allison keli ~ books & blogs

Reiki Infused Holiday Simmer

It’s recipe time!

I will be selling these at my bodywork location over the holidays, but you can also make or tweak your own. Now, I have an old dehydrator that was created with dried fruit in mind, but you could also try to dry out your pieces via a stove, at about 200 degrees, for 3+ hours.

My recipe includes:

fresh rosemary sprigs; dried cranberries; dried lemons; dried oranges (like mandarins or halos); cinnamon sticks.

Things you can add in: cloves, cardamom, other fruits and spices you find pleasing.

To use:

Put ingredients into a pot of water on your stove. Boil to start, then set to simmer. Add water when it gets low. Don’t burn your house down!!! Don’t leave it unattended, and don’t leave it on overnight.

Enjoy. Find immense happiness with the way your house smells.

Created with lots of love, and Reiki infused throughout the entire process!

Synesthesia A-HA Moment

The Telepathy Tapes season two is out, and don’t worry–I’ll comment more on that as a whole later. But I personally had an a-ha moment last week that I’d like to share. I was listening to The Telepathy Tapes about synesthetes, and I got caught in a spiral.

I’m not sure why I’m surprised, but I am.

If you’ve taken workshops with me, you know that I tend to over-share resources about the topic at hand. I don’t want your exploration to stop with whatever it is I’m talking about–I want your journey to continue! I want your knowledge about a topic to far surpass mine.

I’m not sure when I first learned about synesthesia, but I can pinpoint a date to the article about it that I share with my students. The article here by Jess Dunham about an artist named Melissa McCracken who “sees” music, and then paints it, is dated March 31, 2017.

So we can assume I’ve known about synesthesia since at least then. But what is synesthesia? Cleveland Clinic considers it a phenomena where (when?!) a person’s brain connects two or more senses in an unusual experience–in relation to the general population anyhow. Common examples are tasting words, or having certain colors appear related to numbers or letters.

Yes! Here I go writing about the brain again!

There’s a “primary effect” of your brain processing a sense–say, hearing your favorite song being played. That is processed as sound. With synesthesia, however, it doesn’t stop there. When you process the sound, another part of your brain filters that sound, and the next thing you know you see a flash of green across your eyes, either while closed, or open. This would be the “secondary effect”.

In the case of the article I share in my classes, the artist then creates unique paintings about what she sees when she hears a song. It’s fascinating.

There are so many different types of associations one could have with synesthesia, and the ones I knew about did not seem to apply to me. Even so, I also know I’ve seen weird things that others haven’t. Heard things. Smelled things. Tasted things. But I’ve written them off as yes-they-happened, but they shall-remain-unexplained-experiences.

The reasons for them seemed elusive. My experiences are real, and it is what it is. Whatever that is. I assume there is a scientific reason for what I’ve experienced, but I know science is slow to explain things (it has to be!).

Last week I saw an (older) online video about these two women’s father who had aphantasia. (Watch it–it’s awesome.) I’ve known about this phenomenon too–it’s where your mind’s eye stays darkened. But I never thought that I could have any variation of it, or synesthesia for that matter.

It seems I can be daft.

I consider myself fairly visual. But could I have a variation of aphantasia, or maybe just not be as visual as I thought? Apparently the mind’s eye is on a spectrum. Where do you lie on it? I’m thinking I’m between darkness and somewhat vivid, depending on… well a lot of things.

This could be why I’ve never been able to draw from my mind’s eye. Maybe my mind’s eye is blank! But seeing something, with my optical nerve, well, that I can draw.

Seeing with my mind’s eye, it’s definitely up in my head, not in front of my eyes. I don’t know how else to describe it.

I can have crazy vivid and realistic dreams. I can also have black dreams, if you will, and a nonstop narrator. Doing some research, dreams apparently come from a different part of the brain than the mind’s eye.

But there are other “dreams” I have, dreams that are… incredibly realistic. And I’m lucid in them. Could that be astral travel? Where things are brighter than waking life, where I see darkness dissolve into a bright reality? Science does not support astral travel at this venture. Here’s an article about it.

Keep on this spiral with me. This all led me back to synesthesia, wondering if aphantasia and synesthesia were connected. (Right now, via science, they are not). Then this led me to the things that I do see, or things I have seen. You see, I’ve even written about emotional synesthesia in relation to whether or not you can see auras.

So, ding ding ding duh!

I decided maybe these colors mean I’m a stinking synesthete myself! I’ve been meditating more, watching the colors, fully enveloping them. What if they do mean something? What if I could utilize what I see to better help people when I’m doing bodywork?

While meditating last week, it expanded even more. Joy filled my body, and like a sparkler drawing a heart picture in slow motion for a photo, my darkened eyelids were breached. As I was lucid, I popped my eyes open in hilarity, excited about what I had just seen with my mind, rather than my optical nerve.

I’m assuming if I see a heart again I know that means joy to the fullest extent!

More memories unlocked. Of me seeing words spelled in my mind, or the fact that I math weird (per other people’s opinions–I think I math just fine, thank you very much). How about the time that I almost didn’t die, and I was considered pre-syncope, only I never felt like I was fainting at all. And I have fainted, so I know what that’s like.

Instead, I really felt like a part of my brain went black, a part that was not the optical nerve.

Naturally, I cannot quite figure out where I fit on the spectrum. I’ve overcomplicated it and brought in too many other factors–like dreams and astral travel. Perhaps this is me being on that wonderful wave of consciousness The Telepathy Tapes keeps bringing up, and these things are on my radar for a reason. Even if I’m slow – or overcomplicating (hey, ADHD!) — this whole personal exploration process of synesthesia.

More links:

The Synesthesia Battery helps you figure out if you’re a synesthete.
The Synesthesia Tree has lots of information!
Another video about aphantasia and hyperphantasia.
A study about aphantasia and neurodivergence.

This hyper blog post is brought to you by Allison of Nani Lotus Bodywork, & powered by her words via Meditating Squirrel. Thank you for reading! You can also support this blog with a one-time donation, or by sharing it with others.

BTW, AI was used in creating the digital pic, but these words, all mine! ❤

Breathe Easy: Real-World Ways to Manage Everyday Stress

Photo by Freepik

By Guest Blogger Julia Merrill

We live in a time where your smartwatch can track your pulse — but not your peace. The truth? Everyone’s stressed. From running late to handling constant notifications, calm feels like an endangered species. Still, it’s entirely possible to reclaim your mental balance — even in chaos.

TL;DR

Stress is normal. Constant stress isn’t.
You can re-train your body to chill faster.
Small daily habits compound into real peace.

How to Reset in 60 Seconds

When you feel tension rising, here’s a micro-method that works:

Pause — put both feet on the floor.
Name the feeling. (“I’m overwhelmed.”)
Exhale longer than you inhale.
Do one grounding thing — refill water, stretch, or open a window.

Apps like Calm can walk you through breathing or short mindfulness breaks if you need structure.

The goal isn’t to feel perfect — it’s to feel present.

The Everyday Stress Checklist

Drink water before coffee
Get 10 minutes of daylight
Move every two hours
Say no once today
End the day with zero screens for 30 minutes
Laugh at something dumb (seriously)
Stretch before bed

If you want accountability, try using a free reminder app like Todoist — not for productivity, but to keep calm intentionally.

FAQ

Q: Is stress always bad?
No. It sharpens focus in short bursts. It only hurts when it’s constant.

Q: How can I calm down instantly?
Box breathing: in 4 seconds → hold 4 → out 4 → hold 4. Or go for a 5-minute walk. FitOn has free, quick movement routines that help reset energy fast.

Q: What if I can’t relax even on weekends?
That’s a sign of emotional carryover — your mind’s still “on the clock.” Try journaling or guided relaxation from Insight Timer before bed.

Common Stressors and Real Fixes

Stress Trigger	Quick Reset	Ongoing Habit
Work overload	Take a short walk	Block 10 minutes between meetings
Negative news	Mute alerts	Check the news once daily
Sleep debt	Nap for 20 min	Keep a steady bedtime
Money worries	Breathe before budgeting	Use apps like YNAB or Mint for visibility
Loneliness	Text someone	Plan one call or meetup a week

When a Career Change Is the Calm You Need

Sometimes, no breathing trick fixes the real issue — because it’s not about stress management, it’s about the stress source.

If your job constantly leaves you drained, the most powerful thing you can do isn’t another meditation. It’s creating a new environment altogether. Starting your own venture can turn burnout into autonomy, giving you back your time, your energy, and your sense of direction.

Tools like ZenBusiness make the logistics of launching simpler — handling the paperwork so you can focus on what actually calms you: building something that fits your life.

The cure for endless stress isn’t tougher skin, it’s a truer setup.

Small Grounding Boosts You Can Try

Keep a tactile fidget like the Calm Strips sticker nearby — it helps you refocus quietly during tense moments. Or if you prefer audio grounding, try a “brown noise” loop on Spotify to create instant calm in noisy environments.

Quick Bullet Reminders for Sanity

Stretch while your coffee brews
Mute one notification group permanently
Take 3 deep breaths before answering a stressful email
Keep your phone out of your bedroom
Treat relaxation as maintenance, not indulgence

Conclusion

Stress will visit — that’s life. But peace comes from how you greet it. Whether you’re breathing deeper, walking more, or walking away from what no longer fits, calm isn’t a luxury. It’s strategy.

Julia Merrill is a retired board certified nurse practitioner. In her many years in the medical field, she experienced challenges that a lot of her patients came across when dealing with their medical care. She made it her goal to bridge the gap between those who receive care and those who provide it. One of the biggest things she learned was that doctors are human. They may not always know the answers to what is ailing their patients. She believes this is why it is so important for patients to be concise, honest, and organized when seeking treatment.

Ms. Merrill shares tips she has developed to help patients be their own advocate in seeking medical care, dealing with insurance companies, and how to contribute to their own health and well-being. Her advice? Befriend your doc! Visit her on the web at https://befriendyourdoc.org.

No A.I. was used in crafting this article.

The Telepathy Tapes/Talk Tracks – The Energy Healing Episode

Over two weeks ago, I finally wrote and published my post about The Telepathy Tapes, a podcast which ultimately is about non-speaking autistic people and how they fit into this world. However, as the documentarist and podcaster, Ky Dickens, reveals during the episodes of the first season, things are not as they seem.

Dickens’ companion podcast, Talk Tracks, is meant to further explore ideas expressed in The Telepathy Tapes. Coming from various viewpoints, Talk Tracks tries to connect ideas of science, reality, spirituality and psi-abilities into a better understanding of our conscious existence.

Two episodes have dropped since I shared my post, and the one that came out this past weekend is the one I’ve been waiting for. Dr. Shamini Jain and Madhu Anziani speak about their personal experiences in reference to energy healing, energy work, and in particular, Reiki. Deepak Chopra is even brought in to talk about consciousness as a whole.

From miraculous healing to the dissection of energy work through the lens of science, the biofield of life is explored. This field of consciousness is unmasked. Double blind and placebo controlled studies are mentioned; a paraplegic walks again.

If you’ve ever been intrigued by energy work, energy healing, energy medicine, energy therapy, energy psychology, whatever you want to call it, you need to listen to this episode. The Telepathy Tapes itself was hard for me to listen to without getting excited about the broader context of what was being described. But having Talk Tracks finally deep dive into Reiki itself, has given me an added bounce to my step.

The studies Dr. Jain mentions in the podcast seem to come back to the same premise—> there’s just something about that energy healing! Placebo can heal; physical touch is great. But if intention is involved, intention to connect to a healing energy, well…

In one study, cortisol levels were remarkably regulated during energy healing sessions in comparison to the sham energy work sessions. I’m not a fan of testing animals, but another study of mice showed the slowdown of cancer cells with energy work.

I’m not here to convince you that energy healing is real. I’m here to convince you to listen to this episode of Talk Tracks, and what the hell, check out The Telepathy Tapes website, or just listen to all of the dang episodes while you’re at it.

The episode ends with Chopra asking us to have reverence. He thinks we should be in wonderment that we are here witnessing life, as life. He says we should be surprised that we even exist.

Are you shocked? Listen now!

Want to try energy work? Visit Nani Lotus for more information about the services I offer.

The Telepathy Tapes – A Podcast of Hope

For months, I have contemplated how to start this post.

Fellow Reiki pal, Leslie, and I (via Woo Woo BBQ) even attempted to record our own podcast episodes about it, but kept getting tripped up. It’s not because it’s impossible to believe; it’s not because it’s too easy to be skeptical and ignore. Rather, it’s just… so much.

If you haven’t yet heard about The Telepathy Tapes, it’s probably because you aren’t heavily affiliated with either the autistic or the woo-woo world. My guess, though, as these two worlds continue to collide, more and more mainstream arenas will begin to take note. One side will try to heavily discredit what’s been going on. The other side may–hopefully–keep walking that thin line between falling over an imaginary crevasse that divides what we know, and that which we suspect.

The world is not as it seems.

If we teeter into the chasm, though, maybe, just maybe, we will be okay.

The Telepathy Tapes, at its core, is about non-speaking autistic people, their families and how they live within the world. It also includes interviews with teachers and their students, scientists and skeptics.

While the autistic spectrum touches my family at a very superficial level, there are those whose bodies are so at odds with their spirits, they cannot communicate.

Except, they can. Paradigms be damned. As it turns out, the veil appears to be thin for those who don’t have full access to their bodies. Finding new ways to communicate, and heal, and learn, these individuals appear to have easier entry into worlds some neurotypical people can’t even begin to fathom.

Ky Dickens, who is at the helm of the podcast, is also a documentary filmmaker. She is creating a film about the people of the podcast. (Side note–I don’t know which came first, the podcast or the film.) As she began to know the people she was interviewing, she was shocked to uncover an intricate web of inexplicable phenomena.

She reaffirms what I’ve believed for a long time. These psy-phenomena of worlds unseen are considered nothing more than a hoax because science is lacking in its ability to study and explain them. (Hello, funding; hello, stigma!)

Not because they don’t exist. Not because they aren’t real, or rather, real enough.

Science is made to study the material world. When things become too abstract, it seems like it’s impossible to measure them. Yet, we’ve all felt love. How do you measure that?

Can you measure thinking about a friend and then her calling you after you thought about her? What came first? Her calling you, or your thought?

If you know me, you know I adore science. I love learning why and how things work. This does not take the magic away, but rather, amplifies the wonder. Science can be hard, and complicated, rather impossible for me to make sense. It can also be very simple.

And of course, science, like anything else, can be weaponized.

Our autistic friends have personalities, dreams and fears like the rest of us. Yes, they can sometimes communicate to us by actions or through a method called spelling. Rather than using science to disprove that a nonverbal person is able to communicate through typing with help (and some of these people have learned how to do it without assistance), why don’t we find ways to measure the telepathic gifts they’ve developed in place of speech?

And there’re a lot of woo woo things going on here. We’re talking conversing across space, and maybe even time. We’re talking about reading people’s minds; we’re talking about healing.

Things this podcast describes sure sound an awful lot like the energy healing portion of my business. Hi there, Reiki. Heya to my tagline of being more than just a massage…an experience, if you will.

There are even animal episodes which will give you paws (I love a good pun!) about every creature you’ve encountered. You’ll discover love stories and transcendence. You’ll learn about death, about religious ideas. You will shed some tears.

You will feel hope.

I highly recommend giving a listen to the podcast, as well as its sister work, The Talk Tracks. The second part of the podcast seems to be less about the specific people covered in The Telepathy Tapes, and more generalized about the topics that were brought up.

The messages are the same, though–even though science can’t prove it, we all have seen and felt things we can’t explain. The nonverbal autistic population appears to have been grossly misunderstood and are more adept at these gifts than speakers.

Love, and hope, are what matter.

We are all connected.