Reiki (aka Usui Reiki) can help with literally everything.  It is an ancient form of healing that has been passed down from teacher to student for many years over generations and has proven itself time and again to be effective as a healing modality.  It is one of the gentlest forms of alternative healing available and assists the body with balancing energy and relaxing, along with helping the body to heal itself naturally.  It can be applied to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual situations and problems for healing purposes. 

     There can often be gentle pressure or "laying on of hands" with this style of healing.  However, touch is not necessary for Reiki to work, as it can also be sent over great distances to assist with a wide variety of issues and situations.  It has been used to assist the healing process for everything from allergies, headaches, injuries, insomnia, fertility issues, addiction recovery, depression and anxiety, and even serious terminal illnesses.  Reiki can also help to improve and heal the energy in spaces and homes.  Again, it works on literally everything and can bring great pain relief, emotionally or physically, for those who experience it with a qualified practitioner in a session.

     Many people have asked me how exactly Reiki works.  I will give a simple overview here.  If we examine the body and how it functions, both our hearts and brains create electricity and utilize electrical impulses to send messages throughout the body.  When there is a problem with those messages or the electrical connections, pain, numbness, weakness, anxiety, depression, or even serious illness can occur as a result.  Reiki works with the body and its electrical field (often in conjunction with applying gentle pressure to the same areas that acupressure/reflexology or acupuncture would work with) to bring about total wellness and increased healing time.  Reiki essentially encourages the body to effectively heal itself from the inside out.  As an added benefit, many people experience a great sense of calm or warmth and profound relaxation upon receiving a Reiki treatment session.
 
Here are just a few of the areas in which I have personally utilized Reiki energy healing work to assist clients with great, even miraculous results:

     Reiki works well on its own or in conjunction with other forms of alternative healing.  For those who don't like needles or more involved or complicated forms of alternative healing, Reiki is truly a wonderful option.  It is safe for everyone, even children and animals, and works with our body's natural processes to assist with gentle healing.  It brings positive energy and fabulous results.  It is also safe to use in combination with regular medical treatment, even for serious medical conditions involving invasive treatments, like chemotherapy.  Reiki can actually help diminish the side effects that treatments like these can sometimes cause.

     If you would like to learn more about Reiki and how it helps and heals, or to schedule an appointment for a Reiki session or even to learn Reiki from a qualified teacher as a healing practitioner, please feel free to contact Michelle at Harmony Way.  You can reach her through any of the links on the "Contact Us" page here or at www.harmonywayhealing.com or via email at harmonywayhealing@gmail.com.

Happy Halloween!  Here is a blog about something I get a lot of questions about...

Ever find yourself in a location where no one else is physically there...but you know you aren't alone?  You know that feeling when you get the shivers and the goosebumps?  Does it ever happen when you wake up at night in the "wee hours" at say, around 3 am?  Well, many things can cause that feeling of being watched, that someone/something else is there.  The trick is being able to determine if it is there out of love to help, is just passing through and being a little nosy, or if it is grouchy or there to be a pest and bother you.

Everyone has "Helping Spirits" around them.  Helping Spirits can be guardian angels, deceased loved ones, like relatives or even pets, teachers/guides, power animals, certain non-human nature spirits, and others, too.  You may feel "weirded out" or that you are being watched...but with these spirits, upon closer inspection of your own emotions, you should feel a sense of calm, safe, love surrounding you when they are present. 

But, there are also spirits who haven't crossed over and gone to where they are supposed to go for various reasons.  Some of these are neutral and are just curious about us or are just passing through the area, going about their business.  They don't mean any harm, but can sometimes become a nuisance if they like to linger around you a lot. 

Rarely, some spirits initially have no intention of going into the light and love of the other side, are certainly not there to help, and aren't neutral either.  They may have unfinished business here to take care of before they are willing to move on...or they could be afraid because they did something that was "sinful" or "bad" before they died.  Some call these "shadow spirits," as they tend to remain away from the light.  They may simply be in need of compassionate help, like a ghost who has unfinished business, but  is just very grouchy and obstinate about his or her situation.  (When someone doesn't have a body with that kind of attitude, it can be a little unnerving or scary sometimes.)  It is up to you if you want to carefully assist, while surrounding yourself with your own protective Helping Spirits or to pray for this type of spirit, encouraging them to go into the light and join their own loved ones and Helping Spirits. 

Still, others may be human or non-human spirits who don't help and actively choose to not go to the light and be part of the love that is there.  Once in a while, some of them even like to draw fear and sadness out of living people, acting as "energy vampires."  These are probably not spirits you want lingering around.  But, how do you get rid of them?

Fortunately, it isn't as hard as you may think.  There are plenty of actions you can take to get an unwanted spirit visitor to move on, even if you just woke up out of a deep sleep and are still groggy. Here are a few things to try that can help:

• Turn on the light and burn some sage or incense (sometimes called "smudging").  With a strong intention that only helping spirits are welcome in this space, go around the room or home with the smoke.  You can also pray while doing this.  Then, make sure to open a door or window to let the smoke, and any unwanted spirits or energy out.
• Tell them to go away. Say it with gusto, mean it, and state loudly and firmly that this is your space. Insist that they leave, right now and don't come back. Use your strong will and the assistance of your helping spirits to make them go. After all, it is your space...and you have a body and belong here.
• If you are dealing with a ghost (aka discarnate) who really wants to tell you his/her story or needs help, you can choose whether or not to assist. Or you can ask the spirit to come back at a better time for you.
• Remember that you and your Helping Spirits are strong and they (the unwanted spirits) are weak in this dimension. Feel your power and claim your space.
• Say some prayers. Ask your Helping Spirits to get rid of the spirit(s).  Angels are wonderful at protecting people from harmful spirits. Ask your Helping Spirits to remove your visitor to wherever it needs to go.
• Tips to make your space more unappealing to unwanted spirits:
• Regularly remove clutter and clean the space.  This makes a very inviting place for angels and other friendly spirits to come in, while making a place that is yucky to unfriendly spirits.  Let the sun shine in or light some candles.
• Hang religious/spiritually meaningful pictures or objects on your walls. These could include a rosary, a cross or picture of Jesus, sculpture of Buddha, Star of David or a picture of the Dalai Lama, whatever has meaning for you.
• Put crystals or rocks in the room, perhaps focusing on the corners of your your room (where energy can get stuck)  to help absorb any negative energy and to keep the energy from getting stuck or stagnant there.
• Clear the energy in your room on a regular basis with incense, tobacco or sage (see above).
• Sleep with your pets in your room.  Cats, in some folk stories, are said to protect against unfriendly spirits.  Dogs will bark, growl (or hide behind you, depending on their personality) if they sense an odd presence in the room.
• Routinely call on your Helping Spirits, angels, and guardians to protect you while you are sleeping. Say a prayer and ask God or your Helping Spirits to protect you/the space you are in before you sleep and ask them to add positive energy to your space while you sleep and surround you with light.  Before you sleep or when you wake and feel something unwanted is present, visualize that you are FLOODING the room with a great, white light that pushes out anything other than Helping Spirits. 
• Regularly pray, meditate, laugh, sing in and enjoy the space, so it is filled with joyful energy.
• Put in a fish tank with filter that has moving water or a small fountain. Many negative entities don't like to be around running water, as it transmutes negative energy and keeps energy moving. 
• Create an altar in your room to hold objects that have spiritual meaning or are sacred to you, or that remind you of your Helping Spirits.

If you or someone you know is an energy healing practitioner (like Reiki or Shamanic Healing), they may be able to help as well by sending Reiki healing energy to help a spirit to move on...or to do "psychopomp" work, which is a compassionate way of helping spirits to go to the light.

Remember -- NOTHING can hurt you, unless you allow it to.  Try to feel as strong and grounded as possible whenever you encounter unwanted spirits.  Don't let them scare you or make you feel bad.  You belong in this plane of existence...you have a body and are living your life.  So, you and the Helping Spirits that were assigned to protect and guide you in this plane are much more powerful than any unwanted presence.

 If you would like more information about this topic, please don't hesitate to contact us or check out our website:  www.harmonywayhealing.com


Here are some other links you might also find helpful:

A Place of Light in Worcester, MA
apol.org
Sylvia Browne
http://www.sylviabrowne.com/
"Ghost Hunting" Article
http://articles.cnn.com/2007-10-26/living/toh.got.ghosts_1_ghost-hunters-american-ghost-society-ghost-buster?_s=PM:LIVING