Choosing a Reiki Practitioner

There are many practicing Reiki Practitioners to choose from these days.  How do you know which one is suitable for you?

Before I delve into that, allow me to define Reiki. Reiki is a gentle, safe and effective healing technique that originated in Japan in the early 1900’s.  Reiki is pronounced “Ray-Key” and it means Universal Life Force Energy in Japanese. During a session the Reiki Practitioner acts as a channel to transfer the Universal Life Force Energy to the client. This energy helps to remove blockages within the body, creates balance and promotes feelings of well-being.  Reiki does conflict with any medical treatments, medications or other modalities such as massage.  My clients find it extremely relaxing.  It helps them to deal with pain, anxiety, depression and sleep issues.

I will suggest several things to look for when choosing a Reiki Practitioner. Unfortunately, in Ontario, Reiki is not a regulated profession.  What this means is that anyone can say they are a Reiki Practitioner and open a Reiki business regardless of their training or background.  That’s why doing your research before choosing a Practitioner is important.  The Canadian Reiki Association is an organization that “is committed to promoting ethical practices and teaching; encouraging educational standards; and providing the public with referrals to our Registered Practitioners and Registered Teachers.”  However, membership in the association is not mandatory for Reiki Practitioners to practice. In fact, most Reiki Practitioners and Teachers in Hamilton are not members of the Association.

Word of Mouth is one of the best ways to get started.  A good reference is important. Ask around to friends and family members, people at your yoga class or on Facebook. Ask them if the Practitioner offered a safe space and professional session. 

Strongly consider having a Personal Interview with the Reiki Practitioner prior to making an appointment.  The Practitioner should answer their phone professionally and have an available answering machine.  A good Practitioner will not have a problem with you touring their office or treatment room and asking questions.  During the interview use your intuition.  Do you feel comfortable with this person?  Do they seem to be genuinely interested in your best and highest good?  Do they explain their services with confidence? Do they have professional business cards and price list? Do they offer receipts for their service for you to claim on your taxes, insurance or wellness account?  Were they on time for your appointment with their room set up and ready to go? 

Does the environment feel inviting and safe?

Reiki Practitioners can work out of various spaces: wellness centres, yoga studios, fitness centres, medical centres, retreat centres and resorts or out of their homes.  Is the treatment area quiet?  My first Reiki job was at a Martial Arts Studio. The sound of testosterone pumped men pounding the bags was definitely not relaxing or quiet. Lesson learned! Is there a child’s playground outside the window?  Will people be chatting right outside the door or phones ringing?

Is the space clean? Is there clutter everywhere? I once visited a Reiki Master who had personal photos of friends and family in her treatment room including diseased individuals. She had all sorts of knick knacks and personal items not related to Reiki or the sessions.  That was a little creepy to me and I felt that the space was more about her than me, the client.  

Is there an easily accessible restroom?  I don’t feel it’s professional or appropriate to wonder through someone’s house to find the washroom.

Do they have their Reiki Certification posted in their office? This is a professional given.   In order to be a Reiki Practitioner a Level 2, Level 3 or Reiki Master Certificate it is suggested by The Canadian Reiki Association that you have a Level 2 or more.

View their Website and their On-line Presence

Peruse the Practitioner’s website.  Do they have information about their services, prices and information on how to book an appointment?  Read through and get a feel for them and their service. Does it seem that they put energy and passion into their business?  Perform a Google search of their name and also their company.  Are they talking trash on Facebook?  Did they post photos or write blogs that are in poor taste?  Look for testimonials and review sites.  

On Your First Visit the Practitioner Should:

Greet you warmly and invitingly.

Ask you to sign a consent form that states you understand the session and that Reiki Practitioners do not diagnose or treat medical conditions and that you should see a Dr. regarding medical concerns (or something to that effect).

Explain how Reiki works and what they will be doing during the session.  They should ask you if you have any questions.

Ask your permission to touch you in appropriate areas (some Practitioners work off the body some work on and off the body)

Explain any use of crystals, wands, smudging, aromatherapy or anything other than Reiki.

Ensure that you are comfortable before they start the session.

After the session they should ask again if you have any questions and explain what to expect and what measures to take after the session.  It is nice if they offer you water or tea and they should not rush you to get off the massage table.

If at anytime you want to stop the session the Practitioner should understand and ask again if you have questions.  If you choose to leave the Practitioner should be empathetic and let you know that they are available if you want to talk. 

A good Practitioner will follow up with you within a few days of your first session to see how you are feeling. 

Red Flags

The treatment is ALWAYS fully clothed.  If any Practitioner asks you to remove your shirt or pants this is inappropriate.  

The Practitioner touches you near any private part of your body. Or they do the session in complete darkness.

The Practitioner breaches confidentiality by mentioning client’s names or situations or they say something in bad taste about a client.

The Practitioner requests more money than initially agreed upon.

They refuse to give you a receipt for service. 

The Practitioner causes you to feel like you need the service or you will be doomed.  No service should be forced upon anyone or anyone made to feel they will not get better without having the service. 

They offer sessions after 9 pm at night or work out of 24 hour salons (you know the ones). 

Some Reiki Practitioners have psychic or intuitive abilities. If messages come through they should be given in a supportive and appropriate manner.  It is not appropriate for someone to manipulate you using these gifts. 

Reiki is an extremely beneficial and relaxing treatment.  Reiki is now being practiced in Hospitals, hospices and work places.  When you work with the right Practitioner it can be a life changing experience.  Do your homework and trust your intuition.

Vanessa Pazzi – Certified Reiki Master Teacher

The Harmonious Soul

905-318-1724

www.theharmonioussoul.ca

Manifest Your Dreams

By Vanessa Pazzi

​

Do you have a dream?  I believe everyone does.  

The question is:  Are you willing to do what it takes to make your dream come true?  Most people feel their dream is so far out of reach they don’t even take a step in the right direction.  Limited beliefs (no money, I’m too old, bad economy) and low self-esteem (I’m not good enough, smart enough, worthy of abundance etc.) hold people back.  Then there are, what I like to call the dream squasher’s.  These people will tell you that you can’t do it, all the reasons why you shouldn’t do it and all the things that could potentially go wrong if you do it.  

If you’ve read biographies about famous people you will almost always see that they lived in poverty or hit rock bottom at some point.  Jim Carrey was living out of his car with his pretend cheque for 1 million dollars. Justin Bieber grew up in a rat-infested home with an empty fridge. Halle Berry stayed in a homeless shelter.  Mark Walhberg was involved with drugs and served time in jail.  J.K. Rowling was a single mother living off of welfare. They had a dream or an inspired idea and they followed through on it despite their circumstances. 

We can be, do or have anything we want.  We are all born with the same infinite potential but it’s up to us to decide what we want and go after it.  

The book, The Compound Effect by Darry Harding talks about how each decision we make day after day, month after month, year after year becomes our “present situation”.   Did you ever wake up one day and ask yourself “how did I get here?” 

Bob Proctor says that all physical manifestations (your present results) are the result of your previous thinking.  

Thinking controls your feelings and your feelings control your actions (decision making).  So for example: You Think: I’m not smart enough for that job. You Feel: not good enough, old, worthless.  Your Actions: you don’t apply for that job.  Your Present Result: no job, poor self-esteem.

My Tips for Manifesting Your Dreams

•   Decide what you want.  Dream small, dream big whatever the case
    as long as you really want it in your heart because you love it or have  
    a passion for it, not because you think it will make you happy (even  
    though it probably will!).

•  Take one small step everyday in the direction of your dream. It could
    be asking questions, doing some interviews, reading certain books,  
    starting a blog, starting a business plan, selling something for extra  
    cash, asking for help on Facebook, taking a class, etc.  Imagine  
    where you could be in 2 years from now if you do one step everyday!  

•  Surround yourself with people who believe in you and will support you  
   with your decisions.  They may not always agree but good supporters
   will give you constructive feedback and will still support you no matter
   what you decide. 

 • Do not let doubt, fear and anxiety stop you.  Do not let your current
   circumstances dictate what’s possible. You may be at rock bottom,
   or cash, limited resources, few supporters but all you need to do is  
   believe  and keep moving forward even when you just want to hide
   under the covers and ignore the outside world. 

•  Listen to, watch or read motivational material everyday. Some of  
   my favourites: Bob Proctor, Louise Hay, Earl Nightengale, Darren
   Hardy.  

•  Decide that you are NOT going to be a victim of your circumstances.    
   Focus on solutions and creative ideas not problems.  Do Not
   subscribe to limited beliefs that you are not good enough, smart
   enough, too old, not pretty enough, no skills etc.  This are just
   excuses.  

• Do NOT let distractions take you away from your focus.  Facebook,  
  TV, unnecessary meetings, clubs or groups, classes etc.  Ask    
  yourself “is this activity in alignment with what I want?”  If not, it’s
  time to reconsider your priorities.  

•  Be happy Now!  Dance, sing, do something creative, play with your
   pet, write a gratitude journal.  Get onto the frequency of positivity
   and abundance!
                                

Vanessa Pazzi

The Harmonious Soul

www.theharmoniousoul.ca

Liquid Crystal Love 5: Collecting and storing water!

Collecting and Storing Spring Water

 Lots of people ask me where to get Spring Water.  There are a few local springs but my favourite waters come from Northern Ontario Springs.  I find these waters lower in minerals with a great taste.  I have friends and family bringing me water from all over the north.  It’s like a wine tasting!  I sip and savor to see if the water tastes light, heavy, mossy, glacier or earthy.  There is nothing like the taste of raw living water!  Ask people who are regular cottage goers or locals where the nearest spring is located.  I am sure you have been driving along a northern country road and have watched people collecting their water.  Once you find a spring, it’s fun to talk to some people who are frequenting it.  I once met a man who had been drinking from a particular spring for 50 years!  Findaspring.com is a great resource for finding water in your area.  You can also submit Springs that you find.  The fun part – you get to name them!

Storage

Treat your water like a fine wine! We are mostly made up of water so this water will become you. Never store your water in plastic.  Glass carboy’s can be purchased from brew supply stores. 11.5 litre carboys should be sold at less than $20.  If you are fit and can do the lifting, 19 and 23 litre carboys are available.  Corks are less than a dollar for this size.  Wine Village in Stoney Creek has some nice products.  Handles for your carboys are great and range from $5 to $7 each.

You may also purchase bottles from local classified ads, garage sales or antique stores. The darker the glass is the better.  You want to keep the water dark and cold to prevent possible bacteria growth and to keep your water tasting fresh. 

I started out with some good old fashion wine bottles. Four litre jugs are also handy for storing water in the fridge.  I personally use a Miron glass bottle for carrying water around with me.  “Miron glass water bottles incorporate the colour healing properties of the violet spectrum. The violet glass filters all but the UVA and infra-red spectra of light. This light beneficially stimulates biological substances stored within the glass container. Miron glass containers have unique properties that offer optimal protection against the aging and degeneration typically caused by exposure to light.” 
(yourwatermatters.com)  

The perfect place to store it (other than the fridge) is in a cold room or cool basement area.  Keep the water covered with a blanket to protect it from the light.  Make sure you sanitize your bottles before use.  I prefer to use warm water, baking soda and vinegar but if the bottles are very dirty you may need to buy a cleaning solution from the brewing store.   

Collecting your own water is, in my opinion, a very magical experience. I have learned to appreciate water in many ways that I hadn’t before. I know you have many questions.  More articles about Spring Water are coming!  Happy Spring Hunting!

                                         
 Vanessa Pazzi
 The Water Angel
 vanesssa@theharmonioussoul.ca
 www.theharmonioussoul.ca

Liquid Crystal Love: Part 3

By Vanessa Pazzi

If you have been following my articles you may be asking yourself “if tap water has fluoride and bottled water has contaminates from plastics, what about Reverse Osmosis or Distilled water?”  

I will start by saying that anything you can do to avoid poisons such as fluoride and chlorine is a good start. 



 However, jug style filters that you can buy at your local department store to filter tap water are not suffice.  Do not waste your money.

What is Reverse Osmosis?

It’s a process used for filtering water in which pressure is applied to force the water through a semipermeable membrane that refuses to allow the passage of certain contaminants.  It can extract inorganic minerals, heavy metals, lead, copper, fluoride and a series of other contaminants. Other advantages include no electricity use and it’s ideal for use in electrical devices. Unfortunately, it takes 4-6 gallons of water to make one gallon of purified water.  Systems and membrane replacement can be costly and water quality diminishes as the membrane ages.  Although certain bacteria cannot pass through the membrane, it can grow in the holding tank.  

What does Distilled mean?

Distillation is a process where by water is boiled into steam and the steam is then collected for drinking water.  Water distillation effectively removes bacteria, microorganisms, fluoride, pesticides, heavy metals and minerals. Other advantages include no colour, no odor and no taste to the water.  Disadvantages include electricity use, number of hours to make water, lack of taste and storage issues. 

Reverse Osmosis has been called “dead water” because the water has been manipulated to the point where is has lost its natural structure.   

Both RO and Distilled have no minerals or organic life. RO fails to transform negative memory left in the water from toxins and therefore surrenders all of its crystalline structure.  Distilled water is considered sterile and for that reason, the water will look for any organic material it comes in contact with to stabilize itself.  NEVER store distilled water in plastic. There is much controversy about whether or not distilled water leaches minerals from our bodies.  Some scientists say that it can but others say that once the water comes in contact with the contents of our stomach it is immediately neutralized. Other sources say that distilled water creates aggressive H2O that has an almost completely destroyed geometric structure.  

If I drink RO or Distilled what can I do to put “life” back into my water?

Some suggestions are: adding a pinch of Himalayan sea salt, using various crystals, reiki blessing, prayer, moon charging, music (soft, angelic, classical or highly positive), vortexing, writing positive words on your water bottle and thanking your water. Always store your water in glass bottles.  For more information about how vibrations, words and music change the structure of your water see the Masaru Emoto studies. 

Keep in mind even though you are charging these waters they will never become genuine living water like Spring water!!!

Vanessa Pazzi 
The Water Angel
www.findaspring.com
www.theharmonioussoul.ca
vanessa@theharmonioussoul.ca

Liquid Crystal Love : Part 2 Collected by my own hands!

By: Vanessa Pazzi

In my last article I explained why Natural Spring Water is referred as Liquid Crystal Love.  Liquid being water, Crystal meaning crystallized or magically charged by the earth and Love meaning pure life-force energy given to us by our creator.  My observation was that somehow this magical Spring Water (from a spring or artesian well) seems to make people feel joyous and alive.




Why doesn’t bottled water or tap water have this same effect?  Any water that has been filtered or manipulated by man’s contraptions or substances loses it natural structure and life force energy.  These waters are likely to have been sitting in rusty pipes, storage tanks and plastic water bottles. In addition, they are filled with chemicals and medications. An article written by CBC News (www.cbc.ca) states the following: “birth control pills, cancer drugs and a host of other pharmaceuticals that people flush down the drain every day are showing up in our drinking water”. 

Fluoride (along with other chemicals) is added to our local tap water. There is evidence that supports that Fluoride, a waste product of the aluminium and phosphate fertilizer industry, is a neurotoxin.  The Physicians Desk reference lists dental fluorosis, skin interruptions, gastric distress, immune system problems, Down Syndrome and more as side effects of Fluoride.  In its concentrated form it has been used as rat poison, pesticide and for de-worming pigs. If want to learn more Google: Fluoride.

So Brand Name bottled water comes from a Natural Spring just as if you had collected it yourself right?

No, not exactly.  According the Canadian Food and Drug Administration, “bottled water is water which has been packaged in sealed containers for use by consumers. The water can come from a variety of sources including springs, aquifers, or municipal supplies and the water may be treated to make it fit for people to drink”. Municipal water supplies? So in other words, tap water.  Health Canada’s site (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) says the following, “Bottled water that is not labelled as spring or mineral water may be from any source and can be treated to make it fit for human consumption or to modify its original composition.”  

What exactly does “any source” mean?  So, the company can treat the water and it can be from any source, interesting. The water is also stored in plastic bottles. Plastic is unstable for a year and needs that long to off-gas otherwise BPA’s and other structural fibers leach into the water. Do you think these companies are letting their plastic “Off-gas”?  Temperature changes in the plastic can also cause it to Off-gas into your water. What do you think happens when the water sits on a truck on the highway in the middle of the summer? I do not need to go into the discussion about plastic causing estrogen dominant cancers because I am sure you already know about that.  Drinking Bottled water is not the same as collecting Spring Water yourself.

Liquid Crystal Love- collected by my own hands, is the best choice for me, alive with energy from the earth! Listen to what your heart tells you and do your research you will make the choice that’s right for you.  Are you going to trust the government and commercial bottled water companies or trust in mother earth? 

Vanessa Pazzi 
The Water Angel
www.findaspring.com
www.theharmonioussoul.ca