Laughter is the best medicine.
Even before menopause, I would run incredibly hot during sessions. I figured it was just nervous energy, but I needed to discover how to channel it. I learned to wear slip-off shoes even in winter, to send the nervous energy through my feet into the earth to be grounded.
Then I heard about Reiki, the passing of energy for the most beneficial good, and instantly became intrigued. It has been an amazing adjunct, whether combined with hypnotherapy or as a modality on its own. Developed by Dr. Mikao Usui in Japan during the early 1900s, Reiki is one way to tap into universal energy.
When I enrolled, I expected to learn some techniques much like learning massage. To my surprise, what we really did was about fifteen hours of meditation. After being attuned, we were taught how to facilitate the flow of energy and the release of negativity.
I had a profound vision during my Reiki I class, which included being deeply in service to Jesus by washing his feet with my hair, cleaning his wounds, and assisting him. Now, I was not brought up Christian; if anything, my parents are militant agnostics, so this was very unexpected.
After this class, I was qualified to perform self-Reiki, to pass energy through my own body to facilitate relaxation and thus the healing process. I also noticed a new relationship with animals - cats in particular come running up to me in the street, a phenomenon I like to call Rei-kitty.
After a year of practice, I went for Reiki II in order to learn how to assist others. Another fifteen-hour meditation ensued. Once again, I set my intention to be in service, and this time I saw myself before Mary Magdalene, washing her feet with my hair, wiping away her tears, knowing my role is to offer comfort and compassion to those who have suffered loss and grief.
Another year passed, and I decided to go for my Reiki III, the ability to do distance healings. It was a period of conflict and inner confusion, so I set the intention to experience clarity. On the last day of our attunements, nine students circled me on the massage table, the last one to receive the Reiki energy that day. One student laid her hands on my temples, another on my ankles, and the others formed a linking bridge to continuously pass energy through my being. “Clarity, clarity, clarity,” I chanted in my head, “Clarity, clarity, clarity.” When Jim Carrey appeared…
Yes, Jim Carrey, snorting like a crazy man, a bottle of sinus medication in one hand, laughing at me, saying, "Clarity? You want Clarity? Try this for clarity, Kayla. Try lightening up!"
Yes, how to stop taking myself so seriously, cultivate lightheartedness, how to see humor in my situation, how to inspire through the ultimate medicine, laughter.
I have a deep respect for Reiki and practice every day. But I always have a secret smile before we begin, blessing the situation in the name of Jesus, Mary, and Jim.
(Excerpt from Laphrodite's Guide to Mindful Menopause or the Adventures of a Baby Crone)
