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Healthy Living, Massage, Natural Remedies, Reiki

Massage for grief

Are you grieving anything right now? Grief is a part of life, and the ultimate cost of love.

I find that the average person who does not work in bodywork associates massage with a range of things from treating oneself for a special occasion, to working on a chronic pain problem to achieve results, to providing therapeutic maintenance to the muscles we use daily for years and years. Many of you have probably experienced massage in one or more of these capacities, but not all of you might know the benefits of massage during grief.

Grief is broader than dealing with loss from death; it can be experienced from any significant change in which you are losing something that has been a part of you or your life, even it if is moving onward and forward to something that is “better” in your mind. This can be a change of jobs, change of residence, shifting relationships as people grow and change, move, or have children and become less available. Grief can arise from losing the hope of something you had thought was going to be part of your life. It can also occur from giving up certain foods once you find your body doesn’t respond well to them. We humans do get attached. And of course, the most painful of all forms of grief is losing a loved one due to death.

All of us experience grief as a natural process of life; it is vitally important that we acknowledge and feel our grief, in all its painful and shameless glory, to fully let go, heal, and move forward. Pent up grief manifests itself in many ways in the body, mind and spirit, and often gets expressed with anger when bottled up for too long. Grief demands that we let it have its say one way or another; best to let it have its due as you are experiencing your loss. This will not be easy, it will definitely not be linear, nor will it be pleasant, but it is necessary for your overall health and well being.

Now that we are experiencing grief, what next? Many people have trouble balancing life responsibilities while allowing grief to take its course. Sometimes it’s small outbursts of emotions when you can sneak them in during your own private moments – crying in the car is a great emotional outlet; I’ve used this many times after significant losses, and didn’t mind so much when I had a long commute. Allowing the tears to flow during a grou9p fitness class like Jazzercise when everyone is looking at the instructor is also a very cathartic experience. Allowing yourself these expressions of emotions whenever you can will help you fully feel, experience, and ultimately move through your grief.

Massage is one of those outlets too, particularly when grief or trauma is fresh. Massage teams are often in place as part of emergency response after a tragedy such as a plane crash. After the Oklahoma City bombing, the state medical examiner observed that the massage therapists were “accomplishing more in 15 minutes than psychologists could in an hour or two” (Life, Aug. 8, 1997). Wow! That is amazing. How can that be? The need for touch is powerful, and it is often the most immediate need that we have after tragedy or loss. It allows us to take a break from life’s responsibilities and just feel for however long we are in session. We might even cry on the table or massage chair, and that’s not only okay, it’s good; it’s healing. The space of massage is always a safe place. You can be who you are, wherever your emotional state might be that day, that hour, that minute.

If you feel you need a deeper level of healing, that’s where energy work such as reiki comes in. You’ll be healing the parts of you that you can’t touch with your five senses. Combining the physical touch of massage with the powerful benefits of reiki will be a truly healing and comforting journey.

Massage and reiki are still beneficial when grief is not as fresh. As you have no doubt experienced, grief takes a long time to finally be on its way, waving goodbye to you from afar and wishing you well. Grief can feel like a long winter that just doesn’t want to let go, but Spring does eventually come. As you move through grief in all its stages that seem like forever, massage is always that safe space for you to just feel and be whoever and wherever you are at the moment. It helps you feel supported so that you can continue to move forward and survive. It answers that vital need for support through touch, while at the same time allowing you to be with your emotions, your mind, and your body.

Heidi Aschenbrenner is the owner of Renu Massage, Energy & Bodywork Heidi’s team of bodywork therapists and a Reiki master all strive to achieve balance in each session through the use of energy work incorporated into their bodywork therapies

For more information or to contact Heidi, please visit renumadison.com.

References:

http://www.massagetherapy.com/articles/index.php/article_id/302/Touching-Grief
http://www.massagetherapy.com/articles/index.php/article_id/2074/Grief–Loss

November 8, 2024/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

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

Natural Remedies

Three Steps to Warding off a Cold, by Kathy Bryant

Time to stock up on that zinc and a tree! Wait, WHAT? Cold season is just around the corner whether we want it or not and, according to Dr. Oz, larch can help in the prevention of them. “A new study found that larch can help reduce the number of colds by 23%,” he writes. A separate study by the National Institute of Health backed up the findings. And, while the manner in which you take it wasn’t explicit, the fact that taking it reduces your chances, was.

There are a number of other steps one can take to strengthen your immunity. Some of those include the use of nettle, meditation and regular Reiki sessions. Why Stinging Nettle? Nettle and nettle seeds and their properties are curative acting as a tonic, astringent and antiseptic among other benefits. Its seeds, when soaked in wine overnight (see recipe below), can reduce fever and flus, and tone and strengthen capillary tissues to name a few rewards. It also helps support the adrenals, reduces hypertension and helps prevent the common cold. A simple recipe of nettle tea, infused for approximately 10-15 minutes will assist you on your way to health and healing.

Once you’ve settled down with a hot cup of nettle tea, try some meditation. Om’ing your way into blissfulness has been proven to reduce stress, which helps to strengthen your immune system. But you don’t need to sit on a pillow with crossed legs to meditate. Simply finding a quiet place and listening to white noise or, meditation music will help boost antibodies. “A recent study,” Deepak Chopra, M.D., writes, “…confirmed that, after being given weekly meditation training for 8 weeks, 48 biotech workers had significantly higher levels of antibodies than the control group (coworkers who didn’t meditate) as well as higher levels than before the study.”

You can also try a walking meditation: Head out on your favorite trail; walk in cadence with the chant: “Sa-ta-na-ma” as you swing your arms and touch your thumbs on both hands to each of the four fingers (you can chant silently if there are people around. Or not!) This multiple activity may balance out the brain allowing one to take the focus off of Self and find an inner connection with something greater.

Meditation also stimulates immune functions within the brain. When you meditate, your brain “lights up” in the prefrontal cortex, the right hippocampus and, the right anterior insula. All three of these areas directly correlate to the command center for your immune system allowing it function more effectively.

Adding Reiki treatments, whether on yourself or receiving from another person, can only assist in further strengthening your body’s immune system functions. Reiki gets to the “root” of physical illnesses by clearing out energetic blockages created within the body. These areas, if unchecked overtime, begin to build-up, which in turn creates physical warning signs: a sore neck, an irritated throat, twitching in the foot. The state of relaxation one can attain while receiving Reiki is similar to that of mediation. While in this state, the practitioner can then work on those areas of the body that contain this stuck energy. This allows those energy blocks to loosen and release.

Overtime, your whole body begins to function like the well-oiled machine it is supposed to be – keeping you healthy and free from illnesses. As with any type of bodywork, drinking plenty of water before and after will assist in the release of toxins and blockages. These suggestions, along with advice from your doctor and a regular exercise routine, can bring a body back into tip-top health. So, drink, zen and Reiki your way back to health before cold season sets in!

Nettle Wine

From Wise Woman Herbal by Susun Weed.

1 Tablespoon/15mil nettle seeds

1 glass wine

Soak seeds in the wine overnight. Strain seeds then warm and sweeten if desired and sip throughout the day. Note: If you are taking any medications, please check with your doctor first before taking herbal remedies or drinking alcohol as these can interfere with medications effectiveness.

Kathy Bryant owns and operates White Lotus Healing, a Reiki centered wholistic healing business based in Madison. She ensures whole-body focus as part of her practice and incorporates herbology and acupressure into the client sessions as appropriate or, upon request. To set up a session go to her website at www.whitelotushealingwi.com or, contact her through Renu Massage, Energy and Bodywork at www.renumadison.com .

References

Weed, Susun. Wise Woman Herbal: Healing Wise. 1989. Ash Tree Publishing. Woodstock, NY

Oz, Ahmet. Dr. Oz’s 14 Natural Immunity Boosters. Oct. 2013.

Riede. L., et al. Larch arabinogalactan effects on reducing incidence of upper respiratory infections. Epub Jan 2013. National Institute of Health; US National Library of Medicine.

Sarich, Christina. 29 Nettle Tea Benefits: Sipping On Nettle Tea For Better Health. July 29, 2013.

September 2, 2015/by Heidi

Natural Remedies

Acupressure for Insomnia

Acupressure for Insomnia

By Kathy Bryant

As a long time advocate for cures to insomnia (read: the positive side of “suffering from”), I have tried a lot of different sleep remedies. White pills, yellow pills, blue pills (they’ll really put you in LaLa Land), exercising before bed, positive imaging, mantras, different sleep positions, going to bed and waking up at the same time, etc. All of them had their benefits and drawbacks, but I was not able to stick with any until now. Applying a few simple and quick acupressure points before bed has me knocked out until my alarm goes off — a sweet and welcome respite from many, many sleepless nights.

Acupressure, for those of you who haven’t tried it, is an ancient Chinese healing method where you place pressure on certain points of your body to release the qi, or energy, that has been built up or blocked. It provides a wonderfully easy and simple way to relieve many ailments like stress, pain, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and lowered immunity among others. Here you will learn a few points for insomnia and some other techniques to help you relax into a deep and restful sleep.

There are several points to focus on for insomnia. The first two we will be looking at are called, “Joyful Sleep” and “Calm Sleep.” The point for joyful sleep is located on the inside of your leg just below the ankle (about a pinky finger’s width). Find the dip and place light to moderate pressure there with your thumb. An alternative to holding this point is to press three times then draw tiny circles three times, repeat two more times (total of three). Do whatever feels best to you.

“Calm Sleep” is found on the outside of the leg also just below the ankle. To find this one, rest your shin on top of your opposite knee, then reach down with your hand and rest your thumb on the joyful sleep point. Wrap your hand around the back of your heel. Next, let your other fingers fall naturally on the outside ankle. Your middle or pointer finger should fall exactly where the calm sleep point is (whichever falls “naturally” just below your ankle). Don’t worry about getting this exactly right. Just have the intent that it will work. Hold these two points for about two minutes.

Another important pressure point is the one that is in the corner of each eye to the side of the nose. This point is called “Eyes Bright.” Lightly place a finger there on each side of your nose and press up toward your brow. Hold this point for a minute. The last point we will focus on is called, “Mastoid Process,” located in the hollow behind the ear. If you take your hand and lay it on your head with your palm covering your cheek/touching your nose, then let your pointer finger naturally fall just under the lobe and behind the ear. It will lay about where the dip is. This point is especially good for insomnia created by stress and tension. Hold for a minute, then relax.

After you’ve held these four points, take a deep breath. Imagine yourself getting tired, open your mouth up and yawn, take another deep breath, and fake another yawn. Stretch your arms, your legs, roll your eyes in circles and then crisscross to the left and right (eye “stretches”), fake another yawn (are you starting to feel sleepy?). Doing these few points and steps is a great way to put you into relaxation mode.

Still don’t feel sleepy after trying this? You may need to look at other things you are doing. Things like eating habits, how you handle stress, your thought patterns and whether or not you’re taking medications can all affect how sensitive you are to acupressure and energy changes in your body in general. Practicing these tips will help change that and provide you with many benefits, the least of which are a good night’s sleep!

Kathy Bryant practices acupressure and is a Reiki Master Teacher. She owns and operates White Lotus Healing, a whole body-based healing business, out of her home and contracts with Renu Massage, Energy and Body Work part time.

References: AcuTouch Facial course. www.cherihaines.com. Cheri Haines.

“Insomnia and Sleep Disorders Acupressure Points and Tips.” http://www.acupressure.com/blog/index.php/insomnia-sleep-disorders-acupressure-points-tips/. Michael Gach Reed, Ph.D.

August 1, 2015/by Heidi

Healthy Living, Natural Remedies, Reiki

How Reiki is helping my chronic pain

As a bodyworker and certified cupping therapist, I am familiar with chronic pain. I’ve also experienced a significant amount of chronic pain personally over the years, which has led me to the work I do. Since becoming a therapist, I’ve been slowly unraveling what has built up in me all these years, including injuries, internalized stress, and the resulting emotional connections to those things. I learned in studying the body that emotions stay in our tissues, associated with the originating event that caused trauma or stress, until it is released through various forms of bodywork that I have been trained in. What I didn’t fully realize was how helpful Reiki can be in moving that process along and clearing up energetic blockages that keep the body in its same patterns of chronic pain.

I’ve worked with multiple chiropractors and physical therapists over the years, and I’ve had regular massage for the last decade both to keep my back pain in check and also because I can see the positive changes it has made for the rest of my body. After a herniated disc and all the melodrama associated with that for a good portion of a year, I have worked diligently and consistently to get my movement back so I can do the activities I so enjoy. Yet that chronic stiffness and pain still linger — even after my sacrum is back where it’s supposed to be, and the surrounding low back tissue feels soft and movable like it’s supposed to. There doesn’t seem to be any physical cause for the pain and stiffness that lingers and resurfaces from time to time. My current chiropractor suggested Reiki or another type of energy work as the next step. I had not considered this! I have two Reiki practitioners at my business, and my acupuncturist also does Reiki along with other energetic and spiritual work. It was high time I gave it a try.

I’ve been seeing one of the practitioners who works with me, and I was amazed how much I felt during the first session. Reiki works with your chakras and your energetic forces to help bring balance and healing on an energetic and spiritual level. I could literally feel energy move through my body, and my practitioner could see and feel various things happening on an energetic level as well. (Some practitioners are gifted with that, and I am fortunate to be working with one!) I have felt like I am purging deep emotions that have been buried a long time, and I am feeling lighter, more energetic, and yes, my back pain and stiffness are improving. I am going to stick with this a while. Stay tuned for another article after I feel the journey is complete! I knew several of my chakras needed work, but I am pleasantly surprised to find yet another layer of healing that can happen with the types of chronic pain issues I see so frequently with massage clients.

The body is a wondrous and complex system; we truly need to heal not just the body, but also the mind and the spirit if we want to experience complete and full healing. If there has been any physical or emotional trauma that has resulted in any kind of chronic pain over the years and you are ready to let it go, perhaps Reiki is something that can help. I’ve been very much enjoying the beginning of my journey and am so happy I was directed that way.

May 14, 2015/by Heidi

Reiki

The healing benefits of reiki

By Kathy Bryant

More people are becoming familiar with reiki (pronounced “ray-key”) and its many benefits. A study done in 2007 by the National Health Interview Survey indicates that 1.2 million adults and 161,000 children received one or more sessions of energy healing therapy such as reiki in the previous year. Reiki works to heal the body, mind and the spirit on a holistic level. It has been proven to help minimize pain in chronically ill patients and heal depression and stress among other things.

Mikao Usui, Sensei of Tokyo, founded reiki in the early 1900s. One of his students was Mrs. Hawayo Takata. In 1935, Takata was diagnosed with several serious illnesses. She was referred to a reiki clinic where she returned to health in two months and was completely healed after eight. In 1937, she brought reiki to the U.S. where she continued to teach it until her passing in 1980.

Reiki is traditionally defined as the universal life-force energy. This energy, which flows through a practitioner’s hands, can feel like many things to a client. As the practitioner begins, you may feel a slight tingling sensation, feel heat radiating from her hands; you may see colors or sense waves of energy going through your body among other sensations. Many clients fall asleep or into a deeply relaxed state while receiving treatment. This is your body’s way of allowing the healing to take place.

It is in this state that the ego steps aside and allows our higher self to guide the healing process for our bodies. Many times, we overwork and abuse our bodies with food, alcohol, sugar and caffeine saturated drinks and lack of exercise. All of this can tune us out from our body’s signals. Reiki bypasses the ego’s will to keep control and works with the part of you that is ready to heal. Important ways you can begin to assist yourself in this process are focusing on your breathing, especially when you are stressed, some form of exercise such as yoga, walking or riding your bike, and meditation.

Reiki’s benefits extend beyond just healing your physical body. It heals the emotional aspect also. Sometimes a healing crisis can occur where you experience what feels like an overwhelming amount of emotions arising or get physically sick. More often than not, though, you notice thoughts coming up about events, or have feelings surface you’d forgotten about. If you do experience a lot of emotions coming up, contact a trusted friend or adviser, and ask them to help you through it. Always know that reiki is about helping you release what is no longer serving you and your greatest good.

Reiki can be used in conjunction with other modalities and works very well with body work such as massage or acupressure. Practitioners can assist anyone, even animals, in the healing process. As more people are becoming aware of energy healing and its benefits, a shift is taking place where we are seeing energy work integrated into more mainstream society. Even large hospitals such as NYP/Weill Cornell, are using guided imagery and reiki in palliative care for patients.

If you are wondering whether or not reiki is right for you, consider finding a practitioner who offers a half-hour introduction session, or offers a percentage off the first full session. Reiki is for everyone because it is non-invasive and always healing. It is even something you can do on yourself, if you so choose.

Kathy Bryant is a registered Reiki Master Practitioner and acupressurist. She has studied with teachers both in Madison and Sedona, AZ. She has been helping clients heal for over two and a half years. She owns Adi Shakti’s Center for Sacred Healing, a web-based business and, works at Renu Massage and Day Spa on Madison’s west side. To set up an appointment, visit www.renumadison.com or call Kathy at 608-217-8249.

References: The Center for Reiki Research. www.centerforreikiresearch.org.

“Does the Reiki Touchstone Process Show Support for Reiki?” The Center for Reiki Research. www.centerforreikiresearch.org/RRConclusion.aspx.

“A Modern Reiki Method For Healing (Revised Edition).” Hiroshi Doi. Vision Publications. 2014.

“Comfort Zone.” Anna Sobkowski. www.weill.cornell.edu/news/publications/pdf/medicine2/2010-03.pdf.

October 6, 2014/by Heidi