Meet Sarah of Sarah Elizabeth Reiki
Please tell us a little about yourself and your background.
Hi! I’m Sarah Collins, a wildly sensitive person who lived most of my life totally dysregulated, stressed out, overwhelmed, clumsy, and disconnected from my body. I was sick and tired a lot of the time and suffered from night terrors and chronic ear infections into my 20s. Thank God things started to change in my 20s! Now, in my 30s, I am having a completely different life experience. I am here today to share with you what helped me to make that transition and to give you the hope that the same and an even more drastic transformation is possible for you!
What are your main offerings? I understand there are 3 of them.
In my sessions with clients at Sarah Elizabeth Reiki LLC, I focus on Reiki, Myofascial Release treatment, and the Realization Process Meditation.
Reiki: Spiritually guided life force energy. I utilize Reiki Guided Healing Experiences (Visualization Meditations) to help clients connect more deeply with the support of Reiki energy, I follow the guidance of Reiki to know where to send Reiki in their energy field or on their physical body as well as to know which symbols to use to strengthen and direct the energy and to know which techniques to use. There are Reiki healing techniques to release energetic attachments/cords/connectors to the past, heal the inner child, balance the chakras and energy meridians, send healing to specific organs and functions of the body, and many more! Reiki allows the body to shift into rest, digest, and healing functions as it goes directly to whatever points in your past, present, and future need support to help you release patterns of being that are holding you back to guide you along your path to unlimited love, light, and joy.
Myofascial Release Treatment: Gentle hands on treatment that releases the pulls and lines of tension in your body that have been leading to pain, stiffness, and dysfunction. MFR allows the body to heal from the inside out and results in improved posture, mental and emotional clarity, reclaiming your sense of power and inner knowing to name a few.
Realization Process Meditation: Stretches/Exercises that feel like meditation that guide you deep into the internal space of your body to release tension, trauma, emotions, and become more grounded in your own being. This treatment results in being less overwhelmed by environmental stimuli, grounded in your body even when chaos is ensuing around you, feeling whole and complete.
What is your education and training? Please be as detailed as you like, as I know it is extensive and impressive!
When in high school, there was a big push to figure out what you wanted to do for the rest of your life. I wanted to be an interior designer and philosophy professor, I was told that interior design might be more restrictive than I wanted, needing to bring other people’s dreams to life vs my own, and I was told that there weren’t many jobs as philosophy professor so it might not work out. I worked with my counselor and took tests to see what careers would suit my interests and skills and be likely to pay the bills. So from a very practical standpoint I choose to study Speech-Language Pathology- this would allow me to teach in a small group or 1:1 setting and also had a good job market so I’d be able to pay back my loans (still working on that, lol). It was a big overwhelming commitment to the over $100,000 in loans I needed to take out over time to get my degree so I told myself, just do this until you figure out what you really want to do, be responsible and do what these trusted adults are recommending. So that’s what I did. I always did my best and worked way too hard to accomplish everything that was needed.
My time in graduate school was so intense and overwhelming that I broke out in a strange rash on my abdomen and knew instantly it was from the chronic stress of trying to fit in and accomplish all the things. I did it, I received my Masters degree and some special recognition for having a high GPA, I was just relieved to be finished! I told myself I would never take another class again, HAHA, turns out I’m addicted to learning and taking classes. In my first few months after graduating I had already completed the entire amount of continuing education that I needed for my first 2 years with a license in Speech-Language Pathology. Anytime a more senior SLP would recommend a course to me, I took it! I really wanted to help people as best I could.
I became certified in speciality treatments like LSVT LOUD for Parkinson’s Disease and VitalStim for improving swallowing function with neuromuscular electrical stimulation. I was helping a lot of people but also there were people that I still wasn’t able to help and others who I knew had more potential but despite our best efforts they didn’t reach their ultimate goals, I felt like I was failing them. That’s when I learned about John Barnes Myofascial Release Treatment- I was working at a clinic where a Physical Therapist was using this method and she was helping my clients improve further towards their communication and eating goals, and that was supposed to be my role. I started taking courses in Myofascial Release treatment and that’s when everything changed, clients were making progress that their doctors told them was impossible, they were making fast progress and maintaining their results. On a personal level, as I was receiving this treatment, I was releasing long held emotions that I had become out of touch with and my body was feeling more alive, flexible, and just overall so much better! I have taken manual therapy and myofascial release courses focusing on swallowing disorders and then I began taking the John Barnes classes and currently have taken the following: Myofascial Release I and II, Pediatrics, Cervical-Thoracic, and Fascial Pelvis. I receive regular treatment 2-8 times per month and have experienced intensive treatment of 15 hours in 5 days.
Somewhere in the beginning of learning about Myofascial Release I was attending an event and offered a free 30 minute Reiki treatment. I had no idea what it was, even though the practitioner explained it to me 2 times, none of it landed, but I like to try new things so I went along with it! In that 30 minute treatment I could see and feel energy above and in my body like ocean waves, it was fascinating and so relaxing. For an entire week afterwards I was in complete bliss, the chronic stress and burnout I had been feeling completely lifted, things that used to bother me at work and home just didn’t. I learned that anyone can learn Reiki and take a class so I signed up for the first class I found and that started my journey with Reiki. Currently I am a Reiki Master Teacher in the following styles of Reiki: Usui Holy Fire® III World Peace Reiki, Karuna Reiki®, and ICRT Animal Reiki (International Center for Reiki Training). I have re-taken some of my courses including Reiki level I and Karuna Reiki®. I have traveled to the birthplace of Reiki, Mount Kurama Japan to re-take my Karuna Reiki® master class to deepen my connection with the energy in this sacred place.
In the time that I was first introduced to Myofascial Release and Reiki I also happened upon the Realization Process Meditation at a local yoga studio. Prior to that, the closest I got to “meditation” was a calm moment of no thought here and there in yoga classes. In my first Realization process class I finally experienced what it is to meditate and I began to discover that energetically I was not in my body, but above it. As I continued weekly classes I began to settle into my body and amazing things started to happen, if I dropped something I would catch it before it hit the floor and then eventually I wasn’t dropping things, I was stronger, I could open jars and things that I previously would need help with, and I started to be more aware of my thoughts, emotions, and body, I became aware enough that I could start to work on some of the underlying limiting beliefs and subconscious thoughts that were holding me back. I continued with Realization Process Meditation classes and individual sessions for a few years until I felt the call to go to teacher training and now I am a certified meditation teacher in the Realization Process Method.
I also want to note that something I consider to be an important part of my ongoing training is receiving a lot of treatment. As I continue to be a client of other practitioner’s I learn ways that I want to improve my client’s experiences and also I am continually working on reaching higher levels of health, wellness, and happiness, and the more full and overflowing my cup is, the more abundance I get to share through my work and the way I show up in my business everyday!
What is your “why” or your mission? Could you share with us a little bit about the meandering path that has brought you here?
It’s funny that while studying for my Master’s so many people said “You can open your own business” and I immediately said “No! I don’t want to do all of that work.” For years and years that pattern continued. It wasn’t until working full time Speech Therapy jobs for 4 years that I finally opened up to that idea. For 4 years I worked so hard to do my best for my patients and students (I worked in schools, hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, home health settings) but I struggled with the work hours and productivity pressures. The way those businesses are structured they want therapists doing billable work 90-95% of the time and what that comes down to during the day is no breaks between sessions, no time to even use the bathroom except for your lunch break, and for me it was waking up way earlier than my body wanted to. I was burning out from the beginning. I would advocate for myself and my patients to try and change the system but ultimately I was fighting and fighting for little change and I got tired of fighting and using so much energy to change a dysfunctional system. It was really out of necessity for my own health and wellness and for the quality of care that I wanted to provide to my patients that I had to leave those systems and start my own.
It was a combination of my deep unwavering desire to help others in the most effective way possible and my desire to have a life that I don't feel like I need a vacation from that really pushed me on this path.
Please tell us what safe space holding means for you and how you intentionally provide it.
To me a safe space is one where people don’t feel the need to be a certain way, they can come in as they are each time- happy, sad, angry- I’m happy to see when people come in and immediately begin to offload their burdens, it tells me that they feel safe and they trust me to listen and support and not judge them. I actively listen and I am vulnerable as well and share with clients about my journey as it relates to where they are.
Safety also is a practical thing and so my business is located in a safe area with other well intentioned businesses around, I have a lock on my treatment door, blinds on the windows and curtains on the door, a private changing area for MFR sessions, and I follow HIPPA guidelines for storing people’s personal information, and I keep people’s information confidential, I never share it with other providers or people. Another aspect of safety is that I tell my clients that they are in control, I will always listen to them if they do or don’t want a certain area of their body worked on, I never force people into having a certain area treated, even if I can see it needs work, and I never force people to tell me any information, I let them know that it is helpful to add the power of their voice to express what is going on but ultimately they don’t need to tell me much, their body and Reiki energy will always guide the treatment they need that day.
Describe what a service from you entails in terms of how you curate it within the session itself.
There is behind the scenes work before a client arrives at their session. I have everyone fill out online intake forms and contracts and provide them with a welcome letter that details how the session will go and that they have choices for how their session is conducted. When people arrive for a session I orient them to the space and have them fill out a wellbeing checklist.
I have found through my own healing journey and in working with others that we all tend to be more aware in one or 2 areas of our being and are disconnected from the others. So the checklist is a simple check in for how they are feeling physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually and it has space to write what support they need, what has changed since their last session. I find that writing is a great release and filling out this form in itself is part of the process. From there, depending on the client’s wants and needs we will move towards the hands on or energetic part of the session. If we are utilizing myofascial release treatment, people will change into shorts/tank top/sports bra and I will do a posture analysis to see what areas of the body are most out of alignment and would benefit from direct treatment. Then it’s time for them to get comfortable on the massage table. Every session begins with the Realization Process Meditation and cues to come into their body, for deeper presence and awareness. During sessions I follow the guidance of Reiki and their body as well as the guidance of what the client shares with me, wherever they are feeling sensations in the body are areas that are releasing and could also be treated. At the end of the session time, I stop the hands on/direct work and invite the client to slowly and mindfully feel into their body, move, and stretch, to take their time getting off the table and when they are ready we discuss what they noticed, my findings, and the plan for their next session and any recommendations for them to try in the time between. If people are wanting to learn self care techniques we do take some time for that instruction and practice during their session.
What are some of the most rewarding experiences or stories you have had in the unfolding of your work?
There are so many rewarding aspects of this work! To name a few of the things that fill me with immense joy: When a client starts to learn to connect with their intuition and the wisdom of their body and make choices from that awareness, When a client sees the results of their thought work and healing are rippling out to lead to more enjoyable relationships and experiences, When people come in so excited to tell me about how they felt calm and grounded in a situation that once brought on immense anxiety and fear, When clients come in so excited that they were able to move through a day without pain and still had energy at the end of the evening, When clients come in and tell me about the big changes they felt confident to make- starting something new, ending a relationship or job that was not serving them, starting to get back to activities that bring them joy!
Please describe how myofascial release works. I love how you described how sound brings light into unraveled areas of darkness.
Specifically, I practice John Barnes Myofascial Release Treatment and that is important to emphasize because there are many forms of myofascial release but they do not compare to the principles that John had discovered and taught. In the MFR treatment I provide we move slow, steady, and with the perfect amount of pressure for the nervous system to feel safe- that condition is vital for authentic healing. When the body and mind feel safe, then and only then can they begin to release and unwind old traumas. After 5 minutes of treatment the body begins to switch into healing mode, the breath deepens, stress lifts, the body releases its natural anti-inflammatory chemicals, more blood begins flowing throughout the body for healing, the immune system can function more optimally. As the body releases fascial restrictions the tissues that were once hard and solid begin to soften and rehydrate, our flexibility and strength returns naturally. We become more conscious within ourselves as our light is now able to flow into the spaces that were once hardened and blocking the flow of our light and awareness. As we heal the fascia we heal all aspects of our life experience, we can see, hear, and feel more clearly and deeply, we become reconnected with our sense of personal power, strength, creativity, and joy.
We have had many conversations about this type of holistic work is our form of health insurance. What is your routine for “health insurance”? Also if you would like to comment more about that statement, please do!
I had learned in my 20s that I did not like health insurance, even when I put a lot of time into finding providers that were “more holistic" it was such a headache and often I already knew more than the provider. So I decided to stop being a part of that system and put my money on treatments that I knew healed my body. It has been one of the best decisions I have made for myself! I continue to reach new levels of health and wellness. Over the past 7 years I have been receiving weekly holistic treatments as general maintenance and then when there is a goal I would like to achieve I increase the amount of treatments to 2, 4, 6, 8, and even 15 hours of treatment in one week. At this time, I am receiving Reiki, Myofascial Release, Craniosacral, and Sound Healing treatments each at least monthly. I have also benefited from Reflexology, Massage, Realization Process Meditation, Counseling, and Acupuncture treatments over the past 7 years. I also practice self Reiki, mediation, massage, and Myofascial release treatment on a daily basis.
I’d like to share a few of the big healing shifts that have occurred for me over these past 7 years:
PMS- from the start I had crippling pain and fatigue, missing school, work, and fun for days each month. Over time my symptoms have lessened in intensity and currently I have 0 signs of PMS that impact my daily life- no crippling pain or fatigue. I have learned to give myself more rest during this time and eat certain foods to support my body but now there is nothing I “miss out on” during this time in my menstrual cycle.
Night terrors and sleep paralysis: From infancy to my mid 20s I suffered from regular night terrors and sleep paralysis where I know it is a scary dream but I also can’t move or speak to stop it- pure terror. When I would finally get out of that state I would have to stay awake or get into bed with my parents to feel safe enough to sleep again. It has been 3 or 4 years now since my last episode. In that episode, I remembered that I had the power of Reiki and that all I needed to do was think about Reiki and the symbols to activate that healing energy and so in the dream I repeated in my head all of the symbols I was attuned to and in a few minutes, all the negative scary energy lifted and my dream was full of light. Reiki healed my energy so that I am no longer in alignment with the lower vibrations that cause night terrors and sleep paralysis.
Anxiety and ADHD: Daily I was suffocating from anxiety and my symptoms of ADHD. Irregular energy and motivation, waning focus, panic, constantly judging myself in a harsh way. Through all of the regular treatment I have received and classes I have taken this is no longer an issue for me, occasionally worry will come up but I have strategies to work though it, release it, and get the things done that I need and want to. I have a new relationship with my ADHD. I love it, it is one of my super powers and I have been able to adjust my schedule and mindset to work with it, accepting some of my traits and using them as my strengths and feeling good about the way I live my life.
Any final wisdoms or thoughts you would like to share?
It does not matter where you are at this point in your life or how far you feel you are from achieving your goals, it is possible for you to get there with more ease than you can imagine right now. Finding holistic providers who understand and are focused on honoring and supporting you with the most effective healing modalities and empowering you to help yourself will be a vital part in your journey. You are meant to live a life that feels good to you! It’s waiting for you and you can learn how to line up with it like I have. All your struggles so far were just experiences to help you clarify what is important to you and what it is you want to experience in your unique life.
If you have resonated with any of this and want to learn about how to work with me or set up a call to learn more about how I can help you improve your life go to my website www.SarahElizabethReiki.com
Thank you for serving the way that you do! I know it has made a huge difference in my life.
