Compassionate Self-care, The Japanese Way
A quiet corner of the internet, for you to explore a different kind of care.
New here? Welcome, and take your time. If you’re wondering what Reiki actually is, the gentlest place to begin is “What Is Reiki? A Gentle Introduction.” And if you’ve simply come for a quiet moment, the reflections from the heart are further down for you too. And as you keep wandering, you’ll also find personal insights on the books, practices, and teachers whose knowledge I found inspirational and insighftful, gathered here in case something in them speaks to you too.
What is Reiki? A Gentle Introduction
Many of us have never heard of Reiki. Or what we have heard has left us uncertain about what it actually is. So let's start simply. Reiki is a Japanese mind–body practice with roots stretching back more than a century. It is gentle, non-invasive, and today it is...
Reiki in Hospitals: Around the World, and in Australia
Many people have never heard of Reiki. Others have heard the word but aren't sure what it is. In simple terms, it is a gentle, traditional Japanese practice in which a practitioner rests their hands lightly on or just above the body, offering a space of deep rest....
What does Reiki feel like? It varies from person to person
One of the first questions people ask about this Japanese practice is the most natural one: what does it actually feel like? The honest answer is that it varies - from one person to the next, and even from one session to the next. Some people notice something...
Is Reiki Right for Me?
It's a good question - and an honest one that deserves an honest answer. So I'm not going to tell you that Reiki is right for everyone, because it isn't, and anyone who tells you otherwise isn't being straight with you. Instead, let me describe what Reiki actually is,...
Is Reiki a Religion?
It's one of the questions I wondered about myself, early on. If I try Reiki, am I signing up to something? Do I have to believe in it? And for some, a deeper worry: will it clash with my own faith? I'd read so many scary things about it on free media that I almost...
Do you have to believe in Reiki?
It's a fair question, and another of the common, honest ones people tend to wonder about. If you are the kind of person who likes evidence, who questions things before accepting them, you might wonder whether Reiki practice is really for you. Here is the reassuring...
What Happens At Your First Reiki Session?
It's natural to feel a little unsure before something you've never done. I've sat with many people on their very first visit, and I know that nervousness well - so let me walk you through exactly what happens, gently, so you can arrive knowing what to expect. There...
The Heart of Reiki: Its Five Precepts
People often meet Reiki as a hands-on practice - something you receive, lying down, in a quiet room. But that is only its surface. At the very heart of Reiki sit five simple lines, written by its founder, Mikao Usui, in Japan a century ago. He considered them the most...
Unusual Sensations – What You Might Feel ?
Of all the questions people bring to their first session, this is one of the most common, and one of the most people quietly worry about: what are these unusual sensations I'm feeling, and should I be concerned? If no one has told you what to expect, an unexpected...
The Miracle of Being Yourself
No matter who we are and where we come from, our hearts are yearning to make a difference in this world. Our own lives would have been shaped by our own struggles and the struggles of those we love - it is part of who we are- it is what has made us resilient. It is...
The Power of Calm
There is a particular kind of tired that has nothing to do with sleep. It's the tiredness of carrying too much, for too long. Of being the one who holds it all together, at work, at home, for everyone. We move through our days with a low hum of pressure beneath...
The Emotional Pain We Add To Ourselves
There is an old Buddhist teaching I have come across that stuck with me, because the moment I came across it, something in me recognised it as true. And it goes something like this: When something painful happens to us, it is as though we are struck by an arrow. It...
The Filter Isn’t Real. The Belief Behind It Is.
There's a particular kind of quiet grief that comes from comparing yourself to someone else. You catch a glimpse of somebody's life, their success, their ease, their beauty, and something in you constricts. Not just in your mind. In your chest. In your breath....
The Body Does Keep the Score
Have you ever had a doctor tell you they couldn't explain what you were feeling? I'd read the theory. I didn't expect my own legs to prove it true. For a long time, my body was trying to tell me something, and I didn't have the language for it. There were symptoms...
Hey there, Beautiful Soul: It’s Time to Prioritize YOU
In the busy world of constant interruptions, you are often the one who holds things together. The one who delivers. The one who notices what everyone else needs before they've said it. The one your colleagues quietly describe as the person who truly cares. The glue...