Reiki and Patience

Article by Deborah Lloyd, Reiki Master

Patience is a virtue that is quickly leaving our busy world. We drive faster, cook (or drive through a chain eatery) faster, hear world news within minutes of its happening, and expect immediate results in all areas of our lives. It seems impatience is the new way of being. Can Reiki practice help us to develop patience?

Patience helps us to slow down and take the time to make good decisions, but it is more than that. When we are impatient, we are focused on the future, wishing for something to happen, right away – whether it is standing in line at the supermarket, wanting a friend to answer her cellphone, or waiting for a promotion at work. We are not living in the present moment, but rather we think if a certain thing happens, our lives will be better. We are missing opportunities that are right in front of us.

Take a different approach, and you will feel the difference. You are standing in line at the supermarket. You look at the produce aisle, and you send gratitude to all the people involved in getting this fresh food to the buyers – the farmers, the packers, the truckers, the supermarket staff. Then, you notice the other people standing in line. There is the young mother with the squirming, almost-crying baby, the elderly gentleman with three items in his cart, and the young couple laughing, focused totally on each other. You send blessings to each one of them. This is living patience.

The difference in your energy levels, from being impatient to living in gratitude, is a stark contrast. The anxieties and frustrations of not getting out of the supermarket fast enough are gone. These are replaced by feelings of acceptance and compassion. The focus shifts from self-centeredness to other-centeredness, as you have taken the time to note and appreciate the gifts of life.

Reiki helps us to live in the present moment, developing a life of patience. When we give Reiki to other people, we clear our minds and simply allow the Universal Life Force Energy to flow. We try not to think about what is next on our calendar, or what we are going to cook for dinner. If an external thought enters our mind, we acknowledge the thought and gently release it. Remaining in a meditative state throughout a full Reiki session is perfect practice of patience. This practice can then be brought into the rest of our lives.

Reiki teaches us not to live in the world of expectations, as we never know what kind of healing will take place. We know Reiki always brings healing, but we do not know if it will be physical, emotional or spiritual – or, if it will be a little of each! Healing may be quick, or it may be over a long period of time. We live in patience, grateful for each step in the healing process.

Reiki helps us to remain calm and live in harmony. We become less fixated on a cure, or a problem going away. Rather, we accept this less-than-perfect situation and consider reasons why it is still a part of our lives. We become patient.

Patience needs to make a comeback in our hectic world! Let each of us look at the many ways we can foster and practice this necessary virtue.

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Deborah Lloyd is a Usui and Karuna Reiki® Master and certified holistic therapy practitioner, providing Distant Reiki sessions and training in Asheville, NC. Deborah is the author of two books, 22 Messages from the Archangels; and, Believe and it is True: A Story of Healing and Life Lessons. She is also one of the co-authors of Reiki 101: 101 Answers for Your Reiki Questions. Reach Deborah at [email protected] and on Facebook at Deb Lloyd Healing.