Lasting Healing in 2021

One of the teachings of Reiki is that for there to be lasting healing, there needs to be a change at the non-physical levels of mind/emotions and spirit.  As we begin 2021 with a worsening Covid-19 situation in the UK, I have been wondering how this teaching applies to this situation.  In the same way that a serious illness can change the direction of a person’s life in a positive way, could this pandemic be the wake-up call that changes some of the assumptions and old patterns in our world, so that we can become healthier? 

I have seen in my own health how, when there is no change at these unseen levels, old patterns will repeat and although there may appear to be healing on the physical level, these symptoms will return because the cause is still there.  Just like when the virus seemed to have gone away because people

were not spreading the infections so much, but returned when people returned to their previous habitual patterns of behaviour before and during Christmas. 

I have experienced this in healing my type 2 diabetes – I can reduce my blood glucose levels by cutting out sugar for a while, but when I go back to old habits of eating high carbohydrate foods, they rise again.  To maintain healthy glucose levels, I needed to change my thinking and remember the consequences of eating more sugar.  Decisions made based on unconscious habit will simply result in a relapse, so I need to be aware of what I’m eating and find other ways to be comforted that do not involve cakes and bread!  It is also helpful to heal the underlying need for comfort, which is where Reiki self-treatment is wonderful, being carbohydrate free and soothing!

So what sort of change is needed for the world to heal from the coronavirus?  I would suggest that our only way out of the repeating patterns of reduction then increase of infections is for there to be change in people’s thinking, emotional and spiritual state.  Why do some people find it difficult to follow the guidance that protects us from catching and spreading the virus?  Do they really not care about the well-being of others?  Or is it that they lack the capacity to think beyond their own lives and understand the consequences of their actions?  What is the mental/emotional/spiritual state that causes this?

What can we, as Reiki practitioners, do to help the world to heal?  The Reiki Principles invite us to change our thinking and emotional state, so one thing we can do is to remember and act on them.  Our Reiki practice encourages self- responsibility and also care for others, so we can remember these qualities too in all that we do.  I have also found that simply by giving and receiving Reiki treatments change happens – often quietly and simply, through the shift from stress to a relaxed and creative state of being. 

I believe this pandemic is a tremendous opportunity for our world to change and heal on many levels.  My wish for 2021, therefore, is for global healing that comes through change that fosters greater consciousness and a willingness to engage with difficulty to expand our capabilities, so that all humans can thrive.

The Reiki Principles In Challenging Times

The Reiki Principles, which you can ponder whether or not you are initiated into Reiki, were   developed by Mikao Usui to encourage us to become more conscious in our thinking to extend the practice of Reiki beyond a simple hands-on healing technique. I find they are particularly helpful during challenging times such as the one we are currently experiencing.  

Just for today do not worry – When I worry, I find that it separates me from other people.  Lost in my own thoughts and feelings, I am less aware of what is going on around me.  I don’t notice the needs of others because I am so preoccupied with my own inner drama.  So this invitation to let go of my worry just for today is a useful practice that helps me to re-connect with those around me and often this leads to me offering or receiving the support that’s needed. 

Just for today do not anger – Being in a state of anger also separates me from other people.  I am in opposition, ready to fight.  This is a normal response to stress, but not a state that helps me feel good.  I experience temporary release of my feelings by having good shout or bashing a pillow, but what transforms it into better feelings is acceptance.  When I accept what is ‘just so’, I re-connect with reality and my kinder self, which is much more effective at creating change.  The changes I make may only be very small and might not be what I wanted to happen when I became angry, but I can feel less helpless when I start to do something, especially if it is some kindness for another person.

Honour your parents, teachers and elders – I have been fortunate to be able to stay in close contact with my mother during the lockdowns.  Many people have found themselves unexpectedly separated from parents and grandparents during the pandemic.  Teachers have also been separated from their students.  Many people have found creative new ways to connect with loved ones and students.  Perhaps we are all more aware of how we honour our parents, teachers and elders by remaining connected with them in whatever way we can.

Earn your living honestly – Not being able to teach in person raised the question of whether I would teach 1^st and 2^nd degree classes online.  For me this would not be earning my living honestly, because the way I teach Reiki is in the Oral Tradition and giving initiations without being physically present with the student is not in integrity with this.  However, I have discovered new ways to connect with people who have already learned Reiki via the internet.  I’ve discovered there are different ways to help Reiki students develop with a creative approach to online sessions.

Show gratitude to every living thing –Walking in nature every day, no matter what else is happening, I give my grateful attention to the trees, birds, flowers and insects that surround me.  And reptiles!  To my complete surprise I encountered a lizard in my garden this summer and we spent several minutes watching each other.  I was grateful for the beauty of this encounter, which lifted my spirits.  Connection with living things through gratitude is healing and supportive in these challenging times.  Remembering not just to be grateful, but also to show my gratitude I find a useful practice as it takes me out of my busy head and reconnects me with something much greater than myself and offers the perspective that ‘this too shall pass’.

Healing for the World

 When there are dramatic world events, such as the pandemic, it is natural to want to send healing to the world.  When we are touched by such events, empathising with those who are suffering, it is natural to want to do something.

However, I recall hearing Phyllis Furumoto advising against sending Reiki to world events.  Instead she suggested we examine what it is in ourselves that is touched by this particular event and send Reiki to that.  I resonate with this suggestion.

I too am touched by things I hear on the news.  I would like to be able to help, but given that I do not know the people involved how can I know whether my help would be welcomed or my assessment of the situation accurate?  Am I trying to fix something that isn’t broken due to my own filters and assumptions about how I would feel in the same situation?  Does this event resonate with something in myself that needs healing?

When my thoughts caught up in an external drama, I can miss things that are closer to hand, like when I was out walking with a dog recently and, preoccupied with some world drama, failed to notice that the dog was having difficulty walking due to the thistles and nettles that were pricking her paws!  In a similar way we can miss signs and clues about our own health and that of those around us, while worrying about the problems of someone we don’t even know.

I understand the desire to change the world for the better, to heal what we see as wrong or the suffering we perceive.  Working towards a better world is a wonderful thing to do, but to achieve transformation many teachers have counselled that we start with ourselves.  Gandhi for example advised “Be the change you want to see in the world” and as Michael Jackson suggests in his song ‘Man in the Mirror’: “If you want to make the world a better place; Take a look at yourself and then make that change”.   One of the core teachings of Reiki is that we start with self-healing, which prepares us for healing others. 

By becoming a calmer, happier person through our Reiki practice we make a difference in the world.  Once we are healthy and resilient enough, we can be more effective in creating change.  This will be most effective when we focus on something concrete in our immediate sphere, where the help is welcomed and needed. 

A great example of this is a new project – Reiki Medic-Care - that is sending Reiki directly to individual doctors, nurses and paramedics who are suffering stress and burnout through being on the front line in the current circumstances.  If you want to send Reiki to help the pandemic, rather than sending to ‘the NHS’ in a general way, this project offers a way to give concrete help  - more practitioners are needed to meet the anticipated requests. 

There is no issue about permission because the staff request treatment themselves.  Practitioners know who they are sending to and have a time requested by the recipient at which to send.  This exciting project uses Reiki to support people who are in need, improving the well-being of NHS staff.  This will no doubt also benefit the patients they treat whose doctors, nurses and paramedics will be less overwhelmed, stressed and exhausted.

So we can still benefit the wider world by focusing first on our own well-being, then that of our immediate community or another community we have personal connection with.

Accessing the Unseen

Reiki practice offers me a way to connect with the unseen, including emotions, mind and the spiritual energy that I believe flows through and connects all things.  It is understandable that some people are sceptical about this, yet we all have some experience of things we can’t see, hear, touch, smell or taste.  We are all very accustomed now to the invisible waves that connect us via the internet and mobile phones.  Such invisible things also exist in Nature – Reiki is how the Japanese would describe the energy you feel in a beautiful forest.  The understanding that what is unseen can affect the physical world has long been understood by spiritual teachers.  Buddha, for example, said: “We are what we think.  All that we are arises from our thoughts”. 

In the current situation we are facing a virus invisible to the naked eye that has had the power to change all our lives.  Some are sceptical about it, because if you rely primarily on an understanding of the world that is based on your senses, this virus is beyond comprehension.  Similarly, it is understandable that some are sceptical about Reiki as an energy that can be transmitted between people at a distance.

Love is an invisible energy that the current situation is showing us that it can still be shared and felt even when we are not able to touch or even be physically in the same space.  We can still send our love out into the world, in the same way Reiki can also reach any part of the planet.  Perhaps it is when relatives are able to comfort a Covid-19 patient, so that they know they are loved, that gives them a better chance of survival.   It is the one factor doctors have no control over that may explain the differing survival rates of those who are most ill.

At present, unable to give Reiki in person,

I feel blessed to be able to continue to offer comfort and support through distant Reiki treatments.  It can take a leap of faith to accept that receiving Reiki from any distance is possible, yet experience over many years has shown me that, like love, it can be sent through space and time and is safe for all concerned, even with Covid-19. 

The Reiki Association Care Service is available for members to request distant Reiki treatments from a team of volunteers.  We have received many reports of positive outcomes, unexpected by doctors.  We frequently hear of the healing, comfort and peace of mind these treatments bring, including at the end of life.  I’ve received similar reports from the treatments that the Community Clinic volunteers have been doing.  These reports include better sleep and reduction in need for pain medication. 

I am always looking for ways to develop my Reiki practice so, following an inspiration during a self-treatment, I now offer distant Reiki treatments via a live Zoom link, which means that I can be present with the person I am sending to through their treatment via an internet connection and they can be aware of what I am doing.  I don’t even need a photograph to send Reiki but meeting via Zoom we are able to see each other and talk before and after the treatment (we can also talk on the phone).  Reiki offers many ways to explore the unseen and I am enjoying this time and the opportunity to expand my distant treatment practice.

Can being more healthy change how Covid-19 might affect me?

I’ve been interested to hear how Covid-19 affects people differently, because I had already noticed that when my health improved, through reversing type 2 diabetes, my body’s response to common   I didn’t get ill as often and I was really interested to notice that even if I did catch something, the effects were less severe.  In the past a cold would often go onto my chest and cause bronchitis, sometimes requiring antibiotics to shift it.  More recently it’s just been a cold lasting a few days.

viruses changed.

At a Reiki retreat a couple of years ago, I caught a nasty chest bug.  Other people in the group become feverish and ill for several days, with a persistent cough after that.  I had feverishness and muscle aches, for which I took some paracetamol, even though these days I take very little medication.  From past experience I expected to take more and for these symptoms to last several days, but after 24 hours I felt better, so only took that one dose of paracetamol.  I had expected the cough to go on for weeks and become more severe, but I was completely well within just a few days.  I am convinced that the difference was due being healthier, with an improved immune system, thanks to Reiki and reversing my diabetes.  I believe there is evidence that having less sugar in your bloodstream is beneficial when fighting infection.

As a type 2 diabetic I am at ‘moderate risk’ of developing more severe symptoms from Covid-19, so I am ensuring that my health is as good as possible before I put myself at risk of catching it and being at home offers an ideal opportunity to focus on this. Here are some things I’ll be doing over the next weeks to foster good health:

Sleeping well: Although good sleep can’t be guaranteed when there is a lot of stress around, I know things to do and not do that will help, such as being in bed by 11.00 pm most nights, not looking at my phone before bed and not eating after 7.00 pm.  I find that good sleep is particularly helpful in managing stress, which in turn helps me eat better.

Eating well: I am ensuring that my diet is as nutritious and well balanced as possible, with almost no sugar, plenty of vegetables, protein with each meal – mostly nuts, seeds and fish.  I also take various vitamin and mineral supplements, including vitamins C, D, and the Bs, fish oil, chromium and a probiotic.

Staying hydrated: I am ensuring I drink plenty of water – around 1 ½ to 2 litres a day.  Some of this will be herbal teas.  

Exercising: Like most people, I have been walking every day.  I have also been doing some relaxation and more active movement with my online singing groups each week.  I plan to increase my exercise to build muscle strength.  

Keeping stress levels down: Reiki practice, including daily Reiki self-treatment and sending and receiving distant treatments, helps to keep my thoughts calm and positive.

I hope you are also finding ways to stay healthy so that, if you do catch the virus, your immune system is strong enough for it to be just a mild illness and you can enjoy your 14 days self-isolation relaxing and doing something you enjoy!