I have been a practicing Reiki Master for a few years now. Learning the art of Reiki has truly saved my life, and it is my hope that my clients and their animal companions have benefited as well. Lately, however, I’ve noticed myself reacting to many things happening around me with anger, disgust, and fear. When I realized, during a recent group global Reiki healing meditation, that I couldn’t bring myself to enfold Trump in the healing white light, I knew I had a problem.
What is Reiki?
According to the International Center for Reiki Training, Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is generally administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that a life force energy flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. I tried Reiki for the first time because I was a sad, angry, suffering mess after experiencing sexual assault. Reiki was a tremendous help to me, so I pursued learning about how to practice it.
The five guiding principles of Reiki — what I think of as my daily morning Reiki prayer — are these:
- Just for today, I will not anger.
- Just for today, I will not worry.
- Just for today, I will be grateful.
- Just for today, I will work hard and honestly.
- Just for today, I will be kind to every living being.
Over the course of 2020, I have found nearly all these principles difficult to muster at times. When protesters are tear-gassed and shot with rubber bullets so Trump can pose for a picture of himself holding the Bible, I am outraged. When I retired from my job just a few weeks before the pandemic and couldn’t find another job, I worried incessantly. Finally, every time I see Trump’s face, hear his voice, or read about his latest evilness, I feel this wave of loathing for him. I have dropped more F-bombs in 2020 than I have in the previous ten years combined.
The good news is that Reiki can help me reign in these dark, angry thoughts.The key is being mindful of the five principles. Sometimes, running through them quickly in the morning isn’t enough. While I’m washing dishes, I can say them. I can chant them during a walk outside. I can feel them in my heart when I’m petting my dog.
The world can be a scary place these days. While we have a responsibility to change for the better, we can’t do that from a place of hatred and fear.So, just for today, I will lay down my anger and turn back to the light of compassion and gratitude. It won’t always be easy, but with practice comes improvement.
Thank you for reading.
