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News from Andrea Binder |
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South Whidbey Record Article; February 18 2009
Find your inner sunshine By the end of the yoga class, the Tibetan singing bowls are sweetly ringing as the roomful of bodies are soothed deeper into the corpse pose. The smell of lavender, bergamot and citrus is welcomed by so many nostrils breathing easily, the teacher’s hands carrying the scent through the group, cradling each head in turn. A moment of sublime tranquility lingers in the room before it’s time to stand up and go. The hands belong to yoga teacher and Reiki healer Andrea Binder. |
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Binder owns Reiki Healing, located in Ken’s Korner mall in Clinton, where she will offer an evening of “FreeFlow” yoga, meditation and Reiki from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. Reiki (ray-kee) is a Japanese word meaning “spiritually guided life force energy” and is based on the teachings of an early 20th century healer named Mikao Usui. Binder uses the technique to promote healing and relaxation, stress reduction and to combat the effects of S.A.D., or Seasonal Affective Disorder. The technique is based on the idea that the energy will flow through the practitioner’s hands whenever the hands are placed on the recipient. The effectiveness of Reiki relies on the practitioner’s intention or presence during this process. Binder is thoroughly present. She is the kind of person who exudes a certain capacity to make you feel better. Her aura is soothing, and she is someone who takes a genuine interest in one’s well-being, making it clear that she asks how you are doing because she really wants to know. “With Reiki, yoga and meditation people learn that they have a light and a core of warmth within their bodies that can help them become friends with the seasons, even in the grayest winters,” Binder said. Winter seems far away once you enter Reiki Healing. After the yoga class, which is held in one of Island Dance’s studios in the mall, Binder opens her healing space and it’s like walking into a warm, dark, exotic cocoon. Lying fully clothed on the massage table, the sounds of some distant rainforest with its tuneful birds and insects and its occasional gentle fall of rain, eases the mind as the bustle of Ken’s Korner dissolves into memory. Binder places her hands on various areas of the head, neck and chest, holding them there for what becomes an indiscernible amount of time. Time loses meaning and the mind falls to that place that dwells on the verge of sleep without totally succumbing to it. The sounds of birds and the rain continue the serenade, while heat from Binder’s hands cause a trail of sensation through the limbs. The idea that Reiki relies heavily on the ability of one’s “life force energy” to flow gracefully through the rivers of the body, and that the healer’s hands be the conduit for that energy to flow without impediment, makes it the perfect practice for someone of Binder’s nature. Having had a long career as a professional dancer and one who still regularly teaches the art to the members of the Whidbey Island Dance Theater, Binder is thoroughly tuned to her own body. At one point in her career as a dancer, she had some bad injuries and sought the regular avenues of medicine and massage therapy. But it was not until Binder discovered Reiki that she was able to heal her injuries completely. Her therapist opened her eyes to Reiki and other forms of energetics, and Binder found herself dancing down a new career path. “I always felt a sense of people’s essence, even as a child. I know now it was an instinctual ability to recognize the anger, grief or sadness people were holding,” Binder said. Now, after 10 years in practice, Binder is certain this is what she was meant to do. “Each person who comes in is different from the next,” Binder said. “I notice what they say, how they sit, what kind of mood they are in and how their body is at rest.” People who come may have sleep disorders, depression, unmanageable stress levels or just simple winter blues, Binder said. She usually recommends combining the Reiki sessions with her Vinyasa yoga classes and simple meditation exercises. Clients see results almost immediately, she said, and usually choose to continue the regular weekly yoga and meditation exercises, while perhaps reducing the Reiki sessions to once or twice per month. An evening of yoga, meditation and Reiki is really a chance, she said, for people to meet her, get a taste of her style of healing and see if they are comfortable there. She will conduct a series of exercises including various meditations and yoga, and answer questions about Reiki. “I’d like to make it all a little less mysterious,” she said. Twenty five percent of the evening’s $20 ticket price will go to Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation. Tea and snacks will be provided. Pre-registration is recommended by calling Binder at 206-388-9830 or e-mail dancing_drea@yahoo.com. |
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April 21 2007 Balance body, mind and spirit at Ken’s Korner By MICHAELA MARX WHEATLEY Binder recently started a Reiki massage practice at Ken’s Korner Mall in Clinton. “Nowadays, life can be full of stresses to the body and its flow of energy. Environment, family, work and personal challenges usually cause us to tense up, even to the point of pain,” she said. Reiki can help. She transformed a suite at Ken’s Korner Mall into an oasis for relaxation. When stepping into her suite from the bright fluorescent lights in the plain hallways of the mall, visitors immediately feel welcome and the tension begins to melt away. She has decorated the room in a rich chocolate color scheme, with lush fabrics draping the ceiling. Dimmed lights and relaxing music add to the atmosphere. Reiki, an ancient form of Japanese healing, can release emotional, mental and physical stresses. This hands-on method of healing balances the body’s vital energy so one can feel a greater sense of well-being, Binder said. The relaxing, peaceful effects are similar to cranio-sacral, myofascial and other massage techniques. The gentle massage method helps align mind and body, she added. The session has a flow similar to a meditation or yoga session. Afterward, customers feel relaxed, but not wiped out. “Some say the session feels like they’ve just done yoga. They feel longer and stronger,” Binder said. The movements and pressure are minimal, yet they have a major relaxing effect. Once the body begins to let go of tensions, the mind will also let go of heavy burdens, Binder said. “The gentle can go deep,” Binder explained. Binder is known on South Whidbey as a dance teacher at Island Dance and she has worked as a choreographer for the non-profit dance company Whidbey Island Dance Theatre. She attended massage school in Portland, Ore. Binder has since broadened her training at healing and massage workshops across the country. Binder massages many of the dancers at Island Dance and Whidbey Island Dance Theatre, but the massages are a treat for anybody. Those who are a bit stressed benefit as much from her treatments as those who battle chronic pain or injury. Binder recommends a three-session series. She added that it takes about three sessions until customers completely commit to relaxation and trust their practitioner. And while a single treatment can provide needed lift or relief, a customer’s goals may not be attained in one session. For some people such goals may be physical — such as wanting to ease pain from an injury. But Reiki can also help people reach mental goals. “Some people may say I’d like to lose 20 pounds. The treatment can help them feel so good that they are motivated to reach their goals,” Binder said. The Reiki treatment are $60 per session or $150 for a series of
three. Binder gives discounts for families or youth under 18, because
she wants people who usually don’t have access to treatments
like Reiki to know their benefits. “I want to encourage teenagers
to come,” she said, adding that her techniques can have a positive
effect on those dealing with the demands of adolescence. “The
teenagers I worked on; it helped them with some of the emotional
things they are going through and it helps them to know their bodies,”
Binder said. |
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