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.
For those of you who are afraid of getting old… 2024 was the year that I turned fifty and it was one of the best years ever! I was able to fulfill my goals of spending more time in nature and with my family.
I healed from heartbreak, completed two challenging statistics courses, moved closer to home and learned so much. I feel a little more confident than a year ago and have been able to face and heal core wounds. I was blessed with amazing new friends, clients and students.
Of course the year had many challenges and rock bottom moments but my faith and trust now run deep.
New, beautiful seeds have also been planted and my wish for 2025 is to keep nurturing them with mindfulness, patience and compassion.
Here’s to new alliances, collaborations and more light - Happy New Year everyone!
