D i s t a n c e R e i k i ~ ~ ~ with ~ F l o w e r M a r i e L u n n

For the most part, I prefer silence when giving a Reiki session. Though I am fortunate to live in a relatively quiet place, I find music can easily become overbearing or a distraction from the subtle focus necessary for remote treatments. The simple act of being alive to the present moment is enough.

But sometimes that is more of a challenge. If one lives on a busy road, has loud neighbours, or a mind that will not seem to settle, music can be an excellent aid to focus or set the tone for a session (especially if listened to with quality noise-cancelling headphones.)

What then to listen to? There is a panopoly of tranquil music for yoga or spa, wellness or study. The sound of the ocean, of pan flutes (remember those?), of eastern chants, or gentle downbeats; the choice is staggering. Old standards I have enjoyed include WAH!’s Savasana, Jonathan Goldman’s Chakra Chants, or Geshe Kunkan’s Chanting of the Heart Sutra.

But lately the one I return to, over and over again is Marconi Union’s Weightless (10hour edition). Created in collaboration with the British Institute for Sound Therapy, it has been proven to reduce anxiety before surgery, used by parents to get their babies to sleep, and has been accompanied by a warning not to drive while listening. I have found it enormously helpful, though it is something of a spell, and the beat can be a little too present for deep energetic work. This I have turned to for help with tasks, to avoid anxiety and loneliness, and to block out distractions.

The designed music section of youtube offers a wealth of choice created to help with the above list, and to sleep… One example I have bookmarked is Meditative Mind’s “Wipe Out All the Negative Energy(417Hz)┇Erase Subconscious Negative Patterns Music“. Whether or not one believes that sounds at 417Htz will bring about change and freedom from past influences, this video and soundtrack feels very similar to the experience of giving and receiving Reiki.

For a Reiki session, however, part of my preparation is to find some music that might work for you. Simple, unobtrusive and calming is really the only criteria, and I am happy to suggest music on youtube (by the musician or author’s channel, preferably) or streaming services to play during a session. If bandwidth is not an issue, a session over video chat may be accompanied by music I play in the background, again if that is preferred.

However, one of the best suggestions I have come across is from Colleen Benelli, a widely-known Reiki teacher, who asks you to “listen for the quietest sound you can hear.” Something of a practice in itself, it trains the mind to focus on the sensation of hearing, rather than the sounds, which is a marvellous way in to the power of the Reiki energy. A marvellous way into the core of your own being. There you might find there is music there, whether heard of felt, or both.

I am launching this website near the end of the pandemic of 2020. I say that with all hope that it will be true, rather than merely the end of the first wave of infections. I live in Quebec, the worst-hit province in Canada. Montréal is still in the grips of the pandemic, as there are many care-homes, hospitals and care workers that have been affected.

Here, however, it is a sunny day, the first after a slew of cold and snowy (!) days. Stores are tentatively opening and services and schools are restarting, although very differently than before.

We have been scheduled to build a house this spring, but have been sidelined as we have waited for reports and permits from offices closed or reduced in capacity. The planning, contracting and preparing stages that had been so consuming, is nearly done. Everything is on pause as we wait and wait some more. There is no way I wish others to be put in a vulnerable position at all when returning to work, but the waiting and uncertainty, as we all know, is hard.

This has given me the time (when not homeschooling, though in truth that did not last long) to work on this website. After many years of thinking about it, there is finally time. The irony is that while the social distancing measures make practices like distance Reiki a great way to support people dealing with illness, loneliness and emotional strain, it may be taken as a wish to profit off the virus.

I do wish to be compensated for my time and training, and I have also given many free sessions over the years. My experience with that is if it is a friend or family, it tends to affect the relationship in at times awkward ways. Do not get me wrong; I am overjoyed to help those that I care about. However, I also want people to choose Reiki distance sessions as part of their own path toward healing and radiant health on their own terms. That, I believe is a core part of health and an empowered, balanced life.

The wish to attract paying clients, however, is dwarfed by my wish to help people struggling with the crisis. The fear, isolation, and psychological tension is something that the gentle energies of Reiki can help alleviate. Symptoms of the illness, low energy and interrupted sleep can can be mitigated with remote Reiki sessions.

What can I say? I am here to help. Not, here, per se, but here. My rates are reasonable. I will also accept pay-what-you-can, particularly if you are in crisis because of the virus, or lockdown measures. For as long as it lasts.

Peace to you.

Reiki and Motherhood; My Story

I have been a Reiki practitioner since 1997.  While traveling in India in my youth I sought out a method of healing and coping with persistent health problems that were exasperated by frequent illness.  Reiki energy was indispensable for dealing with the day-to-day stresses of shoestring travel, and helped me to recover my physical strength and equilibrium.  

Some ten years later the death of my mother lead me to deepen my training and explore further aspects of mental and emotional healing with Reiki energies and distance healing techniques.  It became a powerful tool to strengthen my sense of connection with family and friends, pets, plants and the world around me. 

More recently I became a mother at 40, after a long-sought pregnancy that was not complicated, but was physically challenging.  Nausea, fatigue and insomnia and a physically demanding job meant my energies felt continually maxed out. This is when I came to depend on Reiki, and to profoundly experience its many benefits.  The deep relaxation particularly helped with stress, anxiety about loss and the physical discomfort that was keeping me from sleeping.  Its tingling warmth and feelings of everything being set to rights enabled a deep sense of connectedness with my baby and motherhood throughout time.  I also believe the Reiki helped to speed recovery from a post-delivery uterine haemmorhage.

Since this journey I have found that increasing numbers of women around me are struggling with fertility issues and pregnancy complications as many of us are having children later in life. The demands of childcare, particularly chronic lack of sleep can also be more physically taxing for the older mom.  

This has since been a focus of my Reiki practice, to help other moms and women regain a sense of ease and wholeness, free of pain, stress or anxiety.  So we can focus on what we love, and share in the deep peace and joy of being alive.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton