Author: Stacey Aldridge

Stacey is the founder of Kaya Holistic Wellness. She has had an interest in the connection between physical health and emotional wellness since she was a teenager. She strongly believes in health at every size (HAES) and body acceptance. Stacey has a Master in Social Work with advanced training in nutrition.

Let’s talk carbohydrates

Recently, I read an article on MindBodyGreen about the nutrient that many women are missing that’s necessary for building muscle. No matter what the health or fitness question on social media, the answer seems to be: “protein, protein, protein!” Comment sections are full of people commenting: “too many carbs!” on healthy recipes and “way too much sugar” if someone eats oatmeal with fruit. We have been given a lot of misinformation about carbs! Similar to the way Boomers & older Gen X were taught “fat makes you fat,” Millennials and younger Gen X grew up with the message that “carbs make you fat.” These messages creep into our choices, even when we are not actively dieting or trying to lost weight. Everyone wants to eat healthfully, right?

 

 

 

Happy toast happy carb

is pasta healthy

Make sure these healthy carbs are a part of your diet!

  • Oats. Rolled or steel cut without additives, NOT commercially produced oatmeal!
  • Whole grain pastas, tortillas, and breads, especially sprouted grain breads.
  • Black, brown, red, and wild rice. (Basically all except white rice but even white rice is better than nothing.)
  • Quinoa 
  • Other grains less common in American diets such as bulgar, barley, farro, and millet.
  • Popcorn. If you’re buying microwave popcorn, pay attention to additives.
  • All fruit is good for you! Berries, melon, grapes, apples, oranges, kiwi, yes even bananas. When edible, don’t peel the fruit, eat the skin which is a great source of fiber.
  • Whole grain cereals – always check the sugar content of commercially produced cereals and pay attention to serving size. If there’s 6 grams of sugar per serving but a serving is 1/4 cup, you’re going to end up with more sugar than you anticipated. If you need help, check out this helpful guide on reading labels from the Mayo Clinic.
  • Potatoes are not unhealthy, we just often pile them with high-fat, high calorie toppings like cheese, butter, and bacon. Try thin-slicing potatoes, spraying with olive oil, and baking with whatever spices you like or make a baked potato and top it with chunky salsa!

The Truth About Carbs

Humans function optimally when consuming a variety of natural, whole foods. Proteins, fats, and yes even carbs are necessary for a healthy diet. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source and energy is necessary for life. If you have dealt with fatigue, you know how important it is to have energy! 

The article points out that a diet too low in carbs can send stress signals to the body which raise cortisol levels. Women, especially women who are in peri-menopause (the 8-10 years prior to menopause, which for most women means mid-30s to 40s) need carbohydrates for hormonal support.

All carbohydrates are not created equally of course, refined carbs like manufactured cookies, cakes, even supposedly healthy “bars” should be limited. Whole grains like oats, wild rice, sprouted grains, and fresh or frozen fruit should make up a significant part of any healthy diet. 

You Need More Fiber

Most Americans don’t consume enough fiber. This makes sense when you think about how we have decades of being told that grains and carbs are unhealthy! The American Society for Nutrition reports that only 9% of women and 5% of men consume the recommended daily amount of fiber. Lack of fiber contributes to serious chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, so it’s important to pay attention to fiber. Fiber can help to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and reduce overall inflammation.

All of the carbs in the list to the left are great sources of dietary fiber. It’s true that you can add a fiber supplement to your diet, such as psyllium husk, but it’s always better to get vitamins, minerals, and fiber from whole food sources whenever possible. If you’re in your 40s or older, you may remember the V8 juice commercials where someone eats a lot of unhealthy foods but drinks a V8 juice to make it more healthy. That’s a nice fantasy but taking a supplement will never be as beneficial for you body as eating whole fruit and grains is. 

The reason that everyone recommends whole grains is that they contain more fiber than refined grains. Refined grains are white pasta, white bread, and enriched breads and cereals. The refining process takes away the outer husk, which is where the fiber comes from! Instead of taking supplement with that husk that was removed from your wheat, go ahead and have the whole wheat bread!

How to change your relationship with carbs

It would be great if we could just start eating whole grains but for many of us, we have internalized the message that “carbs are bad” and it’s difficult to begin eating them regularly. Working with a holistic health and wellness coach like me can be helpful if you are struggling to see foods as neutral and not assign moral value to them! Stop thinking of any food as “good” or “bad.” There are foods that are healthy and foods that are less healthy and should be limited, but no food is “bad” unless it is spoiled, rotten, or moldy. 

Here are some steps that you can take to change your relationship with carbohydrates.

is fruit unhealthy

How to add carbs to your diet

It’s ok if you feel uncomfortable or scared trying to add carbs back to your diet! Start slowly, and give yourself grace.

 

  1. Add carbs to things that you already eat. Put some quinoa or whole wheat pasta into your salad, or have a slice of sprouted whole grain toast with it.
  2. Take the things you would normally put in a salad like chicken, lettuce, dressing, etc and throw it into a whole grain tortilla for a wrap sandwich. If you’re taking it to work for lunch, make sure to keep the dressing separate until it’s time to eat or you’ll have a soppy, gunky mess.
  3. Add a carb on the side. If you’re already having grilled chicken or salmon with broccoli for dinner, make a little whole grain rice or quinoa to have with it. If you’re concerned about blood sugar spikes, cook the rice ahead of time and refrigerate. Reheated rice has a lower glycemic index than freshly cooked rice!
  4. Try open-faced sandwiches. If two slices of bread scare you, make a sandwich with just one slice of sprouted, whole wheat bread. Order a sandwich in a restaurant but throw one of the buns or bread slices away. You can put lettuce on top so you can pick it up or you can eat with a fork and knife.
  5. Make or eat vegetable soup and stew. Adding in potatoes and high fiber veggies is easy, you can also put some beans or lentils in for additional fiber and a little protein. Even some whole wheat noodles are great in soups. You can also buy canned soup and add additional vegetables. 
  6. Make a healthy fried rice for breakfast! I had never thought of fried rice for breakfast before a shred that I did some years ago included a recipe. See below for my take on the easy recipe.
  7. If you’re concerned with protein, pair fruit with greek yogurt. That way you’re getting fiber & carbs along with some protein. 
  8. Eat what you like. If you really hate whole wheat pasta, don’t try to force yourself to eat it. Add in things you do enjoy, rather than trying to eat things you don’t. If you love refined white bread, it’s ok to eat it in moderation! Remember, there are no bad foods.
  9. Keep it simple. Microwave foods if you need to. Buy frozen fruits and vegetables. Shop in season. It’s ok to buy sliced apples if you forget to slice apples to take with you for a snack but you remember to grab pre-sliced apples, that’s a real life example from my life!
  10. Eat carbs early in the day. If you’re afraid carbohydrates will cause weight gain, have them early in the day or right before a workout. The additional fuel will help you feel great!

Link

Ingredients Needed

  • Brown rice or other whole grain rice. Steam in the bag is ok.
  • 2 pieces of breakfast meat of choice, such as sausage, bacon, or vegan sausage/bacon. 
  • 1/2 cup of peas & carrots blend frozen veggies. 
  • 1-2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos.
  • 1-2 eggs
  • Hot sauce (optional)

Easy Breakfast fried rice

Almost everything can be prepped/cooked ahead of time. The rice, vegetables, and breakfast sausage can be cooked head if you’d like, use within 1 day of cooking. 

Microwave a steam in the bag vegetables and rice are fine to make this super easy! You can also cook the rice and use fresh veggies if you prefer or have a little more time.

Cook the meat at the time for best taste but it can also be cooked head of time.

Steps at breakfast time: Break the cooked meat into bite-sized pieces, add to skillet heated to medium along with with the rice and veggies.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos. Cook until warmed through. 

Remove from the skillet and use the same skillet to cook 1-2 eggs. I prefer over medium but you can make whatever type of eggs you prefer. Whole eggs are best but you can also add an egg white or 2 if you’re concerned there’s not enough protein. 

Top the fried rice with the eggs and enjoy! Top with hot sauce if you like spicy food.
If you’re feeling really bold, have a piece of sprouted grain toast with it.

Final thoughts

Carbohydrates are part of a healthy diet. If you want to be healthy and strong, repairing your relationship with carbs will help with that.

If you need additional help, reach out to me for holistic health & wellness coaching! 

 

“If you really want to be strong and you want to do strength training, you need to eat carbohydrates.”
– Dr. Ana Kausel

 

Stacey Aldridge Kaya holistic wellness

Stacey Aldridge, CHWC, RM 

Hi, I’m Stacey, the founder of Kaya! I am a Certified Holistic Health & Wellness Coach, a Reiki Master, and I am trained in Dolores Cannon’s Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique. I have over 15 years experience working with people who want to improve their lives. I am passionate about helping my clients! Whether you’re looking to improve your physical health, seeking energy healing, or want to find and heal past-life trauma, I would love to talk with you to learn more about your goals! Schedule a free Discovery Call today.

 

Scream once a day, for 3 days straight

When I had my remote cleansing with celebrity exorcist R.H. Stavis (if you have not already read about that, I recommend reading that post first) she sent an email after the session with her findings and homework for me to do.

Most of the homework was pretty straightforward and all things that I was readily able to do. However, I struggled with one assignment: “scream once a day, for 3 days straight.” There was a time in my life when I could have easily screamed every day for 365 days straight, but I am not particularly angry anymore. It’s been a long time since I was. It felt silly, how do I make myself scream when I don’t feel angry or upset? So I didn’t do it.

As I did other things from the homework, I would think about the scream and my feelings were always the same: I don’t need to scream. I don’t know how to scream when I don’t feel angry. I discussed it with my husband and my best friend but I ended up in the same place, wondering how to scream when I didn’t feel the need to.

“The Scream” by artist Edvard Munch is a famous painting that is often copied in a humorous way.

Unblocking the throat chakra

I continued doing other things related to spiritual growth during this time, including reading the book “Chakras and Self-care” by Ambi Kavanagh.

The exercise related to the throat chakra was interesting. When I visualized the chakra, as she instructed, it wasn’t spinning with energy as it should have been. It was spinning kind of wonky, like there was a weight on one side of it. It also wasn’t blue all over, there was a scaly substance on part of it. Now, you should know that I have ADHD and it is not at all unusual for my brain to “go rogue” when doing a visualization. So I wasn’t necessarily surprised or concerned when instead of just visualizing a nice, blue triangle spinning around, there was something weird instead. If I was looking at it from a different angle, I might say my intuition was just showing me what was actually happening for that chakra. Either way, my mind is kind of like Wonderland, and I am Alice being all at once freaked the eff out and charmed by its antics.

I just wrote about it in my journal, tucked that information away, and moved on.

The Message Persisted

A few weeks after my session with R.H. Stavis, I had a session with a local intuitive, Marcia aka HolisticMysticMS. I had been thinking a lot about what to do about Kaya Holistic Wellness and whether or not I wanted the mission to be what I had originally planned – body neutral wellness coaching – or if I wanted to move in a less conventional direction. I felt very stuck. There was what I felt I should be doing and what felt right. I saw that Marcia offered life path readings, so I thought “why not?” Impulsively taking a reiki training had gone well, so maybe it’s better not to overthink these things? When I had my session with Marcia, my throat blockage came up again. I knew that this was not going to be going away on its own. I told her that the throat and throat chakra continued coming up for me. I told her about what Rachel had said to do and how I felt like I couldn’t scream because I didn’t need to. She suggested that I wait until I was having a bad or frustrating day and then let that feeling lead me into a scream. That seemed like the only way it was going to work, so I decided that I’d do that.

Still, more weeks passed without a desire to scream or a frustrating day. When I finally had a bad day and still had no desire to try to scream, I realized there was more of a block than I had realized. I had a lot of excuses: I didn’t want to bother my dogs. I could use my detached office, but what if a neighbor heard me? I definitely had some hesitation based on what other people might hear and what they might think about what they were hearing. Sounds like it goes hand in hand with a blocked throat chakra, right? Ideally, what would matter most would be expressing myself. I realized that, of course, Rachel, Marcia, and my chakra meditation were correct – something was in there and I needed to get it out.

Trying to let go


About a month after my session with Rachel, I decided that I would go to my shed office and just scream. I googled “primal scream” and apparently that is the name of a band from the 1980s. So I tried googling “primal scream spiritual” and I found this blog post on Annapurna Living called The Power of Primordial Screaming by Marie Mamonia. It is about a performance art piece that she did but I still found it to be helpful. I decided that I would start by doing some journaling, to try and figure out what the block was. 

After writing a bit, I decided that I would try to talk to the part of me that was concerned that someone might hear. In my work as a therapist, I use a type of therapy called Internal Family Systems. I am not going to explain much about it here, but the idea is that we have different parts inside of us, similar to the characters in the Inside Out movies. These parts want different, sometimes conflicting things, and often that is why we want to do something and yet never do it. In this case, a part of me wanted to scream, a part of me didn’t want to really let go in that way, and a third part of me was afraid that someone might overhear and of what they might think if they did.

I “talked” to the part that was afraid someone may overhear by journaling. I asked why it was afraid of me being overheard and it told me that its job is to make sure that I seem normal to those around me. It was not willing to take a step back and let me scream. I continued to ask the part questions and get to know it, and after a while it said that it was ok taking a step back to let me scream into a pillow.

I wasn’t angry or frustrated, and truthfully it still didn’t feel like I needed to scream. I grabbed one of my throw pillows and I turned on some music by a metalcore band I often listen to when I am angry or frustrated, August Burns Red.

I put my face in the pillow; I decided I would just scream as best I could and see what happened.

primal screaming for release primordial scream

The Scream

As I started to scream, it was as though I had taken a sledgehammer to a wall that was holding in all of my emotions.

I screamed the way someone being chased by a killer in a horror movie screams.

Tears began to stream down my face.

Still, I continued to scream into the pillow.

I took a breath and continued to scream. I screamed through the 4 minute, 46 second song that was playing and continued to scream into the next song.

The scream didn’t feel as though it had anything to do with my throat chakra. The scream felt like it came from somewhere deep within me, maybe starting all the way down at the root chakra. It felt like it came up through my pelvis, through my stomach, all the way up and out of my mouth, like vomiting out a sound. It felt like my entire body was crying out. Like I was exorcising myself of something through this primordial scream.

I had brief moments where I knew what or who I was screaming for or about, but most of the 6-7 minutes I screamed it was just animal and emotional. No thoughts. No words.

“…as a girl you were brought up to be “the nice girl,” to not take up too much space, to hold back and let others go first… We have to be flexible and take some space when needed, but then for christ [sic] sake take a back seat, don’t be too loud or obnoxious, nobody wants to be around that! But what do you do then, when you have been holding back all your life?”
– Marie Mamonia, The Power of Primordial Screaming

After the scream

When the scream felt over, I sat in the chair for several minutes. I was shocked by what had transpired. Of course, I knew before the scream that Rachel was right. I knew that there was no reason for this to continue coming up over and over again other than because there was something I was holding inside of me that needed to come out.

My voice was hoarse for four days after the scream.

There were blood vessels under my eyes that had burst.

I had either an allergic reaction to the throw pillow cover, or I had some sort of physical reaction to the scream itself or perhaps whatever it was a scream-vomited out. My face, especially around my eyes, was red, swollen, and sore. I only cried for a minute or two, not for the full scream, so I definitely didn’t cry enough to cause that.

I had trouble even talking the next day. To everyone other than my husband, I lied and said that it was due to allergies. I did not scream for 3 days in a row because I was scared that I might do permanent damage to my vocal chords if I did that again so soon.

In truth, I think I screamed enough that day for all 3 days. Although, I do plan to do another scream in a month or 2, once I am sure that my vocal chords are completely healed from the first scream.

finding emotional release through primordial scream primal screaming

What I learned from primordial screaming

I realized that whether or not it feels like it, there can be something we are holding inside of us. Because I create space for other people in one way or another as my vocation, I have learned to be disconnected from my emotions – perhaps too disconnected. As empaths, we have difficulty figuring out which feelings are ours and which are other people’s, but the answer to that is never cutting all feelings off as much as possible. I learned that I need to be more intentional about checking in with myself and what I’m feeling. Perhaps then I can have a better understanding of what I am carrying and which pieces are mine and not mine.

I know that I have some past life trauma that needs healing, perhaps even more that I am currently unaware of. My plan is to see if the person that did my Quantum Healing Hypnotherapy (past life regression) works with clients to heal past life trauma. There are certainly energetic pieces of it, but I know that for healing the pain of the life that I saw during my QHHT as well as the ways that it has impacted my current life, there needs to be more to it than simply healing energetically. I may write about my QHHT experience here at some point. What I saw was so unexpected and it impacted me deeply. That experience, along with pulling The Tower in one of my daily tarot readings shortly after, made me take a complete step back from all of my spiritual exploration in 2022. It wasn’t until 2024 that I have been able to truly dive back into my spiritual practice, in a way that did not feel possible for the 2 years in between. Because of how deeply the QHHT impacted me, I’m not sure that I will ever feel ready to talk about it publicly. Either way, I am glad to be back on the path that feels right.

 

Moving Forward

Open the throat chakra
I am glad that I did not give up on screaming, even when it felt that I had no need for it. It was very clear that Spirit did not want me to give up on it, given how many messages I received related to the throat chakra. I do believe there is a piece that, as Marie Mamonia said in her post, is linked to the way that women and girls are taught to be small, silent, and pleasant. It feels like a lifelong undertaking to slowly feel more comfortable taking up space and being ok with not being liked. Worrying that I might be judged or that it might harm my other businesses in some way was the main reason that I felt that I couldn’t move in the direction that felt most right with Kaya, or be more public with my journey. I know that was a part of what was blocking my throat chakra – feeling that I had to hide parts of myself in order to be accepted.

Around the time that I was accepting that it was important to be open with my truth, the podcast Awakening Souls had an episode about the throat chakra and “finding your true voice.” It felt very timely for me.  There are so few areas where I am not open. Carrying the fear of “coming out” as a spiritual person was truly unnecessary. If I can be an openly queer, feminist, progressive person in a very regressive, religious, conservative state, this piece of me should not be any more distasteful to people than any of the others. I have found time and time again that “our vibe attracts our tribe” in that, the people who we will connect with will find us and those who take issue with us aren’t people we really want to be connecting with anyway. I’ve never been a person who does well living quietly.

I know that this scream is only part of the journey for me. I have a lot of messages of shame that I’ve carried throughout my life that I am still unlearning. Perhaps that will never stop. I haven’t meditated on my throat chakra again but I have a feeling that after this blog post, it’s going to be blue and spinning, exactly the way that the book said it should be. The scream was only partially about unblocking my throat chakra. The other piece was speaking out and being unafraid.

 

What is a reiki training like

Training in reiki level 1 and level 2

 

In July and August 2024, I had the opportunity to take Usui Reiki training with Reiki 4 Life. It was not something that I ever expected to be doing, but it was an incredible experience and I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings about it here.

For most everything, I consider myself to be a “flexible skeptic.” That is to say, I respect other people’s beliefs but when it comes to the spiritual, supernatural, or metaphysical, I may not believe something myself. I’m kind of a Fox Mulder (X-files) in that “I want to believe” but I won’t believe just anything. Reiki was one of those things where I thought, “Sure maybe that’s a real thing but I haven’t experienced it so I can’t know for sure for myself.” That was the case until 2021 anyway.

In 2021, I purchased a Maligano jasper tower from a shop called One With Gems. I can’t remember what exactly caused me to search for it. Maligano jasper is a beautiful stone, formed in ancient volcanic areas of Indonesia. I had read that it was great for balancing and grounding. It’s a stone of transformation; The Crystal Council says, “Maligano Jasper transforms our spirit from within and provides an aura that can closely resemble a “rebirth” effect.”

My first experience with reiki energy

When I ordered the Maligano jasper tower from One With Gems, it barely registered for me that the listing said something along the lines of: “This is the EXACT crystal you will receive, infused with love and Reiki for your highest good.” She has this on many of her listings.

When my order arrived, I unwrapped the jasper and it was even more beautiful in person than it was in the photos! When I held it in my hand, I was shocked because I could feel a tingling vibration from the stone. It was almost as if it had a very low electrical current running through it. I had never experienced anything like that before, and I have loved rocks and gems since I was a child. I had my husband hold it and he of course did not feel anything. He is as non-sensitive as I am sensitive, but that provides a much needed balance.

A word of caution on maligano jasper

I am going to be making some posts about my favorite crystals, but until I do please note that if you are looking for Maligano jasper, Bumblebee jasper (which is not even jasper) is often mislabeled as Maligano. Bumblebee jasper is toxic and can cause skin reactions, so please be mindful to buy it from shops that you know are knowledgeable and trustworthy. I have seen Bumblebee labeled as Maligano many times on Etsy. One way that I use to tell them apart is that, as you would expect from a name like “bumblebee”, it is much more yellow whereas Maligano is more of an orange shade. (See the photo of my Maligano tower to compare.)

 

reiki infused maligano jasper tower kaya holistic energy
My Maligano Jasper tower from One With Gems

When I ordered the Maligano jasper tower from One With Gems, it barely registered for me that the listing said something along the lines of: ” This is the EXACT crystal you will receive, infused with love and Reiki for your highest good.” She has this on many of her listings.

When my order arrived, it was the tower and a few other things, I unwrapped the jasper and it was even more beautiful in person than it was in the photos! When I held it in my hand, I was shocked because I could feel a tingling vibration from the stone. It was almost as if it had a very low electrical current running through it. I had never experienced anything like that before, and I have loved rocks and gems since I was a child. I had my husband hold it and he of course did not feel anything. He is as non-sensitive as I am sensitive, but that provides a much needed balance.

I re-read the listing and saw what I had a vague recollection of, that the owner of One With Gems infuses reiki into the gems and stones that she sells. It was undeniable that this stone felt very different than any stone I had ever held, so that day I began to believe in reiki. When you experience something like that for yourself, it is undeniable.

To this day, when I hold the Maligano jasper tower, it still has a very distinct tingling vibration. It feels very much alive to me. It’s also a different feeling than what I experience when practicing reiki.

Why I decided to take a reiki training

When I broke my leg in January 2024, I promised myself that I would get out more and do more things when it healed. I had also started working on removing the walls and blocks within myself. I knew that much of my cynicism was learned. It was protection from disappointment, embarrassment, and rejection. If I never believed in anything or opened up to anyone, a part of me believed that I would not be hurt. This is, of course, not true. I had built my walls over decades, making them higher and thicker every time that I took them down a little bit and later regretted it.

I knew that at this point in my life, these walls were not protecting me. They were only separating me from people and experiences. They were keeping me from feeling connected and they were the reason that I was lonely. I was not exactly sure how to begin disassembling them but I knew that part of what I needed to do was step outside of my comfort zone.

I was reading over the Metaphysical Mississippi newsletter when I saw that a Reiki Level 1 training was going to be happening in a week. The newsletter said that spots were remaining, so I impulsively decided that I would sign up for it. I had never been to Holistic Health and Healing, the place where the training was held, before so I was very nervous beforehand. Had I not pre-paid for it, I am sure that I would have talked myself out of going.

I am very glad I did not talk myself out of it!

Krista, the co-owner of Holistic Health and Healing and one of the Reiki4Life teachers has made the space so inviting and comfortable. Jina, the other Reiki4Life teacher, and Krista were both so friendly, I instantly felt at ease in spite of being the first person there. Even though I try to never arrive anyplace more than 5 minutes early, I am usually still the first person there somehow.

The class was small, just 3 students and the 2 teachers. I think it was a good size and it was easy to open up and share with Jina, Krista, and the other 2 students.

Find your wellness Kaya holistic wellness reiki Mississippi

“Reiki is love, Love is wholeness,
Wholeness is balance,
Balance is well-being,
Well-being is freedom from disease.”
– Dr. Mikao Usui

5 precepts for reiki practice

Just for today:

  • Do not anger
  • Do not worry
  • Be grateful
  • Do your purpose honestly
  • Be kind to all

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It is very important to understand that the Attunement does not open and does not form any energy channels, as well as it does not connect a person to any kind of energy source. The Reiki Attunement reveals the energy potential and establishes a direct connection between a person and the Primary source of Reiki.”
– Katya Ki, Reiki Master Teacher

What is a reiki training like?

A reiki training is pretty much like any other training that you would take. We learned about what reiki is and perhaps more importantly what it is not. Jina and Krista have different reiki lineages, so they taught us a little about that in level 1 training and more in-depth in level 2. We learned about Dr. Usui (Usui Sensei), how he discovered reiki, and how he went on to teach others how to practice. Of course, you don’t have to take a reiki training to learn about that, you can read more about the history of reiki on The International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT) website. If you are interested, I encourage you to learn more about it!

I very much enjoyed learning about the history. Perhaps because I took Shotokan karate as a child and teen, which is also Japanese in origin, the foundation and philosophy of the Usui method felt very familiar. I also find the 5 precepts, which the ICRT calls the 5 Admonitions, to be similar to the 8 fold path in Buddhism, which I have also studied and practice. Like many teachings, the 5 precepts are deceptively simple. They are difficult to do but also easy to do when we are acting in accordance to our highest purpose.

After a long day of learning, the students received an attunement. It was an indescribable experience, which I guess is good because it would not be appropriate to describe the experience itself on a blog. Instead, I will share with you the reflections that I had in my journal before and after the level 1 attunement. Prior to the attunement, I didn’t have any particular expectations. I didn’t know what to expect and I wasn’t sure I’d feel anything. That old cynicism likes to creep in whenever I have to believe anyone or trust them. Not having expectations means I won’t be disappointed by these awesome people that I have come to really like over the day of training! Right? 😉

It was honestly pretty effing cool.

For my level 1 attunement, I felt a distinct warmth that started in my middle finger and then moved to my other fingers, into the palms of my hands. It is interesting because when I practice I feel a lot of warmth from my hands and I’m someone that is typically cold with cool/cold hands. Warmth is also what those I have practice on most frequently report feeling. During the ceremony, I also had a lot of warmth around my crown chakra* and a feeling almost like a pop in my third eye. It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling, just unusual. After the attunment, when I opened my eyes, I felt the most awake that I have ever felt. There were other things that I felt and saw during the attunement, but they are too personal and intimate to share. I haven’t shared those with anyone outside of the training, even my closest loved ones, and that feels appropriate.

*I feel it is important to say that chakras are not part of reiki training and practice. Information/beliefs about chakras are Indian in origin, while reiki is Japanese in origin. Chakras are most associated with Hinduism, a religion. The 7 chakras that most of us are familiar with are specifically part of Hatha and Kundalini yoga. Reiki is not associated with any particular religion. While many people, particularly westerners, work with both chakras and reiki, I feel that it is very important to understand the origin and history of these practices. Many people, myself included, work with both reiki energy (ki) and chakra health/unblocking.

I have seen people say things along the lines of: “energy is energy, no one owns this. It simply is.” That is true, however when we go beyond using the word “energy” and start speaking of “chakras” or “reiki” we must give these practices and lineages the respect they deserve. If you want to learn more What Is the Difference Between Reiki and Chakra Healing is a good, quick explainer.

 

 

 

Stacey Aldridge reiki level 1 practitioner certificate Kaya holistic wellness
I framed my reiki level one certificate because I’m a nerd!

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Reiki level 2 and final thoughts

Reiki level 2 training was much like level 1. Some trainers do level 1 and level 2 two days in a row, but Krista and Jina do not, to give people time to digest all of the information. I appreciated that, because you get a lot of information in level 1 and much of it are things you do want to remember.

We learned more about our reiki lineages and more in-depth information about the history of reiki as well as practicing reiki. We practiced on each other and the trainers at each training. I think that experience is great because it gives you a chance to feel what is like to receive reiki as well as giving it. I had only ever received a free 15 minute reiki session at an event that I attended, so I was fairly new to reiki when I attended the level 1 class. Overall, I am very glad that I impulsively signed up for the level one class. I do plan to continue on to reiki master training, sometime in 2025. For now I am practicing on friends and family, both in person and distance reiki. I really enjoy learning and feeling how different the energy flow can be from person to person. I do find that my dogs don’t love receiving reiki, which is disappointing since animal reiki is something I am very interested in! We will keep practicing though.

If you’ve thought about taking a reiki class, and you have made it this far, this is your sign to take one! If you are near Jackson, Mississippi and able to take a class with Jina and Krista, I definitely recommend it. You can find their information on the Reiki4Life website

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I had a session with a celebrity exorcist

It is definitely not as sensational as it sounds, but it’s still pretty interesting.

I first came across R.H. (Rachel) Stavis, author of Sister of Darkness and exorcist to the stars, on the podcast Ghosted! by Roz Hernandez. She is a fan favorite guest and has been on three times but I never listened to any of her episodes. I don’t really like “demon” content in horror movies or stories, so I wasn’t really interested in listening to whatever an exorcist had to talk about. Then, Roz shared a video clip from one of the episodes on her social media. Rachel was so funny, down to earth, and no-bullshit that I immediately loved her. I tried to find the clip but unfortunately, it looks like it has been taken down. I went back and listened to her episodes. Then, I immediately bought Sister of Darkness to read. It’s a great book, I highly recommend it. It’s a spiritual memoir of sorts that is well written and highly entertaining.

After I finished the podcast episodes, I also followed Rachel on Instagram. To be honest, I initially followed because she’s beautiful and hot. However, after reading the book and engaging with her content, I really enjoyed the things that she shared – and I still do. It was years before I considered getting on her waiting list for a remote session. 

I had a cleansing with a celebrity exorcist
My altar space and floor cleared for my remote cleansing.

What is a non-denominational exorcism?

While Rachel refers to herself as an exorcist, she is a non-denominational exorcist. She is not affiliated with any church or religious group. She has the ability to physically see what she calls entity (aka attachments, aka demons) and that makes her very unique. She explains it in her book but also on the many podcasts she has been a guest on, not just Ghosted! Although, if you like comedy, the paranormal, and general queerness, you will like Roz. Beyond the ability to physically see entity, her beliefs about them are pretty much in line with conventional beliefs: negative entities seek out and can attach to those who are vulnerable. When we have lower vibration (or spiritual energy) due to things like depression or other mental illness; physical illness; addiction; or emotional trauma, to name a few things, we are more vulnerable to attachment. She also works with her client’s energy to remove things like trauma. Part of her work is focused on infertility. Some people might refer to her as a “light-worker” but her aesthetic is definitely more macabre, in spite of being one of the “good guys.” She’s way more Elvira than she is Glinda the good witch, in a good way! So unlike what you see in horror films, her exorcisms do not involve dousing people in holy water and screaming “the power of Christ compels you!”

Why did i decide i wanted a remote cleansing?

Before I broke my leg in January 2024, I had been struggling with some situational depression for about 3 weeks. I was going to work and functioning fine but in my down-time I was lying on the couch, playing The Legend of Zelda and feeling numb. After I broke my leg, I developed a rare neurological pain disorder called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). The combination of those things made me wonder if I had been vulnerable to attachment. I think that I part of me hoped that the CRPS was due to some metaphysical or supernatural cause and that maybe an “exorcism” might heal it. I had been following Rachel for several years at this point and already used the incense blend that she recommended in her book on a regular basis. When she posted in spring of 2024 that she was opening up sessions for September and gave information on how to join the waiting list, I impulsively joined it. To my surprise, I was contacted in May and given the information about sessions and how to book if I wanted to. I had just had my second nerve block to treat CRPS at that point and was walking with a cane. I still had significant swelling in my foot and ankle which caused mobility and endurance issues. I talked it over with my spouse and decided that it made sense to do it. Like I said, a part of me really wanted an easy way to cure my CRPS and make sure that I didn’t have to worry about not being able to walk in the future.

 

Complex regional pain syndrome CRPS still walking with a cane
Still using my cane to walk with CRPS in May 2024

Finally the day of the cleansing arrived

The summer went by quickly and my third nerve block actually returned me to 94-99% of my original mobility. Still, I really wanted to know – did I have an attachment? As the session got closer, I worried that I was going to be disappointed. Potentially, I could lose respect for someone that I really liked. I admittedly don’t trust people easily. “What if it turns out she’s just a really great writer who is also a scammer?” I worried.
“What if her assistant just emails me and tells me to burn some incense and lie down for an hour and I just have to trust she is actually doing something?”

In the directions her assistant sent, I was told to call a number on Skype at the time of my session. This of course made me nervous because phone calls make me nervous. As it turned out, I did have a video call with Rachel herself, who was in the same chair she uses for all of her social media videos. She asked why I wanted the session and I explained why. I keep using the term “cleansing” as opposed to “exorcism” because she did let me know that she did not see any attachment, which to be honest was a relief. Since I did not have an attachment, she would be removing old trauma and negative energy as opposed to entity. She gave me instructions on what to do and also said that because I am a “severe empath” (what she calls empaths who can pick up on the emotions of the dead as well as the living) I would be able to physically feel it. She gave a couple examples of what I might feel and we ended the call. I set a timer and laid down on my rug between some candles.

What does a remote cleansing feel like?

I found that she was correct, I did have distinct and different physical sensations throughout much of the 40 minutes that she had me lie down for the session. I almost immediately felt sensations around my head. I felt hot and cold at different times and I really should not have felt cold at any point because my home office is always the warmest room in the house. Plus, as you can see from the first picture above, I had put two pillows over the crack at the bottom of the door. I was burning incense and I did not want the dogs to breathe any of it in if they came to the door to spy on me, as they often like to do. I felt some popping sensations at times. I was very surprised at how quickly 40 minutes passed with me just lying there. I did feel lighter at the end of the session, as she had said that I would. Having just taken Reiki 2, it seemed familiar and I felt that she must be doing some type of remote energy work. There are many types of energy work, not just reiki.

 

Was it worth it?

Rachel said that she would send me an email after three days to let me know what she had found and with instructions. As with the cleansing, I was really surprised and impressed with the email that I received. She confirmed that I was a severe empath and gave me instructions for multiple things to do daily to help with that. She said that she removed some old trauma and negative energy and that there had been a lot around my neck and shoulders, so I should feel a difference. I had already noticed that my neck and shoulders, “where I carry all of my tension and stress,” as I often tell massage therapists, were significantly less tight and sore. It has been almost a month since the cleansing and I do feel better overall. It did not cure my CRPS but she does not and has not to my knowledge ever claimed to cure physical illnesses. It’s not a “miracle healing” service. Truth be told if it was, I wouldn’t have done it because I wouldn’t have believed in it anyway. I had hoped that maybe something external to me was causing the CRPS but it’s just my nervous system. Knowing myself, it is unsurprising that my nervous system is both sensitive and overactive.

I have been doing the things that Rachel told me to do, and I do find them helpful. I think that it was worth the time and the money that I paid. Rachel said that she has a waiting list of over 6,000 people and her assistant chooses people randomly or intuitively. I genuinely do not know why I was picked, except that it has assisted me with some mental blocks I had in my spiritual journey. That could well have been the negative energy she mentioned. I could say that Spirit knew it was time for those blocks to be removed but I know it could also have been nothing more than my own skeptical mind blocking me. Either way, it was helpful.

 

What you can do if you are interested in an exorcism or Learning more

Sister of darkness RH Stavis
Sister of darkness by R.H. Stavis

 

I highly recommend following @RHStavis on social media and reading Sister of Darkness. She gives a lot of great information away for free on her social media. She talks about blends that you can use in incense or diffuse to help with various things. She shares “songs from the dead” that she hears as a medium. She also shares information about astrology and similar things. She has said that 2024 has been the year that narcissistic and damaging relationships would be ending, whether or not we were ready to let them go. I have certainly seen that at work in the lives of my clients and to a lesser extent myself, since I have a very small, select circle these days.

I am currently doing her mediumship prompts with a “spirit buddy” which are also free on her Instagram. I will definitely be blogging about my experience with that, it’s already been pretty cool and the first exercise isn’t even over yet.

You can also join Rachel’s waiting list by visiting her website and sending a message, as a friend of mine did after hearing about my experience.

 

Disclaimer

Just in case I need to say this, I paid for my session and did not receive any sort of discount. None of this post is sponsored in any way. She has plenty of publicity, she does not need my little blog! 🙂

Stacey Aldridge

Stacey Aldridge

I am the founder of Kaya Holistic Wellness. Eventually, that will be something more but currently it is a blog. You can learn more about me here, if you want.

 

Why Wellness is unique to each person

Here at the Kaya Holistic Wellness website you’ll see “find your unique wellness” often. That’s because there is no “one size fits all” approach to wellness – it looks different for everyone.

It’s easy to find influencers who tell you they know exactly what you need, without knowing you at all! They say: you need this particular diet; you need this exact workout and to do it this many minutes/hours per week; you definitely need to drink X gallons of water a day. Exactly the same for everyone regardless of age, ability, dietary preferences, and ignoring any chronic illnesses or physical disabilities you may have. That is ridiculous! An 80 year old in good health, who has no dietary preferences, with no physical limitations is going to need something very different than a 50 year old with chronic digestive issues who is vegan or a 25 year old with Fibromyalgia and high cholesterol.

What influencers also ignore is that wellness goes beyond just food and exercise – it’s about social connection, spiritual practice if that is important to you, relationships, finances, sleep, there are so many dimensions to wellness. This is why we seek to help you find YOUR unique wellness. However it looks for you.

 

Kaya Holistic Wellness coaching all bodies are good bodies

““Wellbeing is about the combination of our love for what we do each day, the quality of our relationships, the security of our finances, the vibrancy of our physical health, and the pride we take in what we have contributed to our communities. Most importantly, it’s about how these five elements interact.”
– Tom Rath”

Moving beyond diet culture

Unfortunately we live in a society that seeks to tear us down and negatively impact our self-esteem because the diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. The beauty industry is also a multi-billion dollar industry. In order to make money, these industries need us to feel bad about ourselves. If we stop desiring to lose the last five pounds; stop trying to prevent aging; stop comparing ourselves to the perfect images we see on social media – they lose money. At Kaya we believe in health at every size (HAES.) Eating healthy foods and moving our body will not result in a tiny body for most of us and that’s ok! All bodies are good bodies. It is possible for some people that they may lose weight or their body shape may change when they begin to eat more healthfully or move more but that is not our goal. Wellness isn’t about how you look it’s about how you feel. 

Moving beyond the wellness aesthetic

I went to Instagram and searched the term “wellness.” Most of what comes up in the top posts are attractive, white women with bodies that are currently the most socially desirable: small waist, large butt. That is beginning to change, according to the articles that I see so I expect that if I did this again in three years it would be attractive, white women with very small bodies overall. The other pictures that were not white women or white men used buzzwords and phrases like “detox” “glow up” “lose weight” although I was heartened to see that many posts were about loving yourself and self-acceptance. However the self-acceptance posts were lists and inspirational quotes. They didn’t include images of non-white bodies, of larger bodies, of people who were not conventionally attractive and that is an issue. While wellness influencers (who let’s be honest are often part of the multi-billion dollar weight loss, fitness, and beauty industries) have a certain aesthetic, that aesthetic is not what wellness is. Wellness is anyone and everyone who is making a commitment to themselves to feel better. It’s not expensive candles and weekly massages, it’s tuning into your body and your mind to find out what is and is not working for you. It’s mindfulness not sketchy supplements.

 

Wellness is not being attractive and thin

Find your unique wellness

You may already know what you want to change but need guidance on how to implement it. It could be that you need the accountability of working with someone who will ask about the choices you have made that week. Or maybe you have no idea where to start – you know that you aren’t feeling well emotionally or physically but you have no clue what needs to change.

You might know zero about nutrition or mindfulness and want someone to help you find what wellness looks like for you! Now that you know what wellness is and more importantly what wellness isn’t, it’s time to begin. Wherever you are starting, Kaya Holistic Wellness is ready to help you on your journey.

Contact us today to get more information or get started!

Stacey Aldridge

Stacey is the founder of Kaya Holistic Wellness. She has had an interest in health and wellness since high school and became more interested in holistic health when she was in graduate school for social work. Stacey has a Master of Social Work from Jackson State University and advanced training in nutrition. Learn more about Stacey.

Stacey Aldridge founder of Kaya Holistic Wellness