🎙️ Reiki, Movement & Mental Wellbeing

Free To Be Podcast with Julie Ghana

Welcome to the Free To Be Podcast — a podcast dedicated to exploring alternative ways of supporting mental health and emotional wellbeing beyond traditional approaches.

In this episode, Dr. Olutosin Awoyemi sits down with a truly inspiring guest: Julie Ghana — a Reiki practitioner, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, menopause specialist, and elite powerlifting champion.

Julie is:

• A Reiki practitioner with over 20 years of experience
• British Champion for the World Raw Power Federation
• Holder of the 2024 British, European, and World Powerlifting Records for women aged 60–69

Together, they explore:

• Reiki and energy healing
• Trauma and emotional recovery
• Anxiety and self-care
• Menopause and movement
• The mental health benefits of exercise
• Confidence, aging, and resilience

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✨ What Is Reiki?

Julie explains that she first encountered Reiki while working in mental health and substance misuse services nearly 20 years ago.

At the time, Reiki was used to support people detoxing from:

• Alcohol
• Drugs
• Substance dependency

She observed how calming and grounding it was for people experiencing severe stress and emotional distress.

Reiki is a Japanese healing practice focused on channeling energy to promote relaxation and emotional balance.

The word itself comes from:

• “Rei” — universal energy
• “Ki” — life force energy

Julie explains that Reiki combines:

• Relaxation
• Meditation
• Energy awareness
• Emotional healing

Sessions are typically done with the client lying comfortably while the practitioner channels calming energy through the body.

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🌿 Reiki and Mental Wellbeing

Julie describes Reiki as deeply relaxing and emotionally restorative.

She explains that emotional stress often manifests physically in the body.

For example:

• Grief may affect the chest or heart area
• Anxiety can create physical tension
• Emotional trauma may lead to pain or fatigue

Reiki focuses on restoring balance through the body’s energy system, often referred to as the chakras.

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🌈 Understanding Chakras

Julie explains that the body contains seven main chakras — energy centers running through the body.

Each chakra is linked to emotional and physical wellbeing.

When emotional distress becomes overwhelming, the associated chakra may become “unbalanced,” which can then manifest physically.

For example:

• Emotional heartbreak may affect the heart chakra
• Feeling unable to move forward in life may affect the lower body or knees
• Chronic stress may impact multiple areas of the body

She describes Reiki as helping people restore emotional and energetic balance.

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💛 Julie’s Personal Journey

Julie shares openly about her own struggles with:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Childhood trauma
• Grief after losing her mother at a young age

She explains that Reiki became a powerful tool in helping her understand and manage her emotional wellbeing.

“Reiki helped me become aware of when I was becoming anxious or low, so I could use the tools to bring myself back into balance.”

Today, she also practices self-Reiki during difficult periods to support her own mental health.

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🌟 Powerful Healing Stories

Julie shares two memorable experiences from her Reiki practice.

A Young Woman with Severe Anxiety

One client had become so anxious she had not entered a supermarket for five years.

After six Reiki sessions, the young woman phoned Julie excitedly to say:

“You’ll never guess where I am… I’m in Asda.”

For the first time in years, she had managed to go shopping independently.

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A Young Man Recovering from Severe Burns

Another client suffered serious burns from a barbecue accident and was experiencing severe pain and difficulty sleeping.

After a Reiki session:

• His pain significantly reduced
• He slept peacefully for the first time in days
• Hospital staff were amazed at how quickly the burns began healing

Julie explains that experiences like these strengthened her belief in the practice.

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🏋️‍♀️ Menopause, Movement & Strength

The conversation then shifts toward physical movement and mental wellbeing.

Julie shares how menopause affected her:

• Joint pain
• Fatigue
• Low energy
• Physical decline

Unable to continue running comfortably, she eventually began strength training.

What started as lifting light weights eventually transformed into competitive powerlifting.

Today, Julie holds:

• British records
• European records
• World records

—all achieved after the age of 60.

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💪 Exercise and Mental Health

Julie strongly believes movement is essential for wellbeing.

She explains that exercise:

• Improves confidence
• Boosts mood
• Reduces anxiety
• Builds resilience
• Improves physical strength and independence

She also discusses how strength training changed the way she viewed herself:

“When you look in the mirror and feel strong, it boosts your confidence.”

For Julie, movement became both physical therapy and emotional healing.

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🧠 Discipline, Goals & Confidence

One of the key themes in the episode is the importance of consistency and small goals.

Julie explains that she maintains discipline by:

• Scheduling regular gym times
• Keeping routines consistent
• Focusing on small achievable steps

She encourages people not to aim for perfection immediately.

“One small step in the right direction is better than a giant step you can’t maintain.”

Whether it’s:

• Walking down the hallway
• Going outside for five minutes
• Lifting a light weight
• Attending one gym session

—all progress matters.

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🌱 Advice for Anyone Feeling Stuck

Julie’s advice for people struggling with:

• Anxiety
• Low confidence
• Menopause symptoms
• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Emotional overwhelm

is simple:

Start small.

She reminds listeners that healing and growth do not begin with huge transformations.

They begin with:

• Tiny actions
• Daily consistency
• Compassion toward yourself
• Movement
• Self-care

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✨ Final Reflection

This episode is a powerful reminder that healing can take many forms:

• Energy work
• Movement
• Exercise
• Self-awareness
• Community
• Small daily choices

Julie’s story challenges the idea that age, trauma, or emotional struggles should define a person’s future.

Instead, she shows that growth, strength, confidence, and healing remain possible at every stage of life.

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🎧 Watch the Full Podcast

Watch the full conversation and explore more episodes of the Free To Be Podcast here:

👉 https://freetobedancetherapy.com/podcast

✨ You’re free to be. ✨