bottom of it. I was letting it out, letting it go, and replacing it with wonderful love and security now that I now feel so strongly.

Reference: http://renumadison.com/how-reiki-is-helping-my-chronic-pain/

Heidi Aschenbrenner, LMBT, CCT, BCTMB, and Member AOBTA, is the owner of Renu Massage, Energy & Bodywork specializing in Eastern bodywork therapies and the healing arts. Heidi and her team of bodywork therapists, a Reiki master, and a Certified Personal Trainer, all strive to achieve balance in each session through the use of energy work incorporated into their bodywork therapies and have all been trained in Eastern healing techniques and cupping therapy. Renu also offers an infrared sauna from Sunlighten Saunas for deeper healing and detoxification after your session. For more information or to contact Heidi, please visit renumadison.com.

January 9, 2016/by Heidi