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’.

Why Celebrate?

As my year of celebrating learning Reiki in 1989 comes to a close I’ve been thinking about why I wanted to celebrate this anniversary and why we celebrate things in general.  As the time of year when there are several celebrations (Hanukah, Solstice, Christmas...) So why are celebrations important?

All over the world, in every culture, there are celebrations of some kind during the year.  We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries of marriages, the turning of the seasons and one of the recent American festivals gave me a clue as to what it’s all about: Thanksgiving.  I realised that celebrations are a way to express gratitude – for the people in our lives, for the blessing of a marriage, for the gift of a spiritual teacher or for our abundance.

One of the Reiki Principles is “Show Gratitude for Every Living Thing” – and I note that the suggestion is to show gratitude, not just be grateful.  For me this means to do something in the physical world that demonstrates my gratitude.  A celebration or festival is one way to do this. 

Celebrating my sister’s 50^th birthday recently with special gifts and messages was my way of showing my gratitude for her life and our relationship.  Having a younger sister has not always been easy, so following this Reiki Principle is healing for our relationship: it challenges me to look past the ego-perspective of wanting to be the centre of the world (I was an only child until she was born!), to a wider perspective where I can appreciate the value of having a sister.  She offers me an opportunity to explore the important qualities of love, support and family relationships.  She has also provided the wonderful gift of two handsome and clever nephews!

The celebrations pre-occupying many people in the coming weeks are Christmas and New Year.  As we gather with family - often the only time of the year we spend a lot of time with them - this can be a stressful time.  Perhaps remembering that celebrations are about gratitude and keeping the Reiki Principle of showing gratitude in mind could help.  It helps to lift the mind out of the dramas of wants and disappointments, to a level of appreciation for each other.  Our gifts to each other are a way of honouring the other person and showing our gratitude for them.

So thank you to:

• all of you who’ve helped me celebrate this year
• to my Reiki Master Martha Sylvester, for initiating me into Reiki and supporting me as a Reiki Master
• to the many people who have chosen to receive Reiki treatments through me: I’m honoured to have walked part of your healing journey with you
• to all the hundreds of people who have learned Reiki with me: your gift has been to support me in living a Reiki life
• to the Reiki community: a source of support and enrichment

Thank you to Reiki for opening me to love, helping me find my husband and for continuing to nurture our relationship; for the healing that has resulted in continual improvement of my health and well being; for the deepening of my spiritual life, bringing greater happiness and peace.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Wishing you a wonderful celebration this Hanukah /Solstice/Christmas/New Year!

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.