On the 20th of every month, 1000 Voices Speak invites bloggers and non-bloggers alike to participate in writing about topics that promote compassion, love, and peace across the web. As I pondered April's topic, Nurturing, and considered the ways I nurture myself and others as of late it became clear I wanted to write about my recent intrigue with Reiki.
My Journey towards Reiki
The seeds of interest were planted this past summer while enjoying a short weekend getaway at the shore with my husband. Prone to sciatica, he had too long leaned against a metal bar in a poorly designed beach chair. When he stood up, his back was out of alignment shooting pain down his leg. As he limped back to our cozy beach-side cottage, everything inside me wanted to help him heal when I felt the impulse to believe my intention for his healing could somehow affect his condition.
So that night as we lay in bed on the verge of sleep, with feather-light touch I put my hand on his lower back and felt with every cell in my body the intention to send him healing and loving energy. Then after about five minutes, I fell asleep.
The next morning it wasn't until we were up a couple hours before I remembered to ask how his back was feeling. While he still had a slight sensation of pain, his condition had improved at least 90%. So much so that the day's plans progressed without interruption.
That experience piqued my curiosity. I wondered where the impulse to send him healing energy came from, and what exactly had even happened. So I asked google endless questions the drive home that Sunday from the shore. And then I forgot about it until this past February when out of the blue I had the idea I wanted to formally learn Reiki. So I googled it and within four days found myself sitting in a Reiki level I class less than 10 miles from my house. A month later in March, I completed my level II training.
Nurturing with Reiki
A strong suggestion to develop confidence in being a conduit for Reiki is to practice on someone, so I was grateful when my husband willingly agreed to allow it. I leave the house in the mornings about a half hour before he gets up, so it works out perfectly for me to spend 5-10 minutes sending him Reiki before I leave for the day. I used to feel bummed I never was able to bond with my husband in the mornings over a cup of tea or breakfast since we're on different schedules but in this unique way I've found a way to nurture him, myself, and our marriage through a Reiki morning ritual. When this loving, healing energy flows through me to him, I am blessed.
When I ask my husband what he feels when I send him Reiki, he usually cracks a joke along the lines of, "I feel the power!" But in a more serious moment, he says it feels like positive, loving energy. But the best feedback? When he sends a smile-inducing good morning e-mail that says, "Thanks for reikifying me this morning!" I'm convinced there's no better way to nurture our souls than to bask in the frequency of love.
How does Reiki work?
What is Reiki? It's simply Divine, loving, healing energy channeled through our intentions to bless someone with the frequency of it. It's not up to the practitioner to decide where this energy goes, or what it heals if anything. But here's a bit I've learned about some of the technical aspects of how energy/frequency healing works:
1.) Our memories, thoughts, and emotions are held as bundles of energy around our body in what is called our aura as well as in and around our organs, cells, tissues.
2.) Our physical bodies are also made up of energy vibrating at a frequency. Our thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes change the frequency with which our bodies resonate. Love is the highest frequency and fear is lowest frequency. There are many vibrational frequencies inbetween these two extremes, but most every intention carries the energy of either fear or love with it. And yes, this means that we emit sound although our ears can't perceive it.
3.) Both conscious and unconscious decision-making created with loving energy brings healing and health to our cells. Thoughts/beliefs/attitudes born from fear lower our vibrational frequency and make us more susceptible to dis-ease, both mentally and physically.
4.) Reiki is the means by which an individual allows their body to be aligned to the frequency of love, and blesses another person's energetic body by acting as a conduit for this frequency to transform lower vibrations. When the frequency of love is introduced to lower frequencies in our bodies, we are lifted and freed from these vibrations that we cling to.
What does Reiki feel like?
Some common sensations when giving/receiving Reiki: Warm physical sensations, a feeling of being lifted or expanded, bliss, love, comfort. Sometimes colors, messages, visions or insights will be given to the person administering reiki or the person receiving. The experience of this frequency of love always gifts the individual with the opportunity to release stuck energy and lift higher into the awareness of unity, love, and their true soul purpose.
How do you nurture yourself and others?
