Practice Peace

Learning to Listen to Yourself Again

Reiki and the Practice of Inner Awareness

There was a period of my life where I realized I had stopped truly listening to myself.

I was functioning. Getting things done. Showing up where I needed to show up. But underneath all of it, I felt disconnected from my own body, emotions, and inner voice. I had become so used to staying busy and pushing forward that I barely noticed how tense, overstimulated, and exhausted I actually was.

And honestly, I think a lot of us live this way for longer than we realize.

Modern life makes it easy to stay distracted. There is always something demanding attention. Work, messages, responsibilities, social media, noise, pressure, expectations. We become so focused outward that we slowly lose touch with what is happening inward.

At some point, I noticed I was moving through most days almost automatically.

Ignoring fatigue.

Holding tension constantly in my body.

Overthinking everything.

Feeling emotionally overwhelmed while also strangely disconnected from my emotions at the same time.

I would tell myself I just needed to keep going and eventually things would settle down. But the truth was, my nervous system never really had a chance to settle.

What Reiki began teaching me, gently and slowly, was how to listen again.

Not through force or analyzing every thought, but through awareness in stillness.

Through paying attention to the quieter signals my body had been trying to communicate all along.

I had to pick up my practice on the daily and be curious.

At first, the shifts were subtle.

I noticed I was breathing more deeply.

Sleeping better.

Reacting less intensely to stress.

Feeling calmer in situations that normally overwhelmed me.

Sometimes emotions would surface unexpectedly during or after Reiki sessions. Other times I simply noticed a feeling of spaciousness inside myself that had been missing for a long time.

What did I notice?

Understanding Energy Through Science and Sensation

Woman meditating cross-legged on rock in forest with sunlight streaming through trees

Understanding Energy Through Science and Sensation

When people hear the word energy, reactions can vary widely.

For some, the word feels deeply familiar and intuitive. For others, it can sound vague, mystical, or difficult to connect with scientifically. And honestly, I understand that skepticism. We live in a world that often asks us to separate what is measurable from what is experiential, as though something must be fully explained to have value.

But the more I’ve explored Reiki, breathwork, meditation, and nervous system awareness, the more I’ve come to see that the body itself is already an incredibly energetic system.

Every moment of every day, my body is communicating through electrical impulses, chemical reactions, neurological signaling, movement, and sensation. Much of what I experience emotionally and physically is tied to exchanges happening beneath my conscious awareness.

The nervous system, for example, operates through electrical signals constantly traveling throughout the body. Neurons communicate through electrochemical impulses that allow us to think, move, feel, react, and perceive the world around us.

Healing Begins When the Body Feels Safe

Woman practicing reiki healing in living room

There are emails waiting before we even get out of bed.

Texts buzzing during dinner.

Teams notifications lighting up the screen.

News alerts. Calendars. Deadlines. Expectations.

Sometimes modern life can feel like we are constantly “on.”

I know there are days when it feels as though the moment my eyes open, I am already on duty. There is always something that needs attention, something unfinished, something demanding energy. The pressure to keep moving — to keep producing, responding, achieving, and keeping up — can become overwhelming.

And even when the day finally ends, true rest can feel difficult to reach.

Sleep may become the only respite we allow ourselves, yet deeply resting is hard when the body has spent the entire day activated and alert.

Many of us are living with chronically activated nervous systems without fully realizing it.

The body was designed to protect us from danger, and one of the systems responsible for that protection is the sympathetic nervous system — often known as the “fight-or-flight” response.

When the brain perceives danger or stress, the sympathetic nervous system activates automatically. The body begins preparing for survival.

The eyes widen.

The heart rate increases.

The lungs relax airway muscles to improve oxygen delivery.

The digestive system slows so energy can be redirected elsewhere.

The liver releases stored energy to be used quickly.

The body mobilizes itself to move, react, and survive.

This system is incredibly intelligent and necessary when real danger is present.

But the nervous system does not always distinguish between a life-threatening emergency and the stress of modern life.

Healing Begins When the Body Feels Safe

There are emails waiting before we even get out of bed.

Texts buzzing during dinner.

Teams notifications lighting up the screen.

News alerts. Calendars. Deadlines. Expectations.

Sometimes modern life can feel like we are constantly “on.”

And even when the day finally ends, true rest can feel difficult to reach.

Sleep may become the only respite we allow ourselves, yet deeply resting is hard when the body has spent the entire day activated and alert.

Many of us are living with chronically activated nervous systems without fully realizing it.

The body was designed to protect us from danger, and one of the systems responsible for that protection is the sympathetic nervous system — often known as the “fight-or-flight” response.

When the brain perceives danger or stress, the sympathetic nervous system activates automatically. The body begins preparing for survival.

The eyes widen.

The heart rate increases.

The lungs relax airway muscles to improve oxygen delivery.

The digestive system slows so energy can be redirected elsewhere.

The liver releases stored energy to be used quickly.

The body mobilizes itself to move, react, and survive.

This system is incredibly intelligent and necessary when real danger is present.

But the nervous system does not always distinguish between a life-threatening emergency and the stress of modern life.

Reiki Begins With the Breath

Woman sitting cross-legged on cushions meditating with eyes closed in a traditional Japanese room

Many of us move through our days without ever fully breathing.

Stress has a way of quietly changing the body. The shoulders tighten. The jaw clenches. Thoughts begin moving faster than we can process them. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, the breath becomes shallow and constricted.

When we’re anxious, overwhelmed, rushing from task to task, or emotionally overloaded, we often begin breathing only into the upper chest without even realizing it. This shallow style of breathing can intensify the mental fog, tension, and anxiety we already feel. The body interprets fast, restricted breathing as a signal that we are unsafe or under pressure.

Over time, many people become disconnected from the natural rhythm of their breath entirely.

In Reiki practice, breath is foundational because it helps guide us back into presence, awareness, and connection with ourselves.

One of the most grounding breathing techniques used within Eastern healing traditions is called Hara breathing.

TRE – Integration

Woman lying on back on purple yoga mat with knees bent and feet together indoors

TRE is not only about release.
It is also about integration.

The shaking is just one part of the practice. What comes after matters too. Rest, stillness, hydration, reflection, and giving the body time to reorganize.

Growth

Finding sparks when things feel unclear

There is a time in many transitions when inspiration seems to disappear.

The feeling excitement is now distant. Motivation feels quiet. Ideas don’t arrive the way they used to. It’s easy to wonder if something inside you has gone still.

But often, inspiration hasn’t disappeared at all. It’s volume has changed.

In times of certainty, inspiration can feel loud, energizing, propeling us forward. But in transition, inspiration becomes quieter. It whispers instead of shouts. It shows up in small moments rather than big visions.

And because we’re used to looking for big visions, we sometimes miss it.

A New Space for Stillness: Live Virtual Reiki

Green armchair with pillow and blanket, sleeping cat, book, potted plants, side table with lamp and candle, window overlooking garden

A quiet space in your home

Explore Reiki Practice

I’m excited to begin offering Live Virtual Reiki practice on Zoom — a gentle and intentional way to receive Reiki, breath practice, meditation, and quiet support from the comfort of your own space.

There is something deeply comforting about being able to pause, breathe, and reconnect without needing to travel or rush through your day. These individual sessions were created with simplicity and peace in mind, offering space to slow down and receive care wherever you are.

A New Space for Stillness: Live Virtual Reiki

A quiet space in your home

Explore Reiki Practice

A New Space for Stillness: Live Virtual Reiki

A quiet space in your home

Explore Reiki Practice

I’m excited to begin offering Live Virtual Reiki Sessions through Zoom — a gentle and intentional way to receive Reiki, breath practice, meditation, and quiet support from the comfort of your own space.