I am a badass dragon spiritual warrior goddess that burns away fear buried deep in my shadows, shields my human vessel from harm, stands strong in my truth and raw authentic power, and moves swiftly against those who victimize others.
Today, I am making “herstory” with some dragon magic in tow. I am no longer a victim of my past, but a badass. It’s taken me a VERY long time (decades) to get to this point. CPTSD and the fallout of trying to survive after abuse is NOT easy…far from it.
I’m going thru lots of growing pains right now & on the verge of a major breakthrough … the kind I’ve waited a lifetime for if not multiple lifetimes.
See me.
Feel me.
Hear me.
Bare witness to the transformation and magic of dragon in the depths of my soul.
AND so, I bless my junk … I bless all who caused me harm & I mourn all I lost. In doing so, I find the buried treasure residing within me all along … buried in my own shadows. To read more on this bless your junk series, click here.
Today I celebrate ALL OF ME and all the brave courageous strong women before me.
I celebrate the wisdom of my ancestors breathing and pulsating in my veins.
I celebrate all the badass women and men who have guided me, supported me, journeyed with me, and mentored me throughout the years.
Hmmmmm do we have the luck of the Irish this month? Got spring fever yet? As I am typing this, the sun is shining, and the outdoor temperature is in the low 40’s as we prepare for a massive storm stretching most of the US kicking off the month of March. I always see storms as something significant in the spiritual path and something to view within all of us to help our souls growth.
There is soooooo much shifting, healing, revealing, and shaking up going on, and I do not anticipate that momentum slowing down any time soon.
Forget the Lamb. Hello Lion.
Right? Are you feeling this already? Holy cow. Or should I say holy lioness? Or is it the DRAGON masked as the lion?
This month, I edge closer to the 50 mark on the solar calendar and this is the time of year I check in deep with myself and where I am going, where do I find joy and what still need to be accomplished.
Over the next couple months, I will be doing LOTS of traveling for personal and professional development to attend a magical wedding, co-facilitate a men’s healing group in VT, and attend the Trauma Training Conference with Vander Kolk. Just to give a glimpse.
This month I feel will definitely push boundaries and push us out of our comfort zones forcing us to dig deeper before the thaw and emergence of the new plantings of spring.
Self-Love: A Journey
1 of 10 hearts stumbled upon a walk mid Feb 2019
Last week I wrote about an experience I had at the park with hearts on the 10 year anniversary of the divine sending me signs and learning to build a partnership with the divine to help guide me on my path.
You can read the post here, Self Love – A Journey With The Divine in Nature. I write these posts from the heart to share these journeys with you. As always, I would cherish your comments and feedback on the post and know if what I write resonates with you and helps guide you on YOUR path.
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Dragon and the Sun
Screen shot of video of sun activity 2/27/19
Many of you have been hearing me talk about dragon energy increasingly over the last few years and may have even attended an event I facilitated where we tapped into dragon energy. Well check this out… this is filed under #cantmakethisshitup.
I was watching a scientific video on the updates of solar activity and how it affects the sun dated 2/27, and while watching it, I saw a dragon in the coronal hole of the sun (or what I like to call the shadow side of the sun). Do you see it? Here is the screenshot I took.
I believe this is the same solar storm that spewed out a dragon northern light show that was circulating all over social media on the 28th.
So now we are in March … how lion … I feel like our the wounded unhealed part of our egos might get quite the challenge this month and it is important to remember to come from a place of soul and view what surfaces emotionally for you as a road map of what needs to be released, healed, or reevaluated.
Mercury Retrograde
With mercury going retrograde on March 6th, it will be a good time to re-evaluate, relax, rethink, redo, plan, prepare projects or situations. Now I am a Pisces, so what I know is that it is important to PAUSE and seek the lessons or pearl of wisdom that is being presented to you. You might find this challenging because we are a culture and a society that let’s our emotions control us vs guide us. Yes there is a difference.
Happy happy. What a glorious day it is here in New England, and what another whirlwind of a month February has turned out to be.
This heart rock I am holding was one of the many hearts I found while on the walk with the dogs last week just after the full moon.
This was the same walk with a picture I posted on social media last week with the green orb heart as pictured below. I will post more pictures from this day at the very end of this post.
Green heart orb under the rising full moon. Feb 2019
The Revelation
Fascinating as I stop and pause in reflection of my life …. The journey I have been on since 2005 has been extraordinary to say the least when I really think about all I have endured and overcome since then. It has been far from easy re-discovering myself and back to a fearless love state deeply rooted to my soul.
When things started to not only get more difficult for me after seeking protections from abuse, but escalated, and I didn’t know what to trust or who to trust or what to believe or not to believe, I stopped out of desperation as if it were my last breath of life. I asked the divine for a sign that I was on the right path and that the decision I was about to embark on at the time was for my highest and best during one of the darkest days in my life desperate to be free from constant onslaught of abuse.
That happened 10 years ago this month in 2009. What I have learned about myself since then is still a masterpiece in the works.
When I posed that question to the universe out loud asking for help, I said a prayer to acknowledge and release all fear and asked for a sign that I am on the right path. About an hour later, while driving over the Fore River Bridge, in Quincy, Massachusetts, I happened to see an angel in the sky.
Quincy, MA February 2009
Of course I took a picture. And that picture was not one angel, but two. However, with the naked eye I only saw one. To this day, I believe this was a divine sign from my aunt and grandmother who can also come in as one divine messenger too!
The quote came as a result of doing some picture collages for my children and this quote suddenly come to me in the form of a message from the divine to “stop, listen and observe for they will guide you”.
Understanding Love In Its Pure Form
There were many things I didn’t realize at the time when my journey began in 2005. I had to re-learn what love is in its pure form, and undo what we are conditioned to think or believe based on propaganda, societal and religious ideologies that tend to be patriarchal and sexualized in nature.
In order to understand what love is in its pure form, I had to first learn how to self-love again . This also means I had to understand that my desire to be “needed” or “validated” in order to feel loved was not love but my desperation for love from others. This was also a form of dependency which many of us confuse with love as well. We confuse doing for others or “martyrdom” as love and selfless, but at least to me and in my self discovery it is not.
What Love is NOT
Do I look in the mirror and focus on what’s wrong and focus on all the flaws?
Do I focus on why I can’t do something right?
Do I focus on comparing myself to another and loathe at what I am lacking?
Basically do we Gaslight the s*** out of ourselves or do we see the light that we are in its pure form and acknowledging all the perfect imperfections as divinely in order as it supposed to be?
How did we condition ourselves this way?
Who conditioned us with these beliefs?
We were not born this way. It is time to break the cycle and step into our power and embrace the love energies the Universe is giving us.
The Journey Into Self Love
I refer back to the angel sign from February 2009. Since I did not know who to trust or what, I went up to the spirit realm. Since then, I have developed a relationship with and a language with the divine, and every now and then when I am off track or when I ask for guidance, I am blessed with messages in the form of signs.
Last week, a part of me reverted to old beliefs and patterns, and each time I was redirected in the form of signs of hearts everywhere and on this walk, there were at least ten hearts. Some are pictured below.
Love is BIGGER than us and yet one of the strongest emotions we experience as human beings. We tend to put our defining moments and perceptions of love onto an experience with another.
In order to attract the love we seek in another, we must first have the greatest love affair with our self and through that vibration we attract that kind of lover and partner.
It’s been a journey into the discovery of love for sure. We forget that love is inherently FREE, yet many times we allow fear, judgement, and attempts to understand what it means distort the magic of it. However, I believe, we have yet to truly understand what is means in its pure form and in relation to self love, because we are conditioned that fulfillment resides in the magic of love with committed romantic relationship.
So what are we missing?
Over the years, I’ve learned love is pure and weightless that creates a chemical shift in our neurological system.
It is a force of nature pure and simple.
There are no conditions or expectations associated with love.
Love is about honoring what is and mastering presence. It is NOT euphoria that comes and goes like passion, seduction and infatuation where we tend to confuse with love.
Love is bigger than the self or human conditioning. It’s the light that radiates within you. It is interconnected to all life and to the collective consciousness.
It is not a commodity that can be traded on Wall Street or something that can be turned on or off like a light switch.
You can invite love in. You can surrender to love by releasing fear, practicing presence and living in a state of gratitude.
Love is the life force that resides within you. It is unconditional.
when we honor the divine within, we open the door to infinite possibilities.
I am grateful for the divine signs to remind of these facts when I fall off track myself.
What is love to YOU?
What has love taught you? Please share your thoughts and experiences with us.
How do you define love in your life?
In the meantime, I am here to help you. Don’t forget to pause, breathe and take a moment for yourself.
Please leave a comment below to let us know if this post inspired or helped you on your path.
It is back with a vengeance … if you live or work in MA, please take a moment and hear about this pending bill that needs our collective immediate attention.
In my personal and professional opinion, it is sadly a misguided bill under the guise of anti-human trafficking that will have a greater negative affect than good and ultimately hurting those they are trying to protect.
We will address the following:
What is MA Bill SD1840? How will practitioners be affected?
How will MA Bill SD1840 Affect You, the Consumer?
Current MA Laws
A Personal Note: Regarding how these practices SAVED my life, reiki, predatory behavior, training, pending MA SD1840
Urgent action is necessary
How you can help
What is MA Bill SD1840? How will practitioners be affected?
MA Bill SD1840 has been introduced AGAIN by Senator Montigny for the third time. If passed, SD1840 would negatively affect all Reiki, Meditation, Yoga, Martial Arts, Thai Chi, and the like in Massachusetts.
Under current MA law, Reiki is exempt from massage licensure in MA, but this law attempts to set up an entirely new licensing process for all types of healers and spiritually based practitioners/facilitators or the like, and mandate they be licensed, receive government endorsed education; and that these modalities can only be taught in state licensed schools.
MA SD1840 bill will negatively impact all practitioners who: “…uses touch, words or directed movement to deepen awareness of patterns of movement in the body, or the affectation of the human energy system or acupoints or Qi meridians of the human body while engaged within the scope of practice of a profession with established standards and ethics;”
How does one regulate ones own Qi … something that we all have that is innate in each of us?
Click HERE for more information and action to take through the National Health Freedom Action.
How will MA Bill SD1840 Affect You, the Consumer?
If allowed to pass, this bill will also negatively affect our human right to access to holistic, complementary alternative medicine, and spiritually based therapies.
If allowed to pass, SD1840 will also:
result in increased cost burdens to the consumer and practitioner,
reduced or eliminated access to much needed services especially those in the under-served marginalized communities, end of life care, those fighting chronic illness or cancer, elderly populations, and trauma survivors.
will NOT end or reduce sex trafficking as it is proposed it will do as it is written.
restrict or alter practices such as reiki, yoga, thai chi, meditation under the SAME training requirements without understanding the fundamentals or roots as well as the cultural and spiritual traditions of these practices that are non-western and attempts to westernize such concepts by legislature with no comprehension or involving experts in these fields is detrimental.
may also fringe upon many sacred spiritual practices used in churches and religious places of worship throughout the state.
Requiring all practitioners to be licensed and trained through a state licensed school is currently impossible as these programs do NOT exist and would instantly put thousands of taxpaying practitioners out of business over night and halt all volunteer programs, and consumers access to care.
Current MA Laws
Massachusetts already has very good massage laws that protect bodyworkers exempting them from licensure requirements: “including but not limited to……Feldenkrais Method; Reflexology; The Trager Approach; Ayurvedic Therapies, Rolf Structural Integration, Polarity or Polarity Therapy; Polarity Therapy Bodywork; Asian Bodywork Therapy that does not constitute massage as defined in this chapter; Acupressure; Jin Shin Do; Qi Gong; Tui Na; Shiatsu; Body-Mind Centering and Reiki”
Click HERE for more information and action to take through the National Health Freedom Action.
Laura at the MA State House in 2018 Lobbying For Survivors of Abuse BUT Against Proposed Bill
A Personal Note: A Message From Laura
Regarding how these practices saved her life, reiki, predatory behavior, training, and pending MA SD1840
Why MA SD1840 Affects Me Personally?
In search of “healing the broken me” as I would like to call it from years of abuse that resulted in complex C-PTSD or complex post traumatic stress disorder, I originally delved into the traditional American Healthcare System in hopes I can quickly return to my unbroken self. Like many others, I have felt that I was not getting better and band-aids were being applied to my mental, emotional, and physical symptoms that were not getting better and began to spiral out of control.
I realized there had to be more to all this and began looking into the spiritual aspects of my issues that the healthcare system couldn’t figure out.
I started reconnecting to my spiritual path. I began meditating. I eliminated inflammatory foods. I sought out reputable teachers and healers. I started connecting with the divine within me and my divine team. I learned and studied multiple holistic health modalities and spiritually based practices THAT would NEVER have been possible if this bill becomes law..
These practices saved my life and has been allowing me to reclaim my life in ways to defy all logic. I was fortunate in who I sought out as healers and other professionals to help guide me.
However, abusers and predators are still very skillful at their tactics, which is what leads me to the next point …
My 2018 Lobby Efforts
Many of you know I went to the MA State House last year and spoke to legislators about this bill as a survivor of abuse, an advocate for survivors, and as a spiritually based holistic health practitioner opposing this bill last year as I feel it will NOT address the sex trafficking problems and not only create unrealistic burdens on spiritually based therapies, but put most of us out of business.
There are current laws to address sex trafficking already on the books that are NOT being enforced. We see this clearly in the lack of enforcement in the massage industry with many sex trafficking massage parlors in plain sight allowed to operate and remain open.
Many of you also are aware of my work against predatory practitioners in this state. Even though this is a problem, this particular bill is NOT the answer.
Unfortunately, to some of you it may be a surprise that I am in support of some kind of regulation until our westernized mindset shifts the bastardization of many sacred arts in the name of fame, greed and predatory behavior.
The kinds of spiritually based practices that should be respected are NOT as it should be, and our own communities have failed to self regulate ourselves in the name of “inclusivity” without prioritizing safety first and healthy boundaries, while indirectly contributing or being complicit to predatory behaviors, scrupulous unethical behaviors, greed, egoic bases out of fear.
Many of us in the community have started to address these serious issues, but is it too late? I guess that all depends on YOU, me, us and how we respond to this bill.
Personally I have invested in over $14,000 in studying with the appropriate reiki studies and certification programs with an accreditation process to teach as it was taught by the founders in Japan, completely free of the westernization that quelled its magic … AND now the state of Massachusetts wants to say this training is inadequate and I must relearn through their school of their choosing who has NO invested interest in these sacred original direct teachings in Japan.
THIS would make our founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui Sensei, and his student who was responsible for bringing Reiki to the west, Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, very sad.
This bill if passed, will set up an entirely new licensing process for all types of healers and bodywork vocations under ONE educational program, mandate licensing, receive government endorsed education; and these regulated spiritually based modalities can only be taught in state licensed schools.
How is that possible?
What I Know and Why I Stand By My Statements
So much has changed over the years in the modern reiki world … at least in the United States of America. With the varying schools of reiki training, the growing legislation by some states to regulate many spiritually based practices and healing modalities such as reiki, and predators invading spiritually based communities to seek out their next grooming victim, it is important know how this affects you, how to find the right reiki practitioner and/or teacher to help you, and how to navigate all these changes. I wrote a couple of posts (links below) to help guide you.
As a whole, when we disregard the care and sacredness of sacred arts and teachings such as reiki, we not only lose the magic, we open ourselves up to state regulation.
When we LABEL anything that involves some sort of energy healing or use of crystals or Christian ideology or other new age concepts that did NOT originate from Japan … although nice in their own right (this is NOT a reflection of lack of value of those arts) … we lose the meaning and magic of reiki in its pure form.
As a result, how do we define reiki, LEGALLY, with all these added non Japanese reiki elements that dominate our western culture?
I do not know the exact answer to that, but I do know this may cause legal issues if the sacred pure form of reiki is lost due to westernization.
Click here to read “12 Tips and 10 Questions to Ask a Reiki Practitioner and/or Teacher When Healing Trauma”
and/or Click here to read “#TimesUp Healers & Reiki Practitioners” where we will explore the following to address perceptions, boundaries, trauma, predatory behavior, healing, and healers.
My goal is two fold for these two posts:
to awaken reiki practitioners and healers to their full optimum potential while understanding their ethical responsibilities to their clients and/or students,
and to help guide those seeking healing services for themselves or a loved one.
Click HERE for more information and action to take through the National Health Freedom Action.
Urgent action is necessary
Inaction on this or thinking someone else will take care of it is misguided on our parts. Thinking we do not have the time it takes to address this issue, will hurt all of us. This bill was barely defeated over the last 2 years.
This will REQUIRE ALL of us to stand up against this bill.
This will take a community.
Will you join me?
How You Can Help
Click Here to automatically send a message to your personal Senator and revisit this link throughout the coming weeks for updates on the bill’s status (i.e., whether it is scheduled for a public hearing and when).
Click HERE for more information and action to take through the National Health Freedom Action.
In the meantime, I am here to help you. Don’t forget to pause, breathe and take a moment for yourself.
For more information about my work with trauma, please visit:
Holy cow. Talk about energetic shift shows knocking us for a loop forcing us to release old belief systems, fears, traumas in order for us to step forward into our authenticity and personal soul-based power. I talked about the “Mid January 2019 Cosmic Energy Updates and What You Need To Know” in a video on YouTube. Click here to watch the video.
As I have said previously, I am not immune to these shifts. I am grateful for the skill sets I have learned and still learning to help me navigate these shifts hopefully with a little more finesse.
What January Taught Us:
clear away blocks of resistance
purge the old outdated stuff, things, people, relationships, etc
resistance to this change yielded lots of disruptions in our health, personal life, careers etc.
taught us more about the need for community and collaborations
that self care has never been more important than ever before to get to where we want to go and be.
understand that we need to call in reinforcements to help us.
working with our shadows.
Over the past month I have been expanding, growing and building collaborations all while the shadow stuff still emerges in us all. There is a lot in the works right now that I can not share with you just yet, but it is VERY exciting. Keep checking out our calendar for updates.
My Journey from January to February
I am about to embark on some big life transformations that I’ve waited so long for. I can’t share the details yet,
It is ok to periodically stop and say f*** it for a “self-care” soulful PAUSE. I did this the other day when I made an impromptu stop at the beach in Duxbury, MA in order to digest it all and collect my thoughts.
Photo Credit: Beach Dunes, Duxbury, MA by Laura Joseph (c) 2019
I remembered to breathe deep cleansing nourishing soulful breaths.
I reconnected to the roots of my BE-ing.
I felt the ocean breezes invigorate and cleanse my BE-ing.
I gazed over towards the sun that was struggling to break through the dark stormy clouds.
I felt the sand beneath my feet grounding me to Mother Earth.
I practiced gratitude for all that is and all that is to come.
Above it all, I felt close to home … home inside my very BE-ing.
I was reminded that my anxious fears are not because of lack of anything, but because I am closer to becoming the kind of “whole” that I haven’t felt in decades and question “how” to get it done.
Sometimes we fear failure. Sometimes we fear success. What if … what if. .. I actually succeed? What if …? And the flood of anxious emotions surface
It has definitely been a fear of success and feeling of being overwhelmed with all the great things I’ve been working towards. For now, I called in my inner dragon warrior goddess to blaze through the remaining obstacles easily and effortlessly.
Today, I stand before you as I am that I AM – unapologetic, raw, pure, soulful, heart filled with dragon beside me to guide me.
Thank you all for being a part of this journey with me.
Photo Credit: (c) 2019 by Laura Joseph. “Ava” during the cold winter’s sunset, Hingham, MA
February Reveals:
residuals from the January eclipses are still affecting us as the ripples begin to level out if we surrender to the process
breakthroughs in many areas of our life – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually
understanding the deeper meanings of self love and what that looks like
deeper understanding that what is reflected external is what is also reflected internal
deeper ventures into the shadows to heal, release, bring into light
more shedding of old beliefs, traumas, and situations to people, places, and things.
self-empowerment
ability to step forward into your personal power increases.
continued battles between ego mind and the soul.
As we move through the month of February, it’s important to press PAUSE. Take a slow deep breath and repeat. Then make sure your choices, decisions, reactions, actions are coming from a place of soul.
Learning to connect with the divine within and tapping into the wisdoms of the body can help you with this process.
Be gentle with yourself and trust that your soul has your back.
Here are TWO new blog posts to check out:
#TimesUp Healers & Reiki Practitioners. Plus, Tips on Finding a Reiki Practitioner (including video). Click here
12 Tips and 10 Questions to Ask a Reiki Practitioner and/or Teacher When Healing Trauma. Click here
In the meantime, I am here to help you. Don’t forget to pause, breathe and take a moment for yourself.
Please leave a comment below to let us know if this post inspired or helped you on your path.
Welcome. So much has changed over the years in the modern reiki world … at least in the United States of America. With the varying schools of reiki training, the growing legislation by some states to regulate many spiritually based practices and healing modalities such as reiki, and predators invading spiritually based communities to seek out their next grooming victim, it is important know how this affects you, how to find the right reiki practitioner and/or teacher to help you, and how to navigate all these changes.
This includes understanding the basics such as what is reiki since reiki in this country has gone through many changes adding many non Japanese or reiki practices within the scope of many reiki schools and training despite reiki itself never having evolved or changed except for in the western cultures.
My goal is two fold for this post:
to awaken reiki practitioners and healers to their full optimum potential while understanding their ethical responsibilities to their clients and/or students,
and to help guide those seeking healing services for themselves or a loved one.
12 Tips To Choosing A Reiki Practitioner
Healing varies from person to person and what some call “reiki training” varies from teacher to teacher since there is no standardization of training in the Unites States. Most reiki training teaches the basics centered around stress reduction and relaxation. While others who call anything involving some form of energy healing or hands on energy work, reiki, can sometimes be misguided.
Let’s be clear first and foremost, reiki is a Japanese complementary alternative mind body medicine therapy, self care and meditation practice that works with the human body’s bioenergy field. I won’t go into details here. You can click here for more elaborate description.
Administering or facilitating a reiki session to someone who has been traumatized or abused is NOT part of the standard training curriculum for most reiki practitioners.
If you struggle with healing from trauma associated with abuse, here are 12 tips in choosing the right reiki practitioner for you.
Make sure you find a qualified reiki practitioner. This means someone who actually apprenticed with a qualified reiki teacher in person NOTonline. In my opinion, much is lost in translation with the digital world in regards to the traditional ways of learning the magic of reiki that can only be experienced in person. This is not to mention that online certificates are not valid in some professional reiki associations nor valid in some licensing depending on state or country.
Make sure you find a practitioner who has been practicing Reiki several years as trauma has its own intricate needs that goes above the skill set of just reiki. Several years also meaning they have been seeing a minimum of 5 reiki clients a week and who practices reiki full time for many years. Reiki experience is crucial and not always understood in a culture that prides certificates over experience.
Ask questions about the Reiki practitioner’s training and belief system. Do they add other non-reiki elements such as crystals, christian/religious ideology, auras, chakras, etc? There is nothing wrong with these elements and have benefits of their own, but they are a more western new age concept that are not rooted to origins and original teachings and practice of reiki and can give a misperception of the effects or experience of what reiki is. It is important to know whether or not these elements are a benefit to you.
Seek out a practitioner who is at least a level III/Reiki Master in westernized reiki and at least Okuden (level II) in Jikiden Reiki due to the inherent training that includes working with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
Be sure to understand what system of reiki the prospective reiki practitioner studied. This is important to know in regards to healing trauma for optimum results and experience. For me personally, the content and quality of Jikiden Reiki training has been the most thorough and something I feel comfortable referring individuals with a history of trauma. That is coming from a place where I taught the more westernized Usui Reiki for 6 years from superb teachers.
Be sure to find a practitioner who not only practices reiki every day, but “embodies” its principles. If they do not know what that is, I would recommend seeking another practitioner. If they are not practicing reiki every day, how can they possibly understand how to help you? This goes beyond just reiki, but understanding trauma and all its intricate components.
Trust your own instincts. They are primitive in nature, but are built in to your own body awareness to guide you. Listen to them. This will help you identify who is the right practitioner for you.
Inquire about the reiki practitioner’s training and experience in working with trauma such as victims of abuse or rape. The effects of trauma is one of the most difficult things to heal from. I find it takes a skilled person understands the intricacies of this that goes beyond the training of basic reiki to work with those with a history of trauma. Considering there is an epidemic of unresolved trauma in the USA, this is something to consider.
Be sure to find a practitioner that has enough understanding of basic medical terminology, anatomy and physiology surrounding the effects of trauma and how is it manifesting mentally, physically, and spiritually. It is important for the practitioner to have enough basic knowledge on how to communicate effectively and work with your mental health counselor and medical professionals. Unfortunately, from my experience, this is something that many reiki practitioners do not always understand when they begin with work with someone with a history of trauma. This is because in some reiki schools, it is taught reiki can do no harm, and put your hands on everyone. This approach is misguided and unethical. Healthy boundaries is a must. Reiki does not do the harm, but the inexperienced or over zealous reiki practitioner can. Furthermore, in Jikiden Reiki, we have certain treatment protocols depending on diagnosis. Not all schools teach this nor believe in this. It is important to understand the difference to ensure you receive the maximum benefits authentic reiki has to offer.
Make sure the reiki practitioner does not ask you to take your clothes off at any time or touches you in any inappropriate manner. There is NOTHING sensual or sexual about reiki. This is NOT reiki. These are predatory behaviors as discussed in the video. If they violated you in any way sexually, please do not remain silent. Contact the police immediately and speak out publicly. *** Note: if a practitioner who is trained in another modality such as a massage therapist who incorporates reiki in their massage, THAT IS DIFFERENT. We are strictly talking reiki. ***
A practitioner should maintain healthy boundaries at all times. If a practitioner gets too much into your personal space or tells you how they can “fix” you, “heal you” or they act “overly” concerned like a “knight in shining armor”, then walk out and do not go back. If you are unsure, check out the video I made regarding this topic.
Be sure to ask questions. Below are some questions to ask a prospective reiki practitioner.
Questions to Ask a Prospective Reiki Practitioner and/or Teacher:
What system of reiki did they study? This is important to understand to know in regards to healing trauma for optimum results and experience.
What was included in their studies? This goes back to point number 3 and how much is what they learned in their training was reiki and/or added elements being mistakenly called reiki.
What level of Reiki have they completed? As I stated before, I would recommend seeing a practitioner who is at least a level III/Reiki Master in westernized reiki and at least Okuden (level II) in Jikiden Reiki due to the inherent training that includes working with mental health issues.
How long have they been practicing Reiki? Reasons as stated above.
How do they practice AND incorporate reiki in their every day life? (My apologies as many reiki practitioners may disagree, I feel THIS is the most important question). If they are not practicing reiki every day, how can they possibly understand how to help you? This goes beyond just reiki, but understanding trauma and all its intricate components.
What is their level of experience and training in working with people with trauma?
How many clients have they used Reiki for healing trauma?
Ask the practitioner what their treatment protocol is and how they work with medical professionals. This is important to know as stated above in tip #8 and #9.
Ask how they use Reiki in healing trauma and what their previous experiences have been. This is important for you to make an informed decision.
For teaching – What made you decide to teach? How long have you been teaching? What certification process did you go through to become a teacher?
This is just a simple guide, but you can also check out the articles for more tips and guidance:
I hope what I wrote helps someone out there in need who needs something to help them survive in order to thrive.
For healers who read this, my hope is that this inspired you to be better than you already are. The world needs more healers. We need you to step up and help be the best version of you.
In this post, we will explore the following to address perceptions, boundaries, trauma, predatory behavior, healing, and healers.
My goal is two fold:
to awaken reiki practitioners and healers to their full optimum potential while understanding their ethical responsibilities to their clients and/or students,
and to help guide those seeking healing services for themselves or a loved one.
In this post, we will address the following:
Introduction to this sensitive topic from a personal and professional perspective
#TimesUp healers and reiki practitioners video
12 Tips To Choosing A Reiki Practitioner
Questions to ask a prospective reiki practitioner
Introduction to This Sensitive Topic
In search of “healing the broken me” as I would like to call it from years of abuse that resulted in complex C-PTSD or complex post traumatic stress disorder, I originally delved into the traditional American Healthcare System in hopes I can quickly return to my unbroken self. Like many others, I have felt that I was not getting better and band-aids were being applied to my mental, emotional, and physical symptoms that were not getting better and began to spiral out of control.
I realized there had to be more to all this and began looking into the spiritual aspects of my issues that the healthcare system couldn’t figure out.
I started reconnecting to my spiritual path. I began meditating. I eliminated inflammatory foods. I sought out reputable teachers and healers. I started connecting with the divine within me and my divine team. I learned and studied multiple holistic health modalities and spiritually based practices.
These practices saved my life and has been allowing me to reclaim my life in ways to defy all logic. I was fortunate in who I sought out as healers and other professionals to help guide me.
However, abusers and predators are still very skillful at their tactics, which is what sparked this post. I have been doing this work since 2006, and I have experienced numerous situations that were quite disturbing that made me wonder how to communicate such a delicate and serious topic that would hopefully be welcomed and received both by the healing community and trauma survivors.
This leads me to the next point …
#TimesUp Healers and Reiki Practitioners Video
I need your help on what I consider a very sensitive topic.
This video which was recorded in April 2018 took over 4 years to make due to concerns of my ability to communicate what needs to be said in a way that is heard and openly received.
What healers and survivors need to know.
Have you experienced THIS?
My goal in this video is to help healers and practitioners to awaken to their full potential while understanding their ethical responsibilities to their clients and/or students. Abusers are infiltrating the spiritually based communities and healing arts.
Are you aware?
What steps are you taking to ensure the safety of those around you?
What are you doing to help break the cycle of abuse?
Ironic or what … that this article was published on the same day as my live video on same topic from the NY Times. “In the space of a few short hours on Monday evening, Eric Schneiderman went from being known as one of the nation’s most progressive and influential attorneys general to being cast as a drunken, abusive monster who terrorized women in his personal life even as he publicly advocated women’s rights.”
This NY Times article is worth the read to tie into my argument. In the meantime, I will share with you 12 tips in choosing a reiki practitioner and questions to ask.
12 Tips To Choosing A Reiki Practitioner
Healing varies from person to person and what some call “reiki training” varies from teacher to teacher since there is no standardization of training in the Unites States. Most reiki training teaches the basics centered around stress reduction and relaxation. While others who call anything involving some form of energy healing or hands on energy work, reiki, can sometimes be misguided.
Let’s be clear first and foremost, reiki is a Japanese complementary alternative mind body medicine therapy, self care and meditation practice that works with the human body’s bioenergy field. I won’t go into details here. You can click here for more elaborate description.
Administering or facilitating a reiki session to someone who has been traumatized or abused is NOT part of the standard training curriculum for most reiki practitioners.
I hope what I wrote helps someone out there in need who needs something to help them survive in order to thrive.For healers who read this, my hope is that this inspired you to be better than you already are. The world needs more healers. We need you to step up and help be the best version of you.
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Recently, I went in for a repeat brain MRI from 2010 as a result of a previous brain bleed I’ve had.
I am a survivor of abuse with a history of PTSD and anxiety and of course they asked if I was claustrophobic and I said no.
Surprisingly, I was kind of surprised that as I entered into the MRI room I was experiencing anxiety. Once I laid down on the table and enter the machine, I began reciting the gokai, which are the 5 Japanese reiki principles to live by.
By the end of the third time reciting the gokai, my anxiety was completely calm. I was in a calm complete state a presence with a notable reduction in respiration.
In the beginning of the scans, I began to see flashes of a pinhole white light in my third eye which Drew my attention to actually pay attention to what I am witnessing. It was like a flash going off on a camera but in a pinhole size.
This followed with a black spot notable on the upper right side in my third I’d vision .
Following this I began seeing nebula type formations in waves. The colors were of a translucent mustard seed yellow and an oblong shape moving from my left to my upper right with purple formations in the middle.
Right after the text said to the next scan will take 5 minutes, the next set of visualizations I saw started more on the upper right side of flashes of an oblong shape that was of a darker yellow and color. This later began to continue to flash in the more it flashed the clear the images got of my entire brain
The next set of images she said was going to take 2 minutes. With that followed images showing various vascular sections in my brain and I even began feeling tingling in my right foot which dissipated right after this portion of the scan completed.
The final scan was very similar to the beginning with a general nebula of colors flashing in waves mostly in the yellows, Blues and purple hues.
I asked the tech if there were different images being done on my brain as I had visualizations while in the scanner. I think she was a little confused by my question because it’s not a typical question people would ask. So I went on to tell her that depending on which scan she did I saw images of my brain as well as images of the vascular portions of my brain. She did verify that there were vascular portions done on my brain.
Now whether or not this is a verifiable experience doesn’t matter. However, since I am a very deeply spiritual person and love it when science backs up a spiritual experience, I’m putting this out there because maybe some scientists would love to use this to create a study on the brains of those who are intuitive or empathic.
That would be quite interesting though wouldn’t it for the scientific community?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Please share in the comments.
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First, I would like to thank you for supporting me in my journey doing what I was put on this earth plane to do.
It has been an honor and pleasure to serve you and our community, and I look forward to continuing to grow, expand, collaborate, serve, and evolve together as we move into 2019.
Here is some insights to help you navigate you through this post:
What 2018 Taught Us
Highlights of 2018
What I Personally Experienced in 2018
Death and Dying
Understanding the Role of Trauma in Our Lives. Exposing It. Healing It’s Roots.
For those who are spiritually awake or began to experience this awakening this year, we understood all we experienced needed to be experienced for our soul’s growth and as part of the greater expansion of the Universe.
I have said it before and I will say it again … healing sucks, but ohhhhh so worth it. When we dig deep, and heal what is buried in the depths of our shadows of our subconscious minds, cellular memory of our body, and souls, we raise our frequency and vibration. We also free ourselves of all the resistance and blocks that were suppressing our gifts and light and step into our power of who we are as soul beings.
And we did just that – We got deep. We got real. We went into the darkness of our souls to heal and expand.
Here are some highlights of 2018:
The #MeToo movement continued to gain momentum as the veil continued to lift. With the divine feminine energy that has been rising, no wonder we are seeing this also rise up, and will continue to see it rise up in 2019. I suspect a few surprises in store for 2019. Don’t be shocked is all I will have to say.
There are some who are resisting to dig deep in their own shadows and heal whether it be out of fear and/or complacency creating clashes with those awake and doing their spiritual work. What we have seen play out across the globe in the environment, climate, and politics that mirrored this.
We recognized that what was “broken” in our lives – health, relationships, job, etc, was the result of either something unresolved or unhealed buried in our shadows or following path of ego spiritually bypassing our soul’s growth and healing.
We are understanding clearer what it means to stand in our power and live authentically unapologetically. This energy will amplify in 2019 for those doing their spiritual work. So hold on tight.
Our senses, especially empaths, became heightened and more sensitive. Some even found an increase sensitivity to toxic foods, chemicals, and medications.
Many experienced spiritual crisis or healing crisis that may have baffled the medical communities. I am not surprised as the medical system, although is wonderful in many ways, is designed to treat symptoms not root causes. It was a surge in these root causes (many stemming from old wounds or trauma) that are rising to be healed and cleared. This is where we have seen a surge of alternative therapies succeeding where traditional medicine is failing. I feel this trend will also continue into 2019.
The presence of dragons has never been stronger as it is right now. I know there are many out there who are feeling this too, and there are many who will disagree. The dragon energy is a powerful one to harness and a powerful force to work with moving into 2019.
What I Personally Experienced in 2018
“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence. ” – Nikola Tesla
Death and Dying
I received a profound message from Spirit in the fall of 2017, while preparing for 2018. I heard a whisper from Spirit to keep the early part of the summer free from commitments as I would be dealing with loss.
This triggered waves of anxiety as there were several people and pets around me seriously ill and some I knew were terminal with cancer. Oddly enough, I was also triggered with waves of solace and peace as I’ve witnessed how the spirit world works in mysterious but beautiful ways.
So in the end of June of 2018, I experienced the loss of four individuals within 2 weeks. I was blessed and honored to have been a part of the end of life spiritual care and assisting in transitions of two of these beautiful souls.
What I experienced assisting several individuals in 2018 in the transition process is that death can be celebrated if not beautiful. Death doesn’t mean life ends or it’s over. It just means transformation from one energy vibration to another … often times our loved ones in spirit will leave us “signs” to let us know they are around.
Understanding the Role of Trauma in Our Lives. Exposing It. Healing It’s Roots.
The work I have been doing with trauma this year has shot up exponentially in ways I have found the traditional medical community ill-equipped to truly help these individuals experiencing what I considered an awakening that triggered a spiritual crisis.
The kinds of experiences I witnessed this year needless to say blew me away. My ability to expand grew as did the experience to bare witness to all sorts of incredible breakthroughs of so many brave amazing souls.
What we learned in 2018 is that much of our physical and/or mental issues whether a headache, tooth pain, sinus infection, IBS symptom, need for a knee replacement, need for hysterectomy, back pain etc was much more than what was presented on the surface. There were deep seeded layers upon layers subconscious wounds of old traumas (personal, generational, and/or past life) trying to be released.
Once we understood the connection, we shifted focus to treating the root cause vs the symptom with a team approach including family, therapists, doctors, significant others, domestic violence support groups, and much more in order to become “whole” again.
What we witnessed at the National Domestic Violence Conference I attended in September 2018, is that we must stand on our conviction. Plus, integrating ancient wisdoms, traditions, and healing practices as part of helping survivors of abuse was refreshing to finally see. To witness the power of an 11 yo girl stand in her full authentic power was inspiring. That being government funded is another way of patriarchal control preventing deep healing from taking place for survivors.
Since then, the VAWA has since lapsed and many programs are now in jeopardy. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out for 2019.
Every Day Miracles:
“But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize. A blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black curious eyes of a child, our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
We witness miracles every day, but many times in our current society, we take them for granted and focus on the adrenaline rush of the “BIG” moments.
There are miracles every day from our body’s ability to self generate electricity to fight off cancer to transform the air we breath into nourishment for the soul to the earth’s ability to ward off harmful rays of the sun to the sun stimulating plants to grow and our bodies to manufacture valuable vitamins such as Vitamin D. Here are some miracles that happened in 2018:
To have a client who has been unwell for months with possible flair up from a degenerative autoimmune neurological condition, tell you that they can’t remember the last time they had function and mobility in their hand ever like they did after 2 sessions, and I was like WOW. They also informed me that the injection they get to treat this disease costs over $200k per dose.
To have an end stage terminal client unable to swallow their own saliva preventing them from eating for days, and after one focused session, that ability returned and would give a 3 day relief and ability to live out their final days with quality and dignity, before another session had to be administered. There was NO traditional medical treatment available to assist with this issue at that time
To watch my first ever local bald eagle circling over my office. When noticed, he flew off, and was later the sighting was validated in one of the major local newspapers. For those who follow me and understand, THIS was a great omen and sign.
To be able to participate in the transition of a loved one into spirit along side of a Catholic priest was a first for me and a beautiful experience. And in 2018, I was privileged with assisting in the transitions of three individuals this year,.
To being asked to be a guest speaker and medium at a local church and after the service, to receive not one but many beautiful letters from one special lady and this made me smile. Miracles happen when we least expect them.
Laura at sunrise in Seattle, WA studying with Tadao Yamaguchi in April 2018.
Personal Expansion:
This year I grew too along with all of you. I continued to work on the shadow aspects of myself and called in trust sources to assist me in the process.
I increased my own self care regimens and took a break from anything that would cause over-stimulation – tv, public places, computers, etc.
I sat in some powerful sacred circles with some amazing individuals who embody this spiritual walk.
I was also fortunate to study with Tadao Yamaguchi in April for my continued teacher Jikiden Reiki training.
Our programs also expanded. We offered 2 women’s retreats this past year where we dug deep and journeyed into self discovery in a community of sisterhood in a safe supported sacred container. We will are looking at collaborations to expand this program for 2019. Stay tuned.
It is a new year and a time for new beginnings to manifest.
How well you stand in your truth and authenticity and how well you respond to chaos externally will determine how well 2019 will go for you. Let’s look at how.
Insight into 2019:
Lessons and Themes for 2019
More Miracles
Challenges For Many Still
Numerology Aspect
6 tips to guide you in 2019
Lessons and/or Themes For 2019
I feel 2019 will be an amplified version of 2018 depending on where you are at in your spiritual journey, and could prove to be a difficult one for some.
Heighten sensitivities will increase.
What will be important as we move through 2019 is how well grounded or centered we can be.
“Master the calm within the storm” – Buddha. It will be important to be in a place of stillness regardless of what turbulence is around us.
The divine feminine will continue to rise shifting frequency and vibration.
Dragon energy and other forces like it will intensify. Dragon has connected with me personally, but it may be another force that connects with you being phoenix, eagle, angels, etc.
Personal power and authenticity will ring strong this year. 2018 prepped us for deeper work in this area. Be ready to dig deep in the shadows and shine in your power.
The major theme is really about being the best piece of the larger puzzle of the universe. No competition. No grass is greener on the other side type themes, but more about you and being best version of you.
More Miracles
I feel miracles about to happen on so many fronts and dimensions. This #metoo movement has restored much in me that I thought was lost forever. Many of you have been hearing me talk about for months regarding the paradoxes, the silver linings, and shifts of focus.
Many of us have worked hard and diligent in cleaning up our vibration, facing our shadow selves, and choosing to live more authentically.
I see the personal storms clearing and the sun returning. This is the perfect time to plant those heirloom seeds you been wanting to plant.
Challenges for Many Still
If you have not worked on your shadows aka your junk over the past couple years, this year could prove to be challenging.
Healing the past is crucial to moving forward. I have seen a surge of “old traumas” over the past few years surface and amplifying with each year passing – whether our own, generational or past life.
We are at a crossroads now. We have become a culture who has normalized abuse and violence in many ways. So when it comes to things we did to others or things that may have happened to us in the past, we think time will heal all wounds, and brush it under the carpet.
Some of us may have seen ourselves do this. We may have even “gaslighted” ourselves in the process.
In order to move forward, you must heal and accept your authentic true self. No one ever said healing was a pleasant journey, but it is a worthwhile one that can lead us to our soul purpose and path.
As a matter of fact, healing can down right be painful and exhausting giving glimpses of questioning life and our faith. However, somehow, we manage to push through the barriers and search for that rainbow at the end of the storm that just wreaked havoc in our lives.
It is through our greatest adversities where we find the greatest gifts.
The hard human lessons for this year will include:
More transitions from physical form to spiritual form. Some physical bodies may be to weak to move forward. Others may have a soul that is too high of a frequency for the physical body to handle. Others may choose to exit and return in a different vessel.
Numerology Aspect
This year is a three year in numerology (2+0+1+9 = 12/3). I always associate 12 with karma. This year will focus on a LOT of deeper issues and stuff especially in the realms of trauma, justice, and oppression. Some may not even be your own. It may be generational (can go back up to 7 generations) or it could be past life stuff.
The number three is about creative self expression, communication and is connected to the Ascended Masters such as Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Archangels.
Just as in 2018, the concept of self care, self acceptance, self love will increase momentum in 2019. You will be forced to look within and understand the relationship you have with your own soul and inner guidance system will be a huge determining factor on success and your definition of success.
The number three is connected to:
past, present, future
birth, life, death
beginning, middle, end
divinity number
number connected to magic – “three times a charm”
The three Borromeam Rings are three rings that are interlocked. If any single ring is removed, the two remaining rings will fall apart.
primary colors – red, yellow, blue
The Triple Moon/The Triple Goddess. It shows her three aspects as maiden, mother and crone.
Gemini is the third astrological sign of the Zodiac. (May 21 – June 21)
Number three is the number of Jupiter.
In the Tarot, three is the card of the Empress which is symbolic for creation and growth.
Great Pyramid of Giza: There are three larger pyramids side by side mathematically aligned in position to Orion’s Belt. There are also three smaller pyramids nearby. The ancients emulated these shapes found in nature using threefold and sixfold symmetry.
The number three is a big transformational number too. Nikola Tesla understood this better than most.
“If you knew the magnificence of the three, six, nine, you would have a key to the universe.” – Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a genius and superstitious. He understood the magic of these numbers and the universal language of pattern aka numbers found in life, galaxies, evolution, sacred geometry, and almost all natural systems which are actually devoid of the numbers 3, 6, 9. He understood that 3 + 3 + 3 = 9. Nine is a number connected to the secrets to unlocking the mysteries of the Universe.
So this is another BIG year in numerology terms. This will be focused on digging deeper into the shadow aspects of ourselves, stepping forward in our authenticity and power, personal transformation and letting go of expectations of people, places and things for 2019.
Are you ready?
Here are 6 tips to guide you in 2019:
These tips are pretty much the same as I wrote about for 2018, but will be amplified for 2019. The concept of living more authentically in 2019 is crucial.
Practice the art of presence. Some refer to this practice also as mindfulness. Be aware of your thoughts, actions, and reactions. Adjust as necessary to bring you back to the present moment.
Listen to the wisdom of the body. When we build a relationship with our bodies and listen to its wisdom, we are given insight and healing to things before that may have left us feeling stuck like a hamster on a wheel.
Raise your vibration. By being more mindful of our thoughts and how it affects our wellbeing and life, we can become more aware of how to shift. When we listen to the wisdom of the body, we become more aware of how our thoughts physically, emotionally and spiritually affect us. By focusing on gratitude, we raise our vibration. Sickness and disease live on lower vibrational energies.
Self Care. This has been a theme than began in 2015, but really increased its momentum as witnessed in 2018. Self care needs to no longer be at the bottom of the list, but rather at the top of the list. You and your loved ones will thank you in the end. Not to mention, you set a prime example of caring for yourself in a loving and compassionate way to your children. What a gift!
Rise Up. Act. This is time to get involved in a social justice project. The energies have not been more supported in this area since I began my personal journey in 2005. I am excited to us all become more empowered and living more authentically in our truth.
As always, I am here to help you illuminate your soul, guide you on your path, assist you in removing toxicity, and restore wholeness in your life.
I am available for private sessions, groups, speaking appearances, and more. Contact me for more information or to schedule a private session.
Happy New Year to you and yours. In the meantime, be gentle with yourself, and master riding these waves of change.
Please subscribe to our channel and scroll for complete playlists on spiritual vlogs, spirit messages, energy updates, nature meditations, mindfulness in nature, reiki and more.
With love and appreciation,
12 Tips To Choosing A Reiki Practitioner
Death and Dying
It is a new year and a time for new beginnings to manifest.
