Good Enough?

Reiki healingI rounded the corner, colliding with a woman who had come for Reiki healing a couple of years ago. She looked radiant and ageless.

We laughed and hugged, sputtering apologies and greetings. Her ebullience and joy were infectious. Nothing about her presence belied the frenzy with which she was packing up her apartment to swap Manhattan’s breathtaking skyline and bright lights for acres of quiet unspoiled forest, diving into a new life with the man she mentioned at our first session.

They’d had just a handful of dates at that point, but she was cautiously sensing this might break a string of heartaches.

She moved easily from Reiki treatment to a seat in my next First degree Reiki class. A savvy New York shopper, she quickly recognized daily Reiki self-practice as a sensible investment in her health and well-being.

This time, as her relationship became more day-to-day, it also deepened. Respect and love grew hand-in-hand. She reorganized her business to free her geographically.

The secret method for inviting happiness

“I can’t believe how wonderful my life is,” she said. “Every morning I wake up next to the man I love, surrounded by the beauty of nature that feeds me so deeply. I’m actually living the life I dreamed of.”

“Do you think this would have happened without your daily Reiki self-treatment?” I asked.

She looked startled, as if considering this connection for the first time.

Reflecting a moment, she shook her head. “No.”

“Can you let the life of your dreams be good enough?” I asked.

Another startled look. I knew I was being cheeky but I was willing to push a little to offer a parting gift.

“Yes, I can,” she said with conviction, “as long as I keep practicing Reiki.”

What unexpected happiness has Reiki practice brought to your life?

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10 thoughts on “Good Enough?”

  1. This story is about me! (…& being blissed out in the boonies). Thnx Pamela for teachings that are such an important part of my daily spiritual cultivation, reiki grants me the ‘space to connect’. ~ Cheryl

  2. I have been doing Reiki on famiy and friends since the early 1990’s but never really found the right outlet for it until recently. The hospice I work at began a Complementary Therapies program and I wrote up a short report advocating for Reiki as a possible addition in the future. Within less than 18 months, Reiki was added as a service for our Bereavement Clients and the feedback has been excellent.

    The unexpected happiness has come from my volunteering for this program and the ability to reach out in a very personal way to help someone grieving. Not only have I found an excellent outlet to do Reiki but it also makes me feel so useful. I have not felt this sense of purpose since my children were very young or when I worked as a nurse. I am grateful and thankful for the ability to do this work.

    1. Jen, I agree that practicing Reiki in a hospice environment is particularly inspiring. I do hope that you are doing so on the foundation of practicing daily Reiki self-treatment. Since Usui first formulated this practice, the emphasis has been, as Mrs. Takata put it, “First yourself.”

      Helping others without taking care of ourselves is a recipe for burnout. One of the huge advantages of Reiki practice is that it is so easy to help ourselves.

      1. Reiki practitioners who self-treat daily are expert caregivers.

        Self-treatment enables us to hold a healing space for another person. It gives us a presence of acceptance, or positive unconditional regard as psychologist Carl Rogers calls it. It allows our clients to experience their own wholeness no matter what they are going through, and helps to facilitate their healing response.

        We have a PhD in care giving!:)

        Thank you, Pamela.

  3. Reiki self-care has taught me how to take care of myself. I enjoy the warmth of my touch and the quiet time I spent with myself every day.

    Reiki self-treatment continues to teach me how to look at myself and others without judgement. I reflect more. I still make mistakes but I realize sooner when I have made a mistake, and what I need to do to move forward.

    All of my relationships have improved and I am very happy with the person I have become and how I live my life.

    1. Beautifully expressed, Christine, thank you. It seems you speak for all of us who practice Reiki self-treatment daily.

    2. i have just taken the first stage of reiki. for some reason while practising it, i get depressed…it worries me. i am 51 years , a woman. just wanted to know why is this happening 🙁

      1. I have no idea why this is happening, Sutapa, but I can make some suggestions. One is to talk to your Reiki master about it. Another is to look clearly at the feeling which you are labeling as depression. Is it possible that you are just tired and need to rest? Your system may be healing and you might need to take better care of yourself. If you have been pushing yourself too hard, realizing how tired you are might seem like depression.

        Keep practicing on yourself hands-on every day, as much as you can, and take care of yourself.

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