Healing Hands and My Journey
I am grateful to be celebrating the 40th anniversary of my graduation as a Physical Therapist from Marquette University this year! During our Junior year, our class was honored with a ‘Pinning Ceremony.’ It was quite an event complete with Mass at Gesu Church on Marquette’s campus and a festive gala at a fancy hotel in downtown Milwaukee. During the Mass we were all blessed, and the priest then proclaimed that we now had ‘healing hands.’ Wow! That was quite moving and very exciting for me back then! By the time I graduated, at the oh-so-grown up age of 21, I was ready to heal the world!! Off I went to my first job with my Marquette University education, my crisp white lab coat, and of course….my ‘healing hands!!’
My Mom and I at my Pinning Ceremony
I was ready to heal the world alright, but the people in the world…well…they and their bodies didn’t always cooperate! I had such wonderful colleagues who taught me so much, and we did help many people improve. For some people, though, the healing just didn’t happen. I often wondered, “Hmmm? I wonder what else I could’ve done?’
Looking back now, I realize that, for some people and their circumstances, there is a lot more to healing necessary than I was equipped to offer them. Often, the patients with the most chronic and severe pain and debilitation also suffered from difficult emotional pain and had very traumatic things happening in their lives, or that had happened in their past. It was my first inclination that there was something beyond just the physical affecting our bodies.
Much research has been done which shows that the totality of our being involves our body, our emotions, our minds, and our spirits. My interest in the thread of this connection led me to learn the practice of Reiki. Reiki allows me to help clients to clear heaviness and blockages from their natural energy system which are caused by the stressors of daily life. I am now blessed to be able to use both traditional physical therapy techniques integrated with the healing powers of Reiki. I have found that this transformative healing process reduces stress, increases relaxation, and promotes overall well-being.
Finding what helps most of us on our healing journeys is much like putting together a puzzle- trying different pieces to see which ones fit. Perhaps adding the practice of Reiki can be an added piece of the puzzle for any of you who might find yourself in need of healing on any level. I welcome calls, texts, or emails to help you discern the answer to this question for yourself.
Peace and Blessings,
Pam