Stress was my biggest imbalance

Stress was my biggest imbalance prior to these treatments. When I started the treatments, I became more aware of the physical imbalances in my body. Reiki helped to ease stress and I believe physical awareness helped me to feel more balanced and less stressed. I experienced more connection to energetic fields around me, more sensitivity to what sets me off (to eliminate from starting), and more energy flow in my body. I am very pleased and will continue to get treatments. - Whitney W.

10 Tips for Stress Free Holiday Season

Read the story of how I developed these 10 Tips for a Stress Free Holiday season in my article From Grinch to Guru published on The Huffington Post....

1. Eat a Balanced Breakfast every day during the busy holiday season to manage your appetite and keep your energy up.
2. Sleep Enough each night so you'll be sure to make good decisions about what you're eating and how you're spending your time & money this month.
3. Put Your Well-being First by making self-care a priority. Make time every day to relax and rejuvenate so you look and feel your best.
4. Say No to commitments, events (and foods) that don't nourish you or enrich your life.
5. Go With the Flow when things don't turn out how you expect. Don't let hassles become a roadblock.
   
6. Cherish the Moment. Remember when you were a child and delighted in small and unexpected magical moments?
7. Smile Freely at everyone you encounter. Never underestimate the power you have to change a situation with friendliness.
8. Take a Break. There are only so many hours in the day so put non-essentials on hold while you ramp up for the festivities.
9. Ask for Help when you need it. And return the favor when you can. That's what friends and family are for.
   
10. Indulge a little. The holidays only come once a year, so give yourself permission to be joyful!
    

Holiday Season - Take a Break!

One way to make this busy time of year most enjoyable is to be fully present in the moment. How do you do that? By relaxing, resting enough, and having enough time for what's important - family, friends and the traditions of whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year. Peace will be your personal gift if you can take a break from working so much and just let yourself cherish the little things and magical moments that happen this time of year. I encourage you to prioritize what's important and make time to celebrate!

In honor of this holiday season, I am giving myself a the gift of relaxation and wellness by taking a break from regular blog posts and wellness ezines until January 2008. Stay tuned for the last edition of 2007 - chock full of wellness tips and advice for the holidays - which will be coming out on December 12th!

I wish you peace and wellness, and that you float through the holidays stress free.

If you need any ideas on how to do that - don't hesitate to call me at 617-429-1793 or email me at joannascaparotti@gmail.com.

Be well!
Joanna

PS. Wellness is a life-long journey. Feel your best with personalized solutions for stress, fatigue, tension and worry.

PPS. Looking for a meaningful gift for friends or family? Give them the gift of vitality with a gift certificate for relaxation with Reiki or a personalized Wellness program. Treat the people you love with a gift that shows how much you care by helping them reduce stress, relax, feel peaceful, rejuvenate, energize and alleviate muscle tension and pain. This is the kind of gift that keeps on giving. Call 617-429-1793 or email joannascaparotti@gmail.com to order your gift certificate today. Checks, Paypal, Mastercard and Visa accepted.

PPPS. Do the holidays ever stress you out? Or do you suffer from seasonal symptoms like fatigue, irritability, the blues or trouble focusing? Here's a solution for you: Float through the Holidays this season with peace and bliss with your very own personalized deep relaxation and rejuvenation program. In addition to one hour of Reiki each week or every other week, as an added bonus we'll look at your current challenges to peace and wellness and create solutions.

This is a great value - only $55/session when you buy the Holiday Special package!

Don't pass up this great opportunity to give yourself or a loved one the gift of peace and bliss this holiday season. Call 617-429-1793 or email joannascaparotti@gmail.com to book your special now! Offer expires January 31, 2008

A trusted resource

Joanna is fabulous at what she does because she really cares about you as a client and your personal needs. I felt very comfortable and supportive while receiving my service from Joanna and I left feeling refreshed, lighter and uplifted. I highly recommend having Joanna treat you for any of your ailments - or for mere relaxation. She's a trusted resource...and a wonderful woman all around. - Brenda S.

A superb Reiki experience

Joanna provides a superb Reiki experience. I was newly pregnant and had bronchitis. Also, I hadn't slept well in nearly 6 weeks. A couple Reiki sessions made a big difference. They helped with my congestion and helped me to relax. -Laura T.

Great feeling of wellbeing

I regularly visit Joanna for Reiki, which is a very relaxing and rejuvenating healing technique. Just being in Joanna's presence calms me down after a stressful work week. Her prices are reasonable given the great feeling of wellbeing I have after her Reiki treatments. I highly recommend Joanna if you need stress relief or specific assistance healing injuries or chronic illness. -Julie B

Genuine Caring

Joanna is a true professional in her field with a genuine caring and special attention to her clients between visits to ensure client satisfaction and well-being. - Peter F.

Important part of my self-care process

As a full-time business owner with major workaholic tendencies, it can be hard to get me to relax and take care of myself so that I can continue taking care of my clients, family and friends. Working with Joanna has become an important part of my self-care process. Our semi-regular Reiki sessions relax and ground me, and help me carry that grounding through my regular activities. Over time, I've found that I listen to my body more, and will now take downtime when I need it - and I'm actually more productive! I highly recommend working with Joanna. - Dani N.

Easy to open up to

I would highly recommend Joanna. She has a great way of dealing with people and easy to open up to. - Lanie D.

I have never felt so relaxed and comfortable in my life.

When I signed up with Joanna, I knew I would be processing some difficult emotions over the next few months. Also, my work had really been tiring me out. The sessions with Joanna helped immediately. We talked about self-care, and she helped me come up with specific plans to manage my energy more effectively. The reiki sessions were amazing. Reiki is definitely a “you have to try it to believe it” healing modality. After one session with Joanna, I was hooked. She helped me with the emotional issues I was going through at the time, both in the short and the long term, and helped me feel better in the present moment. Joanna was wonderful. I have never felt so relaxed and comfortable in my life. I definitely felt more relaxed and grounded after just one session with Joanna, and the improvements are coming all the time. Each session brings me closer to health and balance. Joanna is brilliant at what she does. I have had reiki treatments in the past by other practitioners, but there is no comparison. -Anna M.

She is very good at what she does

Joanna is very skilled with Reiki. She is a patient teacher who is able to effectively communicate with her students. She is very good at what she does, which is help people relax, and eliminate stress from their lives. - Cathy F.

Hours as of November 1, 2007

Reiki & Wellness Sessions Available:

* Sunday 3pm - 8pm
* Tuesday 9am - 8pm
* Thursday 11 - 8pm

At Union Square Acupuncture 21 Bow Street, Somerville, MA

Schedule your appointment by contacting Joanna at 617-429-1793 or joannascaparotti@gmail.com

I feel totally rejuvenated

Here are more thoughts from a client who just finished a four session program for stress reduction. Her enthusiasm makes me blush! LOL!

Now, through Joanna’s treatments and support, my life is coming back into focus and my internal energy flow is where it needs to be! I could not be more pleased! Joanna IS the Reiki Master!

Where should I start? To begin with, my sleep has been the best it has been since I was a little kid! Next, I feel totally rejuvenated. I am now able to regain focus whenever my mind starts to drift, allowing me to concentrate on the tasks at hand. Also, Reiki has allowed me to remain grounded during the difficult times in my life. As a result, I am able to make more sound and rational decisions, as well as keep my own health in mind when making life-changing choices.

For anyone who is skeptical about Reiki (and holistic approaches to medicine, in general), as I was before starting with Joanna, I encourage you to try one or two sessions. This was an eye-opener for me, as I am sure it will be for you! Reiki and the healthful channeling of one’s energy is a MUST and should become as routine to one’s schedule as seeing the dentist (only more frequently, of course)! - Stephanie H.

Winter blues

These simple techniques from the Mayo Clinic may make a difference in preventing or alleviating winter blues:

Let there be light. Make your home sunnier and brighter. Open blinds, add skylights and trim tree branches that block sunlight.

Get out. Get outdoors on sunny days, even during winter. Take a long walk, eat lunch at a nearby park, or simply sit peacefully on a bench and soak up the sun.

Exercise regularly. Physical exercise helps relieve stress and anxiety, both of which can increase SAD symptoms. Being more fit can make you feel better about yourself, too, which can lift your mood.

Take care of yourself. Get enough rest, eat a balanced diet and take time to relax. Don't turn to alcohol or unprescribed drugs for relief.

Practice stress management. Learn how to better manage stress. Unmanaged stress can lead to depression, overeating, or other unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.

Socialize. Stay connected with people you enjoy being around. They can offer support, a shoulder to cry on or a joke to give you a little boost.

Take a trip. If possible, take winter vacations in sunny, warm locations.

For those waking up and leaving work in the dark, dawn stimulation is another technique that might help boost energy levels by giving your body the light signals it needs to function optimally. According to Biobrite, a company that makes sunrise alarm clocks, our bodies evolved to waking with the sun. So waking up to a simulated dawn can help you feel refreshed and in a better mood when you awaken.

Another idea for boosting your energy this time of year is a series of Reiki sessions. I created a special program called "Float Through the Holidays" specifically for those suffering from winter blues, fatigue, irritability, and trouble focusing. Find out more here...

3 Days After He Feels Even Better

A client of mine recently said after a four session package...

Some sessions had immediate effects, but 3 days after I tend to feel even better. I've been feeling better overall, but know it's a process. Less anxiety, sleeping better and accepting the present. The series met & exceeded expectations. The upkeep week-to-week really helped me in the process & I look forward to future sessions. - Peter F.

First good night's sleep in years

I found this one on Yelp.

I was very skeptical about the whole Reiki practice at first, but after having just 1 session with Joanna, I am SOLD!!! Joanna and her practice of Reiki are amazing! I had the first good night's sleep in YEARS after my first session, and my life seems to be getting back in balance. I am now a regular!! I HIGHLY recommend Reiki & Life Celebrations with Joanna to everyone! - Stephanie H.

Holidays and Food

Do you ever find it challenging to eat just enough and not too much or too little during the holidays? If you're like many people I know - eating right can be pretty tough during the holidays when all kinds of festivities are going on all around you. I am sure if you pick up almost any magazine in the checkout line at the grocery store you can find tips on how to eat right during the holidays. There are many ideas, techniques, and strategies out there. Here's mine:

It's called conscious eating, and the concept is explained in depth in the book Conscious Eating by Gabriel Cousens, M.D. His idea is that the difficulty in maintaining a healthy diet is not the food, but rather our emotional and mental relationship to food because for many people the act of eating and what you eat is a source of security and comfort, a way to deal with difficult feelings, stress, tension and painful things in their lives. Cousens describes conscious eating as an art, an approach to eating that involves awareness of yourself - your nutritional and emotional needs - and developing ways to meet both.

The art of conscious eating can be cultivated by:

• Paying attention to and trusting your body's messages about hunger and thirst
• Listening to your inner wisdom on how you feel physically, emotionally and mentally and taking the steps to meet those needs.
  
• Knowing when you are hungry and thirsty and only eating and drinking at those times.
• Knowing when you are not hungry or thirsty, and not eating during those times. Instead, figure out what you really need and do that.
  
• Learning how to eat only the right amount of food that energizes and enhances your life by paying attention how to feel as you eat and after you eat.
• Eating regularly, knowing the length of time it takes between meals to become hungry again and spacing your meals accordingly.

So, how can conscious eating help you stay healthy during the holiday season? Well keep in mind that for most of us the holiday brings extra stress0rs - whether it's just a matter of being extra busy and tired from doing so much, traveling, old family patterns that get to us every time, loneliness or any other emotional response we have to this highly charged time of year. There can be a lot of complicated factors that subconsciously lead us to eating and drinking, even when we aren't hungry or thirsty.

So every time you go to eat or drink something, do a quick check in. Am I hungry or thirsty? Yes - great! No? Why am I reaching for this food or drink? What do I need? Rest, relaxation, to say something to someone, a good cry, to celebrate and enjoy the moment? Whatever is going on under the surface - find out what it is and then decide if you really want to eat that food or if something else would satisfy you better.

Much less stressed

This is what one of my clients said recently after doing a series of four weekly Reiki sessions for stress, low energy, not sleeping well and unable to focus at work.

I am amazed! I definitely feel much less stressed. Better focused. During the week I am able to step back from situations & somewhat take the anxiety / panic out of daily situations. I am sleeping better more nights of the week than before. I feel more relaxed & able to make clearer decisions. I will definitely continue working with Joanna. -Angela D.