Sharing Chios

Posted on by riverflowhealing

Since Chios Energy Healing, the modality I practice, isn’t very well-known, one of my chosen missions is to bring awareness of it to more people. That’s part of the aim behind my #Healing100, in which for 100 days, all private Chios and channeling sessions are discounted by 40% to make them more accessible to more people.

But private sessions don’t necessarily help get the word out, so I also am always thankful for the chance to offer Chios sessions or teach Chios workshops in other venues. This weekend, I get one of those opportunities! I’ll be at Elemental Energies, 27 North Berwick Road, Wells, ME from 10-4 offering Chios healing sessions. (These sessions are slightly different in terms of length and logistics from the private sessions, so the rate is lower and the #Healing100 discount does not apply.)

People are welcome to contact Elemental Energies in advance (you can find contact info on their website, http://www.chrisann-jeff.com) to guarantee a spot, or just walk in. 

Elemental Energies is a great store to visit, in my opinion. A couple of weeks ago, I brought my offspring and grandsons there, and all of them enjoyed the energy. Jeff, one of the owners, even took some time to teach my 6-year-old grandson about runes, which fascinated my grandson! So if you come in and decide not to have a Chios session, you’ll still have a wonderful experience visiting this high-vibration store.

Yeah, okay, I know this post sounds like an ad, but it does come from the heart. I teamed up with Chris Ann and Jeff to offer Chios at their store because of the incredible positive energy, and because of the chance to spread the word about Chios. And I hope to see you there!

#Healing100

Posted on by riverflowhealing

As a prospective client (for healing, coaching, channeling, etc.), I’ve often found the cost prohibitive. Not necessarily because the practitioners are overcharging; usually they aren’t, though there are some…

But because I am disabled, and I’m on an extremely tight budget. Do I put gas in my car or have an oracle card reading? Do I pay my rent or sign up with a business coach? These are the choices I face on a regular basis, especially while I’m still trying to get my own business off the ground. (Something which is also hampered by finances.)

I’ve heard others talk about how they wish they could have a healing session, or a channeling session, or work with a life coach, but they can’t afford it. And since I know how that feels, I decided to do something about it.

For 100 days, which started yesterday (Aug. 11) and runs through November 18, I’ve discounted my energy healing and channeling services *for private clients only* by 40%. It’s my hope that doing this will enable more people to benefit from the services. You can find more information on my Chios Energy Healing and Channeling pages.

(Discount does not apply to Chios Energy Healing instruction, to workshops, or to sessions held in stores.)

Upcoming Events

Posted on by riverflowhealing

I’m excited to have a few events and appearances planned over the next couple of months! Please note that these are subject to change, depending on enrollment and other factors, but as of today this is the current schedule.

On Sunday, August 18, I’ll be at Mindful Intentions, 193 River Street, Troy, NY. I visited this store when I was in Troy for my birthday a few weeks ago, and it’s an amazingly high-vibration place. I’m really looking forward to doing a combination Intro to Chios/Chios Level 1 workshop there! The workshop runs from 12-3, and pre-registration is required. Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/350436045904437/

 

On Saturday, August 24, I’ll be at a benefit psychic fair at Elemental Energies, 27 N. Berwick Road, Wells, ME from 10-5. This store is huge, with plenty of awesome crystals and other things. There will be a number of practitioners at the fair. I’ll be sharing information about Chios and, weather and space permitting, doing brief Chios sessions and demonstrations. Please note: Due to allergies, no outside food is permitted on site. Elemental Energies website event page: https://www.chrisann-jeff.com/events.html

 

On Saturday, September 7, I’ll be back at Elemental Energies doing Chios Energy Healing sessions from 10-4. Pre-registration and payment is required. Elemental Energies website class page: https://www.chrisann-jeff.com/classes.html

 

On Saturday, October 12, I’ll be at Elemental Energies yet again for a Chios Level 1 workshop. Pre-registration and payment is required, and it is strongly recommended that participants have a Chios healing session prior. See the above-linked class page for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact the venues, comment here, or email me at kim@riverflowhealing.com. Hope to see you!

I Have a Confession…

Posted on by riverflowhealing

I’m human.

You might be thinking, “Well, duh, everyone is human. How is that a confession?”

It’s a confession because sometimes people fall into the trap of believing they have to have all their shit together, or at least had damn well better act like they do. They hide how they’re really feeling. They present a fully-healed, perfect-ish face to the outside. This seems especially true in the coaching and healing industries, where it’s not uncommon to hear “You can’t help others until you’re healed.” So those who want to help others and haven’t finished their own healing *pretend* they have so people will believe they can help.

It doesn’t work that way. Not always. Maybe not even usually. Healing isn’t a thing you reach and that’s the end of it. You make progress. You might be able to shake some of the things that have held you back, and some of the habits and defense mechanisms you’ve developed, but life is an ongoing process, and so is healing.

I grew up with a constant barrage of “What will other people think,” coupled with constant judgment, bullying, and emotional abuse. I tried my hardest to hide all the things that were “wrong” with me so people would like me and wouldn’t treat me like crap. I hid who I truly was because the alternative was to let people actually know me–which would mean they wouldn’t like me, which would mean they might hurt me.

I’ve done a lot of work on myself over the decades. I’ve learned that other people’s opinions of me don’t define me and in the long run don’t matter…but sometimes, I forget that. Sometimes, especially as a healer and coach, I start thinking I have to at least present a fully-healed facade to the world or no one will want to work with me. I bury my struggles so no one will see them and think less of me. Instead of leaning on the people who care about me, I decide I shouldn’t bother them, and just hold everything in until I can’t hold it anymore.

I have depression, anxiety, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. These are illnesses, and they aren’t going anywhere. There’s no cure. There’s treatment, which is varying levels of effective, and there are management strategies, some of which I’ve learned and some I’ve developed myself, because I know what works for me.

But despite best efforts, sometimes those illnesses flare up, and those are the times I’m most likely to bury things and try to convince myself I can handle everything without help. The demons of screwed-up brain chemistry and brain alterations caused by trauma start whispering to me that I can’t count on anyone else, shouldn’t count on anyone else, and if anyone finds out I’m struggling, they’ll think I’m a whineass. I don’t deserve to be helped, according to those demons. I deserve to feel like crap, and that’s what anyone else would tell me.

Obviously, that isn’t true, but those demons can be pretty damn persuasive.

I have come a very long way in my life. I have done a lot of healing and a lot of work. It isn’t always steady forward progress; most healing isn’t. There will be setbacks and backtracks, and that’s okay. The point is to keep moving as forward as possible, and accept that when the setbacks happen, they don’t equal failure. They equal being human.

Over the past few months, the demons have been especially loud as I’ve tried to get River Flow Healing fully off the ground. This has been due to a combination of the stress of trying to start and run a business, some personal life stressors, and the medication I’m on becoming ineffective, which is a problem because there is a very limited number of medications I can take without adverse reactions. (If you’re someone who doesn’t believe in medication for mental illness, more power to you, but please post on your own venue about your opinion instead of starting an argument here. For me, and for many other people I know, medication is not only beneficial but vital. Nothing works for everyone, everything works for someone. And I have tried treating my illnesses both without and with medications.)

For the past few months, I’ve forgotten to let myself be human. I’ve become convinced that I can’t let anyone see that I’m not fully, perfectly healed, or I’ll never have clients. I’ve shut down and operated on autopilot, compartmentalizing the negative thoughts and emotions instead of managing them.

But I am human. I’m not some magical being who doesn’t experience pain or fear or flashbacks. I’m not here to show others how to become perfect. I started my healing journey at a much lower point and I’ve progressed to where I am now, and I’m continuing to progress, and I’m here to tell and show others how I’ve done it and how they can too. To be a healer, you don’t have to be fully healed. You just have to be more healed than you were, and continuing to work on it.

So yeah. That’s my confession. I’m human. But I’m a human who’s been where you might be, and if you think I can help you, I would love to try.

Fighting the Violent Rabbit of Change

Posted on by riverflowhealing

A lot of us talk about doing our inner work. Working on ourselves. Our mindset. Our health. We all have work we need to do, absolutely. Life is an ongoing process of change and growth, and to change and grow, we need to do the work.

But how many times do we say, “I’m going to work on this,” and it becomes busywork? The work becomes what we do to avoid the work. We say we’re going to do the work. We make lists of the things we’re going to do. We put it in our calendar. And then we look at the lists and calendar notices and say, “See? I’m working on it!”

Working on ourselves, doing our inner work, is scary. We’re conditioned to fear change. In some ways, we’re created to fear change. Our ego sees change and yells, “Change! Auughh! Run away! Run away!” It’s like change is that violent rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and we’re the knights running away.

So our egos come up with every possible way to make us feel like we’re doing what we need to do, and feel like we’re making the changes, and think that things are happening, when they’re not. All we’re really doing is covering up the work we need to do with the busywork we’re doing so we can say “See, I’m working on it.” I know I’m guilty of this over and over again, and it’s something I’m trying to be better about.

Think about it. If you say you’re doing work on yourself, are you really? If you are, that’s great! But there’s no shame in saying, “I’m going to do the work,” and then having your ego convince you that you’re doing the work when you’re really not. That’s human. We’re human; we have egos. That’s what happens.

But sometimes we need to take a step back and look at the inner work we say we’re doing, at the inner changes we say we’re making, and decide, “Are we really doing this?” Or is our ego saying, “Look, I put it in the calendar! Look, I made a list! I’m working!” so it can keep running away from that violent rabbit of change?

Facing that violent rabbit is easier with support. Talk to friends or loved ones. Get professional help if you feel it’s warranted. Energy healing can also help bring up possible changes to make, and give you the clarity to make them. I have openings for new Chios clients now; please comment here or visit my Chios Energy Healing page for more information.

Benefits of Balance

Posted on by riverflowhealing

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been talking about what happens when your energy system is out of balance and what might cause that imbalance. Today, I’d like to share some of the benefits you might experience when your energy system is in balance.

It’s important to note, as I’ve done in the previous posts, that energy is not everything. Energy healing is not a substitute for medical or mental health treatment, and any physical or mental symptoms should be discussed with a professional to ensure that illnesses or injuries are treated effectively before looking toward energetic treatment.

If your energy system has been out of balance, you have probably experienced some negative effects, as I discussed in my February 14th post. When your system is back in balance, here are some positive results you might see. No results are guaranteed, but these are some that I myself have experienced after receiving energy healing treatment, and that my clients have reported.

  1. You might feel more rested and find yourself sleeping better, particularly if you have also received treatment for underlying causes of exhaustion or poor sleep.
  2. You might find it easier to focus your attention on tasks you want to complete, whether those are work-related, household chores, or simply things you want to do for yourself.
  3. You might find that things that have stressed you out don’t have as much of an effect on you.
  4. You might find yourself better able to effectively and constructively express and manage your emotions. (If you are experiencing emotional or mental distress, please seek help from a professional.)
  5. You might experience an increase in positive emotions.
  6. You might feel more energized or motivated.
  7. Your sense of well-being and connection to yourself might increase.
  8. Other aspects of your life might become better or more easily balanced, such as your work, family, and social life.
  9. You might gain more clarity on situations you’ve been trying to address.

These are only some of the benefits I’ve experienced or have been told about by clients. Again, nothing is guaranteed, and while you may also experience health benefits, energy healing is not a replacement for traditional health care.

If you’re interested in seeing what benefits you can receive from an energy healing session, I have openings for new clients! Visit my Chios Energy Healing page for more information.

Six Signs of Energetic Imbalance

Posted on by riverflowhealing

Energy is a tricky thing. We talk about feeling low-energy or high-energy. Some of us say things like “Their energy just didn’t feel right.” But we don’t always realize the effects our lives have on our energy systems, or that our energy systems have on our lives.

Each person’s energy system is a delicate balance of flow. Too much flow, and people might feel overwhelmed or out of control. Too little, and people might feel exhausted or angry without knowing why. And it doesn’t take much to imbalance that flow.

Next week, I’ll talk a little about some of the things that might cause energetic imbalance. But first, let’s look at some signs that your energy might be out of balance.

  1. You feel “off,” but can’t express any more specifically what that means. You just don’t feel right physically or emotionally. You aren’t sick; it just feels like you aren’t quite in step with the world.
  2. You’re experiencing pain in part of your body. To be clear, if you’re experiencing any physical pain, the first thing to do is talk to a medical professional to rule out any physical causes. Energy doesn’t do everything, and energy healing is not a substitute for medical treatment! But, for example, if you have a dull ache in your throat, you have no physical illness (like a cold), and you’ve seen a doctor to rule out other possible causes, it may be that your throat chakra is blocked. A headache that isn’t related to a physical illness might be a sign that your third eye chakra is overactive Again, check for the physical causes first!
  3. Things that usually don’t faze you are stressing you TF out. No amount of deep breaths or meditation or whatever tool you usually use helps. Stress seems to want to be your new best friend, and it takes very little to set it off.
  4. You’re exhausted. It feels like every step you take is through quicksand. All you want to do in the evenings is hide under the covers and sleep. This is another case where seeing a medical professional to rule out other causes first is important. Exhaustion can be caused by physical or mental illness, and you’ll want to be certain that isn’t what’s going on before you decide it’s an energy thing.
  5. Your emotions aren’t cooperating. Your emotional responses to certain things are more intense, or less intense, than usual. You feel frustrated when you would usually feel happy. I can’t stress this enough: Talk to a medical or mental health professional to rule out other causes first. But this can definitely be due to an energetic imbalance.
  6. Your instincts are telling you your energy system is out of balance. You know you better than anyone else does. If you strongly feel there’s an energetic imbalance, there probably is. Trust yourself.

There are other things that might indicate an imbalanced energy system, but these are the most prominent signs I’ve seen. Always check in with yourself to assess how you’re feeling, and always check in with a medical professional if you’re concerned or have physical symptoms. But energy is intertwined with physical and mental health, so even when there is a medical cause and you’re receiving medical treatment, something energetic could also be going on. It’s worth finding out.

If you’re wondering whether your energy system might be out of balance, schedule a Chios session with me! All sessions begin with a 15-minute consultation during which I will tell you honestly whether you’re dealing with imbalances and whether I think you should consult a doctor as well. Visit my Chios Energy Healing page for more information and to schedule a session!

How to Learn Energy Healing

Posted on by riverflowhealing

If you’re interested in learning energy healing, hopefully you’ve done some research as to the different modalities that exist. If you haven’t, I strongly suggest you do. There are a number of different types of energy healing, and what works and resonates for one person might not work or resonate for someone else. Don’t choose instruction in any specific modality solely because it’s the one you’ve heard of. Do some online reading. Ask people you know who receive energy healing sessions, or who practice energy healing. If you choose to learn healing–actually, if you choose to learn anything–for no reason other than that someone else said you should, or it’s the one thing you know about, you might find yourself learning something that doesn’t resonate for you and therefore doesn’t work for anyone with whom you practice.

Now, let’s say you’ve done the research, and you’ve decided on a modality. For the purposes of this blog post, since I practice and teach Chios, I’ll use that as the example.

So you want to learn Chios. You’re really excited about it. You can’t wait to get started. The Chios website has a list of Certified Chios Master Teachers, and you’ve found one in your area. Sounds good, right?

Maybe. Maybe not. There are some things to consider when you’re choosing an instructor.

First, how and where do they practice? Some Chios Master Teachers, like me, have a business that includes giving Chios sessions and teaching Chios. Others do it as an occasional thing. Still others do it as a hobby. There isn’t anything wrong with any of those, but you’ll want to choose an instructor who is somewhat aligned with what you want to do with Chios when you’ve learned it. The way we practice can influence our teaching; if, for example, you want to start a business, but your instructor is of the opinion that no one should charge or accept money for energy healing, you might find yourself at odds with them and therefore not learn as effectively.

Second, how much experience do they have? A Certified Master Teacher has worked their way through all three levels of Chios instruction, hopefully under the supervision of another CCMT. So they are more than likely to be qualified to teach. But someone who has not had students at all is still refining their instruction method. You might be okay with that, or you might prefer someone who has a track record with other students. Either is fine, but you’ll want an instructor who matches what you’re looking for.

Third, what do you actually get from them? All instruction isn’t created equal. Although Chios states that instructors should not just give attunements and then set their students loose to learn on their own, some do exactly that. Some are available to answer a student’s questions while the student is learning, but don’t do any other instruction. Some have regular meetings with the student to discuss their progress, but the student goes through the material at their own pace.

Personally, I (and I’m sure other instructors as well) offer the “at their own pace” option, but I also offer directed instruction, and that’s what all of my current students chose. Some people find it easier to make progress with an instructor who gives them specific assignments. I meet with my students once a week to go over their progress and assignments and give them the following week’s assignment, and I’m always available by email to answer questions or address concerns. I also teach some additional information about the human energy system.

My new students are required to have a Chios session before I give them their first attunement, and an additional session before they complete Level 1; those are part of the instruction so don’t cost the students anything extra. Students also get a discount on any additional sessions they have while they’re my students. If a student is certified as a Healing Practitioner (Level 2) or CCMT (Level 3) and goes into practice, I’ll link to them on my website and will refer clients or students to them if my schedule is full or if I feel like they would be a better fit.

I don’t only teach Chios to my students. I also work with them on their mindset, helping them identify and work past blocks that might prevent them from learning, or accepting what they learn, or that might hinder them if they plan to go into practice themselves. Energy healing doesn’t exist in a vacuum; both having healing sessions and learning to give them requires more work than just lying on a table or reading a book, and I support my students through all of those pieces.

There are a wide range of possibilities of what you’ll receive from a Chios instructor. It’s important to find one who teaches the way you need to learn, and offers what you need.

What an instructor charges might also be a consideration for you, but bear in mind that the investment for working with any given instructor might be based on what they offer for instruction and on how much experience they have.

Fourth, and the most important consideration, is whether you and they are a good fit to work together. In addition to the things I’ve already mentioned, personality plays a role. Some people just plain rub each other the wrong way. You may want to work with someone whose ethics and philosophies are similar to yours. You’ll want someone who explains things in a way you can understand.

You’ll also want someone who feels like a fit. This is energy work, and energy and “gut feelings” matter. If you speak to a potential instructor and leave the conversation feeling angry, or out of sorts, or like you’ve been punched in the gut, that probably isn’t someone you want to work with. Everyone has their own energetic vibration, and when you’re around someone whose vibration is too far off from yours, it can be painful, uncomfortable, and frustrating. It isn’t a wise choice to try to learn healing from someone around whom you feel that way.

I don’t enroll any students until I’ve had a phone call or video conversation with them, or an in-person meeting if that’s feasible. That’s the best way I’ve found to make sure we’re a fit energetically and as instructor and student. If I don’t feel that someone’s a good fit with me, I tell them and offer them resources to find a different instructor.

Learning energy healing can be very rewarding, and it can be fun as well. But it’s important to make sure you know what you’re getting into, and with whom you’re getting into it.

I have two openings for students currently. If you’re interested in finding out more, please go to the Chios instruction page to sign up for an inquiry call.

How I Learned Chios

Posted on by riverflowhealing

As a child, I was very clumsy. I didn’t have much body awareness, so I constantly walked into things, or tripped and fell. I have scars on my knees because I skinned them so often.

Cuts and bruises hurt, obviously. But when I was four or five, I realized that if I put my hand over a cut or bruise, my hand got warm and the injury didn’t hurt as much. It also usually healed faster.

The adults around me told me that was just my imagination, so, as with a number of other things, I pushed it away. I didn’t want people to think I was weird or crazy, and I definitely didn’t want to annoy my parents. Besides, adults were the ones telling me the warm hand thing wasn’t really happening, and when you’re a child, you pretty much believe adults know everything.

When I was about 35, I became friends with someone who practiced yoga, Chios energy healing, and channeling. Over time, he started sharing these things with me. The first time he did a Chios session with me, I had some pretty intense results, and I decided to start learning Chioswith my friend as my instructor.

In Chios, one of the first things you learn to do is call in the energy, which means opening yourself as a conduit for the healing energy to flow through. You don’t use your own energy to heal others; you allow universal energy to go through you into the people you work with. My friend warned me, and I’d seen for myself, that when that energy flows, it brings heat with it. What I didn’t expect was that one of the first times I called in the energy, my hands got so hot that the wedding ring I had at the time left a burn mark on my finger!

That was when I started remembering the warm hand thing from when I was a child. It hadn’t been my imagination after all. It was energy healing.

As I went on learning Chios, I didn’t feel like I was gaining new knowledge. It felt a lot more like someone was reminding me of things I’d already known but had forgotten. Regaining that knowledge was exciting, and so was seeing the results I was able to bring the people who let me practice on them while I was learning.

I don’t know whether Chios, or something similar, was something I learned in a past life, or just instinctive knowledge I’d had as a child until I let the adults around me convince me to shut it away. But I definitely feel like it’s natural for me. And I still get excited when clients tell me what they experience during and after healing sessions. That’s why I started River Flow Healing, so I could bring Chios to others.

The Good Chios Does

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Before I get into the benefits of Chios Energy Healing, the obligatory disclaimer: Chios is not a substitute for medical care. It is not intended to diagnose or treat medical or mental health conditions. I am not a licensed medical or mental health professional. No results of Chios are guaranteed. The results I report below are either what I myself have experienced or what clients have reported to me.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way…

I learned Chios thirteen or so years ago because a session I had, done by a close friend, brought me clarity on some traumas from my past that I hadn’t so much buried as locked in a metal safe and shoved to the back of my brain so I wouldn’t have to deal with them. Obviously, denying trauma is not the best way to heal from it. Even though having those memories re-enter my conscious mind was unpleasant, I had plenty of support and caring from my friend as I dealt with them. Ultimately, because of that and subsequent Chios sessions, I was able to work through things I’d ignored for decades.

That’s just one of the benefits I’ve seen of getting a Chios session, and it’s the most prominent result of the sessions I’ve received. My clients have pointed out other positive results they’ve experienced after having sessions:

  • A few clients have reported feeling less angry and irritable after sessions. One child I had as a client showed a huge reduction in the number of tantrums they had.
  • Several clients have told me they find it easier to focus on tasks after sessions, and are more motivated to tackle those tasks.
  • Clients who have experienced recent surgeries or injuries have reported a decrease in pain and faster healing. (I wasn’t treating the injuries or surgical sites; this was a beneficial side effect.)
  • Some clients have slept better after sessions.
  • Some clients have been able to communicate more effectively with certain people in their lives after sessions and some follow-up work with their fifth chakra.
  • Every client I’ve worked with has reported feeling relaxed and refreshed after sessions. Several have also said they felt less stressed, and better able to manage the stressors in their lives.

Since Chios works with the human energy system, and energy impacts a lot of other facets of our lives, as the healing energy filters through, positive things happen. Obviously not everyone is going to have the same experiences, but in general, energy healing has definite benefits.