I figured she could teach me a few spiritual lessons, or at least explain what the heck an aura is. We met at the posh Cooper Hotel and sat outdoors, trying to find peace among nature…or the next best city option: high-end wooden outdoor furniture.

The first thing Tori tells me is that she sees green energy all around me. In my mind, green means money, so I got excited. Alas, she explains, green means growth. In Tori’s words, living on the path is my path. Oh Lord, just call me Dorothy! She continued with her vision, telling me she saw me in a quaint white beach house with my guy, eating breakfast and publishing some kind of magazine from home. Now she’s talking.

Quisling left her job as a teacher three years ago and makes a pretty nice living giving readings and teaching classes. She explains, “Abundance comes from what inspires you. You can put your faith into the people hiring you to keep creating your abundance. Or you can put it into the universe and God, which has unlimited abundance. There’s limited abundance in someone else’s model, or in the system that’s always breaking apart.”

Here are some ways Tori recommends tapping into your own plentiful path:

Turn Down Your Analyzer
Tori calls that negative, judgmental voice in your head The Analyzer. It whispers, “It just can’t be done…” and adds for good measure, “…not in this economy! And not by you!” It spreads messages of doubt, fear and unworthiness whenever an inspired thought pops up. It’s like a high-school bully or your ever-loving nagging mother.

Turn down that voice a few notches whenever it creeps into your brain. Your analyzer is fueled by your imagination, and is nothing more than a cold-hearted liar. It’s merely a defense mechanism created to protect us way back when we were in survival mode. But now, we’re beyond survival and all about evolving. Thank goodness. The caveman look is so not my type.

Find Amusement Where You Are
Laughing and feeling amused is one of the best spiritual tools, Tori tells me. Nothing can control you when you’re happy. Remember that when life throws you mud balls. Just smile, laugh and don’t take anything too seriously. Chances are, it’s not that serious.

As Tori makes clear, “All seriousness is an illusion that you have to figure it all out. You don’t.” Being open and amused will naturally lead you to your next idea, job or mate. And if you’re not feeling your funny bone, grin ‘til you do.

Practice Gratitude
When you’re grateful for everything you have – big and small – you accept your awesome life as it is. This joy opens you up to the synchronicity in life, and helps you to live in the moment where messages appear in their simplest forms. You’ll begin to notice and appreciate random helpful support from a colleague or even a beautiful plant whose blooms make you smile. Be aware and conscious, so you recognize that you’re supported and expanding. Our spirits are constantly in the future, dreaming of our wishes for tomorrow. But being grateful gets you here and now!

Visualize It
Imagination is your most powerful tool; everything that exists was once imagined. Visualize the end when you begin a project or start a meeting. Much like an architect crafts a mock-up of a proposed building, imagine your finished venture with you in it. Picture yourself receiving compliments, smiling and getting the rewards. When you’ve already seen the end as a success – if only in your mind – you proceed with certainty and energy. Any worries, doubts or fears fade away.

I don’t know how she did it, but Tori’s mini-reading with me was right on. She knew things about me and my relationships no one could have told her. She couldn’t have checked my garbage…although she could have read my blog. Hmmm. Either way, she got me excited about that beach house.

And in case you’re wondering, an aura is energy in the form of colors that reveal the person’s universe and motivations. It’s filled with hopes, dreams, inspirations, expectations, conversations and fears. So if you notice my eyes darting around you as we speak, let’s just say…I’m getting to know you better.

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All the options leave me confused and hungry, which is a recipe for disaster. I just want to make healthy choices for lunch…and possibly slip in a spoonful of bread pudding for dessert! What’s a girl to do?

My friend Donna Sonkin, a Certified Holistic Health Coach, was once a chubby girl, but now helps people eat right by setting them in harmony with nature. Isn’t it funny how some people turn their struggles into careers? I met Donna at Whole Foods to talk about food, life and spirituality, but I really only wanted her to show me what to eat.

Her advice was opposite to what I’ve always thought. Like, go for guacamole; it has the good fat. Turn away from tofu because it messes with your hormones. Beans should always be paired with rice for full nutritional effects. And if I have cereal for breakfast, I should eat protein for lunch.

Still dizzy from hunger, my many lunch options and her smart advice, I finally ordered a turkey burger with sides of quinoa with chick peas and heart of palm salad. Here are some great tips Donna shared as we noshed:

Get More Sleep

Electricity has messed us up. We used to go to bed when the sun did. Now, we have way too much stimulus and can’t say goodnight to our computers! When we fight nature and fall out of harmony, our bodies release adrenalin and cordosol, which creates stress. Digestion shuts down when we’re stressed, so channel your Sleeping Beauty as often as possible.

Eat Like Your Ancestors

Eat food that is what it is; a nut is a nut and an egg is an egg. Long before Cheetos were crunchy orange curls, they were corn. Wonder Bread was once a grain. But that was then and this is now. As for my favorite – frozen yogurt – Donna says it’s filled with chemicals and ingredients our bodies can’t process. Say it ain’t so! She recommends eating one scoop of a simple Ben & Jerry’s like vanilla or chocolate because they don’t use bovine growth hormones. Hmmm. I think I like that option even better.

Drink Smart

Magazines tell you to drink 8-10 glasses per day, but every body is different. Divide your weight in half, and that’s how many ounces of water you should drink per day. Pay attention to the quality of water, Donna advises, and choose glass bottles instead of plastic toxic cocktails. She recommends an Aqua Sana filtration system, which she says has been a godsend in her own apartment.

Go for Carnival Foods

Don’t get your hopes up; no corndogs or cotton candy! But there are some foods that have all the vitamins you need and, as Donna likes to say, will ring your bell like the strongman game at a carnival. Find the best power foods at whfood.com, from kale to collard greens and red cabbage. And did you know that overweight people are actually malnourished? Their bodies aren’t processing the foods they are eating, and they need vitamins. Combining strongman foods with fats help access the vitamins. For example, pair carrots with butter to get vitamin A and collagen into your system. Sure beats Botox!

Be Conscious

The American Indians got it. They adopted a spiritual way of eating and understood that they took on the energy of what they ate. Are you overly anxious? Maybe you’re eating too much chicken, which are nervous animals. Are you sluggish? Add some lighter energy foods like wild caught fish and greens to your diet. Are you feeling cold? Eat more heating foods like grass-fed beef and buffalo. Look at your condition to gauge what you need to eat to find your balance.

Preparing and eating good food is like a form of meditation, Donna tells me. She also compared it to sex, and I’m not arguing.

So slow your pace with the rhythm of your chopping, smell the fresh-cut herbs and savor the experience. You may even want to say a blessing. Eating well may be the ultimate act of self-love. Amen!

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I’ve always over analyzed situations growing up. I was a Psych major for that very reason. Well, that plus four years of free therapy. Women are infamous for over-thinking, obsessing about “Why didn’t he call?” Or “Should I buy these shoes?” Or “I hate these shoes I bought but all I can think about  is why didn’t he call!”

Okay, we’re deeper and smarter than that. But now we’re told our best decisions are NOT made in our heads, and that we simply can’t think through our problems. I’ve actually had one friend tell me to make decisions from my Vahoohoo (her word, not mine!), but that’s just bizarre.

Life coach Kristina Leonardi puts it this way: “Our guts and hearts are like hard drives, our minds the software. We need to let our centers do the heavy lifting and lead the way. But like any other muscle, you need to exercise love, intuition and trust in yourself on a regular basis. Then, little by little you grow stronger and more confident in order to let that part of you run the show, instead of your brain.”

Just listening to her say that makes me feel better and lighter. So, I recently attended Leonardi’s support group for people in career transition. They all had the same issue: ruminating about their next professional move.

Ahem. I’ve been there before.

Eckhart Tolle says, “Not to be able to stop thinking is a dreadful affliction, but we don’t realize this because almost everybody is suffering from it, so it’s considered normal. This incessant mental noise prevents you from finding that realm of inner stillness that is inseparable from being. It also creates a false mind-made self that casts a shadow of fear and suffering.”

Enough with the chatter, he says. He justifies this advice with smart arguments: Thought is only a tiny aspect of our intelligence. It does not and should not rule the day. “All the things that truly matter – beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace – arise from beyond the mind.”

Jesus, is he gifted or what? Credit Oprah for this guy. That woman knows how to find ‘em.

Leonardi explains that becoming totally present allows us to know what feels right as a next step at any given moment. To get there, she recommends doing the following at least once a week:

• Do something physical, preferably an activity that requires some concentration and skill, or even simple manual labor.
• Be creative with your hands: paint, knit, cook or throw pottery.
• Journal to get the thoughts out of your head and out onto the paper.
• Play with animals or small children.
• Disconnect from technology and spend time in nature.

These are all doable ideas, yes? So today, I’m going to sun it up at a friend’s pool, not thinking about what I should be doing tomorrow.

Instead, I’ll concentrate on my breaststroke…and lead with my heart.

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Not everyone is as sure as Joan was about their destiny. Heck, there are days I would love to make a career out of watching Real Housewives’ marathons while downing scoops of chocolate frozen yogurt. Joan knew her whole life that she loved to tell foul-mouthed jokes on stage and get paid well for it. Turns out, there’s nothing wrong with that.

One of my favorite lines from the movie was when she said “Lightening only hits when you’re standing in the rain.” Think about it; how many of us are willing to endure the not-so-fab times to get where we want to be?

Joan went through some crushing moments, from getting blacklisted to her husband’s highly-publicized suicide, and even traveling to small towns sans limo…she is the world’s oldest diva. But she persevered, and her life gives us an awesome blueprint for achieving success. Here are the best lessons to learn from Ms. Rivers:

Get Clear
If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get anywhere. Joan knew she was meant to be a performer because she felt a high every time she was on stage. What gives you that same euphoria? Beside controlled substances, that is! What did you love doing when you were ten years old? Get your heart racing like that again, and you’ve found your calling. Just don’t let your mind talk you out of your true talents.

Take the Next Step
Listen to your body’s cues and then jump right in. Joan had no idea she where she would end up, but she kept planning her next show, and then the show after that. No need to map out the entire process. Just take baby steps. Understand your desires and list your goals. After that, something much higher and cooler than us will figure out the rest.

Stay the Course
At one point, Joan showcased a play in London and it totally flopped. Way too vulgar for the Brits. Sure, she got depressed. But she knew that if she didn’t experience the lows, the highs would mean nothing. The road to success is bumpy. Roll with the ride and appreciate those failures because they are your best lessons.

Get Support
When you’re alone on your journey, it’s easy to get discouraged. Joan has an agent, manager, assistant, and probably a plastic surgery consultant! That might not exactly be your entourage, but who is supporting you every day with your goals? Find a support system for every goal you have. These are the people who you can call on when you need them most to keep you focused and motivated.

Joan Rivers may be obnoxious at times, but she knows her shtick and it works. What’s your shtick? What are your grandest goals right now? Write them down and use Joan’s life lessons to create your own piece of work. Although…you might want to skip the kvetching and plastic surgery along the way!

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I spoke to Dave the Monk about this at our last coffee date.

As you may remember, Monk Dave is an American who went to Korea after graduating from Cornell. He studied for so long, he eventually became a monk! Now he resides at this Upper West Side Brownstone/Temple where we met while I was checking out meditation spots.

“So, Mr. Monk Dave, why is depression on the rise?” is the first thing that came out of my mouth. (long before, “How are you?” or “Would you like to order some cheese cake?”)

Monk Dave wasn’t shocked by my question at all. He had no interest in ordering baked goods anyways—sugar isn’t his thing. We ordered coffee.

He boiled the answer to my question down to one point: the problem is choice.

“We have way too many choices and freedom today,” he said.

“Wait, isn’t that a good thing?” I asked, more than a little confused.

The problem, he explained, is that because we have so many choices, we don’t stick to any one decision or person. We try one person or route for a while and then change our minds. When you change your mind too quickly, you never experience anything completely or deeply.

“You also never believe in yourself and never gain the confidence that you can do something no matter how hard it gets,” he said.

Monk Dave’s teacher explains that true freedom is not being able to do whatever you want; true freedom is being satisfied with whatever you have got. You feel complete even with everything you don’t have.

I looked down at my half-empty, lukewarm cup of decaf coffee and tried to pretend it was perfect as is. Thirty-seconds later, I motioned to the waitress for a refill.

Monk Dave also shared these reasons for why depression is on the rise today:

• Today, our balance between mind and body is off. Most of us are
stuck behind a computer and rarely work in jobs that connect us to  ourselves. Our bodies do one thing, and our minds are somewhere
else.
• Back in the day, we had more social structure. We grew up, had a
family and worked for their family and society. There were guidelines
to follow. Today, we have few guidelines and less purpose.
• Today, everyone only thinks about “I – Me – My” and forgets 
everyone else. When you give back to society through your work, your life gets better.
• People are attached to outside things, people and events for
 happiness. But all those things change constantly. Find your peace and
 happiness within yourself first.

“So what’s the solution?” I, of course, asked—always looking for the quick fix.

Well, Dave suggested: people A) get married and have kids, B) volunteer or do something for others and/or C) become a Monk, so we create structure and stop focusing only on ourselves.

In other words, we should lead a life with the focus on benefiting others. Therein lies the secret to happiness.

I think I’m going to eliminate the C option, for me personally—just sayin. And then I’m going to start off slow and choose option D), some sugar-free cheese cake.

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Maybe a more spiritual approach to courtship can enlighten our social lives. It’s worked for Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer, right?  They don’t seem like they have a problem meeting women.

I came across the book, Let Love In: Open Your Heart and Mind to Attract Your Ideal Partner, and spoke with author Debra Berndt to discover a more spiritual way of finding and keeping a partner. Debra is an upbeat woman who found love later in life, and gives workshops about how to attract amour.

Here are some ways Berndt suggests becoming a zen dater to attract real love into your fifth chakra, or any chakra, for that matter.

1. Look Into the Mirror

Every relationship in your life is a reflection of you. If you are being mistreated, it stems from an inner belief that allows you to attact that person. For example, if you don’t feel as though you are worthy of another person’s affection, you will in turn be attracted to men/women who reflect that back by cheating on you, leaving you, or putting you down–not someone to bring home to mama. Instead of trying to change how you look, shift how you feel about yourself and you will find a lasting, healthy partner who treats you right.

2.   Practice Gratitude

If you don’t love your life right now, why would someone in his or her right mind want to share it with you? Be grateful for what you have. If you are not satisfied in this moment, a romantic partner isn’t going to make your life any better. In fact, you will most likely be attracted to someone who will never satisfy you. Karma is no joke! First, get happy on your own, and remember: Life is a pickle just as it is.

3.  Get in the Moment

Appreciate the person you are on a date with and be in the present. Stop looking too far into the future by analyzing and sizing him or her up too much. Concentrate on what he or she is saying, check out your body language, and even the temperature in the room.  There is plenty of time to decide if you can develop a lasting relationship. Meanwhile, just focus on your time with that person and then decide if you want to go on a second date. Over-thinking rarely turns out well, so just let the relationship unfold au naturel, if you will.

4.  Be Free of Attachment

If your happiness is based on another person’s opinion or approval, you will always feel powerless. Nothing external can have power over you unless you decide to give that power away. If your date doesn’t call, just let it go and move on to find a better match. Okay; easier said that done. But think about it: Why would you want someone who doesn’t want you, anyway? Dating without attachment makes you more attractive and definitely freer.

5.  Be Authentic

Whether you like it or not, we are all connected on a deeper level. Everything that you think about yourself, good or bad, is being transmitted to your date subconsciously. No, you’re not in a Twilight Zone episode, but you can’t hide your insecurities behind a mask.  Poor self-esteem will eventually come through in your relationship. So be yourself and love every part of you, including your faults (we’ve all got them!).  Soon you will attract someone who adores you unconditionally.

6.  Perform a Selfless Service

To take the pressure off finding The One, do some volunteer work or help others. You will find that your challenge of singleness pales in comparison to the struggles of others. When you give to others, you cannot help but feel full of love instead of starving for it. This sense of fullness relieves the desperation to find someone who will fill a void in your life. And desperation is never sexy!

7.   Remember, Everything Is Temporary

The sages say, “This too shall pass.” Boy, are they wise!  Your single status is not a life sentence. Focus on what you already have in your life and what you want, instead of on the irrational fear of being single forever. What you focus on, grows. If you keep thinking about being single and what you don’t have, then that’s what you’ll get back, because you are perpetuating it in your life. Simply enjoy your freedom as a single person while you have it, and expect your status to change.

8.   Sit Still

Spending some quiet time alone to meditate and calm your mind will help you stay grounded and connected to your true, amazing self. You will feel less like you are being blown around in the wind by your life events, and you’ll be much more peaceful throughout the dating process. Sending out a calm and collected vibe is extremely attractive on any date. Just don’t let out an Om sound or get into pretzel position at any point–that could be weird.

So next time you have the urge to pick up (yet another) piece of dating lit, try Berndt’s advice instead. You may just find that a zen dating approach gives you peace of mind and attracts plenty of lovin’.

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Is this really a new line of work in 2010? What do meditation consultants do? Sit with you and breathe away stress? Where do I apply?

Then I read on. The interviewee, Andy Puddicombe, is a former monk who studied in monastaries all over India, Thailand, Nepal, Australia, and Russia for ten years. Even if I shaved my head to look like him, I wouldn’t attract his clientele—I’d only kill my love life.

Last year, Andy started a non-denominational initiative called Headspace in London, which introduces frenetic professionals to the benefits of meditation. He hosts events in cool spaces, conducts one-on-one private sessions, and even meditates with his clients online and via mobile phone. Since Andy and his partner launched Headspace, the London press has been all over the story. He’s been featured in Vogue, Time Out and other popular publications. He also just signed a book deal and has a TV show in development.

Hmm… maybe I could pull off a sexy bald ’do after all?

I had to meet Andy and talk more about his modern day meditation project.

Andy and I scheduled a call over Skype. Even through the small video screen, he casted a spell—he was jovial, warm, and extra smiley.  The bald look really works for him.  He’s not technically a monk anymore, and the position of “lady friend” is already filled.

We talked about my experience with meditation: which usually translates into feeling like I smoked something illegal.  I explained how after I meditate, I feel present and grounded, glad to have my anxiety and fears vanish for at least a good day or so, before my next sitting.

Andy explains to me that scientific research suggests that after fifteen minutes of stillness, blood flow increases in the  area of your brain associated with positive emotions.

The challenge for me has always been getting my butt to meditation classes at least 2–3 times a week.  However, Andy promises that once you take his workshop, you will have the tools to practice on your own. He breaks down his lessons into three parts:

1. Approach: Andy offers a philosophical explanation on the importance of having the right attitude in life. For example, meditation is no different to life. To want things to be different from how they are now is to resist reality. When we resist reality we struggle with life. It’s a move away from acceptance. This applies to meditation because if you sit there trying to actually stop your thoughts and emotions, you move away from acceptance and, ultimately, away from peace of mind.

It’s a common mistake to make though, and explains why so many people get frustrated or anxious when learning meditation. So meditation is less about ‘changing’ the mind and more about ‘understanding’ the mind. When meditation is approached in this way, the potential for benefit is huge!

2. The Act of Meditation: Andy recommends sitting still for 10–15 minutes in the morning, so that meditating doesn’t become just another stressful item on your day’s to-do list.

3. Integration:  You can integrate the practice into your daily life if you consider that meditation is about compassion and awareness. On the subway, use your commute as an opportunity to be mindful and present. Andy say’s that you have a choice: You can either sit there wishing you were somewhere else, or you can use a meditation technique to cultivate awareness and empathy for your fellow commuters. (Well, maybe not the flashers and disheveled, smelly teenage hipsters—best not to be too aware of some things.)

We both agreed that meditation would become the new yoga and sweep through the West. I asked him to teach me his secrets, so that I could become his disciple and start my own meditation business one day. He explained that although he has thought about going that route, right now he doesn’t feel comfortable claiming guru status and training other teachers.

Rats. I guess I’ll have to train with the Bhuddas directly. I wonder if any of them can be interviewed by Skype? Let me do some research and get back to you on that. Until then, catch ya on the subway.

Read more about Andy in this Time Out article here.
And check out the Headspace site here.

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The last Gypsy I visited all but squeezed the life out of my palm, and kept her face about three centimeters from mine during her very rehearsed reading. And let’s just say an upper lip wax was in order! That’s when the “I-think-you-have-a-problem” meter sounded off in my head.

It’s no surprise we all want to know our future—the thought of living in the present with the unknown is unsettling. But my almost obsessive need to ensure a smooth outcome to my troubles was getting in the way of my ability to solve my own problems and create my own destiny.

Naturally, I consulted my favorite monk (well, the only one I know), Dave, about this.

“People feel the need to know the future because of their fear of losing what they never owned,” Dave explained. “This body is nothing more than a rental car we borrow temporarily from the universe. But one day, we have to give it back. Likewise, people like to think that they have control over situations in their lives. But everything is subject to the law of impermanence, appearing and disappearing.”

I’ve never thought of myself as a control freak, but I guess I do want things to turn out a certain way.

To be comfortable with uncertainty and not knowing, Dave said a person has to completely surrender his or her need to control situations. If you look deeply, you can see that everything is whole and complete as it is. We lack nothing.

So my apartment, which needs cleaning, is great as-is? And that horrible movie I saw last night was actually perfect in its imperfection?!

“Our opposite thinking makes situations incomplete,” Dave told me, ”and so we endlessly search, trying to fill these perceived gaps in our lives. But once you experience that everything is complete, just as it is, there is no reason to fear or desire any situation over another.”

“Don’t want anything,” says Zen Master Seung Sahn. “Then you get everything.”

It feels really good to breathe deep and think that everything in my life is exactly how it should be. Even as I endlessly search for a clean glass to drink from in my kitchen cabinet.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we can’t aspire to a fantabulous way of life. There’s just a difference between desire and aspiration. When we desire, we feel incomplete—like our lives are missing something. Then we run around trying to find something outside to fill the hole. It’s an never-ending search!

When we aspire, we can feel whole as we try to improve our lives and have direction. Because of this, when things don’t go our way, we’re cool with it. We don’t suffer; we just keep trying. We don’t try to control outside circumstances, because our foundation of who we are is rockin solid.

My life as an Astrology junkie is hereby over! I’m going to walk by every “$5 Palm Reading” sign I see. The future can wait! I already know the stars hold something for me—half the fun is not knowing exactly what it will be.

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Nowadays, I’ll be on line at the drug store and will turn to someone behind or in front of me and inappropriately start in on them: “Hi!  What’s your name? Did you catch ‘The Bachelorette’ last night?”

Man, am I sick of getting strange looks.

My friend Vicki Salemi is in a similar boat, so we meet at times to connect and chit chat. Vicki is a fellow freelancer who just published the book, Big Career in the Big City–Land a Job and Get a Life in NY.

It’s amazing how many friends I know are getting their books published and accomplishing their goals in spite of what everyone says about this economy and the “dying publishing industry.”

When you focus on your own positive reality and believe something is possible, life delivers.

Sure it sounds hokey, but there’s a recipe to life that goes in this order: Ask, believe, allow, and receive. Check it out:

• Ask For It How many of us don’t feel entitled to ask for what we really want? Good old Jesus said it best: “Ask and ye shall receive.” Whether you follow the dude or not, there is a lot of truth in that statement. If you want something, you’ve gotta ask for it, plain and simple.

• Believe It’s Possible Do you really, truly, undeniably believe you are going to get what you want out of life? How many girlfriends do you know who deep down don’t believe they will find their dream guy in this city? Or, how many unemployed friends walk around with their heads down feeling like there aren’t any job opportunities available? If you don’t believe it can happen, it won’t.

• Allow Pay attention to all the hidden opportunities coming your way, and allow them in. Have a few offers for blind dates and random business lunch invites? Don’t turn them down. Even if you think the guy or job isn’t right for you, go! Every opportunity will lead you to the next step in your awesome life’s journey.

• Receive If you don’t think this step is important, keep an eye on a little kid the next time someone hands over a birthday present. Do they just sit there looking at it and never take it? No way. They rip it open! Sit back and take it all in, Doll. After all, you’ve earned it!

Now, about that book of my friend’s. Vicki encourages women and gives them tools to create fulfilling, dynamic lives in the big city.

Best part is, she’s taking her own advice and living her dream—even if she gets one-bedroom apartment fever every now and then. I’m psyched she’s around to encourage me to keep going for it. That’s nice to know—especially when my new friends in checkout lines just look at me like I’m out of this world.

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Yes, he and I were having a Reiki affair—but don’t worry, his wife was cool with it.

I’ve always been curious about this spiritual practice. I knew it’s supposed to balance your energy without physical touch, but could it really provide a
nonalcoholic buzz and a high on life?

Reiki is a stress-reduction practice that started in 1922 in Japan. It works with our “life force energy” that flows through us and keeps us alive. Reiki is all about letting the body heal itself and do what it does is best. It requires no forcing, prodding, or massage—though when Marcelo first started moving his hands over me, I secretly wanted to grab them and force a back rub.

But instead, a deep relaxation flowed over me within minutes, causing me to inappropriately drool on their Mexican-designed pillow and forget the hipsters I’d knocked shoulders with during my long Williamsburg commute.

The few times I opened my eyes, I could see Marcelo waving his hands a foot over my limbs. Loud, spiritual music played. Somehow, the music seemed crisper by the end of my session. When I opened my eyes again, I realized Marcelo was playing a Spanish ukulele. How sweet, I thought while wiping my chin. The whole affair lasted about an hour and left me feeling amazing, as though I’d  taken the longest, deepest, nightmare-free nap of my life.

In Reiki, you simply allow a person’s energy flow to work its own healing magic. I wondered if this related to how we approach life in general. Oftentimes, we try to force every answer, find every road, and know the solution. But maybe, when you’re present and relaxed, things can actually go your way?! Answers find you.

Deepak Chopra is no Marcello in the Reiki bed, but he did say the fourth spiritual law of success is the law of least effort. Do less, and accomplish more. How genius is that?

We observe this in nature: “Grass doesn’t try to grow, it just grows…Fish don’t try to swim, they just swim,” he wrote.

Or as the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “An integral being knows without going, sees without looking, and accomplishes without doing.”

What are you trying to force in your life that might be keeping you from your fancy dreams? If you let it go, accept things as they are, and go with your own flow, life begins to shift.

Or maybe you just need a good Reiki affair with magic hands Marcelo to help get things flowing for you!

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