HEALING: GETTING THE ISSUES OUT OF YOUR TISSUES

 

 

I’ve recently been reading a book about a clairvoyant’s view of the dying process (not as morbid as it sounds!) and an image of the last sight I had of my grandma, who died 5 years ago, popped into my mind. The image was of my nan sitting up in her hospital bed and me leaving the ward with the nagging feeling that it was the last time I would see her. At exactly the moment I thought of her I had a stab of pain in the left side of my upper back. Following this was the realisation that I’d been storing up all the guilt I’d felt about not being there for her at the end in my upper back (rear heart chakra). This was why I have an ongoing weakness in this area which causes me a lot of aches and pains. I had thought these pains were merely due to holding my arms out doing my therapy work but there was obviously more to it than that.

The late Louise L Hay has written a lot about the underlying mental/emotional causes of physical ailments and I think may even have coined the title phrase of this blog. I’ve also seen over my many years working as a therapist that the people with the most physical pain also have the most unresolved emotional pain. Healing of any kind (Reiki, spiritual healing, massage or other form of bodywork) aims to release this negative energy stored in the physical body. Only when it is released can real healing occur.

Over the last month I have given several Reiki treatments which show the healing that can occur when emotional pain is released. Details of three of them are given below:-

Reiki brings just the positive life changes the client needed!

This particular lady suffered with a lot of physical pain due to fibromyalgia and IBS but she booked a Reiki session to help her deal with the emotional pain and loss she was currently feeling. She was dealing with the grief of losing her mum two years before and was struggling to find purpose in her life and a sense of belonging. She was lonely as her health conditions meant she couldn’t work or get out much.

In addition to giving Reiki to all the painful areas in her physical body, I lifted a ‘heaviness’ off her heart chakra and did emotional releasing from the solar plexus and sacral chakras. The client actually felt the shift at her heart centre. We also released a lot of negative emotions stored in the lower back (rear sacral chakra), at which point she suddenly felt cold. This implies a shift has taken place on an emotional level.

All good stuff but it was what she reported to me the next day that made this session so remarkable. At a group meeting she attended after her Reiki session, she exchanged numbers with two ladies to meet for coffee/chat, she was invited to join a seated tai chi group and gong bath session she could manage physically and heard about various local coffee groups she could attend and meet new friends. She also noticed leaflets and posters for other groups she would like to try out in the future. She ended the day feeling much more optimistic than at the beginning.

So many coincidences and synchronistic events occurred following her treatment. I’m already convinced that the Universe brings us what we need rather than what we want and what this lady needed most of all for her healing was a whole new social life. When we tap into this universal energy source during Reiki, setting the intention and allowing it to heal us on all levels, we allow the Universe (or Spirit) to step in and guide our lives in the best possible direction. Her tummy was also blissfully calm after treatment!

 

Help for ME and Emotional Issues

This particular client suffers with ME and anxiety and had recently experienced the loss of an old friend. She had gone through two physically abusive relationships in the past, after which her health had “gone downhill”.

During treatment lots of energy flowed all around her head and rear third eye chakra where we store bad memories, fear, shock and negative perceptions. The client reported that she felt she could breathe again when I held the back of her head. An interesting experience occurred at her sacral chakra – the centre of our emotions and relationships with others. I had a strong intuition that I had to pull a cord out. This cord was to an ex who took away her personal power. When treating her left leg there was a sudden rush of energy up and down the leg like something had just been released. I sensed she had felt ‘disconnected’ from her legs before. A heavy sadness was released from her heart and sacral chakras.

After the treatment the client said that she often feels like she’s dragging her legs around “as if my legs aren’t really mine”. During treatment she also had thoughts and memories of the friend who had died. Afterwards she felt recharged, her abdomen felt nice and normal rather than weighed down and heavy and her whole body felt “as one”. When I saw this client again about 3 weeks later, she reported that she had felt better, with more energy, since I last saw her.

A powerful emotional release with Reiki

This lady had been feeling sad due to a relationship that wasn’t progressing as she had hoped. She had also suppressed her sadness following the ending of her previous relationship of 8 years.

During treatment a lot of energy flowed around her heart chakra, as well as the sacral chakra and a couple of physical areas. The client felt a shift in her chest during treatment, after which she could breathe a lot better. When this happens to such a noticeable degree that it affects breathing, it is a clear indication of the amount of tension caused by unresolved emotional pain stored in this area.

Her experiences that evening however were even more interesting. That night she slept for nearly 12 hours and the next day was very emotional, releasing all the tears that had been pent up for so long. She then found the courage to talk to her current boyfriend and they agreed it wasn’t a relationship with a future. In her words, something released at this point – she was no longer sad, either towards him or to her previous long term boyfriend. She really had released all the sadness and has emerged so much stronger.

 

Releasing emotional pain is, in many cases, the key to healing. So if you have been through an emotionally traumatic time or have long term health conditions which you feel may have an underlying emotional cause, please get in touch as a healing treatment may well benefit you too!

 

Notes:

1 hr Reiki treatment £33, half hr £18.

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher, Holistic Therapist and Tarot Consultant based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy, Fairy Blessing Guided Journey and Crystal Chakra Balancing; holistic therapies including Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Hopi Ear Candles & Facials; as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses and tarot readings. She has been on the spiritual path for 18 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Healing.

Emotional and Physical Reactions with Reiki

Clients can experience various physical and emotional reactions both during and after a Reiki healing session. For those of you who are Reiki practitioners, it is necessary to be aware of this and be able to reassure the client that it is all perfectly normal.

During Treatment

During treatment it is common to see twitches and jerks in the client’s body. These are usually seen in the legs and feet and are caused by the healing energy flowing through the body’s meridians/energy channels and seeking to clear blockages as it goes. You can just be holding someone’s head and see the feet twitch. More rarely you can see whole body jerks, shaking or the client almost sitting up during treatment. This happens when the healing energy is impeded by major blocks as it flows through the body. These blocks are caused by past trauma or abuse. The energy is meeting resistance caused by deeply suppressed pain/trauma which the subconscious mind does not want to release. The mind will always try to protect itself and therefore may not be ready to address underlying issues.

Other physical reactions during a treatment include warmth, heat, coolness or coldness in various parts of the body, as well as tingles in the fingers and toes. Warmth/heat tends to be experienced in areas that require healing. Coolness usually indicates emotional healing is taking place and chills down the spine result from energy shifts having taken place. Many clients have a tingly, pins and needles type feeling in the fingers and/or toes – this just means that any blocked or stagnated energy is trying to flow out and be released as the client receives higher frequency healing energy during treatment. Just advise the client to flick their fingers and wiggle their toes to release it.

Sometimes a client may experience a twinge of pain in an area of illness or injury. This is only temporary and is the body’s way of condensing pain before it is released.

Similarly a client may experience an emotional release during treatment. This happens when they have been bottling up painful emotions which the healing energy is helping them to release. This happens particularly with people who have gone through a bereavement, relationship break-up or some other form of loss. It can be very disconcerting for the new healer to witness a client crying during treatment and your first reaction is to wonder what’s gone wrong! However you do need to let them release and process what is coming up from their subconscious. Just be supportive with a box of tissues and reassure them that it is all ok and will soon pass. Every time that has happened during my own treatments, the client has always felt much better for having released their hurt/pain. In fact it is necessary that they acknowledge and release it as part of their healing. The negative energy imprint of emotional pain becomes stored in the energy body, preventing a person’s personal energy from flowing at its correct vibration, which can ultimately lead to dis-ease and physical ailments. Clearing this pain and its associated energy imprint allows the person’s life force energy to flow unhindered once more with the energy body vibrating at the correct frequency.

 

After Treatment

It is normal for a client to feel tired, thirsty or hungry after a Reiki treatment. Some people do not get enough sleep, do not drink enough water or may not have been eating properly, so these reactions are simply the body’s way of telling us what we need to do in order to restore balance. Feeling tired is the most common after-effect and most people will have a good night’s sleep after their treatment as the body does most of its healing while sleeping. Conversely some clients will feel more energised, lighter and uplifted afterwards as if a weight has been taken off them.

Not all, but some, clients will experience a strong immune system reaction following treatment. Healing reactions can include short-term cold and flu-like symptoms, headaches, skin rashes and increased urination. This happens when toxins are being cleared out of the body and, once the symptoms have passed, the benefits are usually long-lasting. Not every client will experience a strong reaction but, if this happens, just assure them that they will feel much better afterwards. If the person is attuned to Reiki themselves, advise them to give themselves more Reiki self-healing to speed the release of toxins.

Some people may have emotional healing reactions in the few days following treatment. Old negative thoughts, emotions and memories can resurface and play on the mind. Again these are just old issues coming up from the subconscious to the conscious mind to be released. This can create anxiety in some people but the client now has the opportunity to let them go once and for all. If this happens to you, take a deep breath and let the images and thoughts flow through you and out of you, like watching a movie of someone else on a screen. Continue for as long as it takes as it will be worthwhile in the end.

 

After Thought

It is also worth noting here as a footnote that most clients will not experience any of the above reactions and will find the whole treatment very relaxing, peaceful and pleasant. When healers are more experienced, they tend to channel higher, finer energy vibrations which result in less processing on the part of the client. It is best for the client to simply relax into the process and trust that whatever happens is for their highest and greatest good.

  

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher, Holistic Therapist and Tarot Consultant based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy, Fairy Blessing Guided Journey and Crystal Chakra Balancing; holistic therapies including Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Hopi Ear Candles & Facials; as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses and tarot readings. She has been on the spiritual path for 18 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Healing.

 

Reiki and Crystals

Reiki and crystal healing are two separate healing modalities which are being brought together in one treatment more and more often nowadays. Both are based on energy, or vibration, and are therefore very complementary and compatible. While Reiki is the channelling of universal life force energy, crystals grow in rocks in the ground and are filled with life force energy. Crystals have their own individual crystalline structure and each chemical compound in the crystal gives it both its physical and metaphysical properties. Metaphysical properties usually correspond with colour and shape, for example heart chakra crystals are usually green and pink, third eye crystals are violet/purple.

Crystals vibrate at a certain frequency based on their physical chemical structure and on their own subtle energy or life force. When we carry crystals with us or lay them on various parts of the body, the vibrations of the crystals are assimilated by and transferred to the user/wearer, bringing about healing, balance or new, greater awareness. Everyone and everything is made up of energy (vibration). During crystal healing we absorb and are affected by the energy of the crystals.

Reiki and crystals work so well together because they each amplify the energy of the other. Reiki can amplify a crystal’s particular physical or metaphysical properties further, making it more powerful. This is why so many people nowadays charge their crystals with Reiki healing energy.

 

Using Crystals

Cleansing: Crystals should be cleansed before they are programmed. You can cleanse a crystal by raising its vibration using techniques that remove unwanted energy. This banishes all unwanted programs, thoughts and intentions from the crystal without removing its unique healing powers. There are many methods for cleansing crystals, for example holding them under running water; passing them through incense smoke or smudging them in the smoke of a cleansing herb; ringing tingsha bells over them or using the sound of a Tibetan singing bowl; burying them in sand, earth or salt; passing them through a candle flame (above it!); leaving them on a windowsill in moonlight or sunlight for at least an hour. You can also cleanse tumblestones by placing them on a large generator crystal such as clear quartz, amethyst or citrine. Please note however that salt can be too harsh for some crystals and water is not suitable for water soluble crystals such as selenite, turquoise and chrysocolla.

Programming: Hold your crystal in one or both hands and hold your program or specific intention clearly in mind. Using your will imagine projecting that program into the crystal. Your program can be general, such as programming a crystal to manifest all the healing properties it has, or to channel Reiki, putting all the Reiki symbols into the stone.

Programs can also be more specific such as ‘I program you to help me with my meditations for the highest good’. An amethyst crystal would work well for this. Other examples are using rose quartz to heal heart issues (physical or emotional), haematite to ground your ideas and bring focus, turquoise to overcome panic attacks, fluorite to boost concentration and aid learning, citrine to boost confidence.  You will find if you look in crystal books that each crystal can supposedly help with a variety of things, so programming is a way for you to fine tune what you want the crystal to specifically do for you.

 

Using Reiki and Crystals in a Treatment

Crystals are usually laid on the body over the chakras or wherever else they are needed. The choice of crystal is usually linked to the colour of the chakra to boost/strengthen the energy of the chakra. This is not a hard and fast rule however as choosing crystals is often an art of following guidance.

In my Crystal Chakra Balancing sessions I dowse crystals first, choosing one to balance each chakra. I also ask the client to select any that they are particularly drawn to. I often place a smoky quartz over areas of pain as this stone is excellent for drawing out and absorbing all kinds of negative energy. Crystals are placed on chakras and anywhere else on the body or in the aura if needed. I scan the body and give Reiki to areas of imbalance and boost weak chakras where necessary. Plenty of grounding is given at the end.

 

Other Ways to Use Crystals

In the Reiki Master Healer course students are taught how to create crystal grids for healing others or themselves and how to set up a grid to help manifest their own goals. Grids are a means of aligning crystals to intensify and magnify energy for healing or manifestation. The crystals are programmed with a specific intent, such as to bring a person healing, and the grid is left in place for as long as is deemed necessary. The grid can be energised with just a few additional minutes of Reiki each day.

Perhaps the simplest way to use crystals is to give a person a Reiki programmed crystal to carry with them in their pocket. This focuses their intent upon the programme, such as bringing about healing or enhancing psychic ability, whenever they touch or think of the crystal.

 

Client Experiences

 Client #1 was feeling tired and generally out of balance. She is diabetic, was drinking too much and her skin was not healing well. At her first session aquamarine was selected for her throat chakra. Afterwards she was able to talk about her grief and she felt more grounded afterwards. After the first session she began drinking less. She discovered that cheese and alcohol upset her liver; in fact she couldn’t keep the alcohol down when she had a one-off binge with friends but felt very cleansed afterwards. She craved cucumber, avocadoes and strawberries. By the third session her drinking had been reduced considerably, just limited to a couple of glasses on Friday and Saturday nights. A lot of heaviness (responsibilities) had been lifted from her shoulders. The fourth session was very peaceful. She was becoming more sensitive and was inspired to give herself positive affirmations during the treatment. After sessions 5 and 6 her blood pressure and blood sugar levels were all fine and stable and she felt greater clarity. When she came for her 7^th session, she reported recent joint pain, which was eased considerably with a smoky quartz crystal.

Client #2 has a typically busy, stressful life, combining working full time and looking after two young children. She has just had a couple of sessions so far and finds the Crystal Chakra Balancing treatment more powerful and more colourful than her usual Reiki sessions, seeing a whole variety of different colours – red, orange, turquoise white, green, purple. She described the treatment as shorter but more intense than Reiki on its own and relaxed very well during the treatment.

 

Notes

If you would like to try the Crystal Chakra Balancing treatment yourself, please contact me on 07748 591690 or email me at helenshortland@live.co.uk. The price is £25 and you should allow 45 mins. This is a half hr treatment plus additional time for consultation and selecting crystals.

  

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy, Fairy Blessing Guided Journey and Crystal Chakra Balancing; holistic therapies including Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Hopi Ear Candles & Facials; as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses and psychic tarot readings. She has been on the spiritual path for 18 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Healing.

 

Healing the Past with Reiki

In the Reiki Level 2 course students learn how to send Reiki back to past events in order to bring about healing and resolution in the present. Traumatic events in our past can still affect us negatively today, especially when the emotions surrounding them have been suppressed and unacknowledged or when forgiveness is needed in order to release hurt and wounding that you may be holding onto. Even if the event was too traumatic for true forgiveness to take place at the present time, just feeling more detached from the circumstances and emotions involved can be very beneficial. Sending forgiveness to the past can minimise the effect the event had, and still has, on you in the present and release the negative karma between the people involved.

Forgiveness can be extended to others but also to yourself. Maybe you have been continuously beating yourself up about something you did or didn’t do many years ago. Chances are that it is you who is the one still hurting – anyone else involved will most likely have let it go by now. Forgiveness is giving yourself permission to move on.

In recent years several scientific studies have shown that by revisiting specific events that happened earlier in this life, or even those you believe happened in a past life, and adding information, compassion or forgiveness into those events, this can affect the energy of that event as it flows into the present. Going back to that event in the present gives the opportunity to add information from your adult self that your child self would have been unaware of. It also gives you the opportunity to imagine hearing the other person’s side of the story. In other words, it helps you to view the event from a more detached, objective, different perspective and bring compassion and forgiveness into the situation where needed.

When we want to heal the past with Reiki we bring the event to mind, visualise the people and feel the emotions involved, then visualise/imagine the scene turning out well, with forgiveness offered and accepted, or just viewing the situation with detachment. Letting the Reiki energy flow as you acknowledge painful emotions can help with the releasing process. We are not actually changing the past itself but we are changing the emotional charge and energetic imprint surrounding that event. Afterwards, when you think about the traumatic event, you will find that its emotional impact is reduced and its effects bother you less and less. It really is possible for people to turn their lives around when they go back in their minds to add information, forgiveness and healing to past events because this helps change the way they feel and behave in the present. Grudges and anger can be released and the person who benefits most is you!

On a wider scale, you can imagine how much greater the effect could be at a global human level. Whenever terrible events occur around the world, our usual response is to react with fear and negativity. However, if people were to send positive thoughts with the intention to heal the situation with love instead, this would help release the negative karma that was created and help to heal the whole.

If you want to send healing to events in your own past, it is possible to do so without being attuned to Reiki. Hold the vision of the event and hold the intention to forgive those involved. In your mind ask the people involved to voice their side of the story. Insights can be profound. Their actions may have been terrible but understanding does at least remove some of the fear around the event. When you can truly let go of the painful emotions involved and extend forgiveness, if possible, this will help to purify the karma between you and set you free. This is one of the most healing spiritual practices you can do.

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy, Fairy Blessing Guided Journey and Crystal Chakra Balancing; holistic therapies including Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Back Massage, Hopi Ear Candles & Facials; as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses and tarot readings. She has been on the spiritual path for 18 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Healing.

 

The Science Behind Distance Healing

The Reiki Level 2 course covers the subject of distant healing and how it works. Namely, when you make a mental connection to someone, the Reiki energy flows to them “over a bridge of light” that you have created with your mind - in other words, ‘action follows thought’ or ‘where attention goes, energy flows’. Thought can influence matter. During my reading and research I came across the following scientific explanation for distant healing which expands upon the information provided in the Level 2 course.

Back in the mid 1990’s an experiment was carried out by Prof William Tiller in America which involved a small black box fitted with a simple electrical circuit and four experienced meditators. The meditators were told to hold the specific intention that the black box device should increase the pH of purified water by 1 full unit. The box with the intention was shipped 1,500 miles away to a laboratory and placed near some purified water in a pH measurement vessel.  Daily meditation commenced and slowly but surely, after a month or so, the water began changing to the requested intention until it had increased by exactly 1 full unit. The experiment was repeated with the intention for the pH of the water to go down by 1 full unit and again it worked. This was repeated in independent laboratories in America and Europe with the same results. Furthermore, the water remained at the pH level of the intention in some cases for as long as two years.

In terms of bringing about a desired result, you have to get past a certain threshold so that the desired condition stabilizes. According to the scientific model used above, intention flows via our chakras and begins to form a specific pattern in the mind lattice grid of space. Think of places like churches, cathedrals and temples where people gather daily to pray for a specific outcome. Their intention conditions the energy in the place. If done on a regular daily basis, the conditioning deepens so that it eventually creates an invisible structure in the environment. Once a critical point is reached, the intention becomes set in geometrical patterns on the structure and it can then materialise into our physical reality.

When manifesting anything, including healing, there has to be a merging of intention and physical reality, an interaction between consciousness and matter. It seems to be the case that, with sustained practice, a grid or template is created at an energetic level through which the energy can then filter down into the physical dimension according to the intention of the grid/template.

 

Emotional Energy

To make any kind of healing more successful, not only do you need to greatly desire the process to happen, visualise it and ask for assistance from the higher dimensions (Reiki guides), you need to feel it and sustain the heartfelt intention. The same goes for all kinds of manifesting – belief and intention are crucial and the more emotion you put behind your intention, the faster and more effective your intention can happen.

People often ask me why the treatments they give their loved ones are often more powerful than the treatments they give to their clients. I think it’s the greater amount of emotion (ie. love) involved which leads to a stronger treatment. Powerful immune reactions have been reported as the immune system is given a great boost of mental (intention) and emotional (love) energy to clear and strengthen itself.

 

Self-Healing with Distant Healing

Don’t forget that you can send distant healing to yourself as a form of self-treatment. Set the intention to heal at the highest level (soul level) or to address a specific mental, emotional or physical condition. This method is ideal if you want to work on a part of the physical body that you cannot easily reach such as the upper back. For mental/emotional conditions a purer form of energy often comes through with distance healing.

 

Other Applications for Distant Healing

In addition to treating mental, emotional and physical health conditions, distance Reiki can be used to heal many other situations at a deep soul level:-

 

·         Send Reiki to someone you are in conflict with. This purifies the negative karma between you and helps heal the relationship.

·         Send Reiki to someone who has passed over. This helps them heal at a soul level and is particularly useful if they have passed over in sudden, traumatic circumstances.

·         When someone is in the process of dying, Reiki helps them transition more peacefully and removes fear.

·         Reiki brings people together in the highest way possible as it helps you connect with someone at a soul level.

·         Sending Reiki to someone you love helps elevate the energy of the relationship to the highest level possible.

Set any of the intentions above, visualise the people concerned, allowing yourself to feel any emotions that come up. Then let the Reiki energy flow to the visualised image, visualising the situation turning out according to your intention.

Note:

1.    Scientific information taken from ‘Countdown to Coherence’ by Hazel Courteney.

2.    My next Reiki Level 2 courses will be held on 17/18 February 2018 and 24/25 March 2018 at 15 Wheeler Gate, Nottingham. These are open to those who have taken the Level 1 course a minimum of 3 months previously. Please see website for further details.

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy, Fairy Blessing Guided Journey and Crystal Chakra Balancing; holistic therapies including Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Back Massage, Hopi Ear Candles & Facials; as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 18 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Healing.

 

Natural Ways to Relieve Pain

Many people suffer from physical pain on a daily basis. In fact it is stated that nearly half of all adults in the UK are affected by some kind of pain. Growing numbers of people are therefore relying on over-the-counter and prescription drugs but many of these drugs can cause more harm than good. They may relieve the original pain experienced but some, like ibruprofen, can cause gastric problems, while others can cause nausea and drowsiness. These drugs are very powerful and can cause problems in the liver which has to process and break-down these chemical concoctions. Another issue with prescription drugs of course is that they only deal with the symptoms rather than addressing the root cause of the pain. Drugs dampen pain signals to the brain, which can help as an initial first aid to keep you going, but ultimately you may cause more damage to a joint or other part of the body by ignoring what is actually going on and why.

Various holistic approaches are available which can support the body through the healing process and which may even be more effective. Natural pain relief is also free from any harmful side-effects experienced with prescription drugs. Herbal remedies, correct nutrition and complementary therapies can all provide effective pain relief. Mindfulness and visualisation have also shown to be effective and meditation is now offered in NHS pain relief clinics.

If you are one of the many people in need of pain relief, this blog contains some natural methods which can be used to treat common complaints.

 

Complementary Therapies

 

Reiki and Reflexology are particularly good for easing pain, unblocking energy channels and helping the body to heal itself. I have a couple of clients who come to me on a monthly basis for Reiki to ease diabetic leg pain and many more clients who use Reiki to ease back pain and tension in the neck and shoulders. Lower back pain can be a result of unresolved painful emotions stored in the rear of the sacral chakra. Reiki can help release these emotions which act as an energy block and prevent your natural life force energy flowing as it should. This then relieves the physical discomfort caused by the emotional block. Clients usually notice an improvement over the next few days. Relief lasts longer the more treatments the client has.

Reflexology works on specific reflex points on the foot to ease pain, illness or discomfort in the physical body. The therapist can massage the reflex points relating to the painful body part, such as the digestive system, shoulders, neck, knees or spine. You can also ask your Reflexologist to show you the reflex points so that you can massage them yourself at home.

 

An Indian Head Massage is particularly effective for easing neck and shoulder pain and general back pain can be eased with a Back Massage. Your therapist can work on areas of knotty muscle fibres and tension to help tight muscles relax back into their proper place.

Other therapies that can ease pain include acupuncture, acupressure, cupping and gentle yoga.

 

Nutrition

Joints

 

Toxins accumulate in joints and are usually a build-up of lactic acid. An anti-inflammatory diet is one of the most effective ways of tackling pain from the inside. This diet excludes processed foods, refined sugar, caffeine and alcohol.

Rheumatoid Arthritis often afflicts the small joints in the hands and feet as well as knees, elbows and larger joints. It is characterised by pain and swelling (inflammation), often with fluid build-up in the ankles or behind the knees. The best anti-inflammatories to use to alleviate pain are curcumin (a component of turmeric) and nettle leaf. Osteo-arthritis is a degenerative joint disease which affects the knees, hips, back and small joints in the fingers.

The best healing foods for joint inflammation are kiwis, kale, onion, turmeric, chaga mushroom (as a powder), coriander, lemon, cucumber and apple cider vinegar. Salmon is high in protein to build healthy connective tissue and is also high in anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids. Ginger contains zingibain which suppresses substances that trigger pain and cause tissues to swell. You may also like to consider cutting back on dairy as dairy clogs up the liver which prevents toxins leaving the body efficiently.

 

Migraines

These are defined as recurring headaches that cause pulsing or throbbing, typically focused on one side of the head. They are often accompanied by extreme sensitivity to light, sound and/or smell, blurred vision, flashes of light, nausea, light-headedness, even difficulty speaking. Triggers are complex and are usually a combination of stress, food intolerance, impeded cervical nerves from poor posture, sinus infection, dehydration, hormonal/menstrual cycle imbalances, lack of sleep, heavy metal or other environmental triggers.

To tackle migraines it is advisable to reduce potential triggers such as dairy, eggs, gluten, meat, fermented foods, additives like MSG and aspartame, alcohol and chocolate.

The best foods to eat to combat migraines are celery juice, coriander, papaya, chilli peppers, garlic, ginger, kale, cinnamon and apples.

 

Shingles and Diabetic Neuropathy

To combat pain of this nature it is advisable to boost the immune system by eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep. Beneficial foods are wild blueberries, coconut, papaya, red skinned apples, pears, artichokes, bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, asparagus, lettuce, green beans and avocadoes.

 

Herbal Remedies

For general pain relief the following two products are recommended by the very knowledgeable staff at Little London Herbal Stores in Nottingham:-

White willow bark – Good for back pain, headaches, knee and other joint pain. This product is the natural source of aspirin so is not suitable for those on blood thinning medication. Available in tincture, extract or supplement form.

Cannabis oil – Cannabidiol or CBD for short is a nutrient found in the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa, which is now being used medicinally for the treatment of pain and many illnesses. Cannabidiol binds to certain receptors on our cells in the central nervous system to reduce the pain response in the physical body. Derived from only the legal forms of the cannabis/hemp plant, this product (CBD Cannabis Oil) is non-psychoactive so you will not be high or stoned. Cannabis oil has proved to be particularly effective in treating fibromyalgia pain. You put a few drops under your tongue where it will be absorbed into the body and blood stream via the mucous membranes. Little London Herbal Stores sell both the cannabis oil and a cannabis vape.

 

Headaches/Migraines

Feverfew tincture is particularly good for treating migraines and headaches. You can take up to 15 drops in a small amount of water up to 3 times a day. Magnesium is an excellent muscle relaxant which reduces tension in and around the trigeminal nerves in the neck and head.

Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties and is good for calming the gut but it can also be used to treat headaches and migraines. The scent of aloe vera acts as a muscle relaxant and eases tension. Rub a small amount into your neck to ease tension here. Tiger Balm, a Chinese ointment, was traditionally used to ease sore, aching muscles. It contains natural painkillers menthol and camphor oil. Try rubbing a little Tiger Balm red ointment on forehead and temples in a circular motion to ease headaches.

 

Joint Pain

Green tea extract controls inflammation and helps repair bone and cartilage by blocking inflammatory proteins that cause swelling. In a trial of osteoarthritis sufferers in Iran, the patients taking green tea extract reported more movement in their joints after a month. Rosehip capsules have excellent anti-inflammatory properties and are recommended by the Primary Care Rheumatology Society for treating osteoarthritis. Glucosamine helps with the repair of cartilage that cushions the joints so can help reduce the pain, stiffness and swelling of arthritis.

Period Pain

Pine Bark or Pycnogenol had been found to reduce abdominal discomfort by 80% and cramping by 70%.

Other herbs with pain relief properties:-

Arnica (for bruises, post surgery and post labour), bromelain (reduces inflammation and eases arthritis); cayenne and red chilli pepper (eases nerve pain and soothes aching muscles and joints), chamomile (anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic), clove oil (aching teeth and gums), curcumin (found in turmeric, eases arthritis pain).

 

Notes:

 

1.    Reiki healing, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage and Back Massage are available with Helen Shortland at 15 Wheeler Gate, Nottingham.

2.    All herbal remedies mentioned in this article are available from Little London Herbal Stores, 9 Trinity Walk, Nottingham.

  

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. She is currently studying Raw Food Nutrition to find out more about the healing power of natural food. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy, Fairy Blessing Guided Journey and Crystal Chakra Balancing; holistic therapies including Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Back Massage, Hopi Ear Candles & Facials; as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

 

What Are Energy Blocks?

In healing we often talk about blocked chakras or negative energy build-up in our energy field but what are energy blocks exactly?

In simplest terms, an energy block is a form of resistance. They are pockets of stuck energy that limit the natural movement and flow of energy in and out the chakras which prevent us from living as authentically as we should and achieving our greatest potential. Energy blocks can develop from a negative mental pattern or belief system leading to perceptual misunderstandings; unresolved emotions from pain/trauma in our early years; a negative karmic imprint carried over from a past life; or from a physical injury or condition.

Energy blocks act as barriers to the natural free-flow of energy. On the mental level barriers are created by negative beliefs about ourselves, others and the world in general. These beliefs tend to form when our minds are young and impressionable and lacked the mature reasoning to examine them properly. Over the years this negative thinking distorts our perceptions of the world around us so that we only see the negative things which affirm our beliefs. More and more often in my Reiki treatments these days I am finding the healing energy clearing out the third eye chakra (which governs perception) to release the negative perceptions the client holds. We always have a choice in how we perceive something – negatively, which only hurts and limits us more, in a detached neutral manner or with an open positive outlook.

Emotional blocks are formed when we hold onto a lot of unresolved emotions from the past. Often we suppress or deny how we feel on a conscious level but the hurt and pain is still present in the subconscious mind where it quietly affects our behaviour and expectations. Feelings of unworthiness block our ability to receive and manifest good things, often because we are afraid to trust again. These blocks are often related to self-protection: shutting down emotionally may have helped you cope at one time but now they no longer serve you and are shutting you off from the good as well as the bad.  Emotional blocks are held mainly in the heart, solar plexus and sacral chakras.

Spiritual blocks can manifest as a sense of unease, restlessness or frustration. You may feel you are on the wrong path in life or made a wrong decision in the past and are now faced with the task of getting your life back on track. You want your life to be more aligned to what is right for your soul. Spiritual blocks can often result from negative karmic imprints carried over from a past life which you need to clear in this one. Even if you don’t believe in the concept of past lives, I think the idea that there are certain ‘stories’ or energy patterns imprinted on each of us at a soul level are acceptable and understandable  to most people.

All of these spiritual, mental and emotional bocks lead to a weakened energy flow in and out of the physical body. Negative thinking and emotional wounding result in our energy no longer vibrating at the correct frequency. This leads to weakness, dis-ease and eventually illness at the physical level. Accidents, injuries and surgery to the physical body can also create a build-up of blocked energy on the physical level. Therapies such as Reiki or Acupuncture can usually help in these cases.

Sense of Disconnection

The spiritual, mental and emotional energy blocks arise when we feel cut off from the source of Love – our higher self, soul or our concept of God. Blocks act as barriers to the feeling of connection to Love and to our essential Self. Blocks limit our sense of wholeness and connection. Blocks are formed when we feel disconnected and equally, when formed, often serve to prevent us from realising that sense of connection again. It therefore becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.

In order to fully achieve our highest potential for health and wellbeing and to realise our soul path and the work we are meant to be doing in this lifetime, it is essential to work on releasing our blocks and shifting these stubborn barriers. The only thing that can dissolve these blocks is Love, or more accurately I believe Light, in the form of healing energy and all the understanding, awareness and forgiveness that Light brings. It is literally like shedding light on a situation. Love is the Light of God, that divine healing energy that dispels the darkness of our limiting self-imposed barriers.

 

Self-Help for Emotional Blocks

We can consciously breathe out emotional pain by breathing in through the nose into the stomach and abdomen, then consciously breathing out emotional hurts and negativity through the mouth. These areas are governed by the solar plexus and sacral chakras which govern self-worth and emotions respectively.

Then imagine your crown chakra opening up like a white lotus flower in full bloom and visualise a beam of pure white light coming down from the heavens into your crown chakra. As you inhale draw the white light down into your stomach/abdomen and as you exhale let the white light fill your whole body.

 

Therapeutic Help

A healing treatment such as Reiki or Angelic Reiki which channels energy as light can help to dissolve blocks and barriers. In Angelic Reiki the healer is often aware of repeating negative karmic cycles the client is experiencing and calls on the angels to release these. Past Life Regression, shamanic healing, crystal healing or many of the other forms of energy healing available today can also help shift blocks.

 

Setting Yourself Free

When you start to release some of the pain, negativity or darkness and let in more light, great shifts can take place. Situations and comments that would have upset you in the past will have less of an impact. By releasing past hurt, you become stronger. As you move away from your wounded ego with its outdated negative beliefs about yourself, you start to become more open to trusting, loving, experiencing – to Life itself.

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

Healing Anxiety with Reiki

Anxiety is a condition that many people suffer from. It may be during a particularly traumatic, stressful period of life or it may be a more long term condition resulting from earlier long term stress or trauma. The person may or may not be aware of the underlying cause. In most cases, when we’re stressed, the body will go back to normal when the cause of stress has passed. For others, if the cause is more long term, the body becomes conditioned to be in a ‘fight or flight’ mode; in other words, in an anxious state, so that it becomes a habit. Our adrenal glands become accustomed to flooding the body with the chemicals adrenaline and cortisol, putting a long term strain on the kidneys and other body systems.

Experiences with Reiki Treatment

Recently I’ve been seeing particularly good results when treating clients suffering from anxiety with Reiki. Here are some examples:-

 

1.    One lady reported that she felt “lighter, like something had been lifted off” her after just her first treatment. Her partner and daughter had both noticed an improvement in her mood over the days following her treatment. This lady had experienced long term anxiety and depression. Now her sadness had lifted and her head felt “less busy”. During treatment I release heaviness around the heart chakra and energy blocks in the solar plexus representing lack of self-worth and self-belief, and gave plenty of grounding to the root chakra. Subsequent treatments are addressing the longer term, deep rooted causes of her anxiety and depression. She had a couple of treatments quite close together but is now just having subsequent treatments on a monthly basis.

2.    Another client had been experiencing anxiety with migraines for a few years when I started treating her. This lady was just about managing to cope with work with the migraines but had some deep-rooted emotional issues as well which had been suppressed long term. In her treatments I cleared the heart, solar plexus and sacral chakras and worked on the physical level of the sacral chakra (the abdomen) too. The third eye and root chakras also needed particular attention. After each treatment she reported that her anxiety levels had dropped considerably, lasting for a longer period of time after each treatment.

3.    When I worked on another client with anxiety I discovered that his solar plexus chakra was wide open and the heart and root chakras were very low in energy. I worked on the kidneys to calm them and reduce physical stress-related symptoms. An energy block was released from the back of the third eye chakra – negative thoughts are often stored here. This area should always be worked on, in addition to the solar plexus, with clients who suffer from low self-worth and hold a myriad of negative thoughts about themselves. The third eye chakra relates to perception, among other things, and how we see the world around us, what we are focusing on and where we see ourselves going. Negative thoughts can cause blockages in this chakra.

4.    Reiki can also help children to settle into a new school or help them if they’re having difficulties causing anxiety. Typically in this case you need to balance the solar plexus, heart and root chakras and release any fears/worries held in other chakras. These treatments were sent by distance healing. The children were all completely unaware that they had been sent healing but the parents noticed improvements over the next few days which enabled the children to settle into new routines.

 

Treating Anxiety

The main chakras to focus on is almost always the solar plexus. This relates to personal power, personal strength, self-belief, self-worth, self-esteem – how we really feel about ourselves in spite of any confident outward appearances. The solar plexus is connected to the mind/mental body which is why many people experience butterflies, nausea and IBS when they are worried about something.

The root chakra is also very important. Focusing Reiki energy here will strengthen this chakra, bringing the person’s energy down, literally bringing them out of their head (where you spend a lot of time when you have anxiety) and back down to earth. The root chakra relates to grounding and focus. When you have strong physical grounding and a strong connection to earth, you are better able to cope with things and not let them get on top of you. The adrenal glands are governed by the root chakra, so treating the root chakra also helps to calm the adrenals.

You will also need to work on the heart and sacral chakras to help clear emotional issues contributing to the anxiety, as well as the third eye chakra to calm and clear the head.

It is worth pointing out here as well that distance treatments are just as effective as hands-on treatments in cases of anxiety. This may be because you are already working on the mental level (ie. the mind) by visualising the person and the Reiki can flow more easily over this mental connection.

At the beginning of the treatment I always ask for the Reiki healing energy to flow to release the person’s anxiety, boost inner strength and self-belief, and restore peace and harmony. This sets your intention and makes it clear what you would like to happen. Energy always follows thought. You can phrase your request to suit your/your client’s needs but it will no doubt be something along these lines. You can also call upon the Angel of Healing to release and resolve the underlying causes of a person’s anxiety. This is very powerful and signals to the angelic realm that you wish to work with them. Do this regularly so they know you are sincere and I’m sure you will soon see an extra depth to your treatments.

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. She is also currently studying Raw Food Nutrition to find out more about the healing power of natural food. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.