In our first podcast episode, we cover the big question: How do I stay present and grounded while everything is changing? Geneva Robins and Melissa Jaswal (Adams) answer this giant question and chat about their favourite topic, Reiki. 

What do you do when everything turns upside down? Reiki really helps us to feel supported through big changes. When we are full of worry or concern, Reiki helps to hold space for our highest good. The Reiki therapist holds a high-vibration space for you to join that energy that you want to stay in. 

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Grounded and powerful

Reiki is a practice Melissa can always return to; it has been life-changing and magical. For Geneva, Reiki is so transformational. It’s a doorway to the Divine. As Reiki practitioners, we learn to tap into that energy and information. It creates a space where you can open up to your insight and wisdom.

Daily practice for Melissa is all about grounding. Planting her feet on the earth and allowing that sturdy earth energy to move through is a tool she learned in Level I Reiki. Guided meditation is also a big part of Melissa’s practice that helps her even on the hardest day. Her favourites include Sam Harris meditationsLunaHolistic meditations, and Insight Timer.

Even for an experienced meditator, guided meditation can help settle things when you’re in big emotions.

Geneva’s practice when things are really shaken up is to get help from others. Asking for help can be the world’s hardest thing. She will book in for wellness sessions as soon as she spots that she’s in a big moment. The power of having someone listen to your story without agenda is a huge gift.

Getting outside in nature is the magic reset for Geneva and her family. Just breathing in the forest for even a moment is an anchor to the slow vibration of nature and helps to bring in that grounded feeling. It helps slow us down to a true state of rest.

Mindful breathing and awareness of the body’s sensations are also a big part of Geneva’s self-care practice. Each feeling has a sensation in the body. Mindful breathing into the sensation and creating space around the feeling helps the feeling move and shift.

Stay in your Bubble

Clearing the aura is also an important part of the practice as well. The aura is an electromagnetic field around your body and helps us feel cozy yet able to expand. You feel protected and clear and in your bubble. You are less affected by other people’s energy and more centred in the calm space inside. Reiki really helps us stay in that clear and vibrant energy bubble.

What is Reiki?

A listener asked ‘What is Reiki?’ In a session, you can release blocks of energy or emotion. You and your practitioner set a positive intention about how you’ll feel when that emotion is cleared. Usually, an intention is something like feeling balanced, centred, peaceful and joyful. And then you just lay down, relax and receive the energy. The session is a combination of gentle touch or hands just above the body.

The Reiki practitioner is the conduit for the energy of your intention to flow through. Basically, Reiki is setting an intention of how you want to feel and then relaxing into the energy. It helps you to reset to the calm energy inside. Reiki creates the bridge between where you are and the frequency of your intention.

Reiki is the energy and also the system of how the energy flows. As practitioners, we’ve learned a method to tap into the frequency of Reiki and transmit it to our clients. You can learn Reiki! We teach in-person and online in hybrid classes. We have classes starting every season.

If you want to learn more about the power of spiritual wellbeing, a great book is How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence‘ by Michael Pollan. The book is about psychedelics, but Reiki is another way to tap into this transformational power too! “Microdosing on the Universe” is how Geneva thinks about Reiki. 🙂

 

Like this Episode? Catch the next one: Episode 02 – Staying Emotionally Centred as a Highly Sensitive Person

 


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Giving Back Program - Complimentary sessions - LunaHolistic.com

We are also very happy to share the gift of Reiki through our Giving Back Program! Every month, we give away free Reiki sessions to exceptional people. 

Learn more here: https://www.lunaholistic.com/giving-back-program/

 

 


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LunaHolistic Podcast Transcript

Staying Grounded And Present While Everything Is Changing

Hosted by:             Geneva Robins – LunaHolistic 

Facilitated by:        Melissa Adams

Podcast Air Date:  October 15, 2022

Episode: LHP01

0:05  Welcome – Introduction to this episode

GENEVA ROBINS: Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! I’m your host, Geneva Robins, and every month on this podcast, we’ll talk about Reiki, as well as answering your questions on all things spiritual. We are gratefully located in Calgary in Treaty 7 territory. Thank you all, and welcome to the show!

Welcome to the LunaHolistic podcast! My name is Geneva Robins, and I’m here with Melissa Adams today. On this podcast, we talk about Reiki and all things spiritual, our favourite topic. And we’re so glad you’re here! Welcome. Thank you for being here, Melissa. [laughs]

MELISSA ADAMS: Thank you for having me!

GR: Before we get rolling, especially because this is our first episode, I’d like to start with a moment of deep and true gratitude for the Indigenous peoples of the world, and in particular, the people where we live in Calgary, the Treaty 7 Nations: the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina, the Nakoda, and Métis Nations. Thank you and welcome. 

And maybe we’ll start with just a collective breath of gratitude. So, everybody, wherever you are, maybe keep your eyes open, if you’re driving! Just take a nice, deep breath, and notice the land that you are on right now. 

Notice the deep, deep roots of all of the plants around you, all of the animals and birds and insects that might be living on those plants, the air, the sky, the sun, the moon – just noticing all of nature. The water flowing, maybe in rivers or creeks or groundwater around you, maybe even the ocean, wherever that happens to be in relation to where you’re sitting. 

Just notice it, all of that, and just sending a deep thanks for all of the gifts that we’ve been so graciously given, just by getting to be wherever you happen to be on the planet right now. Thank you. Ah, gotta love gratitude!

MA: Yeah, it’s nice!

GR: Beautiful way to start, it’s a beautiful way to start.

MA: Absolutely.

GR: Thank you so much for being here with me, Melissa.

MA: Thank you for having me. 

GR: Melissa is a fellow practitioner at LunaHolistic where we do Reiki. Maybe we can start by talking about what Reiki is and maybe how you got into this crazy stuff. [laughs]

MA: [laughs] Yeah, I’d love to.

GR: Yeah, what does Reiki mean to you? 

3:16  Reiki as a practice that has awakened my soul

MA: Well, I think Reiki has just been, for me, like, a practice that I can always come back to. And it’s something that has awakened me, awakened my soul, and it’s been so life-changing. 

So, I first kind of experienced or learned and heard of Reiki when I still lived in Ontario and my massage therapist was attuned to Reiki, but I never went to see her for that, actually, although she was magical. Every time I went to see her, I would kind of open up to her and I would ask her questions. I would ask her questions about spirituality. 

Like, I was in my, getting into my later ’20s when I started, kind of, asking these questions. So, I always just felt better – whenever I would see her, I always felt better afterwards, like the world was a little brighter after spending my hour with her. And then I went through some big changes and shifts in my life. 

And I actually saw another lady for a Reiki session, still living in Ontario, and it was like, I think my intention was to feel seen and to feel beautiful and sexy. And during that session, I ended up seeing some colours at the start, and like, just with my eyes closed, I experienced some colours, and then I fell asleep or whatever happens. You want to call it sleep, but maybe it’s not quite sleep. It’s like I went pretty deep. And then afterwards, I felt a little bit more relaxed. 

And like, I think it was a week or two later, I ended up driving to Calgary by myself and just kind of picking up and going on an adventure. Yeah, by the time I got out here, it had taken me some time because I was exploring, you know, taking my time. 

And then once I got to Calgary and started to settle in, I was still looking for my purpose. I didn’t want to work somewhere that I hated. I wanted to do something that I loved. And I was really lost at this point. And I felt like there was something that had pulled me toward uprooting my life and moving to Calgary. So, I kind of, it wasn’t an easy journey, for sure. And I was kind of feeling lost and sad, but I know I was searching. 

And I remember being in, like, a gem shop and seeing the LunaHolistic flyer, and it caught my eye, the colours, just something about it. And I ended up bringing it home and putting it on my dresser. And then, I don’t know, like a month later or something like this, I was back in that same gem shop, looking at crystals and things, cards. And the flyer caught my eye again, and I had popped it in my purse. 

And when I brought it home, I had noticed that I had already brought that flyer home. And it just felt like I was seeing these signs all the time. And whenever something synchronistic happened like that, I would just follow it. And so, I called you …

GR: [laughs]

MA: … because I was like maybe I just need to learn Reiki! And you answered and you were like, “Yeah, class starts, like, tomorrow, or in two days,” or something like that. And I was like, “Okay, well, here we go.” So, that was kind of my journey of learning Reiki. 

And it was interesting, because I didn’t even really know about the chakra system. Like, I was just noticing that life kind of seemed magical to me, like it was, I was finding that the things that used to make me happy, like going out partying, like just frivolous things, didn’t work for me anymore. And I was looking for a deeper connection. 

GR: Mm-hmm.

MA: And it kinda like, it was where I started my journey and taught me so much, so much about grounding, presence, releasing trauma from childhood and my past, that kind of felt stuck in my body.

GR: Yeah.

MA: And it’s still a journey. 

GR: It is, and you never stop learning about Reiki. I love that.

MA: No, you don’t.

7:44  Take heart! The Universe has your back!

GR: I love all parts of that story, particularly if there any entrepreneurs out there, it’s like, take heart, because when Melissa called me, I was like, desperately trying to find my Car2Go, sweating with my bag over my shoulder, going up and down the hill, trying to find this mystery car that would take me to my appointment. 

And really hoping beyond hope that, you know, this sort of, you know, I had just opened the LunaHolistic Centre, and just, like, “please make this work.” Like, “I’ve put everything into this venture and I really want this to work!” And classes starting and I had a couple of students and I was like, “eeh?”, and then Melissa called and it was just like, “See? The Universe has got your back.” 

And I always think, like, what you’re seeking is seeking you. It’s just such a neat little side lesson in that. It’s like, while you were searching for something that could help you, I was also searching for, like, “Am I on the right track here?” Like, “Am I doing the right thing?” 

And then you called, like, in a moment of, like, I was completely flustered and kind of put it together, and I’m like, “Yes, yes, of course you can start. [laughs] I have no means of taking your information. I don’t even know where a pen is. Like, can you please text me and I will send you the information.” [laughs]

MA: [laughs]

GR: You know? “I’ll get you registered as soon as I can.” So, yeah, so I just wanted to put a little call out there so if there are people who are listening who maybe are starting a Reiki practice or starting a holistic business or have got one going and you’re just, it’s your dream to do that, I just think there is this, like, Divine synchronicity that happens, that draws, sort of, the helpers to the ones who need the help. 

And then the cycle of helping, to me, is always that, once you’ve received the help, then you go on to help others with it, which is kind of the beautiful thing about Reiki is that it’s a gift that’s meant to be given away, so we teach other people to become, you know, Reiki Masters. 

We share our gifts, and to me, the ultimate is to help a person so well that they no longer need your help, but maybe they just come by because they like it, so … [laughs]  Thank you for sharing your story to get here.

MA: Thank you.

GR: I agree, Reiki is so transformational, and it just, it has so many lessons and gifts in it. It’s like, to me, it’s like a doorway to the Divine. It helps you open up to, sort of, the mystery and magic that’s beyond the moment, you know, that runs deeper into the, you know, fabric of space and time. And we sort of tap into this timeless, Universal, life force energy, and as Reiki practitioners, we learn to channel that. 

And in that process, there’s so many, there’s so many lessons, there’s so much information that’s given, there’s clarity, that sort of, to me, it sort of helps you connect to those, sort of, epiphany and eureka moments on a regular basis. 

So, instead of waiting around in the shower for your Divine stroke of insight, [laughs] you know, you can actually create the conditions where you can open up to, sort of, those magical ideas popping into your head, where you can connect things that, you know, where you struggle. For me, Reiki has been, yeah, life-changing. So yeah, amazing. 

MA: Yes. 

GR: Thank you.

MA: You’re welcome.

11:41  Staying Grounded and present while everything is changing

GR: I love talking about all of these things, and one of our, sort of, main topics for today is how, this big question which is probably on a lot of people’s minds, with the amount of change that we’ve had to deal with in the planet over the past couple of years, and it just seems like a constant, neverending thing, sometimes. [laughs] 

You know, just when you think life has gotten steady and stable and predictable, something else happens, which just seems to be the times we’re living in. You know, so sometimes it’s just about leaning into it. But this idea of, like, how to stay grounded and present while everything is changing. 

And, Melissa, I’m curious how, like, what is part of your practice to help you? Like, what do you do when you feel flustered and confuzzled by life and everything seems like it’s slipping sideways? [laughs] How do you avoid falling flat on your face and get rooted and grounded again? Like, what helps you hit the reset button?

12:54  What is part of Melissa’s practice to help her stay grounded while everything is changing?

MA: Well, Reiki. I booked a session with you yesterday and that was amazing. It was like, well, just to kind of let everybody hear what my experience was, just yesterday, and then I’ll give you, like, maybe a daily practice that I also do as well. 

But like, I am getting married, as you know, in literally a week and a day and there’s a lot of moving parts around me. The mind can really get going about things, like just, you know, worry. And when I came and sat down with you yesterday for my Reiki session, I just kind of was like, I could see and feel myself just like going on – and this and this and this! 

And you as my Reiki Master Practitioner, were, you know, listening intently and holding space for me, and then, like, seeing my highest good and seeing me so happy on my wedding day, and you held that while I was like, “dit-dit-dit-dit” – like, going on about, you know, whatever. And you kind of, like, stayed in high vibration up here, and you allowed me to join you up there. 

And then during my session, it just, I just felt so loved and calm and empowered because you had helped me set my intention, and then it’s like I became that intention. I became this grounded, happy, joyful, present master of myself. So, that was just so beautiful. That was a way to come back to, like, what’s important and who I am and like, that I’m grounded and powerful. 

So, sometimes if the momentum’s high, maybe it’s like going and having a Reiki session with someone or, you know, finding someone in your team to help. But daily practice, I would say is always, like, grounding. 

I think that’s one thing that I learned when I was learning Reiki, just Level I basics, of learning how to ground myself and really, like, planting my feet on the Earth, and just allowing that presence and that sturdy Earth energy to move through me. And just slowing down, you know, remembering to take a breath, and meditation, even guided, even 10 minutes. 

You know, even if it’s so hard, I can’t even get out of bed. Even if I can’t, I’ll lay there and listen to something. I love Sam Harris. I love the meditations on the LunaHolistic website, like Insight Timer, there are so many different guided meditations that can just bring us back to mindfulness. 

And I don’t think that it matters how long, how many years someone’s been a meditator for, or if you’re just beginning. I think, like, a guided meditation when the mind is going bonkers, can just bring me back to my breath and presence and just hearing someone’s steady voice is sometimes what I need early in the morning, especially right now with everything going on and all this change. 

GR: Mm-hmm.

MA: How about you? Do you have a practice? 

GR: Yeah, I do. [laughs] I have many and multiple because I need all of the help I can get. Yeah, it’s funny how quickly your mind can, like, just spin you right off centre. That’s what I find, is like, left untended, my mind is a rascal and says mean things about me all of the time. [laughs] So, I have to really be gentle with all of that. So, yeah, I totally agree with you. 

16:48  Ask for help when you need it

Like, when things are really, really shaken up, I go and get help from others. Like, that is a big, a big piece of my practice is – asking for help can be, like, the world’s hardest thing, especially when we’ve been trained to, you know, “pick yourself up and keep on going,” and, you know, don’t stumble or fall or let anybody see you stumble or fall and certainly don’t ask for help when you’re, like, flat on your face in the muck. 

So, a big part from my healing journey has been to ask for help. So, I book myself in for sessions, I make sure I go to my chiropractor, because sometimes it’s just as simple as that, of just like, are you in alignment? [laughs] You know, like, and then just the power of having somebody just listen to your story is really amazing. Somebody who can listen without an agenda is a big gift. And then Reiki of course, on top of that, it’s just like, so sweet. So, that’s a big part of it. 

And then also, to getting out in nature has been a huge, huge thing for me. It works when nothing else works. So, you know, we’re living in COVID times and I got COVID at the end of COVID. I got it and it sucks and I’m recovering and I felt pretty pathetic and miserable, and felt extremely sorry for myself for quite a long time. 

And for me and our family, it’s getting to the mountains. So, you know, we live not far from the mountains here. And that is always the reset, like, getting out of the city, getting to the mountains. And so I was like, I just told my husband, I’m like, “Let’s just get in the car and go.” Like, [laughs] you know, like, “Fill up the water bottles.” 

And so we drove out and, you know, I wasn’t up for much of a hike or anything, but just to breathe in the forest and be in the forest for just even a moment is always sort of this nourishing space. And that’s definitely what I’ve heard from many people as well, like, just having a special tree in your neighbourhood park, or, you know, a little patch of grass in your backyard or something that anchors you into, I find, the vibration of nature is very slow. 

Our world is very fast. It’s very flickering, we’ve got these little boxes that flicker lights in our eyes. And so, we kind of are in this like, we’ve got these, like, caveman brains that are, like, constantly flickering, like, “Danger, danger, danger, danger!” You know, and it just sort of bombards us. 

And then when we can, for me, in particular, when I can take myself out of that environment and put myself in a restful habitat, you know, one that is, got a deeper, longer, and wiser rhythm, then just sort of let nature balance me. So, just being out there shifts something in my brain. It shifts something, like it gets me back into my body. 

For me, when I’m ungrounded, I notice it when I am knocking things over, when I’m clumsier than usual, when I’m feeling really tired, and I don’t know why, my mind is scattered, or I just sort of feel like I’m in a bit of a swirl, like in an eddy, you know, in a river where you’re just sort of like circling the drain. [laughs]

 MA: Yeah, I know that feeling. 

GR: Yeah, so when, what I feel energetically is that, and I feel this for myself, but I also feel it when I do Reiki for other people, is that our energy sort of gets bunched up by our mind, and it’s almost like our bodies are just like, carrying our minds around. We’re not living in or inhabiting our body. And I think that’s a really common thing – it’s like, when we get into that fight or flight state, is that we get into this sort of heightened state, and everything kind of goes up. 

And for me, I kind of feel the energy with my hands. And it’s sort of like, all the energy gets bunched up by my head. My shoulders shoot up by my ears, everything gets really tense, and I get stuck in my thoughts. And so, sometimes just taking, sort of, a deep, mindful breath back into the body and letting the energy balance. 

21:16 The third technique is to create space around what you’re feeling

So, one of the things that I like to do is this sort of technique about not trying to change anything, but just create space around what is. It’s sort of a mindfulness technique, and so whatever feeling I’m feeling, instead of trying to change it – so maybe I’m feeling confused, or angry, or sad, or whatever distress I’m feeling – instead of trying to, like, take that and, like, throw it outside of me, you know, like getting rid of it, I just accept that it’s there and sort of offer it kindness and gentleness.

And then, sort of expand, breathe space around that feeling or thought and sensation. I get this image of, like, a horse in a little tiny, you know, fenced-in corral, you know, like, just barely big enough for its body, you know, where the edges of the fence are really close in and how unsettled that horse is. 

If that horse is our feeling, then it’s almost like, what if you can breathe space around that feeling and expand the fence? Like creating space so that you can move that fence back so that horse or that feeling has room to move. And that animal has this space to settle, right? It’s like, and it goes from under tension and pressure to just this spacious feeling. And this feeling of like, “expand that fence so far that in a thousand years that horse will never touch the edge of it.”

And so, just keep expanding it and expanding it and expanding it and expanding it, and creating, almost like using your breath to create space around that feeling. So, it’s like, “it’s okay that it’s there, it’s okay, if you’re angry, it’s okay, if you’re distraught. Of course you are, it’s just a signal that something isn’t right. It’s a signal to try to make things right, but first you need to create space so that things can move, things can shift. 

And then what I find is that, without trying to change it, I get to a place where I can observe what’s happening, and it can be there. So, if I’m feeling sad about something, I can let myself be sad. Sad won’t hurt me. And sadness is temporary, and it’s okay that it’s there, you know, means I’m a kind, compassionate person that cares a lot about a lot of things, you know. 

So, the first step is like, kind of creating space and sort of this idea of, like, taking the pressure off. And then it’s about bringing the energy down through my body. So, just even noticing, so like, even just touching your body, so like, bringing your hands, like, down your legs, like, smoothing the energy down your legs, you know, and then noticing the energy in the Earth below your feet. 

So, the Earth is a resource of vital energy. Everything we get, everything, every molecule comes from the Earth. Every molecule of our body is present because of the Earth below our feet. And that energy, I believe, is a conscious, nourishing, ancient source of wisdom and power and strength. It is the literal support under our feet, and we always have that. So, if you are under the powers of gravity, so even if you’re on the space station, you’re still under the force of gravity. 

And you’re always held in that vibration of love and compassion and support. And so, just noticing that might be true, and that might exist underneath you. And then very, very gently – and in Reiki, we do everything very, very gently – there is this sort of saying of like, “no push, no pull” – you don’t need to push the energy to go anywhere, we don’t need to pull it to go any faster – but just letting the energy in your body and the energy in the Earth find its own natural balance.

Almost like you, there’s, like, two bubbles, and you’re just letting, kind of through the process of diffusion, letting the energies find their own harmony. 

Some people like visualizing roots growing down into the Earth, sometimes you can feel, like, the energy is coming up to support you, or that you’re sitting inside a mountain with the peak of the mountain, top of your head, and this sort of wide base of support all around you. And in that, sort of, space, then it creates this place where you can come back to yourself, and your energy becomes even through your body. 

So, when the energy is even through our body, that’s usually when we feel good. And I think of it as like, we’ve got this sort of chakra system in our body, which are basically energy centres that are connected, basically where all of our major organs are, and when the energy is flowing evenly through all of our chakras, we feel good, we feel balanced, and we feel nourished. 

And so, it kind of gives you the space to take the pressure off and regroup and reconnect to something far deeper, far wiser, far more nourishing, far more ancient than whatever kind of state we’ve got ourselves in. So, it helps you put yourself in the long view, too. 

So, that, to me, is sort of how I regroup and ground, or sort of the process of like, coming back. And I might have to do it like 15,000 times in an hour to get myself there. [laughs] Sometimes you just gotta call it quits and have a good night’s sleep and try again the next day, too! 

And then I love meditation as well. Grounding meditations and Reiki are a huge part of my practice, but yeah. Yeah, how does that all …

MA: Thank you!

GR: … sit with you, sound for you? Did any ideas pop up when I share that?

MA: Yeah, that was so well said and so nice to listen to, like, it was kind of like a reminder of all of the different tools that, you know, we can use to be mindful and, you know, to come back to the present moment. 

27:58  Grounding

I loved when you had said, like, you can picture yourself sitting in a mountain. Just like, how grounding.

GR: Yeah.

MA: You know, to imagine … I did a cave tour once and it was amazing. Like, we literally sat in, like, the belly of the mountain and it was like, cold and dark and quiet and so peaceful. 

GR: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

MA: Yeah.

GR: Yeah, and to embody the presence of the mountain, you know. 

MA: Yeah.

GR: Yeah, and that feeling of like, oh, it doesn’t have to move anywhere, it doesn’t have to do anything, it doesn’t have to, it just gets to be. And so, I think when we get sort of really flustered, it’s like we’re trying to “do” instead of really, like, “being.” 

And when we tap back into our being, that’s, to me, where all of our knowledge, all of our wisdom resides, is in the deep, sort of, spirit inner being. And when we’re in that place, stillness is there. But also, it helps us connect with the place where the answers are, too, and that sort of simplicity and coming, yeah, coming back to yourself, and sort of dropping out of the mind space, and sort of getting into your heart, into your spirit, into your soul, so that you can be in that sort of clear space.

MA: You know, you had said something, too, about when you were speaking about the chakras, and you know, when our energy centres are balanced, then we tend to feel better, and that really is so true for me as well. Like, you know, if I’m stuck in my head, thinking, I’m not in my body. And I think, like, there’s something to be said about, like, getting down into the body and grounding. Like, there are some days, especially, you know, when I was younger, where maybe I didn’t even think once about grounding.

I think it’s a really powerful tool, especially if there are people out there that are working in the public, or working with other people, it’s like staying grounded within ourselves and holding that energy and being in our own bubble. 

GR: Yeah.

MA: You know? We talked about that, yeah.

30:25  What is the aura and how does it work?

GR: Yeah, I’m so glad you mentioned the bubble. Because yeah, the other part of our energetic protection is sort of this energy suit we carry around with us, which is the aura, which is sort of our electromagnetic field. And this is a real thing. [laughs] And it’s also a real thing. I’ve got a science background, so I always answer the science sceptic first. [laughs] 

But we do, we’ve got these, like, nerves firing electrical signals through our bodies. And we’ve got, you know, our bloodstream circulating sort of, these, salt ions all around. And so, there is a genuine electrical field that just comes from the physical body, electromagnetic field. 

And we know this, it’s neat that you’re talking about caves, because cave creatures with no light and many, many animals like deep sea fishes and things, they find their prey because of, they have special sensors that can pick up on the electrical signals of the things that they’re going to eat. 

So, they can basically feel the presence of life around them, and they can navigate to the ones that are tastiest. But we have this field around us and it’s called the aura, and it’s the sum of all of the energy in our body, and it is basically our protective, energetic field, and it keeps all of the energy in our body safe. 

So, it’s sort of like the plastic coating on a wire. It keeps all of the energy inside your body inside, and it keeps everything else outside. And so, it helps you feel, like, when we’re in our bubble, which is basically like, our personal space, you know, one layer of the aura sort of extends around us, kind of what we claim to be our personal space bubble. 

And in that field, when that energy is full and bright and clear, and we sort of tend to this energetic space beyond our physical body, it makes us feel cozy, yet able to expand. And so, it also helps us feel, sort of, more centred and protected and in our bubble, right? And what’s beautiful is that when you’re in your own bubble, not only do you feel cozier, but it’s much easier to get into that space of “live and let live.”

You are less affected by other people’s ups and downs, and more able to just compassionately witness wherever they are, without taking that energy on. And it’s very, very important, especially for sensitive, energetic people, to tend to that energy space around your body. And I think it’s even important to acknowledge that, you know, maybe we’re more than just a physical hunk of meat shuffling about, carrying a computer on the top of our heads. We are so much more than the 3D-self. 

We are expanded and connected to all the energy in everything and everywhere. And the aura is like a little packet or a container that helps you feel safe and clear, and where your feelings in your energy can stay inside your borders, and other people’s energy and feelings can stay over there. 

And it’s not about being uncaring or unfeeling, but it’s actually about helps you be in the most compassionate, centred, and clear space possible. And in future episodes, we’ll get more into how, you know, highly sensitive people and empaths can kind of stay in their bubble, and we’ll talk about, sort of, like, aura management and how you can keep your energy clear, even if you’re being, sort of, bombarded by life and people with big energy! [laughs] 

34:38  Kelsey’s Question
GR: We do have a question from Kelsey, and Kelsey’s question is:

34:45  What is Reiki? How does it work? Who can benefit? What are the ins and outs?

KELSEY: Hello Geneva! I am wondering if you can tell me and us what Reiki really is? How does it work, who can benefit and all the ins and outs?

GR: So, Melissa? What, what is Reiki, really? [laughs] How does it work?

MA: [laughs] Good question!

GR: Who can it benefit, and what are the ins and outs?

35:12  Melissa’s and my answer

MA: For me, it’s like, it was so life-changing because it’s almost like, it is very intention-based. So, during a Reiki session, say I’m receiving Reiki, so I would book an appointment and go in for a 90-minute Reiki session. And usually, someone wants to release something – set an intention, like, whether it’s mental, emotional, or physical. Sometimes we feel these things in our body. And usually, we’re coming to get Reiki to feel better. 

So, for instance, I hold anxiety in my chest, so, in my solar plexus area. So, I might go in for a Reiki session to see if I can release that block that’s in my chest. And maybe during a session, I’ll speak to my practitioner about what’s going on in my life, maybe spend 20, 25 minutes just talking about what’s going on in my life, maybe why I have that feeling of anxiety, and then I’ll set an intention of how it would feel if I could release that block. 

And so, usually, the intention is actually how I want to feel, and how it would feel if this pain was released from my body or from my being. 

So, a big one for me is, like, I want to feel peaceful and balanced and joyful. Like, that’s how I want to live my life, that’s how I want to show up for myself and the people around me, so that’s usually my intention. A lot of the times, is to feel balanced, centred, at peace, and so that will be my intention. 

And then, as I’m receiving, who the practitioner is, whether I’m the practitioner or someone’s facilitating a session for me, the practitioner is the conduit for the energy of my intention to flow through. So, that peaceful, joyful, beautiful energy is being, surrounding me, by the practitioner. So, the practitioner might place their hands on my heart, on my head. There are different positions. Sometimes they can stay completely in my aura, but then I just lay down and receive. 

So, it’s kind of like, when someone’s coming to receive Reiki, it’s setting an intention of how you want to feel, and then just laying there and receiving it – surrendering, and just allowing someone to help. 

And I’ve noticed for myself, it just makes me feel like myself again. I almost, like, come back to who I am when all the other shit in my mind, you know, is kind of released. When I’m letting go of all that stuff, they tell me I’m not good enough, or whatever, it’s like I come back to this, like, grounded, peaceful, awesome, bright, shiny self that I am naturally just because.

GR: Mm-hmm, yeah, yeah, I agree. I agree. It helps reset to “the spirit inside.” To me, it’s like letting the energy inside have more room to “be,” you know. From a practitioner point-of-view, I always think, like, that intention energy, it’s in the “everything.” It’s in that universal life force energy, it’s everywhere around us, but it’s also inside each and every one of us. 

So, when, if we want more peace or hope or joy, that energy or that frequency is already inside, and as a practitioner, it’s like Reiki creates the bridge so that you can kind of fill up, but also sort of nurture and nourish that energy inside you, so.

MA: Yeah, it’s like connecting to the higher self, in a sense.

GR: Yeah, yeah.

MA: In the physical. 

GR: Yeah.

39:27  Thank you Kelsey

GR: I thank you for your answer to that question, and thank you, Kelsey, for that question. 

39:32  Learn Reiki

GR: We’ll be talking a lot about how Reiki works, and if you’re curious, please check out Lunaholistic.com because we have loads of information there, and you can learn Reiki which is really, really cool. 

So, as practitioners, we learn how to basically connect to the flow of energy that’s in all things. And it’s a meditation technique, so when we talk about Reiki, we’re talking about the energy; we’re also talking about the system, and the system is something that anybody can learn. I learned it, Melissa learned it, everyone who has a desire to connect to something deeper can learn Reiki. We teach both in Calgary and online, so we do hybrid classes, so you can learn anywhere around the world and we can support you with that. 

And who can benefit from Reiki? So, if you want to receive your intention, which Melissa had sort of talked about, if you want to get that energy to connect to something greater, something more, all you have to do is be willing to receive the energy of that intention, and be a little bit open-minded about ‘maybe this could work for you!’ 

If you’re a real sceptic, I suggest starting with a really cool emerging-science book called How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan, which is actually about psychedelics. It seems a little weird to be talking about psychedelics on a podcast about Reiki, but when I read that book, I was like, “Ooh, this is like Reiki but without the mushrooms.” [laughs] 

So, what Reiki does is it can help you connect to a spiritual sense of wellbeing. And even if you don’t have any sort of spiritual faith or background, it doesn’t matter because Reiki is, comes from the place that’s connects and is universal to all. So, we’ll be talking a lot about that, but that is a really, so, mushrooms are the gateway drug to Reiki. [laughs]

But what I love about Reiki is that it’s not chemically-mediated. So, you know, once the chemical’s gone from your system, the trip is over, whereas Reiki can keep on going – sort of microdosing on the Universe! So, if you’re interested in any of that, that’s a really fascinating book. And if you are not interested in taking any psychedelics, great! You can try Reiki and see if it gives you the same trauma-relief lifting benefits. There’s pretty much no side effects. It’s a lot like a facilitated meditation. 

So, we help you, as practitioners, we hold that intention for you, and we hold that space for you to slip into that same frequency that you want to be in. So, you kind of get guided help to get into that peaceful, calm, Zen, wonderful state where you can kind of open up to greater energy within you and all around you. We’ll be talking lots more about that. 

Thank you, Kelsey, for your question. And if you have a question, we’d love to hear from you. Go to Lunaholistic.com/podcast. And you can record a little blurb, a question, a comment, a mystery of the Universe, and we will do our best to answer your questions. So, thank you very much for that. 

43:14  Outro Thank yous

GR: Thank you for everybody who’s listening. Thank you so much, Melissa. 

MA: Mm, thank you for having me.

GR: For being here. It’s been delightful talking to you, as always.

43:24  Outro End

GR: We’ve got lots and lots of resources on the Lunaholistic.com website, as well as links to all of our services. If you’re curious about Reiki and live in the Calgary area, you can come in for a session, but we also do distance Reiki, which we will be talking more about in future podcasts as well. How does that distance Reiki work? Oh man, does it ever work! It’s so cool. 

So, thank you all again so very, very much for being here and we’ll catch you next time. 

43:56  Outro:

GR: Thank you for joining us on the LunaHolistic podcast. We’re so grateful that you are here. If you’ve got a question, we’d love to hear from you. Go to LunaHolistic.com/podcast, and we’ll answer you in an upcoming episode. Be sure to subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and also, please rate, ’cause you never know where your little five stars will go to shine light into somebody’s heart today. So, thank you very much, and we’ll see you next time.