Thoughts on Reiki and Finding a Spiritual Path Outside of Religion

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:00:00] Kimber (2): Welcome back to the, just be your bad self podcast. Where you are worthy of love, just the way you are. I'm your host, Kimber Dutton. And today I'm talking with Reiki, master Steve Hansen. Steve is a Reiki master teacher who is all about spreading wellness and inspiring hope. He feels most at home immersed in nature, connecting with others and getting creative.

[00:00:25] He and his massage therapist husband, both work with Reiki and currently love living in Salt Lake City, Utah.

[00:00:32] This is one of my favorite interviews that I've done, because we get to talk about spirituality and finding a spiritual path that is separate from religion.

[00:00:41] Kimber (2): This is something that I haven't really talked about before, but I think it's a super important topic to cover in regards to authenticity.

[00:00:48] And I couldn't have asked for a more engaging discussion partner than Steve.

[00:00:53] Welcome

[00:00:53] Kimber: Steve. Thank you so much for being willing to join us on the podcast today.

[00:00:59] Steve: Thank you for having me. This is exciting.

[00:01:01] Kimber: I want you to just introduce a little bit about yourself, kind of give us an overview of who you are and then we'll get going into your story.

[00:01:08] Steve: Okay. So I'm Steve Hanson. I am a Reiki master and I wanted to explain just a little bit about that idea and not label because I don't think it means quite what people think that it means. The way that like Reiki itself is translated into English so that we can use it and work with it. Reiki master just means that I've received enough training to be able to teach Reiki. So it, in no way means that I'm a master at this modality.

[00:01:37] I think a lot of people kind of have that expectation or assume that about the title and not something I want to be clear about is that I'm in a level of learning where I'm just beginning to be proficient in working with the modality.

[00:01:50] Not by any means. Very accomplished with it. So I'm still in that stage of like, yeah, I'm, I'm a very much a student and I like people to understand that before I start, talking about Reiki itself. I grew up in a small town, a small LDS town and was gay. Never really had a chance to embrace or come to terms with that in that setting.

[00:02:15] I did all of the sort of checklist, Mormon life path, things of, you know, like go on a mission. I came back and went to very church schools. So junior college in Southeastern Arizona, where it was a very strong Mormon influence. It felt very safe being there. And also just not coming to terms with like, well, I don't need to face the sexuality part of who I am. I'm trying to just like follow this, this checklist and see if things will play out for me. And then decided to attend to BYU Idaho and got my degree in geology. And there, that just happened to be the place where I came to terms with who I am and embraced fully. The sexuality part, and that's been a huge transition and almost like a launching place of like, okay, now life is wide open for me.

[00:03:11] And it's just been kind of unfolding since then. And Reiki.

[00:03:15] has been this thing that naturally flowed in and aligned with my path in a way that helped me to begin to sort of unravel some of the harm that I feel came because of like me not fitting in. Not really having a space within the LDS social structure and theology.

[00:03:38] Kimber: If you're comfortable, I would love to know a little bit more about that transition at BYU, Idaho, and how that was for you.

[00:03:48] Learning to Love Yourself

[00:03:48] Steve: Yeah. Really, interestingly enough, I went to BYU, Idaho because I knew that it was like a faith affirming school and it felt very comfortable and safe. Like it's just a natural, like I can enter this setting that I'm very I guess adept at like, I know my place and if I follow the gospel plan, things work out and I continued to have things play out in my personal life where I have like close friends or people that I'm really closely connected to go on a journey of self acceptance and coming out and everything inside me was telling me like, that's your that's kind of your path. But it was totally like this inner conflict as well, where it's like, well, how do I reconcile that with my faith?

[00:04:36] And it really led to some really hard soul searching really considering where I was at personally and really what it came down to was I began to notice that as I would pray, I didn't have a sense of fear or shame in addressing God or like imagining being in the presence of Jesus. It just felt like, oh, there's that pure love?

[00:05:00] And it's, it's just this natural, beautiful, loving connection. And in contrast to that, when I would have to, like, for example, talk to a priesthood leader about transgressions, it was so starkly different. It felt like so difficult and shameful and like You're a bad person. So that contrast began to. Be very noticeable, especially at BYU, Idaho.

[00:05:24] And so seeing other friends walk this path of like, Hey, I'm choosing. To be authentic and to embrace who I am and seeing suddenly their life just starts to sort of blossom. Like they were kind of withdrawn before and suddenly there's this fully actualized person. That's just like finding joy in life.

[00:05:45] And that lived experience of like nice, like witnessing that happening for other people really just like that really hit home in a way that like, I couldn't deny. That there was a valid other option for me that what I had been told, I guess, around who I was, was not really playing out as I had been taught.

[00:06:07] It would that, like, these things are supposed to lead to you being miserable. And like it's, it's one of the worst things and that's just against God's plan. So all of that was so heavily taught, , But what I was seeing in the real world play out before me was so different. And so I began to have like the beginnings of that shift into like, I need to consider all of my possibilities because up until that point, I felt very much like I was a player on the sideline where yes, I'm a part of this team.

[00:06:40] But if I wanted to like, have a real physical connection with someone, if I wanted to hold hands, Or date or even experienced what it's like to have a, a kiss or romance or any of those things that was off limits to me by like divine decree. Like I could not have that. And so just seeing that possibility open up of like, yeah, people actually make a life that.

[00:07:05] That just really began to set the stage for me to come out and to embrace who I was. And the moment that I did I actually, there was a, a specific day that I remember where I actually said to myself I'm gay and it was, it was such a different, like that was so hard to even do, to even speak those words to myself.

[00:07:28] And from then on, it was just like this. I don't know, like I can't, it's hard to put words to it, but I viewed the world very differently. Suddenly that, that motion of self-acceptance shifted me into a place that I viewed people in general very differently. So what was happening inside with that self-acceptance rippled outward to every other person I met. I just remember going to a gas station, like that's the first public place I went after having that moment of like realization and like confirmation of like you're gay, I'm seeing a man walk out of the gas station and he's rugged. He's like untrimmed beard, a lot of tattoos and he's smoking a cigarette.

[00:08:12] And for some reason I just felt this very natural. There's human connection there. I'm not viewing him through this lens of I'm avoiding you because of like this little checklist of like all the things that you're doing that I don't like suddenly I was just seeing him as like, oh my gosh, there's another person.

[00:08:30] And there was no it's like that barrier between me and the other was just completely like gone.

[00:08:38] Kimber: You're saying about that is resonating with me so much. I didn't, I've never had to come out about my sexual orientation, but I feel like leaving the LDS church and admitting to myself that I didn't believe these things anymore was a similar experience for me. And I remember writing, I just journaled pages and pages.

[00:08:58] And one of the things I wrote was like, I mean, lots of pain, lots of scariness, but the positive side of leaving was like, I feel like I'm free to love people to finally love people the way I've been taught to love people. And by the way, by this religion, that kind of prevented me from doing that, right?

[00:09:15] Like, I can love people who are gay or who have tattoos or have all of these things that have seemed scary to me in the past. Now I don't have to worry about that because it's not this issue of right or wrong. Like you said, it's just like, We're all humans. And, and I love that. You said that by accepting yourself, that's what made it so that you could have this human connection and view other people through this different lens.

[00:09:41] That's so beautiful.

[00:09:42] Steve: Yeah. And I feel like from that point it was just a natural unfolding for me. It wasn't like I was really trying to expand or come out even more and more and more, or like move into different places or mindset. It was just. That acceptance was the starting point of just like, kind of like a teen, my other friends.

[00:10:02] There's a, like, it seems like a blossoming, like you're able to suddenly become fully formed as an individual. And it's it's very much rooted in knowing who you are and honoring it. And I hadn't been able to do that before.

[00:10:18] Kimber: So did you come out to other people pretty quickly after. We're able to tell yourself I'm gay or was it a pretty long

[00:10:27] Steve: Yeah, I think I was gradually doing that because there were friends that I knew I could feel safe coming out too. And so I would just gradually tell individuals one by one and eventually. I had built up this group of friends that all do, and it just was a natural process?

[00:10:46] from there of like, okay, my family deserves to know this and I'm having those conversations again on a very one, you know, one-on-one so it wasn't easy, especially with my family.

[00:10:59] They're such a, I guess the stakes are higher because you've invested. A lifetime of closeness and that's sort of your like main foundational support socially. Like that's your, that's your roots. And so not knowing how that would go. It was a very gradual thing, but overall, I felt like I was met with just very loving responses.

[00:11:24] Even if there wasn't understanding. I could tell that I was genuinely like, loved and cared about, and I feel very fortunate because that's not always. True of people coming out everyone's journey is so different. And that's one thing that I have really wanted to emphasize is like, don't use me as a model for how to live life.

[00:11:42] Just because something worked for me it really goes into that like individual guidance from within like we're all gifted with so much within us that is so unique to us, but as absolutely our guidance and. It's almost like you have to fight to suppress it rather than like, what we're meant to do is embody the person that we came to earth as, like that tiny little infant that was born into the world is just full of purpose.

[00:12:12] And they don't even have any question about that. It's just that when we start to have. Interactions with people and with the life that we start to change that. And so for me, the process has very much been about shedding layers, shedding, all of those other things that are placed on me. And really it's a journey of discovery of self.

[00:12:34] And I feel like that's, that's the best and most powerful, like self-empowering thing that any person can do. Well, what's really in there below all the layers of what I've been told I am or all of the things that are on the outside that I judge myself for of like, what's my body. Like, or, or how, you know, how, how do people respond to me personally, like my personality and all the traits that I come with and all of my baggage, like, you know what, it's all you, and it's all perfectly you.

[00:13:04] And there's like this rich purpose right in the center of it. And so accessing. I can take time and it can be really challenging and honestly painful and scary, but that's where, that's where I would want everyone to go is like, no, there's, there's divine right within you. And it's, it's there to lead you.

[00:13:26] And I, I definitely love that part of my journey.

[00:13:30] Navigating Spirituality Without Religion

[00:13:30] Kimber: I just read something like two days ago. I think that said exactly what you're saying, which is it was talking about how we all feel like we're trying to become something and we've embarked on this journey of becoming, but what if to become. Is really to just, unbecome all of these things we've been taught that aren't really who we are.

[00:13:52] I love that idea. So take us a little bit. You, you went to two pretty conservative religious schools. How did you go from that point to where you are now with doing Reiki? Cause you would still consider yourself a spiritual person. I imagine.

[00:14:11] Steve: Yeah, that that was interesting because like the coming out accepting sexuality, it's almost like it's so much in your body that like it's undeniable. And so once you accept that, it, it just sort of, I don't know, there was a part of me that really wanted to do. Maintain, like I know the experiences I've had in the church resonate with me.

[00:14:34] There's still some like spiritual core things. I'm not just going to throw away. And the more I was in the culture at BYU, I, the less. I guess the lesson resonated with me. The culture itself was really challenging. And so it began to be like this contrast of like, that's not really who I am. And so by the time I was finishing up school, I knew that I was just bound to explore having a relationship and moving beyond.

[00:15:03] At least socially beyond the church, because I reached the point where I, I could just tell that what was being taught about me in the church was unsafe. That I shouldn't have to endure like people talking that way about something that maybe they don't understand. And so for me, it just felt like a natural step to like, well, I'm gonna just step out of church activity and not really have to.

[00:15:28] Worry about that at the time, like at the time being. But as I took that step outside, socially things became clearer for me. And so belief in the core things that I had held to naturally started to become clearer and a little bit more understood. And I think. Really disoriented. I'm going to be honest.

[00:15:50] I was really not sure of like, well, where does that leave me? Because this is my foundation in reality. Like, this is what reality has been for me, my entire life. So without it, what does that look like? And does that even, is that even a safe place to go? So I actually remember a day riding the train to work.

[00:16:11] And just as the train was sort of like shifting around feeling like this is like my life right now of like, I don't know where I'm at and I feel a little bit like disoriented and not steady. And not long after that, I somehow heard about meditation. So I started getting into just like, learning about what meditation was and that just really opened up this natural.

[00:16:37] I guess way for me to connect to something higher as I would just still my mind and allow myself to really relax into a meditation. It was almost instantly I would get just like this really great feeling of being connected. And like, I don't know if I even knew what to call the, I guess, the source of that connection or what was behind it at the time, but, and maybe not even today, but.

[00:17:04] What I was experiencing was very felt within me. And it was very real and resonant. So having that connection comes so easily through something like meditation, that became my approach to spirituality without knowing all of the answers. It's like let's strip away all of the things, all of the sort of technicalities around belief, and let's just meet.

[00:17:29] Me and the universe one-on-one and see what's there and wherever someone's at in their, in their belief or faith, I feel like that is such a beautiful thing because connecting to source, connecting to something beyond us or, or whatever, you know, that looks like for you I think is really valuable.

[00:17:50] Kimber: I can't help, but compare everyone's stories to what I went through. And I'm curious if you went through a stage where. I'll just tell you what I went through and then you can tell me if you went through something similar. I went through a stage where I did not want, I totally shut myself down spiritually.

[00:18:09] I was, I felt like I was a pretty spiritual person within the church. And when I, when I. Came to the conclusion for myself that I didn't believe in that religion. I shut everything down spiritually and was like, none of it's true. You know, I felt gullible, betrayed, and felt by felt betrayed by my own feelings.

[00:18:29] Right. Because you have these spiritual experiences within religion. And you think that's like proof that this is the truth. And so I got to a point for a little while where I didn't even trust my own feelings about things. And I know a lot of people that really leave religion and go right into. Atheism and science is the only way to prove anything.

[00:18:53] And it took me a few years to get to a point where I felt like I could even explore spirituality again. Did you go through a phase like that?

[00:19:02] Steve: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I so after kind of like, just stop, like after I stopped going to church, I began to, it's weird how the universe just kind of like puts things in your path. So I started to, I guess, explore some of the church history things and different aspects of like, well, what is that about?

[00:19:21] Because I'm in a place to explore it now because I don't. like I'm in a, such a different place mentally that?

[00:19:26] I can just look at it honestly and see what's there. And so as soon as I started that, like that journey into those things A lot of things resolved pretty quickly of like, oh, I see what this is now.

[00:19:39] Like, I can see clearly what the structure of this thing is this organization. And I was also upset. I was feeling like I had endured harm under the name of Jesus. So I had like this aversion to even that image or that symbol of the person of Jesus, like that church bears his name. And so Yeah.

[00:20:03] I, I had a little bit of an aversion and I didn't want to talk about church, anything with anyone.

[00:20:08] Yeah.

[00:20:09] Finding Reiki

[00:20:09] Steve: And the things that I was experiencing on a spiritual level, through like meditation, We're very real and meaningful to me. And it didn't have anything to do with an intermediary. Like somebody telling me or dictating this is what it is. It's like, well, now I'm experiencing my own connection in the, like in the way that it works for me studying geology it put me in the path of crystals and in a very scientific way, like studying all the details of like, here's what.

[00:20:38] Makes it crystal this way. And here's what all these different families and structures and like all of the details. So I was like a huge fan of crystals and that led me to different rock shops here in salt lake. And one of them happened to have group meditations on a regular basis. And I was a little bit.

[00:20:59] Shy about that. Like I felt, I'm not sure that's for me because I have my own thing going. It's very comfortable. It's in my own space and it's, it works for me, but I just kept feeling this tug of like, try that out, check that out. And so I went and long story short, the guy leading the meditations was a Reiki master and he was using Reiki and sound in these meditation settings.

[00:21:24] And it was really. Impactful. Like I would go to these meditations and leave feeling just like elevated and like vibing with like this really sort of blissful energy. And from there, Reiki just kind of kept showing up like random people in my life suddenly were learning Reiki. And so from there I knew that there was something calling to me in Reiki and I didn't know what it was.

[00:21:49] And I have this sense of. I don't even know why, but for some reason I just post to learn Reiki and even sitting down like signing up for a class and sitting down in that first class, I was like, why am I here? This is not something that I. Wanting to do specifically. I, I have a job. I have a life, like, why am I here?

[00:22:11] It's all because the universe was aligning me with the things that were good for me, and I didn't understand it going into it, but as it unfolds, it's just, step-by-step helping me to go gently in to every layer of like the thing that I need for myself. Like a thing that. Will help me heal certain layers of my past and helped me address things just very gently and gradually.

[00:22:37] What is Reiki?

[00:22:37] Kimber: Can you give us a little bit of context? There are probably some listeners who don't even know what Reiki is. Can you give us kind of a, yeah. Some context overview of what Reiki is.

[00:22:47] Steve: Yeah. And that's like a, like a question that I. Love. And I also struggle with, because in my mind, Reiki has just like this huge, huge thing. And so I'm going to give you like a couple blips of what it is. So at its heart. So there's the Reiki energy, and then the Reiki Modality. So using the energy to treat people as what we typically think of as, oh, that's Reiki, someone doing a treatment on another person.

[00:23:12] I very much thought that before I learned Reiki. So at its core, the Japanese words, Ray and QI. So it's two words and key people are probably more familiar with like or Prawna life force energy. It's just a natural flow of like everything that is animated. In our world and in our universe is flowing with this natural energy and our bodies are built of it.

[00:23:36] So it's like the re part of it is.

[00:23:39] divine guidance. And so there is something that some people are somewhat like leery of with bringing the word divine in, but really like, it's just this higher level of consciousness that's guiding the process of energy. And so that's kind of how, I guess I break it down.

[00:23:58] And at its very simplest, it's just a Japanese method for stress reduction.

[00:24:04] Kimber: So talk about the modality a little bit more. What are you doing with people's energy? If they come in for a session.

[00:24:12] Steve: Yeah. So really for me, a big part of learning Reiki was like, and this continues to be an understanding is that it starts within. Like before I can share Reiki with someone else, I have to work on myself. And so I'm using Reiki for self-treatment way more than I'm using it for anyone else. And that was a surprise because again, that concept of like, well, Reiki is a modality used to treat other people and what I'm experiencing and what I've kind of grown and seen through all of the things that I've experienced in Reiki and learned about it.

[00:24:49] Is, I'm basically I'm in a position to invite that flow of energy, almost like a conduit. And just trying to allow myself to be there in present, holding space for a process to happen for this energy to flow in. And it basically goes to the different areas of the body that need pathways cleared. So it's all about like there's areas in your energy.

[00:25:14] Held within your, your body's energy that are stuck or stagnant and Reiki flows in and helps to just resolve that and to like restore that natural flow of energy in the body. There's, there's a lot of like indication that what's happening. Just on a, like a scientific level is this idea of entrainment where, when someone's in a state of coherence, so like a very specific calm, but alert, state, everyone that is around that person begins to experience that same state.

[00:25:49] And it's like, their energy begins to match that same state that is being put off by the other person.

[00:25:56] Kimber: Like a tuning fork.

[00:25:57] Steve: Oh, yeah. Oh yeah.

[00:25:59] Kimber: Have you seen that? I'm a music major? Well, you're a musical guy too, right? You hit a tuning fork. And if anything, in the vicinity that matches that frequency will start resonating with that

[00:26:08] Steve: That's a great, like pull in. I love that. It's. It's a very real and measurable thing that we have a biofield and that's like that's undeniable with, even with science. So I love seeing that convergence of like I'm from a scientific background. So I like to understand like, what's going on there.

[00:26:26] I think it's, it's much more natural to be leery of like, oh, that's just like, You can't even know what it is, and it's just the person putting their hands on a person or sending energy. So it's really cool to see how it can be measured. Like we have a field extending out from, especially our heart. Our heart is like, One of the most, like, it's like an energy hub in our bodies that has its own energy field and it can just be amplified outward to everyone around us.

[00:26:54] So we're not perceiving it so much as we go about our day, but it's a very real thing that people can sense and be aware of. And that's something that I've really gained. And appreciation for, and like practiced as I've begin to work with Reiki. So you were talking about like how, how a treatment works.

[00:27:15] And I calling in that energy and basically like allowing that flow to happen. I suddenly begin to be more sensitive to energy as well. For some people that's almost like a nightmare because. As a coping mechanism, we want to shut off. Like, we don't want to feel all The stuff around us that can be really challenging and just like overwhelming.

[00:27:38] And what Reiki allows for is a very different approach where I don't feel things in a way that that I'm overwhelmed and that I have, like this support system flowing in with. Reiki energy allowing me to just hold space and not be so like, I guess I'm personally connected to everything that I'm sensing and feeling.

[00:28:02] Midroll

[00:28:02] Kimber: We're going to take a quick break from this episode to tell you that now it's your turn to just be your bad self. If you're looking for a safe space where you can feel like you are enough, just the way you are. Come join me at one of my retreats, where we do fun activities and workshops that center around authenticity.

[00:28:19] And self-love. You can get more information about these events and purchase tickets on my website. Just be your best self.com. And with that, let's get back to the episode.

[00:28:31] Science and Energy Work

[00:28:31] Kimber: The question that I just want to ask more about is, so you come from a scientific background, you're a geology major, right? And you you've gone into this a little bit, but how I have just started getting into a little more, what people would call woo-hoo kind of stuff. But I don't talk about it very much because I feel embarrassed about it, right?

[00:28:52] Like I don't have all the studies and whatever. This is a lot of, it's just kind of fun to believe and it feels like it works for me. So I'm having fun exploring it right now. How do you kind of what's the word I'm looking for? I can't think of the word,

[00:29:06] Steve: Reconcile reconciled.

[00:29:07] Kimber: that's the word yes. How do you reconcile this?

[00:29:10] Like scientists scientific and you've got a background in this with this more spiritual practice that you've been doing?

[00:29:18] Steve: Yeah. That's like the best question ever. And I think part of it is that what I've gone into with Reiki is experiential. So I'm seeing. Real results working with this energy time and time again, that every time that I step into that role of, okay, this is a Reiki, you know, I'm doing Reiki treatment.

[00:29:39] I'm having real experiences that exactly match up with what the person receiving is experiencing. And beyond that Reiki is one of the modalities that has been studied. Using science. So it hasn't had a lot of traction because science doesn't typically want to fund something like let's study what Reiki does, but because it has been proven to be like a really effective stress reduction therapy, hospitals are interested in it because it's like recovery time and you spending less time in the hospital.

[00:30:13] That that's amazing and let's look into it. So there's actually been.

[00:30:18] some really good work done around, like we can't measure what's going on in a Reiki session, but we can put sensors on a person that's receiving Reiki and we can see like what's going on with brainwaves, with their heart rate and blood pressure, all of the ways that we can sense what's happening in a person's body.

[00:30:37] It, it shows that exact principle. Trends or the word that I just use in training where the person embodying, like the person calling in Reiki begins to have that state of coherence. And then it begins to just like naturally flow to the client and they're experiencing stress reduction. And there's also like we can even check levels of different anti-inflammatory components in the bloodstream and finding out that like, The parasympathetic nervous system releases these things that promotes like anti-inflammatory response and that's happening as a person receives Reiki.

[00:31:16] So,

[00:31:17] Kimber: Do they attribute it to like placebo effect because the power of the brain alone is so powerful. Right. Or do they think something else is going

[00:31:24] Steve: right. So that's an another great component to the question of the studies and how they're designed. So what they do with people in the studies is they have. A control group set up that receives fake Reiki. So they have people who are not trained in Reiki, kind of go through the motions of the same, same practice so that the participant doesn't know whether or not they're receiving Reiki.

[00:31:48] And so they're able to measure like here's the control groups results compared to the Reiki groups results and another. Really cool thing. I'm getting excited. Sorry, is working with animals and Reiki because the animals don't have a, like an understanding of what we're about. Like as far as the experiment goes.

[00:32:08] So allowing, so taking like lab rats and treating them with Reiki and having a control group, that's not doing the same thing and they're in a stressful environment where. Noise is causing agitation. So

[00:32:22] Seeing those results play out. It is, is really affirming of like, there's something there happening, even though we don't quite understand the mechanism, we can see that there was real results that are playing out.

[00:32:35] And to me, that's just continuing to confirm, like, there's something here that's beneficial to us. And when we talk about like going into the Wu and almost being ashamed of it, it's like, that's absolutely classic of. Our society is so far into, like, we're looking for external source to somehow like fix something physically.

[00:32:56] And it leaves us in a place of like, but what about my own personal, like just innate ability to access goodness or access wellness. And that's why I love Reiki. Is it just gives you that ability to tap into things that are just abundantly here for us.

[00:33:13] Kimber: I love that. So I want to know, are there certain things that tend to be more successfully healed using Reiki than other things? Or is it like a comfort? All your ails will cure everything.

[00:33:25] Steve: I think that I'm leaning much more on the side of it's really good at certain things, but it's not been proven to be beneficial, large scale for other things. So for anxiety. It is definitely like clinically proven to be really effective. That stress reduction that happens is just really good for a lot of things like anxiety.

[00:33:49] It's been proven to really reduce recovery time after surgery. It's also been shown to have like a really beneficial effect in chemo patients. So. Post chemo treatments, chemotherapy receiving Reiki actually really diminishes the impact of symptoms related to like how that impacts the human body.

[00:34:13] So I, I, those are some specifics that I know but stress reduction in itself tends to be beneficial in so many other avenues and aspects of our, like our lived condition. But yeah, I, I feel like on an individual level that there's so much that can be done to compliment what we're already receiving through Western medicine.

[00:34:35] So I see those things as being complimentary, that they really work hand in hand and that you, you need Western medicine to address certain things. And Reiki is there to sort of like lend support, you know, like after the surgery comes some Reiki treatment that allows you to really. Being in a place of healing and not feeling so like shook up by your experience, you get to really like get into that place of relaxation and deep healing that, that allows You to just have a better overall recovery.

[00:35:05] Reiki and Personal Healing

[00:35:05] Kimber: You talked earlier about how a lot of what Reiki has done for you is per personal healing. And that you're doing a lot of personal work with Reiki before you go and do anything with a client, what kind of healing have you seen for yourself? What kind of effect does that have on

[00:35:22] Steve: So I talked about anxiety. That's one thing that Reiki has proven to be just monumentally helpful for me. So I have, I struggle with being in social settings that are overwhelming. And if I have the support of that energy source and like I'm able to use the tools that I've, that I've gained through learning that modality.

[00:35:46] I just feel like that is a huge help to me of like, oh no, I've got this. It's it doesn't mean I'm invincible. And I still want to, like, I still will have a fight or flight response to some things occasionally, but by and large, I don't feel that sense of like overwhelm or like panic when it comes to my social anxiety.

[00:36:08] There's a big layer of it that I haven't mentioned yet. And that was like my relationship to that image of Jesus and. In my first Reiki class, you?

[00:36:19] do experiences there, like meditative journey type experiences in your class. And very first thing, it's like the experience where I'm supposed to be basically attuned to the Reiki energy.

[00:36:31] And the first figure that shows up in my sort of. Meditative experience. So it's not like a visual site. It's my inner inner experience was Jesus. And I just had this feeling of like, you've gotta be kidding me. Like I had just untangled myself from this entire structure and this an entire organization that caused me so much harm and suddenly in this, in this realm where I felt safe suddenly there's this image.

[00:37:01] And this person, Jesus, that's not my favorite right now. And as I even had that thought, like the image that I got was just like him shrugging his shoulders and saying like, the expression that he had on his face was just like, I'm just a guy and I know a lot about healing. And so it was almost this moment of like transition for me of like, I don't have to throw everything out that I had gained in my experience in the church.

[00:37:31] And what it allowed for me to do is to begin to work on those layers of hurt that I received through that image. And not only that, but it made it sort of made this natural bridge between me and my family, where they are still very much a part of that specific flavor of belief. . And that, that specific framework.

[00:37:53] And if I'm not reconciled to it, I I'm cut off in a large way. So if I can, I can still bridge that gap of like, oh, like I don't have any problem. Like I'm able to heal through my issues with that, that actual figure, that symbol, it gives me so much more of just this natural, like, oh, I, can connect with my family and not feel triggered with things relating to, to that. Figure figurehead. No.

[00:38:19] Kimber: I, I just went to a conference. It was a post Mormon women's conference. They did up north and one of the speakers. She used to be a BYU literature professor that taught classes on the hero's journey. And what you said just goes, like you just talked about your whole hero's journey. In a nutshell, the hero's journey is you start in like a, I think Lord of the rings is like a great comparison, right?

[00:38:42] Photo starts in the Shire. It's like the world, he knows, then something happens that calls him to go into this like realm of the night or some kind of a. Quest or journey. And then, and this is like that they call it the monomyth because every hero's journey goes through these steps. He leaves the world.

[00:39:01] He knows, he goes into this other world and has to complete, you know, different trials and, and figure things out. But then the last part of the hero's journey is that they have to go back home because if they don't go back home, they don't become a master of. Their whole world. They're still just in the, you know, this realm of the night and that return home they've become master of both worlds.

[00:39:27] And there has to be some kind of reconciliation and you come home for you. That doesn't mean you go back to being a believing member of the LDS church, but this reconciliation that you're talking about, being able to look through. Yeah, the ways you were harmed and, and the things you've gained from that and have this reconciliation with your past, that's like the end of this hero's journey.

[00:39:48] So that's really cool to hear you say that.

[00:39:51] Steve: Yeah. Like what an unexpected gift to that.

[00:39:55] like this energy called me and had me take this class and then put me in a position to like, face up to your feelings about Jesus and in your own way, like this own really personal way, begin to work at like, what does that mean now? And. Yeah, I remember very soon after taking it was only months after I had been trained in my first levels of Reiki that I went to a funeral in an LDS church.

[00:40:25] And I remember thinking like, what's this going to be? Like, because I haven't been in a church building for awhile. And is it going to feel like unsafe? You know, I was, I was wondering like, how was that going to feel with where I'm at now? And because of all of those experiences leading up to it, suddenly Reiki was just like right there with me.

[00:40:44] And I was feeling like I can actually use Reiki in this setting to help provide support to people who are dealing with tough emotions. And like, as someone's like up at the, you know, at the front giving a speech. I'm actually like able to send supportive energy to them. I can like this just natural approach of like, I can hold space for all of this.

[00:41:09] I'm not even worried about myself because of what I've received. I can just be here and not feel not feel like it's all about me or feel triggered at all. So it's just, I dunno for me, that's. That's something that just really helped and continues to work on other layers of things that I might be uncomfortable about.

[00:41:30] Finding Empowerment in Choosing Your Own Form of Spirituality

[00:41:30] Kimber: Is there anything we still have a few minutes left. Is there anything else that you feel like is really important for people to know about Reiki that we haven't? I know, you know, like so much about. Any big picture things you feel like is important for people to know about Reiki that we haven't touched on yet.

[00:41:44] Steve: I, I feel like when I talk about Reiki I'm just wanting people to have access to something that they. like it's just, it's here for us. It's something that I had no idea, like there's this vast, amazing thing. And there's cultures that have different approaches to, you know, energy work and medicine.

[00:42:04] Our bodies are built of it, but that's one thing that I, I feel like has come through for me is that like you have this you're empowered to do so much. I'm like how, how to put words to that. If it feels like you're able to reclaim so much of maybe what we didn't know we had before. So there's so many things that I feel like we outsource as humans and that's like our religious culture dictates so much of our.

[00:42:37] Well, here's your community. This is your tribe. This is your spiritual guidance. This is what's right and wrong. And that is so much

[00:42:48] I just feel like there's a level of self-empowerment that comes from tapping into something like Reiki and it doesn't have to be Reiki. I think even like expanding that message a little bit is like that idea of entrainment where really following the things that vibe for you that like really resonates.

[00:43:07] And we talked about music and I've been in situations where music has done that for me, where like being in a group in a certain building. And just having that intention combined and like harmonizing our voices and sunlight. I just feel it like all through my body and everything's lighting up and I'm like, yeah, I feel like I'm a different person after that experience.

[00:43:30] There's so much in life that's like that. So those are the things that you should seek out. Like we all are drawn to certain things like that. And the world is full of them, just full of them.

[00:43:43] Kimber: I feel like that was such a good takeaway, but I'm going to give you the, the opportunity. If you have one just succinct takeaway for the listeners, what would it be?

[00:43:52] Steve: That your like your most powerful healing is right within. We're trained to look outward for, like, I need someone to fix me. I need some help. Like I can't do this. And yeah, it's good to get help. I'm not saying don't get help, but there is this resonating truth that like deep within your core, and it's always there.

[00:44:14] There's this part of you that is dictating and like putting out your purpose and beginning that process of self-discovery. Finding a way of like seeing who you are and, and really approaching it with like compassion, because there's so much there. It can be scary. It can be really hard to start to reflect and be in that place of like, I'm gonna look at me, I'm going to work on me.

[00:44:41] Each one of us embodies , the universe encapsulated, like we are not separate. And so really finding like you are a treasure house of beautiful divine. Like each one of us has that. And the more you begin to see it, the more you're able to , see it in others. Like, oh my gosh, the world is full of all of these beautiful examples of, you know, self-love shifts everything.

[00:45:06] And it's, it's easy to say that it's a whole journey to go into it.

[00:45:10] Outro

[00:45:10] You can find Steve on his Facebook page, calming vibes, Reiki with Steve, or check out his website, calming vibes, reiki.com.

[00:45:18] Thanks for joining me today to get more nurturing around living an authentic life, you can follow me on instagram@justbeyourbadselforsubscribetomyweeklynewsletteratjustbeyourbadself.com. Your invitation this week. Start paying attention to your day-to-day activities and practices and even beliefs.

[00:45:40] What feels aligned to you? What makes you feel alive and puts you into that feeling of. What doesn't what makes you feel stuck and frustrated and out of tune? What happens if you follow what you feel drawn to and let go of the things that bring up feelings of resistance. If you enjoyed this podcast and want to leave a review, subscribe to the podcast or share it, you have my heart.

[00:46:08] Remember you are enough right now in this moment. That's it for me now. Just be your bad self.