Guest Post from Casey Bailey: On Becoming a Reiki Practitioner

Casey was a client, now turned good friend of mine. It’s been so amazing to see her journey into an abundant life full of super-interesting twists and turns. Lately, she has been able to tap into her intuition in such amazing ways through yoga, then reiki, and now akashic records. This is Casey’s journey from Advil addict to becoming an Intuitive Reiki Practitioner. She also explains WHAT that even means, below! If you’d like to learn more, follow her at @caseyrayyoga on Instagram.

FROM CASEY:

If you asked me few years ago if I new what Reiki was… my response would be “ Reiki?! If it has anything to do with RAKING then I don’t want any part of it ”. I had no idea what Reiki was or meant and how it would CHANGE my life. 

Here’s a little background on my life. I was a dedicated athlete throughout my whole life. I participated in many sports with my specialty being gymnastics which turned into competitive cheerleading. I cheered and competed at the University of Louisville which was NCAA division I. If you watched Netflix’s documentary series called CHEER ..then you may understand the intensity of what my body went through. Throughout my athletic career, I lived on Advil and Tylenol to keep the pain at bay. Competing =LIFE. And I thrived on pushing my body to it’s limits. So popping Advil on the regularly became by routine.

After college, I hung up my cheer shoes and hit the books hard for 3 years getting my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. My mentality switched from taking medication all the time, to a more holistic/conservative way of repairing your body through mobilizations, stretching, posture/positioning, and strengthening.

Fast forward to 7 years as a practicing PT and yoga teacher searching for other ways of healing…

• I received my first reiki experience during a yoga class. Immediately, I felt the clearing of racing thoughts almost instantaneously when the instructor placed her hands on my head. It was MAGICAL! I wanted more. BOOKED my first 1 hour session which made me realize that I was being called to DO THIS. 

Through my Reiki studies, I found that I had opened up on a higher level. The more I performed reiki on myself or someone else the more I was able to energetically tap into a higher level of consciousness.  I was able to energetically connect with the client so much so that I would see visions or hear words of wisdom that I couldn’t explain. I know what you are thinking…”SURE…..YOU CAN Crazy ..followed by the BIGGEST eye roll of all time!

BUT -These messages and visions ALL resonated individually with each client. Allowing them to find deep clarity and/or heal. It opened their eyes to areas in their life and/or past events that they still are physically holding onto that doesn’t serve. IN the end of the sessions, each person received exactly what they needed. 

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So, what IS Reiki?

Reiki is an ancient Japanese hand healing technique that brings our bodies into a rest and relaxation state ( aka parasympathetic nervous system). A Reiki practitioner will hover or lightly place hands over areas of a person’s body (while they are laying or sitting comfortably) in order to create energetic homeostasis or balance.  

Why should I try Reiki now?

We now live in a society where everyone is in a CONSTANT state of survival due to being over-worked, over-booked, and over-stimulated by technology. This fast paced world creates constant FIGHT or FLIGHT mode in our bodies aka activation of sympathetic nervous system.   If our sympathetic nervous system is always activated it causes hormones (epinephrine or adrenaline) to released. This continuous surge of adrenaline if prolonged overtime can damage our vital organs overtime. 

• Some effects: increased HR or BP, poor digestion, adrenal fatigue, increased pain, insomnia, anxiety…etc. 

• Reiki calms the body down and places it into the REST and DIGEST phase (parasympathetic nervous system) allowing healing properties to occur.

• Reiki Benefits:

  • Improved sleep

  • Pain relief/management

  • Stress relief

  • Mental and emotional balance

  • Stimulating/accelerating the healing process after an injury

  • Providing clarity and spiritual growth

  • So much more!