Allow Me to Introduce Myself...

So you’re the new therapist at GGOC? Well, not exactly…

Hello! I’m Sara (she/her) and I’m the newest team member here at Gather and Grow. My practice is based in energy work, specifically reiki. I grew up on the East Coast and have lived in California for the last 7 years, where my reiki journey began. I’m a big animal lover and an herbalist. Travel is one of my passions, along with trying new things in the kitchen. I am also a future therapist, about midway through my graduate program.

Wait…Rei-huh?

Reiki combines the Japanese words “rei” and “ki” to embody the concept of universal life energy - the way that each of us is connected not only to each other, but to everything around us. Our energy affects our physical body: how we respond to stress, how in control of our emotions we are - even how quickly we heal. As an energetic practice, reiki is not a religion, nor does it require you to have a certain spiritual pathway to be effective. It is a way of being intentional and investing in your brightest and most joyful self.

I talk more about the history of reiki as I learned it here.

Cool! But…what do you do?

I help you as a client be intentional with your energy and how it goes into your life’s passions. My attunement processes and study of reiki help me to guide you into a deeply relaxed state. With your body and mind in this deeply relaxed state, your brain can learn the self-regulation and energy management techniques I teach more effectively. 

So what is reiki helpful for?

My favorite use of reiki is to support enjoyment and passion in your life. When you feel overwhelmed and burned out, the idea of starting or pursuing something new, even if it excites you, often feels impossible. When you practice deep relaxation, you allow your energy to flow more easily, letting go mentally and emotionally of these feelings of being limited or held back. Breathing techniques, mantras, and self-regulation techniques are some of the tools that we will use to help you to push back against stress and frustration outside of our sessions.

What does a session with you look like?

When I work with you as a client, my goal is to guide you into a state of deep relaxation. You’ll sit or lie down, fully clothed, on a massage table with pillows, props, and blankets optional.  Unlike being asleep, you will be fully aware the entire time. With your eyes closed, I’ll begin guiding you through meditation, encouraging you to let your physical body relax. With your permission, I may place my hands on your head, hands, etc. You may feel nothing, or you may feel light sensations, such as warmth, coolness, tingling, or hear soft buzzing. In the same way you may hear or feel energy moving through your computer cord or hear the hum of your car’s engine, moving energy is tangible!

How do I book my session?

Here is a link to my scheduling calendar:

https://gathergrowoc.as.me/sara

Appointments are 50 minutes and available at the following times:

Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1pm and 7pm

Saturdays between 10am and 4pm

Reiki & The West: How a Japanese energy healing practice came to Orange County

You may already be aware that I am not Japanese. So how did I come to not only be a student, but a provider of reiki, a practice born in Japan from Buddhist healing teachings? Well, back in 2016, I went to a new yoga studio. The class was restorative yoga with reiki and sound healing. I know I like yoga, but I’d never heard of the other two things. But this class was one of the studio’s top classes, so I figured I might as well see what everyone else was on about.

To say that the class changed my life sounds like an exaggeration, but as I sit here now in my office as a reiki provider, it’s simply true. The feelings of calm, peace and comfort that came over me during that first class made me a weekly devotee. From there, I began working with the instructor in private sessions and as my learning and experience evolved, I grew more and more interested in being able to do this practice myself.

Reiki is passed from teacher to student through the process of attunement, a special initiation into this intentional practice. There are different lineages and multiple levels within many of the lineages. More about that can be found here. 

But you came here for the origin story, so if you’ll indulge my inner history nerd for a moment…

picture: Hawayo Takata

The roots of reiki in the west come through Hawaii from Hawayo Takata, a student of Chujiro Hayashi who was the last student of the founder of Usui Reiki, Dr. Mikao Usui. Dr. Usui grew up in 1860’s Japan. A Tendai Buddhist, Dr. Usui was deeply interested in Western science, befriending Christian missionaries that were also US medical students and being open-minded to cultural exchange. After a near death experience, Dr. Usui’s interests led him to pursue healing arts in Shingon Buddhism, a move that caused a massive falling out with his family. 

During a meditation journey to Mt. Kurama Yama with texts dating back to the founding of Shingon Buddhism, Dr. Usui distilled a method for intentionally influencing energy to promote healing and health. After practicing on those close to him, he began to take his energetic practice to people on the street with little access to help. As his methods were refined, Dr. Usui took on students who could continue his healing work after his death. Through these students, reiki continued not only to spread, but to grow. Some students went on to found their own lineages, while others began to teach. Some began to practice, channeling the energy for those who did not have the same ability or desire to study but always wanting to see this work live on.

It is through the continued teaching and exploration of reiki that it moved it away from its roots as a Buddhist healing ritual into its current place as a universal energy practice. When one student, committed to honoring her teachers and the work of the practice, began to open it up to all people with a willingness to learn, reiki went worldwide. 

Now, this practice has spread to many countries, as well as being increasingly available across the US. Here in Orange County, I hope to spread the idea of reiki as a complementary practice with therapy. Healing on multiple levels for the win!

What is Reiki?

Rei: universal 

Ki: life force energy 

What is Reiki? 

• Energetic healing that works in harmony with all other forms of treatment (i.e. medical, psychological).

• Japanese healing practice developed by Mikao Usui (1865-1926). Reiki’s roots trace back 2500 years. 

• Involves hands on touch or hands off, Ki or life force energy, to strengthen the body’s ability to heal on all levels physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. 

• Reiki elicits the relaxation response of the body, creating a cascade of peacefulness and calmness. 

• Reiki is not a religion, but does have a spiritual foundation in supporting one to achieve harmony and balance for their highest good. 

• Reiki balances the energy systems of the body.

• Reiki is all loving, all knowing and does no harm. 

How is Reiki performed?

• During a typical reiki session you lay comfortably on a massage table fully clothed, listening to tranquil music. 

• The reiki practitioner places their hands in a sequence of hand positions from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet. 

• A reiki session can be performed anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes long.

Potential Benefits of Reiki:

• Increases sense of calm 

• Pain management 

• Quieter mind 

• Increased sense of well being 

• Lower feelings of anxiety 

• Lower feelings of depression 

• Improved sleep 

• Self-care 

• Improved digestion 

• Increases optimism and hope 

• Better self-awareness 

• Decreases in side-effects from radiation therapy chemotherapy 

• Supports substance abuse recovery 

• Improves memory 

• Balances and cleanses chakras 

Aftercare Advice for Reiki:

• Drink plenty of water to assist the body's detoxification process.

• After a reiki session it’s important to slow down as you may feel light-headed. 

• Avoid additional toxins, such as caffeine, smoking, and alcohol for a few days.

• Let your emotions flows! A reiki session may often trigger deep emotional healing.

• You may feel fatigue, feeling overtired and needing to sleep or rest.

• Get plenty of rest!

• Eat nutritional foods.

• Continue all current medical treatment plans (Reiki is not a substitute for medical or mental health care).

• Be patient and observant! Embrace the changes! Listen to your body!

Enjoy the journey of Reiki healing!

A Note from Viri:

As a Reiki Level 1 practitioner, I want to offer a holistic approach to Gather and Grow clients. This holistic approach is an energy healing private session for about an hour on a massage table fully clothed. At the end of your energy healing we will discuss your experience and conclude with recommendations. Please see reiki handout/flyer for more details and benefits. I will be available for Saturday appointments only. Price $100

Reach out below!

**Reiki is a practice that is not licensed by the state of the California and reiki practitioners are not licensed by the state as healing arts practitioners. You are welcome to discuss your reiki practitioners’ individual lineage and certifications.