With your help, I would like to start a new feature in the monthly newsletters.  I’m thinking it should be a sort of a “Dear Abby” style of Q & A on the subject of energy work, energetic practices, Reiki and the like.

Often non-energy workers, energy workers and Reiki facilitators alike ask me different questions. They range anywhere from what is energy work to how does Reiki work.  Reiki facilitators often ask about various experiences they’ve had or wonder what to do next.

So if you have any questions, please just email me and I’ll answer them the best I can here in the newsletter.  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To begin, I’ll address a question that comes up quite often.  How do I ground?

Life can be messy. Life can be chaotic.  Life can be busy.  Life can be… well, you get the idea.  And I sure don’t have to tell you how complicated life can be.  Goodness knows we’ve all had our share of ups and down. 

Just living life and getting through the rough patches, and sometimes even the smooth patches, can become stressful and can leave us feeling ungrounded and stressed out.

I thought I’d share a little bit of what I’ve been dealing with recently.   A few weeks ago my father had hip replacement surgery.  For most people, this is not too big of an issue. However, my father is 80, diabetic and a smoker.  These are things that set off warning alarms for surgeons and anesthesiologists.  But to keep this brief, suffice to say the surgery was “concerning”.  

The surgery went very well and without a hitch.  Recovery also has been perfect.  The problem has been his rehabilitation to strengthen his new hip and the leg. First, he vehemently refused to go to a rehab facility.  Getting him to understand the importance of going and finally to agree to it was a battle. One in rehab, he will only exercise during the therapy sessions, not when he’s relaxing in his room… as advised. His attitude:  why should I do it again, I’ve already done it.

Dad’s now been in rehab for just over a week.   The other day we had a meeting with the head of the therapy department and he advised that, because of the slow rehabilitation of the hip and leg, my dad stay in the center for another two weeks.  He explained that if the joint and leg aren’t properly rehabbed and strengthened, he may not be able to walk well.  My father became irate and absolutely refused, but after some coaxing, did agree to finish out the current week.

I worry that my dad won’t be able to be independent for long.  I worry that he may be in pain.  I worry that he may fall.  I worry, period.  And I become ungrounded and very stressed out.

So how do I ground and center?  I’d like to say that it’s very easy… and technically it is.  The tough part is just allowing it to come.  But here are a few things that I like to do to ground and center myself.

Weather permitting, each day I like to take a walk in the yard.  Enjoy the beauty of all the flowers and blooming trees.  Experience the fragrances of all the blooms.  Feel the cool, soothing breeze on my skin and through my hair.  

I enjoy taking time to play with my dog. Not to think about anything beyond the fun and silliness of the games we play; tug-of-war, fetch, etc…  I also like to focus not just on the moment, but on the amazing beauty of the communication between man and animal.

I like to give myself Reiki. It doesn’t have to be a long session, though that’s nice.  Sometimes I’ll just sit down and close my eyes and ask the Universe and my spirit guides to blanket me with the loving energy of the Universe.  Take a few deep breaths.  It’s surprisingly energizing.

Take the time to water each of my plants, individually.  By that I mean to look at each plant, examine the leaves and be aware of the changes, the growth, the color.  Be in the moment with each of my plants.  Are there new shoots?  Does it need to be repotted yet?  I also like to touch the leaves and feel their textures.

Sometimes I’ll steal a few minutes away and do something just for me, like read a few pages in a book or listen to some of my favorite music.

These are all things that help me to ground.  They’re easy to do.  Again, the trick is to stop your mind from going places it doesn’t need to be or to stop focusing on things I cannot do anything about right then.  Just focus on the moment.  Focus on the activity.  Reconnect with the planet, with the minutiae of life.

Give it a try some time. It’s very relaxing and helps you get back to center.

And don’t forget, if you have any questions at all, large or small… please email me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.