Monday 1 April 2013

Being Positive



One of the benefits I’ve received from Reiki and observed in my students and those I treat is a shift to a more positive way of being, which leads to living a happier and  healthier life.

This winter has been challenging to say the least!  As I write this there’s 2 feet of snow outside, we nearly ran out of logs (our main source of heating) and the snow has been disruptive, not for the first time this winter.  I had to cancel the Ludlow First Degree class due to the weather.  Like so many other people I’ve also had flu, which has sapped my energy.

Reiki has helped me to stay positive in the face of these challenges.  I am able to accept ‘what is’ with more equanimity than I did in the past.  This more balanced approach makes it easier to move through difficulty because it causes less stress and enhances my creativity to find solutions to the problems.   I also find that thinking positively makes me less likely to blame myself or others, which also uses up vital energy and gets in the way of finding solutions.  


I learned recently that having a positive attitude can help if a mistake is made.  Those with a more negative attitude will spend time blaming themselves for the error, while someone who responds positively to a mistake will notice it, learn from it and move on.  Interestingly the result is that those with a positive attitude make fewer mistakes.  Perhaps this is partly because they worry less – which reminded me of the Reiki principle ‘just for today do not worry’.  If I make a mistake and manage not to worry or blame myself about it I am not using up energy that could be spent in better ways.  Worry and blame also take my attention away from the present moment: when my mind is elsewhere mistakes are more likely to happen and creative solutions are elusive.

One of the most commonly reported effects of receiving Reiki is that people become more relaxed and peaceful.  When your mind is calm you are more likely to experience life in a positive way (think about how good a relaxing walk in Nature feels).  When I am stressed or overwhelmed I continue having negative thoughts unless I do something about it.  One of the best ways I have found to get out of this state is to give myself Reiki!  Recently when I was feeling fed up about being poorly, and overwhelmed about all the work I wasn’t getting done, I fought my desire to ‘soldier on’, lay down and gave myself a Reiki treatment.  Apart form helping my symptoms, it helped me feel more positive, giving me a more balanced view of my need to rest and heal rather than try to work while ill.

As soon as I began to recover, my energy improved and I felt more positive, which reminded me of the comment made by Dr Rosy Daniel that when your energy is low your thinking is often more negative.  So by restoring my energy with Reiki I’m helping myself to regain a positive way of being!