'Reiki' How do you even say that word?

I have been practicing reiki (ray-key) for four years now. When I first started I didn't really believe in it myself, I thought it was far-out, perhaps non-existent and most definitely weird. I started doing it as I had a chronic injury that was simply not fixing and someone suggested reiki to me one day.



'Stop paying someone else to fix you Josie, take control, reiki can be done on yourself' said Dean.

(my depleted bank balance and aching back screamed....Yes!)



Anyone who has ever been in pain knows that you will try just about anything to be rid of it...and this desperation flung me in to the path of one of my favourite things, reiki energy. No no no, don't disappear and think I have finally gone insane, this is the good stuff.

I am afraid I am not going to tell you that reiki healed my back pain overnight (although it can in some cases), but it helped me by taking away the fear of it. Anyone who has pain or disease in their body has the power to take control of it and that is what I did. Reiki stopped me being a victim and gave me the emotional strength to get on with my life. Sometimes we have to learn a lesson through the challenge of suffering and we actually come out better at the other end because of it. Therefore, sometimes the greatest tragedy can turn out to be the greatest good, this is what reiki taught me; acceptance, grace and inner peace.


So what is Reiki?

Reiki can be explained in many ways and I choose to describe it in different ways to different people depending on their personality and their belief system. A practical science based individual is not going to connect to an idea I present in a 'new age airy fairy' way and a science based approach can put off the more spiritually minded. The truth is neither explanation is wrong, they are in fact both right in my opinion (just to confuse matters).

Reiki originated in Japan and and was taught by a Buddhist monk called Dr Mikao Usui. Rei-Ki means 'universal life force' and a reiki treatment will channel this life force into someone who needs healing or balancing through the practitioners hands. The practitioner facilitates the energy healing and channels it rather than gives of their own energy. The energy goes where it is needed and the the practitioner is merely a vessel for something much more powerful. Ok, so it is far out when you look at it like this...but...

...when we talk about auras and energy fields people always assume there is something mystical and magical and unbelievable about the whole thing. In reality we are simply energy beings with energy running through us and it makes perfect sense that this energy and heat radiates around us in the form of an 'aura' and out into the world around us. I believe that through reiki we can heal problems in our emotional and physical bodies by balancing and charging our energy.

It makes sense to me that we have energy that runs through us. Our pulse is not our blood creating pressure but a wave of energy that forces our blood forward. This energy originates somewhere, it starts in us all somehow. Why can we not harness more of this energy and use it to channel it into and through others? The tides, the stars, the wind....it is all energy surging through our universe, it makes complete sense to me that we have the ability to increase and harness our own energy through connecting to this source.

How to get started.

The brilliant thing about reiki is that anyone can do it. You do not need to be psychic or an intuitive, you do not have to wear a tiara and have crystals dripping from every limb. If you are interested, open and like the idea of using energy to heal yourself and others, that is enough to get started.

I learnt with two teachers and found the second one gave me the excitement and confidence using energy that I have today. Choosing a teacher is a personal thing and it will depend on how you feel around that person and whether their teaching style and energy suit you as to whether they are right. The second teacher? Miranda Gray.

Miranda teaches a specific form of healing she has developed in conjunction with traditional reiki and the blend works miracles. If you live in the UK and are interested in learning reiki get in touch with her for advice and more information.

“Reiki offers us a powerful tool to interact with the modern world and still keep in touch with a deeper level of life. It provides us with the support we need to feel strong, to let go of the past, to trust and to open our hearts to others. It helps us to experience well-being by restoring and healing our bodies, mind, emotions and soul.”
Miranda

http://www.reiki-southampton.co.uk/

My advice is to be open to the idea of reiki even if at first you feel a bit unsure about the whole thing. I was and now I feel so incredibly lucky to work with people giving treatments as part of my job. It is a real gift to see people transform here and reiki is just another way to ease and increase that transformation.

Sending you vibes.


Josie

Raw Food: Let's Cut to the Chase

Raw Food sounds scary and impossible and who on earth has the time or the patience? I am here to tell you it does not have to be hard, you do not have to do it 100% and it does not mean you have to have a personality bypass and turn all odd (at first anyway).

When people think of raw food they often associate it with extremists and it feels like an impossible thing to do. An image pops into the mind of someone draped with Tye Die, an incense stick in their left hand and a carrot in their right. The truth is, raw food does not have to be an all or nothing thing. If you can add one raw meal a day that's fine, this is the first step on the ladder. It does not matter how you start bringing more raw food into your body as long as you do it.

My friend Jennifer Thompson (http://www.healthybliss.com/) has been 95% raw for four years now and teaches raw food classes and coaching, she likes to keep it fun and light. I know other people who live it 100% religiously and never stray from raw for even a morsel and can be quite judgemental about the whole thing. So, as you can see there are lots of ways of bringing raw food into your life and it does not have to be a challenge.

What do I mean when I say 'raw'?

As the term suggests, raw food is simply not cooked. Someone who is a raw foodist will eat no cooked food and is sustained on raw fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried or dehydrated fruit and vegetables and certain spreads or powders derived from raw products, raw dairy and even raw meat. Although, many raw foodists are 'raw vegan' and restrict animal products from their diet.

Why is raw food important?

Raw food is the best way to get live, active enzymes into your body. When we start to cook food it loses some of its vital nutrients and in some cases degrades it greatly. Eating raw food is eating living food and to eat life brings vitality and healing to the body.

There are different schools of thought, as in much of nutrition, and some suggest certain foods respond well to cooking and it actually increases their positive properties. Others insist that eating cooked foods is bad for the body and cause it to literally fight the food like a foreign body. The way I see it, if you eat a balance of both ( I choose about 70% raw to 30% cooked) then you cannot lose. I suggest you give it a go and once you start feeling the wonderful benefits you can take it as far as you want. What is right for one person is not always right for another so listen to your body and if you go all the way...fantastic!

How do you start eating raw food? What are you supposed to eat?

Preparing raw food can be as simple or complicated as you want, people imagine it will be salads and fruit and you will be starving all the time. The truth is it can be exciting and full of flavour. Sometimes a few simple ingredients tossed in a salad and certain combinations of fruit and vegetables can create a literal taste sensation. Take a look online and you will find an abundance of raw food recipes, tips and guidance, it is a whole new world to discover.

Of course as with any specific diet, you need to make sure you are getting all the nutrients that you need. Some vitamins/minerals are harder to get when you are veggie or vegan. do the relevant research and supplement your diet where needed. You must make sure you get enough fat in the form of avocados, nuts, seeds and oils. Try to get a good balance and change that balance until you find one that suits your body.


Simple!

-Carrot sticks and guacamole.

-Cucumber dipped in tahini.

-Green leaf salad

-Handful of raw nuts and seeds

-Dried figs and apricots

-Green Smoothies

-Shredded Carrot Salad with walnuts


...or for the more adventurous!


-Raw Lasagna

-Raw Cheesecake

-Raw Pasta

-Raw Pizza

I should add that these variations on cooked food are very rarely satisfying if you compare them to the original cooked version, but they are fun and full of great flavours

So...
For more insight into going raw visit Jennifer Thompson at http://www.healthybliss.net/ or find her on youtube.com for some great ideas on raw recipes. Her energy and enthusiasm gets you really excited about it and she was my inspiration to get involved with raw food.


So, good luck getting started and let me know if you have any questions.


Remember to keep it fun and enjoy your new found energy.



Josie








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