The Reiki Dojo

I have found 2023 a tough year and I expect there are few people reading this who have not faced challenges and difficulties this year.  It might be personal or family health problems, financial stress, loss and bereavement, concern for those struggling in our communities and of course the suffering in the areas of the world where there is war and the effects of climate change. This year more than ever, finding myself struggling, I have learned about the importance of being able to give ourselves comfort in a health way and been grateful for the comfort brought by my Reiki practice.

I have learned through experience this year that when we face difficulties, being comforted helps us to move forwards by restoring a sense of calm and centredness, allowing our bodies to shift from a stressful state to a more comfortable, resting state.  People have many ways of finding comfort, some less healthy, such as alcohol, over-eating or screen addiction which are all about numbing to our feelings. Thankfully Reiki is quite the opposite!  It helps us to return to a restful state while not avoiding what is being felt.

Difficulties showed up in my life in many ways in the past year.  I have been struggling with complex grief following several bereavements and the distruption brought by the Covid pandemic, dealing with probate of mother’s estate and being frustrated with unhelpful solicitors. Then in February my dear husband Alec was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which I will tell you more about next month (and if you are a man I recommend you get a PSA test: the earlier you are diagnosed the better the outcome!)

Dealing with this on top of the other difficulties was certainly challenging and at times I wondered if I could cope: I sought counselling and talked with friends, but struggled to find a sense of ease or comfort. It was the comfort of Reiki that helped most in the end. Suffering from exhaustion and low mood, I had been struggling with self-compassion, so my normal daily practice of giving myself  Reiki had lapsed. 

Then a student asked for a tutorial about self-Reiki treatment and as we practiced together (via Zoom), I felt again the amazing, soothing quality of Reiki and was reminded why I kept coming back to it over all these years. After this I found it easy to start daily self-Reiki again. 

I gave Reiki treatments to Alec each day during his radiotherapy and this was also a sanctuary of peace in those difficult days. In the summer, following a Reiki 1^st degree class, I resumed in-person Reiki shares in Ludlow, after several years gap due to the Covid pandemic. I was soon reminded of how wonderfully comforting Reiki feels when received from another people. 

Towards the end of this year I attended The Reiki Association gathering and then the OGM Reiki retreat in Spain, both of which were difficult, due to my health, but the sweet experiences of being in Reiki community in person again were further comfort.

So as the year comes to a close, with all it’s difficulties and challenges behind us, I wish you (healthy) comfort in whatever form that comes to you, whether it’s through Reiki, your religion or other spiritual practice, the comfort of family and friends or being in nature. May we find the comfort we need in difficult times for 2024 (and I hope there are less of them for all of us!).