Thinking of learning Reiki, but unsure if this is the program for you?

Here are some reasons you'd decide to jump in with us. 

This is one of the most supportive Reiki trainings out there. 
Most Reiki programs are one day long. You get an attunement, a manual, *maybe* some practice, and you are sent on your way. 

I've had a lot of students come to me who've studied elsewhere at one of these trainings, but felt like they didn't get what they wanted out of it. They don't feel connected to the Reiki, they don't use it, or they don't know if they are doing it right. 

In our program, each level is three to four months long. We have ample class time. Time for instruction, questions, and practice. You get a number of times to receive support during the month, either in a group or one-on-one. The space between trainings also gives time for the Reiki energy to integrate into your system for you to heal, while you are learning. It also gives time for the questions to bubble up, so then you can get support during class. Reiki is an abstract and subtle modality, a lot questions can come up when you start to practice, that you might not otherwise think of. 

Most students who've taken my programs end up feeling really grounded, and connected to the Reiki. They feel confident using it, and understand how to practice in a safe, and ethical way. 

-----------------------------------------
"I have done other Reiki trainings, and while they were useful and fulfilling, Sarah's training was more detailed and supportive. Sarah is an intuitive and gifted teacher, and her warm and open nature allows for students to learn and develop in a very nurturing environment. I am excited to begin Level III."
~Anonymous
-----------------------------------------

I've been practicing Reiki for 16 years.
As I mentioned before, a lot of the tricky stuff that can come up in a Reiki practice is when the rubber meets the road. During these years, I've seen and experiences a lot. The kinds of mysterious happenings that present themselves with the Reiki. The kinds of conversations that are had with the public, and have evolved how to talk about Reiki. The ways to operate that help one practice in a safe, ethical way that honors the boundaries of their clients and themselves. 

While I'm not perfect, and I am still learning all the time. I have learned a lot from my previous experience and I weave that into the teachings, so hopefully students don't have to take as long to learn it as I did. 

I've always been a teacher. 
I got a degree in education before I began my Reiki practice, and I understand what helps people learn, and really integrate that knowing into their being. This is why my Reiki Training Program is structured the way it is. I originally taught one day workshops, and I ultimately felt this was a disservice to my students, and the Reiki energy. Since shifting to the current format several years ago, Reiki students have flourished in their relationship with the Reiki energy. 

You'll learn in a safe, nurturing, and fun environment. 
I take the energetic container of our class very seriously so we can do deep, powerful, and vulnerable work. Safety is the key to healing. That being said, I love being silly, and we have a lot of fun. Together, our classes create a space where everyone can be themselves and feel supported by each other. You'll marvel at how you transform, as well as the people around you during our months together. 

-----------------------------------------
"I completed all 3 Reiki courses in the past year with Sarah Barlow at Embrace Your Essence. Her knowledge and passion for Reiki, combined with her excitement for teaching others, made this an amazing and transformative journey. The small group classes created a perfect space for sharing experiences and practicing our skills. If you have been considering receiving Reiki treatments or taking a Reiki class, I highly recommend Sarah."
~Kathy W.
-----------------------------------------

If you are still unsure if this Reiki training is the right fit for you? I'm happy to have a conversation with you to help you get the clarity you need. Reach out and we'll talk. :)

Ready to jump in on Feb 7th? Register here. Deadline is Jan 24th. 

Warmly,
~Sarah

Fifteen years ago today, I started Embrace Your Essence LLC!

The road twisted and turned in all sorts of directions, as I tried to figure out how to grow a practice in my early twenties. I gave sessions to friends and family out of my childhood bedroom, then rented a space I couldn't afford for a few months before I saw reason. Eventually, I got my footing at a wellness center, while I worked on my private practice on the side. During this time, I started working at our building on E. Olin Ave. Then moved into my current suite facing Wingra Creek eleven years ago. In 2018, I was able to shift to my practice supporting me full time.

This suite has become a sanctuary for many, and clients tell me about how good it feels walking in here. I think of all the Reiki and healing energy that these walls have absorbed over the years. The land in this little nook of central Madison is so special to me with the significant presence of the sister cottonwoods standing tall across the creek. Beavers have chewed on the now stumps out the window, muskrats swum by, and squirrels napped in the red pines just outside. Awkward green herons have hopped through said pines, and blue herons, geese, ducks, eagles and more have soared nearby. Almost six years ago, I saved a little baby duckling that had gotten trapped in the weeds of the creek while I was on a lunchtime walk. You can read the story here. I feel grateful to have such a sweet little space to connect with all of you.

Over the pandemic, many of you pivoted with me to Zoom and phone sessions and classes as we figured out what the heck was going on, and let the scientists do the good work. Many of you continue this connection from all over the globe, as we work with the beautiful and mysterious aspect of distant Reiki. Lots of you have met my sweet little floofer-muffins Orangie and JoJo as they photobomb our Zoom sessions. I swear they know each of you, and when their presence is needed for some extra support and witnessing. Combine the Reiki with their purrs and gatekeeper vibes for some purr magic and strength. (That last pun was a typo, and I'm keeping it!)

Then I think of all the healing, and vulnerability that has unfolded in our work together. The tears, the snores, the tough events of your life, your dreams, your sensitivities. All the beautiful, rich, and sometimes challenging aspects of being human during these times. All of you who have learned Reiki or other skills and are letting that goodness ripple out in your own communities. I FEEL SO GRATEFUL that I've been able to walk alongside each of you as you navigate your life. Your trust has meant so much to me. I wouldn't be here without each of you, and your willingness to share in this journey together.

The Reiki energy, the presence of something larger than ourselves, and our guides have been so loving and steady amidst all the situations that have come forward during this time. In doing this work, I get to relate with The Mystery. I don't fully understand everything that happens, and I don't suspect I ever will know it all in a way that satisfies the logical mind. It is humbling. It is also one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring things, and I am privileged to get to be a steward. I can't really take credit for the healing that has unfolded during this time, that goes to these benevolent energies and yourself! But I will say, I will take ownership for showing up, and being willing to figure out how to keep doing so!

When I really slow down to feel into what this anniversary means to me, I am moved to tears that I get to do work that means something to me. It's a modest living, and I get to provide for myself and my kitties doing something that fills my heart, and ripples goodness out into the world. The phrase, "I'm still here," keeps repeating in my mind. I've been through my own iterations of loss and challenge over the last several years, and with the help of these loving energies and people, I've been able to keep showing up for myself and for you amidst it all. These challenges have humbled me, cracked me open, and I've been learning how to fill in the fissures to be stronger, much like the art of kintsugi. Making medicine of the wound. It's helped me know how to better support some of you going through your own crisis. While there were times that I was not 100% while in the thick of it, the Reiki and these benevolent energies kept holding us as we did the work. Hopefully, you didn't feel those bumps too much! It makes this time of personal calm, settling, and celebration something I'm really savoring.

"I'm still here," means I am still here practicing Reiki and healing work. It means, I'm still here at Olin Ave, and on the other side of that phone or Zoom call. It means, I am still alive, resilient and able to share in this beautiful and messy life with all of you. 

It also means that you are still here. Still willing to engage, to learn, to open up, to heal. Thanks for sharing in the journey.

Thank you, also, to all of you who were able to make it out to the open house celebration on April 12th, participated in our raffle, or sent kind notes! I really appreciate all of you, and wish the best for you! Here's to many more years! I don't plan to go anywhere! :)

Check out some stats from over the years below!

Embrace Your Essence LLC Opened: April 28, 2010

5376 Sessions Given
800 Clients Served
67 Reiki Students
111 Reiki Shares Hosted
11 Years Teaching Reiki
Six Years Practicing Shamanic Healing
127 Shamanic Sessions          
 
One Pandemic Survived
Phew! We made it!
People Made Cry (in a good way): Most at some point
     Bonus: Many within the first 10 minutes
Corny Jokes: More than kernels on a cob
I’m sorry… or you’re welcome?
Snorers on the Table: More than you might think
I hear you, Gladis. That’s the best compliment you could give me.  
Goofy Stick Figure Drawings: At least five
If you’re one of my Reiki students, you know!
Nerdy Movie & TV References...Lots
Yooooooouuuu shall not pass!
Unexpected, Mysterious Happenings... Many
Maybe I’ll write a book someday.

With such a full heart,
Sarah

Last Wednesday was one of those rainy days where it gently, and consistently pours throughout the day. I've always been fond of the rain. There is something about it that invites reflection and comfort for me.

After receiving a liberating and joyful Alexander Technique lesson with my friend and colleague Xochi John, I had a short window of time before my next client. There was a break in the rain, and something was subtly beckoning me outside for a stroll. I debated the amble as I wouldn't have enough time to make it to the woody savanna that I like to visit. It would have to be a short jaunt around the creek behind our office, then right back. Maybe my time would be better spent integrating the lesson with a brief rest on the couch, I contemplated. I let my hesitations go, put on my coat, and ventured to the creek.

It felt soothing to get outside, and take in the happenings of the creatures out and about. As I passed under a bridge, I saw a family of ducks skimming along. The mother leading the way with the fuzzy little ducklings scuttling behind in a row, two by two, rotating who was in the front. I stopped to admire them for a bit, and counted nine little ducklings. Gosh, they were adorable. They found a patch of vegetation, scattered to their posts, and began to feed. I carried on.

I reached the turn around point for the path, and saw a muskrat swimming along. The furry one eventually disappeared from sight as it neared the bushy plants draping over the edge of the waterway. I relished in gratitude to work so close to this haven for wildlife, and began my return trip on the other side of the creek.

After passing under the bridge, I eventually came upon the family of ducklings again. They hurriedly darted among the watery weeds feeding further along the shore. I checked my watch; I still had enough time before my client would arrive, so I decided to wait and bit longer and watch them. They didn't seem to notice me, though I was only about 15 feet away on the edge of the bike path. These poofy little beings were so eager to eat, it's as if I existed in a completely different dimension outside of their reality. Their ease allowed me to marvel in how adorable they all were, without fear of startling them.

Then, all of a sudden, I realize something is awry. The mother frantically darts back and forth squawking. She is searching for something. The little ducklings move to the side. One, two, three...eight. There are only eight! Where is the ninth?! I hear a little, "peep, peep, peep," but can't see the other duckling anywhere.

The mother seems to have found her lost little one. She plunges her head into the water trying to pull her beloved up with her beak. I can see the small orange beak break the surface for a moment, before it plunges back underwater. Again, the mother attempts. And, again, to the same effect. Frantic desperation fills the air. The mother, unable to help her little one, quickly shepherds the other ducklings away to the other side of the creek, shielding them from a similar fate.

I cannot see the little duckling from where I am standing. I move to the edge of the creek where I saw the mother's urgent attempts. There, shrouded within the weeds, I spot the little duckling's head pointed outward, completely underwater, yet only a mere couple inches from the surface.

I crouch down, and lean in to gently scoop up the little one, but it is dreadfully tangled. I am able to lift it enough so it's head is out of the water, but if I let go, it will sink again. I must work at freeing it. As I carefully pull the plant matter from its right wing, the mother realizes I am holding her baby. She flies from the other shoreline straight toward me, her alarm shrieks ringing in the air. She lands in the middle of the stream, and becomes quiet, though vigilant.
 
By now, I realize there is something from below weighing the duckling down. I reach deeper, and feel a woody stalk that was laying horizontally, wedged over the little duckling's foot. As I raise the stalk from the depths, the duckling now has enough wiggle room to free itself. It darts out of the mess of weeds in my hands, runs along the shoreline, then zooms through the water reuniting with its mother. Salvation! They rejoin the eight siblings, and go back to feeding in a more sheltered spot of the creek.

I burst into tears, overwhelmed with emotion. Waves of feelings and sensations moving through me, which I am unsure if words exist to describe. All I know is that this experience was as much of a gift to me as that little duckling, and its mother. After letting the reality of what's just unfolded settle a bit, I head back into the clinic to prepare for my next client.

A couple hours later, I have another short break, and decide to go out and see if I could check on this duck family I now feel inexplicably close with. At the far end of the creek, near Lake Monona, I spot them. Again, feeding along the rocky shore. All nine ducklings and mother. They all seem to be moving about just like normal, happy ducklings. My heart smiles. They are all okay. We are all okay.

                                                                 ____________


As the ripples of this experience have had sometime to soak into my consciousness, I feel the layers of meaning and lessons so intertwined, gently peaking their heads up. The possibilities that arise when we listen to the inklings we have. How something larger than ourselves sometimes uses us to be "guardian angels" for others, guiding us to be in the right place at the right time. The life-saving power of being present, aware, and seeing what is; had I just continued walking, or not taken a closer look, I would not have noticed that little duckling trapt underwater. That having an outside perspective, and the right tools for the job is essential; no matter how much that mother tried to save her beloved, she didn't have what was necessary to untangle the little one. When we move from a place of connectedness, love, and willingness, knowing that we are a part of the whole—not a separate, outside observer—miracles can happen. Yes, sometimes it may come down to "little old me" or you to act, there may not be anyone else there to swoop in. So many universal lessons to contemplate.

Finally, on a personal note, I know this experience is an incredible gift, and sign. I have been diving deeply in recent months, healing core layers of wounding of my inner child. A part of me that was so tangled in thoughts of illusion and darkness, that attempting suicide seemed the only way to be seen in my pain. Fortunately, I too, had guardian angels. My dear childhood friend Mikaela's love, and witnessing pulled me out of the depths at that time, and I have not been caught in that seemingly inescapable grasp since. But there were remnants of that pain that still needed healing. Over the last decade, I have nurtured trust with this ten-year-old me, and offered her healing with the gift of Reiki, and other support I have uncovered on this journey. In the process, those wounds have dissolved, bit by bit. Now that I am an adult, I have the right tools, I know I have friends "in the light" I can call upon, and, damn it, young Sarah, I see you, just like I saw that little duckling, and I will never leave you tangled in darkness again. I love you. This experience was a sign to me of the progress I've made, and, perhaps most moving for me, a completion of the cycle; gratitude for my life that was saved, and the gift to return the favor, and free another from a similar fate.

Dear friends, thank you for reading my story. I hope it offers some medicine for you, which will no doubt be unique to your own life. If you feel inspired, I would love to hear what this evokes within you. Feel free to comment below.

No matter where this finds you today, may you know there are "angels" around every corner, and if you need someone to walk with you, all you have to do is ask.

With so much love for you,

Sarah


P.S. Okay, Brené Brown... How's that for daring greatly? I'll admit, I was tentative about sharing my personal note, but I hope that in the sharing it has been helpful for some.

P.P.S. I will be away from the clinic June 22–30, 2019 to rest and recharge. Please reach out to me before if you need support, otherwise I will be getting back to you when I return at the beginning of July.

This coming Monday marks a significant day for me. It is my last day working at a part-time job I've had for the last three and a half years as a nanny for a little boy, now almost four. I started this position when Embrace Your Essence was still a fledgling, and wasn't quite able to support itself on its own yet. Leaning into my background in early education, and spending a couple afternoons a week with this little kiddo has provided great fulfillment and joy, and also given Embrace Your Essence the breathing room it needed to grow without unnecessary demands.

Of course, over this time, both the business and the child have grown and both have different needs now. Embrace Your Essence is now in a place where it is sustaining itself, but also requiring more time and space to flourish as it continues to grow. A few months ago this became undeniably clear to me, and after a conversation with the family, I've been making the transition out of nannying and into Embrace Your Essence even more fully.

Over the course of the last several months as this has been evolving, I have been doing my best to honor the process of this transition. As the precipice of change is so close, these ways of integrating and moving through have been very poignant on my mind.

As many of you may be in transition times yourself, I would like to share some of the key pieces I've been reminded of for moving through with grace.

Get yourself plenty of space. Times to be still or allow yourself to not actively be doing something gives room to integrate all the energetic shifts that are happening under the surface. Breathe. Meditate. Sleep. Gaze out the window, or lay on the grass. Though I did mention stillness, conscious, present movement can be supportive too (such as yoga or an easy walk with the intent to be with yourself and your experience). There may be many facets of your experience that need to be witnessed so they can fully move through and out of you. If we rush around, or are constantly engaged in activity, it delays the processing of these pieces. There is nothing wrong with this, just know that they will peak their head up later to receive the attention they need. You have permission to slow down, and to say no to certain things if that feels like it will give you the room you need to process.

Get support. We all need others to help buoy us up, especially when things are in flux. Turn to people you trust who can listen, who are willing to offer nourishment in the ways you need it. Eat good food. Lean into community. Ask for what you need. Look for the ways you are provided it. Allow yourself to receive from those with whom you feel safe.

Accept and allow discomfort. Transitions bring up a whole slew of emotions. Excitement, fear, grief, hope, and everything in between. All of it is valid. All of it needs to be seen. Some of it you may be more comfortable with than others. Witness and breathe into it, and cradle it. If you can, catch ways your mind may be trying to protect yourself from fully feeling everything that is there. For instance, I noticed myself continually contemplating the appropriate goodbye gift for the family and little boy. Even though I had landed on something, for at least a month, my mind kept returning to it thinking it wasn't enough. I held this though pattern with open curiosity, knowing there was something more to this, and wanting to see how it might relate to my healing. Finally, it occurred to me. A part of me felt that if I found the perfect gift to encompass all the beautiful, rich experiences we've had together over the last three years, that it would have been a gateway for all my emotions. No such object exists. I had to trust that the unfolding of each experience we shared together in that particular moment was enough. My responsibility instead, was to sit with the full range of emotions that were present for me.

Honor where you have been. In the space and cradle of support, reflect on what has unfolded within you as a result of the experience that is ending or beginning. How has/is your soul growing and unfolding? What do you have access to now, that you didn't have before? Clarity, compassion, freedom, love, awareness, truth.... Connect with gratitude within your heart for what you have received and learned that you are taking with you.

Nourish hope. With most, if not all, transitions, something is ending, so something new can begin. The presence of the unknown makes itself unavoidably clear. At various points within the transition, fear can rear its head at the mere thought of the unknown. Sit with this discomfort, and as you do, also listen for the inklings of love and support that may drop themselves like breadcrumbs along your trail. Note them, cherish them, and put them in your pocket. Remind yourself of them when fear or doubt shows up. Move slowly if you need to to trust that you are truly safe to move forward. Course correct if needed.

Transitions can be big on the surface like a job change, moving, birth, death, or shifting through different phases of life (this includes our own phases, but also when our children, parents, and significant others move through them too). But sometimes, they show up more subtly, like letting go of a habit or belief. No matter where you may find yourself if your in transition, I encourage you to explore the processes shared above and see if they feel beneficial for you. If you feel inclined to share, comment on our blog or send me an email, and let us know what transition you are in and how you are supporting yourself.

With grace and compassion,

Sarah

I was speaking with a client recently, and through our conversation it was clear that she had been aware of things that others around her didn't seem to notice. She could tell when something was up with her loved ones even when they tried to hide it, and she seemed to have a sense of what these people needed. She could see them, or really, she could feel them. She was well aware of the pain around her, and also of the beauty and love that others sometimes could not see. It became clear: she has always been an empath.

"Now that I know I'm an empath, does this mean that it is my job to save people if I know they are suffering?" she wondered.

No, it does not. We do not have to whoosh in and rescue loved ones and strangers, because of this intuitive awareness we feel in our bodies. We also do not have to completely block ourselves off from the world, and disassociate to protect ourselves. There is a middle way. A path that we can traverse where we remain connected in our hearts and conscious of what is unfolding around us, but we remained grounded in what is our true responsibility: ourselves. We remember that also applies to everyone else. It isn't always easy to practice this when have been living the majority of our lives enmeshed or detached. But with a fair dose of self-compassion, and patience, we can connect with the strength and kindness we need to navigate life fully present. We will be exploring this life-long practice, and supportive wisdom to soak in during the Empowered Empath series which begins a week from today.

If you are curious, you can learn more here.

Feel the pull to step in with us? Three spots remain available as of today. Book & pay online, email, or call 608-335-1934.

No matter whether you find yourself with empathic abilities or not, I invite you to notice if you have any tendencies to take responsibility for other people's problems, or to distance yourself from discomfort. Explore for yourself ways that you can maintain autonomy for your experience, and surrender any burdens outside of that. I'd love to hear what you notice. Share your comments below, or send me an email.

Hope you are well,
Sarah

Spring is on our doorstep, my friends. Do you feel your vital energy stirring within you as the daylight and glimmer of warmth in the air calls us to awaken our sleepy bones? As you invite in this freshness into your being, and shake off sluggishness, we can easily get swept up in the joy, excitement, and eagerness of what is to come, desires for connecting with the outside world, and plans to take action in your life and the broader community. Spring coaxes the fire within us. While this energy of the season can be a beautiful and important catalyst, there is an aspect of this early phase of the season that, as a culture, we often overlook: tenderness.

The buds on the trees have begun to shed the protective waxy coating that shielded them from the winter chill, but have yet to unfold. Many of the seeds within the ground are breaking down their growth inhibiting hormones that have kept them dormant, and are preparing to reach for the soil's surface, while some resilient pioneers have already extended their bright green shoots out of our monochromatic landscape. A new cycle of life is emerging. Exciting, indeed. But we must acknowledge this life is still vulnerable. Without the appropriate conditions, some of this life will not make it through the season. A couple of hard frosts, hungry critters, or a good natured but absent-minded person trampling on the young sprouts may impede the growth of these plants. There is a softness, openness, and rawness to this process. Here they are, bursting forth. Will they have the opportunity to develop the strength, the roots, and perhaps, eventually, bear fruit? Time will tell.

In the natural world, and even the human community, many of these occurrences are beyond our control. Pause for a moment. Does this bring up a helplessness in you? Breathe into this space. Especially with the conditions present in the world now, and the movements unfolding, there can be a sense of urgency, of "this needed to be done ages ago!", of our desperation for change fueling our action. The fire awakening within us is supported by this energy of spring. But if we don't acknowledge the tenderness, helplessness, or vulnerability within our experience, we can act without full consciousness and connection, without the care and support that we need to move into effective action.

So, let's take a moment to pause and reflect.

• With the conditions present in your life, what protective layers are breaking down (or ready to) so that you can enter another round of growth?
• Do you have any inklings of what is ready to emerge, perhaps for the first time, or maybe something that is ready to exist more fully and deeply within you? If not, can you embrace this "mystery seed" and trust that as it grows within you, it will reveal its true nature to you?
• How can you be supported through this tender and vulnerable stage of shedding your coat, and experiencing the awakening winds and light for the first time?

Sit with these questions for a moment (or perhaps even a day or a week). I invite you to journal or record visually or audibly what arises in you.

Without the support that we need, we can feel susceptible to the world around us. But if we allow ourselves to receive nurturance for what is coming forth within us, the softness and tenderness has a resiliency that can break away the barriers we had in place, and withstand the hardships.


From Verse 43 of The Tao Te Ching,
"The softest thing in the universe
Overcomes the hardest thing in the universe.
That without substance can enter where there is no room.
Hence I know the value of non-action."

(Translation by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English)


There you are, my friends. I'd love to hear what those questions bring up in you, and how you balance the duality of the fire and action of Spring, with the tenderness, and rawness of it. If you feel inspired to share, comment below or send me an email. Always a pleasure to hear from you.

Blessings for love, resiliency, comfort, and growth for you, and us all,

Sarah

Happy Friday Friends!

Chances are, since you have found your way to Embrace Your Essence, that growing as a human being is of at least some importance to you. Sometimes, learning a new way of being and operating in the world is a key part of our healing. For you, what is it you may be working on within yourself? Whether your intention is to pause instead of reacting out of old patterns, cultivate self-love, develop awareness of your body–mind connection or intuition, or even to choose nourishing foods over those that provide momentary satisfaction, I would like to remind you today that it is a practice.

The process of integrating these new ways of being can sometimes look uneven, and it is easy to get discouraged if we are not doing as well as we would like. Some days we flourish, and are like gurus, ready to council others how to practice what we have learned. Other days, we completely forget our intention and fall into old patterns, only to realize we missed the boat a few days later. Some days, despite our best intentions we still can't execute what we were hoping for. Other days are marked small successes. The progression can look a little messy.

No matter what your practice is feeling like for you today, remember that it is normal. Shifting our consciousness takes time. Celebrate if you are making strides, and offer patience and kindness to yourself if it is feeling like a struggle. Just like in weight training, it takes time and consistency to build the muscles of compassion, patience, awareness, and love. Even if you fall, the more you return to your practice, eventually the more ease you will find there.

What is your practice, and how has it felt for you over time?  Share on in the comments or send me an email. Looking forward to hearing from you.

From a fellow traveler,

Sarah