I just finished my third year of graduate studies, working towards a PhD in Clinical Psychology. It was a challenging semester, because I took a heavier load than the previous semesters, but I am really happy with the outcome. As a matter of fact, it was my best semester yet.
This month is really special to me, as I am celebrating my ten years as a Reiki practitioner. It was in 2015 that I first heard about Reiki while on a trip with my daughter in Angkor Wat, Cambodia. They were offering it as a service in a spa, and until then I had no idea what it was. I started researching and found out that I could send energy to my mother who was on the other side of the globe. The following month, I was in Bangkok for a week on family business, and decided to look for a Reiki course. I signed up, and that was that! Two years later, in 2017, I opened the Gassho Center for Healing Arts in Cebu City, Philippines.
I am celebrating by offering fifty per cent off my services this month of June, and of course with Reikicon at the end of the month in Baguio City. Reiki has truly been a guiding light and lifestyle for me, and my purpose is to help spread it to as many as possible!
Something my prof said last night in class* really struck a chord for me.
For one thing she said, that in the same way we can be emotionally dysregulated (eg. having disproportionately excessive reactions to certain situations resulting in great distress), we can also be OVER- regulated, as in times where we don’t allow ourselves to experience valid negative emotions.
The case discussed in class was about feelings of hurt and betrayal as a result of the client being ghosted by a friend she considered close. Was it time to grieve or time to make demands? There is no right or wrong answer.
The second point was that society does not hand us ready made scripts about friendship and particularly ends of friendships. We talk of conscious uncoupling when romantic partnerships mutually and (supposedly mindfully) agree to part ways. But what of a sudden loss of friendship?
Have you ever been ghosted by a friend? How did you feel and what was your response?
*The Transdiagnostic Approaches to Clinical Assessment and Interventions class
As someone in her early fifties who likes to maintain an active lifestyle, I am very conscious of recovery strategies not only for my body but also for my mind and spirit. I try to eat a balanced, nutrient-rich diet, and consciously carve out time for rest, something which can be a real challenge as a working student.
Recently I performed a reiki energy healing session on a professional dancer who had just completed a performance, and was in need of rest and self-care. As I was doing reiki on her, these words kept coming up for me: “Reiki for Recovery.”
There is still a lot of mystery surrounding energy healing modalities such as Reiki, mostly because there has not been any financial gains associated with large-scale studies validating its effectiveness. Nonetheless, aside from recovery, Reiki has been known to assist in speeding up the healing process, clearing mental clutter, helping with sleep problems, alleviating stress and anxiety, reducing pain and worry, among other benefits.
This year I will be celebrating one decade of sharing reiki - what an amazing adventure it has been! I am grateful to my teachers, clients and students and look forward to my next decade of bringing this beautiful practice to an ever larger audience.
