Happy Wellness Month:
As August is national wellness month, I decided to try out a new self care practice to help improve my mental and physical health.
Last Thursday I went to see Faye Balme of Healing Hands for an evening Reiki session. To begin with I was completely unfamiliar with the practice, I went in with a open mind not knowing what to expect but excited never the less. But, before I talk about my experience, let me give you a bit of background to offer you a glimpse of what Reiki is all about. And it really will be just a glimpse, as the Reiki world is huge and there is so much to learn, so bear with me, I’m still a beginner…
The key word in all of this? Chakras. I’d never heard of chakras before Thursday evening, essentially they are energy centres. They start at the bottom of the spine and run all the way up to the crown of your head. Faye explained to me how we have seven different chakras in our body, all which hold different functions. Starting from the bottom of your spine, the first chakra is your root chakra. It’s responsibility is to remove toxins from the body. Each chakra reflects a colour of its elements and surroundings, the root chakra radiates red. Next is the sacral chakra, this reflects the colour orange and is helps expand elements such as relationships and creativity. This is located in the lower abdomen. Next up is the solar plexus that can be found just under the ribcage , this reflects the colour yellow and controls feelings such as anxiousness and confidence. We then have the heart chakra, in the centre of the chest, which can be seen as green and allows us to experience love in its purest form. The last three, we have the throat chakra up next. Located… in the throat. This reflects the colour blue and is responsible for communication. The third eye chakra, located in the centre of the forehead, relates to our intuition and perception. Lastly, the crown chakra is the guiding light that shows us the way, it reflects purple and is on the very top of your head.
Reiki is said to have many different benefits including reducing stress and anxiety as well as strengthening your immune system. It is believed to help relive discomfort or pain, help meditative states and promote self awareness. Basically it seems the answer to a huge chunk of obstacles we face in everyday life.
So there we go, now you know a little bit about chakras. Reiki is a practice that claims to clear blockages that are present in your chakras. There’s a whole world to reiki and other elements, but I’m not all that clued up on them yet! However, if I had a pound for every-time I just said chakras, I could afford every book on Amazon and would soon be a pro.
When I arrived at Faye’s house, I automatically felt at ease. Going into new things alone can be intimidating but I was actually really excited to see what was in store. We made our way into her Reiki room that was laid out with different essential oil diffusers, gemstones, warm lighting and relaxing music.
To begin with I laid on the bed and Faye asked me what I’d been up to and if anything had been causing me any stress or anxiety. I explained how recently I felt quite low on energy and tired. Faye then asked me a few wellness questions relating to physical and mental health. After the questions had been answered she explained about reiki and chakras, what the session would entail and then we got straight into it.
To start, I was laid taking deep breaths helping to relax my body. At this point I realised two things: one just how hard it is to stop your mind from whirring and two how tense I usually am when I’m laid down. As I relaxed my muscles I became aware of how much I tension I hold specifically in my legs and jaw.
The reiki then began, with this kind of practice Faye doesn’t actually touch you for the most part. The only time she did was when focusing on my forehead area, she used her fingers and an amethyst crystal with essential oils.
Straight away I felt heat on the crown of my head as though someone was touching it. As I let my mind relax and slowly let go of any thoughts, I began to see the colour purple. Faye explained how this sometimes does happen during the practice, some people also see images. Though I had been told this before the session began, I didn’t expect it to happen to me. I cant deny that I was shocked at first, it made me feel slightly panicky as I wasn’t sure what was actually going on. This is when I realised just how hard it is to turn off your thoughts. As the session went on I felt heat all over my body including on my arms and legs. Once it was over Faye gently made me aware and gave me a glass of water. We spoke about what Faye found during the reiki and how I had some energy centres that were kind of in over drive. The reading provided me with answers to many of my unknown groggy and unmotivated feelings. Before I left Faye also read my chakra cards and angel readings which further provided me with advice, reassurance and answers. Im now keeping a note of my feelings the next few days to see the way in which reiki impacted me. I can safely say that straight away I felt more at ease , relaxed and ready to improve on my life. I definitely need to work on switching off my thoughts! Who knew it could be so hard to stop thinking? As a society we’re keen to spend money on beauty treatments such as eyelash extensions and hair and nail appointments. Though these kind of treatments do definitely help with our confidence, we often tend to neglect the appointments that help with our inner wellness.
If you’re interested in booking a session with Faye, and I highly recommend you do, then she is contactable on 07990 544143 or www.Facebook.com/fayehealinghands/. Faye is also going to be at the Mind Body and Spirit Sheffield Fair on 30th September 2023 where she will be offering taster reiki sessions and wellness hampers. Why not treat yourself? Go on it is National Wellness Month after all.