When we think of practice, we think of musicians, athletes, and dancers (an intriguing hybrid of musician and athlete).
Whether they play cello, swing a racket, or balance on tiptoe, musicians, athletes and dancers practice thousands of hours to get better at what they do.
Spiritual athletes
There is another kind of practice, one that we can all engage in, regardless our talent, or lack of talent. Spiritual practice.
Spiritual practice doesn’t make us better at being spiritual. We already are spiritual. Spirituality is an inherent part of being human.
Spiritual practice makes us better at feeling better, and thus at doing (life) better, and being better — being the very best version of ourselves, staying engaged in the life we are living.
When we take care of our state — when we feel better — everything else gets better. We don’t get caught in the old traps. We stay in the game. We keep dancing.
We don’t react; we create.
Practicing prevention
Consistently feeling better matters because the things that stress us don’t take vacations. We need support every day to stay at the top of our game, the game only we can play, the dance only we can dance.
Challenges come in life, but stress is largely preventable. By restoring our well-being and sense of meaning every day, practice keeps most stress at bay. When we occasionally succumb to stress, daily practice enables us to recover faster.
Daily practice is very doable, no matter what your lifestyle. If you are a Reiki practitioner, it’s as simple as placing your hand. If you’re not a Reiki practitioner, turn your attention to your breath, and take a few moments to enjoy it, just as it is.
Daily practice doesn’t just happen. We have to make it part of our everyday lifestyle.
What obstacles have you overcome to maintain a steady practice? What obstacles would you like help with? Let’s support one another in daily practice so we can all feel better, do better, be better — so we can enjoy our lives and share our joy with the world around us.
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Thank you Pamela for this post. It is your work that inspired me to commit to a path of combining art (in this case dance), health and spirituality in my life in such a way as to show how they inter-relate in an easy, recognizable way. It is only in the beginning stages. The Reiki seems to be foundational and bit by bit, the other areas are emerging and flowing into one another in ways that are practical, surprising and comforting sometimes even simultaneously! I am now presenting healthy dancer workshops with my daughter (also trained in Reiki) where we share techniques and resources of building intuition, improving lifestyle and diet. Your book and web info. is on our resource list and I always share the story of “Why Reiki, Why Now?” which is my short personal history and experience with Reiki culminating in my AHA moment of finding you on the internet. I was instantly galvanized by your clarity, simplicity and connective-ness to a new path that enabled my journey of dance, health and personal growth to finally begin a life of its own, that my daughter is a part of and that begins to define my life’s work. There is a small but growing group of dancers who have found that Reiki supports them fully in all areas of their lives, from its pain-relieving and balancing qualities, relieving stage fright and performance anxiety to honing choreographic skills and even unleashing ecstatic dance. In these last two years, with daily Reiki practice, I am more than ever grateful to you Pamela, to Reiki and adventures still to come!