The Importance of Letting Go

Article by Angie Webster

Reiki energy is one of the most beautiful things about the design of the Universe. We need healing and balance and this energy, which underlies all things, is there to be called upon to help restore balance. Whether we are asking for assistance for ourselves, another or a situation, Reiki can help, if we ask.

However, it is important that we always ask for assistance for the greatest good, rather than have a specific desired outcome in mind. Of course, we always think we know the best outcome, but the truth is, we are only capable of thinking from a very limited perspective. We are unable to see from the largest possible perspective, the Universal perspective, which takes in the good of all beings and values every soul. From that larger perspective, there are many things at work that we are not able to see in the moment and may only have small glimpses of in hindsight.

Once we have requested that Reiki assist us with our healing or our situation, it is necessary to let go of whatever expectations we may hold in our hearts and minds about the outcome. Even the most humble and loving of us have our own needs and desires, as well as our own fears and stumbling blocks. It is part of the human experience.

While these things are normal, holding on to them can create a constriction or a block in our energy, which can prevent Reiki from flowing as well as it could. More importantly, it can prevent us from seeing how Reiki is working, because we are only focused on looking for the outcome we expect. We overlook the ways Reiki is actually working, missing the value of the healing or lesson altogether.

It can be very difficult to let go of the wish for a particular outcome, especially when you are working with someone you love very much, you are in a great deal of pain or you are working with a situation that is filling you with a lot of emotions. So how do we let go and let Reiki do its work?

Each time you begin to work with Reiki, do it with reverence. Remind yourself that you are the vessel of co-creation through which this Universal Energy is doing its work. But you are not the Universal Energy. It can sometimes be easy to listen to praise from others who tell us what wonderful healers we are, and to forget we are working in cooperation with something much greater. It’s true that you are skillfully working with a wonderful tool, but the tool comes from beyond you.

If you are working with a person you care deeply about or a situation that you feel very emotionally charged over, take a few extra moments to center and ground yourself prior to sending Reiki. Let any emotional charge you have about the situation flow through you and release. Remember that emotions are only energy and that charge should not be held onto, nor should it be built on or fed. Try to build the habit of seeing all energy, of any kind, as a flowing current similar to water. When we let it flow freely, it remains pure and clean, with no stagnant pools or blockages and there is a natural ebb and flow.

Envision the person or situation you are working with in a perfect golden force field or orb of light. See yourself handing this entire orb over into the hands of Reiki and asking that it work for the greatest good. As you do this, willingly let go of any desires that you have for any particular outcome and note to yourself that by doing so, you are opening yourself and the situation to the many possible outcomes that you are unable to imagine.

After sending Reiki, you may find that your mind still wishes to revisit the desired outcome you had in mind, hoping that this will be the way things work out. Or that your mind becomes impatient for a result. Keep reminding yourself that the Universe contains infinite possibilities and that it is impossible to be aware of them all. Remain open and curious. The lessons and wonders are endless from this vantage point.

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Angie Webster made a significant contribution to the Reiki community, with a particular focus on Animal Reiki, which she had a deep affection for. As a knowledgeable Reiki Master Teacher and Author, she conducted online courses on energy healing, herbalism, flower essences, and personal growth.
She is the author of “Animal Reiki: How it Heals, Teaches & Reconnects Us with Nature” and “Reiki from A to Z”. Currently, Angie has decided to retire from her professional life to devote more time to her health, family, and the little joys of life.