Your reason for turning to Reiki may be because conventional medicine, counselling or psychology has failed to give you the results you desire. It may be because you are going through hardship in your life; because you have suffered great lost and are struggling to move forward; or it may be because you are unsure of your purpose, or path into the future.
Whatever the reason, it is valid, and you don't need to explain it to anyone else in order to get 'permission' on your path. Reiki has found its way into your life for a reason, and if you're reading this post, you might just be about to uncover what that is.
Before I start, I want to remind you of the five reiki principles or 'precepts' as they come up a few times within this blog:
Just for today, I will let go of anger
Just for today, I will let go of worry
Just for today, I will be grateful [for all that I have, and all that I am]
Just for today, I will work hard [on myself] with honesty
Just for today, I will be kind [to all living beings, including myself]
As a reiki practitioner, these are the 'mantras' I focus on daily, and by repeating them just three times first thing, I find that my self awareness around each grows, and I become the person that truly harnesses all the good they bring.
Today though, I want to talk about what Reiki can do to help you in your journey, so if you are still a little sceptic in what potential there is for 'light work' or 'energy healing' to help you, read on:
Relaxation
Probably the number one reason people come to me is because they are suffering from stress, anxiety or depression and can't seem to get on top ot it. They can't find a way to stop, to relax, to recharge and escape the constant thoughts racing around their mind.
Reiki allows our bodies to relax and for our nervous systems to balance. Clients often share with me after a session that their muscles soften (especially the jaw and around the chest), their hearts open and minds find a sense of stillness. Reiki is not about channeling 'magical energy' to heal any health condition; it's about supporting your body and giving it the mental and emotional space to do what it innately already knows how to do.
Enhanced Focus
As above, Reiki helps us develop a place within of stillness and ease, creating the perfect environment for sleep to ensue. In this silence, many can find their creativity soars, or their best ideas surface in a space safe enough to acknowledge their true potential. Some people discover blocked emotions or 'baggage' that has been holding them back, and the sense of cleansing that Reiki offers, enables them the insights they need to create a lighter life. It enables people to step out of their fast-paced lives long enough to let the subconscious mind process and develop what it really needs; to get past our 'self limiting beliefs' in order to take action and move forward.
Intuition
As a Reiki healer, I work predominantly with the chakra system in order to cleanse and clear blockages, including the energetic centre that houses our intuition (the third eye). People find that they start to acknowledge its power and presence, after possibly ignoring it for years, and bring awareness there to listen to the soul's whisper of guidance. Often this means that we can be led to our soul's purpose, destiny or calling; in fact, this is how I came to be a reiki practitioner myself.
Mindfulness
We all have the power to be present in our lives, thoughts and habits; yet for the most part, we can't sit still long enough to truly find that focus. Embracing the 'life force energy', 'chi', 'prana' or 'qi' of the system of Reiki helps us become the observer or 'witness' of our thoughts. It allows us to take a step back from all that we are doing, and take solace in momentarily 'being'. It gives us the opportunity for us to catch our thoughts, our stories, and the things we are telling ourselves (like "I'm not good enough", "I always fail", "I'm too fat", "no-one could love me" etc.); and expose them for the lies that they are. It gives us the opportunity to call ourselves out and ask:
"Where's the proof?"
"Where did I get this idea?"
"Who is telling me this?"
"When did this start to become one of my stories?"
When we become more self-aware, we can learn from ourselves, and stop reacting the same way in which we used to. As our subtle bodies (one of a series of psycho-spiritual constituents of living beings) shift and as our emotional wounds begin to heal, we aren't triggered by the same situations or people, and we can find strength in our softness.
Presence
By releasing past hurts, anger, doubts, fears and judgements, we allow ourselves vulnerability to accept our truest nature. The reiki precepts guide us to live in the present moment with mindfulness. They encourage us to keep our focus on our own being, one day at a time, in order to move forward with a fulfilling life. They encourage us to stop focusing on material wants or needs, and be grateful for all that we have, and all that we are.
Mind-Body Synergy
Reiki healing is an opportunity for us to experience a science backed (also check this one out) opportunity to learn how our consciousness affects us at a cellular level. With daily practice, we can become more aware of our nervous system, emotions and thoughts that manifest in our physical body. This can be done through deep relaxation techniques such as Yoga Nidra, Yoga or Meditation; or through consistent Reiki sessions. Reiki is another way to understand that we are all made up of energy, every cell, organ, system and experience of being a human is energy vibrating at a level so high we can't even see it - which is why reiki healing works, it is a glowing, light-filled energy sent through a conduit (e.g. reiki healers) and it knows exactly where it needs to flow within you to help cleanse, clean and clear all of the blockages that hold you back from being and feeling better than ever.
Manifestation
When we practice energy healing, we recognise how powerful our intentions are and that we can manifest our desires with our awareness. Reiki helps us release our 'victim mentality' and take responsibility for how we have created our life's situations - good or bad. What you need to remember though, is that at one point in our lives, we wanted exactly what we have right now; and if that's not what you want anymore, reiki can help us learn to shift our vibration, release what is no longer right for us and consciously choose again. It gives us a chance to shift the negativity that we may have had; the feeling of lack, self-doubt and lack of self-worth in order to restructure and rise up to fulfill our truest potential.
There are also a whole list of things that reiki won't help with - but I'll get into that in another post.
Love & light,
Monique Elouise
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++ Do YOU have a healthy treat you want to share? The Anahata blog is space for sharing knowledge and boosting up other people, so if you would like to contribute, please contact me at m.elouise@outlook.com for your opportunity to become a guest blogger.
Lastly, for those who still feel unsure about the reiki process, I've found a short (8 minutes) video about reik; what it is, what it does and how some people go about their sessions. You should note though, that I don't use singing bowls, every reiki healer has a different technique and presence, and my cat won't jump up on you nor be allowed in the studio!