Reiki and meditation have been embraced by many as pathways to peace and wellness. However, many people come into these practices after a stressful catalyst and are seeking change, or even more drastically, seeking a way to escape life's challenges. I also found Reiki and meditation when looking for ways to beat anxiety and stress about the next steps on my life path. At first, I was in awe. I did start to feel peace in mind and body, but I also found that I would run to these practices at any hint of discomfort in my life. In time, I learned that I was being shown how to observe the truth of my thoughts and feelings, confronting and embracing life's journey, rather than escaping it.
Understanding Reiki: Beyond Pop Culture Myths
Reiki is more than the mystical, "high-vibe" phenomenon that it's often reduced to on social media, tv shows, and movies. Many might expect Reiki sessions to weave magic into their ailments, but its real power lies in its capacity to enhance the body's natural healing processes. By understanding the nuances of Reiki, practitioners can appreciate its ability to restore balance, clear blockages, and cultivate a sense of wellbeing over time, rather than overnight miracles or a cheat-code towards instant enlightenment. There are some people who've had experiences with Reiki that do feel miraculous, myself included, but the system of Reiki offers so much more than quick fixes.
For those genuinely interested in Reiki, it's crucial to move beyond the sensationalized impressions left by pop culture and to seek a true understanding of what it means to be in relationship with one's own mind, body, and energy. Learning the practices within the system of Reiki involves dedication, much like learning any other discipline, which not only nurtures life force energy but also supports a sense of connection with one's own inner self and the larger world.
Meditation: A Journey Inward, Not an Escape
Meditation creates an opportunity for introspection and awareness, rather than an escape from troubles. The practice supports being presence in the moment, allowing thoughts and feelings to surface without judgment. It teaches how to be a neutral observer, remaining calm and clear in the witnessing of existence. Through meditation, individuals can cultivate the practice of mindfulness, which brings them closer to understanding their emotions and behaviors from a place of acceptance rather than avoidance. It's about acknowledging the mind's chatter, without attachment, and finding peace in the allowance.
Again, when I first started meditating I was relieved that there was a way to find moments of peace, but I initially thought it was only found in the state of meditation. This created more of a sense of duality, feeling great in my practices and disappointed with "real life". I was unknowingly creating further detachment from the present. Fortunately, I ended up learning that our spirituality and day-to-day life aren't meant to be seen, nor practiced, as separate. Meditation is actually a tool that enables us to maintain clarity of mind and access higher perspectives, without attaching to old stories, while interacting with life. The key is taking the practice beyond the state of practice; to begin living in the same expression that we achieve in meditative states...in peace. Through consistent practice, meditation can transform the way we relate to our internal and external functionality.
Acknowledging Our Wounds: The Path to True Healing
Reiki and meditation offer paths to self-healing, but when choosing these paths we begin to realize that true healing requires a willingness to acknowledge our wounds. Through the movement of energy and observation of our true thoughts and emotions, we become consciously aware of what many call that shadow. Even with this next phase of awareness comes choice. We have free will and can either sit with what is within our fields of consciousness, or we can try to attach to the old patterns of avoidance, denial, and justification. It gets real uncomfortable if we try to sweep truth under the rug.
Using Reiki and meditation as cover stories, believing that you're being "spiritual" in practice, but avoiding the work of healing and transformation, only delays personal growth. When practiced with understanding, Reiki and meditation encourage a deep exploration of one's psyche, recognizing the vulnerabilities that shape us. This honest self-realization promotes healing that integrates both our light and shadow, leading us towards true unification and expression of true nature.
It's all a process through practice. When we are willing to acknowledge our wounds, we set the stage for genuine healing, rather than illusions of quick, magical corrections. It's through this real and raw acceptance of our pain that Reiki and meditation become alchemical practices, supporting us in peeling back the layers of our conditioned responses to life. The courage to face our pain and stories is often the first step to unlocking how we've identified ourselves, versus who and what we are in truth, by nature of our design and existence.
Spiritual Bypassing: The Misuse of Spiritual Practices
Spiritual bypassing refers to the tendency of using spiritual concepts and practices to sidestep or avoid uncomfortable emotions and unresolved emotional challenges. This misuse can be tempting, as it's much easier to focus on positive affirmations and light-hearted approaches, than to sit with and examine our shadows. If Reiki and meditation are used as escapes, rather than methods to explore these discomforts, they inadvertently reinforce avoidance.
The system of Reiki, for example, is full of practices that teach us to not only see and perceive with higher understanding of all things, but to do so with compassion and gratitude for life's various expressions. Then the practice of meditation teaches us to allow thought-forms to move, to flow for observation, while helping us understand what has been feeding our conditions. Again, both of these practices also reveal choice in the participation of your healing and wellbeing.
Reiki and meditation encourage sincere engagement with all facets of our being, including the parts we'd rather ignore. These practices are meant to compliment and uplift our life expressions, not add to false narratives.
Embracing Reality with Reiki and Meditation
Embracing the system of Reiki and meditation with consistent practice, creating a way to recognize your entire life as a spiritual practice, supports a willingness to face life's realities and allows room for genuine transformation. Life's challenges are not to be bypassed but understood and integrated into our spiritual journey.
To learn more about these practices, visit my website, http://theenergeticalchemist.com
To hear first-hand stories from teachers and practitioners of various modalities, listen to Reiki Radio Podcast on your favorite podcast platform, or watch interviews at https://www.youtube.com/ReikiRadio
In gassho and gratitude,
Yolanda