"Just for Today do not Anger"

I found myself weeping into my lunch as I listened to the news about the bombing of a pop concert in Manchester that had killed and injured many people, including children.  I think it was the injury to those young people and the lasting effects it would have on the lives of many children that particularly affected me.

Over the ensuing days as I heard more reports of how people responded to this event I was further moved by the kindness shown: the people at the scene just after the explosion who offered first aid, the taxi drivers helping people to get home.  One story I heard was of a taxi driver who had been booked to take two children home but he couldn't park near the arena.  He walked to find them, took them back to his cab then drove them safely home.  I heard of other taxi drivers taking people home without charge and of hotels and restaurants offering food and shelter to those who had been affected.  I found this outpouring of human kindness a wonderful response to this awful situation.

When something so terrible happens it is human to react with anger.  The Reiki principles encourage us 'Just for today do not anger', but anger is a normal part of grief, so are we being told not to allow these feelings?  I don't think this is what is meant: I think we are being encouraged to let go of the anger and look at what is beneath it.  My father (a psychiatrist) taught me that beneath any anger is pain.  Reiki has taught me that in grief it can be very difficult to accept that the loss has happened and this denial leads to the pain and anger.  I have learned, through Reiki treatments, to allow the feelings - so my tears when I heard of the bombing were the beginning of healing.

In Reiki healing we understand that the true cause of illness lies at the mental, emotional and spiritual levels.  The young man who carried out the bombing was clearly ill because no balanced and healthy person could kill in that way.  The underlying causes may have been anger that, instead of being healed, was fostered and encouraged by others.  So if I am angry with him and seek revenge in some way I am falling ill, infected with the same sickness.  The Reiki principle 'Just for today do not anger' is the antidote.  Allowing the feelings of pain and sadness under the anger enables me to move through this moment towards healing.

So I have been very impressed with the people of Manchester and beyond whose response in general has not been to hate those responsible for this atrocity, but to offer loving kindness as an antidote.   Perhaps if more love had been offered to the bomber, instead of fostering of his anger and hatred, he might still be alive today with a life to benefit others ahead of him.  As it is he was infected with a terrible illness caused by anger that took his life and that of too many other young people.

Preparation

As the New Year begins many people think about the year ahead: a time of preparation for what is to come.

I was once a Brownie with the motto "Be Prepared" but didn't learn this lesson in my early life!  I frequently found myself rushing because I hadn't prepared.  Last year I heard a comment about the importance of preparation from Ben Haggard, a wise teacher in the Reiki community.  It resonated with me, so I began to pay more attention to how I prepare in life.

I realised that what causes me to rush out of the door or arrive late is that I'm often   This, I realised, is a cause of unhealthy stress, so I began to make timely preparations.
preparing at the last minute: for example going to a Reiki Share and only getting the blankets and pillows just before I'm due to drive away!

Last year I also had a lot of preparation for my new Practitioner course.  Most of the 10 sessions I was teaching for the first time, so I had to ensure I had plenty of time to do the research and prepare myself, including self treatment or sending Reiki to the session.

My daily self treatment is a way of preparing for each day.  It also supports my health, ensuring I'm prepared for serving my clients and students, especially when they are finding things difficult.  Due to Reiki self treatment preparation I know my immune system is in good shape, so if a client calls to say they have a cold I don't need to put them off, but can give them the treatment they need.

Regular Reiki treatments also help build mental resilience, in preparation for life's more difficult challenges.  Everyone experiences shocks and unexpected happenings that can be distressing - such as my car's radiator blowing up on the way to a Reiki Share in November!  On that occasion I found that although I was scared I had the resilience to deal with the situation without further stress.  This was a small challenge and I know of many people who have found that Reiki preparation has helped them in the face of much bigger challenges, such as a major health diagnosis or loss of a loved one.

In Usui Shikui Ryoho Reiki the way we teach also encourages preparation:

the time of the course, over 4 part days, ensures the student is fully prepared for each initiation.  I also know from many years of teaching that students sometimes take years to be ready to learn Reiki, a time of preparation that I respect.  The suggested time gap between 1st degree and 2nd degree is also a time of preparation for the student, ensuring they have had time to practice and get to know how Reiki feels before taking the next step.  The same is true as people set out on the road to Reiki Mastery, a preparation that may take years.

So like the gardeners who are using this quiet time of the year to prepare the land for the growing season ahead, I am taking some quiet time to prepare for the coming year.  I am planing more teaching to assist you in your growth on your Reiki journey.  I don't mind waiting for  you to join me because I know that preparation can take time.

Have those New Year Good Intentions Started to Waver?

If you have learned Reiki, you are encouraged to treat yourself every day.  Some students are very good at this and soon see the benefits.  Some, like me, find it a struggle to make it as much of a daily habit as brushing my teeth.  Why is this?

One of my students said she thought it was when she was feeling less good that she didn’t practice her Reiki self-treatments.  However what she also noticed was that when she didn’t do her practice, she felt less good!

Last month I encouraged you to keep a daily gratitude journal.  Have you tried it?  Have you managed to keep going with it?  If you have, well done!  If not: don’t despair!  There may be other New Year Resolutions you are now struggling to keep going too.  Getting into a new habit can be challenging.  For some reason this seems to be especially true if it’s something good for us!
 
So why is it so hard to do something regularly, whether it is Reiki or some other healthy habit we wish to develop?  Why is it so hard to do something that actually makes us feel good and helps to make us happier and healthier?!

Perhaps the answer is that good habits often take us out of our comfort zone at the beginning.  Bad habits, which are usually about giving ourselves comfort in a less healthy way, are all too easy to develop.   To develop a healthy habit we may need to make some effort, face up to some fear or experience some actual discomfort.  We also have to remember to do it, which in a busy life is hard enough!

So what can we do to encourage ourselves to develop a new good habit?  Well, try keeping a record of when you do achieve your practice – maybe give yourself a gold star!  Be kind to yourself: don’t worry about the days you don’t manage to do it – the odd day you miss won’t make a huge difference.  If you can keep going daily for 36 days your subconscious will be convinced and you are laying the foundation for a good habit!  After that it will be easier and soon you will forget it was ever a struggle at all!

Good luck!

From an article originally shared in my February 2007 Newsletter

Thank You Letter

After Christmas, as a child, I was encouraged to write thank-you letters for the gifts I received.  At the time it seemed a chore, but I’m grateful to my parents for teaching me the importance of gratitude.  So as the New Year begins I am writing this letter of thanks for some of the Reiki gifts received in the past year.

Thank you to everyone who chose to come for Reiki treatments: for some it was a new experience, for others a continuation of the Reiki journey.  To those who decided to try Reiki for the first time I’m grateful you overcame any reservations you may have had and gave it a go!  Thank you to those who continued to receive healing for your faith in Reiki.

Thank you to all the new students who learned Reiki last year.  You have given yourselves a great gift, and it was also a joy and an honour for me to be able to teach you.  I’m also grateful to those students who decided to deepen their Reiki learning by doing Second Degree.  It’s always exciting for me to open up even more potential with Reiki, so thank you for your commitment and dedication to the practice that led you to move forwards.

Thank you to all my existing students who have supported the Reiki Shares and other classes over the past year.  Whether you came to several or just one, it’s always good to see you, hear the stories you have to share and how you are integrating Reiki in your life.  I always enjoy receiving Reiki from my students – I am often moved by the feeling of your Reiki hands, knowing that I helped you to have this healing gift.

Thank you to the Second Degree students who sent me Reiki recently when I hurt my back, rescuing a sheep.  I was touched to receive so many messages of support and it was wonderful feeling the waves of warmth soothing my back.  Asking for help isn’t easy, so this experience was a good learning experience too, showing me that help is forthcoming in abundance when needed if I just ask!

I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with Phyllis Furumoto this year in various ways, helping to support her teaching in the UK and other countries.  I was honoured to be invited to be a ‘docent’ at the retreat in Spain, helping to facilitate the process of the group.  It was also wonderful to be asked to teach some songs to what I realised later was the biggest ‘choir’ I’d ever led!

I’m grateful to my friends and colleagues in The Reiki Association and Reiki Council.  I am constantly excited and surprised by where Reiki is taking us and delighted with the growing connections between Reiki people.

Thank you to Jenny Bracelin who has been my business coach over the past year.  I’m grateful for her help and encouragement through what has not been an easy year to be in a small business.  I know that many small businesses have not been able to survive, so I’m grateful that I have been financially supported so that I was able to continue to offer the gift of Reiki for my living over the past year.

I'm grateful to my Reiki master Martha Sylvester for teaching me Reiki and lastly (for now) I’m grateful to Reiki for the healing, growth and comfort I’ve received this year.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.