article written by Larry Richards
When talking about my work, I often get the “rolling eyes” or hear the statement something like, “Does that stuff really work”? Or I have had people tell me, this is just “that new age stuff”. Little do these individuals realize that Hypnotherapy, Meditation and Reiki have been around for many years and are not “New Age”. I also run into those who believe meditation or Reiki is associated with some religious belief and are reluctant to even discuss the subject, and I admit, I was one of those “people”.
My knowledge of Hypnosis was limited to old movies and TV shows with the spinning spiral, the swinging watch or the tried and true, “look into my eyes”. Meditation was for monks isolated in the mountains of Tibet, and Reiki, I had never heard of it. So of course when I first encountered any of this, my “antenna” went up and I had the same reaction as many others, very skeptical and non-belief. So why am I telling you all of this? To let you know why I have become a believer and why I am so excited to offer these modalities to my family, friends and clients.
Several years ago I found myself flat on my back in the emergency room of a Phoenix area hospital. Experiencing breathing difficulties, pounding in my head and ears, and wondering if I was having a heart attack or maybe a stroke. I was diagnosed with Stage II hypertension (Extremely high blood pressure). I was given a sedative and blood pressure medication to bring my BP back down from the danger zone. After several hours I was sent home with blood pressure medication and instructions to visit with my doctor as soon as possible.
Of course when I met with my doctor he checked my BP and wrote a prescription for medication and told me I needed to lose weight. So over the next few years my medications were adjusted and in the end I was taking 60 – 80 mg of various BP medications per day in order to maintain an average BP somewhere in the vicinity of 165/ 90, bordering on Stage II Hypertension. Much lower than when I was in the emergency room, but still too high.
After being without insurance and therefore no BP medications for a couple of years, I finally enrolled in Medicare in 2013 and decided I better schedule an appointment with the doctor. One of the first things the doctor asked me was if I needed a refill for my BP medications. When he found out I haven’t had medications for approximately two years, he asked what I was taking to control my BP. My response, “Hypnotherapy and Meditation” and of course he rolled his eyes and gave a little chuckle.
Since this initial visit I began my training in Reiki and have been initiated as a Reiki Master /Teacher. This past week I had a follow up appointment to review lab tests and of course the nurses always take your BP. Well I think I finally made a believer out of my doctor. When he opened my file, he said he thought the nurse entered my vitals incorrectly, so he wanted to retake my BP. The doctor took my BP and then decided the BP machine in the exam room was malfunctioning and moved us to a different exam room so he could retake my BP. After the third time getting a reading of 120/64, the doctor wanted to know what I was doing to control my BP since this reading was exceptional for someone my age and of course my weight.
When I told him about my Hypnotherapy, Meditation and practicing of Reiki, he said “maybe more of my clients should try this”. So, not to miss a chance, I handed him my business card and told him I would be more than happy to work with his patients and would love an opportunity to discuss this further with him, the other doctors and of course the nurses in the office. I don’t know if he will give me any referrals or not, but I feel I made a believer out of my doctor as well as the nurse.
Rev. Larry A Richards C.CHt, RMT Transformational Life Center