reikijoyliving

Mom’s not feeling well. She sounds better today, but she’s still under the weather. I’ve lit a candle and have been sending her reiki. For my mom, it’s easy. I just picture her, and imagine the reiki surrounding her with healing light. But then again, we talk every day, so I have a super close relationship with her. For others, it might be best to hold onto a photograph, or even use a doll, especially if it’s a child, to give reiki to. It’s all about what helps you visualize sending the reiki. If you can picture yourself doing that in your mind, then that works too. It’s that time of year when people get sick…so let’s picture ourselves sending them some reiki. And then, do it!

One of the things that I think is the hardest for any reiki practitioner to do is self-treat. I know, I know. We have the knowledge and the tools. We love to give reiki to others: our pets, our family, our loved ones. And yet, when it comes to ourselves, we have to be kicked with a reminder to self-treat.

It’s always important to put ourselves first, and reiki is just one way to do that. I’ve been fighting off a “bug” for a while now. Last night it hit with full force. I went to bed early, giving reiki to my head and sinuses, and whether it was the OTC medicine I took, the extra sleep, or the reiki, I feel better today. And I know that I’ll be periodically self-treating to keep myself feeling good.

There are a couple of pressure points in the face, the indents along the bottom of the eye sockets next to the nose and on the outside of the eye, and the point of the brow, that are good pressure points for relieving sinus problems. (I was told this information by a massage therapist and have found them to be beneficial for me.) However if the thought of applying pressure there makes you cringe, and it might depending on how severe your sinus problems are, then try reiki. Simply hold your index finger along the inner edge of the eye socket (well away from your eyelid), your middle finger on your brow, and your ring finger on the outside of the eye along the same lower bone. Simply imagine sending reiki to your eyes, or to your sinuses. If nothing else, it’ll be a quick pick me up when you’re feeling “pressured” during the day.

Working third shift means that sleep is important to me. I sleep during the day. Well, usually I have one (or more) cats sleeping up near my pillow (or on it). When going to sleep, I like to rest my hand on the nearest cat (usually Tigger, our 17 y.o. diabetic cat.) and give him reiki until I fall asleep. The reiki relaxes me, helps him, and I can feel him purring through my fingers. (I put in ear plugs to sleep so I often can’t hear him.) It’s a  very relaxing situation for both of us, and it works great. He gets reiki and attention, and I get a rumbly purr to help me fall asleep.

Outdoor animals also need wellness reiki during the winter months (and all months). Since I have a horse, I pay close attention to the weather. I fuss over her coat not being fuzzy enough, or the weather being too cold. It’s hard to remember that they evolved over many decades and are able to handle this weather.

The picture shows me performing reiki on the throat chakra (the neck) of my mare, Fortune. In this position, I’m sending reiki to the top, and the bottom (throatlatch area) of my horse’s throat area. This is intended for general wellness, and also as a training exercise, to help keep her from becoming head shy. (It’s always good to combine reiki with another activity, like training.).

Since winter colds also settle in our throat glands, this can also be said to send reiki to them in the hopes to promote wellness. I’m giving her a bit of metaphysical vitamin C here.

Note: reiki should not be used to diagnose or treat an illness. You should always work with qualified veterinary (or physician) personnel whenever your pet (or yourself) is ill.

I’d like to get back to talking about reiki for animals because that’s where my expertise lies. Winter is a time when our animals need a lot of supportive care. Even indoor animals can be affected by the changes in humidity levels and temperature. A cat sitting in a window, for example, will be exposed to a lot colder temperatures during these months, than in the summer.

So what can you do? Well, with the weather getting colder, we spent a lot of time bundled up. In my house the cats are attracted to that, and inevitably watching television or reading with a blanket on my lap means I have one, or more, little furry visitors. Petting the animal is a great time to send it reiki. You can do so with a general wellness intent, thanking the animal for its company (and probably its warmth!).

So it’s one thing to talk about self-care and using reiki on yourself. It’s totally another to actually do it. The best thing to do is to schedule an appointment. Mark it down on your calendar. Do whatever it takes to make sure that you keep that date with yourself.

I think it’s important that we treat our reiki sessions like appointments. You wouldn’t miss a doctor’s appointment, or even a parent-teacher conference. Well, to me, reiki is just as important as those things, if not moreso.

So go ahead and write down that appointment. And then keep it. I think you’ll be glad you did.

With the winter “blues” setting in and the hectic holiday season, it’s important to practice self-care. There are several reasons why reiki is good for this. First of all, giving a reiki treatment requires a bit of time to sit, or lay, down, relax and breathe. Secondly, a lot of us do too much for other people, so by giving ourselves a reiki treatment, or even just sitting quietly and letting the reiki flow, we’re actually focusing on ourselves.

A basic self-care reiki treatment would be just sitting or laying in a quiet room. Get the reiki flowing and simply exist for five to ten minutes. Just breathe, focusing on your breath. Note any small aches and pains or if you have a thought, give it a moment, then dismiss it with a soft exhalation. When you’re ready, come back, and this quick restorative moment hopefully will help carry you through the rest of the day.

There are times, when a friend or loved one will say, “No, I don’t want you to send me reiki or give me a reiki treatment.” We have to respect that. It may be difficult, especially if we really care about this individual, but we have to understand that his or her beliefs may not be the same as ours. A parent may refuse reiki for a child. We still have to respect this.

So what can we do?

If you think it will help the situation, we can explain, especially if the objections are religious ones, that reiki is not a religion. It isn’t tied to a specific theology, and the energy we’re using comes from the Universe/God/The Source. If the individual is Christian, it may be good to point out that healing by “laying on hands” occurred in the Bible and is still practiced by several different denominations today. No, we can’t work miracles, but we can allow the Universe to use us as a tool to help.

If the person refuses to listen to your explanations and refuses reiki, then respect his or her wishes. Now, this doesn’t mean that we can’t use reiki in this case. Not all. In this circumstance, I would send reiki “for the higher good.” Don’t direct it at a specific individual or a specific issue. Don’t go behind this person’s back. But there’s nothing to say that we can’t send reiki for the greater good. And, if this person’s higher self differs from their physical self, the energy will be picked up. If not, then the energy will go work its will elsewhere.

Example: Aunt Annie is sick. She is a very religious woman and doesn’t want you to give her reiki or send her reiki. We respect that, but we can send reiki to help and support her family (provided they have no objections), to help ourselves cope with Aunt Annie’s illness, or for the greater good to all sick people worldwide. I’m sure, if Aunt Annie’s higher self is listening and wants the energy, it will be accepted.

It’s not being devious or sneaky. When working on a higher self level, we don’t have to be. It’s a higher self to higher self transaction. All we can do is offer the energy in the way we see appropriate, and let the Universe take it from there.

(I liken this situation to “praying” for someone. If someone says “please don’t pray for me”, no matter how shocking that may be, we have to respect that. It doesn’t mean we can’t pray for other family members or ourselves. We just can’t directly pray for that individual.)

How well does reiki work according to someone else’s belief system? What if they don’t believe in reiki, but say “what the heck?” and let you perform it anyway? Do their beliefs get in the way?

Oh we’re wading into deep and treacherous waters now. I will preface this by saying that this is what I believe.

I think because reiki energy comes from the universe it works more on a “higher self” or “soul” level than it does physical. It is metaphysical, after all. Reiki tends to be smart energy and go where it’s needed, which is why you can do distant treatments, or even “hands off” treatments by directing energy at a person or animal and let it work where it’s needed. This kind of energy tends to work on levels that are more spiritual or higher self, rather than direct and physical.

When I give reiki, I do so on this level. It’s my soul, giving to your soul, for lack of better terms. I am wishing you to have this energy for the good of all, and I ask that if you don’t need it, or don’t want it, that it goes back into Mother Earth. If someone asks for a reiki treatment, or allows it, even if they don’t consciously believe in it, then I think on some level they want it.

And, everything, even plants and animals, have free will. If someone’s higher self, or an animal’s higher self, for whatever reason chooses to block or refuse the reiki energy, he or she can. There have been tales of it happening. That’s why most reiki practitioners will say that the energy will go into the Earth, or be directed back to the universe if it’s not needed.

To put it another way, we may not be able to tell how full someone’s spiritual cup is. If we send them reiki, intending to fill this cup (heal them, usually), we might overflow the cup. In this case, the energy needs somewhere to go, so directing it out to the universe or to the earth is the most common way of doing this. If this cup were set on the ground, any water we pour into it would go back into the grass and the earth, nourishing it. So, too, with reiki.