Soul Blessed Life

Reiki Can’t Possibly Work. So Why Does It?

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0800

Reiki, a healing practice codified in the early 20th century in Japan, was until recently an unexpected offering for a VA medical center. In Japanese, rei roughly translates to “spiritual”; ki is commonly translated as “vital energy.” A session often looks more like mysticism than medicine: Healers silently place their hands on or over a person’s body to evoke a “universal life force.” A Reiki treatment can even, practitioners believe, be conducted from miles away.

How The 'Lost Art' Of Breathing Can Impact Sleep And Resilience

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0800

Humans typically take about 25,000 breaths per day — often without a second thought. But the COVID-19 pandemic has put a new spotlight on respiratory illnesses and the breaths we so often take for granted.

Journalist James Nestor became interested in the respiratory system years ago after his doctor recommended he take a breathing class to help his recurring pneumonia and bronchitis.

While researching the science and culture of breathing for his new book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art,Nestor participated in a study in which his nose was completely plugged for 10 days, forcing him to breathe solely through his mouth. It was not a pleasant experience.

A Skeptic Walks into a Reiki Session... and Comes Out Transformed

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0800

Throughout the past 5 years or so, I’ve tried pretty much everything in the game to help my mind and body calm the heck down. Ever since becoming aware of my ability to pick my cuticles until they bled, spend a good hour before bed running through my to-do list, and wondering if I’d said the wrong thing in that meeting — all signs that I had pretty serious anxiety.