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Episode 48: Heal Burnout And Trauma With The Sacred Pause: A 4-Step Spiritual Practice

In a world that is louder, faster, and more overwhelming than ever, our greatest spiritual medicine might just be… the pause.

In this soul-centered solo episode of Triggers And Spiritual Medicine, host Laura Bonetzky-Gaffney invites listeners into a grounded conversation about navigating chaos, reconnecting with inner wisdom, and honoring ancient healing traditions in a fast-paced modern world.

Laura shares personal reflections from her own journey as a multi-generational healer and intuitive — including how experiences of trauma, loss, and legal battles became catalysts for deep spiritual growth and professional transformation.

Rooted in her trauma-informed framework Stop — Pause — Breathe — Act, this episode is a nervous system balm and spiritual compass all in one.

What you’ll hear:

  • Why we’re collectively showing up like overstimulated toddlers—and what to do about it
  • A powerful mid-year check-in for 2025’s theme of discernment
  • How to shed spiritual urgency and act from alignment instead of trauma
  • A simple but potent 4-step framework to ground, center, and reclaim your energy
  • Real-life applications in relationships, healing work, social media, and spiritual spaces
  • A short guided practice to reset your nervous system
  • A collective tarot or oracle card message for August
Whether you’re a healer, seeker, survivor, or someone walking the path of soul-led living, this episode offers deep reminders of what’s possible when we choose to slow down and listen.

Inside this episode, you’ll explore:

  • The Sacred Pause: A trauma-informed framework for regulating your nervous system, making empowered decisions, and creating space for authentic healing
  • The Five Reiki Principles as a guide for living in harmony with nature, self, and others
  • The role of gratitude in shifting energy and anchoring resilience
  • How to discern truth and stay centered amidst societal overwhelm and spiritual bypassing
  • A call to preserve ancient wisdom traditions by engaging with them authentically — not performatively
  • You’ll also receive 3 simple yet powerful tips to help you integrate these insights into your everyday life.

This podcast is proudly 100% community-supported — no advertising dollars or paid sponsors, just real conversations rooted in healing, truth, and spiritual medicine.

Listen to this episode on all major streaming platforms, YouTube, or directly at:

🎧 https://triggersandspiritualmedicine.buzzsprout.com/

If this episode speaks to you, please share it with your community, leave a review, and help us continue building a movement rooted in connection and healing.

 

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Reiki Is Not a Trend—It’s Sacred Medicine Rooted in Japanese Ancestral Wisdom

By: Laura Bonetzky

In today’s spiritual marketplace, Reiki is everywhere — offered in yoga studios, online trainings, and weekend certification courses. But what most people don’t realize is that Reiki is not simply a healing technique. It is a sacred, spiritual practice rooted in Indigenous Japanese wisdom—interwoven with the esoteric spiritual philosophies of Shintoism and Buddhism.

This isn’t just theory for me. It’s something I’ve lived and continue to walk—through healing trauma, chronic illness, and rediscovering spiritual integrity. This is about remembering what was lost, not to shame anyone, but to honor the depth of what was originally given.

My Journey: From Western Reiki to Returning Home

When I began my Reiki journey nearly two decades ago, I entered through the only doors available to many of us in the West—Western Reiki as it had been adapted and taught at the time. I was blessed with teachers who were kind, committed, and genuinely devoted to healing. They shared what they had been taught, with compassion and grace.

They are not to blame.

The version of Reiki many of us first encountered in the U.S. was already incomplete by the time it reached our shores, altered by war, trauma, translation, and time. And for me, that Western Reiki path was still a blessing. It helped me survive what felt un-survivable. It laid a foundation.

But as I healed deeper layers—surviving domestic abuse, losing my children, and reclaiming my spiritual identity—I began to feel a call toward something more. The system I had learned felt helpful, but fragmented. I started asking deeper questions:

  • What is Reiki really?
  • Who were the original teachers?
  • What cultural soil did this practice grow from?
These questions led me to Jikiden Reiki—which means “directly taught” in Japanese. Through this lineage, I began to feel a deeper resonance. I wasn’t just learning techniques—I was connecting with a tradition, a spiritual path, and a culture that carried thousands of years of wisdom.

It changed everything.

This Is Not Gatekeeping—It’s Cultural Integrity

Let me speak plainly: This is not a dismissal of Western Reiki or the people who teach it. Many of us would never have found Reiki at all if not for those early teachers and the partial transmission that made its way out of postwar Japan.

But as we evolve in consciousness and access, we are called to take deeper responsibility. We must ask:

  • Are we honoring the cultures these practices came from?
  • Are we carrying the medicine, or repackaging it for convenience?
  • Are we willing to unlearn, to listen, and to walk with humility?

This is not gatekeeping. This is stewardship.

It’s about preserving something sacred, not hoarding it.

It’s about respecting the people, the language, and the history, not excluding those who want to learn.

Where the founder of Reiki has his enlightenment experience at Mt Kurama, Kyoto Japan.

What Reiki Is—and What It’s Not

In its original Japanese form, Reiki is NOT:

  • Chakra balancing
  • Aura cleansing
  • Pendulum dowsing
  • Psychic readings
  • A quick title earned in a weekend

Those things may be meaningful in other systems, but they are not Reiki.  When we mix and match practices from different cultures and label it all “Reiki,” we distort its medicine and erase its origins.

Reiki as it was originally taught in Japan is:

  • A spiritual path of daily practice and self-refinement
  • A method of healing illness by restoring life force energy (ki) by addressing root issues and removing toxins from the body
  • Taught in-person through direct student-teacher transmission
  • Rooted in the Gokai (Five Reiki Principles – direct translation matters)
  • Deeply informed by Japanese language, worldview, and esoteric spirituality
Jikiden Reiki Practitioners gather at Healing With Spirit in Hingham, MA 2024

Why This Matters—Especially in the West

In a culture obsessed with speed, success, and status, we’ve turned sacred traditions into products. Reiki has become:

  • A spiritual commodity
  • A branding opportunity
  • A fast track to self-declared mastery

But healing isn’t instant.

Spiritual growth isn’t a race.

And sacred traditions are not ours to bend into personal gain.

The harm caused by spiritual appropriation and commodification is real. And in a time of collective trauma, disconnection, and reckoning, we are being asked to return—not to purity or perfection—but to truth, integrity, and right relationship.

The Invitation: A Return to the Source

If you’ve felt disconnected from the Reiki you’ve learned… if you’re craving something deeper, more rooted, more reverent… this is your invitation.

Come experience what Reiki feels like when it’s taught as it originally was—as a spiritual path, not a product.

Whether you’re new or experienced, all are welcome—especially those willing to approach this practice with openness and humility.

Upcoming Jikiden Reiki Trainings (In-Person Only)

Held at Healing With Spirit in Hingham, MA

  • Shoden (Level 1) | July 18–20, 2025
  • Okuden (Level 2) | July 27–28, 2025

Limited space available to maintain intimate, sacred space.

Also available:

The Secrets to Healing: An Invitation to Healing Trauma and Other Root Causes of Chronic Illness Using the Japanese Reiki Gokai

By Laura Bonetzky-Joseph

Available on Amazon + at Healing With Spirit, Hingham MA

Register or learn more, click here

Events www.LauraHealingWithSpirit.com

Explore more: https://linktr.ee/HealingWithSpirit

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Objection to Massachusetts Bill S261 – Licensing of Reiki and Related Therapies in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Bill S261: An Act regulating alternative healing therapies

To Whom It May Concern,

I write today to strongly oppose the proposed regulation and licensing of Reiki and other spiritual or energy-based healing modalities in Massachusetts under Bill S261: An Act regulating alternative healing therapies. I do so as a professional with over 20 years of experience in both the domestic violence field and in Reiki and spiritual healing traditions, grounded in authentic Japanese lineage and cultural practices.

I am a Shihan (teacher) trained in Jikiden Reiki, a traditional form of Reiki that originates from Kyoto, Japan. My lineage is directly connected to the source of this sacred healing practice: my teacher’s mother studied directly with Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, one of the prime students of Reiki’s founder, Mikao Usui. My teachers remain in Japan, where the practice is deeply integrated with cultural and spiritual traditions rooted in Shinto and Buddhism. It is crucial to understand that Reiki is a lineage-based spiritual practice—not a manual therapy, not a modality that can be standardized or clinically codified without violating the very essence of its origins.

There is no U.S. school or institutional body that holds the cultural, historical, or spiritual authority to train practitioners or regulate this work in the depth that authentic Japanese lineage allows. To regulate this work under a Western framework would be both culturally inappropriate and spiritually harmful. My Japanese teachers, due to cultural and spiritual reasons, would not support licensing as it would violate core beliefs tied to the sacred nature of Reiki.

Furthermore, I have over two decades of experience working intimately with survivors of domestic violence, trauma, and systemic abuse. I was part of the TRAC coalition that testified in support of the Coercive Control Bill and the Litigation Abuse Bill during the last legislative session. Although I am not writing on behalf of TRAC, some of you may recognize my face from that work. In addition, I testified independently on 11 other bills not affiliated with TRAC, all related to protecting vulnerable populations and advocating for survivor rights.

As someone who works in both healing and advocacy, I can tell you that bills such as this one—no matter how well-intentioned—risk doing far more harm than good. They create additional barriers for the very people we aim to support:

  • trauma survivors,
  • low-income individuals,
  • those faced with end of life
  • those in addiction recovery
  • and members of marginalized communities.

Reiki has been an accessible and empowering support tool for many of these individuals, often provided at no cost through volunteer services.

Much of the Reiki I offer is done on a volunteer basis. I have facilitated volunteer Reiki programs at nursing homes, clinics for addiction recovery, and for survivors of domestic violence. I offer it through circles, teachings, and community programs. Reiki does not have to involve touch—in fact, it rarely does. A simple handshake from a trained teacher could be deemed a violation under this proposed legislation. Even something as universally accepted and scientifically supported as a hug, known to have therapeutic benefits, could be considered illegal under the regulatory language proposed. The same could be said for prayer in religious institutions.

This bill, in its current form, threatens to infringe upon constitutionally protected spiritual and religious practices. It could target Native American, Wiccan, Buddhist, Shinto, Spiritualist, and other traditional spiritual practices, violating the Religious Freedoms Act. Reiki, as practiced by myself and many others, falls under this category as a spiritual path, not a clinical modality.

As further evidence of my dedication and expertise in this field, I am the author of Secrets to Healing: An Invitation to Healing Trauma and Other Root Causes of Chronic Illness Using the Japanese Reiki Gokai, available on Amazon. This book explains how the core of Reiki is not about physical touch but about embodying five guiding principles that foster healing from within. Anyone who reads these principles and integrates them into daily life is, in essence, practicing Reiki. Requiring licensing to “use” these principles would be like regulating someone’s prayer or meditation practice.

I understand the importance of protecting the public from unethical or predatory practices, but this is not the way. Sweeping, vague regulatory language will only restrict access, harm vulnerable populations, and erode sacred traditions.

I would welcome the opportunity to speak with legislators to offer alternatives that address the root issues which inspired this bill in the first place. I believe we can co-create protective frameworks without violating spiritual traditions, harming practitioners, or creating additional trauma for survivors who already face overwhelming barriers to care.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and willingness to protect both public well-being and spiritual freedom.

Sincerely,
Laura Bonetzky-Joseph
Survivor of Domestic Abuse, Coercive Control, Sexual Assault, Post Separation Abuse

Shihan (Teacher), Jikiden Reiki Kenkyukai (Kyoto, Japan)

Author, Secrets to Healing & C0-Author of Feisty

Advocate for Survivors of Domestic Violence & Trauma

Healing Practitioner & Community Leader
Hingham, MA

For more information, please follow Reiki Unified

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A Sacred Homecoming: Making Peace with Every Woman You’ve Been

Make peace with all the women you once were

The one who doubted her power.

The one who gave too much, even when it hurt.

The one who was told to shrink, to stay small, to silence her fire.

The one who fought, who rose, who refused to be erased.

Every version of you paved the way for the woman you are today.

On this International Women’s Day, we are called to honor not only the women who inspire us but also the women within us—those past versions who survived, adapted, and did the best they could with what they knew.

Too often, we carry shame, guilt, and unresolved wounds from who we once were. We judge our past selves harshly, forgetting that each chapter of our lives was a necessary part of our becoming.

But what if we approached these past versions with compassion instead of criticism?

What if we saw each past self as a guardian—holding wisdom, strength, and lessons meant to guide us forward?

The Journey of Reclamation

This journey is not about forgetting the past but rather about reclaiming the parts of ourselves we left behind. Through Reiki, ancestral healing, and spiritual guidance, I help women untangle from old stories, heal ancestral wounds, and rewrite their narrative with compassion and power.

Healing isn’t about erasing who we were—it’s about embracing her.

The girl who once dreamed.

The woman who dared to heal.

The wise one rising now.

This is the path of the Sacred Feminine.

This is the power of self-forgiveness

The Medicine of the Wise Woman Retreat – October 5th (click here)

If this resonates, I invite you to join me for the Medicine of the Wise Woman Retreat on Sunday, October 5th—a day dedicated to connecting with the wise, whole, and healed grandmother ancestry of blood and bone.

Through vibrational healing, ceremonial practices, and experiential activities, we will journey together to heal ancestral lineages, reclaim personal power, and embody the wisdom of the women who came before us.

This is for the woman ready to rise.
This is for the woman ready to remember.
This is for the woman ready to make peace with all she has been.

>> Secure your spot now to walk this sacred path with us.
>> Learn more and register at Medicine of The Wise Woman Retreat 
>> Tag a woman who needs this journey.

Share this to spread the energy of self-forgiveness and empowerment.

This International Women’s Day, let’s not just celebrate—we RISE. We HEAL. We REMEMBER.

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Confusing Stimulation With Transformation

 

I read a post reflecting on the idea of just because you went through a spiritual awakening yourself, does not mean one is qualified to facilitate transformation or healing in others. I sat with this a while and it got me thinking about my own experiences—both personal and professional.

I’ve been doing this work for nearly two decades now—walking alongside people in their deepest pain, untangling the roots of trauma, and helping them reclaim their power. And over the years, I’ve watched trends come and go.
The deluge of overnight shamans or priestesses, Instagram healers, and self-proclaimed “masters” who have never sat in the fire of their own reckoning—never faced themselves fully, never allowed their own illusions to burn away, never surrendered to the depths of their own healing before offering to guide others—has been disturbing to witness. And with it, I see a new addiction on the rise.

 

Not to substances, but to the constant high of spiritual spectacle. The rush of the next ceremony, the next activation, the next dopamine hit of being told you’re “ascending.” Chasing peak experiences instead of integration.

Confusing stimulation with transformation.

What does that mean?
It means they’ve never been cracked open by the weight of their own wounds, forced to confront the uncomfortable truths about themselves, their conditioning, their lineage, and the ways they, too, have contributed to harm.
They’ve never had to navigate the raw, humbling process of breaking down everything they thought they knew—sitting in the discomfort long enough to let it transform them, rather than bypassing it with a new title, a quick certification, or a spiritual persona.

Because true healing isn’t a trend or a title—it’s a lifelong initiation.

Real transformation doesn’t come from collecting tools, hopping from one modality to the next, or curating a perfect aesthetic.
It’s NOT a high-ticket program, a hypnotic sales pitch, or an endless cycle of ceremonies.
It’s the slow, unglamorous, and deeply personal work of undoing illusions, sitting with the discomfort, and learning to hold yourself through it before ever holding space for another.
And yet, I see the harm caused when seekers—earnest, vulnerable, and yearning for real healing—end up in the hands of someone who hasn’t done that deeper work to recognize their own blind spots.
I’ve held those left broken by it, who were promised healing but walked away more fractured than before. Some don’t walk away at all. The cost of this irresponsibility is too high.
For those of us who have dedicated decades—if not lifetimes—to this path, witnessing the rise of surface-level spirituality can be disheartening, if not exhausting.

 

And yet, we don’t do this work for validation, competition, or status. We do it because it’s who we are.

Because truth doesn’t require a spotlight—it simply needs to be embodied.

The depth of this path isn’t measured by popularity but by the integrity with which it’s lived every day.

To those who have been burned, who have handed their power over and are now finding their way back: You are not broken. Your intuition is still intact. The right guides, the right spaces, and the real healing are out there. Slow down enough to feel what is true.
And for those of us who have spent years doing this work, who sometimes wonder if it’s worth it: It is. Because even if the noise is loud, even if the illusion is tempting, truth always finds a way.

If this resonates, please let us see you.

Comment below

Let’s keep standing in what is real.

With Appreciation,
– Laura Bonetzky-Joseph

Jikiden Reiki® Seminar in Shoden (Level I)

Are you looking for ways to improve your quality of life, reduce stress and anxiety, remove toxicity from the body, and guide it toward wholeness?

The traditional standard treatment in our American healthcare system rarely looks at the “root cause” of our symptoms and treats only the symptoms. Therefore, we rarely address and heal the underlying cause. Left untreated, it can manifest into illness.

Our bodies are designed and fully equipped to heal themselves. Reiki taps into those innate abilities.

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a simple form of energy healing from Japan known as “Shinshin Kaizen Usui Reiki Ryoho”, which translates as “Usui treatment for the improvement of body and mind”.

Reiki supports the whole person physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually while drilling down on specific issues. Jikiden Reiki® sessions focus on removing toxins from the body and guiding it toward wholeness.

Jikiden Reiki® is the “direct teaching” of Reiki presented with credibility and clarity from authentic Japanese lineage.

This lineage goes from Dr. Hayashi to Mrs. Chiyoko Yamaguchi, Tadao’s (current President of Jikiden Reiki Kenkyukai) mother, who learned Reiki in 1938. Because this lineage has not gone through Mrs. Takata, it lacks the Westernization of Reiki.

Learning reiki is easy and can be used in a home or clinical setting to enhance the health and emotional wellness of both self and others. It is also complementary to all other alternative or traditional medical treatments and is non-invasive.

In these classes (called seminars), you will experience Reiki in its original beauty and simplicity as it was taught in Japan before it was brought to the West in the 1930’s. Because Jikiden Reiki is free from Western influence, it differs from the “Western” style of Reiki in approach, attitude, and ideas. Its roots go back almost to the discovery of Reiki itself.

Who should take a Jikiden Reiki® Class?

Jikiden Reiki® is for anyone interested in learning Reiki and for current practitioners who wish to deepen their practice & understanding.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Anyone interested in learning Reiki
  • Mothers looking for ways to reduce medication usage and visits to the pediatrician’s office every time their child gets sick
  • Caregivers constantly fighting the fight looking for a better way to care for their loved ones
  • Anyone looking for ways to minimize the need for medications or medical procedures
  • Anyone looking for ways to improve your quality of life, reduce stress and anxiety, remove toxicity from the body, and reduce the over-reliance on medication and overuse of medical procedures.
  • Clergy
  • Hospice workers & volunteers
  • Healthcare providers such as doctors, nurses, massage therapists, mental health workers, addiction counselors, etc., are looking to incorporate a more integrative and holistic approach into their scope of practice.
  • School teachers, administrators, and aides
  • Those in addiction recovery.
  • Advocates – domestic violence, social justice, health, hospice, anti-racism, etc.
  • Trauma survivors such as medical trauma, domestic violence, sexual assault
Jikiden Reiki teachers, Rae, Ann, and Laura at Mt Kurama in Japan October 2024

What you will discover:

  • It is unique – A Japanese Reiki with NO Western ties.
  • It is much more than a relaxing therapy
  • A deep Jikiden Reiki® practice with a history of success with chronic illness as well as to address deep-rooted beliefs, habits, traumas, and addictions.
  • A proven approach that is safe and effective
  • An effective treatment option for alleviating pain, pre-op and post-op surgery recovery, anxiety, skin conditions, and post-traumatic stress.
  • A simple, non-religious therapeutic treatment that works
  • Includes ideas and methods not previously taught in the West
  • Learn first-aid therapies for minor cuts, bruises, and burns.

Certification is through the Jikiden Reiki® Kenkyukai (Institute) in Kyoto, Japan.  Certificates in Japanese are sent directly from the Institute in Kyoto, Japan.

CLASS TIMES: 

  • Friday, 7 pm-9:30 pm,
  • Saturday 9:30 am-5 pm
  • Sunday 9:30 am-5 pm

FOR THE LATEST UPDATES, visit our Facebook Events page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/LauraHealingWithSpirit/events or join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2536053189992457

Investment: $350

For more information, please contact Laura at https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/contact/

Click here for more information about Jikiden Reiki® Services –https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/services/reiki/jikiden-reiki-services/

Click here for more information about Jikiden Reiki® Training Classes. – https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/services/reiki/jikiden-reiki-classes/

To Register:

To register using cash or check, click here JIKIDEN-SEMINAR-REGISTRATION-FORM-1 Shoden 2024 (1)

To register using a credit card, click here.

ABOUT Your Instructor:

Our seminar teacher is a certified Shihan through the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Kyoto, Japan. She is a student of Frank Arjava Petter, Vice Chairman of the Jikiden Reiki® Institute who studied directly with Chiyoko Sensei and Tadao Yamaguchi, son of Chiyoko Sensei and current chairman of the Jikiden Reiki® Institute.

Laura Joseph has a background as a college educator, domestic abuse advocate, and allied health professional with a focus on trauma-informed care.

She has almost 20 cumulative years in the holistic and allopathic health fields and is trauma-informed to assist in bringing out the best in you.

S he is also the author of the book: Secrets to Healing: An Invitation to Heal Trauma and Other Root Causes of Chronic Illness Using the Japanese Reiki Gokai

For more information about Laura, please visit our About Us page https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/about/

or go to her Reiki Blog https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/category/everything-reiki/

Jikiden Reiki® Seminar in Okuden (Level II)

Jikiden Reiki® Okuden (level 2 )training is recommended for people who want to learn more about Reiki and deepen their practice, treat psychological problems, and give treatments over any distance.

Curriculum:

  • Receive 2 more Reiju
  • How to use Reiki specifically for psychological issues
  • How to use Reiki for bad habits and/or addictions.
  • Distance Reiki Variations of distance Reiki method for easier self treatment including for psychological issues.
  • Practice sessions and practical demonstrations

You will be able to treat a greater variety of problems with more convenience to yourself and those you give Reiki to.

For more about Jikiden Reiki®Training and classes, click here.

*Prerequisite – Satisfactorily completed Jikiden Reiki® in Shoden

Class Times:

Friday, 6:30pm – 9 pm
Saturday, 11:30 pm-5 pm

TO REGISTER: 

It is highly encouraged to contact the teacher to ensure this training is appropriate for you, your needs, and your commitment.

For more information, please contact Laura at https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/contact/

To register using a credit card, click here. Note: Eventbrite charges a fee to use this service

To Register using a check, JIKIDEN-SEMINAR-REGISTRATION-FORM-1 Shoden 2024 (1)

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TSM Season 3 Episode 38: Bridging Cultures, Yoga, Violence Prevention & Healing Of Generations

Welcome to Episode 38, Season 3 of “Triggers and Spiritual Medicine” with your host, Laura Bonetzky Joseph, and our Everlutionary guest, Hawah Kasat.

In this episode, Laura and Hawah engaged in a rich discussion on personal experiences, cultural identities, spiritual practices, and what it takes to be truly “Everlutionary”. They emphasized the importance of creating safe spaces and addressing global challenges with love, empathy, and cooperation.

Hawah shared stories of his upbringing in New Jersey and summers in India, which shaped his views on racism, xenophobia, and the need for healing. He discussed navigating cultural identities, founding the nonprofit One Common Unity, and becoming a UN delegate. Hawah highlighted the importance of expanding perspectives, finding joy in service, and the mental attitude necessary for spiritual growth.

Both Laura and Hawah discussed the challenges of translating spiritual practices like Reiki and yoga across cultures and spoke about the need for fostering belonging and redefining success.

We conclude with Hawah sharing 3 tips that emphasize the importance of creating safe spaces, fostering understanding, and addressing global challenges through love, empathy, and cooperation.

As always, please share, like, and support if you found this episode helpful.

 

About Hawah:

An award-winning author, educator, non-profit leader, TEDx speaker, poet, and yogi. For over 20 years, Hawah has been teaching violence prevention, social-emotional literacy, conflict transformation, the healing arts, trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and yoga to all types of students, from diverse demographics, around the globe.

Since childhood, Hawah has been exposed to the living traditions, culture, philosophy, and practices of his ancestral homeland of India, and offers a rare perspective on Eastern and Western dichotomies.

Hawah is co-founder and former Executive Director of One Common Unity (OCU), an award-winning non-profit organization that has impacted the lives of over 40,000 youth and families.

In 2018, OCU was awarded the National SHIFT Award for its pioneering work in integrating the healing arts with environmental stewardship. In 2019, Hawah was honored to receive Georgetown University’s “Legacy Of A Dream” Award at the Kennedy Center. The University presents the award annually to an inspirational emerging leader whose work embodies the values and spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In the years prior, Hawah worked as an Americorps community organizer and mentor in Washington, D.C.’s most under-resourced neighborhood.

After graduating from American University, he was awarded a fellowship with the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation to work as a special representative to the United Nations and the World Conference Against Racism.

Hawah has made appearances on XM National Satellite Radio, BBC, Fox News, NBC, ABC, CNN, The Washington Post, NPR, and Al Jazeera.  He has also been a guest speaker at Yale University, George Washington University, U.C.L.A., University of Colorado, Rollins College, University of Maryland, Georgetown University, Brown University, and many others.

Most recently, he helped launch Roots to Sky Sanctuary, a 125-acre BIPOC led regenerative farm and healing arts center situated in northern Appalachia where he serves as a Managing Partner. Over the years he has authored 4 books and produced 3 documentary films, including the widely acclaimed, “Fly By Light.”

Hawah Links

  • www.HawahKasat.com
  • Everlutionary Podcast on Spotify – https://spoti.fi/3yxTpXD
  • https://linktr.ee/everlutionary
  • IG & FB – @hawahkasat
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TSM Episode 37: Getting to the Roots: Healing, Growth, and Overcoming Obstacles

Welcome to Episode 37 of “Triggers and Spiritual Medicine” with your host  Laura Bonetzky-Joseph of Healing With Spirit and Healing Trauma Through Spirit.

In this episode Laura dives into addressing, getting into the roots and shares:

  • a few metaphor examples of what these roots can look like,
  • how they represent the foundation of everything—whether it’s physical health, emotional well-being, personal growth, or problem-solving.
  • Understanding the Roots
  • What “getting to the roots” means in different contexts (e.g., mental health, physical health, spiritual well-being)
  • Why addressing surface-level symptoms isn’t enough such as addressing the root cause of stress rather than just managing stress symptoms.
  • Address common misconceptions such as thinking short-term solutions will solve deep-seated issues.
  • Addressing cultural conditioning,  toxic capitalist structures as a root
  • Getting to the roots in healing physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually
  • The importance of identifying and processing deep-seated emotions
  • Exploring spiritual and soul roots and the role of spiritual beliefs and practices in addressing underlying issues.
  • Getting to the roots in growth personally & professionally
  • Understanding your core beliefs and values as the foundation for personal growth.
  • The importance of deepening connections and understanding the root of conflicts or misunderstandings in relationships.
  • Discuss how to identify the underlying causes of recurring challenges in life.

In the end Laura offers practical strategies for addressing and overcoming obstacles at their root with at least 3 actionable steps you can employ today to begin “getting to the roots” in their own lives.

About Laura:

Since 2006, Laura has helped thousands of people heal and reclaim aspects of themselves lost, stolen or forgotten by addressing and healing root issues, transform pain, bridge science, research and the practical magic of sacred, ancient traditions… with honor and integrity.  She is an experienced multi-generational multi-discipline healer & intuitive, psychic medium, Jikiden Reiki Teacher, best-selling author, speaker, award-winning advocate, spiritual teacher, sacred activist, former college educator, and survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault.

She’s apprenticed with an Osteopathic Physician for more than 20 years learning holistic health and preventative care and has also studied with indigenous teachers and lineage holders based in Japan, Ireland, and the Americas servicing a clientele who are diverse and inclusive from various ethnic cultures, skin color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and socio-economic backgrounds.

In 2022, Laura published two books. She’s the co-author of “Feisty: Dangerously Amazing Women Using Their Voices to Make an Impact”. Her chapter, “#MeTooFamilyCourts”, highlights what it takes to leave a domestic violence relationship in a broken system that punishes you.

Her first solo book published in October 2022, “The Secrets To Healing: An Invitation To Healing Trauma And Other Root Causes of Chronic Illness Using the Japanese Reiki Gokai” weaves her personal story, her work, the science, and the teachings with nine client case studies.

Laura currently sits on the Massachusetts domestic violence task force addressing legislation and policy for survivors of abuse.  Through her decades of advocacy & policy work, she puts difficult – sometimes unpopular – ideas into words that communicate well, yielding to possibilities, healing, change and growth.

As a guest speaker, she addresses intersectionality and root systems, provides proven practical ways to elevate and emPOWER others quickly… in a way bringing an authentic unique view with a unique talent and skill sets uncommon today.

Laura’s podcast, “Triggers and Spiritual Medicine,” can be found on YouTube, her website, and most podcast streaming platforms.

In 2025, Laura will be offering a 6 month journey including an 8 day all inclusive pilgrimage to Ireland in May/June that starts in February.

Additional Resources:

  • “The Secrets To Healing” by Laura Bonetzky-Joseph, (https://www.amazon.com/stores/Laura-Bonetzky-Joseph/author/B09QMVSW7Y?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true)
  • Dr. Jessica Taylor (https://www.drjessicataylor.com/)
  • Dr Emma Katz (https://dremmakatz.com/)
  • Linktree Link: https://linktr.ee/HealingWithSpirit for more about Laura, socials, Ireland trip, and more.

Learn Animal Reiki Certification

With 40 percent of Americans having tried alternative medicine—and 60 percent of U.S. households’ home to at least one pet—many people are increasingly turning to Reiki and other holistic therapies to help their animals.

This class is for students who are interested in receiving an extremely in-depth and practical foundation in Reiki with animals.

In this level of reiki you learn reiki for physical healing and self-care and the uses for your animal friends. It is considered a student level and introduction to the world of reiki. Students will learn the basics of human energy and its relationship to health and receive an intro to applications of reiki with animals.

What you learn includes:

  • Meditation
  • Reiki Talk, the different levels, and applications of use
  • What is Rei-ki and how does it work?
  • Accurate Reiki History and terminology
  • Gokai
  • Gassho meditation
  • Reiki I attunement (Reiju)
  • Practical hands-on Reiki training and experience
  • Byosen Scanning
  • How to work with animals,
  • How to treat certain illnesses etc.,
  • How to understand specific cues given by our pets

With Laura’s support, the lessons will allow you to experience successful animal Reiki treatments, thus giving you the experience, you need to practice animal Reiki with all kinds of animals and in any situation with groundedness and confidence.

Click here for more information

Click here for reiki stories and experiences including uses on animals.

Click here for the use of reiki after a dog bite

INVESTMENT: $175

To Register:

Via check, email me for the Registration form, or register via Eventbrite here:

ABOUT YOUR TEACHER:

Laura Joseph is an approved Jikiden Reiki® Shihan from the Jikiden Reiki® Kenkyukai in Kyoto, Japan, and a Reiki Master Teacher in the Usui/Tibetan Tradition.

She has studied with leading reiki historian and expert, Frank Arjava Petter and Tadao Yamaguchi, current President of the Jikiden Reiki® Kenkyukai in Kyoto, Japan.

She is always seeking ways to learn and improve her practice by taking appropriate courses with organizations, conferences, and classes with experts in their respective fields.

She has been practicing spiritually based integrative holistic health enrichment including reiki since 2006 for animals and humans alike. Laura has over 15 cumulative years in the holistic and allopathic health fields.

Laura is also the author of the book “The Secrets to Healing: An Invitation to Heal Trauma and Other Root Causes of Chronic Illness Using the Japanese Reiki Gokai”

Laura believes that animals, wild and domestic, know who to seek out for help when in need. Throughout Laura’s entire life, animals have sought her out and those in her family for help whether it was a seagull that was shot, a mother duck and ducklings searching for food, a pigeon who broke its wing, a dog who jumped into the car then delivers babies, or a stray cat who never leaves the front door. The stories are countless. Laura’s lifelong fondness for animals and her actions of what she has done, speaks for itself.

Laura is also passionate about finding solutions to the epidemic of abuse while providing healing to those inflicted including animals.