I recently completed my Reiki I and II training, where I learned how to perform reiki on people, animals, spaces, and at a distance. Don't know what reiki is? Well, to be honest, going into the session, I didn't know either, but it's becoming more and more popular in wellness and I figured it might be something that I could offer to my future health coaching clients. Put most simply, reiki is a hands-on healing modality that can help with pain and stress. Sound a little woo woo? I thought so too. Until I learned that probably around half of my classmates were nurses who were there to get trained so they could offer it to patients at their hospitals and practices. It's becoming more and more common amongst hospitals as a complementary treatment.
That surprised me, but the most poignant unexpected thing that I took away was reiki's emphasis on self care. I did not realize that in learning how to help others in their healing I would learn how to help heal myself. I have done a short sequence with mantras it every night since, and on mornings that I've meditated, I've worked it into that practice as well. Still skeptical? Think about how it feels to have someone hug you. Touch releases oxytocin, which makes you feel good. (One of my best friends has a podcast she does with her sister called "Chatty Sisters" and they hit on this in one episode: check it out!) Any questions? Interested in trying it out? Feel free to shoot me an email or social media message! Forget training for a marathon, or getting into a yoga routine. This is the hardest wellness habit I've ever gotten into. It took me years to give it a real shot. Despite reading countless articles about the meditation's benefits, I resisted. The barrier wasn't money (it's free!), or lack of equipment (none needed--not even shoes!)--or any of the other common excuses I could give. The barrier I kept running into was my desire to keep going, going, going... The last thing I wanted to do was be alone with my own thoughts, which felt both scary and like a waste of time. One of the buzziest supplements as of late is CBD oil, aka cannabidiol (If this brought cannabis to mind, you're on the right track!). I recently got the opportunity to take CBD oil for a test drive and blog about it for B+YND, here. A little more about B+YND: I found the company when I stumbled across the GOOD fest coming up this February in LA (and promptly registered!). It's a multifaceted company started by 3 women, putting on GOOD fests in Philly and LA and doing community dinners and other awesome wellness-themed events, as well as hosting a membership-based community with a monthly subscription box option. (Basically a wellness enthusiast's dream!) They're based in Philly, so most of the events are in Philly for now, but here's hoping they expand to other cities soon! Photo by Caroline Winn Photography |