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Smoke with Us and Learn All About Reiki with Rachel Terlop
165 Plays3 years ago
OKAY today we are talking HEALING with a real life, incredible healer human. Teacher, author, partner, friend, and Reiki Practitioner Rachel Terlop joins Dani and Kels to give us all a breakdown introduction into the Reiki!
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Transcript
Introduction to Awakened Bake
00:00:06
Speaker
Welcome to Awakened Bake, an educational, high vibrational, mystical, spiritual, pot, I'm sorry, podcast from two girls, one joint and a journey to awaken what's inside all of us. In the words of the wise Wiz Khalifa, let's roll something and get the day started. Okay, hello and good morning. It is a very special day.
Meet Rachel Turlock
00:00:25
Speaker
Today on Awakened Bake, we have Rachel Turlock. Say hi, Rach.
00:00:29
Speaker
Hi, everybody. Rachel is a teacher, author of a Mom's Choice Award-winning children's book, Maggie the Moo Maid, recently submitted her PhD thesis in Metaphysical Science with her dissertation focused on tarot cards and Reiki Master. So needless to say, we are honored to have her here and beyond excited to learn from you, Rachel. And today we're going to focus mostly on the Reiki, but
00:00:56
Speaker
Since you've done so much and I kind of touched on a few of the things, please tell us who you are. Okay. I am a 30, almost 31 year old woman. I am able-bodied, bisexual. I am a teacher and author and an artist. I am a liberal child of conservative parents and I am trying.
00:01:24
Speaker
She's incredible. Rachel is a beautiful human. We met, oh, my God, three months ago, four months ago?
A Serendipitous Meeting
00:01:31
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. In San Diego at my flower shop, she happened to walk in one day, and we had a very, very immediate connection. It was beautiful. And I was like, I know that this is someone that I need in my life, and I'm just so, so grateful that I could introduce her to Danielle and now let all of you guys meet her because she's incredible.
00:01:50
Speaker
I've heard nothing but good things about Rachel since they met. And it has been on a weekly, almost daily basis of like, dude, we gotta get Rachel on the podcast. You're gonna fucking love her. You're going to love her. We had our like, of course, like before we bring someone on the show, you know, we like to talk to them first face to face. So we were just having our like little pre chat before this. And I was like, Rachel, I love you. Like not to be dramatic, but I love you.
Podcast's Impact on Rachel
00:02:18
Speaker
I am so thrilled to be here. I was sharing that like, this is a podcast that affirms so much and has helped me think through my relationship with my parents has helped me think through generational trauma has
00:02:34
Speaker
helped me think through my relationship with medication for ADHD and depression and anxiety. And just knowing that there are like-minded people out there in the world is so affirming. I am thrilled and honored to be here. Thank you for having me.
00:02:51
Speaker
That's how I feel, honestly. I felt like when we were talking earlier, I just had a really strong energetic connection to you. Your presence, which this is probably a plus for you since you're a Reiki master and the Reiki healer, but your energy is so calming and so welcoming and open. It's incredible. It's such a warm energy. You know what I mean? What's your sign? I'm a Cancer. My birthday is July 11th.
00:03:19
Speaker
Coming up! It's almost your birthday, yeah! Oh, and it's your season!
00:03:25
Speaker
Yeah, it's a good time. I am excited for all things coming up in the next season of life and excited to go back into the classroom and just... Oh, really quick. Tell them about the new classroom you're going to be working in.
Teaching at a Special School
00:03:39
Speaker
Oh my gosh. I am going to be at a middle and high school. It is for students specifically with ADHD or autism spectrum disorder. And it is four days a week of our routine. We've got creative writing. We have a class called Experience.
00:03:54
Speaker
There are like we're gonna do your book, but then on Fridays Fridays are reserved for speakers and field trips. So, every week there's that dedicated time and space to learning about our community and like engaging with the people around us.
00:04:13
Speaker
That's incredible. That's amazing. I think that's something that a lot of us can relate to. We all have someone in our life that just kind of reminds us of and resonates with. And I just love the work that you're doing. I'm obsessed with everything you've done. So I know we kind of interrupted you because we're just so excited. We can't stop talking, but you were telling us all about yourself.
00:04:38
Speaker
I'm just out here trying, honestly. I grew up in Ohio. I share that with you, but my first job was in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
00:04:48
Speaker
was a preschool teacher. Yeah, we lived in like, we say we lived in the shadow of Lambo. That was a nature-based, play-based preschool. And it set the foundation for like what I expect in classroom environment and like experiential learning.
Diverse Teaching Experiences
00:05:06
Speaker
But my husband got a dream job. He works for SiriusXM. And so he moved to Washington DC. Yep. He's in charge of all of the college sports channels. Oh, wow. Yeah.
00:05:17
Speaker
So he's in charge of programming for that. And so we've been in the DC area and I have been trying to figure out who I am and what space I want to be in as a teacher. So we've got here
00:05:30
Speaker
in like it was middle of my first year teaching. Like we left Green Bay to come here. I taught long-term fifth grade over at Cowfield up in Maryland and then wasn't finding a full-term job. So I actually applied to international schools and taught in Kenya for a year. So I was at a British prep school there and it was come home and work towards your graduate degree or stay in Kenya and
00:06:00
Speaker
I needed to come home and keep learning. So I taught in DC for a while. I taught in Southwest DC and then I taught in like the embassy row area and both had their own unique challenges. Then came to Virginia schools. And although I had the most intentional, incredible special education background principal,
Challenges in Virginia
00:06:26
Speaker
Virginia is a state that has a hotline to tattle on teachers who are talking about race. Virginia has some wild things to work through and it is hard to be a teacher and be somebody who wants to also engage with like
00:06:54
Speaker
meaningful conversations with our students. Yeah, important ones that are going to progress our country and our youth forward. And when they're not allowing that, I mean, that's, that's a really interesting perspective that I don't think a lot of like, I had no idea that that was even like a thing. Right. So I love that you're like able to bring that up on our podcasts for like our listeners, because if we didn't know that, I'm sure a lot of our listeners didn't know that, like that, what a progressive
00:07:22
Speaker
type of standing that they could have, you know what I mean?
00:07:25
Speaker
It is hard to be a teacher and students who are exploring their gender, they are learning what the word non-binary means. And so we're having conversations with parents who found my Twitter account, went on my Amazon wish list, found a book about being non-binary and then had a conference because they are concerned about in what context I am sharing this book. And I'm like,
00:07:57
Speaker
We have a student in class who is using that phrase. This book lets us all be respectful. It is a hard time to be into.
00:08:10
Speaker
We can, I mean, we could go on and on about how, yeah, how it's like people want to talk about, oh, it's indoctrinating or it's like program, people think it's programming these like young minds, but it's like every princess movie out there is a heterosexual couple. Like, is that not programming? Like, we need to be skinny and we need to be, you know, only care about men and that we don't like. Yeah, like it's just kind of like, the whole argument is like, well, that seems a little silly. Then it's like, you know what I mean? Like, it's just,
00:08:39
Speaker
I love getting to have different perspectives of like strong and powerful like you know women who are in their power who aren't afraid to like stand up for what they believe in. Even when it goes against like what authorities or you know school district or whatever. I just love I love like getting to talk to like minded strong minded women. And it is fantastic that y'all have developed this space because
00:09:06
Speaker
you have people who are listening about how, about how there's so many elements of your podcast that contribute to like the wellbeing, the spiritual, the physical, the mental, like elements of being a woman in our culture and society. So like, kudos to you. Like keep, keep doing this because people need it. I need it. Hey, we're here for you, my dear.
00:09:34
Speaker
Well, and you're, you're here for us, you guys. So let's get into it. Let's get into the Reiki. We just, we're like literally stuck in her tent. You know how we do guys. We always bring on people who are obsessed with. Okay. So Reiki, how did that start? How does that fit into everything? So it fits in because I have, I have a lovely group of mentors that I have met throughout my time.
00:09:59
Speaker
I'm teaching is everything in my world my grandmother my mother my sister like everyone comes from the teacher world. It was always like, find your mentor, like that is always been a theme. So, I was teaching in DC, and I
00:10:17
Speaker
There was a magical person. His name is Jamie Ewing. He is now married. He's an educator up in the Bronx in New York. And I got to work with him in DC for three years. Long story short, his former life was like a couture fashion designer.
00:10:33
Speaker
And in that life, I needed to have brain surgery and teaching was his second, second career. So we were talking about just like the past and he was like, well, you know, the thing that helped me after brain surgery the most was my Reiki sessions and I had never heard of it. So I was like, tell me about it. And he was like, you know, I think you would like it.
Discovering Reiki
00:10:53
Speaker
It's not religious. It's more about just like balancing the energies in your body and being mindful.
00:10:59
Speaker
And I was like, Oh, okay. And he's like, it's kind of in the same space as like Tai Chi or meditation and yoga. And like at that time I was, I had finished my 200 hour yoga teacher class. So like, Oh my God. And yoga.
00:11:15
Speaker
Yeah, yoga was the thing that saved me in my teaching career, like honest to goodness. But it's just that like energy flow mindfulness at the space. And so he was like, I think he'd really like it. So I googled it, found a Reiki practitioner, and like
Understanding Reiki
00:11:35
Speaker
Reiki comes from the Japanese words rei, which means universal, and ki, which means vital life force energy that flows through all being things.
00:11:53
Speaker
This is life force energy. And I shared this with you before when we were talking, like if we're thinking Star Wars analogy, like this is the force. Like the force is within all of us. We all have access to this. This is not something that is hidden or secret. Like this is your body. This is your energy, right? So Reiki is the process of
00:12:20
Speaker
the practice because it's a it's an all the time practice just like yoga isn't all the time practice you're never done like this is a practice that you can do with yourself you can do it with others you can do it with animals with your food with like a cup of coffee with tea like it is you channeling the universal life force energy
00:12:44
Speaker
and directing it towards something. It can be directed towards the here and now. It can be directed to your past selves. Yeah, for healing generational traumas, which I know is something you've dived into on this podcast before. It is available and accessible through everyone.
00:13:06
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. So that was going to be one of my questions was, um, because, so since we're working with energy, um, and we tell our audience all the time that energy can be transferred like through your phone screen, even is Reiki something that can be done like long distance.
Journey through Reiki Training
00:13:21
Speaker
It is. So when you are learning Reiki, you go through three different levels of training. And so think of it as modules, like in this first level of training, you're learning about what it is, the practice of it, and like, just how to focus your mind and intention on sending energy to something that's in front of you or just to yourself.
00:13:50
Speaker
right? The next module of learning is about the symbols, okay? So what I mean by symbols is the man who wrote it down.
00:14:03
Speaker
Dr. Makao Usui, he is Japanese. He was born in 1865 and came from a background in Zen Buddhism. And he was fascinated with Western culture. So actually this man ended up being the mayor of Tokyo at one point. So he was studying meditation and energy. And so he was the one who developed and wrote down what Reiki was.
00:14:30
Speaker
And so in order to like activate it, he had these symbols that he would do with his hands or he would draw them on his hands or he would project them like from his mind, right? It was all about these symbols and they were like activating this like flow of energy. And- It's giving Naruto vibes if you've ever seen Naruto. Yes, I have. And it's-
00:15:00
Speaker
something I've learned is every Reiki practitioner has their own symbols. Like this man outlined the three and what they meant. Everyone has their own, like there is not a rule that says, I have to learn these Japanese symbols in order to participate in this activity. Or about the intention of like, I am activating my intention and thought on this person or this time or this event.
00:15:28
Speaker
my personal practitioner, when we get to level three and there's like the master symbol, and like we can talk about the word master later and like colonialism and like all kinds of problematic stuff. But like, yeah, when you to the master symbol, hers, she does a butterfly. Because like that symbol is powerful for her. Yeah. Like it means what he said. So level three is healing
00:15:57
Speaker
inherited memory. So that's like that generational trauma. Okay. So when you go through these three different modules of learning in your Reiki practice to become a practitioner, it's just about learning the different ways and applications it applies to your life. But this is supposed to be one of those things that is free, accessible to everyone, not gate kept, it is meant to be shared openly and just like
00:16:25
Speaker
Tell the world.
Reiki's Accessibility
00:16:28
Speaker
Like I feel like it's actually, oddly enough, I feel like it kind of is inaccessible to a lot of people. Like I've heard about it so much, but I've only ever seen it depicted like in mainstream social media as like something that like celebrities or like the real housewives will go pay a lot of money. They'll go to like Bali or something and have a rape healing done.
00:16:52
Speaker
Yeah. And so I've always been so intrigued by it, but I was always like, oh my gosh, I just don't know about it. Like I don't know like how I could ever do that. Let me mystify something for you. Okay. You sign up for a Reiki healing session. You're going to go to your local like energetic worker, right?
00:17:09
Speaker
you're going to show up, there's probably going to be a massage table. You can sit, you can stand, you can lay. When I participate, I lay on my back on the massage table and like my practitioner uses crystals. So like as she works through the different like
00:17:27
Speaker
energetic centers my body, like she will touch the crystal that she has like laid on my chest or stomach or pelvis, right? Your Reiki practitioner, they might touch you. They might not touch you at all. Like there are sessions that I go to where my work like energetic worker, her name is Beth actually touched me. Like, wow.
00:17:51
Speaker
I think going in for a massage, but not being touched. Not with the expectation of being touched. Okay. It is all through just intentionally placing energy and directing it through your hands. That's incredible. Is this something that you can feel in the moment while it's working?
00:18:15
Speaker
Okay, so people have so many different experiences. Okay, fall asleep for some people because this process is
00:18:24
Speaker
being done in order to align your chakras and balance them. So by participating in Reiki, the thought is at the end of your session, you have gonna cleared out blocked and old energy from each chakra, and you have like kind of reset them. Think of it as a chakra cleanse or balance. Okay, that sounds incredible.
00:18:46
Speaker
And so some people fall asleep. Some people with their unblocked cry, like weep. I am someone who I'm such a visual learner. For me, I see colors and shapes behind my eyes. And so when I wake up, when the session is over, my Reiki therapist
00:19:13
Speaker
I don't even have the right word of what I call it, but like, she and I sit there and we like unpack, like, oh, this is the symbol. And we have our book of symbols and we open it to the page and we look it up and we talk about what it could be. Like, you know how with Tarot, you pull a card and like, it is your interpretation of the card. Think of it as, I am having time and space with somebody who is directing the energy of the world through me.
00:19:43
Speaker
What comes up for me? What can I debrief? What can I process through this event? You're making time for processing and connecting. Can you give an example of a symbol? Bumblebee has come up. I was thinking triangle or circle and this bitch said Bumblebee.
00:20:04
Speaker
I remember there being a bee one time and I remember being like, okay it was like the shape of a bee and like it was also that like buzziness and like that vibrating and so we were like okay we gotta look up what this means because like then you could go into color and what it means you know
00:20:24
Speaker
It's it's the symbols and the meanings that you make of it. And what is the book that you reference? Is that a universal book or is that something that's hers? Oh, no, it is. I got it at kind of Burns and Noble. It's called like The Symbol Sourcebook.
00:20:41
Speaker
Okay, nice. It's yeah, it's one of those like ones that I had in an elementary classroom because you know, yeah, we're looking stuff up.
The Ego Check of Reiki
00:20:50
Speaker
Yeah, what are like some of the biggest benefits and changes of your life since introducing Reiki into it? Oh my gosh, that is a wonderful question. Oh, cool. I think it is
00:21:13
Speaker
I think it's a real good ego check. I really do. I think it gives you a chance to notice yourself and your feelings and your interpretations of the world. It gives you a chance to kind of view it from a, at least for me. I get a chance to like disconnect within like observe and like notice emotions as opposed to like living emotions.
00:21:44
Speaker
It's such an interesting space to be in and you meet such interesting people because you are meeting people who feel like they feel that energy and whether that comes from it being a trauma response through all of us having
00:22:02
Speaker
you know, events happen in our childhood where we had to notice people's behaviors to feel safe. Like it could be that, but it is that unseen feeling. And to meet people who are open to interpreting energy. That's a fun group of people to talk to. So like, I think my life has changed through community. I think my life has changed through art. I think my life has changed to being like an observer of my,
00:22:32
Speaker
emotions. What does your practice look like? Do you do it on yourself once a day? Go to her three times a week? What is your schedule with it? Your routine? I don't necessarily have a set routine. I used to go to see Beth
00:22:51
Speaker
Um, once a month. And like, that was my, that was my therapy. Then COVID happened and we would do distance sessions. And then I started practicing more on myself. And then I just, you know, I feel like I know how to remove myself from space, create an intentional environment and just like tap into my different chakras. And like, I can take care of myself, which is great to have a
00:23:21
Speaker
self-soothing, healthy way to manage your energy. This is so incredible because what I was, that's what I was thinking was like, do you, I just had, I was gonna ask earlier, like, do you prefer doing it to yourself or having it done to you? And then I was also gonna ask, yeah, do you think it's something anybody can do? Like, do you think anybody can learn to do it? Yes, absolutely.
00:23:44
Speaker
I think if you have access to materials and someone who's willing to teach you, then yeah. I think that's great because I don't think learning happens independently. Yeah. I think learning has to happen in a group, peer, partner, like men have to happen with others. Yeah. So I think this is something for anybody and
00:24:07
Speaker
I have learned through, you know, the classes, like I signed up for a class to participate in this, like, and then because it was an online class, I was worried that like, it wasn't good enough. So then I went to like an in-person Reiki class just to make sure that like, you know what I mean? And it really is.
00:24:27
Speaker
It is setting an intention and sending your energy towards something. Reiki can do no harm. It is not even like given. You are a conduit.
Scientific Validation of Reiki
00:24:40
Speaker
for energy from the earth to someone else and like the incredible thing about this practice is like from a research perspective like because as soon as I got access to like the research library with my PhD I'm like in here typing Reiki like let me see with this but they are measuring like seven to ten hertz
00:25:00
Speaker
coming out of people's hands and like it is physically being measured. Wow. Holy cow. That's crazy. That's what we always tell you guys. Like this stuff is real. This stuff is science. Like it's hospitals. Yeah. It's just studied. It's not studied nearly as much as other forms of medicine and science.
00:25:22
Speaker
but this stuff is real and we're learning more and more about it and that's why we were so excited for Rachel today to come on and kind of like teach you guys this because I know it and introduce it yeah because Kelsey and I we we talk about all the time we follow a bunch of Reiki people online but it's like they
00:25:38
Speaker
you know and maybe it's just like a lack of me being able to understand it but I feel like until getting to talk to you I never really had a clear concept of like what it was I was just always like oh yeah I would love to like get that done one day or like look into it but I had really no idea like where to start or what it even was like you know what I mean? Where would you suggest someone start like what is the first step? I would start by going to like
00:26:03
Speaker
the International Reiki Organization. Start online going to them. They have
00:26:09
Speaker
practitioners available through the website that you can talk to. So if you are comfortable with credentialed and that's your method, go there. If you are someone like me who is like, I just want to get into the community, I'm on Yelp. I'm in Google typing in local Reiki practitioners and then seeing are they at a metaphysical shop or are they out of their home? Are they out of a business or is this more of a freelance?
00:26:40
Speaker
At the end of the day, you are sharing an intimate space with somebody and you need to feel comfortable letting your guard down to process in a room with another person. And that's what it is. And that's huge. That's so vulnerable. I can imagine that, yeah.
00:27:00
Speaker
You it must be hard to find or like you have to find a good fit. Yes. Did you have to shop around for last night? I did. I shopped around. I found one that was in like a metaphysical practice. They did like massage and cupping and and so I went there and
00:27:18
Speaker
I, you know, we started I'm laying on the table. My eyes are closed. She has light music playing and like honestly she's not touching me. It's just she's staying there with her hands over my stomach over my leg over my feet and like I'm just kind of laying there and I don't really
00:27:36
Speaker
I don't really feel anything. And then like, I give it more time and I think I'm just maybe like relaxing. But then her dog was in the room and her dog sneezed and then like, you can, like something changed in the environment. Like I think the sneeze, like whatever connection we did have energetically, the sneeze was it. So like, I didn't go to her again. Because I was like, that was such a weird,
00:28:05
Speaker
Wow, that was like enough of an energy experience. Yeah, it was. I know that sounds so. No, like, but you have. Yeah, but like with the woman I see now, Beth, she, her practice is like in a crystal shop in a room off to the side. So there's no actual door. So you hear people coming in and out of the shop. You hear people talking and chattering and there's still light music playing. Yeah.
00:28:34
Speaker
It's just, that's the space I feel comfortable. That's so, I love too that then it's like, there doesn't have to be any type of like, um, hierarchy of like, Oh, you go to someone who is here. Like, yeah, go to someone who works out of their home or who freelances. Like, it's not like that at all. Like it's genuinely like, it's for everybody. Anybody can like do it. It's whoever you connect with and deal safe with.
00:28:56
Speaker
Yeah. As a practitioner, I have done a few distance sessions. I had a distance session with a man in Australia. And like, I felt like so just like
00:29:13
Speaker
I felt so overwhelmed with energy when I was doing this, where I was jumping. I was like, oh my gosh, I feel like I need to move my body so much. And I had this visual of a bicycle and I messaged him about that.
00:29:28
Speaker
finish the like time because like you spend about an hour just like with this you if you're doing a distance session you might hold a picture of someone so I had this Instagram open like oh so I had this and I mess shit to him and he was like thank you so much like let me sit with that he messaged me six months later and was like okay I've been sitting with this and like let me tell you about this bicycle and what it means my life and then let me tell you about the energy and like what was going on like this part was in my life and I really was going up and down at work and like
00:29:57
Speaker
It was a depressive episode. And I was like, I am so glad to experience that with you. And he literally was able to work through that with your help. It took him about six months. But like, wow. And you saw that. And like, we're like, that's wild. This is incredible. This is so cool. We are all connected through. Rachel, will you reiki me? Will you reiki us? Absolutely. I want to make it reiki.
00:30:30
Speaker
We can set up a time, you can lay, you can sit, you can choose to engage with, like, if you want to smoke, if you want to have crystals, like, you can bring what you want to this space and like, yes, I could call you before and let you know I'm asserting, we could debrief after, or you could just say like, things I'd rather journal.
00:30:50
Speaker
Oh my God. Okay, guys, this is so cool. Rachel's the coolest person. Oh my goodness. Okay, well, oh my God, there's a fly. There's a fly in the studio. It's okay, though, because we're about to wrap up. But seriously, Rachel, thank you so much for coming on to talk to everybody about this. I learned
00:31:09
Speaker
so much personally. I'm so excited to go get a Reiki healing done. And I just feel like, even already, I can feel your energy. Yes, oh my goodness. Your energy is so beautiful. Right. You're just beautiful. And everyone has to go check out Rachel. We'll share her on Instagram, so you'll see all of that. And her book, Maggie the Moommate, is incredible. I cannot stress that enough. I want to have you back on to talk about that and what that's all about. So please check that out so you can do your research for beforehand, everybody.
00:31:38
Speaker
And that being said, before we close off, is there anything that you want to promote or shout out? Oh my gosh. I think because this time and space was about Reiki, I would like to close with the five Reiki tenants. There are five affirmations that you can sit with and feel if this is something you want to be in alignment with. Like these are the five mantras, goals, tenants. So here they are. If you
00:32:05
Speaker
want to take a moment like feel free to like ground down through your sit bones, feet flat on the floor, feel free to close or lower your eyes, just however you want to take it in. Number one, just for today I will not worry. Number two, just for today I will not be angry. Number three, just for today I will do my work honestly. Number four, just for today I will give thanks for my many blessings.
00:32:36
Speaker
And number five, just for today, I will be kind to my neighbor and every living thing. Those are the original ones. Sometimes people reframe the first two in a positive message. So instead of saying just for today, I will not worry. They might say just for today, I will trust. Or instead of just for today, I will not be angry. They will say just for today, I will love.
00:33:00
Speaker
So I love that. I love all of them. Rachel, that was beautiful.
Closing Thoughts on Reiki
00:33:05
Speaker
Thank you so much for being here and sharing this. Thank you guys so much for joining us today. Everybody, say hi. Bye.