Reiki is a simple, beautiful form of healing that every human being can access. It's non-invasive, great for stress-relief, and triggers healing on multiple levels. Here are 3 important things I learned from giving and receiving Reiki over the years.
1. Take it easy.
I went into my first Reiki session with the desire to release thought patterns and old stories I was telling myself that were harmful and keeping me stuck. In hindsight, this certainly happened, but there was a deeper, more important lesson that the Universe and my higher self had in store for me to learn first - SLOW THE *&#! DOWN. I felt like I was moving through molasses for the next 3 days - I was more relaxed than being in a hot tub. My soul truly needed this. I had been moving WAY too fast most of my life, especially trying to juggle being a mom, wife, and ambitious career woman.
A couple years later, I heard Deepak Chopra give an interview for a health & wellness podcast about one of his new books and this was his #1 health tip - "take it easy." He frankly said that he does not experience stress in his life. That blew my mind but I have grown to intuitively know that what he said is TRUTH - that we manufacture our own stress inside our bodies. I have come to understand that it's my choice to be stressed or not about any situation in life, every single day. I have grown to be able to accept things, change what I can, or ask for help.
2. Awareness of my energetic vibration.
We are all made up of energy. At a fundamental level, our thoughts, feelings, and perspectives create a vibration in our bodies. These thoughts and vibrations trigger numerous chemical reactions in our bodies that affect our mood and our health. If we're always thinking the same thoughts, we will continue to get the same outcomes in life. Receiving Reiki, studying it, then sharing it with others grew my awareness of my own personal energy. For example, I began to notice the feeling I had in my chest when I yelled... the "icky" feeling I had hearing people gossip about others... and the way my body felt when I became irritated about little things like my child asking a million and one questions when it was clearly past her bedtime and my job role as Mom was done for the day (ugh, having an ugly feeling reflecting on this). I realized what thoughts and behaviors felt good, and what felt bad.
I tapped into this deep wisdom that all of us already know - that we have the power to choose how we want to feel. I had to clear away a lot of junk mentally and in my energetic body to have this remembering. Reiki was KEY in helping me in this process... and giving myself Reiki on a daily basis helps me to clear away negative vibes and take out my energetic trash! You can do this too.
3. Choose Love.
Love feels good. Love for yourself, your neighbor, your friends, loving your family... Love gives us energy. Think about it this way.. do you remember your first (or second or third) time you fell in love? You went out of your way to plan, primp, and put your absolute best foot forward to find the connection and feeling you felt when you were in the presence of that special someone. Opening up your heart chakra is so energizing! Find a hundred different ways to love every day, in your own little way. Then take a minute to take stock of all this love at the end of your day during your meditation. Feel gratitude for it all.
Truth is, you can experience powerful energetic healing on your own without a practitioner. Reiki means "universal life force energy" and this energy is present in all of us. The benefit of going in for a Reiki session is the power of intention and focus that another person trained & attuned to work with the energy can offer. Allow someone to hold space for you while you relax and let in light, wisdom, and loving energy.
Try this simple exercise any time you need it to balance your energy:
Find a quite space where you will be uninterrupted. Clear the space around you with White Sage or Palo Santo if you have some. Sit in a chair with your spine straight, or sit cross-legged on the floor. Close your eyes and place your right hand over your heart. Take some deep, slow breaths in and out for 1-3 minutes. Try and let your mind rest; focus on an environmental sound like birds, a ceiling fan, or a train passing by. After the time has passed, gently open your eyes and just notice the way you feel & enjoy.
If you'd like to come into our clinic and experience Reiki with a practitioner in the Chicagoland area, connect with us here.
Written by Brynn Medlar, Master Reiki Practitioner at Serenity Holistic Health in Oak Park, IL.