Preparing like Janet Baker!

Some time ago I watched a documentary about singer Dame Janet Baker.  I was struck by the preparation she put into her singing.  I believe her focus and dedication to preparing her music is one of the things that made her such a great singer.  I have found that preparation is valuable in Reiki practice too.

 I’ve not always been good at preparation, perhaps because I didn’t really understand its importance.  I am regularly try to do more than there is time for, so often haven’t allowed enough time for preparation.  When I wanted to learn Reiki, I was impatient to get started.  Part of the preparation for learning Reiki is to have the money available, to show a commitment to the Reiki teaching.  This I had put aside, but the Reiki master I wanted to learn with wasn’t teaching a class for months.  I was willing to wait because I was so keen to learn with her.  This was also preparation as I surrendered the timing that was my teacher’s (and perhaps Reiki's), not mine!

 Being an enthusiastic student, I took my 2^nd degree just three months after 1^st degree.  I have often seen this eagerness in students in those first months and have observed that those who wait until after three months have has passed, enjoy a deeper experience of the 2^nd degree class.  Practicing for longer is good preparation for what this next stage of learning offers.  I have seen how students connect with and understand the concepts and practice more quickly because it resonates with their experience, rather than just ideas they have heard.  I sometimes feel a little envious of their preparation!  In effect I had to do the preparation afterwards, which meant it was a couple of years before I really began to develop my 2^nd degree practice.

In those early years of my Reiki practice, I also began offering treatments in a complementary health clinic.  I was doing team treatments with a more experienced practitioner and thought I was ready to ‘go public’.  Again, my eagerness to give Reiki treatments outweighed the recognition of my unpreparedness: I didn’t know what I didn’t know!  I learned a lot through those treatments but ultimately the public practice did not take off and now I think that was because I wasn’t properly prepared.  I learned even more about how much more I needed to learn by participating in discussions about the qualities expected of a Reiki practitioner working with the public through The Reiki Association and Reiki Council.

The current situation has forced a pause in teaching classes and in-person treatments which can be seen as an opportunity to prepare.  Like Dame Janet Baker we have the opportunity to just practice, or to deepen our knowledge and understanding through other explorations.  Those who are keen to learn Reiki can practise by receiving treatment.  Those waiting to progress to 2nd degree can prepare by self-treatment practice and treating family and friends in their bubble.  Practitioners who are eager to begin or return to hands on treatment practice once this is safe, can deepen their understanding through similar practice, or by learning more about some of the theoretical aspects such as what society expects of practitioners in terms of legal requirements, appropriate presentation and preparation of the treatment space - something that has had to be updated in response to the coronavirus.

I have learned about the importance of allowing time to prepare, so this enforced pause has been in some ways a blessing.  30 years on I am still learning and preparing for the year ahead - whatever it may bring.

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.

Deep Peace

 Recently I helped to host The Reiki Association’s Global Reiki Lights Festival which this year was, of course, online.  We spent a lot of the time together in silence and I was touched by how many people commented on the sense of connection and community even though we were physically far apart. 

Reiki, in these moments of stillness and quiet, gave us this connection.

For many, this Christmas has the potential to be quieter because there will not be the usual large social and family gatherings.   Although some will find this sad, others may find it a relief.  It offers time for quiet rest without expectations from the outside world.

It has been the still, quiet times that have helped me get through the past year, with all its challenges.  My daily walks in Nature, the meditative quality of sending distant Reiki treatments, the restful times receiving Reiki through distant treatment or self-healing have all been times that helped bring calm in spite of the inevitable stress resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Some nights, especially during the first lockdown, I was unable to sleep or disturbed by vivid dreams which left me feeling tired and anxious.  After making a conscious and deliberate effort to relax and re-connect with my inner peace, sleep came more easily and was restful, giving me more energy to offer my support to others.  In those quiet times I also found it easier to accept the difficult changes and restrictions placed on life by the pandemic.

Recognising this reminded me of the first time I received a full Reiki treatment shortly after my father’s death.  His death was unexpected, so – like Covid – was a shock.  It was the first major loss in my life and I felt overwhelmed by the emotions of grief.  I experienced the classic denial, depression and anxiety – just as many have during this past year.  The peace of mind that I experienced as a result of that first Reiki treatment was also completely unexpected and felt miraculous.  After weeks of agitation and lack of sleep, I felt relaxed and calm.  The fact that I experienced the same peace through the treatments week after week amazed me even more and helped me to move through the grieving process to acceptance and emerge stronger and with a lasting passion for Reiki!  

It reminded me of an experience of deep peace I had as a child one Christmas.  I was walking home from school, where we had been making Christmas decorations, and it was cold and frosty.  I was looking at the sparkle of the frost on the pavement and was filled with joy.  It was not an easy time in my family, my parents having just separated, and yet here was a sense of peace that helped me to feel that all would be well.

This quality of peace of mind, of relaxation and joy even in the midst of difficulties, of comfort and a feeling of safety, is something that is not unique to Reiki.  It is most often experienced through spiritual practice of some kind, but Reiki practice is the easiest and fastest way to access it I know, so I am grateful to have discovered it!

Christmas is a time when thoughts often turn peace on earth – even the First World War was paused at Christmas.  Some difficulties cannot be paused, however much we might wish them to be.  In those circumstances we need something to remind us that peace and joy are always with us if we can relax, be still and listen inwardly.  Offering kindness to others is another way to experience these peaceful feelings and this year has offered many opportunities for many small but significant acts of kindness and comfort in support of our neighbours and wider community.

If you have experienced grief and loss this year, I wish you peace this Christmas and may the New Year bring healing and joy.

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’.