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Are Your Old Traumas Making You Sick?

Introduction

Are you still carrying around old traumas and don’t even realize it? Do you know how trauma affects your quality of life, health, and soul in the long term?

Do you suffer from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, adrenal stress, anxiety, addictions, cancer, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal disorders? This is just a few illnesses and chronic health issues linked to trauma.

Here are just some of staggering statistics:

  • 7.7 million are diagnosed with PTSD in USA. Many who have PTSD are not diagnosed and treated symptomatically.
  • 40 million are diagnosed with anxiety. Only 33% seek help.

In light of recent cumulative events over the last couple of years and the stigma associated with trauma, I believe these numbers are higher.

Please … join me Wed Nov 1st for a presentation and some experientials on Healing Trauma. (Please scroll for complete event details.)

I will also be sharing my own story including healing and how to heal from trauma which can manifest symptoms emotionally, physically, and spiritually and can show up years and decades after a traumatic incident.

The information I will share is backed by scientific and/or medical research and my own personal and professional experiences.

What you will learn, will enlighten you no matter what form of trauma may be lurking in your past here in this life, generationally, or karmicly.

Please join me as I would really LOVE your support on a topic I’m very passionate about.

Together we CAN make change for a better world beginning with US.

In the meantime, don’t forget to pause, breathe and take a moment for yourself.

With love and appreciation,

Laura

 

 

 

 

Healing Trauma Through Spiritually Based Practices

THIS Wednesday, Nov 1st 
 12pm- 2pm 
Hingham Public Library, Hingham, MA

Are you still carrying around old traumas and don’t even realize it? Do you know some of the symptoms of trauma? Can you recognize some of the symptoms of abuse?

The topic of abuse … domestic abuse, child abuse. sex abuse … is never an easy one to discuss never mind heal from in a way it does not control your life. It can even be very dis-empowering and even energy draining.

Many victims of abuse struggle with moving forward. Many times we are judged harshly for choosing to love someone who ultimately would hurt us. Many times we are left with devastating scars. Many times we feel we’ve done everything in our power to heal, but somehow the traumatic experiences still haunt us. Just because we were hurt by another, doesn’t have to mean a life sentence. Many times the traditional therapies we have sought out doesn’t seem to be working no matter what we seem to try.

Join us for a deep conversation and how to heal those traumatic wounds as Laura shares her healing journey from abuse, her struggles, her triumphs, and why spiritually based practices saved her life. She will discuss how she overcame the dark days and how she reclaimed her power.

What you will learn

  • The many faces of trauma
  • Trauma defined
  • Effects of trauma
  • Emotional, physical, and spiritual symptoms of trauma
  • Gaslighting
  • Causes of PTSD
  • Trauma and the effects on the brain
  • ACE Study
  • Trauma and abuse
  • The “Three-legged stool”
  • Understanding the human existance
  • The holistic process theory of healing
  • Stages to healing
  • Healing trauma
  • Medical research and studies to various holistic and spiritually based therapies shown to heal trauma
  • Experience various exercises
  • and more …

Please join us supporting a topic I have been so passionate about since 2006. My goal is to help survivors empower themselves while finding long term healthy solutions to healing from abuse. With these techniques, I hope to break the cycle of abuse through power of healing.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• This event is for survivors of abuse,

• loved ones of survivors of abuse,

• as well as anyone who works with abuse victims such as LCSW, and advocates.

There will also be time for Q&A.

This event is FREE. RSVP Requested but not required. Call/text your RSVP to 857-880-0365

Come experience the healing and sample various methods of healing techniques and leave feeling inspired. Spend this time with us and explore methods of self-care and healing that will empower you beyond your story and past and break free from the chains of abuse or traumatic event/s.

Discover the power that lies within us all.

When we address trauma (sometimes hidden), we are less likely to get sidetracked by projecting – in this political age that’s very valuable.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

Laura Joseph, RMA, RMT is a survivor of repeated abuses, but most notably domestic abuse and systemic abuse. Experiencing many difficult life lessons resulting and complex PTSD and Trauma, Laura had a feeling there was something wrong with her until she rediscovered her gifts, learned spiritually and holistic based therapies, and learned to embrace her sensitivities.

She has a background as a college educator, domestic abuse advocate, Reiki and Meditation Instructor, and allied health professional with a focus on trauma informed holistic care where she has been a frequent guest speaker throughout New England discussing her experiences healing trauma associated with abuse through spiritually based modalities. She has over 15 cumulative years in the holistic and allopathic health fields and has incorporated spiritually based practices and healing since 2006.

Laura believes our body is designed to heal itself. We sometimes need to be reminded how. She is very compassionate and passionate and teaches from the heart what she feels will help humanity heal and break the cycles of abuse through healing.

Laura brings her 12 year journey of acceptance into self discovery, self care, and self love.

She has published many articles on the topics of Holistic Health, Spirituality, Healing Trauma, and Reiki. She is also a frequent guest speaker, writer, and artist.

Laura has a private practice near the ocean on the Weir River in Hingham, MA, where she provides spiritually based holistic health enrichment services and classes. She is also a founding member of Massachusetts Survivors Outreach.

Laura brings her passion, compassion, and wit to assist in bringing out the best in you.

For more information about services and classes, visit Healing With Spirit
Posted on

Effectiveness of Reiki For Wounds on a Dog; Zygomatic Salivary Mucocele

By: Laura Joseph, Healing With Spirit

Have you ever wondered if reiki could be used on your pets or even if it would be an effective treatment option?

I am sharing with you my story and personal case study using reiki to heal my 11 year old sheltie, Ava, after she was attacked by another dog that resulted in two lacerations on the head and one puncture wound to her salivary gland in her face.

Sometimes when bad things happen, something magical may come out of it. In this case, despite all I already know, I learned to trust more in the power of healing within.  By writing and sharing this experience, I hope to accomplish a few objectives:

  • My hopes is to shed light on the benefits of reiki as a viable treatment option especially in the area of wound care.
  • Many times I encounter loving pet owners struggling with the health of their pets spending thousands of dollars of medications and procedures. So my goal here is to show how beneficial reiki can be for our beloved pets on many different levels without the heavy cost. Reiki is complementary to traditional medical and veterinary care.

The Story 

Ava one day after attack

So just before the holiday, my small dog, Ava, that I use periodically as a therapy dog was attacked by another dog. This stunned me and shocked me on many levels as I did not see it coming. Usually my intuition kicks in any time I feel a dog nearby has aggression or dominance issues. Not this time. There were no warning signs.

I just happened to be talking with the other dog owner about coyotes and how to watch out for them, protect their dog, while living in harmony with them when this attack happened.

There is some irony here. The night before while taking Ava out for her final walk, we came within 15 feet with a coyote, but with no incidence. The coyote who trotted past did not have a care in the world or take interest in my dog. I live in an area abundant with wildlife of all kinds. So learning to live in harmony with awareness is key.

Above:  Ava’s head wound one day
after attack.  Below: Puncture wound
to the salivary gland

We have come in contact with a coyote by itself at least a dozen times and on at least two occasions with a pack, with no incidence. I have chosen to learn to live in harmony with these magical beings that some would like to call vermin. Coyotes are omnivores whose diet vary primarily of deer, rabbits, hares, rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Since I live near the water, we tend to have a pest issue too. So I welcome the coyote who naturally take care of the problem.

I am not naive as I take precautions when I am out especially at night and take added measures to protect my pets. It starts with awareness and vigilance. I do not fear the coyote so it does not smell fear on me. There was one occasion where a coyote stopped and stared at me as if he was going to challenge me. I picked Ava up in my arms and chased him yelling just to let him know who the alpha dog is around here.

So, I was stunned that what appeared to be a nice domestic dog would just attack and rip my dog’s head open with no warning or signs. Everything I ever knew and trained for came into question.

If you recall how the year 2016 ended, you might recall how chaotic the energies were then too. The cosmic energies and planetary alignment were quite intense and people were feeling it, I wondered if this seemingly nice dog did too. I am not sure as I can only presume.

So instead of getting mad or upset at that moment, I stepped into action for immediate medical care for her. I chose to step back emotionally and reflect on what happened which was hard for me to grasp. I even felt a sense of sadness for the other dog and could not only get the image of the attack out of my head, but when the other dog sniffed my hand with blood on it, it had the look like “Oh crap. I did that?” with the ears back and eyes saddened.

THE CARE

Christmas Day – 5 days after attack
After the initial emergency veterinary care, it was discovered the puncture wound in the mouth area could not be closed since it punctured a salivary gland.  Ava was sent home with the instructions of  frequent warm compresses and medications.
At one point, I was extremely emotional due to the ongoing ever changing wound care needs questioning every moment whether or not I was giving enough to this dog who has done nothing but give unconditional love and healing to me and so many.
A mucocele that developed
about the size of a walnut

At first, I did not initiate reiki for the simple reason that the puncture wound of the salivary gland needed to drain and was concerned it would seal faster than needed in this case.

I know how effective reiki can be, especially the Jikiden Reiki®, in healing wounds. However, in this case I struggled with the decision to refrain because in one hand, we want the wounds and the gland to heal, but on the other hand, we want the puncture wound to remain open and not close.

Everything using traditional veterinary care was working up to this point and she finished her medication. However, one week post attack, things began to change. The puncture wound became harder to drain and she developed a zygomatic mucocele.

At one point we were wondering if she would need surgery to repair a salivary gland and even consulted a surgeon on day 8. Upon further research, we discovered that there are only two options for her situation.

  1. To surgically remove the entire gland. This would prevent the mucocele from returning. However, despite no veterinary research to validate, I was concerned about digestive, teeth, and gum issues. How can there not be any secondary problems if the salivary gland is removed? If you understand physiology, it is a logical concern.
  2. To aspirate the mucocele to get it to drain. To do this showed benefits that could last months. However, from what I discovered, these results were temporary according to the veterinary medical articles I read.

Day 7, I began adding a holistic regimen which comprised of the following:

  • I began adding turmeric to my dog’s food 2 times a day – once in the morning and once at dinner time.
  • We all know the power of prayer so I called upon the community for prayers.

Within one day, day 8, her wound is suddenly improved and the surgeon opted to “wait and see” since the wound was draining fine. It was recommended to continue the warm compresses every 2-3 hours and holistic remedies. At this time I still have not administered reiki. The turmeric seemed to be helping keeping the mucocele down.

However, by day 12, the puncture wound sealed and the mucocele returned preventing the accumulation of saliva to drain. THIS IS WHEN I ADMINISTERED REIKI as I was determined to not put my dog through something more traumatic of having surgery.

Day 12 – The Administration of Reiki

I initiated reiki treatments as follows:
  • 20-30 minutes in the morning
  • 20-30 minutes in the evening
Reiki never ceases to amaze me, yet I was still astounded at the level of toxins I felt in the wound site.  There is a technique we use exclusive in Jikiden Reiki to help move the toxins in the body. I was trying to figure out how to adapt the technique suitable for a 25 pound dog.
Day 15 – Jikiden Reiki

By day 15, her mucocele was stable, and not increased in size. Redness had also diminished greatly. I then decided to do an abbreviated version of this technique seen in Jikiden Reiki to see if we could help Ava enhance her healing process.

Results

  • Within 24hrs, the mucocele was more than 50% reduced.
  • Within 36hrs, the mucocele opened and completely healed.
  • One week after initiation of this technique (day 22), still no mucocele.

Today’s plan:

  • Reiki 20-30 minutes daily
  • Turmeric once daily in her food
  • Warm compresses as needed
18 days post attack running and playing the recent 2017 blizzard

Because of the medical research showing chances of relapse, I am choosing to continue this routine as long as necessary.  At the bottom of this post, you will find links for more information regarding the mucocele and reiki.

Despite my years as a reiki professional with over 10+years of experience, I find what happened here with Ava in regards to the Reiki was undeniable.
So right now, I take it one day at a time with NO SURGERY or gland removal or aspiration of the mucocele planned in the future. That makes for one happy dog owner and hopefully for one happy senior dog.

I hope you will consider reiki as part of your wellness and health not only for yourself, but for your beloved pet.  After all, they give us such unconditional love.

If you are a reiki practitioner, I hope this personal case study helped broaden your view of the reiki practice. If you are new to reiki, I hope this inspired you with options. In the end, I hope your eyes have been opened to possibilities.

Remember, just because someone suggests surgery, keep in mind the following:
  • That individual may or may not be schooled or taught in the methods of holistic healing options or alternatives.
  • Procedures and surgeries are costly and may or may not be necessary. So please trust your instinct and when in doubt, get a second opinion.
  • Also, as the medical literature alludes to, procedures and surgeries seem to be the easy option many times. Hence, more convenient. If you are too busy to give your pet the care it needs, then maybe you ought consider what it would feel like if your loved one was too busy to care for you when you were hurt or sick. I apologize if this offends some of you, but it is a sad reality in our culture. All you have to do is look at the filled animal shelters to see. I am hoping this brings awareness so we can change our own behaviors. It begins within.

If you would like to learn more about obtaining reiki, learning reiki, or just more information about reiki, please visit the various other posts on this blog or visit my website.

With love and appreciation,

Laura  Joseph
 SIGN UP FOR MONTHLY E-NEWS

www.laurahealingwithspirit.com 

RESOURCES:

  1. Zygomatic salivary mucoceles in the dog; Schmidt GM, Betts CW.; PubMed; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/649488
  2. Swelling of the Salivary Gland in Dogs – Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost; Vetary; https://www.vetary.com/dog/condition/swelling-salivary-gland 
  3. Learning Jikiden Reiki in a Western Reiki World; Laura Joseph; All About Reiki;  http://healingwspirit.wpengine.com/learning-jikiden-reiki-in-a-western-reiki-world/
  4. What is Reiki; Jikiden Reiki Institute; http://www.jikiden-reiki.com/en/info/info0.html

Disclaimer:  Reiki is not a substitute for medical care or veterinary care. Please note: Seek medical attention when necessary. These are opinions based on a personal case study and Laura’s alone.

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 © 2015-2018 Laura Joseph. All Rights Reserved. This information is for general educational uses only. It may not apply to you and your specific medical needs. This information should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation with or the advice of your physician or health care professional. Communicate promptly with your physician or other health care professional with any health-related questions or concerns. This article does not share the opinions of Healing With Spirit or its affiliates.  Be sure to follow specific instructions given to you by your physician or health care professional.
Posted on

Effectiveness of Reiki For Wounds on a Dog; Zygomatic Salivary Mucocele

Have you ever wondered if reiki could be used on your pets or even if it would be an effective treatment option?I am sharing with you my story and personal case study using reiki to heal my 11 year old sheltie, Ava, after she was attacked by another dog that resulted in two lacerations on the head and one puncture wound to her salivary gland in her face.

Sometimes when bad things happen, something magical may come out of it. In this case, despite all I already know, I learned to trust more in the power of healing within.  By writing and sharing this experience, I hope to accomplish a few objectives:

  • My hopes is to shed light on the benefits of reiki as a viable treatment option especially in the area of wound care.
  • Many times I encounter loving pet owners struggling with the health of their pets spending thousands of dollars of medications and procedures. So my goal here is to show how beneficial reiki can be for our beloved pets on many different levels without the heavy cost. Reiki is complementary to traditional medical and veterinary care.

The Story 

Ava one day after attack

So just before the holiday, my small dog, Ava, that I use periodically as a therapy dog was attacked by another dog. This stunned me and shocked me on many levels as I did not see it coming. Usually my intuition kicks in any time I feel a dog nearby has aggression or dominance issues. Not this time. There were no warning signs.

I just happened to be talking with the other dog owner about coyotes and how to watch out for them, protect their dog, while living in harmony with them when this attack happened.

There is some irony here. The night before while taking Ava out for her final walk, we came within 15 feet with a coyote, but with no incidence. The coyote who trotted past did not have a care in the world or take interest in my dog. I live in an area abundant with wildlife of all kinds. So learning to live in harmony with awareness is key.

Above:  Ava’s head wound one day
after attack.  Below: Puncture wound
to the salivary gland

We have come in contact with a coyote by itself at least a dozen times and on at least two occasions with a pack, with no incidence. I have chosen to learn to live in harmony with these magical beings that some would like to call vermin. Coyotes are omnivores whose diet vary primarily of deer, rabbits, hares, rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Since I live near the water, we tend to have a pest issue too. So I welcome the coyote who naturally take care of the problem.

I am not naive as I take precautions when I am out especially at night and take added measures to protect my pets. It starts with awareness and vigilance. I do not fear the coyote so it does not smell fear on me. There was one occasion where a coyote stopped and stared at me as if he was going to challenge me. I picked Ava up in my arms and chased him yelling just to let him know who the alpha dog is around here.

So, I was stunned that what appeared to be a nice domestic dog would just attack and rip my dog’s head open with no warning or signs. Everything I ever knew and trained for came into question.

If you recall how the year 2016 ended, you might recall how chaotic the energies were then too. The cosmic energies and planetary alignment were quite intense and people were feeling it, I wondered if this seemingly nice dog did too. I am not sure as I can only presume.

So instead of getting mad or upset at that moment, I stepped into action for immediate medical care for her. I chose to step back emotionally and reflect on what happened which was hard for me to grasp. I even felt a sense of sadness for the other dog and could not only get the image of the attack out of my head, but when the other dog sniffed my hand with blood on it, it had the look like “Oh crap. I did that?” with the ears back and eyes saddened.

THE CARE

Christmas Day – 5 days after attack

After the initial emergency veterinary care, it was discovered the puncture wound in the mouth area could not be closed since it punctured a salivary gland.  Ava was sent home with the instructions of  frequent warm compresses and medications.

At one point, I was extremely emotional due to the ongoing ever changing wound care needs questioning every moment whether or not I was giving enough to this dog who has done nothing but give unconditional love and healing to me and so many.

A mucocele that developed
about the size of a walnut

At first, I did not initiate reiki for the simple reason that the puncture wound of the salivary gland needed to drain and was concerned it would seal faster than needed in this case.

I know how effective reiki can be, especially the Jikiden Reiki®, in healing wounds. However, in this case I struggled with the decision to refrain because in one hand, we want the wounds and the gland to heal, but on the other hand, we want the puncture wound to remain open and not close.

Everything using traditional veterinary care was working up to this point and she finished her medication. However, one week post attack, things began to change. The puncture wound became harder to drain and she developed a zygomatic mucocele.

At one point we were wondering if she would need surgery to repair a salivary gland and even consulted a surgeon on day 8. Upon further research, we discovered that there are only two options for her situation.

  1. To surgically remove the entire gland. This would prevent the mucocele from returning. However, despite no veterinary research to validate, I was concerned about digestive, teeth, and gum issues. How can there not be any secondary problems if the salivary gland is removed? If you understand physiology, it is a logical concern.
  2. To aspirate the mucocele to get it to drain. To do this showed benefits that could last months. However, from what I discovered, these results were temporary according to the veterinary medical articles I read.

Day 7, I began adding a holistic regimen which comprised of the following:

  • I began adding turmeric to my dog’s food 2 times a day – once in the morning and once at dinner time.
  • We all know the power of prayer so I called upon the community for prayers.

Within one day, day 8, her wound is suddenly improved and the surgeon opted to “wait and see” since the wound was draining fine. It was recommended to continue the warm compresses every 2-3 hours and holistic remedies. At this time I still have not administered reiki. The turmeric seemed to be helping keeping the mucocele down.

However, by day 12, the puncture wound sealed and the mucocele returned preventing the accumulation of saliva to drain. THIS IS WHEN I ADMINISTERED REIKI as I was determined to not put my dog through something more traumatic of having surgery.

Day 12 – The Administration of Reiki

I initiated reiki treatments as follows:

  • 20-30 minutes in the morning
  • 20-30 minutes in the evening

Reiki never ceases to amaze me, yet I was still astounded at the level of toxins I felt in the wound site. There is a technique we use exclusive in Jikiden Reiki to help move the toxins in the body. I was trying to figure out how to adapt the technique suitable for a 25 pound dog.

Day 15 – Jikiden Reiki

By day 15, her mucocele was stable, and not increased in size. Redness had also diminished greatly. I then decided to do an abbreviated version of this technique seen in Jikiden Reiki to see if we could help Ava enhance her healing process.

Results

  • Within 24hrs, the mucocele was more than 50% reduced.
  • Within 36hrs, the mucocele opened and completely healed.
  • One week after initiation of this technique (day 22), still no mucocele.

Today’s plan:

  • Reiki 20-30 minutes daily
  • Turmeric once daily in her food
  • Warm compresses as needed
18 days post attack running and playing the recent 2017 blizzard

Because of the medical research showing chances of relapse, I am choosing to continue this routine as long as necessary. At the bottom of this post, you will find links for more information regarding the mucocele and reiki.

Despite my years as a reiki professional with over 10+years of experience, I find what happened here with Ava in regards to the Reiki was undeniable.

So right now, I take it one day at a time with NO SURGERY or gland removal or aspiration of the mucocele planned in the future. That makes for one happy dog owner and hopefully for one happy senior dog.

I hope you will consider reiki as part of your wellness and health not only for yourself, but for your beloved pet. After all, they give us such unconditional love.

If you are a reiki practitioner, I hope this personal case study helped broaden your view of the reiki practice. If you are new to reiki, I hope this inspired you with options. In the end, I hope your eyes have been opened to possibilities.

Remember, just because someone suggests surgery, keep in mind the following:

  • That individual may or may not be schooled or taught in the methods of holistic healing options or alternatives.
  • Procedures and surgeries are costly and may or may not be necessary. So please trust your instinct and when in doubt, get a second opinion.
  • Also, as the medical literature alludes to, procedures and surgeries seem to be the easy option many times. Hence, more convenient. If you are too busy to give your pet the care it needs, then maybe you ought consider what it would feel like if your loved one was too busy to care for you when you were hurt or sick. I apologize if this offends some of you, but it is a sad reality in our culture. All you have to do is look at the filled animal shelters to see. I am hoping this brings awareness so we can change our own behaviors. It begins within.

If you would like to learn more about obtaining reiki, learning reiki, or just more information about reiki, please visit the various other posts on this blog or visit my website.

With love and appreciation,
Laura  Joseph

Usui Reiki Master Teacher, Shihan Kaku Jikiden Reiki® Practitioner and Teacher, 
Public Speaker, and Teacher

RESOURCES:

  1. Zygomatic salivary mucoceles in the dog; Schmidt GM, Betts CW.; PubMed; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/649488
  2. Swelling of the Salivary Gland in Dogs – Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost; Vetary; https://www.vetary.com/dog/condition/swelling-salivary-gland
  3. Learning Jikiden Reiki in a Western Reiki World; Laura Joseph; All About Reiki;  http://hwsreiki.blogspot.com/2016/07/learning-jikiden-reiki-in-western-reiki_5.html
  4. What is Reiki; Jikiden Reiki Institute; http://www.jikiden-reiki.com/en/info/info0.html

Disclaimer:  Reiki is not a substitute for medical care or veterinary care. Please note: Seek medical attention when necessary. These are opinions based on a personal case study and Laura’s alone.

Posted on

Healing Trauma By Stepping Into Your Power Through The Universal Energies of Change And Forgiveness

What I will be writing about, I am unsure if this is directed to my personal path and journey or if you will find that it will resonate with you.  I would love to hear from you and your feedback as it helps me help you.  I would appreciate that deeply.

So, when you think these spiritual storms we have been riding over the past few months and years have slowed down and we can breathe, we are faced with more storms as we continue to upgrade and change in order to be more in vibrational alignment with source energy and our soul purpose.

Just as you think you can catch your breath, we begin September with more changes ahead with the start of the eclipse season and our third mercury retrograde this year.  

As I am writing this, I am wondering how many of us have surrendered to the Universal energies, let go of the past … karmic in past lives, hurts in this life, and generational karma. We are healing it all if we learn to step aside and allow our soul to guide us and light the way.

This journey has not been easy especially those also healing some form of trauma. With all that I do and practice, I can attest to this struggle as our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies let go and realign.  No one ever said healing was ever easy, but it is worth it. I began to write about my journey healing trauma associated with abuse. One thing I have learned with trauma and PTSD, it loves to reign you in and prevent the healing to commence and will attempt to trick your brain into old outdated patterns or more of the very same you are trying to leave behind you. These patterns of constant fight or flight are there for our safety and protection, but when in overload, it is like keeping your finger in an electrical socket and you can not see, feel, hear, anything else around you never mind inside the self.

Laura administering self healing in
a meditative state in nature in Maine

One of the things I have had to address and face is healing karmic cords with my abuser in this life and in previous lives. This is NOT easy by any stretch. However, each day I am stronger, and remind myself that I AM … FREE … from those karmic bonds that tied me for 20+ years of my life in this life as well as in previous lives. The trauma and PTSD side would like to keep replaying the same story thinking it is protecting me not recognizing my finger has already been removed from that electrical socket.  It takes faith in the unknown and higher power and courage to remove your finger and begin healing.

So for many, the Universe and our souls pushed our buttons hard this year to get us out of our comfort zones, challenged relationships, and forced us to face the things needing change so we may continue to evolve from the caterpillar to the emerging butterfly. For those who have experienced PTSD or some form of trauma, these have been magnified. My question for you to ask yourself is:  “Were you open to change or resistant?” 

When we can have the courage of trying to not control every aspect in our life and face our shadow self, we become awakened.  We begin to embrace and nurture the inner child within allowing us to surrender the ego and the control that the trauma has in our life. 

Laura administering Reiki to a silver
back gorilla at the San Diego Zoo 2016

In order to get there, we must look at the two greatest emotions that drive us.  The themes of love and fear continue to the surface for review. I know for me this was a big one, because, my abuser kept me captive paralyzed in fear and stripping me my sense of self and gaslighted me to believe I was better off dead.

So relearning to trust in myself and know that I was worthy of love took many years of healing and lots of work. Slowly I regained my sense of self through self love and self compassion. What helped me initiate the process was my Spiritualist faith, reiki, and meditation practice.

If we are in a state of fear, how can we love? AND vice versa, if we are in a state of love, how can we fear? Learning the art of detachment from people, places, things and especially outcomes have also surfaced to allow for more soul growth. Whenever I see myself reliving fear or something I thought I healed or resolved or let go of from my past, I do the following:

  1. I acknowledge its presence
  2. I thank the Universe for bringing it to my attention so I may learn how to release this
  3. I create intentions and call upon my spiritual team to assist me. Depending on the issue, this may be my ascended reiki masters to Archangel Michael to Saint Germaine. You can create your team to assist you and call upon them. They will not intervene unless you ask for their assistance.
  4. I allow myself to receive love from the divine presence.
  5. I practice one or a combination of the modalities I have been studying over the years. This may be a violent flame meditation, to tibetan singing bowls, to reiki, to a meditative walk in nature or the like.
  6. I practice self love, self worth, self compassion, and self forgiveness.
  7. I adopt the pace of nature understanding that my healing happens not when I try to control its outcome, but when I have done the work and my frequency and vibration are in alignment with my intentions.
  8. Because of the trauma I endured, I did not trust people, organizations, or those in power who were supposed to uphold the law and protect me from abuse. So I built a relationship with the divine and nature. For those who follow me on Instagram or Facebook, see my posts of all the divine messages and confirmations from nature I receive almost daily and sometimes numerous times a day. It always brings a smile on my face.
  9. When appropriate, I seek help from other holistic practitioners.

 

As transition, I have been hearing messages addressing the theme of “forgiveness” as additional themes over the past week or so. So along with fear and love, forgiveness also seems to be playing a role especially for those trying to reclaim their power.

Last week, I posted a general message card to my Instagram and Facebook page where I talked about forgiveness. I saw this message as confirmation to what I am writing about here and I smiled. When I pulled the card, my shoulders suddenly relaxed, and I felt a huge a sigh.

Forgiveness is significant. All the work we have done so far is to prepare us for the hardest task … forgiveness.

If you are holding onto the pain or trauma or hurt someone may have caused you, the misconception is that forgiveness lets that person off the hook while you suffer. It does not. What happened to you is now in the past. What we do to ourselves as a result of trauma, is we keep the traumatic event or series of traumatic events alive and well in the present … the now. I have been trying to understand why we do this to ourselves and why do we imprison ourselves with very few answers. I believe a shift in perception allows us to see that when all we are doing is creating a pattern of self-destruction and self-imprisonment, then we can then implement change.

What forgiveness does is free ourselves from the chains that bind us. This in turn allows our hearts to receive self-love. We can not truly love another until we have fully learned this. I see this to be so true more than ever before now.

I am envisioning many of you who have experienced what many would call such egregious atrocious and unforgivable acts saying things like, “Why on earth would I forgive?”. We must let go of the need to control and need to be right and stay in the familiar. Being right usually does not change the outcome except create a prison stealing our lives. All this does is tie us to the story of the past, poisoning our present, and stealing our future.

Learning to forgive frees us. Wow, right now as I re-read that statement, I am envisioning the mighty power of hawk with a strap to it’s talon caught up in a tree stealing its flight, it’s ability to thrive and survive and ability to soar to great heights.  Then, finally the hawk is snapping the strap breaking free from the tangled mess in the tree and lifting it up letting go of those burdens where it can now soar the skies once again and not only survive, but thrive.

Learning to forgive is one of our greatest spiritual lessons to truly understand. We have had lots of lessons, and transformations this year. The hardest person to forgive, but the most important is “self”. The Universe is calling on us once again. We have been given signs whether you are attuned and seeing them or not is irrelevant. There are those who have been called to help those who can not see.

It’s time to forgive and write a new chapter.

Free yourself from the past, past hurts, past mistakes, past traumas or the like.

So for the coming month, the eclipse season and mercury retrograde will be what we choose to perceive it to be. This is a very transformative time, and we can use these energies to help us in our path if we learn to work with them versus fight them. For once, try to master riding these waves of change and see the world from a whole new perspective. We can not control the size, shape, and velocity of the waves that come ashore. So why do we try to control the waves of life? It is time we learned to ride the waves and have fun learning to surf. Wow, I what a shift right there. Wouldn’t you agree? Did you feel that?  I wrote about this last month in my post “Understanding the Cosmic Shifts”.

And since I have been writing about trauma, this is a grand time, to let the Universe help you right here, right now, in removing any and all obstacles from our mind and body so we may live a healthier and happier life. By the way, health is another theme arising too. So take time to listen to what the body tells you as it speaks to you 24/7. It is up to us whether or not we are listening.

The future is a blank slate. This is an opportunity to truly break free from those chains that bind you.
Are you willing? Are you ready?

The future is yours.

Please check out my January post 6 Tips Towards Soul-Fillment in 2016 and my April post on What You Need To Know About The Current Energies and Tips To Guide You to help guide you in your path.

In the meantime, have a beautiful day. I am here to help you in your journey. Enjoy.

 

With light, love, and appreciation,

Laura
Healing With Spirit 
Spiritual Medium, Speaker, Healer

To schedule a private session, to book a corporate wellness event, or speaking engagement, please private message me

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 © 2015-2018 Laura Joseph. All Rights Reserved. This information is for general educational uses only. It may not apply to you and your specific medical needs. This information should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation with or the advice of your physician or health care professional. Communicate promptly with your physician or other health care professional with any health-related questions or concerns. This article does not share the opinions of Healing With Spirit or its affiliates.  Be sure to follow specific instructions given to you by your physician or health care professional.
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My Story of Embodying Reiki to Heal Trauma Associated With Abuse

The Back Story

Yesterday I had a pretty deep conversation with a good friend of mine regarding the struggles to survive fleeing an abusive relationship where I lost my sense of self for over 20yrs. This in depth conversation brought to the surface certain pains and traumas from the abuses the victim part of myself would assume to forget.

However, in reflecting about this conversation and previous ones, it got me thinking about my path on where I was, where I am, and where I am going.  I look back now through a different lens amazed how far I have come since I made that crucial decision to leave an abusive partner who displayed narcissist sociopathic tendencies that nearly killed me more than once.  I am happy to say, his wish was not granted, and not literally buried six feet under.

The Healing Journey

I am still here to not only talk about it, but to share bits and pieces of my healing path to reclaiming my power back in hopes to inspire others on their healing journey.

Probably one of the decisions I made early on was to never doubt my gut or intuition again as it tried to warn me of the dangers that lay ahead at that time.  One of the things that saved my life was my connection to spirit followed by the healing path.

I first had to learn how to trust again and have faith in the unknown which is not simple feat when dealing with the after effects of abuse especially “gaslighting”. I had been beaten down physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. So how do I learn to trust again so I can heal?

How Reiki Helped Me

By embracing Reiki in its full embodiment not only helped me regain sense of self, but my sense of purpose. It helped me to heal the past while staying present, and not let my triggers of the past cause worry or fear of the unknown. It was not easy and I still feel I am a work in progress learning, healing, and growing every day.

This process didn’t happen over night, but over the course of 11 years. I had to learn to surrender to the Universe, which is probably the most difficult task in the entire process. The mind/ego wants to shield and protect you from any repeats of what had happened to you in your past. It is like an loop constantly repeating itself that has to be broken in order to heal and move forward in your life.

I knew I could not trust the system, domestic abuse groups, family, community, and the like as the mighty power of a skillful abuser can sway anyone in their favor creating an avalanche of being re-victimized. So if I could not trust people, who could I trust? Well it was spirit after all that tried to save me from this fate and I ignored the signs.  So I went back to my faith knowing I could trust Spirit. That started the surrendering process leading into my healing.

I started with meditation and started going to church again rediscovering myself in the process. The more I learned to trust in the divine, the more healing took place in my life, which led me down the reiki path. Receiving reiki and learning reiki was the single most best decision I made for myself as it not only changed my life, it saved my life.

However, what I have learned over the years in studying the various different forms of Reiki, is it is not learned in one day as some may believe. I have been learning Reiki now for 11 years and I practice Reiki daily embodying all that Reiki has to offer.

You can not learn that after one class and receive your certificate.  You must master Reiki completely and incorporate it into your life so you can BE REIKI. This process takes years of discipline to develop.

What I wrote in the picture are truly five things you can start to do today that over time will change your life. They stem from the teachings I learned in reiki so I know this to be true. I personally say these in Japanese as a mantra every morning when I wake and every evening when I prepare for sleep. By chanting these precepts, you begin to change the way you see yourself and the world around you.

Moving Forward

This year is the grand year of transformation, a nine year in numerology. It is the year of completion, and I personally look forward to fully and unequivocally shining in my own light at full strength once again. I wrote about the importance of this year in 6 Tips To Guide You Towards Soul-fillment in 2016 if you wish to read more on that topic.

Reiki is more than taking a one day class, receiving a certificate, and laying hands on someone.  I think this is the greatest travesty of misconception of what our Western society believes is important. Reiki is so much more. It is a way of being and a way to self discovery back to soul. Our bodies are designed to heal themselves, so all we have to do is tap into that source energy. Reiki helps facilitate that.  I have been practicing Reiki over a decade now, and even after all this time, I feel like I have so much to still discover about the magic Reiki offers all of us inside and out.

Healing trauma is not easy, but I am so grateful for the system of Reiki and all the teachers I have had along the way to guide me in my spiritual path to healing and self discovery.

For those who are struggling now or feel like you can’t see above water, please keep the faith. I remember days, where I felt like it was the end, and I am not only here, but I am beginning to thrive. You can too.  I am here to help you best I can and so are so many other wonderful reiki healers.

 Tips on Finding a Qualified Practitioner

If you struggle with healing from trauma associated with abuse, here are some tips in choosing a reiki practitioner.
  1. Make sure you find a qualified practitioner who has trauma informed care as part of their training.
  2. Make sure you find a practitioner who has been practicing Reiki for a long time as trauma has its own intricate needs.
  3. Ask questions about the Reiki practitioner’s training and belief system
  4. What system of reiki did they study?
  5. What was included in their studies?
  6. What level of Reiki have they completed?
  7. How long have they been practicing Reiki?
  8. Do they practice reiki every day? (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.
  9. What is their level of experience and training in working with people with trauma?
  10. How many clients have they used Reiki for healing trauma?
  11. Ask how they use Reiki in healing trauma.
This is just a simple guide, but you can also check out the article I wrote on Reiki Can Do No Harm or Can It? 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. Please share the love and compassion.

With love and light,

Laura  Joseph

Healing With Spirit 
Spiritual Medium, Speaker, Healer

To schedule a private session, to book a corporate wellness event, or speaking engagement, please private message me

SIGN UP FOR MONTHLY E-NEWS

 Follow me on Facebook
 © 2016-2018 Laura Joseph. All Rights Reserved. This information is for general educational uses only. It may not apply to you and your specific medical needs. This information should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation with or the advice of your physician or health care professional. Communicate promptly with your physician or other health care professional with any health-related questions or concerns. This article does not share the opinions of Healing With Spirit or its affiliates.  Be sure to follow specific instructions given to you by your physician or health care professional.