Today is Saturday and I am still on a cloud from the three days of reiki and shamanic journeying we held at the center with my Reiki Level Three Master- Teacher Jamila Nedjadi. Jammi’s particular brand of Reiki involves a lot of drumming and chanting, putting the participant in a semi-conscious state where negative patterns are more easily disloged. There are many purposes to Shamanic journeys, thought the main goal always remains deep healing.
There is a lot of confusion and misinformation regarding the practice of Shamanism and the role of the Shaman. In a nutshell, the Shaman’s role is to guide the person to the spirit world where they can take an active role in their own healing. Shamanism is one of the oldest spiritual practices worldwide, predating all the major religions as we know them. What fascinates me most about this practice, is that people from remote areas of the planet who would have not had any way to share information actually performed similar rituals. The reason behind this is that they are intimately connected to the whole, call it Universal Life Force Energy, Mother Earth, God, or whatever resonates with you.
I have found Shamanic reiki very effective in my own practice. This involves sending reiki to the person while guiding them on their spiritual mission, be it cutting cords from a toxic relationship, or going back to a traumatic event in the past and reclaiming power or soul loss at that time. The groups I have guided through Shamanic Reiki Journeys so far have been on the following themes: Connecting to the Divine Feminine and Shapeshifting with the Sun. I hope to lead more in the center in the near future!
On another note, next weekend I am pleased to bring Kundalini Yoga to the Center, another misunderstood – or under-understood – practice. The combination of asana (physical form), pranayama (breathing), chanting and meditation results in explosive sessions, nothing to do with your regular yoga practice which focuses mainly on the physical with some mental quieting and of course breathing. Like Shamanic Reiki, this is not a practice for the faint at heart, though it can be deeply healing, unblocking stuck areas or flow, and allowing magical new energies into your life.
Kundalini workshops will take place on 2 to 4 March 2018 at the center, led by Manila-based teacher Rosan Cruz. For more info, check our facebook page at www.facebook.com/thegasshocenter
The holidays have been a quiet time at the Center with a lot of people out of town, but as of next week, we will be in full swing again with our regular classes. We will also be welcoming some new guests for our third Sound Healing event: Yeyette San Luis and Ishilta from Manila, on 17 January (more info on this here ).
Before that, there will also be a Reiki level 1 class on the 14th. The beginning of the year is a great time to learn something new, especially if it has the potential to be life-changing, as Reiki has been for me. I always tell my students that there is a well-defined “before” and “after” Reiki life for me. Learning about the energetic dimension of the world just opened up a whole new universe with different, mind-blowing, and fun rules! There is also a 21-day detox or cleansing period following the class which will help you in adopting a new set of habits or getting rid of old ones that no longer serve you, so you get a double benefit there.
Whether or not you choose to check out these events (or any of our other ones), January is a good time to look back at the past year and at what stands out that you want more of, and what didn’t work so well, that you would like to get rid of. Personally, 2017 was extremely challenging, with changes in career, ending of friendships, loss of loved ones, but also a huge period of growth through overcoming doubt, fear, anxiety, rejection, self-esteem, insecurity, to mention only a few. I do feel clearer in some important areas of my life, but I also feel I have such a long way to go and 2018 will be equally demanding. Good thing the rewards are usually commensurate to the energy expended, and that we have many tools to help us go forward. A daily or at least regular practice of some sort of meditation is helpful.
I started using EFT or tapping, which I alternate with meditation if I don’t’ have time for both. Reiki self-healing is also very meditative and calming, as is Yin Yoga, all of which are offered at the Center. Tarot is another fun way to stay centered and grounded when faced with confusion or disarray. I have been playing around with a twelve card New Year spread that leaves customers filled with wonder and anticipation.
Wishing you all a 2018 filled with magic!
About thirteen years ago, I was living and working in Geneva, Switzerland. My daughter was a toddler and I was starting a new relationship. I felt overwhelmed and lost enough to warrant an appointment with a life coach (I couldn’t commit to the months and years required from me by potential psychotherapists at the time). I divulged that I failed my marriage and didn’t want to fail at this new relationship. After a few questions about the state of my life, the coach concluded that what we needed to work on was not my relationship, but my BOUNDARIES, in particular with my two-year old daughter.
This was probably the first time I had heard of that word applied to me in such a manner. Fortunately, it was far from the last, as it has been a recurrent theme in my work as a healer over the past two years now. People, for the most part women, but not exclusively, come to me depleted, because they are following a path that they don’t want to follow, a path that is imposed on them by others. For the younger women, this is of course the parents. These type of issues are boundary issues. Boundaries are defined by best-selling author Brene Brown simply as “What is okay and what is not okay.” We define our own boundaries. People often confused having clear boundaries as being selfish, when as a matter of fact, the opposite is true. Self-care is the most compassionate gift we can give ourselves and others, and it cannot exist without clear boundaries.
Ever since that session in Geneva thirteen years ago I have been acutely aware of my boundaries. This does not mean that I have mastered them: at times they are too rigid and at other times they are too weak. Just like everything else, they require attention, and the more attention you give them, the easier they are to manage.
As one of my favorite topics to explore, we will be discussing them during my upcoming course next month: Wake Up Call! Discover the Superpower of Mindful Living. Mindfulness brings to light more than boundaries of course; it deepens our relationship to ourselves, others, and the present moment. The holiday season is often a crucial time to be mindful as emotions run high and are triggered by traffic, lack of sleep and rest, and close contact with more of the people we don’t usually choose to hang out with, for some of us. But then again, no need to wait for the course to start a mindful practice! You can go back to your breath and re-center today, or even now, after reading this post.
Boundaries and mindfulness are particularly important during this holiday season, where we can get easily overwhelmed by festivities and responsibilities. Are you giving your power away by saying yes to more alcohol or food than your body is asking for? Are you feeling constantly guilty as a result of family expectations? Be mindful of your boundaries and give people back what is theirs and not yours (figuratively, that is). That will keep your Christmas merry and bright! Happy Holidays everyone.
You can find more information on this course at www.gasshocenter.com/workshops
