Self Care and Compassionate Care for Others - An Interview with Reiki Master Jennifer Dean Nagle
This is part of a series of interviews I am conducting with practitioners of holistic medicine with the aim of answering this question: "How can we increase our quality of life?”
I find that people who are drawn to help others tend to be ignited with a deep passion and purpose. These interviews delve into that drive and aim to discover insight and supply tips for living life to its fullest.
Jennifer Dean Nagle is a Reiki Master Practitioner practicing at Village Wellness on the Main Line, Philadelphia.
Enjoy the interview!
Love,
Lance
Q: Jennifer! What inspired you to become a Reiki practitioner?
JENNIFER: I’ve always known my purpose here was to help people. After some twists and turns in life, I came to reiki and am able to use my life experience and reiki skills to help people feel better and be their best selves.
While going through breast cancer treatment at Paoli hospital, they offered Reiki sessions. Reiki made me feel so much better during treatment, so I decided to study it and became a reiki master, and devote my life to it.
Ultimately my mission is to help others understand how important it is to take care of ourselves. All the decisions I was making in life brought me to cancer, so I decided to make some pretty major changes in my life. I want to help others prevent disease in the first place. We all know life today is stressful and we may have many unhealthy habits. Reiki is one of many ways to bring balance into your life, feel better, and prevent disease in the future.
Q: Jennifer, what does a Reiki session involves, and how does it help a person going forward?
JENNIFER: If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to slow down and take care of ourselves. So currently I am most passionate about helping others take care of themselves through Reiki.
A reiki session will be relaxing and help you feel balanced and grounded. During a typical session, you will relax on a massage table, fully clothed - and you don't need to do anything after that! A Reiki session is light touch slightly hands-on, or completely hands-off if the patient prefers. There will be relaxing music and lighting as well.
Most patients report feeling deeply relaxed (some even fall asleep a bit!). You may also feel lighter like you are floating above the table, or feel so relaxed you feel as if you are sinking into the table. Once the session is over, you go on your way feeling refreshed, more focused, and energized.
My goal at a minimum is to help patients relax and give them some time of peace when no one is going to bother them or ask them for anything. I also want my patients to use reiki as one way to have balance in their life, to learn to slow down and turn off and just be for a time. I believe once we learn how to do this, we begin to improve all the other areas of our lives that cause stress.
Q: How does Reiki integrate with shamanism, acupuncture, the other services at VW
JENNIFER: Reiki works by balancing the energy in your body, such as balancing your chakras. It is a great complement to any other kind of energy medicine. Reiki does not involve needles, is mostly hands-off, and you stay fully clothed during a session so reiki may be more appealing for some patients.
Reiki will help you be your best self and can help enhance other services. We like to say reiki gives you what you need.
Q: What are a few healthy habits or lifestyle recommendations you want to offer our community?
JENNIFER: Over the past couple of years I’ve really been improving my meditating skills. If you can meditate, you can do anything. So I like to suggest daily meditation for my patients. Even just ten minutes every day makes a world of difference. I also love walks in nature, or combine both for a walking meditation. Nature walks are great for feeling rooted and just enjoying the gifts mother earth offers all around us. And drink lots of water.
Q: Do you have a spiritual practice?
JENNIFER: I like to pray every morning and meditate in the evenings. Reiki has five principles I try my best to live by and recite every morning.
The Five Reiki Principles are:
Just for today, I release angry thoughts
Just for today, I release thoughts of worry
Just for today, I’m grateful
Just for today, I expand my consciousness
Just for today, I’m gentle with all beings
I also actively practice gratitude and devote prayer time once a week for only gratitude – no asking for anything just thanking for all.
Q: Jennifer can you share a little about your family life?
JENNIFER: I am an animal lover and have rescued five cats in total (so far). Currently, I’m so lucky to be living with my kitties Tigger, Chloe, and Jack. I also share my life with my favorite human, my husband Joe. We live locally in Wayne.
My favorite thing in the world to do is hang outside in my backyard with my husband and cats enjoying nature and watching the cats play outside. I also love going to the movies, reading, cooking and going out to eat, and traveling (most recently to Maine).