Energy medicine... Weird or amazing?

I am learning first-hand that there is much to discover in this amazing universe. A few weeks ago, a fellow student from nutrition school posted a question on Facebook that caught my attention. She wondered if anyone had experience with energy medicine. I responded in the affirmative as I am attuned in Reiki and am a student of Healing Touch. She was told by another practitioner that her energy required balancing and she was seeking help to restore equilibrium. Even though my new friend was 2,500 miles away, I offered to assist.

During my studies of energy medicine, I learned that healing transcends space and time. If one holds the intention to serve as a conduit for healing energy, it doesn't matter if the person seeking healing is laying on a table in front of the practitioner or half-way across the globe. Healing can still take place. While I had only practiced healing at a distance during a Reiki class (my "client" was in an adjacent room), I had faith in the process. My new friend Michelle and I decided we would proceed.

I explained the process. Michelle would find a quiet space to lay down and, for the next hour, I would complete an assessment and balance her energy, as needed. I imagined that Michelle was physically present and proceeded as though she was right in front of me. I asked Michelle to call me in an hour so we could talk about her experience. Because I had little experience with distance healing, my expectations were low. Much to my delight, Michelle had an amazing experience. She said that could feel pressure on her legs at first and then about half-way through the session (about the time I was raking through her energy fields), she had an incredible emotional release. She began to cry. She described the experience as powerful. Frankly, we were both blown away. We reflected on the fact that Spirit, God, the Universe--whatever one chooses to call universal energy--is miraculous and mysterious and may never be fully understood.

What did happen? I believe that, by holding a healing intention, Michelle and I both tapped into a higher spiritual vibration that allowed Michelle to release anxiety and restore balance to her energy centers. To me, it shows that we all have the power to connect to a higher source that holds the key to the greater good of those who have faith.

Weird? Maybe.

Mysterious? Amazing? Incredible? Definitely.

No Disrespect Intended, Grandpa!

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I spent an afternoon hanging art around our home. It was fun trying to figure out the best spots to place the oil painting of Venice (a place we both love), an old water color of a sailboat (my husband's first art acquisition made during his college days), and a tiny water color that I bought when we visited Paris years ago (a pocket on the back of the frame holds a photograph of the actual spot where the artist stood to create the piece). It's wonderful to surround yourself with things that you love. But what to do with all of those framed photographs of ancestors, weddings and other special moments frozen in time? In our old house, we painstakingly nailed them to the wall along our staircase. It took me hours to decide how to place them (and God help me, when I had to take them down to paint!). This time around, my husband had a much better solution. He purchased some door trim, nailed three strips to the wall, and painted them. Each piece serves as a ledge to hold framed photos. Genius! Now we can move the photos around with ease and even rotate different photos when we tire of seeing Grandpa's face (RIP Grandpa, no disrespect intended!). I've included a photo of the set-up if you'd like to replicate it in your own home. In case you're wondering, Grandpa is the guy on the bottom row, all the way to the right.

Love's got your back

Last weekend my husband and I spent time with four teens (all around age 16) and our pastor at a retreat center in rural Pennsylvania.  The teens were preparing for confirmation in the Episcopal church. My husband and I have served as their leaders for the past two years and are preparing to take them on a Journey to Adulthood pilgrimage to England where we will return to the roots of the church. Naturally, Westminster Abbey will be among our stops.

I have come to love and appreciate the "kids" who are soon to become young adults in the church. They are tasked with carrying on long-standing traditions and, hopefully, will be making necessary adaptations needed for the church to remain current. It's a big responsibility but I have faith that these young people will take on their roles as leaders with enthusiasm.  They are thoughtful and caring, intelligent and loving.

So what did we do on our retreat? We spent time in prayer, reflected on scripture, pondered the after-life and shared in the Eucharist. We also had ample time to have fun and further bond as a group. One of the highlight activities was maneuvering a low ropes course.

There was a time in my life when I would have dreaded attempting this type of activity. Trying something new has typically been very hard for me. "What if I look foolish? What if I fail?" This was my mantra from the past; my old story. It is the story that held me back from fully experiencing life for decades.  As I have grown older and wiser, I recognize that I no longer want to miss out on things. I recognize that I can't wait for the perfect conditions before making a  move because there are never perfect conditions.  As Geneen Roth, author of Women, Food and God, would say "there is no there there." There is no magical place that, once reached, will guarantee that all will be well forever and ever, amen. We only have the present and we've got to make it count. There's no need to wait to do anything.  Even if your dream is really big and seems out of reach, you have the choice to move towards it. That may be one step at a time or a few leaps at a time.

When it was my turn to step on to the rope, I did so with confidence. Part of my confidence came from within but more of it resulted from the support I had around me. I didn't need to go it alone. I was surrounded by my husband, my pastor, my "kids"--people who love me and want to see me succeed. They were there to catch me if I started to fall, encourage me when I got anxious, and instruct me when I was unsure about my next move. I needn't be afraid to embark on this new experience.

I crossed the rope with relative ease, just as I intend to proceed with my life--effortlessly--supported by love, which for me is God, Spirit and Universal energy.  Love creates and envelopes us in this very moment and always.  Love's got your back.