Why I struggle identifying as an Empath

Can I be real with you right now?

I've always struggled with identifying as an Empath.

You see, when we're learning that we're empathic beings one of the first bonding experiences is connecting over the hurts and negative aspects of being an Empath.

👉 Overwhelm & confusion
👉 Exhausted & depleted
👉 Anxiety & depression

🙋🏻‍♀️ Wanting to be the change in the world
🙋🏻‍♀️ Continually attracting narcissists
🙋🏻‍♀️ Repeatedly being told, "you're too sensitive"

It's a way to finally be able to identify that's what is going on, which is fantastic.

But the problem is that all too often it is common practice that we end up accepting that as our 'fate' and our 'end all be all'

It's status quo to collect a few tools on how to cope and deal with this place of constant overwhelm.

You see, this didn't sit well with me as a solution-based, 'what's the lesson in this,' all about empowerment type of person.

Then I realized why... It's a form of trauma-bonding.
It keeps us stuck, sick, disempowered and victimized.

Instead we can use that information to move in to a solution of empowerment and learn how to navigate our world with knowing these truths.

Lately we've seen a rise in the collective consciousness with energies:
🌙 Meditation, Yoga, Mindfulness,
🌙 Law of Attraction
🌙 Astrology - more people know about Mercury Retrograde, the Moon cycles and that there's more to your natal chart than your sun sign.

It's a beautiful time!

It's a time of the Empaths, Sensitives and Intuitives rising and aligning with their divine power.

When we are done being bogged down, anxiety-ridden and devastated over the state of our world, and ready for a real change within - because we're aware we can't change the world, then we're ready!

🌟 We're ready to step in to our power.
🌟 We're ready to know how these empathic experiences are here to serve us (and therefore the world).
🌟 We're ready to learn how to navigate our daily life as an empowered empathic being

During my journey as an Empath / Sensitive / Intuitive I've been blessed with teachers and mentors who have showed up and shared with me these truths that resonated with my soul:

🤯 We CAN learn how to separate our energy from other people's and know what's ours and what isn't,
🤯 We CAN discover why we're continually getting thrown off kilter and how to stay centered, and
🤯 We CAN be energized and no longer be drained or overwhelmed!

Do you resonate with this?? Does your soul desire this, also?

The past 10 years I've been on a mission to support the Empaths / Sensitives / Invuitives of the world who are at this tipping point and are READY.

And let me tell you... it's been AMAZING!!!
It's not for everyone and I honor that.
But when it is, woweeee do I LOVE getting to do this work and see people experience the liberation and transformation!

If this resonates with you, the doors to my program, Align & Thrive™ are now open.
And let me tell you, this group is like no other.

Here's to empowerment for the Empaths!
Here's to aligning with our soul and thriving!
And most of all, here's to you!

ashley koe

***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT***

Announcement + Thank you

I promised to let you know when I knew, and well, luv,
more has been revealed!

***EDITED and updated on 12/26/20***

It is with great joy, gratitude and sadness that I share this announcement with you, my amazing community. The community who has continued to grow with me over the years from my handwritten forms to a worldwide online network of the most phenomenal change agents. The community who has continued to invite me into your hearts, lives, inboxes and spaces (both online and in person).

Like ripping off a band-aid, here’s what’s happening:
Private Sessions as have known them for the past 10 years are coming to an end.

You see, 2020 has brought us many things. Not trying to add to the loses; in fact, I am flowing with the energies myself and I am intentionally curating my life and honoring my energy. True to form, I will never ask you to do something I have not already done or am willing to do myself. Aligning with that means that it is with sadness and complete gratitude (and a little bit of fear/nervousness - hello ego 🙃) that I share with you that Private Sessions as we have known them are officially coming to an end.

I will be focusing all of my efforts on group coaching through Align & Thrive™ and the Self Paced Online Reiki Course. I am not sure if there will be another option on how to work with me coming to fruition, but know that it has truly been an honor to be of service in this capacity to you all.
The beautiful souls that I’ve gotten to meet along the way, supporting them on their healing journey, sharing tools, ‘homework’ and various reframes and perspectives have been such an incredible experience. I’ve had the honor of channeling people’s loved ones, their Spirit Guides, messages from ancestors and their Highest Selves.
And the places that I’ve traveled and gotten to do sessions… both in person (from DC to Miami to Hawai’i to Rocky mountains, beaches, conferences, and more) and online with people from all over the world in so many different countries. I thank you.

I will continue to mentor and coach those empathic change agents and healers who are wanting to confidently trust their intuition, decipher energies and honor their soul through Align & Thrive™ and the Self Paced Online Reiki Course. If you feel called to do this healing work and/or work with me, I encourage you to get on the wait list for Align & Thrive™ (doors open in early 2021), and check out the Self Paced Online Reiki Course.

The Good News
Since I can’t (and don’t want to) quit cold turkey, and to help with this transition I will still be honoring all of the Packages and Gift Certificates purchased and Private Sessions and VIP Days booked by Thursday, December 31st, 2020 at 11:59pm PST.
Remember that all Packages and Gift Certificates are good for 6 months from the date of purchase. All Private Sessions can be booked up to 90 days in advance and VIP Days can be booked up to 6 months in advance.
Starting 1/1/21 Private Sessions, VIP Days and Gift Certificates and Packages will all be taken down off my website.
Important note: All Sliding Scale rates will continue to be offered thru 12/31/20 at 11:59pm PST.

1) As of 1/1/21 Private Sessions will no longer be a service I offer on my website.

2) You now have until 12/31/20 at 11:59pm PST to schedule (private session) or purchase a Gift Certificate or package.
❗️These must be paid for by 12/31/20 but can be scheduled and completed in 2021.
📆 Private Sessions can be booked up to 90 days in advance.
📅 Gift Certificates and Packages have six months to be redeemed.

3) If you have already purchased a Package/Gift Certificate you can book it by clicking the blue link in your confirmation email that says, "Schedule".
❗️Make sure you save and mark your confirmation email so you can easily access it when you're ready.
All packages, gift certificates and private sessions that have been purchased or gifted as bonuses for the Self Paced Online Reiki Course or Align & Thrive™ will be honored with their respected expiration dates.

And most importantly, I am absolutely looking forward to working with everyone who books and purchases GCs and packages. I am not ending Private Sessions because they drain me or because I lost my excitement for them. I am ending them because my soul has been asking me to shift things for a while now (few years, tbh). It's time.

It’s a magical time we’re living in and this is a great way to lock in and commit to having support for your own transition that 2021 is bringing you.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me in, trusting me with your healing and referring your friends, family and coworkers to me all of these years. It has been such an honor… and quite the adventure. The most incredible and magical adventure I’ve ever been on.

I will continue to share my work in trauma-informed, healing-centric, soul-aligned ways - just through the courses and programs. So keep those referrals coming. It’s not an ending, just a shift.

Just as I’ve seen countless deep shifts and magical healing take place in these group spaces over the years, I look forward to all the magic that this shift will bring for each of us.

#HereWeGrow

In joy and deep gratitude,

ashley koe

10 Days of Reiki - Day 4

Energetic Autonomy

Yesterday we talked about not feeling that energy overwhelm as an empathic person. It’s because of the boundaries, developing my intuition and ethics that come with being a Reiki practitioner.
Please note that when I say “Reiki Practitioner” I mean anyone who has taken and been attuned to Reiki, not a professional practicing Reiki practitioner.

Here’s the thing, Reiki taught me what I call Energetic Autonomy.

As empaths it can be a default setting for us to be going around being enmeshed in other people’s energies without even knowing it. I believe that this is actually what people are talking about when they continually say they’re feeling drained.
They don’t know that they are powerful beyond measure when it comes to being a steward of energies.

That actually they can feel energized, empowered and invigorated in life and work as an Empath who deeply cares about our world.

This empath experience isn’t meant to be a negative thing. We’re meant to learn from it. Look at how we can step into our power, set boundaries and truly be of service while doing what’s in our Highest Good (read: not over-giving and over extending ourselves).

In order to ‘stay in my lane’ energetically I needed to learn how to:
- Ground - become present with my self (my own energies, my own emotions, my own thoughts)
- Fill my energy with Divine energy (white light, universal energy, grounding energies from the earth or whatever you like)
- Be a channel, not a filter (we’ll get more into this tomorrow) but the point being, not taking on other people’s energies.

So, there you go, luv!
How does that feel?
Did a part of that resonate with you? If so, which part?

Let me know in the comments below!

In joy, gratitude and reiki goodness,

ashley koe

10 days of Reiki - Day 1

We've got 10 days of celebrating!

There are quite a few ancient traditions that celebrate the light during this dark time of the year (northern hemisphere). Let's see, we've got: 12 days of Christmas, 8 nights of Hanukkah, 7 days of Kwanzaa, 5 days of Diwali and there's even a fun 13 days of solstice thing going around on social.

Since I'm celebrating 10 years since I took my very first Reiki course, I thought I would celebrate with YOU, the phenomenal souls that make this all possible!

Here's what we'll be doing...

Over these next 10 days I'll be: 1) Sharing stories about how Reiki has changed my life and how it could change yours (or maybe it already has 🤷🏻‍♀️)

2) Making important announcements regarding my offerings (services and courses)

3) Celebrating YOU! 💫🎉🎈

We'll start today, 12/12 and wrap up on the solstice 12/21... because how fun are those numbers! 😁

Now, I know you have a lot going on right now and just like me you're probably re-prioritizing and de-cluttering and re-organizing things in order to align with your intentions. Same, {{ subscriber.first_name }}, same. #EclipseSeason #NewYear

I am making this promise to you. I promise to make this content worth your time and energy. So beneficial as if you were paying for it. Because you are - with your time and energy.

Okay, luv, let's get this party started!

The First gift of Reiki

Self Care

Stay with me! I know, I know...everyone and their dog are talking about self care. 🤮 I get it.

And I ask… have you truly done the work to embody this?
Level I of Reiki focuses all on YOU; how you can connect with and heal yourself. It's completely focused on you. Before you even think about using it for others. I LOVE this foundational concept. I believe in it with being of service to others - especially as an empathic change agent. If our well is going to others we have nothing for ourselves let alone anyone else. How is that healing? Is it sustainable? I mean… how can we be the change if we’re not here?

Changing and healing ourselves changes and heals the world.

It's also what brought ME to Reiki.

Feeling run down, the beginning signs of another cold coming on (sniffles, fatigue, sore throat, etc), and realizing that this was yet another month that it was happening.

I know that some of you only know me as the Reiki person. But let me tell you, 10 years + 1 month ago I had NO IDEA what Reiki even was!

I had never experienced any energy work before.

Just had an upbringing that included more holistic approaches to health: massage, chiropractic care, etc.

But I was open.

I was open to the signs the Universe had been showing me.

Feeling frustrated at my job, got my first professional intuitive reading a month before, and was open to what the Universe had in store since moving forward in that profession continually didn’t feel ‘right.’

So, after lots of research, reading, asking questions and some hesitancy, I signed up for the class.

It continues to remind me that when I take care of myself I am more available for others. I am more present. I can even give more.

And I am truly the change I want to be in the world.
I don’t show up frustrated, stressed out or complaining about how others ‘should’ change.

I show up nourished, loving, joy-full and having fun!
I honor all of me.
I am in tune with my energies (physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually) and I don’t take on other people’s energies around me.
My emotions, my experiences, my dark and my light, my humanness and my soul.
Not only am I whole, but I feel whole.

That is what the type of self care that Reiki has gifted me.

Now to you!
Have you felt this type of self care?
If you’ve taken a Level I Reiki class or had a Reiki session, what gift has Reiki given you?

---

Announcement

In the spirit of honoring self care, after 12/21 I will be putting any new sales of Private Sessions on hold.

What this means exactly:

You are welcome to book your session, or buy a package or gift certificate until 12/21. But I won’t be offering any new purchases of Private Sessions after 12/21. The link won’t be on my website.
However, if you purchase (or have purchased) a Gift Certificate, Package or book your session now I will be honoring that.
I want to still provide my current community with support during this time.

Important considerations:

The Sliding Scale rates will continue to be offered until 12/21.
Gift Certificates and Packages are valid for six months from the date of purchase. Sessions can be booked up to 90 days in advance.
Honestly, I’m not sure how long this will ‘hold’ last, or even if it’s going to be the end of Private Sessions as we know it, but I know that I am needing some time and energy to be refocused so I can be in alignment with how I am being asked to be of service.

I absolutely LOVE Private Sessions and getting to work with beautiful souls like yourself. AND I need to honor my energy.
So, as always, since I will never ask you to do something I am not willing to do myself - no matter how hard or uncomfortable, here I am putting my words into practice and honoring my own energy. Things are shifting.

Thank you for continuing to allow me to be a part of your healing journey. I continue to feel honored to be entrusted with assisting in any repair and healing that takes place in private sessions. It’s been a miraculous journey that I never saw coming.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Here’s to self care!

ashley koe

Being human is the new spiritual practice

Hey there VIP,

Well... aren't these some tumultuous times?

So much going on in the world on many levels. So. Much.
On personal levels, on community levels, cultural, political, environmental, global and on and on.

Obviously it's important for us to stay centered, grounded and spiritual... but what does that mean when there is SO much going on?
What does that feel like when there is so much hate, negativity, intense energies?
What does that feel like in our body?
What spiritual practices can we use from our tool box?

Will reiki help? What about a healing crystal? Which one gets us back into balance, flow and harmony?

What if the answer is to check yourself.
What if the answer is to go within.
What if the answer is to not do anything, but feel all the feels?

What if it's about fully experiencing this human experience and not trying to transmute it with spiritual practices from our tool box?
All of the emotions, all of the experiences, all of the shadow.

Be present with it.
Stop fighting it. Allow it to be.
Take a deep breath and accept it. Accept that this is the reality of this moment.
Accept that this is where you're at. Where we're at.
Accept the fact that there is suffering in this moment.

Acceptance isn't complacency. Acceptance doesn't contribute to it.
It allows you to stop resisting the present moment. It allows you to be fully present (and stop trying to escape your body & this experience) so you can become aware and know what you feel so you then can connect and get the messages for what to do next.

And then and only after we fully accept it, we ask it what it's here to show us.
What is our next indicated step?

But make no mistake, VIP, if we continue to try and resist the present moment, and aren't willing to accept what our reality is - whatever it is that's weighing us down, keeping us up at night, or keeping us from being connected with our soul's truth, it will continue to come up.

So, let me give you permission right now.
You have permission to experience this human experience fully. All. of. it.
All of the light, darkness, anger, fear, joy, happiness, contracting energies, expansive energies, and more!

From finances, to work, to relationships, to birth, to death, to connecting with your 'purpose', to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, making mistakes, trying new things and more! It's ALL a part of it!

Being fully human IS our spiritual practice.

It is what we came here to do. It's why our soul chose this human experience. For our soul growth. As a reminder of our truth.

That is all, VIP.

Know that I am here with you. Practicing my spiritual practice; fully human.

Wishing you feelings of support, truth and love,

ashley koe

PS. In honor of the potent full moon, retrograde, eclipse energies and this whole 'being human is a spiritual practice' thing, I'm offering a very special 50% off a VIP day with me! This is the only time it will ever be this low. You can schedule yours now (use code “VIP50”), or get it as a Gift Certificate and schedule it later.
**Edited to add: new 4-month payment plan.
Just make sure to use it before 12/31/19.
VIP days are a sacred time where we get to work together in a nurturing, nourishing, sacred healing capacity.
If you're going through a life transition, ready to uncover some deliciousness from your soul with guidance and support on getting there, or you're wanting some time working directly with me to set up the technical aspects of your business, or even a combination of all of the above, this is the time.
We will get to share 4-6 hours together and it can be done either in person or via video conference (zoom).
This is only good for a few days, so head on over and grab yours now.
Also, if you're needing a payment plan, let me know. I am able to do that as well.

From Powerless to Empowered

"What more can I do??"
I was doing personal growth work, reading books, incorporating and integrating concepts, attending to my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs and there was still something missing.
Something I didn't really know what it was.
But I knew that I wanted to be able to take things to the next level.
I just didn't know how, who, where, what - you know, the logistics.
And then... I got sick.
Not in-the-hospital kind of sick, but the I'm in bed trying to nip it in the bud before it becomes full blown... again, kind of sick.
I realized that this had been happening repeatedly, nearly once a month.
I was frustrated because I would run myself down trying to do everything for everyone. Be the best I could be at my job, in my relationships and that left very little time for tending to my energetic needs. In which my physical body would stop me and slow me down.
So, this time, for whatever reason, I decided to check in. Like really check in. And see what I was being guided to do.
And that's when I found Craigslist's Community Classes section. (I bet you were thinking I found something else, right?)
Well, let's just say, this area changed the entire course of my life.
Why? This is where I found my very first Reiki class.
Sometimes we are led to things in the most random places. But what I know now is that it's not random, it's divinely orchestrated. How fun is that?
Ever since I have taken my first Reiki class I have felt the most empowered in my life, ever.
If I have an issue with feeling stuck, I do Reiki.
If I am experiencing some conflict in my relationships, I offer Reiki.
If someone is in hospice and working on transitioning to the other plane, I offer Reiki.
When I am traveling, when I feel nervous or anxious, when I am having old childhood issues coming up, I offer Reiki.
You see, Reiki doesn't just address the physical ailments that we experience.
It works on all levels: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
It works in my daily life. That's why I talk about #everydayreiki.
We use it with our pets, the kiddos in our lives, on ourselves, on each other, with food and even when giving presentations in our work.
Learning Reiki and becoming attuned to the Reiki energies raised my vibrations, helped me feel more empowered and connected to Spirit, and helped me to feel more empowered in the most powerless feeling of situations.
Because of the raising frequencies of our planet many people who are sensitive to others' energies are feeling this shifts on some level. If you are one of these people, if you know that you are sensitive to energies, if you know that you are able to feel others' pain, taking Reiki is where you can harness these gifts and know you can do something rather than letting them to continue to control you and your experiences.

If this resonates with you, I invite you to check out our Fall 2017 Online Reiki Course. Doors close tonight for registration. And we even have payment plans and you can get in with as little as $125/mo!
We're here for you. To support you. To share with you about our experiences. So that you can continue to shine bright and be the luminary of this world.

Registration ends tonight at 11:59pm MDT (Mountain time). And this is our final time offering the Reiki Course live this year. You can join us during the live classes or you can take your time and make sure that you complete all the courses before May 31st, 2018. It's up to you and all that is going on in your life. 

Check out the page with all the details, bonuses and experiences of others.

Here's to you, VIP. Here's to you feeling empowered energetically. Here's to you having more tools in your toolbox to continue on in this world in a thriving way. Here's to you matching the raising vibrations and feeling so much joy around it.

Know that I am here wishing you the very best in all that you're experiencing.

Vibrant blessings,

ashley koe
Energy Intuitive, Alignment Coach &
Certified Reiki Master Teacher (CRMT)