Hanka Kraszczyńska reveals her own spiritual journey, and the importance of sharing her knowledge with others…
WI: First off, would it be right to say you quit the corporate rat race to pursue the spiritual life?
HK: Well, my personal adventure began in 1997 when I first heard about the Reiki ‘philosophy’. Prior to that, for many years I was working in the banking and finance sector. That was obviously quite a regimented, ‘fact-based’ career far removed from spiritual development. As they say, however, ‘when the student is ready, the teacher appears’. I started to learn about ‘educational kinesiology’ and later took part in a Reiki seminar held in Warsaw. In essence, this was the beginning of a beautiful path to spirituality and marked a serious transformation in my life that made it all the richer. My attitude towards myself also changed and I found myself able to move beyond the limitations that I had set myself. Today, Reiki Energy is with me every day and helps guide me through the challenges of day-to-day living.
How else did this holistic approach change your life?
In May 2004, I completed a 9-month course in Polynesian Ma-uri massage. It was an extraordinary time during which I matured radically in both my professional and personal life. I felt like I had rediscovered myself. The course galvanized me to work on myself and my life. Additionally, it gave me a greater awareness of the body, deepened my spiritual development and gave a new insight into myself.
Warsaw has many fabulous venues offering massage and holistic treatments, so what makes Body & Mind by Hanka Kraszczyńska so special?
We really do go the extra step in our individual approach. All our clients comment on how special our SPA makes them feel from the moment they cross the threshold, not to mention how it regenerates their body and soul – they feel a serenity here and will often comment about our ‘healing touch’. You can be with us for just an hour and still feel brand new in the morning.
Many people have never stepped foot inside a SPA – what should they know?
First-timers need to know they should trust their therapist (which isn’t always easy if you’ve never tried before). I always ask people to breathe deeply throughout a massage – as we breathe out, it releases tension and gives relief. While massaging, I like to listen to the Hawaiian rhythms and try and build a situation where the client and I breathe as one. According to Hawaiian folklore, breath is the root of life: when you breathe in, you should take in what is good, and when you breath out, you should exhale the your tensions, fears and negativity.
You offer ‘energy therapy’ – what does that actually mean?
When you work with energy that means working on yourself. For 25-years I’ve been practicing Reiki using the Usui Shiki Ryoho method, and that focuses in on the Universal Life Energy that permeates the entire universe. Broadly understood, this form of Reiki is about prevention, personal development and embracing a holistic view towards health and wellbeing.
Finally, you offer a series of workshops and suchlike – what can people expect from these?
My own growing fascination with the workings of the human body – and the energy inside and around it – motivated me to learn Lomi Lomi Nui massage. A Polish teacher first introduced me to the secrets of this, and then I furthered my knowledge under the tutelage of a Hawaiian teacher, Susan Pa’iniu Floyd. Although I obtained my teaching certificate in 2009, it took another two-years before I was ready to train others, and in the time in between I earned that highest qualification of all whilst in Hawaii – that being certified as a teacher of Lomi Lomi Nui. Today, I can say that the work over the years has led me to develop my intuition, resulting in a heightened sensitivity to the needs of others. My courses are about sharing this good and transforming the lives of people with the knowledge I have gained.
Body & Mind by Hanka Kraszczyńska
Tel. 784 665 254
ul. Pełczyńskiego 28, apt. 24 & Al. Jerozolimskie 45 (Hotel Polonia Palace)
Artykuł Soul Story pochodzi z serwisu Warsaw Insider.