I find myself discussing a sense of purpose with my clients on a regular basis.  As with most things, there are many ways to think about it!  There is the sense of purpose which gets you out of bed in the morning to do whatever you have planned plus the inevitable unexpected things which come your way.  Either way, your life has meaning.  Alternatively, there is the sense that your life is part of some overarching grand plan, which sets you on a predetermined direction.  This search may also give your life meaning, but as you do not know what this grand plan is, you need to devote significant time and energy to searching for it.    Meanwhile, your daily life, activities and relationships trundle on regardless.

I find myself wanting to dig deeper into this need to identify one’s higher purpose.  My instinct is that it feels too fixed and inflexible.  My Reiki training has taught me that our souls are placed in a physical body to learn something, but at that point we forget exactly what that something is.  Whilst we may spend time seeking, I’m not sure we’re meant to know at a conscious level what our lives’ higher purposes are.  That’s up to the Universe’s power to place us where we need to be to learn what we need to learn.  This is not to say that we have no direction or intent, because serendipity and flow happen along the way. 

I have written before about moving through our immediate worlds with kindness and compassion for those around us and ourselves.  To me, that is more important than striving to find our “one big thing”.    We are diverse and complex beings.  Let’s not restrict ourselves to one path set in stone!

If you’d like to try Reiki or Indian Head Massage for yourself, the first appointment is £30. I can offer appointments in Tysoe, Gaydon and Stratford. You can reach me to book either by phone 07785 992928, or email jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk.

Jackie King-Turner. 

Reiki, Indian Head Massage, Coaching, Mediumship

www.jackiekingturner.co.uk

This is less of a One Minute and more of a 30 Second Wonder.  As previously mentioned, I can be prone to overthinking.  From time to time, I submerge my sense of Reiki wonder and enter a vortex of unhelpful thought patterns.  Monday was one of those days.  By the time my husband returned from work, I had catastrophised my way through pretty much everything and ground to a halt.  Not resourceful, not fun and definitely not the Reiki way!  He patiently listened to me chat through my list of worries.  You know what, as soon as I said them out loud, I had the necessary distance and recognised them for what they were: a list of “what ifs” and frankly overblown and unnecessary worries.  The weight of them evaporated as the words left my mouth.

If you are suffering from prolonged and debilitating anxiety, please seek the help of a qualified professional.  If you can’t see the wood for the trees from time to time, how about speaking to a trusted friend and saying your worries out loud.  You never know, you might just gain some perspective and take the pressure off yourself. 

In the meantime, if you could do with an hour of “me time” and relaxation, to allow you to reconnect with yourself, then do get in touch.  You can be sure that I’ll hold space for you with empathy and compassion for your situation.  None of us are impermeable islands of perfection, even if we sometimes pretend we are!

Jackie King-Turner

This is how to contact me to book a session (Reiki or Indian Head Massage):

07785 992928 or jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk

www.jackiekingturner.co.uk

My work in the field of Reiki fills me with joy in every session. I’m purely a channel for this wonderful healing modality and am so grateful for the work I do with my wonderful clients. Let me share with you some lovely words from a regular client.

I love my Reiki sessions with Jackie. I feel totally safe and relaxed.

In each session my experiences are different.  I am able to reach another level of awareness in which I feel at peace, supported, encouraged and loved by connections beyond the earth.  It is truly an uplifting experience.

Doreen, August 2024

If you’d like to try Reiki for yourself, the first appointment is £30. I can offer appointments in Tysoe, Gaydon and Stratford. You can reach me to book either by phone 07785 992928, or email jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk.

Jackie King-Turner. 

Reiki, Indian Head Massage, Coaching, Mediumship

www.jackiekingturner.co.uk

I’ve been finding it easy to be a bit jaded at the moment, given world events. My heart soared when I heard about the Swiss KlimaSeniorinnen, the older women who sued Switzerland to demand climate action. I’d fallen into the trap of thinking that the changes Mother Earth needs will be instigated by “the younger generation”. In this instance, being wrong can be very motivating! The KlimaSeniorinnen are true disruptors and I salute them.

What does their success mean to those of us who do not operate on the national or international stage? Wherever we live and whoever we meet, there are always opportunities to do the right thing for whatever cause interests us. Clearly, the climate emergency is top of mind, but there are positive decisions and choices to be made in all areas of our lives. To me, it’s all about doing the best you can, but not beating yourself up when the realities of daily life overcome principles.

Here are some ideas which I’ve found helpful: –

• Give thanks for the food we eat and acknowledge its provenance.  This helps to focus the mind on how far the food has travelled and how much processing has been involved.
• When attempting to remove an errant bug from the house, tell the bug that you’re trying to save its life.  Weird, but has been effective for me.  I think it’s to do with setting the intention of no harm.
• Leave the last one of a product on a shop shelf for someone else, when you can.  Obviously, some flexibility is required about this suggestion, given the urgency/importance of the purchase.

One of the tenets of Neuro-Linguistic Programming is that “The World is a Place of Abundance where Magic Happens”.   The success of the KlimaSeniorinnen has jolted me out of a temporary malaise.  I’m heading for the Magic and Abundance!  Who’s with me?

Jackie King-Turner

Reiki Master, Coach, Medium

jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk

www.jackiekingturner.co.uk

As we approach February, my heart sings when I see that Mother Earth does what she needs to do at this time of year.  We have signs of growth in our garden.  The primroses and snowdrops have started to appear.  The leaves of daffodils are above the soil.  My contribution to this: zero!  The earth is simply doing what she does at this time of year.  What a precious gift I have, to live on this planet, where the natural rhythms of nature simply happen! 

The Pagans celebrate this time of year as the festival of Imbolc, on the 1^st to 2^nd February.  It’s half-way between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.  Imbolc is a time to think about what you want to plant and harvest in the coming year, whether physically or metaphorically.  Read the seed catalogues, order the seeds, but don’t necessarily start digging or planting yet (at least in the UK!).  There may still be frost. Now’s the time to reflect on what you want to achieve in the coming year and planning a way forward.

Gardening notwithstanding, there is value in building on this quickening energy to move away from post-Christmas inertia.  What does the year hold for you?  How would you like to be an active participant in what occurs?  Remember, there is always choice, in the same way that there are always consequences.  Coaching offers a structured and unbiased way of looking at things you may be stuck on and working out a way forward which suits you.  Reiki provides a place of healing, relaxation and balance.  I provide both without judgement and with positive, supportive intention, so if you’d like to work with me, please get in touch on 07785 992928.  I offer appointments at Lifeways in Stratford, The Old Fire Station in Tysoe and the Woodland Wellbeing Centre (JLR gym) in Gaydon.

Let’s plan for an incredible year!

Jackie King-Turner

Reiki Master, Coach, Medium

jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk

www.jackiekingturner.co.uk

If you’ve been pontificating about whether to give Reiki with me a try, how about hearing what it’s like from a regular client.

“I have been having Reiki sessions with Jackie since February 2023.  I always feel that I am in a safe and trustworthy space, where I am received with competency and understanding.  It’s incredible that things I might need to raise are picked up before I mention them by Jackie, as she channels the Reiki energy.  As a result, we have some wonderful open conversations.  I find it fascinating that each experience is different.  Every time I leave, I feel more relaxed and somehow revitalised at the same time!”

Rachel, December 2023

Come and put the January blues on hold for an hour and bask in some restorative Reiki energy!  You can reach me to book either by phone 07785 992928, or email jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk.

Jackie King-Turner.  Reiki Master, Coach, Medium.

www.jackiekingturner.co.uk

I wonder how many of you might spend a bit too long scrolling mindlessly through your social media feeds? Confession time – I know I do!  I was doing exactly that on Linked In a few weeks ago, until I was stopped in my tracks by a post from a former colleague.  In it, he described how he views the world, his truths if you like.  The main thrust was that life is not predictable or fair and there are no certainties.  I couldn’t disagree, but to me there was a glaring omission.  Where was the joy?  Undoubtedly, we are living through a time of turmoil and in some areas, unspeakable tragedy.  At a time of year when messages of Peace, Love and Goodwill to all Men abound (even if only in carols and Christmas songs), it certainly serves us to look beyond the self-evident challenges and seek out the glimmers of beauty, joy and comfort that our world provides.  They may be small in some instances, but they are there.

My practise of Reiki leads me to look for one-ness and connection, rather than difference and discord.  This “chunking up” to a level of similarity helps me to find a connection with others and my world.

Short fuses abound at this time of year.  Expectations are sky high, while energy levels are depleted.  With this in mind, let’s spend some time looking for similarities rather than differences.  Let’s bring the centre of our worlds closer, as we hunker down, to a local level where we can have a positive impact.  Let’s actively seek out moments of peace, beauty and friendship.  They are there to be found.  Compassion and empathy for ourselves as well as others are easier to find when we take a moment away from the hustle and bustle.  We can find our “still, small voice of calm”.  All it takes sometimes is to pause and focus on our breathing for a few minutes.

As we approach the Winter Solstice and Christmas celebrations, I wish you peace, joy, love, health and contentment for the Festive Season and the New Year.  There may be many thinks we cannot change or plan for, but if we seek out opportunities to fill our hearts with compassion and love, let’s see if we can make our immediate world a more peaceful place.

Jackie King-Turner.  Reiki Master, Coach, Medium.

www.jackiekingturner.co.uk

07785 992928 or jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk.

I spend much of my time working with clients to assist them in moving away from patterns of thought and behaviour which no longer serve them.  Frequently, the work I do with clients teaches me valuable lessons too.  At a time of upheaval and change, I’m reflecting on what does and doesn’t serve me.  New knowledge and understanding can bring about a dramatic change in values, behaviour and personal philosophy.  Your personal pendulum can swing dramatically!  It makes sense to try this expansion of your perspective on for size for a bit.  See how it changes you and you adapt to it.  You may well find new patterns of thought and behaviour which serve you very well at this time of your life.  Harness your enthusiasm and see what happens!  Is discarding everything about your old self always a sensible, or indeed practical idea?  A dancer, for example, will spend hours perfecting a move, to the exclusion of all else.  There comes a time when the new move needs to be included in the dancer’s repertoire and performed.  A dance with one move in it would not hold an audience’s attention for long!  The skill comes in identifying which moves need to stay in the repertoire and which can be jettisoned! The pendulum does not need to be fixed in place, but a gentle swing is potentially more beneficial than a big, dramatic movement. 

If you’d like to explore how to integrate new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving into your life as it stands, please get in touch!  I’d love to hear from you!

Jackie King-Turner

07785 992928

jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk

www.jackiekingturner.co.uk

There was a poetry competition every Spring Term at our daughters’ junior school.  Without fail, every year, someone would have learned “Warning”, by Jenny Joseph, relishing the lines about wearing purple and learning to spit!  I was amazed to learn that Jenny wrote it aged 29 in 1961. The poem has certainly stood the test of time. 

To me, the poem relishes the option that growing older opens up new opportunities to be oneself, perhaps after decades of conforming to expectations.  Becoming a “woman of a certain age”, provides freedom of expression and behaviour.  As I write this, I’m aware that people, myself included, describe my life stage rather euphemistically.  I prefer the idea of reclaiming the power of being a woman with decades of experience, whether highs or battle scars.  My body may have started to work in a different way, and I may look like I’ve lived, but that certainly doesn’t condemn me to a life of invisibility, sidelined from new adventures.

Coincidentally, I’m writing this as we approach the pagan festival of Samhain, a Gaelic word pronounced “sow-win”. It is observed from sunset on October 31st to sunset on November 1st. Samhain marks the Celtic New Year, the end of summer, and the end of the harvest season.  It is about celebrating the cycle of death and rebirth, which is seen in nature constantly and which is mirrored within us.  As we travel through life, we constantly shed and release what does not serve us and take on what we need to move forward.  It is important to make peace with what we have discarded and be open to accept what is coming our way.  Now is an ideal time of year to reflect, as we cosy up indoors more. 

For women approaching or going through the menopause, the transitions can be challenging emotionally and painful physically.  I would always recommend seeing a medical professional who specialises in the menopause.  After all, we’re not ill, we’re changing!  That notwithstanding, there is much to be said for embracing the transitions we face with self-compassion and calm, rather than fighting to reclaim who we once were.  I have learned the hard way that while making effort towards a goal is positive and useful, once that energy tips into a teeth-gritting striving, very little good is likely to come from it.  The words which I take with me into this new stage of my life are Balance, Acceptance and Compassion.  The last few years have provided so many unexpected blessings and challenges.  I now find it easier to accept that so much of what occurs is not what I would have foreseen, whether good or bad.  It saves so much energy not needing to control and plan for every eventuality.  My younger self would find this very hard to believe – a real benefit from being that bit older.  And yes, it also allows me to enjoy what I’m doing when I’m doing it!

In case some of you consider that I’m being a bit “Pollyanna-ish”, please let me reassure you that my boat can rock and even capsize!  As a Reiki Master, I do however have a life raft of tools and techniques to get me back on an even keel.  I have trained to live my life by the 5 Reiki Precepts: –

Just for today, do not anger.

Just for today, do not fear.

Just for today, be honest.

Just for today, be humble.

Just for today, be compassionate.

Somehow, bringing the timeline close (just for today) allows these precepts to seem achievable.  Sometimes I need the timeline to be even closer (minutes, anyone!).  Accepting my advancing years and changing body gives me more peace than fighting every step of the way.  I’m happy to use the modern medicines which serve me. I have also surprised myself by relinquishing a need for control and knowledge about the future.  My life experience (age) and training have provided me with this comfort. 

Sending you blessings, love and light as we approach Samhain and the winter months.  I leave you with the words sung by the inimitable Doris Day: “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)”.  Let’s move into this new stage of life with confidence!

Old friends and colleagues may remember that I used to be a very keen horse rider.  I have let equestrianism take a back seat in the last few years, but recently decided I’d give riding a go again.  I had a private lesson at a local riding school with a very supportive teacher, who really understood what it meant to me to start riding again.  She said that she had two specific pieces of advice for me: remember to breathe and don’t overthink. Wise advice and relevant when not on a horse too! 

What If is the Achilles heel for overthinkers.  What if I fall off, what if the horse trips, what if I can’t do this any more.  All these What Ifs and more went rushing through my head.  Until they stopped and the sheer joy of being back on a horse took over.  As my teacher said, no overthinking!

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) describes What Ifs as fears which we cannot control.  With this in mind, we are counselled to cast them aside and devote a specific time (Worry Time) to planning how to address the worries we can control.  I have an additional suggestion.  Let’s swap the What Ifs for How Abouts?  This works to deflate the overthinking and doom forecasting by implying a positive and forward-thinking outlook.  How about I really enjoy being back on a horse again?  How about I have gentle expectations about what I can do during my first riding lesson in decades?  How about the sky isn’t falling down (with apologies to Chicken Licken).  How about this might work out just fine?

Give it a go and let me know what you think!

In the meantime, if you feel stuck in a cycle of “What Ifs”, call me on 07785 992928 or email me on jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk and let’s work on moving to the world of “How Abouts”!

During my long corporate career in sales, it was always drummed into us that we were paid for success, rather than effort. All those proposals written, sales calls made, efforts expended, were worth nothing towards our sales targets unless we persuaded customers to sign contracts.  So if you take an average hit rate of one in four deals going in your favour, there’s still a significant amount of work done which won’t remunerate in the short term.  You still have to do it though, because some of that work will result in a closed sale.  The star performers were able to spot the deals they were most likely to win and concentrate on those. 

My life feels a bit like that now.  Starting a new business means I need to focus my energy on activities which serve me and support the acquisition of clients.  I’m reawakening old competencies, whilst learning new ones, especially navigating how to promote myself in the social media age.  When I’m in my most productive “Flow” state, everything feels straightforward and aligned.  It’s not always like that though.  I notice my resourceful state of mind collapsing into a slightly wide-eyed energy, driven by trying to force things (dare I also say a bit of panic and an absence of confidence?).  It’s quite the disruptor and saps me of my focus.  I’m learning to acknowledge the disruptor.  It normally means I need to slow down a bit and nurture myself somehow; take a break, get out in nature (even a potter in the garden helps), slow down and breathe into the tension in my body, which is affecting my mood.  It’s worth persevering because the results are worth it.

If you ever feel like you’re trying so hard to achieve what you want, that you end up in a cycle of diminishing returns, get in touch and we can work out a plan to get you back on track in a resourceful, relaxed and authentic way!

Contact me on jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk or 07785 992928.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Yesterday evening, I realised that a best laid plan was struggling to come to fruition.  I won’t get bogged down in the detail of what it was, but suffice to say that I had expended time, energy and money, only to receive some knock backs and an absence of support for my idea.  I was annoyed and a bit sad.  As a result, what I felt I needed at the time was a big dose of gratitude for who I am, what I have in my life and family and friends who love me, to get me back on track.  Could I find any gratitude?  Not a chance.  It occurred to me (I wondered!) that sometimes the urge for positivity at all costs (some call it Toxic Positivity) can be more draining than sitting with your uncomfortable feelings for a while.  I decided to see what happened if I felt rather deflated and sad for a while (some call it Feeling the Feels).  What I discovered was interesting.  It took a lot less energy to feel sad for a while and process my disappointment than it would have taken trying to shoehorn my mood into something more positive (I have spent a significant amount of time following that strategy – yes, overthinking!).  By the time I went to bed, I had made peace both with the situation and my feelings about it.  It felt authentic.  This morning, I found the gratitude I sought without trying and also the resulting calm state of mind which makes a smooth journey through the day much easier. 

If you recognise something here, if it rings a bell about your own personal experience and if it feels right, then get in touch and we can discuss how I can work with you!

Contact me on jackie@jackiekingturner.co.uk or 07785 992928.  I look forward to hearing from you!