Next up in our period powerful profile series we’re chatting with Jasmin Harsono, Reiki Master/Teacher and founder of Emerald x Tiger. Here, Jasmin tells us all about Reiki therapy, how this can benefit menstrual cycles and how she has personally benefitted from this as an endo warrior.
Firstly, can you start by telling us a bit about yourself?
I am Jasmin Harsono, a Reiki Master/Teacher, Sonic Artist and Intuitive Wellbeing Guide. The founder of Emerald x Tiger, a lifestyle brand and concept that promotes positive awareness through a vibrant connection to the mind, body and spirit. Fusing the synergies of modern life, conscious living and ancient values and practises, we provide 1:1 and group bespoke multifaceted offerings focused on holistic wellbeing for the body, mind, and soul.
What is Reiki therapy and what first drew you to it?
Reiki is pronounced “Ray-Key” Rei means ‘spirit’, and Ki stands for ‘energy’. Together it can be translated as universal energy. Often those who experience Reiki describe it as ‘love and light’. The system of Reiki was developed in Japan by Mikao Usui. I am trained in both Western and Eastern lineages that go directly back to the founder. Reiki is not just ‘hands on healing’ but a way of life, living consciously, using principles, meditation, breath, sound, and other tools that work in harmony with one another. It works on a quantum level allowing healing to take place mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. It is entirely safe and can be shared with all living things and situations, with adults, children, babies, pets, plants, spaces and so on. Reiki is a complementary or alternative therapy that focuses on energy and spiritual healing used by the NHS. During a Reiki treatment or meditation, Reiki is sent by the practitioner allowing healing to take place on all levels mind, body and soul. Reiki works with all other medical and therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery. I was looking for ways to support my health. Around the time of discovering Reiki, I was recovering from malignant melanoma and was interested in alternative medicine and therapies. I love Reiki it is a huge part of my self-care practice. It was the only therapy that helped me to relax, aid meditation and enable me to self-treat – receiving healing for the mind, body and soul.
What are some of the benefits of Reiki?
Reiki tunes into our own specific healing needs. It promotes natural healing and reduces the impact of stress. It relieves pain, inflammation, stiffness and tension. It also helps to alleviate anxiety and depression and restores emotional balance and promotes self-esteem. It is an aid for positive thinking and meditation.
How do you feel Reiki can help women manage their menstrual cycles?
Reiki supports our reproductive system and allows us as women to feel empowered. The higher vibrational energy of Reiki flows freely through the mind, body and soul. It opens up our intuition helping us to tune into our wellbeing. With regular treatments women report a deeper understanding and relationship to their periods, tracking their moods, and feeling connected to living life in flow with their cycle. Reiki helps to alleviate menstrual symptoms such as cramp, bloating and tiredness, often helping to regulate cycles.
Has your own cycle changed since your discovery of Reiki?
It has changed, I appreciate my cycle now whereas I used to dread my period. I have severe Endometriosis. It took over twenty years for a diagnosis. Occasionally I suffer from flare-ups, not as bad as before I would spend every day in pain. My bleed is lighter and shorter, and I have a regular cycle. I am not entirely free of symptoms. I self-treat with Reiki every day, and there has been a significant change over the years. I listen to what my body and mind need; from foods, I eat to taking time to rest when I need to.
What can Reiki do to help those with reproductive health conditions?
Reiki can have an immediate effect on symptoms such as pain, low moods, inflammation and fatigue. I have clients who have conditions such as Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, PCOS and Fibroids who report a positive difference when receiving regular Reiki treatments. There are key energy centres that run through our physical body-mind and extend into our aura. When these energy centres become blocked, physical symptoms can occur. Reiki helps to relieve blockages and tension held deep within. Blockages from traumatic experience and feelings of lack of self-worth are released. Reiki supports womb healing, mood swings, inflammation, tiredness, aches, fertility, low libido and pain as well as much more.
Can you tell us your recent events? Any more to come?
We led a large meditation class at LIVE WELL London a few weeks ago. I host regular Reiki + Sound groups and private sessions at Re:Mind Studios in Victoria, and Gazelli House in South Kensington, London.
On Thursday 14th March 2019 Emerald x Tiger are teaming up with The Femedic to host an evening for Endometriosis Awareness Month. The idea behind the event is to bring experts and those with Endometriosis together sharing ways in which they can thrive while living with Endo. I have always wanted to bring the Endo community together in a safe space where they can meet like-minded individuals. The event has three ted style talks from Moody Month, The Womb Room (Saschan Fearon Joseph), and Stella Bullo (Researcher at Manchester University) ending with an energy healing meditation led by myself and a team of Reiki practitioners. Tickets are available via here.
We have lots of great events coming up this year, click here for our events page and sign up to our newsletter for monthly news and updates.
A BIG thank you to Jasmin for telling us all about Reiki and Emerald x Tiger! You can find out more by checking out the Emerald x Tiger here or following on Instagram.
