It’s been 27 years since Reiki found me. Lately, I’ve found myself telling this story to clients who ask, and so decided to share it with you on this eve of a new year and new decade.

Because this condition is so intricate and deeply personal, the treatment options are varied, running the gamut with medication, exposure therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), and alternative treatments like acupuncture, Qi gong, massage, Reiki, Craniosacral therapy and more. Over the coming weeks, we’ll explore some of these modalities and their benefits in treating PTSD, starting today with Reiki.

Our society is at a place unlike any place it’s ever been in history. The collective is shifting on a regular basis, and our thoughts and actions are having a more concrete impact than they ever have before. Perhaps you’ve noticed that things in your own life are changing? Maybe you’ve been given more signs and direction lately, or you’re starting to pay closer attention to the messages popping up in your life?

In many mindful and spiritual traditions, the opening act is one of quiet contemplation and distillation of our purpose, whether we are sitting on a cushion, lying on a table, or standing on a yoga mat. These few moments of soul-powered declaration are incredibly powerful to bring about positive energy and change in whatever we are about to do. Most of us know of this act as “setting an intention”, and while it’s more commonly associated with the beginning of a yoga class, it’s a fantastic habit to get into before we do even the most ordinary of daily activities.