The Rock Tumbler

It's been an energetic rock tumbler to far this year with the ability to polish us like a rough stone to a smooth one. The trick to allowing the polishing is to flow with what comes up rather than clinging to the past. Be open to the new and most importantly being honest with ourselves. What are your true motivations? What are your gifts and what areas need some attention? Where are amends are needed and what can be released? It's time to step into your personal power! 

Energy healing can be a wonderful way to help raise our vibrations, clear that which is no longer serving us and support overall wellness. It can be performed distantly while on the phone or in person. 

When you come to Phoenix Reiki & Wellness for an in person session we include use of our Amethyst Biomat, sound healing and a chakra (energy center) reading with your Reiki session at no extra charge. Energy healing is not massage, the recipient remains fully clothed and usually experiences gentle relaxation along with a feeling of deeper balance and peace. We also offer deep clearing energy healing sessions, readings, Reiki past life regressions and a host of other services listed on our website. To schedule a session email info@phoenix-reiki.com, full details are here http://www.phoenix-reiki.com/Services.html.

Onward and upward!

Anne-Marie Revello, CRMT

Benefits of Massage Therapy

By Melissa Davis, LMT

Massage has been studied for many years and has been shown to have many positive effects on a number of health conditions. Massage's greatest benefit is increased circulation which speeds healing and enhances recovery of tissues. Massage also increases lymph flow which removes waste from the body. Other benefits of massage include:

• Relieves stress
• Promotes relaxation
• Allows ease of movement and breath
• Relieves pain and tension
• Decreased inflammation
• Promotes a quick recovery from injury
• Improves circulation
• Strengthens the immune system
• Relieves muscular problems
• Improves posture
• Reduces anxiety and promotes an overall sense of well-being

Research shows that all of these health conditions can be improved with massage...

• Anxiety/depression/stress
• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Circulatory problems
• Digestive disorders/constipation
• Fibromyalgia
• Cancer
• Parkinson's
• Alzheimer's
• Headaches
• Degenerative joint disease
• Sleep disorders
• Neuropathy
• Sports injuries
• Stroke
• Tendonitis
• TMJ
• Endometriosis
• Emotional or physical trauma

...and many more! To schedule a massage at Phoenix Reiki & Wellness email mda0624a@gmail.com

Beyond Poses Part 1 Pranayama

By Judy Sellman-Hrybyk, 200hr RYT

Yoga is so much more than the shapes we make with our body. In fact, there are eight limbs of yoga; yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. When many of us think of yoga, we think of the asana practice. Over the next several months, I would like to explore the eight limbs of yoga with you. We will first dive into one of my favorites, the practice pranayama.

B.K.S. Iyengar  stated in Light on Yoga,

“Prana in the body of the individual is part of the cosmic breath of the universal spirit. An attempt is made to harmonize the individual breath withe the cosmic breath through the practice of pranayama.”

What more could you want, right!? Being part of the cosmic breath of the universal spirit! In the end all practices lead us to samadhi. The fourth limb being pranayama, leads us to the greater connection with the universal spirit through breath control. When controlling the breath by means of stretching, lengthening, expanding, and restraining, one can reap great benefits to the body, mind, and spirit. From the reduction of stress and mental chatter to lowered heart rate and muscle tension, the benefits of breath control or pranayama can be felt both during the time of practice and throughout daily life.

To begin the practice of pranayama, one may simply draw attention to the breath by watching each inhale and exhale and making effort in creating a steady equal rhythm. Continue to draw attention back to the breath throughout each day over a week to increase the natural occurrence of the equal rhythm. To move the practice forward or to step into a concentrated pranayam practice you may want to continue or begin with the three part breath.

Three Part Breath

Finding a comfortable seated or reclined position with the back completely straight, place one hand over the heart and the other over the lower abdomen.

Inhale deeply filling the abdomen, then lower ribs, and upper ribs.

Exhale upper ribs lower, lower ribs lower, abdomen lowers.

Repeat inhale and exhale for 3, 5, or 11 minutes.

Like many physical practices, Pranayama has beginner, intermediate, and advanced techniques.Some practices may not be suitable for individuals, make sure to check contraindications before beginning a practice. I encourage you to explore your breath.. In joy, with practice all is coming!

Reiki and Children - A Mothers Experience

This was written by a Phoenix Reiki and Wellness client who wishes to remain anonymous for her children's sake:

"Every parent looks at their child at some point in time and thinks "I sure wish you came with instructions".  For the most part, you get to know the child and everything turns out fine.  First crying child needed to be swaddled.  Second needed sung to and third needed to be in constant motion.  Pink eye, ear infection, strep throat is fixed with a quick trip to the doctor.  I quit my job to be a mom.  Fixing is my job.

My heart was crushed around 5 years into my journey of being a mom.  There were things that I told my oldest two I would fix but it was not working.  Those two started showing signs of anxiety, panic attacks and even depression.  It got so bad that suicidal thoughts were being spoken.  I quickly put them in therapy and was also sending them to a psychiatrist.  Bi weekly talk sessions and medications were not helping.  I felt like a failure and most importantly I was scared for my children.  The medications were added to and changed monthly.  I felt like I was using my kids as guinea pigs with no results.  Something had to change.

Luckily I am an open minded parent.  Traditional is not working so lets try non-traditional.  I did a little research and decided to try Reiki.  After a Google Search I found Phoenix Reiki and Anne Marie.  Yes, it was strange at first.  Apparently my children are empaths.  Being told that they needed grounded and filled with light and protection bubbles was a bit strange for sure!  After the first sessions I saw immediate results. I could not see the blocked, small, cloudy, too large, etc. chakras being fixed but my children could feel it. To my surprise the Reiki sessions even worked from Anne Marie's weekly phone calls!   My ridged children looked much more relaxed and happy.  No it was not fixed after one session, it takes daily work but Anne Marie happily gave us the tools to do that work.  My children are now armed with the healing crystals, techniques for grounding and protection they can do themselves and more.

Is everything perfect over a year later?  No.  But it is a whole lot better.  They are now teenagers which is a struggle on it's own but one child is off medication and therapy completely.  The other is also being weaned off and is on the lowest dose medication possible.  They know how to help themselves now when they get overwhelmed in large groups of people or after being around a grouchy teacher or coach.  Sometimes they need reminded, sometimes mom secretly grounds them when I see things getting out of control. Mom is still my job.  I am forever grateful for Reiki, it's a powerful tool that I highly recommend.  My oldest is Reiki 1 trained now, this has been a fabulous life changing experience that I am so happy I fell upon."

Peace To All

May we not get pulled into the vortex of negativity out there right now. Regardless of our individual political views we need to move forward and upward from this place to create a paradigm that supports all of us - holding the higher vibrational energy in the collective consciousness will help (we are all connected). 

Please remember as we are shifting up into higher energies the old heavy discordance needs to come up to be acknowledged, healed and released. May we all be part of this healing process. We CAN create change for the better in accordance with the greatest good for all if we choose to, lets do it! 

Freedom

As we celebrate the USA's birthday this weekend it's also a good time to consider what freedom means to us as individuals and to the human race.

Examining our lives to illuminate any areas where we do not feel free to speak our truth or stand in our power is a good place to start. What are the hindrances to that freedom and how can they be cleared away? Are these obstacles coming from inside of us, perhaps in our beliefs or self esteem?...

While the First Amendment grants us freedom of speech and religion in this country there are many all over the world who continue to be oppressed, many who do not have the opportunities for these freedoms. And here in our own country there are many who still suffer the oppression of poverty, racism and discrimination in various forms.

We as humans are all connected, the oppression of our brothers and sisters impacts the collective consciousness. As we look to heal any roadblocks to our own personal freedom may we also look to eliminate roadblocks on a global level for all who suffer oppression.

Let us celebrate the freedoms we enjoy in America and extend a hand through service work, prayer or activism to extend freedom to all humans that we may create an earth in peace and unity. So be it.

The Cost Of True Happiness

In my former life as a corporate Business Analyst we worked with cost/benefit analysis when determining if a project was worth undertaking (I know - the corporate world and I are not really a match however I did manage to introduce some Reiki and metaphysical content into our project meetings :) As we're heading into the second Mercury Retrograde of 2016 on April 28th it strikes me that we do this subconsciously in our lives as well, and if we can bring those subconscious choices to the realm of consciousness to be reviewed and perhaps altered we can increase the level of happiness and well being in our lives.

There is a cost for every choice we make, that cost is sometimes in the form of what we forgo to receive the benefit of our choice. For example, consider those who stay in an unhappy marriage for financial security, the cost of the financial security is not having a loving spouse to share life with. Also on the topic of financial security consider those who stay in a high stress job that makes them miserable for the paycheck that supports a particular lifestyle. The cost of that lifestyle is the stress and misery of the work that funds it. Many people stay in unhealthy relationships in order to avoid too much time alone; this includes romantic relationships as well as friendships. The cost of consistently eating unhealthy foods in an effort to find emotional solace may be our physical health.

It's beneficial to take a step back and look at the choices we are making in our lives to determine if the cost of those choices is worth the benefit received. This requires being very honest with ourselves and asking if those choices are being made out of fear. Fear of being alone, fear of financial challenges, fear of having to confront our emotional pain etc...Once the fear based (ego based) choices are brought to light we can then take the next step and ask ourselves what is the opportunity for healing that will allow us to move out of those fear based life situations. 

The healing needed may be to address low self esteem, release old emotional pain, to take responsibility for our own self care or even learning how to enjoy time alone. This process requires change, change is often a scary proposition as it involves the unknown. 

Ask yourself - are your life choices honoring to yourself or do they diminish you in some way? Releasing those situations that are diminishing to the essence of who you are is certainly worth the risk of making changes! From an energy healing perspective change is related to the second (sacral) chakra. When we have a firm foundation in the root chakra; when we are well grounded, change becomes less frightening. 

It's often helpful to request the support of a trusted friend, counselor or energy healer when undertaking this exercise in order to receive unbiased feedback as well as support. We are after all social beings and there is no need to try to do it all in a vacuum, by yourself. We all deserve to be happy and releasing situations that no longer resonate with our soul essence in order to create space for new endeavors that do is a powerful step to creating greater life satisfaction. Onward and upward!