I am grateful again to be writing for La Bella Birth and Baby about some very special and unique services that I offer to women for fertility, pregnancy and motherhood. My name is Dawn Leonard and I own Sacred Rhythms where I offer birth and fertility doula, yoga and reiki/ceremony. In the last post I wrote about my Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training and how it inspired more yoga classes. In November I will be attending a Reiki for Fertility, Pregnancy and Postpartum training that's about to rock your world!
First, what is Reiki? Reiki is the universal life energy that flows through each of us. Traditionally it is a hands-on healing technique where the practitioner channels the energy into the client for physical or energetic healing. I received my Reiki level 1 & 2 attunements in June of 2016. While I have received the attunement which connects me to the lineage, we all have access to this healing power through intention, practice and concentration. One can certainly give Reiki to herself. As Michele Stroud says, Reiki heals the wounds we cannot see.
Reiki is one specific "branded" tradition of energetic self healing, but there are others. Shamans use drumming, dreaming and astral travel. Some healers do work in the Quantum Field. Many healers are intuitives using Cranio-Sacral Therapy, BodyTalk, Acupuncture, Hypnotherapy or any number of other non-Western Medical therapies and techniques. As far as I can tell these are all versions of "healing the wounds we cannot see" on the energetic level to bring health, wellness and abundance to our lives, and the world.
According to Reiki (and most other New Age spirituality), everything physical is a manifestation of the spiritual/energetic plane. So when there is an energetic wound, we may experience physical pain, illness, disease, cancer or perhaps we don't experience the abundance, joy or love in our lives that we see other people enjoying. Perhaps we are not able to get pregnant.
Most Reiki practitioners do a healing session with a client on a massage table where the client is relaxed and passive/receptive. Since we all have access to this healing power, and since all healing is truly self-healing, I like to integrate Reiki into my yoga classes. Doing this gives my students/clients the tools to become receptive vessels for healing and access to their own power and answers for self-healing.
For example, in Conscious Conception with Yoga we will move the body intensely to create heat (a build up of energy). Then we will do a "moving meditation" in which we physically move the energy while visualizing the flow along with the intention for the flow. Hopefully, through this process a student may experience answers to her questions (internally through words, images or feelings), or feel a release of energy, or an unblocking of the flow of energy.
Another way that I love to use Reiki for motherhood is with ceremony. Much of Reiki is about intention, focused attention and ritual. Just like ceremony. And I love doing ceremony because it reminds us of how special, even sacred, the experiences of our lives are. Most of the time we celebrate an upcoming birth by playing games to guess baby names or the size of mom's belly, and then shower all the gifts upon the child. When baby is born, most of the focus is on baby. Many families consecrate baby with a baptism, but all of this seems to leave out mother.
I am seeing a shift in the world toward recognizing the work of mothering and raising children coming back into focus (for example, even discussing the idea of paid maternity leave as a basic human right), so that is inspiring. We can honor each other as well by acknowledging the sacred nature of becoming a mother. I offer several group and individual sessions or ceremonies which put nurturing mother front and center.
As we gather in a group, set a collective intention, and visualize what will manifest, this is a healing process.
In case Reiki sounds a little too pagan or "hocus-pocus" for you, consider these Bible verses:
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:19-21, New International Version (NIV)
and
Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Luke 8:47-48, New International Version (NIV)
Some say we are entering the age of the new Christ Consciousness.
So ask yourself, have I been honored in my transition to becoming a mother? Do I have invisible wounds that are holding me back from my joy? Am I prepared emotionally to birth this child? Would someone please remove me from my daily life for a moment to nurture me!?
Sacred Rhythms can offer you energetic support as you move into motherhood (or expand your family further). Here is a quick synopsis of the Reiki and ceremony that I offer.
Mother Blessing Ceremony
A Mother Blessing ceremony is a gathering of the mother-to-be and her closest women family and friends to create a sacred bond of love, support and power as she prepares for the birth and the experience of motherhood. Each ceremony is unique to the mother and any rituals or traditions she is called to. The circle of women initiates a support team in the time of transition and through the powerful experience of birth. Because when the baby is born, a mother is also born, and she too needs to be received, nurtured and supported on her journey. A Mother Blessing is for a first-time mom or a fifth-time time - it doesn't matter how many children she has birthed, each experience is different and sacred. Learn more.
Postnatal Sealing Ceremony
After the birth of a baby, regardless of the method, a space is open and empty within mother. The Postnatal Sealing Ceremony includes a cleansing ritual, blessings, abdominal massage, the "closing the bones" ritual and space for processing. The purpose of the ceremony is to close the physical and energetic doorways that were opened during the birth, to nurture the new mother so that she may nurture her family and to allow space for processing the events of the birth. After the ceremony, mother will also receive a belly binding which connects and supports this sacred time to the mundane aspects of motherhood. Learn more.
Healing After Birth Circle
Is talking about or thinking about your child’s birth difficult? Did you experience physical or emotional trauma while giving birth? Have you experienced a loss? Come share your story and begin to heal those unseen wounds. Whether this trauma occurred a few months ago or years ago, you are welcome to join us in this safe space. Learn more.
Other One-on-One Blessing or Healing Ceremonies
I have been asked about a Baby Blessing, a Womb Blessing and even a Home Blessing. I am happy to help you create a ceremony for any of your blessings, or just to offer you a simple, hands-on-healing session without any of the fanfare. Learn more.
Again, I am thankful to Chelsea Tate for the opportunity to share my services with you. You can learn more about me at my website www.sacred-rhythms.com or email me at sridawn@gmail.com. And as a special gift for making it all the way to the end of this blog post, I have a free gift for you here!
