Piggy the Pigeon and Reiki

A couple of weeks ago I arrived home to find a pigeon taking refuge on our front windowsill. The poor thing was leaning in the corner and I could see that something was wrong but I couldn't see what it was. So I had a little chat with him and brought him some bread (nice brown bread dipped in water) and he seemed to appreciate the gesture. For the next couple of hours I went out to him periodically and kept my eye on him from inside the house too, giving him Reiki as I did so. And wow, how he drew the energy from my hands - they were red hot!

I had an appointment so had to leave just as my partner arrived home. As it was growing dark, he decided to bring him inside the house and make a little bed for him in a fruit crate :-) He saw that his foot was slightly injured and was able to clean him up a bit, checking with wildlife experts on the internet as he did so! And so for the next few days we looked after 'Piggy'  - I named him (but only because my partner calls them pig-eons!). He got pretty cosy in our back room and with his little bed by the radiator, bread and seeds a-plenty and Reiki sessions we could see that day-by-day he gathered strength. He was beginning to hobble rather than hop when we took him out of his box to clean it up. Progress!

Then a few days later he flew out of the box and onto the curtain rail! We knew then that the time had come to set him free. However, it was one of those bitterly cold nights so we decided to keep him inside for the night and let him go in the morning. And so, the following morning, he flew up out of our yard and onto the roof. He actually hung around there for a while, and I personally think he may have been realizing what a sweet deal he had had with us and slightly regretting his haste! I kept talking to him here and there and finally, when my back was turned he flew away...

I have to say that having him with us and looking after him, seeing the lovely greeny-blue hue of his feathers and feeling him draw the healing Reiki energy from my hands, I have a new-found appreciation for pigeons now! 

So this is going out to you, Piggy, wherever you are :-)

Which treatment is best?

New clients often ask me which, of the therapies I offer, is the best, the most effective, the one that gets the most results. It’s a hard question to answer! They’re all wonderful and it depends on many factors, both obvious and subtle.

I base my initial decision on what transpires during our first consultation, where I get a complete medical history as well as a good feeling for what is going on in the present, taking into account lifestyle habits and levels of mental, emotional and physical stress. As my range of therapies complement each other so well, at different times I will also use a combination of two or three of them in one session as I intuitively feel what is best.

For example, someone suffering from digestive issues would definitely benefit from a reflexology treatment, which can target the specific areas involved. Likewise, they may need some Reiki healing also, to treat the underlying stress in the mind and body, which is causing the digestion to be impaired in the first place.

Similarly, a person suffering from headaches would undoubtedly benefit from a soothing massage but likewise would profit from some reflexology targeting in particular the reflexes on the big toe, which correspond to the head and neck, which would help to ease the congestion there.

When a treatment is taking place, both myself and my client enter into a healing space which allows unconscious messages to be exchanged on an subtle energetic level and it is that more than anything that guides which therapy or therapies I use.

So a better question would be: “Which therapy is best for me right now?” To which I would answer: “Come in for a consultation and we’ll see!”

Wishing you health and happiness!

 Kx

Happy Year of the Wood Horse!

Hi everyone,

I'm just back from an amazing few days in Dzogchen Beara, the beautiful Buddhist retreat centre in West Cork. I feel renewed and refreshed! On Sunday, we celebrated Losar, Tibetan New Year, by engaging in powerful practices to avert negativity of the year gone by and create positive and auspicious circumstances for the year ahead! 

As a Buddhist, I feel lucky to have a second chance to renew my aspirations for this year - and you can too! The year of the Wood Horse promises to be a year of fast victories and unexpected adventure. It is an excellent year for travel, energy is high and production is rewarded. Decisive action, not procrastination, brings victory they say!

So saddle up folks! What adventures will this year bring? I for one am excited!!!

Kx

Reiki for Dogs

Did you know that animals love Reiki too? They really do! Free from the concepts that we humans may have around receiving Reiki, they simply enjoy the energy and usually let you know when they've had enough by simply getting up and walking away! Simple :-)

I recently had the privilege of working with my friend Aine's guide dog, Muffin, during the last weeks of his life. Muffin had been suffering with renal kidney disease for a couple of years already and was now very ill, losing weight rapidly and had stopped eating and drinking. Aine was making daily visits to his vet, who was giving him fluids intravenously, and was very worried about him.

When I went to visit, Muffin had just returned from another vet visit, and was lying on his bed in the living room. He barely lifted his head to look at me and seemed completely exhausted. It was a huge change from the dog that used to leap up to greet me! As Aine made us coffee, I went and sat beside Muffin on the floor and as I petted him the Reiki energy began to flow and I knew he was asking for some healing. So for the next hour or so I gave him Reiki as I chatted to Aine. Her cat Tarka even tried to muscle in on the action by nudging my hands!

When I left, Muffin was still lying on his bed but he seemed more peaceful. This is what Aine had to say about what happened next:

"I don't know what you did to Muffin whilst you were here but about five minutes after you left, Muffin got up and went into the study. He sat down for a few minutes (rather than lying down) and was a lot brighter. I gave him some of the chicken that he wouldn't eat before and he nearly snatched it out of my hand! Since you left, he has eaten almost all the chicken and a full pouch of food (albeit cat food!). I'll see if I can get another pouch into him before the night is out, but thanks for being here, it's made a difference! I'll now probably have the embarrassment of explaining to my vet that I wasn't overreacting when I contacted him earlier today!"

Even though I have strong faith in the power of Reiki, I never expected the treatment to have had such a profound effect! I was so happy to have been able to help Muffin out and make his last days brighter. 

Aine is still paying for all the amazing care that Muffin received from Sandymount Pet Hospital. If you would like to donate towards Muffin's vet bills, please visit:

http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/medication-for-muffin/116328

Woof!

Kx

Gluten and the Brain

Rule No 1 of blogging: Stick to a schedule!

OK, so maybe I haven't quite completed that new year's resolution...

But it's because I've been so busy getting healthier! I've been off gluten and sugar for three weeks now and I'm feeling soooo good, I have to say.

What turned me around? Well, I realised I was addicted to wheat! Definitely physically, maybe even psychologically?! Then, upon the recommendation of a friend who is also a self-confessed wheat addict, I started reading 'Grain Brain' by Dr David Perlmutter (www.drperlmutter.com). And the rest, as they say, is history...

Gone is my brain fog, bloating and PMT to name a few... It's not always easy to find things on-the go, so cooking at home is a must and packed lunches and snacks make all the difference - so me and my stove are firm friends again! Other firm friends include Organic Coconut Oil and Olive Oil and eggs - lots of eggs!

Here's a quote from David Perlmutter's book to get your juices flowing:

"Interestingly, the human dietary requirement for carbohydrate is virtually zero; we can survive on a minimal amount of carbohydrate, which can be furnished by the liver as needed. But we can't go long without fat. Unfortunately, most of us equate the idea of eating fat to being fat, when in reality, obesity - and it's metabolic consequences - has almost nothing to do with dietary fat consumption and everything to do with our addiction to carbs. The same is true about cholesterol: Eating high-cholesterol foods has no impact on our actual cholesterol levels, and the alleged correlation between higher cholesterol and higher cardiac risk is an absolute fallacy."

Want to join me on my journey? Or already on a gluten and sugar-free diet? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comment box below!

Yours in health and happiness,

Kx

In tune with nature

The Winter Solstice is upon us tomorrow, and as such this time of year is traditionally and energetically a time for introspection, meditation and hibernation. A time to look within and take stock of where we’re at and indeed where we’d like to be...

So amongst all the shopping and partying, if we can remember to take some time to catch up with ourselves amidst all the activity, book in some “me time” to do whatever it is that relaxes and eases our minds… Light a candle and write down all the things we’re grateful for this year…

I think we’ll thank ourselves and shine even brighter as a result!

Season’s Greetings Everyone!

Kathryn x

Holistic Therapies – Necessity or Indulgence?

I was just thinking the other day how people will occasionally take time off work to go to the doctor, but would consider taking time off work to go for a holistic treatment such as massage or reflexology a complete indulgence. Is it??

 When one thinks of all of the health benefits, not least the reduction in stress that is felt by people after receiving a massage, which can actually prevent the very reasons for the person going to the doctor in the first place, shouldn’t we consider it to be part of our healthcare regime?

If we come out of our treatment as someone more relaxed, at ease and “in the flow”, better able to handle whatever the day throws at us, and indeed the people that throw it at us (!), surely taking the time to do this, along with adhering to the advice given to us by our therapist, thus potentially avoiding any trips to the doctor (imagine!) is worth our time?

Even us therapist folk need treatments too and in the Dublin Holistic Centre where I work, we regularly swap treatments in order to keep ourselves balanced, relaxed and better able to offer awesome treatments to our clients.

After all, what goes around comes around!

Welcome to my new website!

Just a quick note to say hello and welcome! Am very excited about my new website and hope you enjoy... This is actually my first blog - ever! Join me here on my holistic (and technological) journey :-)

More later! 

Kathryn x