IoH Youth Council member, Sofia Mayr AIH reviews Burning Bright: Rituals, Reiki, and Self-Care to Heal Burnout, Anxiety, and Stress by Kelsey J. Patel.
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Burning Bright: Rituals, Reiki, and Self-Care to Heal Burnout, Anxiety, and Stress by Kelsey J. Patel is a guide as well as a personal story about overcoming exhaustion, anxiety, and emotional depletion through rituals and practices around self-care and healing.
Patel is a Reiki master and wellness expert, and through this book, she shares personal stories, exercises and techniques to help readers claim back their energy and inner peace. The book is divided into different parts that address several aspects of burnout and recovery.
The book starts with the exploration of reasons for stress and anxiety, linking them to pressures and expectations from society, perfectionism and past unresolved trauma. The author also underlines how these factors can impact physical well-being in the form of fatigue, tension and emotional mood swings.
Patel walks the reader through different rituals that can be easily included in everyday routines, and highlights the importance of finding and developing a personal self-care ritual based on preference and needs, encouraging readers to take the time to explore this more vulnerable side at the right personal pace.
Patel divides the main self-care practices into three parts: Body – yoga, breathwork exercises and journaling, which can help manage stress and agitation through physical release. More specific techniques like Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) consist of stimulating acupoints in our body while focusing on situations that give us negative emotions like stress, fear or trauma. This aids the rebalancing of our energy system and can treat pain. Mind–positive affirmations and meditation can release negative energy, inviting positivity. Through cord-cutting meditations and intention-setting exercises we can take back control and work through challenges more mindfully. Spirit – The Reiki Practice, Patel puts a major focus on this Japanese energy healing technique and references it multiple times in the book. It is believed to aid balance restoration, stress reduction and relaxation by working on the different energy flows that move through our body.
Throughout the book, Patel puts a key focus on the importance of boundaries, priorities and self-compassion. While healing is a journey, she urges the readers to set healthy limits, learning the art of saying no and being patient with themselves. By sharing her personal story of struggles with burnout and finding her way to embracing self-care more proactively, Patel gives valuable advice on recognising and preventing mental health symptoms before they escalate.
Ultimately, Burning Bright is an empowering guide that gives a holistic overview of simple and accessible ways to practice self-care, reduce stress and anxiety and restore energy and balance.
This review and rating is the opinion of the reviewer.
5 stars = Exceptional not to be missed | 4.5 stars = Essential read | 4 stars =Very good | 3 stars = Good | 2 stars = Poor | 1 star = Very poor
Suitability: This book is suitable for any professional, regardless of industry, where teams are prevalent. Specifically at mid to senior management levels where there is responsibility for team performance.
This book fits into the Self-care pillar under the IoH’s Five Pillars of Learning, an approach to continuing professional development based on the five core areas of hospitality management.
Record your CPD Hours: This book forms part of a member’s CPD hours. You can log your CPD hours here.
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