Reiki (pronounced “ray-key”) is a Japanese word meaning “universal life force energy.”  Reiki is a Japanese system of natural healing that involves the practitioner channeling energy through the palms of the hands as they are applied on the client to promote balance and improved health of body, mind, and spirit.

Reiki practitioners, who are trained in the specific 12 hand positions and method of delivery that are used in the treatment, also have received energetic attunements that have helped to clear their own energy systems so that they are able to be channels for the Reiki energy to flow through them.

Treatment is totally safe and non-invasive with no physical manipulation involved.  It is an excellent adjunct to traditional treatment methods, particularly in the case of treating cancer, tumors, and chronic disease and anxiety.  Reiki treats a person’s system in all areas:

• Mental:  by easing stress and anxiety.
• Emotional:  by promoting relaxation and calm.
• Physical:  by relieving aches, pains, and symptoms of illness.
• Spiritual:  by promoting peace and balance.

Reiki can also be used effectively on animals and plants!

I have the pleasure of teaching Reiki and Mind/Body methods in Japan as well as in the United States.  Many hospitals now incorporate Reiki in their repertoire of alternative methods available to patients.  If you google “Reiki research validity,” you may be surprised to find how much research supports the use of Reiki for healing!

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING A REIKI Level One WORKSHOP THAT WILL BE HELD IN NORFOLK, VA, AT MY OFFICE on May 30, Thursday, 8:30-3:30–please contact me (Cynthia Bischoff) immediately via e-mail at heartliving@cox.net.  Maximum enrollment is 10 people and currently there are two open positions.  More information will be provided to those interested.

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On this Mother’s Day, let us honor all those in life who have not only been biological mothers, but also “spiritual” mothers. You may have great fondness for your own mother who, as this poem suggests, was always with you, and whom you now have in your heart.

Yet, we also may think of our sisters, aunts, grandmothers, friends, partners, who have loved us and mothered us in ways that cared for our souls.

As a young child, we held within our hearts the motherly feeling of knowing we would be okay. Who performed that role for you?

In some cases, not just your mother, but also other loving people who helped you feel safe and loved, who inspired and motivated you to be your best self. To our mothers and these wise and loving caregivers, we honor you on Mother’s Day!

Your Mother Is Always With You…

Your mother is always with you…
She’s the whisper of the leaves
as you walk down the street.
She’s the smell of bleach
in your freshly laundered socks.
She’s the cool hand on your brow
when you’re not well.
Your mother lives inside your laughter.
She’s crystallized in every tear drop.
She’s the place you came from,
your first home…
She’s the map you follow
with every step that you take.
She’s your first love
and your first heart break…
and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, Not space…
Not even death…
will ever separate you
from your mother…
You carry her inside of you…

Author Unknown

What is ONE thing you are grateful for to your mother or another loving individual who mothered you? –Perhaps this is something that you wish to express to that person or here as a comment at this site and to reflect on today.

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Is there an “elephant in your room”?

Apparently the phrase was first coined in the 1950′s,  It caught on and was intended to mean, according to the “Phrase Finder,” — “an important and obvious topic, which everyone present is aware of, but which isn’t discussed, as such discussion is considered to be uncomfortable.”

Perhaps the elephant in the room refers to something we are in denial about, or something that would be too embarrassing to talk about, or maybe something we would prefer not to address.

So the elephant keeps taking up space, blocking our movement, and causing us to go around it.  By not attending to it, we may also be neglecting real living.

Is there something in your life calling on you for your attention, something that would improve your life if addressed?  And perhaps, it wouldn’t feel at the moment like it would improve your life, but in the long run, it would.  Does this involve just you (perhaps a decision) or your relationship with another or both?  Are you willing to explore the elephant in your room?

I heard once that DENIAL is an acronym for “Don’t Even Notice I Am Lying.”  Most often, the elephant keeps growing and taking up space.

Why not take this blog as a directional arrow?  Address an issue, decide to work through something, and improve your life.  Be a little courageous!

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Certainly being nice can mean that we are sensitive and caring about the needs of others.  We know that being considerate makes us happier than being selfish.  So our nice behaviors may serve us well overall.

On the other hand, some people wear what might be called a “programmed sense of niceness.”  Being “too nice” when it is not what we are feeling authentically can be a face that we have worn for years.

When we try to be perfect and take on too much we are often out of touch with what we actually need for ourselves.  These behaviors can weigh us down.  We may take on extra responsibilities and sometimes feel cheated or angry that we are doing something we don’t want to do.

Do you regularly say “yes” to people when you want to say “no”?  Do you cut yourself off from others by not telling them what you want?  Do you pretend to be calm when you are feeling angry because you don’t want to upset someone else?

People who are too nice sometimes undermine their own good intentions.  Being too nice may stem from programmed messages that you received throughout your childhood:

Don’t be selfish.   Don’t say anything to hurt someone.

Be thoughtful of others.   Always be nice.

Issues of being too nice are often closely related to issues of boundaries.  As you establish a better sense of who you are, especially in relation to other people, you will often help heal the “too nice” syndrome.  This does not imply that you will be rude with others.  It simply means that you will do what truly feels “right” to your authentic self and be sure you don’t leave yourself out of the equation of your life.

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