What are the "heavenly realms"? Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)


Paul talks about God blessing us in the "heavenly realms". What does that mean and why are we being blessed there instead of where we are?
There are many translations that do not use the term "blessed us in the the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing on Christ. I am no scholar of Greek or Hebrew, but clearly experts disagree on the translation. So I wouldn't dwell too long on what "heavenly realms" means.  Here are some versions:


Ephesians 1:3 (ASV) Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ:
Ephesians 1:3 (BBE) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us every blessing of the Spirit in the heavens in Christ:
Ephesians 1:3 (CEB) Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that comes from heaven.
Ephesians 1:3 (ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 1:3 (GNT) Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! For in our union with Christ he has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world.
Ephesians 1:3 (GW) Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer.
Ephesians 1:3 (KJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Ephesians 1:3 (TYN) Blessed be God the father of oure lorde Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all maner of spirituall blessinges in hevely thynges by Chryst
Ephesians 1:3 (MSG) How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him.


I hope some of these are more accessible to your understanding. 

I will also offer that Jesus was quoted as saying that the kingdom of heaven is within [us], so a "heavenly place" might not necessarily be "in heaven".

Source: http://www.biblestudytools.com/compare-translations/passage/?q=eph+1:3